Back in January I tried taking Zoloft for almost a month. The side effects were absolutely horrific and I experienced no relief. Is Lexapro easier to take? Will it cause weight gain? I've been on over a dozen antidepressants with no relief. Before Zoloft, I tried Cymbalta. That had the worst withdrawal of anything. I almost killed myself because of the withdrawal.

Anyway, I just want something that works that doesn't make me feel sick all the time the way all the other drugs did.

jason lexapro suppose to be one of the easiest meds to take. u may have some side effects to start off with which for some is normal i know when i tried paxil it was awlful i stayed sick the whole time on it. celexa is what i am on now which is like a older sister of lexapro. the best thing to do is go slow on the med and don't think that it is going to make u sick. i know with me i can think something will make me sick and it will. there can be some weight gain just monitor what u eat. when starting lexapro tell ur doc to start you slow and gradually build . they will lessen the side effects if u have them. that is a if u have them. but there is tons of benefits once u get on the right med and the right dose . hang in here there is tons of people here to help you through this . and they are great. hope this helps some.. love and god bless tonya

I wish I could give you a definite answer Jason. The fact is these meds treat everyone differently. I've heard some very bad things about cymbalta, effexor and paxil withdrawal. Those are three I would never take. Ever.

Lexapro is the most specific of the SSRIs. For many people, that means it works more quickly and has fewer side effects. If you have had problems with other SSRIs, you may want to start at 5mg in order to manage side effects.

You said that you've been on 12 AD's so far. How long were you taking each of them? Have you tried different classes of antidepressants or have you mainly been going through the SSRIs?

KA

I've been on over 12 different AD's since 1990. I was on most of them for at least 4 to 8 weeks. I've been on SSRI's, TCA's, and also tried the new depression patch, Emsam, which is an MAO inhibitor. I did try Lexapro back in 2003 but only for a few days because the migraine headaches were unbearable.

I'm sorry you've had such a tough time finding an AD to work for you. If you are beginning at small doses and then increasing them, trying to manage side effects, 4-8 weeks is not very long to be trying these medications since it can take that long at the full therapeutic dose. I know the side effects can be difficult to get through, but they usually do pass.

If you were getting migraines on Lexapro, why would you want to try it again? Are you thinking you'd start at a lower dose?

KA

I was thinking of trying Lexapro again because there's nothing left for me to try. 4-8 weeks at a full dose is more than enough time to know if something is going to work and if side effects (which have NEVER gone away for me) are intolerable.

Celexa and Lexapro are considered "cleaner" SSRIs.

They have, on average, fewer side effects than the others.

Lexapro is known to have very few side effects with less severity. It is better than Celexa about side effects. Which side effects were bothering you the most? I am on 20 mg of Lexapro a day, and I don't feel it is doing much to help. I can't even tell I am taking it. I do not feel much different if any. I was thinking about switching to Zoloft or Paxil, but I am worried about the side effects. I was also considering taking Sam-e because it has no side effects.

This post has been edited by monkey_dude: Apr 18 2007, 02:53 PM

Sam-e had side effects for me big time. I took it for three days and thought I was going to jump out of my skin the anxiety was so bad. Took another couple of days to get normal again after I stoped it. There is a common misconception that "dietary suppplements" are somehow safer. This really couldnt be further from the truth. They are not regulated and controlled, long term studies havent been done on alot of them. Am I saying that sam-e wouldnt work for you? Nope? Just be careful.

I had awful anxiety for about the first ten days on citalopram but then it subsided for the most part. I'm into my second month on it and doing much much better.

I went to the p-doc today and received a month's worth of samples of Lexapro. He told me to take 1/2 pill a day for a week, then the full 10 mg after that. I'm afraid to take it. I've been on over 14 different medications. I tried Lexapro in the past and it caused terrible headaches.

Anyway, not sure what time I should take it today. The doctor was no help when I asked that question.

I'm so sorry this is so stressful for you, jason. I get migraines so I can't say I noticed any increase in headaches either time I went on Lexapro. But if it encourages you at all, the first time I weaned myself off Lexapro I had side effects that I haven't had at all when decreasing my dosage this time. It's possible that headaches won't be part of your experience this time around. I think it is CindyAnn who did have bad headaches when adjusting to Lexapro, but she said the SEs faded and she feels much better now.

As for when to take it, people seem to have different times that work best for them depending on the SEs. Most people seem to have some trouble sleeping if they take it too late in the evening. Some people get too sleepy if they take it first thing in the morning. I finally averaged out at taking it around 4 pm and that seemed to work well for me. Now I've gone down to 10 mg from 20 and at 10 mg I can take it in the morning just fine and have no problems with it. I'm afraid you may have to experiment a little.

Take care of yourself, Jason, and we're all here to support you and help with advice as best we can.