Hello.  I am 27 and have a approx 14 yr hx of depression.  recently my new pdoc suggested i may actually be bp(?).  i thought i had it all figured out now not sure what to think.. (yeah right)!
I am home with my 2 daughters, 2 and 8.
I started Lexapro 6 days ago.  I have been ok for the last 3yrs and on no meds, then my pdoc retired... in the past id been thru zoloft, paxil, prozac, celexa, wellbutrin, effexor, various benzo's (klonopin, valium, etc), zyprexa, seroquel, cogentin, and possibly some others as far as psych meds.  nothing has helped and ive had all the side effects in the book.  right now i've had a horrible headache since i started the lex., plus no appetite, food tastes bad, nausea, feeling like im sufocating, yawning, agitation, and insomnia.  ok, im done complaining... i just want to feel better!

(((((Mel)))))
I want you to feel better, too! And if talking about it here helps, then talk away.
I'm sorry you're being hit hard with the side-effects. Does your doc know how what's going on? Maybe a dose adjustment (I'm very sensitive to drug SEs, and usually start at a lower-than-normal dosage), or adding on a sleep aid would help for a little while.
I'm hoping that the Lexapro turns out to be your wonder drug, and that the SEs lessen quickly for you.
Let us know how you're doing.

Hi! I have been on lexapro since March. I was only at 10 mgs until a montha go when I went up to 15mgs. I was hospitalized on the 6th of July( just got out today) and they upped the dose to 30mgs. Havn't had any side effects at all. Its already helping.  :D   Love Lex!!!!!   :love:

Lynn,
Welcome home!
I'm so glad to hear that you're doing so well. I hope each day sees you feeling better and better...

hi i am on 40mg of citalopram everyday, i have been taking it for about six months, for the first 2 and a half months when i was fiddling with dosage i felt no change but over the time the drug has helped me to the extent that i feel much more awake after a D*** long sleep. i have no side effects except um, prolonged ejaculation...? i am happy with my progress on the drug, i have only just started going to therapy but i already feel as if i dont really need it.

Welcome to DF, bawtree3.
I hope you'll be patient and give therapy some time, as you did with the Celexa. Most of the talk I hear from others, plus my own personal experience, is that in the long run meds and therapy together are more effective than either alone.

Hi, I am not really new to this board, but I felt I should introduce myself.  I am Katie and I am 20 years old with a dx of Bipolar II, OCD, ADHD, and anxiety disorders.  Celexa has been one of the best AD's for me.  Being bipolar, it has the potential to make me a little hypomanic so we are always adjusting doses.  It has been about 4 years since I first tried it.  I did a trial run of Lexapro, but I got so agitated that I went back to Celexa.

Katie :sleepy:

I am on 20mgs of Celexa now for 4 days only and the nausea is really bad :verysad3: but I'm very hopeful that it will subside after a while.

I'm happy to see people here noticing positive effects of celexa!

Welcome, _amante_
I hope you quickly join the people who experience positive effects from Celexa.
(And always nice to re-welcome you, Katie!)

Hey there I started LExapro today after trying Wellbutrin for a few weeks.  (It didnt seem that bad compared to how Ive felt today)  Started with a Seroquel before bed last night and a Lex this morn and then  I felt bugged out all day and didnt want to do anything just needed to keep my mind busy so watched tv and spaced out.

spaceboy,
Sending healing thoughts your way - I hope you're feeling better soon. Please let us know how you're doing.

Hello this will be my second try with lexapro.  I quit in January when I felt better and didn't have the money to refill the precrition anymore.  I am no on day 4 10mg,  hope I can feel as good as last time.  I very much isolating myself to my room, not eating hardly anything.  I just want to be funcitional againl

Wish everyone luck  Melissa

Welcome to the Room, Mel!,

I've been on lexapro for over a year, and find it's a good med for depression and anxiety.  Hope you have a gentle journey through the start-up, and begin to feel better soon.  Join us down below.  I'll be looking for you!

                                             Jackie  

That is good to hear.  I hope it works that well for me. I tend to be a very impatient person when it comes to taking meds.  They just don't seem to work fast enough and I am falling fast.

Melissa :sniffle1:

Oh My!,

Depression is a diffficult illness to deal with.  Please take it easy on yourself.  Remember, you are dealing with a chemical illness, and meds help balance your brain chemistry.  Hopefully you'll feel better, soon.  In the meantime, keep posting.  You have people here to give you support and let you know that you are not alone in this.

                                      (((((((((((((((Mel)))))))))))

                                                                    Love, Jackie  

Hello... Just started 10 mg Lex this week and am feeling better ... just a few se's like nausea after a meal and feeling foggy. But at least I don't feel like I'm jumping outta my skin anymore! Now I'm bored and wanna DO something, instead of hiding all day.

So far so good....

SW

Glad to see you here at DF, scarletworld!
How wonderful that the Lexapro is kicking in so quickly. I hope you continue feeling better each day.

Melissa, you just hang in there - hopefully, the Lexapro will help you feel better soon. And keep talking to us - we care.

Thanks JKM and Scarlet I have been on lexapro for almost 2 weeks.  I go through spurts of it lifting though anxiety is still terrible.  My husband ending up taking his job back and his boss apologized to him and so on... That at least takes a little of my chest.  

Unfortunetly I don't work right now I am on SSDI and have been so for a little over 3 years.  It is so weird that I seem to get the major depression in the summer rather then the winter..  I am all screwed up.  It is good to hear your anxiety is better.  It is really a killer.  I also struggle with SI when I get so anxious that I feel like I am going to explode but that is a whole nother story.  

I am really glad I found you guys. .  No matter how I am feeling I try to at least turn my computer on once a day.  Sorry it has been a few days.  Its been pretty tough.  Hope Ya all are doing Good.  See my PDoc on the 3rd I am going to see if he will up the Lexapro to 20mg.

take care
Melissa :)

I agree about stress being the cause of tmj.  I was really stressed out today and my tmj just tightened up like crazy and gave me head pains.  I am only 2 weeks on celexa so I hope I can calm down soon plus I think the celexa also affects the tmj itself.  I feel as stressed as this little guy does  

I have developed an awareness about the tension in my jaw and  neck  muscles, and try to watch that I'm remembering to relax throughout the day.  One way I do this is to remember when I look at one of my rings, to go ahead and relax.  I also watch what I'm eating when this gets bad, so I'm not making it worse by eating foods that have to be chewed.......

I do my best to become aware when I am tensing my tmj muscles especially since my sinuses are affected .  I try to eat healthy as well and keep my posture the best I can but I tend to slouch a lot as I work with computers every day.  I am going to try to close my eyes and meditate to relax my mind and hopefully to release facial tension.

Hi, my name is Tim and for the first time in my life I feel like I can't go on.My relationship with my wife is breaking down and I have two small children. I have been prescribed Citprolam and have taken it over 10 days , but it seems to be making me feel more hopeless, especially within a couple of hours of administration.I don't know whether its my depression which is making me feel so down or the side effects of the medication.
Please help.

Tim

Hi,Tim.  Welcome to Depression Forums.  There are many of us here in fact most likely all of us who have felt like not going on at times.  Lizard already said this, but you may want to give the Celexa more time.  I think it is unlikely that Celexa is contributing to your depression.  You are either taking it at night or in the morning and the stress associated with reflecting on your day as you get into bed or getting ready to start a new day could be contributing.  Are you in therapy or planning to pursue therapy?  That may help you deal with the stressful marital issues that the Celexa really can't fix.

Katie :wave:

hey everyone :)  im a 22 year old female,
this is my first time posting on here and just have a question or two which, sorry if it is repetitive and you've all answered many times, but any info would be great...well i just started on celexa and have been on it for two weeks so far...10mg for the first 5 days, now at 20....havent been taking it at the exact same time though ...which i didnt knwo i had too and also have had absolutley no side effects as well as no changes...i guess im just wondering if taking the medication at different times has bascially wasted these two weeks? and also how long have you others on average, felt better on celexa?....last question...is anyone taking it for social anxiety as well and has it worked for that?...ive been depressed and had social anxitey for many years now and i finally got the nerve to get a family doctor and get help but she basically wrote me up a prescription within 5 minutes and i don't think she got the social anxiety part of my problem, or maybe i didnt communicate it well, not sure......i dunno, sorry for the rant.. im just feeling so hopeless right now and wondering if this is even the right drug or it it will even help...not that i was hoping for anything overnight.. but i am starting a job   next week that i went to school for and was hoping it would be a new start..i was hoping to have been feeling better by then but the way im still feeling i dont know if i can handle it.. :( ....any info, comments,any input at all would be much appreciated, you guys seem to know more than anyone i've spoken to so far...thanks....

Welcome to DF, two_zeros!
Congratulations on taking the major positive step of talking to your doctor (sorry she didn't take more time, or reinforce that she heard all your concerns).
No, you haven't wasted two weeks. I wouldn't worry about the changing times you've taken your doses - just start to take the Celexa around the same time of day now. It will give you a better idea of how it's affecting you (for instance, if you take it in the morning and you're tired all day, you can try changing it to a nightthime dosing. Always check out changes with your doctor, though). It will also keep the medication in your system more evenly.
It's not unusual for it to take a month or two for the good effects to really kick in, although everyone reacts differently. Try to be patient.
Celexa is FDA approved for depression. I'm not aware of it being specifically targeted for anxiety, although, again, everyone responds differently. Don't hesitate to pester your doctor if your concerns aren't addressed, and certainly keep her informed of how you're feeling.
Keep posting here for support, and let us know how you're doing.

Welcome to newbies two_zeros and joez.  Two_zeros, I think that it can be beneficial to take the Celexa at a similar time each day, but I don't think that it has a humongous impact on efficacy.  If it would help you remember to take it then that is fine.  As Lizard said, Celexa is an antidepressant.  However, it is in the class of medications called SSRI's which may help anxiety and OCD because they focus on serotonin which is involved in many mental health issues.

Joez, I hope you get good results with your Celexa this time around.  Over the past 4 years I have been on and off Celexa about a half dozen times.

Katie

Hey guys, its me again..
well i've been on celexa for about 2 months now...the doc put me up to 30 mg and still nothing..i guess i'm just here for some kind of support cause i dont know what to do. I can only really see her about 1 every month now casue of my work and i dont know, im feeling nothing from it at all. Ive been at my new job for a month now and i cant concentrate, make mistakes an dont reallyt talk to anyone and feel pretty bad like usual.. im seeing that im not gonna lasdt long there but i want to..anyways i guess what im wondering from you guys who have more experience with the medication ...do you think it may be tiome  to switch meds or do somethign esle after 2 months of nothing? i realzize you guys arent doctors but to be honest i dont think my doctor is very helpful.. maybe if i go in to my next appointment with some ideas i wont waste any more time or maybe ill just ask her to refer me to a psych doctor or something...I need advice ..thank you so much for your input on my other post too..thanks, diana
p.s just wondering also..some of you guys who have gotten better from depression/social anxiety...what changes did you actaully notice/escpecially in the beginning??
BYE :holloween:

Hi, two_zeros,
Sorry I didn't check in here sooner - I've been a bit spacey lately.
I certainly think it's worth talking to your doc about tweaking your meds after two months on the Celexa; you may decide together to give it more time or you may choose to add on another med, or make a switch.
If you're able to get a referral to a pdoc, I would go for it. Why not get the advice of a specialist?
Let us know how you decide to proceed, and how you're doing.
Wishing you well...

I started Lexapro this morning -- my first AD ever. I am on 5 mg for the first 3 days and then 10 mg a day after that.

This may be naive of me, but if Lexapro works, I'll take it no matter what the side-effects are. All I want is to stop feeling this way. I'll put up with anything.

Hi, I'm new to the room. I have had anxiety for way long & over the years it just seems to get worse. This winter I've apparently added depresson & I went to a psychologist recently who calls it "agitated depression."  I don't pace or lose my temper or wring my hands but I guess the anxiety makes the depression agitated!  I've taken Paxil before for panic & that worked fine but I didn't like the numbing out  or the weight gain. Had a bad experience with both Zoloft & Kava Kava, so I've been more or less maintaining on Xanax PRN for years. Since I'm paranoid about what I put into my body (had a problem with alcohol years ago), I just don't want to take any more meds. But I've gotten to the point now where this anxiety is just too overwhelming. I get that awful feeling of doom & sick fear every morning as soon as I wake, I worry over absolutely everything, I get nothing done, can't make decisions properly  etc etc etc.  The psychologist prescribed Lexapro, said it was the best in her opinion for both anxiety & depression in one pill, but I just can't make myself take it yet. I keep putting it off.  Hope maybe I'll find the push here to go ahead & do it.  Thanks for listening.

Sukisue

Sukisue  :wave: nice to have you on Board!

Maybe once you have started Lexapro and got a nice feeling about life again, your anxiety will lessen and you will pick up ..... give you brain a break - these drugs are designed for short-term use when we need them.  Just like a cold remedy, tummy settler or neck rub.  It's much better to feel well again - and maybe once you do begin to be more relaxed you will stop worrying abut the effects of the drug ?????

My worry was whether the meds would work and how long it would take!  I never bothered about what I was putting into my body as I need my head to be as clear as possible.  Fortunately Lexapro helps the depression and anxiety, plus a betablocka at night.  It enables me to function: before I was a shivering wreck in the corner of the bed unable to get very far at all!

The only big drawback is busy, involved, long, dreams - and I'm even getting used to those  :nod:  If I find myself over-tired I catch up during the afternoon or have a lay in after hubby has gone to work - depending on which  :EmoticonDogRun: is here!

Keep posting!   :;):

Thanks for those who responded to my first post.  I just started the Lexapro today.  Just 1/4 of a 10 mg tablet.  Things had just gotten worse to the point where I couldn't get rid of that sick, anxious, scared feeling all the time.  And the worrying is just terrible.  At night I have to take Xanax to sleep. Only 1/4 tablet at a time usually but then naturally I wake up in 4-5 hours & have to take another one to get back to sleep.

It doesn't help any either that I have an ill 20 year old cat & cancelled a trip to see my daughrer & her family. They don't understand my love for my cats  & laid a huge guilt trip on me. But for me, cancelling the trip because of a sick cat, especially one who has been with me for so long, is something that I would do for a sick child.  The guilt trip doesn't help.

Thanks for the encouragement. I don't suppose it's ok to have a glass of wine while taking Lexapro?

Sukisue

I also wanted to ask what dosages of Lexapro you all started on?  5 mg?  Has anyone started on 2.5?  

Suki

:wave: I started with 20mg lexapro and am now down to 10mg at night.  Because of the virus [now into my 5th week of coughing and spluttering ] I upped the doseage to 10 in the morning also because my mood was very low.  

Taking a little amount at first and working up is fine.  After 3-4 days you can take 5mg and then increase to 10mg.  

As for the guilt feelings about the cancelled trip.  They don't know how your cat is - so they don't see the hours you spend watching and tending him.  I did it many times: we only went on day trips to family instead of staying a few days because pussies and the spaniel needed drugs/special food/ extra fuss.  In the last 18 months of their lives we didn't go away on holiday, just days away.   So I could tend to them overnight.  You did right  :nod: - let the family wait.  YOu have enough anxiety to deal with without a trip away from home on top.

Hugs to puss-cat  :hearts:

Don't know about the wine though: I don't drink although I often have a sip of hubby's choice of the day  :;):

Hi, I visited my doctor yesterday after suffering from depression for nearly 8 years but never having the courage to do anything about it.
He has prescribed Citalopram Hydrobromide 20mg to me but I am nothing short of terrified about taking it and am thinking of throwing the prescription in the bin!

The side effects sound terrible and as I had an eating disorder for 3 years the thought of gaining weight fills me with terror. I also live alone and am away on business a lot and am concerned about how the side effects will effect my work as I drive such long distances.

I am also concerned that it has negative effects on the contraceptive pill.

Are the stories about weight gain true - I hear some people have gained up to 20 pounds!

Any guidance would be much appreciated.
Thanks, Vics

My name is Phil, I'm 26 and believe to suffer from anxiety and depression for about 6 years. I've been taking 10mg Lexapro for just over 2 weeks now and I have some question's i wanted to ask but don't know if this is the right forum to ask them.

I seem to have every effect that people explain they have with A & D. From not being able to sleep, to not want to even go out or do things and thinking there are a whole bunch of things wrong with me. In the past i've taken Paxil and Zoloft and all though they seemed to help with my sleeping and my thinking a little bit, nothing seems to correct my vision problem.

When i first started getting anxiety attacks this very weird vision problem would fade into my eyes very slowly and after a little bit would go away. the best and only way to really describe this vision problem is to compare it to being a little somewhat Drunk or buzzed from a few drinks. one day i had an attack and the vision problem faded in but never faded out and I've been living with this vision problem now every day for the past 5 years and it never goes away. I have it 24 hours a day everyday for the past 5 years.It's almost like things don't even seem real at times.  I've been for lots of tests such as Bloodwork, upper GI's, Cat Scan, Equilibrium tests, and the latest an Eye Exam. I have 20/20 vision and can see just fine except for the fact that i see like im a little drunk all the time.

Does Anyone out there have the same problem or know of anyone who does, or even had it and found a way for it to go away?

Thanks

Welcome to DF, Phil  :welcomeani:
Your vision problem must weigh on you. I also have visual disturbances - enough so that I rarely drive at night any more (makes me feel older than my 81-year-old mother, who still drives at night). It would be wonderful if the Lexapro kicks in and you find your vision back to normal as the anxiety and depression come under control.
Let us know how you're doing.
Wishing you well...

Thank You

i usta be on celelxa, it worked real well at 1st, but then it sorta went away... what is the difference between lexapro and celexa exactly?