Escitalopram(Lexapro) worry

[rhoda]

Hi Guys,

So I went to the doctor today and she has prescribed me 20mg Lexapro...Ive been on 10mg for years now ( about 5 ) and was watching this video on Youtube ( I know - but hear me out...) that said that 20mg can make you manic - it was a psychatrist who said it, so I thought perhaps this is true.

Though I have been on 20mg in the past, Im worried about stepping it up from 10 to 20 ( and of course Im one of those paranoid anxious-types about meds...)

Anyone have any thoughts?

[DaisyDoe]

Hi Rhoda

If you are worried about how the drugs might effect you, maybe you can talk to your doctor about moving you up to 15 mg first and see how you react. I've heard that SSRIs can trigger mania in persons who suffer from bipolar conditions, but nothing much else.

How is your relationship with your doctor? Is he/she pretty responsible and informative when it comes to prescribing your meds? If you trust his/her judgment, that should give you comfort that they wouldn't put you in a situation that might impact your health.

To really give you peace of mind, however, it may go back and talk to your doctor. It should make you feel better about things.

I know what it is like to worry incessantly about things so hang in there!

[rhoda]

Hey,

I do trust my doc, but sometimes that doesnt make much difference if you are paranoid about meds as I am...

I took 20mg today and at one point I had this strange rush up the back of my neck and brain - overwhelming and awful - like a very bad panic attack. It went away after a few seconds and the rest of the day I was in panic mode :( I slept from midnight to 3am and now Im awake ( its 4.30am) and do not feel at all tired.

Having anxiety about meds is in itself ridiculous - I know this - but somehow I cant get past it.

[DaisyDoe]

It isn't ridiculous - I think we all worry about things that we don't necessarily understand (like how our medications work). Know that the anxiety from the increase in meds is a pretty common side effect (as we both know).

How did you do the last time you were on 20 mg?

[rhoda]

I cant quite remember how I went last time on the 20mg - though I dare say it was ok as I have no bad memories...

Today was much better, I even had to catch a plane and had no panic attack ( though intense palpatations :( ).

Will stick with it for a few weeks and hope I see an improvement.

Thanks for the support :)

[DaisyDoe]

That's great! I wish the drugs were like an on and off switch, but gradual feats like stepping onto a plane or making it through a day without panicking (I think I am getting there) are what I think we need to hold onto while we adjust to the meds.

I think the fact that you have no bad memories of your last stint on 20 mg is a good thing - I don't know about you, but I have a tendency to latch onto the negative components of my experiences and those are what stick with me. If no negative memories are present, you probably did well on them.

I am officially at 3 weeks of Cipralex today and while I don't feel awesome, I did have points in my day where the anxiety was completely tolerable if not missing. That gives me hope. I am trying to concentrate on the little victories, and I hope you are too.

Hang in there!

[ric556]

it is always better to discuss with our psychiatrist , tell them about our concern is good.