Starting Lexapro, questions.

[jhenry14]

Okay, so I was once on Lexapro a wile back fort anxiety and it helped, but I decided to come off of it bc I wanted to see if I was aright without it. did that for awhile an was aright while taking some vitamins that helped with my anxiety. well eventually it got bad enough again to where medicine was needed, so I tried this new medicine called Viibyrd, had bad side effects. then I tried wellbutrin, made my anxiety worse. and now I'm starting back on Lexapro. I started taking 5mg Monday night. so I've only taken 2 doses so far. next one tonight. reason I'm posting this is bc lastnight I woke up in the middle of the night an jus felt weird and anxious. mind racing an all that. I read somewhere that it can affect REM sleep but I never had any of that when I took it before. I had the headaches jus like I do know but idk. an I was wondering if two doses is too soon to even tell if that's the lexapro doing that. or could it jus be my anxiety. I hate taking antidepressants and/or ssri's but I know I need em. I always worry and obsess over the side effects. so I already have a bad mindset to begin with. and this doesn't help. I jus want to get better.

[Chris C]

Like you I was on Lexapro for about a year then went off it. Recently my anxiety became bad again and my psych put me back on it. I took it for two nights. Both times I woke up in the middle of the night feeling nauseous and flushed and just off. Don't remember that happening the first time I took it. I asked her to take me off and put me on Prozac which I took for a number of years with no side effects.

[jhenry14]

Yeah last night I woke up and felt weird, kind of like off and then got anxious bc of that. I never felt that before either. I think I'm gonna try it again tonight and see what happens. I have klonopin to take if I need it to calm me down or help me sleep. but if this doesn't get better, idk what I'm gonna do. Prozac helps with anxiety?

[Chris C]

Yeah maybe see how you feel tonight on it. Any of the ssri's may help with anxiety. It depends upon the individual. Unfortunately it's a bit of trial and error to find what works for each person. I had the best luck with Prozac of the ones I tried. I was on it for about 9 years with my dosage increased every few years as my anxiety would get worse again. I was eventually taking 60mg a day and when my anxiety started getting bad again the doctor didn't want to increase it beyond that and switched me to Lexapro. I took that for a year and it worked ok. Then she tried Effexor which had me crawling out of my skin so now I'm back on Prozac. Hoping it will work again.

[jhenry14]

Geez. I hate meds. I'm scared to take it tonight. I get anxious about side effects an scared of what might happen so yeah. but oh well. I'll jus have to see.

[Chris C]

Yeah meds suck but are a necessary evil sometimes. Let me know how you make out tomorrow.

[jhenry14]

Yeah I agree. my face feels numb right now. you get that a lot with your anxiety? I do.

[jhenry14]

Yeah I woke up in panic mode lasnight, hands tingling and I got up an got dizzy then nautious. felt like I was gonna puke. but I didn't. I took the klonopin right away. then calmed down an went back to sleep.

[Chris C]

Strange that you're having a similar reaction trying to go back on it. Like any side effect it should pass. Do you plan on continuing to take it?

[jhenry14]

Yeah I know, I never had these side effects when I was first on it. I only got headaches when I was first on it. an I wanna keep take it bc I wanna get better and I want it to work. but I'm hesitant and scared to keep taking it. I'm a huge hypochondriac and have bad health anxiety, so these side effects scare me. I don't wanna keep taking it an they get worse or something.

[Chris C]

Try to remember that most side effects are just discomfort. Nausea and dizziness are no fun but they aren't going to hurt you. Have you spoken with your doctor about how the medicine is making you feel?

[jhenry14]

I emailed her. but she's jus a GP, she's not a pdoc.

[jhenry14]

And it makes me have higher anxiety. especially at night. I take it around 5 pm.