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View Full Version : Taking Escitalopram (Lexapro) for the 3rd time



3rdtimearound
06-22-2015, 01:38 PM
Hi all, I have been reading posts on this forum but this is my first time posting.
A bit story of myself- I am 26, female, happily married to a supportive/understanding husband.
Last year in late March/April, my mother was diagnosed with breast cancer, and as the only child in my family, I was very stressed and feeling obligated to take care of her.
at that time I was working full time and taking classes at night (taking science prerequisites for either Physician Assistant or Nurse Practitioner program). My anxiety/depression started in the midst of me juggling my own busy life with her illness. I developed problems concentrating, difficult to put my thoughts into words, depressive moods, crying spells etc. I was put on generic lexapro in July by my primary care physician, it took about 4-6 weeks for me to be back to normal. I was feeling much better by September and I stopped taking my meds. One month later in early October, my anxiety/depression came back, I had no choice but going back on lexapro again, this time I stayed on it for 6 months.

This year April, I was feeling so motivated, happy, energetic, I was feeling super good - so! I quit taking lexapro cold turkey, didn't have too much side effects besides dizziness and headaches. I was feeling great until late May, i think that is when lexapro was completely out of my system. I was trying to tough this out and try supplements (fish oil, Vit B complex, magnesium, 5HTP) but nothing really helped.

I went to see my psychiatrist yesterday, it was a very brief consultation, after listening to my story, he determined my anxiety and depression are considered medium intensity, and it is becoming a biological issue now -meaning my anxiety/depression depletes my happy hormones and now there is an imbalance in my brain. He also wanted me to check my thyroid level, they were normal last year but he just wanted to make sure there hasn't been any changes.


So this is my 3rd time taking lexapro, I am feeling very hopeful since my doc told me if it worked before, it will work again :)

Just looking for people who have similar experience to chat and cheer each other up, I feel you guys can relate to what I am experiencing more than people who have never been anxious/depressed.

NixonRulz
06-22-2015, 01:57 PM
Third time is the charm, yes?

I did the same thing years ago. Stopped taking meds because I felt better and it wasn't long after that I just went down the same road when I was supper-stressed. I just did it too early before I understood what anxiety was and how it affected me. It wasn't until I learned those things that my situation got truly better

I don't know if the brain gets out of whack because of anxiety or maybe anxiety causes your brain to get unbalanced, so to say

But if I had to, I would have no problem staying on meds forever in order to not go back to feeling anxious and panic

That is the worst.

I hope they kick in quick!

3rdtimearound
06-22-2015, 02:07 PM
I think chemical imbalance in brain and anxiety/depression feed on each other in both ways.
man oh man, I agree with you 100% on "But if I had to, I would have no problem staying on meds forever in order to not go back to feeling anxious and panic"!
My doc told me it is human nature to try get off of the pills see if they can handle it on their own, but it would be idiotic if what we play around is lets say your high blood pressure pills, or your insulin etc. We mentally stigmatize taking antidepressant and until we learnt it the hard way, that is - you need it to function, to feel like yourself