Depression Support Group

Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.

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Mental Health
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LEXAPRO

ladyli
ladyli
Today I had my first therapy, she recommended to start taking Lexapro...does it work? what is your experience using this treatment?
Community LeaderWanderingVet
WanderingVet
This is all I know about it:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Escitalopram

Somewhat typical SSRI. It will probably help you a lot.
lostsoul72
lostsoul72
I was on it for several years and it helped , but was not as effective as Effexor ER is for me. Lexapro is a downer type of medication for depression and it works well for anxiety. I feel much more happy and enjoy things more now then I did when I was taking Lexapro.

If you have anxiety issues then its probably a good starter med.

Best of luck !
Razor91
Razor91
I was on it for about 7 years, it was good in the beginning for my anxiety on a low dose, as I got worse the dosage went up and the last few years I felt no positive effect from it anymore.
sunny5368
sunny5368
Everyone is different. I am trying to wean off lexpro now and it is awful. Every time I tried to increase my dosage my depression got worse and I cried for hours a day. On the positive side it helped with the anxiety at 10 mg. it seemed to help with racing thoughts, hope this helps you.
CHRISTOPHER310
CHRISTOPHER310
I still take it at 10 mgs a day and it works fine for me. I suffer from ptsd anxiety attacks, which are different than panic attacks. Personally for me, I have found no side effects for all the time I have taken it nor the need to increase my dosage. But I also use other techniques to help me manage my anxiety so I am not relying on medication as a stand alone cure, but rather another tool to assist me.
sunny5368
sunny5368
Christopher, how long did it take for you to see a difference? I started out for a week on 5 then up to 10 for a week then 15, and 1 day on 20 and had to start backing down due to all the crying. Just curious if I really gave it a fair shot at 10.
Community LeaderWanderingVet
WanderingVet
Ms Sunny, ... best to discuss it with your doctor. As you can see, it can be VERY different from one person to another.
CHRISTOPHER310
CHRISTOPHER310
@ Sunny5368, It took about 2 weeks for the 10 mgs daily to kick in and me feel a positive effect, but everyone is different. Just don't stop taking it without instructions from a doctor. That can be very unsafe.
eshaw
eshaw
Lexapro has been the only anti-depressant that I noticed immediate effects of feeling better. I took one the night before and it made a huge difference the next day. It is different for everyone but it worked for me. I wouldn't rule it out to give it a try for a month or two.
sunny5368
sunny5368
Thanks for the replies. Dr. Is taking me off due to it not helping with depression. I think it helped with the anxiety quiet a bit. If the anxiety was all I was dealing with It would be great. @ladyli, I hope it works for you.
OLDBIKER
OLDBIKER
I have taken Lexapro for a few years 10ml a day and it works good for me however, if you ever decide to go off of it, do it slow in a step down cycle. Do not quit cold turkey. The withdrawals are awful as Sunny said. Hope it works for you.
LittleOneSiome
LittleOneSiome
I was taking it for a while and it was working rather well for my depression, but it didn't really make a dent in my anxiety.
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