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Scared starting escitalopram, after bad reaction to fluoxetine

Posted , 3 users are following.

louise45406
louise45406

Well tomorrow is D-day.

I started fluoxetine back in April 16 for panic and anxiety and was never able to reach more than 10mg. It increased my anxiety significantly and even diazepam didn't help.

So after a week of no drugs an am starting with 1 drop ie 1 mg of escitalopram tomorrow. My psych wants to to build up by 1 mg every third day until I reach 10mg.

I am so scared that my anxiety will increase uncontrollably again to the extent that I couldn't even leave the house for gp appointments.

Has anyone had increased anxiety on fluoxetine but been ok on escitalopram?

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • louise45406
    louise45406

    Posted

    Ive now been on 10mg for a few days and I've not experienced any increased anxiety, sweating or trembling like I did on fluoxetine. This drug has been much kinder to me.

    Now I just ned to wait a few weeks for it to hopefully start working for my anxiety.

  • monica62597
    monica62597 louise45406

    Posted

    Glad to hear you are tolerating it!I tried celexa again after doing great on it for years at 10 mg and it made everything worse and I had burning hot flashes insomnia etc!You started out on 1mg of Lexapro and got to ten!I have been afraid to try anything again because the two days on celexa were so bad
    • louise45406
      louise45406 monica62597

      Posted

      Thanks! My psychiatrist said that lexapro is the purest SSRI, affecting the least type of neurotransmitters, hence why side effect profile is better than others. Perhaps you could get the liquid lexapro and work up slowly like I did. I was bad like you after fluoxetine and was scared to take anything else, but I had to coz my anxiety was out of control.
  • monica62597
    monica62597 louise45406

    Posted

    Thanks for the reply!Are you doing better!Sounds like you are!How long did you take the fluoxetine?I could only handle two days of the celexa!
    • louise45406
      louise45406 monica62597

      Posted

      I am doing better and only been on a proper dose of lexapro for 12 days so it's not kicked in yet. I took fluoxetine a few times before and was fine but in aoril16 I took 20mg and by the 9th day I was sleeping 2 hours a night and was in a constant panic attack - I coukdnt even walk up stairs without my heart racing. So I stopped it after 11 days. Then I tried to build up slowly and once i got to 14mg the same thing happened (the minimum dose is 20mg). I had bad side effects on fluoxetine this time for some unknown reason. Lexapro has been brilliant and I've had no increased anxiety.

  • monica62597
    monica62597 louise45406

    Posted

    So happy for you!My reaction was pretty extreme to me too!I had like an inner restlessness and the burning hot flushes were really strange!I felt like I needed to just run I was so panicked
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