Posted , 6 users are following.
has anyone gone up to 40mg? if so, was it helpful? i am having lots of ups and downs after have a good year at 20mg. been at 30mg for the past month and have been in and out of anxiety land, one good week, one bad week. about to meet with dr, we will see what he says too.
0 likes, 8 replies
We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.
alana05411 amber09486
Posted
Hi Amber,
Have you looked at taking a different anxiety medication?
IT sounds as though escitalopram is not working effectively, not only to mention the more you increase the harder it will be eventually to come off the medication. I had panic attacks and severe anxiety and 10mg has worked so far and i have been on it for more then 4 years. I would just start looking at different options prior to going higher and higer because they re could be another medication that might work more effectively with a lower dosage.
matts4912 amber09486
Posted
20mg is max dose for Escitalopram. It is prescribed very much "off label" above 20mg and if your GP/primary agrees to a dose higher than 20mg, I would question your doctors ethics... In my experience, it is only severe depression that calls for this dosing - even then it is questionable.
maggie80535 matts4912
Posted
matts4912
I have severe depression from PT S D and 40mg works great.
Ama1405 amber09486
Edited
I have been on 15 mg and doing great, but It took me almost 7 months to be stable and healthy, so Please its either you wait and hope it works, or request that your DR prescribes another medication. 40 mg is just too much! and going up so fast after just a year simply means the med might not be for you, our systems are different.
stay strong my dear! 🤗
amber09486 Ama1405
Posted
the dr is keeping me at 30mg, doesnt want to go any higher. he is a good doc and says he hasnt seen lexapro poop out on anxiety, only depression. i am not depressed. he said i need to take my klonopin .25 to .5 twice a day to tamp down my anxiety. i do have lots of life stressors right now too, including the lose of a pregnancy in June. i asked him about switching but he thinks i just need to calm the anxiety with klonopin for 3 weeks then we will wean off the klonopin. lexapro has worked wonderfully for me for over 18 months. august has just been a rollercoaster of a month. the thought of switching meds makes me scared.
matts4912 amber09486
Edited
OK - so there is the source of your anxiety, and I am so sorry to hear of the issues you are facing. It is no good me telling you to "deal with them", as apart from having no bedside manner, these things in life happen and we have no control over them.
That said, I am convinced that the higher dose of Escitalopram is not helping. There are no peer-reviewed papers that state a beneficial efficacy of higher-dose Escitalopram on the effects of anxiety, only depression. Upto 40mg helps with MDD in some, but 50mg is considered dangerous. There is also the question of QT heart valve timing which is the issue with Citalopram. Again, few studies have been undertaken with this in mind, but given the comparable medicinal structure, it would concern me.
I think the answer for you lies in other medication and support - both family and professional. You have been through a lot and time and patience will be your friend as difficult as that is to hear at the moment.
stephanie97649 amber09486
Posted
Amber,
How are you doing now?? I developed panic disorder 12 years ago while pregnant with my first child and my psychiatrist at the time put me all the way up to 40mg of lexapro. It took about 3 or 4 months, but then I felt totally normal!
I lowered about a year later and stayed on 20mg for about 10 years and then decreased to 10mg to see if it helped my tiredness For the 12 years, I felt totally fine with maybe 3 small panic attacks that whole time.
This January, I had mild covid and then started a new job right after. Not sure what triggered it (I keep reading about post-covid anxiety...) But I started having anxiety for about a month and then it turned into full blown panic disorder again. I had upped myself to 20mg for a few weeks before the panic struck hard. Then my primary care doctor tried adding Welbutrin (that I think made me worse) and then switched me to Buspar and lowered my lexapro to 10mg. So I'm not sure the 20mg ever had a fighting chance to work
Long story short, I'm now off the Buspar and back up to 20mg of Lexapro for the past 2 weeks. I've been waiting for a really long time to get into a psychiatrist and I finally have an appointment in 2 weeks I'm worried he is going to say the Lexapro "pooped out" on me and want me to start all over with another medicine. But I'm wondering if i just need to go up to 30 or 40mg of Lexapro like last time to get over this terrible hump??
maggie80535 amber09486
Posted
hello amber09486
I have been on 40 mg for 2 years: The only side effect is awful night sweating.
i have no intrusive thoughts',no anxiety but had a panic attack.