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Been on Escitalopram (10) 13 days

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bob50403
bob50403

13 days ago I moved from Sertraline (100) to Escitalopram (10). I was on Sertraline (50) for 16 years. I believe it stopped working so GP bumped me up to 100 for about three weeks. No change. Still felt depression and anxiety, the same if not worse. Switched over to the Escitalopram. Still feel depressed an anxious. Please give me some ideas about how else to fight this horrible feeling. I already started seeing an LSCW. Being a natural sceptic, not sure if it's doing anything. Sorry about rambling, I'm just tired of feeling so bad.

0 likes, 56 replies

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  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    BOB..  you have to give it time to get into your system.. I am also trying to get thru the same thing.   Did your doctor give you something for the transition?  I have to take Xanax also with being on Escitalopram as all the other antidepresent meds..  i am feeling sick and shaky and i couldn;t eat.  but with the xanax it calms down my nerves so i can eat and not be so shaky.   sometimes i feel like i am going to go out of my mind.  i am working on 4 weeks of 10mg..    then doc put me on 15mg and i didn;t like it at all.. side affects were worse.  today i asked to put my back on 10mg because i think it will work on 10mg.//   remember everytime you change mg your side affects will be worse.  for me anyway.   i take it in the morning..  i always feel sick in the morning before i get out of bed but i drink some hot decaf tea.. i hate feeling out of control and sometimes i feel like i am loosing it..  but i am hanging in there.  13 days is not enough time for it to work.  talk to your doctor and ask about a few xanax to help you thru the transition.  they keep telling me it takes time.. but i know when you feel like you do .. time is going really slow..  give it time it can take up to 6- weeks to really take affect..  keep your doctor in the loop..  make sure he knows how your feeling.  your not rambling.. you just feel terrible.   keep me posted..  
    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      Jennifer,

      Thank you for your response. It is very reassuring, and helps me believe I can beat this. Your description is almost exactly how I feel every day. I see my Dr every two to three weeks, and he did give me 20 Xanax pills a couple weeks ago (I'm presently trying to get a refill, before I run out). Thanks again for your support. I REALLY needed it.

  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    Don;t run out of your xanax..they will help.. this morning i am going back to 10mg of lexapro.  i have bad days and good days.. Write how you feel down so your doctor can follow your progress.   i hope everyday that i have a good day and not have to take xanax but i haven;t been able to completely stop the xanax.  today will be a good day for both of us.... hang in there.. and i will do the same..  
  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    only take the xanax when needed..  everytime u don;t need one is a wonderful feeling..  
    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      I have tried to avoid the Xanax. Unfortunately for the past three days I have taken one before bed to try to help me fall asleep. The majority of late afternoons (starting about 4) and evenings I feel almost like nothing is wrong, then the anxiety hits hard in the morning, starting by 4am. Shaking and coughing/gagging. The depression begins a couple hours later.
  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    The morning is the worse for me too..   around 4 and i can;t get back to sleep.. i just lay there and feel sick.. omg.. at night i do feel better and like there is nothing wrong with me but i know each morning can be different..  i worry alot about that i am going to feel like s**t.. last night i took an extra xanax so that i had a good night sleep and i didn;t wake up til 6am.. WOW  i felt like a million bucks..   but i know tomorrow might not be the same..   what streighth are your xanax?   i am on 1mg but i have been on them since 1994 when my dad killed himself..  and been on them ever since.  so i am on a stronger strengh ..   i take them instead of a sleeping pill .. alot of people are on sleeping pills to help them but i don;t want to start that .. there are some teas that i drink to help me also  Chamomile herbal tea and yogi stress relief tea seams to help me.. i am so glad i don;t drink or i would be hitting the bottle..  the longer u take the lexapro the side affects should not be as bad.  but everytime you go up in mg you will suffer from side affects until it get in your system.. i am hoping that we both get thru this s**t.   are you nausaus too.. i am in the morning but there are days where a half a xanax helps..  keep me posted..  have to enjoy feeling good today.. it mignt not last.. MAKE SURE YOU EAT..  MORE LATER
    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      My Xanax is .25. Originally my Dr didn't want to prescribe them, saying they'll mask the problem, but after a few weeks of this he gave in. He actually gave me his cell number to call at home, which I did to get the Xanax. I'm not really nausaus. Some mornings I feel hungry, but have a hard time getting past the gag reflex. I was taking Zzzquil for sleep, but it is similar to the Xanax, where it will knock me out, but only does so for about 5 hours, so I wake in the very early morning with nothing to do but think. I hope you continue to feel good today.

  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    i should get the zzzquil.  i took nitequil last night and did sleep.. i know what u mean by up too early and just thinking.. makes it worse..  i couldn;t even think about not taking my xanax.. i would go crazy until the lexapro goes into full affect.   i am feeling the anitity creeping up on me now..  so i had to take half xanax.. i know that i am using the xanax to help me cope with my symtoms ..  but couldn;t eat or anything with out them.  its good that your doctor is keeping up with that so you don;t depend on them.   i am going on a little get away next week and i am hoping that it helps me get out of this feeling and be able to live life again.  i will like to keep up with you until we both feel better and we could compare notes.. thanks for the zzzquil idea for sleep.  its 1.00 and i am getting ready to go out for a little while .. it should do me some good.  keep me in your loop so that maybe we can again.. GET THRU THIS SLUMP..  I LIVE IN NJ...
    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      I'm in Arizona, so it's 3 here now, and as usual I'm temporarily coming out of my daily depression/anxiety mode. I was able to pick up more Xanax, but trying to save for severe cases. I hope your day continued to go better. I have to find more reasons to drag myself out of the house. Retired a couple years ago, and although I continued with my job on a part time basis, with lots of responsibilities, it's being eliminated in a couple months. Although I love working on all my outside house projects, I think the realization of no longer having a 30+ year of identity finally triggered my past depression/anxiety issues. Retirement - be careful what you wish for, or at least plan better than I did.

  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    i wish i had time to write tonight.. i am having a bad night..  i did go out and my anitiy got worse when i was coming home.  i did get the zzzzquil for sleep tonight.  hope it works.  sleep is the only thing (a good sleep) that makes me feel better in the morning.  i too always feel better at night but had my son and grandson came over and i wasn;t very happy..  my husband retired also and that is when i started to really have problems .. i have my own dog service for the last 16yrs .. i board dogs in my home and i was always the boss.. dogs were so good and listened to me and i was able to run a clean house hold and enjoy my day.  Since August when he anounced that he was going to retire in NOV.. OMG.....i thought i was not hearing him and all these other things happened I LOST IT.  now i can;t even smile, be strong, be myself, feels like my hole day is so different.  I HATE CHANGE..  but i can handle it if its alittle at a time.  I don;t want to be on meds to funkson I i loved to do my yard. flowers.. and have dogs all over.. i took pride on how my yard was even with a bunch of dogs running around , and doing there thing.. NOW  with him home i just think that he should be doing it (even if it is cold as hell here)  i would still take pride .. to get ready for the summer and all the flowers and you know yard work.. well.. i did this all on my own.. . DAM  have to go.. will write more.. later      hope your night goes well..  and it is 7.30 here so i think i am going to just chill..  talk soon... HANG IN THERE.... THANK YOU FOR LETTING ME TALK..
  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    good morning..  not doing very good this morning.. i feel sick to my stomach but hoping it will go away as the day goes on..  i hope u are feeling better today.  didn't sleep well and i took the zzzquil and now drinking my tea and hopfully the anity will not come on..  hope u are feeling good when u wake up today.  

    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      I feel horrible this morning. I had taken Xanax the past three evenings to help me sleep. Didn't take anything last night and only got about 1 hour sleep. Anxiety is out of control. Took another Xanax this morning and trying to ride it out. Between the depression and anxiety I'm about to jump out of my skin.

    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990 bob50403

      Posted

      oh bob.  i am not good today either..   it is now 1.18pm and i am feeling sicker now then before.  i am out of my skin already.   my anxiety also is bad today too and you are hrs behind me..  i don;t know what to do..  it just won;t go away today.  you should make plans to go somewhere today and not sit home you have to do this.  i have been cleaning for my trip and that isn;t going well at all..  i am going for 2 weeks and i hope to be able to talk to you while i am gone so i know how your doing.  i am so confused to what to do.  except ride it out..  my doc is going to call me on the 20th and see how i am doing.. i went for a walk i am forcing my food down and i took my xanax at 10am  not time to take another..  i hope you feel better as the day goes on.  daylight savings time tonight so don;t forget to set your clocks ahead.   i have to get my s**t together with this meds ..  i don;t like the way i feel..  i was such a strong person but since aug i have been taking so many tests and they found nothing.. they say it is mental and i have to find the right med combo.. well how much longer can someone go feeling like a mental mess..  keep me posted on how you are doing as the day goes on..
  • jennifer21990
    jennifer21990 bob50403

    Posted

    i guess u gave up on me.. i don;t blame you..i didn;t help.. i will still follow so maybe i will learn more too...good luck 
    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      Oh no! I didn't give up on you. It's 5 here and I just came out of one of my worse days. Been trying to search for different options on the web. It's the only thing that seems to give me some hope. I just posted a question about not getting enough sleep. I really don't want to use the Xanax if I can avoid it. Somebody responded back that his dr recommended Serotonin (Walgreens, etc.). I think I'm going to try it tomorrow night. I'll let you know if it works. Also, I have two dogs and four indoor cats. They all help me get through this, even though one of the dogs tried to make friends with a skunk a week ago. We're still dealing with that.

    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990 bob50403

      Posted

      good morning.. its early and i am glad you are getting more ideas.. that will help me too.. i also heard that melatonin is good for sleep too.  i am going to try them too ....  and this post says serotonin.. i wil look into both.. hope you are feeling better when u get up..  i slept last night will get more info from u later..  hope you keep looking for idea's    thank you .. let me know how you are doing...

    • bob50403
      bob50403 jennifer21990

      Posted

      I hope you had a good day. I got about 5 hours of sleep last night, without any sleep pills. Today was not as bad as yesterday, but this depression/anxiety stuff is getting old. As usual it did go away at about 3. I forgot to go to Walgreens today. Have a Dr appointment on Wednesday. I think I'll ask him about the melatonin before I purchase. Hope you have a good night.

    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990 bob50403

      Posted

      On the road.      Did try melatonin I did sleep hope I can make it   Being in truck.     I will tell u more later.    Let me know how your doing. I will keep you posted on how I donging
    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990

      Posted

      How u doing?   I am trying to catch up on some sleep.    Trying to stay calm.   Only took half Xanax  witch is a good thing.  Hopefully u are having a good morning 
    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990 bob50403

      Posted

      U going to doctors soon.  Talk.   I had a good morning. Then bam.  I felt terrible in afternoon.  I was so disappointed. Now I am wiggling out.    Hope u get some sleep.      Each day we get thru and doctor fines the right med we will get thru this.   Let’s not give up 🤪.         Take care.  Chat tomorrow 

    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990

      Posted

      I will be up      If u want to takl
    • jennifer21990
      jennifer21990

      Posted

      Haven’t heard from you how you making out
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