I started Lexapro 7 days ago...

Hi Nickie,

Reading your msg is like reading about myself.

My mum died last Jan and it was the catalyst that tipped me over too.

I normally manage my HAD and panic disorder but that just seemed to be too much.. looking back now, I can see I was on the downward slide before hand with things getting worse. I have terrible claustrophobia. Can't use lifts, and to the point of not even being able to look at a low ceiling in a movie.

I also get the throat thing. Feel like I can't swallow whatever it is that's stuck in there. Laying down at night was the worst and a dentist a nightmare.

Anyway, I was on Mirt and had gained a lot of weight with it so doc changed me to lexapro.. I had a rough time changing but I think the worst of that was because he didn't taper the mirt and slowly introduce the lexapro.. he just wanted me to take 20mg lexapro straight up... I took 10mg as I was too scared to take more.

As I didn't know what symptoms were mirt withdrawal and what was lexapro, anyway, although I still have problems I do know that the lexapro has worked wonders for my panic attacks and phobias, including the throat thing... I think your doing the right thing taking it slowly. It will probably take 2-4 weeks to start working but this has been the best AD I've had for my worst symptoms..

So preserver if you can for at least a month...can you take something for anxiety while your waiting for it to kick in? Quite often anxiety is worse before it gets better on these things..mine was terrible so I used ozaxapam (serapax) to help me through. It always seems ridiculous that something that is to help, makes it worse first to me but it does for some of us..

I'm waiting to see a specialist as I'm having terrible constipation on lexapro but terrified he'll want me to change again..

I'm currently only taking 7.5mg lexapro and 25mg valdoxam

Hope this gives you some encouragement to keep going.

Unfortunately, we are all different so things work differently for each of us but if it works for you, you'll be pleasantly surprised how well it works..

Gina

Hi Nickie,

I've had a hectic month.. Endoscopy, saw a Psych, and his nurse and a Psychologist..😓 ..

All good though as I'm finally finding out things I wish I'd known years ago when this first happened..

It terrified me at first, I hate docs but I've found a good psych and psychologist I think which has helped..

He has put me on another drug which worried me but I think it's helping. Lyrica. He said because of my anxiety, it effects your stomach as the nerves are the same, my stomach is responding by making way too much acid. Hence my terrible stomach pain.. I was on the highest dose of stomach meds which they normally only put you on for ulcers. Lyrica is used for nerve pain but it also has an antianxiety effect...he also gave me the very lowest dose and wanted me to increase it as I feel so I'm in control of what's happening..the normal dose is 75mg twice a day and he gave me 25mg tablets ..so I feel he is thinking of me and my health rather than just wack me on a high dose...this gave me some confidence in him...I see him again in 2 weeks to see how I'm going...I do feel better already and able to do more..I have also been gradually reducing my stomach meds which is a relief.

The Psychologist has been giving me coping strategies but also explaining what goes on in my brain when I get panic...so I was able to go through the endoscopy without taking Oxazepam before hand...I was fine til I had to wait in a small room. The claustrophobia set in but I used the strategies and got through that, then when I went into the pre op room I was a bit panicky and they put the cannula in and then the panic really set in... They put the rails up on the bed and then I had to get out...haha poor nurse but she went and got the anesthetist and he came and chatted with me which calmed me down..then they wheeled me into a smaller room so the panic started again but he put the meds in and off I went...noddy land...so I feel good that I managed without taking anything and normally I wouldn't have even been able to get anywhere near the hospital without taking something to stop the panic...so the Lexapro does seem to work...but I still haven't gone up to 10 mg yet...it's funny that no-one has suggested I split my dose like you are doing..I wonder if that would be better than 10 in one go?

Have you managed to up your dose? I hope your feeling some benifits by now too.

The psych nurse said that people like me that have trouble with meds, they do a multi approach until they get the right combination of meds..instead of taking a large dose of one ssri, as I react, I will probably need to take a couple of different ones but very low doses..

My throat thing has pretty much gone thank goodness, but although I don't constantly think of the claustrophobia, I still can't do anything that sets it off..if I think about it, I get the horrible panicky feeling but I don't think about it all the time anymore.

Then only negatives I have now are the constipation is terrible and I'm taking Movicol to be able to go to the toilet. And my memory is terrible too.. I usually can do three paintings at once and now I'm struggling on one..go to do something and can't remember what I'm there for...we all get a bit of that but this is constant..

I may just have to live with that, I'm not sure what the psych will do when I see him, if he'll change anything...he said Lexapro is a low side effect med but I seem to get all the side effects..Augh!

Thank you so much for asking how I am,

Let me know how you are going too 😊