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I take Effexor xr 225 mg for about 8 years and have added Lexapro 5mg, but feel weird help

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susan10221954
susan10221954

I felt the Effexor was not working as well as it once had, so I went to my doc and he prescribed Lexapro 5mg, but I am feeling slightly off center and anxious in the morning, feel a little better as the morning goes on.  Should I keep on with the 5mg Lexapro or would it help to cut in half and work up to 5 mg?  I hate feeling like this and it's tiring.  I have been dealing with anxiety for about 16 years.  The Effexor xr has worked well until recently.

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • lynn67615
    lynn67615 susan10221954

    Posted

    Have you reduced the Effexsor at all
    • susan10221954
      susan10221954 lynn67615

      Posted

      No I have not reduced the Effexor, do you think they might be fighting against each other?  They are two different kind of drugs, my doc said the Lexapro is a serotonin inhibitor, even though they are both for anxiety.
  • lynn67615
    lynn67615 susan10221954

    Posted

    Hi Susan, 

    i was on Lexapro 10 for 4 weeks and then 20 for a week, while weening down on Effexsor. I could not go higher than 112.5 Effexsor because of high blood pressure. Lexapro was not working so I am doing an outpatient group now for my issues with anxiety/depression. I have been put on Prozac 20mgs for 4 days now. Effexsor is so hard to get off of with discontinuation withdrawals which they fail to mention when you go on. I have weened down to 25mgs, now below any therapeutic dose. Every week I take out 5 more beads. You are at the higher end of an Effexsor dose maybe ask to taper down more and add more Lexapro. 

    • susan10221954
      susan10221954 lynn67615

      Posted

      Lynn, I am scared to go off of Effexor, for one because I have been on it for so long and two like you said because of the withdrawal, because I have been on it for so long.  I know that if I miss my Effexor for one day I have horrible nightmares.  What side effects did you have going off of Effexor?
  • lynn67615
    lynn67615 susan10221954

    Posted

    I understand how you feel. It wasn’t working for me so I needed to come off and try another. I tried Lexapro while I weened down to 75 on venlafaxine. Lexapro didn’t seem to help me much after 5 weeks. Now I have been on Prozac 20 for five days and weened down to 25mg of ventlafaxine. Please don’t do any reduction without having a doctor help you. For some people there is no problem others have a much harder time and must go gradually. The Effexsor might very well have pooped out. Sertraline pooped out for me after 23 years on the lowest therapeutic dose. It happens.
    • susan10221954
      susan10221954 lynn67615

      Posted

      Definitely will not reduce anything without going to doctor.  Thanks for all of your comments.

       

  • lynn67615
    lynn67615 susan10221954

    Posted

    It’s only 8 days so way to early to know. All of them give you more anxiety when you start.. Mornings are awful so I take .25 of Klonopin. It seems to be better later in the day for me. Have you seen your doctor yet.
    • susan10221954
      susan10221954 lynn67615

      Posted

      No have not been yet, started feeling a little better..hopefully it will level out and not slip backwards.

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