Square 1 after a few good days
Posted , 15 users are following.
I think by now everyone is tired of me on this site. I had 3 really good days and nights this week, a tiny bit of underlying anxiety. Then the reverse happened. Instead of being anxious during the day and it lifting around 5, I've become anxious in the evening and sleeping isn't so easy. The other thing I noticed a few of you have mentioned is that choking feeling and loose bm's, and I'm nauseous.... Maybe I'm getting the flu, I'm sure that would be easier to get over. But I am now experiencing both of those. I feel like I'm starting over. In a few days it'll be 4 weeks on 20 mg, I think I see improvement, then something crops up. And on top of it, I'm so sleepy-tired. More so than just the waking up at night. I'm ready to give up on this medicine and go back to name brand Effexor XR.
1 like, 374 replies
miso46022 tammy76379
Posted
Just to remind you every dose increase there is additional time that you have to whait for medication to adjust so if is you increase 4 week ago, give it one more month , you sad there is some progress already, that can be the sign that medicine is slowly progressing.
I was 6 week on 10 mg escitalopram and 8 weeks on 20 mg. and I start to feel better two weeks ago.
Good luck...
Nickie54 miso46022
Posted
I'm not sure what Benzo is???
Mikitoo Nickie54
Posted
I have Ativan.
Benzodiazepines (BZD, BZs), sometimes called "benzos", are a class of psychoactive drugs.
They are only for short term use as they are addictive. (But effective for anxiety)
Nickie54 Mikitoo
Posted
Yes.. got it.. can't take them...
tammy76379 miso46022
Posted
Hi there. Just wondering how you are? How are you doing on the medicine? I'm not doing well at all on this medicine. I started out on 10 mg 3 weeks ago n. Today marks the 6th full week of being on 20 mg. The morning anxiety is bad and doesn't leave all day until maybe 5-6 pm. I think I should have seen some sustained consistent relief, but I haven't. I have a call into my doctor to discuss another route.
miso46022 tammy76379
Posted
Hi Tammy,
I am sorry that is still taking time for you to feel better, as I said before it took me 7 weeks on increase dose of 20 mg. to feel better, so now 6 weeks on 10mg. and 8 week on 20mg. I can say I feel 80%-90% better, still not my best, missing my sharpness,my strong motivation back , but I can do most of my stuff including work , kids, and life in general.
During the day my experience slight anxiety but I think I can see progress every couple weeks.
Just think how you been feeling before starting escitalopram and now, if you see some improvements over that corse sticks with medication another couple of weeks, because they take long time to work.. Good luck and let me now when you start feeling normal..🙂
Nickie54 tammy76379
Posted
Nickie54 miso46022
Posted
Miso... How r u doing on your Lexapro? I'm on day 31 and I've got changes going on .. But I feel like I need to increase from 7.5 mg to 10 but I can't really make that change till the weekend because I care for my grandchildren a couple of hours a day and I'm unsure of the side effects with adding another 2.5 mg... Makes me anxious...Take Care
tammy76379 Nickie54
Posted
Hi. Same as yesterday. Slept til 5, tossed and turned til 6. My husband had an early meeting so I got up before he left.... And have been dozing on the couch. Still pretty anxious. I'm waiting to hear from my doctor who happens to be one of my husband's partners. I don't want to be a pain and call again. I just hope she calls soon and not at the end of the day. I really don't know what to do at this point. It dawned on me yesterday that I might be on to high of a dose. So we'll see. Thanks for checking on me. How are you these days?
miso46022 Nickie54
Posted
Hi Nickie,
I I’m glad that you are doing better, if you feeling better on 7.5mg. and that is not even therapeutic dose you will be fine, just reminder for escitalopram to do adjustment you need at least 6 weeks or more to see some results if not you will feel better with increase of the dose, you have proof already that medication is working, if you feel better so far.
Good luck and keep as posted for any progress...🙂🙂🙂
P.s. when you stop thinking how you feeling each day and moving on with your life ,that means medication is working, I am in that stage right now..
Nickie54 tammy76379
Posted
Tammy... Hope u get some answers soon.. To me it couldn't hurt to just try and cut back on the mg. and just see the reaction u have...I'm having a little aniexty this week and idk if it's that I'm getting to much on 7.5 r that I need more than 7.5...my life is busy so I'm not setting around thinking about how I feel.. But it's there.. U know that feeling ... I have dr appt on Monday so idk to just bump up to 10 mg. r back off 2.5 mg. r stay the way I am.. I know I'm sensitive to meds . So it's a throw up question... This anxious feeling and hyper feeling just started this week on Monday... What do u think? Take Care and Talk Soon..😊
Nickie54 miso46022
Posted
Miso... Just posted to Tammy ... Idk what to do now... Any ideals... I have Dr. Appt. on Monday but I hate to stay in this rut till Monday.. Days lost if I need to bump up r bump down......😩
miso46022 Nickie54
Posted
Try not to do any adjustments by your self, wait for doctor appointment, my opinion is to go in your case on 10mg. and stay good two months on that dose , because that is therapeutic dose and you should see some results..again with doctor approval...
Nickie54 miso46022
Posted
That's where I want to b... Not to think so much...just enjoy life and not waste precious time worrying..😊
tammy76379 miso46022
Posted
Hi there. I just spoke with my Dr a bit ago, and she agrees that the escitalopram should be having a more consistent effect on me. A day here or there isn't good. We discussed staying on it longer, at least another, 2 weeks, but she thought that it would be time wasted, especially after 9 weeks total of being on the medication. I did really well on Effexor XR 75mg.... Was on name brand for a while before going to the generic. But the company making the generic discontinued making it and went to another generic, which is when my problems started!😢.
So, I'm to drop down to 10 mg of the escitalopram for 5 days then start back on the name brand of Effexor XR 75. Hopefully, I'll be back to "normal". if there's such a thing. Hope you continue to do well and even better going forward!
miso46022 tammy76379
Posted
Pharmaceutical companies they say up to three months.
Mostly patients give up before 3 months and i would too if I wasn’t reading the positive reviews and they kept me going... of course in this first three months has to be some progress or if not then switching the med. will be next choice... and going on antidepressants for second time or more it might take longer time for antidepressant to kick in....
What ever choice you decide to make I truly hope will be the wright one , because nobody now what we have to go through, I wish you to feel better soon....
tammy76379 miso46022
Posted
Hi. Thank you for your concern. I've been going back and forth about what to do for the last few weeks. And looking over my journal I've noticed that my symptoms and side effects actually have gotten a little worse. Although I do feel some relief here and there, it's not consistent. I do understand that these medications take time and in some patients longer.
At 9 weeks, both my therapist and doctor feel that I should have seen some better relief at this point. My husband is also a doctor and believes the same. So this is what I've decided to do. I was on a effexor XR in the past and did really well on it. I felt normal, a better version of myself. So hopefully, I'll have the same result. I'll keep you posted. Take care!