starting anti-anxiety/anti-depression medications

[tangowhiskie]

Tomorrow I start the lexapro since my GP wanted me to take a 4-5 day break in between stopping the zoloft and starting the new medication.  I have to say, I had a horrible headache for the past two days, feeling really strange round around my forehead, and ibuprofen did not alleviate the pressure.  It wasn't sinus either.  I was had a few shakes.  I think it was mild SSRI withdrawal... which I didn't think I would have experienced with just being on the medication for 3 weeks - but even more evidence for why the gap was needed.

I'm already feeling much better.  I really think that zoloft made me more depressed.  It was terrible

[cmclien]

Hi
I hope the lexapro works for you.  I have had anxiety issues also in my adult life though not so much the last 10 years.  I was at my worst around the age of 30, I'm 48 now and back then doctors wouldn't prescribe you anything unless you went to a psychiatrist and even then the psychiatrist I saw said I didn't need it and wouldn't prescribe it for me.

Its funny how now GP's will do all the prescribing now and actually I think thats great and how it should be.  I see some slight anxiety issues in my 11 year old daughter, (sigh)!!!  But only a few times a year do I see it pop up and I just let her talk alot about it and then she feels better.  It always worked for me to talk it out too, I hope your outpatient group is helping you also.

Let us know how it goes.  It might take a few different med changes before you find the right one.  Hopefully this one will be right for you.
Cindi

[tangowhiskie]

Well today is day 7 on lexapro, and man, what a difference!

My mouth isn't as dry as it was on Zoloft.  I had a headache for the first 5 days on it (more like pressure behind my eyebrows) but that's gotten much better.  A friend of mine told me she had the same reaction when she first started lexapro.

I have new found energy (in my head... although my body isn't always able to keep up).  The first few days the new energy was overpowering - I didn't know what to do with it so I worked out at the gym for awhile to try and drain myself.  But my mind is ready to start the day when the alarm goes off.

I'm still dealing with brain fog (only been on Plaquenil for a month now... so we'll see if that helps down the road) but I have been able to think about more complicated topics better now.  I feel like I got my critical thinking skills back.

I don't have anxiety over getting to work or appointments on time like I used to.  I'm not sweating the small stuff like I used to.

But most importantly, there IS a light at the end of the tunnel now.  I am ready to face the world with my disease, knowing that I am still me in heart and mind, no matter what my body tries to throw at me.  Just because I have lupus and SjS doesn't mean that they run my life.  Life is in balance again, even with my new diagnoses.

I am so thankful that this medication is working for me.  I know I need to give it another few weeks to get the full effect, but I am already feeling a MAJOR difference.  Only thing is that I have to watch my caffeine intake since I had two cups of tea a few days ago and my heart rate slightly elevated - but I didn't have a panic attack like I would have in the past over my heart rate so that was amazing.

[irish]

This has been an interesting thread. If a person is feeling lousy on an antidepressant even after a few days the doctor should be called and informed. I take Zoloft and have for many years. I have tried just about all the meds and then we just quit and left me on the zoloft as it works the best.

Paxil gave me energy beyond belief the first couple of days and then I progressed into a low grade manic phase and called the doc and I quit it. Didn't take it a week. Prozac did pretty much the same thing. I tried the lexaproo and started out on yhr 5 mgm and got so stoned I almost had a car accident.

Every antidepressant acts on a different chemical in the brain, or maybe a group of chemicals. We are all different and react differently to the chemicals. When they get to the point where they can do some kind of test to see what chemical we need things will be better. For now we all just have to try one drug at a time til we find the right one.Irish

[tangowhiskie]

I agree with you Irish.  It is quite interesting how one person's reaction to an anti-depressant will vary considerably from another's.  Almost makes you wish there was a chemical make-up test they could do to determine which drug would work best for you so that you didn't have to play the trial and error game!

[Rayven]

With regards to that 3-4 week lag time and anti-depressants...

For many of the anti-depressant and anxiety meds, it can take a month or more to reach the levels necessary to relieve symptoms.  That guideline is for the 'this pill isn't working' response.  The doctors want to make sure the drug is even reaching therapeutic levels before giving up on it or altering the dose.

Often, after the first month or so, the dose will be adjusted based on how the patient feels his or her response has been.  Obviously, with a month in between, finding the therapeutic dose for many of this medications is a long and arduous process.

If the patient is complaining about adverse side effects, however, that doesn't require you to be at any effective dose.  The doctor will act more quickly in dose or brand adjustments.

It is also the doctor's job to know the financial/insurance status of the patient.  It is the doctor's job to find a treatment that the patient can comply with and so yes, they use the drug rep samples often enough.  When I was a teenager, I know my doctor back then tried her best to get me samples for free of any meds I needed since I had no health insurance. If she didn't have samples, she'd always try to write me a prescription that I could fill cheaply without compromising my care.

Anyway, I'm no fan of big mega-pharma or doctors that treat patients like cattle.  I originally went to college as pre-med and I found it very disheartening how many students seemed to be there for the power trip instead of for the knowledge to truly heal people.  I know there's a lot of doctors out there who don't offer true care to patients.

Best of luck with your meds, whatever they end up being in the end.

[navydad]

Kinda like Doctor heal thyself before trying to heal us,,

[Rayven]

I don't want to hijack this thread but I do agree, navydad.

Some doctors just have a bad attitude and forget that they are supposed to be healers.

More doctors, I've found, practice "scared" medicine.  Malpractice is out of control.  Their hands are tied by insurance companies making medical decisions without actually having medical degrees.  They are part of group practices with expected turn-arounds in patient appointments. 

The entire health care system in the US is diseased.  Years upon years of bad choices all around have put us in a position where the price of care is ridiculously inflated, CEO's cash in when your average person suffers, doctors' hands are tied and the 'health-care system' looks like a gigantic bloated political parasite.  It will take a great deal of thought and courage to make things right.

But! I'm glad the Lexapro is working, tangowhiskie!

[Pegasus47]

I have a friend who was put on anti-anxiety and relaxation drugs in Jan.  Now these drugs don't work for her anymore.  She is having a terrible time trying to get off of them.  Sides effects galore.  Sides effects make her anxious, more stress, more side effects, it just go around in circles.  After 2 months, she is back to where she started- have not managed to decrease any of it.

Put fears into my heart.

That's why I  opt for natural therapy- work out like crazy trying to avoid those drugs.

We all opt of different options - it is good to know the options do exist.
Pegasus

[eyeamdry]

Tango---I am so happy you have found relief with this medicine.  I know it's different for all of us, but to hear of one person getting a med that helps makes me feel good.  Lucy