New here - Hello!

July 24, 2004

Yes, that was exactly how I felt when I first started on Lexapro (also 10 mg.),

back in January: as if I was tripping on some sort of illegal drug! It was

sort of " fun, " actually, I have to confess. I was a wild thing back in my

Twenties, so I remember what it felt like to be on L. or M.A., and the Lexapro

felt a little bit like both. 10 mg. is the " usual " prescribed dose, and

probably WON'T be too strong for you (it wasn't for me). The " trippy " ,

drugged-like effects will go away in 3-4 days; at least they did for me. After

about a week on it, I no longer felt any particular " sensation " when I took it.

However, it made it hard for me to get to sleep at night, so my doctor suggested

I take it first thing in the morning (instead of in the late afternoon, as I had

been taking it at), and that helped enormously. No more problems getting to

sleep on it, after I started taking it with my bowl of Cheerios at 6:30 a.m.!

Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress. I felt significantly

" stress-reduced " after being on the Lexapro for just a bit over 3 weeks. I felt

great on it for about five months, then it seemed to sort of poop out on me and

I started to put on some pounds for no " seeming " reason. So, I am right now

weaning myself OFF of Lex, and am taking 5 mg. a day currently. No terrible

withdrawl symptoms other than some spaciness and some dizziness, and some " jaw

chomping " (a sure sign of my tension coming back, I'm afraid!). Lexapro is one

of the easier SSRI's to get OFF of, as long as you haven't been on it for a

tremendously long period of time. Or so I have heard, and has been my

experience so far. It was far harder breaking my " habit " that I formerly had

for taking 15-20 mg. of diazepam a day!

--Diane

New here

Hello everybody, I just started Lexapro this very morning (10 mg) and

just want to say that I have felt intermittently whoosy, sleepy and

just kind of spastic all day long. Really strange as if I were tripping

or something but w/o all the psychedelics. Is this normal? Will it go

away? Does it sound as if 10 mg is too strong a dose for me? I've

always been hypersensitive to meds.

Anyway, l look forward to reading about all of you and getting to know

you. Thanks for being here.

Marcia

Redding, CT

July 24, 2004

Diane! Thanks so much for sharing. It's great to be able to come here and be

understood. I

think I could hang on and get past all the side effects I'm experiencing

(already) but after

reading many of the posts here I'm very concerned about weight gain!! The doc

had said

that shouldn't be an issue but apparently it is for most. If I were to gain

10-20 lbs. or

more I KNOW I would end up very depressed over it. I just don't even want to

risk going

there. I'm going to phone her tomorrow to discuss all of this and perhaps first

try a

healthy diet, exercise and vitamin supplements instead. Another concern I have

is that I'm

a breastfeeding mom and though she had indicated that the Lexapro would have no

effect

on my breast milk or babe I really, really think my son was wired from it today.

It had such

a huge effect on me that I'm very suspicious. Any other nursing moms here? Also

wanted

to ask if any of you suffer with migraine as well. I've had problems with

migraine since I

was a teen and have been doing more reading on it as of late and now see that

migraine

and depression are considered to be comorbid.

By the way, it's late and I feel wide awake, VERY.

Nice to meet you Diane,

Marcia

> Yes, that was exactly how I felt when I first started on Lexapro (also 10

mg.), back in

January: as if I was tripping on some sort of illegal drug! It was sort of

" fun, " actually, I

have to confess. I was a wild thing back in my Twenties, so I remember

what it felt

like to be on L. or M.A., and the Lexapro felt a little bit like both. 10 mg.

is the " usual "

prescribed dose, and probably WON'T be too strong for you (it wasn't for me).

The

" trippy " , drugged-like effects will go away in 3-4 days; at least they did for

me. After

about a week on it, I no longer felt any particular " sensation " when I took it.

However, it

made it hard for me to get to sleep at night, so my doctor suggested I take it

first thing in

the morning (instead of in the late afternoon, as I had been taking it at), and

that helped

enormously. No more problems getting to sleep on it, after I started taking it

with my

bowl of Cheerios at 6:30 a.m.!

>

> Good luck. Keep us posted on your progress. I felt significantly

" stress-reduced " after

being on the Lexapro for just a bit over 3 weeks. I felt great on it for about

five months,

then it seemed to sort of poop out on me and I started to put on some pounds for

no

" seeming " reason. So, I am right now weaning myself OFF of Lex, and am taking 5

mg. a

day currently. No terrible withdrawl symptoms other than some spaciness and

some

dizziness, and some " jaw chomping " (a sure sign of my tension coming back, I'm

afraid!).

Lexapro is one of the easier SSRI's to get OFF of, as long as you haven't been

on it for a

tremendously long period of time. Or so I have heard, and has been my

experience so far.

It was far harder breaking my " habit " that I formerly had for taking 15-20 mg.

of diazepam

a day!

>

> --Diane

>

> New here

>

> Hello everybody, I just started Lexapro this very morning (10 mg) and

> just want to say that I have felt intermittently whoosy, sleepy and

> just kind of spastic all day long. Really strange as if I were tripping

> or something but w/o all the psychedelics. Is this normal? Will it go

> away? Does it sound as if 10 mg is too strong a dose for me? I've

> always been hypersensitive to meds.

>

> Anyway, l look forward to reading about all of you and getting to know

> you. Thanks for being here.

>

> Marcia

> Redding, CT

>

July 25, 2004

Yes, I would suggest taking your daily dose of Lex FIRST thing in the morning

upon waking up! That way, by the time it's bed-time, you should be able to get

to sleep alright. That's how it worked out for me, anyhow.

I have gained almost 10 pounds, since going on Lex back in January. But then I

got laid off from my job back in May, and I think I've had increased anxiety due

to that and so have done a bit more " comfort eating " than I did when first on

the Lex and still had my old job. I still have not found a permanent position,

and am living off Unemployment and sporadic temp work. So, I'm not sure that I

should totally blame the weight gain ON the Lex, coz it might just be that I'm

doing more comfort eating. Also, around May (a few weeks before I got laid

off!) I noticed my anxiety level rising... it was like the Lex " pooped out " on

me. I've heard others express this happening to them also (different

time-frames, however), and a lot of times those people increase their dosage to

15 or 20 mg. I just decided I wanted OFF the Lex, as I don't currently have

health insurance and don't want to pay the high price to buy the pills without a

prescription and health coverage paying for most of it. So, I have a couple of

more weeks on the 5 mg. a day dosage, and then it will be 5 mg. every OTHER day,

and then totally off them. The weaning off is going fine, so far. I think I've

decided to get off them IN TIME, so that I don't have to suffer extra-awful

withdrawal side-effects.

Everyone reacts differently to Lex, though. Some are very happy on it for a

long time. Others gain weight on it. Still others don't. I think I saw a

survey somewhere in that 50% of the people GAINED weight on Lex, and the other

50% either lost weight or stayed the same. So, it probably depends on how Lex

effects you personally, as each of us have such different metabolisms and

different blood chemistries.

Let us know when your initial trippy side-effects die away. Mine were gone by

Day Four!

--Diane

New here

>

> Hello everybody, I just started Lexapro this very morning (10 mg) and

> just want to say that I have felt intermittently whoosy, sleepy and

> just kind of spastic all day long. Really strange as if I were tripping

> or something but w/o all the psychedelics. Is this normal? Will it go

> away? Does it sound as if 10 mg is too strong a dose for me? I've

> always been hypersensitive to meds.

>

> Anyway, l look forward to reading about all of you and getting to know

> you. Thanks for being here.

>

> Marcia

> Redding, CT

>

July 25, 2004

Diane! Just after I sent my email to you last night I had a full blown migraine!

I was not

" due " for one and really think it was brought about by the Lexapro. I was

feeling as if I was

coming off a trip, that kind of old wet rag feeling, my head was clearing, and I

was relieved

that I was starting to feel " normal " again. Then BAM, I get a blind spot and all

the usual

prodromal symptoms prior to a migraine. Now, nevermind the weight gain issues,

I'm

really wary of continuing with this med. I'd appreciate hearing from anyone else

here who

may suffer from migraines and have had any effects associated with Lexapro.

Can't get a

hold of my doctor until tomorrow though I did speak with whoever was on call at

1 AM last

night but they weren't much help.

Wugh!

Marcia

July 25, 2004

Hi Marcia, I was taking lexapro for the last year and half but have

now switched to wellbutrin. However, while I was on lex at 15mg I had

a few migraine attacks that were fullblown with all the auroas (mine

can even be auditory). When I had an attack I took axert, similar to

imitrex, and that seem to relieve the migraine on both occasions. I

found that when I finally came off lexapro i had the brain " zap " or

" jolt " sensation many have described and they lasted for about 2

weeks. I really find the wellbutrin SR 150 mg bid to be working for

me and I have been on it for almost 2 months. I feel much like my own

person now-reclaimed my own abilities and emotions-t

> Diane! Just after I sent my email to you last night I had a full

blown migraine! I was not

> " due " for one and really think it was brought about by the Lexapro.

I was feeling as if I was

> coming off a trip, that kind of old wet rag feeling, my head was

clearing, and I was relieved

> that I was starting to feel " normal " again. Then BAM, I get a blind

spot and all the usual

> prodromal symptoms prior to a migraine. Now, nevermind the weight

gain issues, I'm

> really wary of continuing with this med. I'd appreciate hearing from

anyone else here who

> may suffer from migraines and have had any effects associated with

Lexapro. Can't get a

> hold of my doctor until tomorrow though I did speak with whoever was

on call at 1 AM last

> night but they weren't much help.

>

> Wugh!

> Marcia

July 26, 2004

Did you taper the Lexapro before starting the wellbutrin ? Joyce

Re: New here - hello!