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Feels like Lexapro has stopped working

I started taking Lexapro back in July with a slow ramp up from 5-10 and now 15mg.... I have been on 15 mg for about 5 weeks now and honestly up until last week was feeling great.... then last weekend went to a few parties, drank a bit too much (although not that much) and since last Saturday it feels like my Lexapro has slowly not been working. This has progressively gotten worse over this week even though I am taking my regular dose everyday (and not drinking at all - I don't normally drink at all). Symptoms of jitteryness, feeling flush, nervousness and yesterday was the first time I had to take .25 mg klonopin pill since I first started going through side effects when first starting the medication.

I know over time these drugs can stop working but I didn't think this could happen so soon into it. Going to see my psych hopefully today and see what to do. Maybe a dosage increase? maybe a med switch?

Anyone else experience this?
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1699033 tn?1514113133
I cannot tell you how many times I gave the URL for your initial blog to people just starting on meds so that they could see a real success story!  You are definitely needed on this site.  
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Avatar universal
Well I will prob check in and see if I can help anyone else out with my experiences now that I am getting some Street Cred with all of this...haha
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1699033 tn?1514113133
That is good news.  Blips come and go...you now know what to expect and that you will get better no matter how bad you initially feel.  Here's to not seeing you on here for a long while again!  :)  
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Avatar universal
Well I don't know what that was but everything is all back to normal now and I did not increase my dosage. Now I know not to worry again if there is blip.... as it seems this was.....
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1699033 tn?1514113133
Sounds like a plan.  Keep us posted.  You will get better again.  That is all you need to remind yourself of.  When I wasn't on meds and things got a little hairy I would always remind myself that I can just take a klonopin and go back on meds and be myself again.  It did wonders for a while.  Anyway, I did a double increase like I said...but that is how Wellbutrin works...only 150, 300 and 450.  I hope to God I never have to go to 450!  
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Avatar universal
Gonna up my dose to 17.5 starting tomorrow and see if that makes a difference over time. Psych said I could do that and then when I see her next week might go up to 20mg
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Avatar universal
Psych commented that alcohol would have caused an increased anxiety the day after but not prolonged....basically once it was out of my system it would not be the culprit of any increased anxiety.... so she ruled that out. Some additional stressors have been singled out as the likely cause of this. Learned that although the medication can help level out the small stuff if you have additional stress it will nto shield you from any reaction to it. And in a way I'm glad about that... I don't want to be medicated to the point where I don't feel anything anymore.... at least this time, as someone said earlier... I know it iwll get better so just gonna chill out

Helpful - 0
1699033 tn?1514113133
Glad you got to the bottom of it.  Like cj said, some ups and downs but its not the end of the world.  We could be back at the beginning and that would really stink!  Take care!
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Avatar universal
Well met with psych and came to the conclusion that I have had some additional stressors in the last week that have contributed to this and not the medication. Suggests I stay where I am.... take a klonopin here and there if i need it and it shoudl all balance out again
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
Another point to remember in my experience with anxiety, is that it does ebb and flow.  You can have a great week and then the next can be a step back, so in my opinion I would still stay on it if you think it was working.  Anxiety is tough to gauge and it really can throw us for a loop as we try to determine the sources and the way to confront it.  I usually stress patience with this (I know it is usually the last thing people want to hear initially).  Over time, through the knowledge you gain about it, you will learn to get a firm hold on it.  Keep us posted!
Helpful - 0
1699033 tn?1514113133
I'm glad you are getting into see your therapist. If it were me, I'd try the dosage increase before I switched medications.  You know it works for you, but you just may need a bit more.  I had to go from 150 mg of Wellbutrin because it wasn't enough to handle over the top OCD/anxiety to 300.  Other than the drinking, did you experience any other stressors?  I'm wondering if the anxiety you experiened after drinking is enough of a trigger to give you pronounced and proloned anxiety again.  In that case, then an increase should do the trick.  Keep us posted.  
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