Lexapro vs Prozac

[hitman60]

ok I am a 59 year old guy, suffered for depression for years. For the most part I just took 20 mg of Prozac, but never really thought that it was a miracle drug. I did take Serzone which really worked for me, but they have basically taken that one off the market. I have been drug free of SSRI for 6 months, and take St Johns Wort. I do take .5 mg of Klonopin for anxiety that my Primary prescribed.  I exercise a lot, run and work out, but in the last 2 months I am noticing horrible anxiety usually brought on by something ( insurance bill going up, losing my wallet, late for work in traffic) My blood pressure I know goes up, I feel totally keyed up like I have had too much caffeine, unable to concentrate, and find myself projecting. And I am angry all the time. I get angry at talk radio hosts and write nasty letters, Sometimes I wake up angry and keyed up...Sound familiar.?

I don't want to go back on an antidepressant, and I dont want to gain wt...just lost a ton of wt this winter .But this anxiety is going to cause me problems at work. I think I could also be depressed.

I was thinking of asking my doc for Lexapro.  Or maybe this too shall pass.  I would love to hear from folks who have tried Lexapro, Serozone and Prozac.....and what worked or didn't.

Hitman

[kcdem]

I think you may be my alter ego. lexapro is similar to Prozac but treats the other side of the brain as well. maybe the Prozac dose needed to be upped, did you ever consider that? Prozac is much cheaper, Lexipro is about 300 per month if you ever lost insurance. You state that you are angrier and anxiety is increasing when you get out of your comfort zone, man can i relate to that. I hope it is glenn beck and the other right wingnuts that get you amped and not the other way around.

Dont stop the klonopin cold turkey, i did and almost went off the deep end. I would also look into what class the stuff that worked for you is in and see if you have optioins there, with another med still on market in that class.

The prozac may not have been a miracle, but you were less angry and you only took 20mgs. now you are taking a benzo(klonopin) that is highly addictive and not for daily use even though most docs do it anyway. i would try to start back on 20 of prohizzle and then up it if that does not work.

the general election is coming up soon and you dont want to shove a bottle of st johns wort up a co-workers arse in a fit of rage.

i hope this helps best or luck to you


kcdem

[xanweaner]

I'm not sure why you think that Serzone is off the market, but I just googled nefazodone and it is available for rx.

Perhaps your Dr. doesn't want you to take it any longer?

If you had great results in the past, it's my experience that it's the way to go vs. doing drug trials, trying to find which one works. The brain chemistry scrambling that occurs is just not beneficial for anyone. Especially in light of the fact that you need to be in game form for your job.

Have you had any coronary issues?  Have you quit smoking? Have you had major lifestyle changes?
Perhaps some psychotherapy could also be beneficial...men go through their own form of menopause, too.....how do you think the name originated??
(haha - just kidding on that one....)

I hope that you start to feel more peaceful soon...

[hitman60]

Yea, I cannot remember if I stopped taking the Prozac if I was feeling better or it was not working, but obviously it was doing something. I did find that I had a few around, so I am going to start back on the Prozac instead of Lexapro. I am only taking .5 mg of the Klonopin a day.....I cut back a month ago from 1mg.....the most I ever took. So I will ween myself off the .5mg. It should not be that hard to d. Probably take .5 every other day for a few weeks. That should work.

Glenn Beck is an idiot....so is Ann Coulter, Hannity. Right now I think everyone is an idiot.

So how are you doing with your meds right now...What are you taking....Feeling less anxious?

[hitman60]

Serzone is off the market in a lot of countries because it has caused serious, and quick liver failure. You may be right that it is around, but most docs are avoiding it here in the USA.  It was the one antidepressant that did not cause weight gain though. I think Prozac does not have serious wt gain potentials as some of the others.

[hitman60]

I called my PCP who wanted to put me on Cymbalta or Effexor or the very expensive Lexapro. I convinced him to let me go back and try Prozac, which gave me no side effects when I was on it before. I felt better so I stopped, convincing myself that it was not working. Bad mistake, because here I am depressed and anxious.

I took my first doze about 3 hours ago and went for a run. I tell you, I feel calmer than I have in a month...Placebo effect or maybe my body was craving it.

[xanweaner]

Thanks for that update on Serzone - wow...liver failure is serious. Re: prozac and weight gain - I've watched my brother benefit from it over the years, and his weight did not fluctuate. And, from the little that I do know, it appears to be one of the easier SSRI's to wean off of.
Glad that you're having a positive effect so quickly - who cares if it's placebo - the bottom line is that you're already feeling better.

p.s. when  my brother first start taking it - he started to smile more - I  used to call his grin, "the prozac smile"...

[hitman60]

It is so odd with anxiety and depression. I was running 3- 4 miles a day, doing yoga, lost 30 pounds, and thought I was feeling great.  I had stopped taking Prozac about 4  or 4 months ago. I thought I was cured. But damn....all of a sudden I am angry, writing nasty letters, and feeling this internal panic at work, overreacting at little things at home, and for the last 2 weeks doing everything I can to mask the panic. One person at work got their feelings hurt by me when I was in the midst of one of my masked panic episodes which looked like I was ignoring or discounting them. I was just trying to look busy to get a handle on the internal panic and fear.  I think I destroyed a relationship....Tried to write an honest and open letter about what is going on, but have heard nothing back.

I am going back to my psychiatrist, just to have somebody to talk to about this. Hopefully, he gives me feedback. He usually just laughs at me because I guess I am entertaining.
I hope I get that Prozac smile like your bro.

[barfer]

I've just been reading these postings  and it reminds me of when I went off Remeron about the same time you went off Prozac.  When I told my doctor I was going off it, he just shook his head and said "I don't know why all these people who have anxiety or panic issues always want to go off their medication just when they are feeling pretty good.  Doesn't it occur to them that the reason they are feeling well or that they think the medication isn't working for them is because it actually is and that is why they can function better."  Of course, I wanted to slap him for being such a know-it-all!  As it turns out, here I am back on meds, trying Klonopin twice daily because my anxiety and panic is back.  Boy do I hate it when my doctor is right!!!!!

[nursegirl6572]

Lexapro is actually a combination drug, with the components being Prozac and Celexa.  It is an SSRI as you well know.  Sometimes it takes a few tries on different kinds of SSRI's (they all vary slightly chemically) to find the best one for you.  I have taken Lexapro several times in my life, and it was very successful, as was Zoloft.

Lexapro tends to work a little better on the anxiety aspect, while some tend to work more on the depression factor.  Remember, any of these meds can literally take up to 6 weeks before you notice a difference.

Also, I know you are worried about weight gain, but you have to weigh (no pun intended, lol) the benefits and cons...it sounds like in the very least you need to discuss some of this with your doctor.

All the SSRI's are pretty effective....if one worked for you in the past....that is always a safe bet.  Also, like others have said, do not stop taking any meds suddenlly.

Good luck to you.

[kcdem]

dont go med shopping, you may end up in an anxiety attack about retless leg syndrome. I f prozac worked bo back on it. If it does not work after several weeks...but I bet it will... have the doc up the dose. Prozac. you dont know what you got till its gone....

I did the same thing because I thought that the Prozac turned on my after some wife and boss trauma. I think thats just life, I dont know that any med short of popping a strategic benzo would have helped.

stop listening to the right wing poopaganda, that will also help. Life is depressing enough without having to listen to those clueless corporate hacks. Try NPR or punk rock (vintage early 80's) I have progressed since getting back on the prohizzle; i now only do a thumbs down to people with Bush 04 bumper stickers I used to flip them the birdy and give them the mean face...baby steps. I was presented with a great challenge the other day, it was a car filled with GOP **** and it had a sticker saying " we are taking the dinosaurs back" I flipped her the birdy and went straight to my AA meeting, walked and exercised, it is progress not perfection. hang in there hitman.


kcdem

[khbronn]

Hi,

I just posted about Effexor, It did work for me and I actually lost weight while on it at first.  The only thing is it soooo hard to get off...do a little internet research from other people coming off and you'll see.  Effexor is very expensive too.  I'm lucky to have great insurance but otherwise I would be paying $375.00 a month for it (I only pay $10.00 thanks be to God).

There's my 2 cents and hang in there.  I'm having med issues too.

[40butlook30]

I've been on Lexapro for about a year now. I take 10 mg in morning and 10 mg at night. It works ok for me. Makes me a little tired. I've tried Celexa in the past and am thinking of going back to that or trying Effexor. I took Zoloft for 3 years and it stopped working for me. Paxil had a weird side effect on me, it made me yawn constantly. A friend of mine just started Well Butrin weaning off of Lexapro. She doesn't like it so far.

[Gpop]

Ive tried lots if SSRI's and the only one that has ever worked is Lexapro, It's so damn expensive not to mention the 40mg she has me on when the recommended daily dose is 20mg, I don't have insurance. My Therapist also has me on 1mg of xanax XR in the A.M. and .5mg of xanax XR at night. Since 2002 this is the only combo that has worked on me and now I'm not willing to change. Combine the Lexapro with XR's and there goes all your money for the month.