lexapro - v - celexa

This mail i sent to another forum but the administrator refused to publish it as the members are not doctors. I understand this well same as here. All i need is an opinion not necessarily correct. Just an opinion not to follow of course, only to consider. Here it is:

My combo is all AP's. I was given lexapro/cipralex/escitalopram 5mg because I was feeling down that was a month ago. After 2 weeks I started to be anxious. Fearing of catching mania, I stopped. But after a week I started to plunge down so I returned to the same dose of 5mg. Now I am ok again

Had I been on celexa/cipram/citalopram would this have been better?. Because the latter is supposedly weaker than
lexapro. In fact 10 mg of celexa is equivalent to 5mg of lexapro. So since I am taking 5mg of lexapro this would be equivalent to 10mg of celexa. But the 10mg tablet in celexa can be divided while the 5mg in lexapro cannot. So fearing that I should reduce my dose of cipralex eventually like I did before, then either I take my 5mg of lexapro every other day or switch to celexa by taking 5mg. Besides the therapeutic dose of lexapro is 5-20mg whereas for celexa it is NOT 10 - 40mg rather 10 - 60mg, meaning that it is even much weaker and more tolerated hypothetically than lexapro.

Since I am always seeking to take the weakest AD fearing from mania, my question is two fold: is celexa better than lexapro or worse I mean generally speaking because this is patient dependent. But the IMPORTANT question: can one switch over from lexapro to celexa easily I mean directly or you wean off first by titrating down. But how, as I am taking the smallest dose already.! i.e. is there any difficulty, withdrawal symptoms etc.. and so forth. Remember both are the products of the same company. I know welbutrin is OK but i am interested in the above comparison

Thanks a million
ezz

[ILADVOCATE]

Well the only answer we could give you here is from our personal experiences. It does make sense to ask your psychiatrist about it as its a very specific question. If you believe the psychiatrist you are currently seeing (you had thought of changing) is not informed enough then it might be time to change. If you want an answer that's at all clinically accurate though other than posting on the "ask a doctor" forum go to the website of the medications and see what the statistics are as for inducing mania in people with bipolar. I'm not sure if you'll be able to understand it as even I have trouble but all we could tell you is our personal experience and each person's experiences varies. Only a clinician would understand the larger picture and if you can understand a clinical website that's fine but honestly you should be seeing a psychiatrist who could answer this question for you because they will be the one to be changing your medications as needed and watching for signs of emergent mania regardless.

[Venora Moonwind]

I am on celexa. It is my understanding that the lexapro is the new and improved version of the celexa. I have done great on the celexa so I am not planning on changing anytime soon.
Everybody does different on meds so what works for me may not work for you. I know many people tht have done well on the lexapro and just as many that have done well on the celexa. You will just have to see what works best for you.
I will add that bi polar needs to be treated with both and antidepressant and a mood stabilzer so I take zyprexa as well and this combo works quite well for me.

As Iladvocate says talk to your doc You and your doc will be able to come up with the right combo for you. Dont despair, there is one that will work for you. I went through lots of meds before I got on my present combo and I am blessed that they both work so well to keep me stable.
Lovge Venora

[ILADVOCATE]

I would add that bipolar needs to be treated by an anti-depressent and a mood stabilizer for some people with bipolar. Ideally psychiatrists prefer to use a mood stabilizer and an adjunct mood stabilizer if there are further symptoms. If there is treatment refractory depression they would add an anti-depressent but that's when needed because of the potential worsening of mania. Some people with bipolar need an anti-depressent as well. Some don't. As to whether an antipsychotic or standard mood stabilizer (Lithium, Depakoate, Lamictal) is used that's a psychiatrist's decision but in bipolar with psychotic features or schizoaffective of course an anti-psychotic is needed. One thing that's important to note is that many people don't find the perfect mood stabilizer that they stay on for life. I've been through 30 mood stabilizers and I expect to have to change again. That's typical as I've stated. The antipsychotic agent I am on was developed as an antipsychotic and all current anti-psychotics were developed for that purpose.
  Lithium is the only medication developed as a primary mood stabilizer so everything else varies in efficacy. People can generally expect to have to change mood stabilizers every now and then with their psychiatrist's supervision. If things stop working its best to let them know so they can change things before people destabilize. My psychopharmocologist has done a fair amount of research on my behalf as regards new treatments but I'm sure he's used it to benefit other consumers as well.