I need help with depression medications please.

[Marks470]

I'll try to keep this short but I am now very confused.  Here is my short history:  Eight weeks ago first ever anxiety attack followed by deep depression.  Family doctor put me 20mg of lexapro.  After five weeks, psychiatrist upped it to 30mg.  Felt like I was crashing after a week at 30mg so I called the "on call" psychiatrist on Memorial day weekend.  She said I should switch to 150mg of zoloft.  (I had successfully taken zoloft many years ago for depression, not anxiety.)  She told me that there was no need to wean off lexapro since they were both ssri.  I've been feeling really depressed and more anxious than ever.  I called my psychiatrist today and he told me that I am suffering from lexapro withdrawal and I should have weaned off it.  He also told me that it would take at least three and maybe up to five weeks before the zoloft would start working.  The other psychiatrist told me that it would kick in quickly because I was on another ssri for five weeks already.  

Does anyone have any experience or insight that might help me?  As you know, when you are feeling like this, days seem like weeks.  I don't feel like I can make it three more weeks like this.  Thanks in advance.

[pearlymae]

I've been deeply depressed and on and off medications for many years.Withdrawal from the SSRI's can be rebound depression and really sickening flu-like symptoms.Once,I thought I was dying, withdrawing from some of the SSRI's.Also the exhaustion when you stop taking any of them is really frightening,if you don't know what's causing it.Prescribing psychiatrists will deny everything, in my experience.
You should have started to feel better with the depression,by now if your taking one of the SSRI regularly since you started them as you say about 6 weeks ago.
BUT these SSRIs are tricky-they affect each person individually.
Maybe you need a tranquilizer to help for now until the antidepressants kick in.

[CARD58]

My son has been on several medicines for over a year, one was zoloft which he really had bad side effects from.  All I know is going off any medication quickly is not wise you should taper off.  I had many doctors say oh it won't be any problem and my son would end up in the emergency room.  I have tried over a year to get my son off zyprexa.  And after a year later he is going off one pill a week and I believe he wouldn't have gone to the hospital so many times if the doctor did it slowly.  All I know is everyone is different on medication and each time my son should have been taken off medicine extremely slowly.  I also think having a very good therpist who actually talks to you about your problems is very helpful.  Good luck, its not easy its hard work

[Hensley258]

You will be fine my friend. You have a long way to go before you run out of med options.

Don't get discouraged if the Zoloft fails to work. You still have an infanant number of back up meds that you have never tried.

Some times it takes an add on medication also to get the mixture just right and feel better. So your options at this point are unlimited.

(Wish I could say the same)

[Marks470]

Thank you Hensley.  Its encouraging to know that at least there is still a chance that it is going to work and get better.  My actual psychiatrist (as apposed to the on call psychiatrist) agrees with you.  He told me the same thing today.  I'm glad to hear other people agree.

[Hensley258]

Even when switching from one SSRI to another, I have always found it better to do at least a short taper off before introducing the new SSRI.

The info you received regarding how long it will take for Zoloft to start working is IMO wrong. Just because lexapro is an SSRI and Zoloft is an SSRI doesn't mean that it will work instantly. You can expect the Zoloft to still take 3 to 6 weeks before it is fully effective.

In between that "waiting period" if the anxiety get really bad then a short acting Benzodiaziphine like Xanax or Klonopin can be used short term to ease that anxiety while your waiting.

I hope you respond to Zoloft well.