Dropping things

[floshoe]

I am a 42 year old female, otherwise healthy.  My only medication is 5mg Lexapro, which I have been on for about a year.

For the last month or so, I've noticed I keep dropping things!  I'd say a few times a day.  It's like the part of my brain which used to automatically know how tight to hold things is not working as well, so I'll pick things up without enough grip and drop them right away.

Is this a normal pre-menopausal symptom?  Maybe its because its winter and cold outside?  I don't know whether to mention it to my doctor or ignore it!  Thanks!

[Suri123]

Hi, sure you have to see your physician for neurological examination as you have weakness of muscle, how is the sensation otherwise. Do you suffer from diabetes or  hypertension. Please keep updating about you visit and progress.
Take care bye.

[LifesAHeadache]

Do you have headaches,migraines, or abdominal upset for no reason?

Here is the question - do you start to pick something up and feel clumsey and the item drops and you have to pick it up again?  Or do you pick it up, have a good grasp and then your hand automatically opens and the item falls.

When I have a migraine, sometimes I have to lean over three or four times until I successfully pick something up.  It is definitely related to migraine, (mine are worse with perimenopause, I'm 43) It really looks like yours is like mine and is nothing to worry about but I always recommend going to a neurologist for at least an initial eval.  If it eases your mind, my daughter has migraines and has broken a hand, a foot, a hip - its always been in sports but we both can just bounce off a wall walking down a hall.  We have both had MRI's and the best board certified neurologists.  For both of us, it is just a symptom of migraine - but have it checked out just for your own piece of mind.

[ggreg]

Dear Flo,
Everytime I hear certain symptoms, especially with SSRIs, I know exactly what is going on.  I've been on Zoloft off and on for eight years, and used Lexapro for two years.  The first time I started taking Zoloft, an equivalent dose to your Lex, I also started dropping things.  I had read somewhere about that, so I knew what was going on.  So, I believe you will learn to adapt to it, that is, it won't bother you that you do this after a while.

Long time ago, I used to have excellent hand-eye coordination, liked to art, a whiz at the keyboard, and NEVER dropped anything in my life (except the end of a heavy couch one time :)  Well, I drop stuff all the time now, my paintings are a little messy, I hit the wrong keys on the computer all the time.  Can't get my hand solid around an object or put my hands where I want them to go.  It's like my hands are a little stiff.  Can't get a grip!  Ha!  At first I missed being able to handle things, but the benefit of the SSRI, I wouldn't trade for anything.  The stuff kind of slows a person down, to where they don't care if things don't go right, which is exactly what you want.  I have a neurologist I see regularly, and he tests me sometimes on my thinking powers, and I don't have any kind of physical brain problem at all.  It's depression that I take the medicine for.  I am depressed from an accident I was in sometime ago, the pain bothers me.

I also have some insight on Lexapro versus Zoloft that I want to share.  If you find you are not being helped very well by the Lexapro, you can ask to switch to Zoloft, a milder version of Lex.  You might want to just keep the dose less than 100mg.  I go from 50mg to 75mg, depending on how depressed and upset I am from one year to the next.  Been on it for years, a very good drug.  But Lexapro, wow, that was too strong for me, and I was on a dose that was really too much for me.  But with BOTH drugs, I dropped things.

I know this will help you, not to worry, this is a normal side effect of the SSRIs.  If you have any other questions about your SSRI, I will try to keep up with this fast-moving forum and answer them for you.  
GG

[poolzy755]

I have noticed for 2 months dopping things going to neurology in august on 19 meds and now neurontin 800 mgs for neuropathy!!  Any info woud be helpful I am 65 years of age   thank you  Donna