Aa
Lexapro suddenly stopped working? freaking out
i started lexapro two weeks ago on 10mg and I felt great!! i felt the best I have ever felt after the initial anxiety side effects. i upped my dosage to 20mg two days ago and it just stopped working?? I'm back where I was before; irritable, depressed, down in the dumps. i don't know what to do. i was the happiest I had ever been and now im back. I'm terrified and frustrated and panicking!!!
I was finally happy and free and able and it's gone. What do I do? Does this get better?
I was finally happy and free and able and it's gone. What do I do? Does this get better?
switched back down to 10mg. i dont feel a change yet. things are getting worse
Please, don't ever feel you shouldn't participate. I have no expertise. I'm not sure there is expertise about this stuff, even among those who are the experts. I just have experience, just as you do. The poster does better to see the different opinions and experiences people have had, so again, please keep posting even if others disagree!
No one said you couldn't give advice, there is a lot of information out there about medications, and mental health treatment in general, so it's not uncommon to see slightly differing advice and opinions. That's what makes the world go round!
Don't take Paxiled's post personally. One thing I can tell you about him, is besides being very knowledgeable about medications, he's also more than willing to enter into a discussion with anyone about any topic, especially if it means helping the OP get the BEST information.
Don't take Paxiled's post personally. One thing I can tell you about him, is besides being very knowledgeable about medications, he's also more than willing to enter into a discussion with anyone about any topic, especially if it means helping the OP get the BEST information.
I was so sad to read your posting about how ill you have been. I see you have had a lot of helpful advice. I just wanted to say I hope you keep posting here, as it may help. We all understand. Are you still taking the Lexpro, and is it working? Keep us updated.
Sorry, I didn't mean to overstep your adivce. Just giving my perspective. Actually, side effects can happen after therapeutic effects of a drug happen, and drugs can take effect 2 weeks before. As I said before, drugs have different effects when it comes to gender, that was recently discovered withint the last year. Drug research is usually done primarily on men and applied ro women.
The other thing is that the other option that I mentioned was to refer to her discharge instructions to notify someone regarding a total reverse effect of her response to medication from feeling the best she has ever felt to worse. This may not be just severe depression here. After a recent discharge from hospitalization, she needs fo see someone regarding her medication. If she was my sister and she confided in me about what she was feeling, I would check her discharge instructions to see if there was any leads on who to call to be seen and to alert someone what is going on, or take her back to the hospital myself. Not just adjust meds back and wait for a doctor's appointment weeks down the line. Someone needs to know she backed down on the med if she is not taking it as she was prescribed and following your suggestion, which may or may not work.
But I acquiesce to you and nursegirl's expertise. Sorry i said something,
The other thing is that the other option that I mentioned was to refer to her discharge instructions to notify someone regarding a total reverse effect of her response to medication from feeling the best she has ever felt to worse. This may not be just severe depression here. After a recent discharge from hospitalization, she needs fo see someone regarding her medication. If she was my sister and she confided in me about what she was feeling, I would check her discharge instructions to see if there was any leads on who to call to be seen and to alert someone what is going on, or take her back to the hospital myself. Not just adjust meds back and wait for a doctor's appointment weeks down the line. Someone needs to know she backed down on the med if she is not taking it as she was prescribed and following your suggestion, which may or may not work.
But I acquiesce to you and nursegirl's expertise. Sorry i said something,
The only amendment I would make to the long post above is that, in what I've been told and read and what's on the labels and information packets, it takes 4-6 weeks for antidepressants to kick in, not two weeks. That doesn't mean it can't happen, anything can happen with these crazy meds, but usually side effects occur before effects. But the fact remains, the recommended dosage for depression with Lexapro is 10mg and anxiety 20mg, so we still have a problem here of a drug maybe working at a certain dose and then not working at a higher dose. I agree, for whatever that's worth, that the poster definitely needs both her own psychologist and psychiatrist, but in the meantime she has to figure out what to do now, which nursegirl and I addressed, given that it will take a certain amount of time to begin seeing her new docs.
Thanks for the additional info. You definitely need to keep your doctor in the loop. If you feel at all like you're having suicidal thoughts...get help right away.
Let us know what the doctor says!
Let us know what the doctor says!
it would help you from feeling lost if you get a therapist and a psychiatrist, or at least, a psychiatrist first, but I also think you need support from someone who can sit down and listen and make sense of things out with you.
A psychiatrist is the doctor that has a license to prescribe, and a psychologist doesn't. It usually takes around 2 weeks for a drug to work. A lot plays into the effective of drugs, and there is a difference between men and women how a drug works.
After 3 suicide attempts within a year, and recently discharged from a hospitalization after a suicide attempt, it would be better that you are seen more closely.
Yes, it is a very good idea to have a psychiatrist. Depression is not treated as if you just something like a bad flu, where you take meds for a short time until the meds run out, and only call the doctor, when it acts up again or get followed up just once. Depression is treated and sover a longer period of time, depending on whether it is situational, mild, major, or other kinds of depression. Psych drugs, like antidepressants are usually managed by a psychiatrist or someone who has the ability and license to prescribe, and wirh psych meds, everyone's medication needs are different.
It is possible that the drug does not work for you. I took a lot of different psych drugs, and initially, some would work for a time, and then, all of a sudden, even with increasing the dose, it stopped working. It can happen. the paychiatrist just put me on another drug and I was scheduled to see him every week at that time, then, when I showed improvemenr, every 2 weeks, then every month, etc. I also saw a certified therapist (an MFCC, not a psychologist) at the same time, and I saw her every week to every 2 weeks for years, and now, only as needed.
Some people got on the right med and the right dose immediately. Some people only meeded one change, an adjustment, or maybe another drug. The first time, I got changed out from paxil to prozac, and low dose prozac worked for a couple of years until I decided on my own that I didn't need it anymore, so I jusr stopped it myself and stopped seeing the psychiatrist, which proved to be bad a bad decision.
It's hard enough dealing with depression on your own and managing your own meds wirhout supervision or professional guidance by someone who knows the meds.
i wouldn't wait to see if the lexapro will kick in, especially if you are back to where you were before you for hospitalized. When they gave you advice and instructions, and a phone number to call when they discharged you (discharge instructions.), then I would refer back to your written discharge instructions. I can't imagine that they would discharge you with some idea of having you be followed up and your treatment gets followed through. Usually, after a stay for a suicide attempt, they won't discharge you unless you have a doctor lined up (in your case, a psychiatrist) to see how you are doing and if the medication is working for you, or if you need more in your treatment plan.
I also think a licensed and certified therapist like a psychologist or MFCC(whatever works for you) for support and help figure out things and how to handle and develop a better way to deal depression, and keep you from falling into it or falling too deeply into it. I found I needed more than friends and family. I needed someone professional who had experience in heiping people go through crises and mental health disorders and issues.
A psychiatrist is the doctor that has a license to prescribe, and a psychologist doesn't. It usually takes around 2 weeks for a drug to work. A lot plays into the effective of drugs, and there is a difference between men and women how a drug works.
After 3 suicide attempts within a year, and recently discharged from a hospitalization after a suicide attempt, it would be better that you are seen more closely.
Yes, it is a very good idea to have a psychiatrist. Depression is not treated as if you just something like a bad flu, where you take meds for a short time until the meds run out, and only call the doctor, when it acts up again or get followed up just once. Depression is treated and sover a longer period of time, depending on whether it is situational, mild, major, or other kinds of depression. Psych drugs, like antidepressants are usually managed by a psychiatrist or someone who has the ability and license to prescribe, and wirh psych meds, everyone's medication needs are different.
It is possible that the drug does not work for you. I took a lot of different psych drugs, and initially, some would work for a time, and then, all of a sudden, even with increasing the dose, it stopped working. It can happen. the paychiatrist just put me on another drug and I was scheduled to see him every week at that time, then, when I showed improvemenr, every 2 weeks, then every month, etc. I also saw a certified therapist (an MFCC, not a psychologist) at the same time, and I saw her every week to every 2 weeks for years, and now, only as needed.
Some people got on the right med and the right dose immediately. Some people only meeded one change, an adjustment, or maybe another drug. The first time, I got changed out from paxil to prozac, and low dose prozac worked for a couple of years until I decided on my own that I didn't need it anymore, so I jusr stopped it myself and stopped seeing the psychiatrist, which proved to be bad a bad decision.
It's hard enough dealing with depression on your own and managing your own meds wirhout supervision or professional guidance by someone who knows the meds.
i wouldn't wait to see if the lexapro will kick in, especially if you are back to where you were before you for hospitalized. When they gave you advice and instructions, and a phone number to call when they discharged you (discharge instructions.), then I would refer back to your written discharge instructions. I can't imagine that they would discharge you with some idea of having you be followed up and your treatment gets followed through. Usually, after a stay for a suicide attempt, they won't discharge you unless you have a doctor lined up (in your case, a psychiatrist) to see how you are doing and if the medication is working for you, or if you need more in your treatment plan.
I also think a licensed and certified therapist like a psychologist or MFCC(whatever works for you) for support and help figure out things and how to handle and develop a better way to deal depression, and keep you from falling into it or falling too deeply into it. I found I needed more than friends and family. I needed someone professional who had experience in heiping people go through crises and mental health disorders and issues.
should i maybe get my own psychologist??
i'm just. really lost i'm only 18 and severely depressed. i had three suicide attempts this year and i just want to be happy you know? it's hard.
i'm just. really lost i'm only 18 and severely depressed. i had three suicide attempts this year and i just want to be happy you know? it's hard.
i went in to a ward after a suicide attempt and the psychologist there gave me lexapro :/ she told me to do 10mg and stick with that for one week and then up my dose to 20mg
I was just going to ask the same question, why did you increase your dose when the 10 mg dose was working well?
It usually takes longer before one is able to REALLY be able to fairly assess the effectiveness of an antidepressant. I agree with Paxiled that maybe the best approach is to stick with the 10mg for a while...give it the typical amount of time (4-6 weeks minimum) and then go from there.
Let us know how you're doing!
It usually takes longer before one is able to REALLY be able to fairly assess the effectiveness of an antidepressant. I agree with Paxiled that maybe the best approach is to stick with the 10mg for a while...give it the typical amount of time (4-6 weeks minimum) and then go from there.
Let us know how you're doing!
It usually doesn't start working in just two weeks, but maybe it did for you. Or maybe it was a placebo effect. Don't really know. My question is, if it was apparently working, why did you increase the dose? 10 mg is the recommended dose for depression, so I don't understand why you went up to 20 unless it didn't work, and you wouldn't know that until about six weeks had passed. I'd go back down to 10mg and see if still has the positive effects.
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