Lexapro: Any takers?

Go to the doc today for my checkup and we start talking. I tell him it's been a battle for me to keep my focus lately (say the last two months).

Before I leave, he gives me a month's supply of Lexapro, which is for mild cases of depression. Tells me to take it and get back with him after I'm done. If it works, great. If not, we'll try something else.

Now, I'm not the doctor in the family, but I didn't go to the doctor because I felt depressed. Nonetheless, I'm planning on taking it just to see if it helps me regain my focus. I've checked out the side-effects, and I'm not worried about them.

What I'd like to know is if anyone here's has taken Lexapro. I realize this can be an extremely personal question, but I'd like to know what experiences others have had with it.

If you'd rather not post it, that's fine. You can PM me.

Gracias.

 

I haven't been on it, but one of my best friends is a shrink...

Did the doctor give you specific instructions as to dosing??

It's my understanding you don't start the stuff haphazardly. Isn't there a step-up process?

 

Freelance,

I dated a girl who liked to mix her daily dose of Lexapro with Grey Goose. I knew she liked to occasionally get her Goose on. Didn't find out about the Lex/depression until much later.

DON'T GOOSE AND LEX!

I could write a book about the complications.

 

Perhaps Maurice Clarett could comment on a similar combination for said book, JW.

 

A friend takes it for anxiety, and she says it has done wonders for her mood. Her libido is another matter.

 

Freelance, take it from a pharmaceutical rep. Doctors can be as clueless about a drug as anyone. You need to be an informed patient...the side effects listed in the Package Insert are one thing, but what about the longer term effects. These are questions you should force your doctor to answer. But he won't. He's going to be concerned about you suing him if you start asking too many questions and he may look at you and say, nevermind, let's go a differnet direction. I believe a person earlier posted the possibilty that this drug's dosing is gradually worked up to a sustainable level based on it's effects. This is a good point, you need to have a clear understanding of the dosing regime for many patients, especially since Lexapro is indicated for patients suffering from major depression. There is a nasty little secret in the medical industry, called "accepted standard of care." This means that the drug can be prescribed in any way a physician sees fit, whether it's been studied or not. So, I find it alarming that you are specifically seeking help with focus and he's putting you on a drug indicated by the FDA for major depression. Not that I find the FDA to be the end-all of unbiased agencies, they do have standards that have to be met in order for a drug to even come to market. If he's prescribing this to you off-label, he should give you a clear understanding as to why and if there is any clinical information (typically refered to as studies or white papers) that can give you an idea if a patient's focus changed vs. use of a placebo in a double-blinded study.

I know this may be the long answer, but if you begin taking this and then your unit doesn't function properly anymore, then what do you do? Take Viagra? Then you develop renal problems because your having a hard-time pissing, but your banging your woman like crazy at least? So let's find something to fix the renal problems...this is how the process starts.

As for the Grey Goose and Lex...I would love to be around this. What fucking lunacy. Let's load up on the depressants and mix them with the antis. And people wonder why we're a society of zombies?

Best of luck, you can certainly PM if you wish, but I would encourage you to make certain your Doc is giving you sound advice. Certainly as a non-physician, I can not, but I can point you in the right direction.

Theoretically, a chemical can never cause somone to focus more. In fact, I thought most people would rather un-wind than focus. You can smoke ganja for the latter (see Ricky Williams). A chemical is only going to fog your judgement in any form.

I better get my own bong hit.

 

Am close to someone who started taking it a couple of months ago. The transformation has been amazing. This person's attitude has changed -- totally for the better. It's really been remarkable. Don't know if it works the same for everyone, but in this particular case it's been a godsend.

 

for major depression?

 

For depression. Don't know how major it was.

 

I know someone, too, who is on Lexapro and he's been so much better lately. He had what I'd call average depression. Not suicidal. Just down and gray and just not real stoked about anything in particular. Now he's like he was 5 years ago. Not necessarily sprite, but interested in stuff.

 

yeah, the reason I ask if it was "major" is because that is how the FDA has indicated the product. Therefore, and I'm splitting hairs here, if the person is on the shitter about life, how does a physician differentiate between major and more subtle levels of depression? I mean depression is exactly that, but the dosing regime could be defined by the severity and with the product indicated as treatment for "major" depression, that indicates to me it's a high dose....there is the the opportunity for the patient to overuse and become addicted. Case in point are the posts above...a couple of users report positive responses, but now how do they come off the drugs and still maintain their security and happiness? That's not easy and you can't use a drug forever.

Songbird, sorry to hear. This is a very strange environment these days. Hang in there and don't forget to seek medical advice if you need it dude.

 

Thanks. I think I just need a new scene. I hear the call of the road again. I've accomplished what I needed to here. Plus, new top-seat management has made this place unbearable. It's a shame because ... well, it's a shame. I still love life. I'm just unhappy here.