Anxiety. . . it has never been an issue for me my entire life but now I get these bouts of anxiety all the time.
It started a little here and there but now is completely out of control, my PCP and me had a discussion and he thought it would be good for me to start lexapro.
I checked with my LLMD and they said that it was their preferred anti anxiety med as well.
My doc said the most common side effects are headache and nausea and to take it at night before bed to avoid these, I take my abx before bed is it bad to take these together?
Also, if and when I get better hopefully bart and lyme "free" can you come off the lexapro without any long term side effects? Do I need to be on this stuff for life? (lots of questions, )
Just wanted to check with people and see what experiences they have had, the good, the bad and the ugly,
Currently taking: 200mg of Doxy 2x day Clarithromycin 500mg 2x daily 200mg Hydroxychloroquine 2x daily 2 shots of Bicillin (sp) on in each cheek once a week (dose 2.4 million a week) Armour Thyroid 15 mg
-------------------- When the going gets tough. . . I'll keep fighting! Ms. Geet3721
New LLMD, New abx, New life coming right up!!!! Posts: 714 | From La La Lyme Land | Registered: Jun 2008
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Shosty
Unregistered
posted
Lexapro worked miracles for someone in my family. Start really, really low, like 1.25 (1/8 of the lowest dose pill) or even half of that, and then work up.
My family member takes it at 2 am, because it makes her sleepy for 5 hours, but then wakes her up. So, play around with the timing depending on how it affects you.
With any SSRI like Lexapro, withdrawal can be a big problem. MD's will tell you to "cut in half, then cut in half then stop." WRONG!
You need to taper very, very slowly or a lot of weird things happen. Taper amount and also time between doses, so make it even gentler.
But in our experience, it has been well worth it.
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Shosty, My doc said to start with half of pill 5mg is that good or too much in your opinion. I can't believe it but I have anxiety about anxiety meds LOL
For right now I'm taking a valium when things get crazy
-------------------- When the going gets tough. . . I'll keep fighting! Ms. Geet3721
New LLMD, New abx, New life coming right up!!!! Posts: 714 | From La La Lyme Land | Registered: Jun 2008
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jamescase20
Unregistered
posted
I herx on lexapro it kills pathogens via stimulation of the immune system.
Believe me.....I saw my NK cells dramtically increase in size aggressiveness and number.
AND if you have babsia bad....I would bet you in one hour after a 20mg lexapro you go into a massive babs herx....like as if you took larium.
Sweats, fatigue, joint pain etc, then after about 2 weeks of hell...all these symtoms dropped off and I felt WAY WAY better...like I was leapfroged ahead of the rest.
Beware...SSRIs have proof to effect the immune system.
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Although I am new to this new realization that my husband and I both now have Lyme Disease, and its only been a few weeks that we've known about mine, and we found out about his yesturday, when it comes to depression, panick attacks, and ANXIETY, I am a veteran in that area, with all kinds of things I've studied, and attempts at different options I've tried.
It was because of my horrible anxiety that I decided to get a bachelor's degree in Psychology, to understand anxiety better.
I have quite a bit of experience taking S.S.R.I.'s for anxiety, and also for what I considered to be "depression" symptoms, but were perhaps never "depression" symptoms, they may have been Lyme Disease symptoms.
I took prozac for two months, I took Wellbutrin for three years, I took zoloft for eight years. I have taken celexa for ten years.
I also took imipramine, and xanax, and lithium, and neurontin, and lamictal, and depakote, and other s.s.r.i.'s and other tranquilizers for various periods of time.
After working for almost two years with a "Defeat Autism Now" specialist who is also a "functional medicine specialist," I have learned that there are blood tests, urine tests, and saliva tests to measure neurotransmitters, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, and heavy metals.
When this doctor did all these tests on me, she explained why I had had anxiety and depression--because my test results showed deffiencies on so many things.
She recommended specific supplements for me, based on these tests, and then she re-tested me, to make sure they were working.
I have an amino acid supplement tailored just for my own special specific needs, which I take every day.
I have detoxed from heavy metals with special herb combinations, and I've replaced my silver fillings.
Turns out mercury, and the lack of glutathione, and certain genetic defficiencies which prevent detoxing abilities, can account for a lot of anxiety-like symptoms.
All those years I spent in psychiatrists and psychologist's offices were dealing with symptoms, not causes.
I've been off psychiatric medicines and s.s.r.i.'s for four months now.
I've found all kinds of herbal combinations for my symptoms when they come up, and I continually re-test to learn what my nutritional defficiencies are.
I could tell you the tests I had, if you were interested.
I could tell you the supplements I take, if you were interested.
I could tell you the results of my testings, if you were interested.
It's a lot of information.
If you want to learn about these things, you could send a private message, and I could tell you about these options.
It's nice not to take those psychiatric medications--I feel better taking the herbs, vitamins, minerals, amino acids--these things are natural.
Insurance, howeve----that is another story.
Not everyone has the kind of insurance that is interested in paying for testing for defficiencies of vitamins, minerals, amino acids, gland functioning, and heavy metal status..
Almost nobody has insurance that will cover supplements of any kind.
For that reason, if you are going to go the route of pharmaceutical psychiatric medicine, for economic and insurance necessity---I totally and completely understand.
I just wanted to let you know that there ARE other options, and if it's possible, you might want to compare pharmaceuticals to naturally-occuring things, and see what makes you feel better.
Only you know what you really truly need.
Zeitgeist
Posts: 44 | From Indianapolis | Registered: Sep 2008
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posted
Ironically when my doctor could't figure out my Lyme they gave me Lexapro for the agitation...i stayed on for a year. It did not work but i was not on treatment .
Just be careful..i gained 30 pounds overnight
And it is damn hard to taper off this one...you can and will just go slow. the side effects are unreal if you go to fast.
Dave
-------------------- On my journey to wellness - One day at a time. Posts: 989 | From NJ | Registered: Sep 2008
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jamescase20
Unregistered
posted
A common solution used for SSRI withdrawl is switching to prozac...its got a super long half life...thats sorta why its a bit more risky liver wise. Also...St Johns Wort was stolen from prozac...in other words...st johns wort is practially prozac and that comes from a doctor in a book. He mentions a solution for zoloft withdrawl...ONE 80mg prozac pill, thats right! ONE pill...and its over...since prozac at that high dose would take about 1.5 or even longer in some people to get metbolized. These other anti depressants got bad names due to there very short half lives of 24 hours. Prozac generally lasts 3 days...but if you take it for a year for example, it takes about 6 to 12 months roughly to fully leave your body, sounds scary, but it sure beats SSRI WD. So remembmer, if your in dire strights out of meds and cant get anywhere...st johns wort may provide you a bridge...but Johns wort is claimed to be a MAO inhibitor, it actually is, but so mildly its not really important.
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