advice please. thank you!!! lexapro and xanax.

[anonymous7]

i got prescribed with xanax and lexapro. after reading all the possible side effects of lexapro (i know there are side effects w/ any medicine. but i'm also hesitant that lex. is a newer drug), im a bit nervous to take it.

i was told .25mg of xanax 1-3x as needed and 1/2 pill of lex. for a week then 1 pill every day after that (i believe i have 10mg of the lexapro).

my anxiety is def. worse than my depression (which i would describe as mild. im not stuck in bed, completely hopeless, etc.my main concern is anxiety which is moderate about to get severe if i dont take care of it).

so im thinking just staying on 1/2 a pill. do you think this will make a difference? im going to take a xanax tonight to see how it makes me feel. i have a big trip coming up and i want to know that i wont be anxious while im there. and i feel that i can deal with my depression hopefully through therapy once i come back and have time to deal with it, while making changes on my own.

im going to ask my mother when she comes home if shes been on lexapro. ive heard your your family history is a good indicator of how youll react. any truth to that?

[tic chick]

dear anonymous*bunch,

lexapro is not only for depression. antidepressant meds are also used in combination with anti-anxiety meds to work on anxiety. it seems the combination is more effective than either alone.

i would go up to the 1 pill of lexapro a day, just to try it and see if it helps your anxiety more. if after 2 weeks you are still having unwanted side effects, you can go back to the half pill. lexapro has been around for awhile, it's just one of the newer antidepressants.

i don't think there's much truth to family history being a good indicator of what drugs will or won't work for you. in my family, my mom, sister and me have similar issues, yet the drugs that have helped me, have not helped them and vice versa.

different meds for different heads :) (with credit to lara for that statement)

follow your doctor's advice and then report anything unusual to him.

i hope it works for you,
jeannie

[anonymous7]

thank you for replying! : )

you're prob. right. i think im just afraid of having bad side effects once the drug really starts to kick in once i leave on my trip. but ill just be hopeful and im sure everything will work out the way it should. i took it today and felt fine (but i guess it might be too early to tell anything, im assuming).

thanks again!

[Nana4&cntn]

I agree with Jeannie, she is right about the Lexapro? I also have depression/anxiety disorder and have been on anti-depressants and xanax. There is an anxiety component in Lexapro. I would give the meds a good 4-6 weeks for efficacy, however I wood call the doc if you are not feeling some difference at 2 weeks.

I hope you have a great trip,
Kathy

[anonymous7]

thank you nana : )

im taking the xanax to see how i would feel. honestly, i thought it would be a lot stronger! im slightly drowsy, but def. able to function (and this is considering i took 3 yesterday). i think my nerves have calmed, (thoughts are still there, but i dont feel quite as tense) but im still afraid to see how im going to feel aound people. i dont know if im psyching myself out, or if the dosage i was prescribed isnt enough...

i have another refill available. does anyone know how quickly i can get this refilled. my doc gave me 90 pills, which wont last me long enough for my whole trip, saying that i take 3 a day starting today. will my pharmacy allow me to get my refill before i leave next month??
also, should i try to schedule in w/my doctor before i go to get a higher dosage i think will be more effective? i also have a back up sched. w/another doc tomorrow i was going 2 cancel. should i tell them and perhaps try a diff drug? i dont think my 1st doc will prescribe me something diff. and will prob just tell me to keep taking the xanax
again, i absolutely appreciate the feedback. thanks!!


also, 3rd day on lexapro. havent felt anything weird, which is good. again, i know it usually takes a whole to kick in, but ive read of people feeling weird off the bat. so im staying positive that its going to work properly!

[tic chick]

anonymous*bunch

xanax is a controlled substance, so you probably won't be able to get a refill sooner than possibly 5 days before your regular refill date.

go to your regular doctor, tell him about your trip and ask if he would write the prescription for 4 pills a day, but you would only take 3 a day. that would give you an extra 10 days before you would have to refill. also, if the place you're going on your trip has the same pharmacy chain in town, you could probably get it refilled at the out-of-town pharmacy.

calm down anon :). if you feel less tense and able to function, that's great! a med shouldn't make you too drowsy to function. wait for the lexapro to kick in, also. it should after a few weeks.

if you feel more comfortable, schedule an appointment with your regular doctor about 2 days before your trip just to make sure everything is working for you and you are calm. you can discuss any fears you might have and see if he will give you his email address so you can email him while out of town in case you aren't doing well and he would be able to phone in a prescription to the local pharmacy there.

you are doing great...just give it a bit of time :),
jeannie

[anonymous7]

thank you tic chick!

i truly appreciate the advice from everyone. its been my 1st time dealing w/ this kind of anxiety, and any type of positive words make me feel better : )

[shosty]

Xanax is extremely addictive. Getting it into your system continuously like this is going to cause you problems eventually. It can take months to get off.

Lexapro works quickly, and many experience improvement in 1-2 weeks. I would talk to you doctor about increasing the Lexapro and only taking the xanax if absolutely needed, and not more than maybe 2 days at a time. There are also meds that can be used to augment the Lexapro if needed.

You sound like you don't have time right now but hypnosis can help quite a bit too, or EFT (tapping).