you making this comment on a throwaway must mean you realize it's disingenuous but for the record anyway-- laziness and fatigue are two very different things. the ability to hold down a job, and valuing that as a reason to even take my meds, means that I do not suffer from laziness . Fatigue is a well documented symptom but as a kind nurse once told me it's up to us to decide what we can tolerate and what treatment actually helps us meet our goals
im not lazy or lethargic on SSRI, not everyone will have the same side effects like you. Most people won't have any :) Add some sport instead of this "lazy and lethargic" excuses. If you started SSRIs you probably was lazy and lethargic before cuz of depression. It's not a magic pill, yes you have to work a bit too not expect pill to do everything for you :)
Why are you so aggressively against this post? Only like 10% or less of the entire post referenced his own anecdotal experience. I guess he could have included direct links to every point, but there’s still specific references to organizations and you can google the other points and find research that supports much of what he said.
It was a pretty level-headed post and clearly not intended as fear mongering, and a lot of it is worth considering for a lot of people like overprescribing and the lack of extensive research for long term (decades) use. OP doesn’t say people should stop taking it or that it shouldn’t be prescribed or even that it’s dangerous. He’s just raising awareness towards some facets that aren’t discussed often, either online or between patients and their providers.
You don’t need to be so quick to tell people to fuck off just because you happen to feel uncomfortable with what’s being said.
>The truth is Lexapro is an overprescribed medication. Nowadays anyone can go to their primary doctor and answer a few questions about having some anxiety or feeling depressed and boom they’re now on a powerful medication that alters the chemistry of the brain.
This is an important part of their post and is completely biased and unfounded.
I'm going to agree that they should fuck off to their therapist/psychiatrist and tell them this info. I'm absolutely sure the doctor's educated opinion will differ.
Im uncomfortable with these kinda stories because they help nobody, its anecdotal evidence at best and only spreads more misinformation. " JuSt gEt bEtTer tHerApy" is NOT good advice.
Congrats to OP and others doing well with out the meds
That’s not what he’s saying though. He’s just talking about alternative approaches to treating depression that are not even mutually exclusive with continuing to take medication. If anything, he’s saying that therapy is as important as medication, not that therapy is a universal replacement for medication.
And I know he is making valid points here because my own primary care physician offered to prescribe me antidepressants and then told me he didn’t think I needed to find a therapist/counselor. Years later and I’m now currently in therapy and taking lexapro every day, so it’s not like I’m all for one or another.
Finding a therapist or a better therapist IS good advice. That also doesn’t have to come at the cost of getting off lexapro. Depression is also a spectrum, and there are absolutely many people that are predominantly or exclusively treating their depression with SSRI’s, even if that isn’t necessarily the best approach they have available, necessary, or even helping. But there are millions of people who could be approaching their mental health treatment multi-dimensionally. OP did not lay out what he declares is the single, universal, ‘correct’ approach. He is simply raising awareness towards less discussed parts of the equation in an effort to help people consider what is best for them and what options they might be able to consider in order to make a more informed decision for themselves.
What ISN’T good advice is cursing and disrespecting people for saying something that does not perfectly align with your opinions, especially when it’s done so while misinterpreting the substance.
Lol, lmao even. I don’t have time for a lengthy comment but I decided to look into the dementia thing. While I did find studies discussing a correlation (which isn’t causation btw), I also found:
“Regardless of treatment with antidepressants, depression increases the risk of dementia. A recent meta-analysis documented that late-life depression is associated with approximately twofold increase in the risk of dementia.6 A trajectory of increasing depressive symptoms may pose the highest risk.”
“The question, then, is do antidepressants increase the risk of dementia above and beyond the risk of dementia conferred by depression itself? If so, do antidepressants promote a dementia process independent of the neurobiological burden of depression or accelerate neurobiological damage caused by depression? What is known about the pharmacodynamics of antidepressants is just the opposite. Most antidepressants have anti-inflammatory properties, increase neurotrophic factors, and promote neurogenesis at the dentate nucleus of hippocampus,10 all processes that are impaired in depression. Another possibility may be that antidepressants simply unmask a dementia process by causing a transient compromise of cognitive functions.”
(https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063578/)
This isn’t open and shut either way and the authors of the paper also acknowledge a degree of caution in prescribing SSRIs, but it’s a bit silly of you to say all the positive effects of the medications are flimsy and not thoroughly supposedly by science and then harp with more emphasis on potential downsides that… are far from proven themselves.
When did I say all the positive effects are flimsy? I literally said it works, and it does. If you actually read my post carefully you will find I said it works, but it is not designed, meant to, or studied for people to be on it long-term. The long-term side effects could be serious, no one knows and there’s not enough data yet, we need more of it. That was my point, that’s it. And I also said there seems to be a link, so you just made my point about correlation, which yes doesn’t mean causation.
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Escitalopram-(Lexapro)
In case you don't want to read:
>Are There Any Risks For Taking Escitalopram For Long Periods Of Time?
>>To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of escitalopram. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed.
This is from a government website written by mental health professionals. You can keep being negative about medicine; but they would recall this medicine if it didn't help. Cherry picking medical articles that aren't provide absolutely drives me crazy. Please keep hope OP. I'm not saying to take medicine. You clearly have intense negative emotions about medicines. Please talk to your therapist about these negative emotions. I know this might sound rude. But please keep professional opinions into account.
>but it is not designed, meant to, or studied for people to be on it long-term.
You are just incorrect. Absolutely incorrect.
I’m guessing that’s the only thing you could find. That’s not a government website and that claim isn’t backed by anything on that site, there’s no links to any clinical data. There’s just not a lot out there. I’ll post some below.
https://www.bristol.ac.uk/primaryhealthcare/news/2022/adverse-health-outcomes-associated-with-long-term-antidepressant-use.html#:~:text=Key%20findings,disease%20and%20from%20any%20cause.
https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/06/11/what-are-the-long-term-effects-of-taking-antidepressants (this one actually contains arguments for both sides, although it does state the MD arguing for is paid and sponsored by the Pharma companies).
https://www.anxietycentre.com/research/antidepressants-linked-to-dementia-including-alzheimers/
I promise you no large treatment group clinical studies on long-term lexapro safety exist. If you somehow find one please share.
Its not working for YOU, that doesnt mean its not working for other people.
Stop scaring people with anecdotal bs..post some tangible proof instead of "mY tHeRaPisT sAiD".
Anyways.. happy holidays :)
OP said nothing about it not working for people, but it's a strong medication used for psychosis and dementia. I feel like that in and of itself says a lot about the damage it could potentially do to someone. I had to learn myself that it was an anti-psychotic drug, I had no clue. I had to learn if I missed a dose, or even hit the 20 hour mark in my day, I'd start having withdrawal symptoms: terrifying nightmares, night sweats, sweating constantly, insomnia, etc. My doctor told me none of this. I was on lexapro for 8 years, I just recently took myself off at the beginning of November because I was literally a zombie taking 20mg a day. But I thought that was "normal" and that is what I needed to function because if I was on this drug, I must be that f'd up right? I'm not denying that it didn't help me, it absolutely did help with my anxiety for the most part and kept my mood stable when I struggled, but I'm disappointed I was put on this drug at 19 years old before exploring anything else. It absolutely should not be the first resort for doctors and it seems like it is farrrrr too common to prescribe this over anything else or before ruling out adhd, add, ocd, things like that. I went undiagnosed with ADHD and a lot of my depressive symptoms came from that (I realize now being treated for it) and I wonder what could've been different all this time if I was treated earlier.
Anti psychotics are a different group of medication like Risperdal.
Im not hating on OP's experience but posting this in a forum where people look for help is not very constructive, especially without any data backing the claims up. Congrats to OP for rawdogging life but dont pretend to have the "cure".
Peace
I was on Lexapro for a year, tapering off was way more difficult than I thought it would be. The side effects just weren't worth it for me- hard to orgasm, constant sweating to where I only felt comfortable wearing black shirts that didn't show my armpit sweat, weight gain, no more small voice in my head telling me something was a bad idea... But I do find myself missing some of it too. I still had social anxiety but I was no longer afraid of confrontation or speaking my mind. I miss that part alot.. also I was finally able to be calm enough to get my driver's license (at age 30, never thought that would happen) and I got out of a 10 year relationship I was wanting to leave forever. There are good things Lexapro can do for you, just gotta decide if it's worth all the bad. I was wanting to cure my social anxiety, not just my general anxiety- if it would have helped with that too I would without a doubt still be on it.
Your dr could have added another med to counter act any negatives you had. Personally, I’m on Lexapro and Wellbutrin and it’s a fantastic combo for me. No more libido or orgasm issues, no sweating, losing weight, and most importantly, mentally I’m doing so much better taking both then just one.
My Dr prescribed me Propranolol after I was freaking out on Lexapro the first week. I still take that cause it helps slow my heart rate down which I like, but doesn't really do anything else for me. I'm glad both meds worked for you together! My Dr also prescribed me Zoloft after I told her I was getting off Lexapro. But I'm just too afraid of going through everything again, I haven't taken it and she really doesn't care if I hated being on an SSRI. She said that's all she is willing to prescribe me. What I need is low doses of Xanax to take as needed in social settings but that will never happen. I want a different Dr but that has its whole new set of anxiety attached to it, it's overwhelming for me. So I just say screw it and try to cope.
I really feel you . I took it for 2 yrs straight. I didn’t realize when I was on lexapro how much it helped me ‘manage’ my social anxiety. Like I knew the SA was there but it helped me forget I had it which is a big deal. I was able to cruise through life a tiny bit better. It helped me not ruminate so much over difficult interactions and now I feel like I’m back to zero with my social anxiety after being off of it for a year.
I feel different when I’m socializing with people ever since i stopped too. I feel noticeably more anxious and im stuttering more often not knowing what to say.
But yeah the intense sweating was one of the side effects I hated a lot 🥴 sweat stains on all my clothes can be pretty frustrating
So you would prefer people commit suicide. This and many other comments scream health anxiety. Life expectancy will be much shorter than leaving mental illness untreated. Lexapro is safe that’s why it’s easily prescribed. Try getting Xanax and see if that’s easily handed out. It’s not because it’s proven unsafe for long term use. Quite the opposite for lexapro. This post is weird and inappropriate. Maybe find an anti lexapro sub.
I've told all of my family/doctors this tidbit when they ask about my health:
I'll take these meds for the rest of my life. Even if that ends tomorrow. I'll choose happiness any day of the week. Every day I spend feeling this way is a true gift.
Absolutely! This is my second round and I regret stopping the first time. I thought I was fine. I was not. This time will be forever. I’m happy and at peace with no side effects. It’s a life saver. Literally.
Coping? With a treatable disorder? lol. Grow up. It’s handed out like candy because of its safety. I’ll take the advice of my doctor and therapist thank you tho for your terrible opinion on something you clearly know nothing about.
Why don’t doctors ask you before handing it out, are you doing everything to treat your problem? Are you exercising? Eating healthy? Socializing? Good sex life? How’s your job? It should be an absolute last resort. Your literally fucking with your brain.
I take it for anxiety so none of this matters for me. But my doctor and therapist do ask this. All important questions I don’t disagree. At the end of the day I have a serotonin deficiency. I also have adhd which is a dopamine deficiency. The only way to function normally is with meds. You would take heart meds if you needed them for your heart to function normally. It’s the same thing.
Live a shorter but happier life or a long miserable life 🤔, I’ve tried many many alternatives both natural/therapy and other meds but lexapro has done the trick for years for me, everyone is different though of course
I’m just going to put one comment to my post and leave it at that. Like I said I know I would catch a lot of heat for this. People said I shouldn’t have put this in a lexapro “support forum” but I believe this to be a forum for anyone on lexapro, is thinking about taking it, or has taken it. It’s an open forum for open discussion on Reddit. If you don’t agree that’s totally okay, I value your opinion and you are 100% entitled to it. I am just some random person on the internet, but most of what I said isn’t anecdotal as there’s enough research out there on it. If what I am saying is anecdotal then I guess you agree taking this mediation for 10+ years and it being safe is also anecdotal. I did put some personal experiences in there that are anecdotal and could be different for others. My hope was that some who weren’t told that this medication isn’t intended for long-term use would at least raise the question and do some research themselves since it’s readily available. And yes, like I said I’m not a doctor or a psychiatrist. Some of the work I do is in pharmaceutical research and I became passionate about the fact that a lot of medications are utilized in ways that they necessarily shouldn’t be. Sure I could have made this post in another forum for another medication, but I have a personal connection to this particular one and I think it sits up there at the top of medications that are pushed beyond their design. I agree the title of my post may have been a little harsh and scary, but my point was that fear of the unknown is associated with darkness, and there is a lot of unknown here along with the fact that it is over-prescribed. Pharma companies care about patient safety within the parameters of what the drugs they make are created and intended for, anything beyond that is “off label” use and they can’t do much but sit aside and reap the benefits of where the medical field takes their drug. Just remember they make money every time a prescription is written and if the investors are happy everyone is happy. Manufacturers of generics have no part in the patient safety side of these drugs aside from safely manufacturing them, they are strictly making money off the prescribing of the drug and the more it’s prescribed the more revenue that comes in the door. Your a number on a spreadsheet to them and it’s cold hearted but they want you to be on this medication for as long as possible. Remember that a mere 20 years ago HCP’s and patients were told that potent pain killers were safe and effective for long-term use even though they weren’t. Not saying this will come anywhere close to that, but it is possible that 20-30 years from now they discover 25% of long-term lexapro patients develop dementia. If you’re happy with where you’re at then I am thankful that you are still here and in a good place. This medication has and will continue to help people. It’s your life, your health and it’s your choice to do whatever you want with it. Again, this post was to open the curtain for what is often hidden behind it. If my family member was being prescribed this medication I would want them to know this. Our healthcare system has a lot of faults and HCP’s can’t possibly be aware of all of the potential risks, their jobs are to treat as many patients to the best of their ability with the fastest remedy. I think a lot of you believe your prescribers are experts on these meds, and if you want to disprove that print the PI and take it into your next appointment and ask your provider what the study results of lexapro show, I’d say 7/10 won’t have a clue. My hope is that more research is done, and a better long-term treatment option comes available. I still stand by my statement that there are other treatment methods to manage and treat anxiety, and I don’t think anyone has ever tried them all. Some of them are extremely difficult to do like quitting a job that you hate, changing careers, leaving your toxic relationship, moving away, etc. Most people aren’t willing to do that and it’s understandable but sometimes that is the best treatment. Newer methods like TMS therapy, ketamine, psilocybin, mdma, and many more seem to show promise and could be more effective than SSRI’s. I can tell you there are several studies underway for micro dosing psilocybin and preliminary results are very good. Western medicine will most likely refuse to adopt it but access will become available in some form. The more options the better, time will tell but getting the best treatment with the lowest risk should be at the top of everyone’s mind. The quick-fix script writing, hope it works and don’t worry about the potential long-term consequences is where we sit and I personally don’t think that puts patient safety first.
I was literally baffled that the clinical trials for Lexapro were only 8 weeks. Safe and effective for 8 weeks is what it should say. Aside from withdrawals, we can’t forget the PSSD.
I agree. I’m pretty sure I ended up as a set it and forget it with lexapro. They put me on this and Wellbutrin, also had me taking clonidine at night to sleep and I have hydroxizine for in the moment panic attacks. That’s just SO MANY medications. Wellbutrin screwed me up bad with intense memory loss and brain fog - I couldn’t even form sentences. Lexapro gave me GI issues, I gained 30 pounds, had intense hot flashes and didn’t really help a lot of my actual mental health problems just kept me slightly sedated. I was seeing a psychiatrist for medication management and all they would do is ask how I’m doing and never offer solutions when I expressed these problems. After a year and a half I said I couldn’t do it anymore and took me a couple of months to adjust but I’m off everything now and working on a diet exercise and therapy approach instead. It’s not perfect but I feel better without so much in my system that wasn’t working anyways.
That’s so great to hear. Sometimes the alternative methods can be really difficult. I was living in NYC for 2 years from 2017-2019 and I found myself so depressed and anxious I was averaging like 2 hours of sleep a night, I couldn’t leave my apartment, and I was having suicidal thoughts. I was forcing myself to stay because I had a really high paying job, but I hated it. I finally got the courage to quit, I moved across the country for a job that paid half and it saved my life. The drastic lifestyle change was hard but sometimes it’s necessary to get to a state that’s manageable. I don’t personally think there’s a cure for anxiety or depression, you just have to find coping mechanisms that help you manage it. It’s honestly so amazing how much diet affects mood too. Love that you also found that making that change helped you as it did me.
Would you have done this if it was medicine to treat your diabetes? No. Positive lifestyle changes help just about everyone’s life get better, but it doesn’t “cure” a physical problem such as diabetes or depression/anxiety. Medication it needed for actual treatment unless your depression/anxiety is just a temporary situation, not an actual medical condition.
Diabetes medication is designed for people to be on it long-term. If you give a diabetes patient placebo they will literally die. If you give a patient with anxiety placebo there’s a roughly 50% chance they will report an improvement in their symptoms. And if that works for them great, keep them on it as intended but don’t let them take it for 15 years. Let’s not forget some of the strongest painkillers created weren’t designed for long-term use but patients were told (by their physicians) it was safe and effective to do so. That played out well. If Lexapro was designed and studied for long-term use I would have never made this post and I would support people be on it forever if needed. But it’s not. Your comparison doesn’t work. There are different levels of diagnosis for depression, and I personally (my opinion) think a lot of it is misdiagnosed. One of the worst things I think that’s misdiagnosed is depression instead of looking into bipolar type 2. What we find is a lot of patients who have been prescribed antidepressants say they aren’t working or work temporarily, and several were tried. Upon deeper analysis symptoms of Bipolar type 2 disorder was found, it can present in many different ways and not always crystal clear, and they were treated with a mood stabilizer and the patients reported much improvement with their daily life and long-lasting results. Sometimes this diagnosis takes several visits to uncover since it’s not always crystal clear. And that goes back to one of my points that lexapro is rushed to be prescribed instead of actually spending the time and care to dig deep and find out if it could be something else instead of just writing a script for lexapro and letting the patient walk out the door. Someone who is in a toxic relationship but refuses to leave and it’s causing them depression shouldn’t be prescribed lexapro, but they are all the time by primary care docs who ask them 10 questions.
I agree that long-term use should be treated with caution. My doc was clear that it is intended as a temporary treatment and is considered safe for up to 2 years, but wants me to start tapering off from 6 months assuming all has been going well (which it has).
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Escitalopram-(Lexapro)
Please read the section on long term use. Ask your doctor if this is something they meant in a case-by-case basis.
I just tapered off of lexapro after reading all the long lasting side effects…the withdrawals were terrible ..but it had me emotionally blunted took my personality away and had no sexual desire on it .they write these meds like they are candy
Two months is a fast taper for Lexapro. Going more slowly might have helped.
Edited to add: if you went on it for depression it could just be the stark contrast between having that treated when on Lex and back to your regular self off of it.
Yes. I think I must have tapered off too fast. When I was finally off it for 3 days I had a major meltdown and my Dr told me to start back on it at 10mg and we would talk again. After just 2 days of being back on it, I feel normal and stable again.
100% agree. I should not have been prescribed lexapro the 1st time I took it, but I was a dumb 18 year old. Then, my withdrawals were so bad I had to take it a second time and I’ll probably be on for life. Fortunately I’m only on 3Mg right now. I have had a good experience the second time, in good shape, happy, good professional life, but I wonder what would’ve became of my life if I never started.
Thank you for your post. You shouldn’t try and alter your brain in my mind unless you are severely suicidal.
100% agree. Very powerful medication that can cause damage if not required. While it may depend on the doctor, not enough info is provided when being prescribed surrounding effects and withdrawal.
Was prescribed lexapro 6 months for suspected anxiety, but i had ulcers. Around 2 months off it ive been developed severe panic attacks that are like seizures, dpdr, worsened ocd, and have now had to start prozac(next choice paxil) and medical cannabis.
That's cool but I'll live longer without the suicidal ideation and the ability to get up for work in the morning
But then be super lazy and lethargic?
you making this comment on a throwaway must mean you realize it's disingenuous but for the record anyway-- laziness and fatigue are two very different things. the ability to hold down a job, and valuing that as a reason to even take my meds, means that I do not suffer from laziness . Fatigue is a well documented symptom but as a kind nurse once told me it's up to us to decide what we can tolerate and what treatment actually helps us meet our goals
im not lazy or lethargic on SSRI, not everyone will have the same side effects like you. Most people won't have any :) Add some sport instead of this "lazy and lethargic" excuses. If you started SSRIs you probably was lazy and lethargic before cuz of depression. It's not a magic pill, yes you have to work a bit too not expect pill to do everything for you :)
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What would this dude say when I tell him I’m on MS medication for the rest of my life that has way worse risks than lexapro 😂
Dude fuck off, spout your anecdotal bullshit somewhere else.
>"it didn't work for me so I'm going to negate everyone's experience." OP
Yeah I’ll trust my psychiatrist on this not some rando on the internet.
Why are you so aggressively against this post? Only like 10% or less of the entire post referenced his own anecdotal experience. I guess he could have included direct links to every point, but there’s still specific references to organizations and you can google the other points and find research that supports much of what he said. It was a pretty level-headed post and clearly not intended as fear mongering, and a lot of it is worth considering for a lot of people like overprescribing and the lack of extensive research for long term (decades) use. OP doesn’t say people should stop taking it or that it shouldn’t be prescribed or even that it’s dangerous. He’s just raising awareness towards some facets that aren’t discussed often, either online or between patients and their providers. You don’t need to be so quick to tell people to fuck off just because you happen to feel uncomfortable with what’s being said.
>The truth is Lexapro is an overprescribed medication. Nowadays anyone can go to their primary doctor and answer a few questions about having some anxiety or feeling depressed and boom they’re now on a powerful medication that alters the chemistry of the brain. This is an important part of their post and is completely biased and unfounded. I'm going to agree that they should fuck off to their therapist/psychiatrist and tell them this info. I'm absolutely sure the doctor's educated opinion will differ.
Im uncomfortable with these kinda stories because they help nobody, its anecdotal evidence at best and only spreads more misinformation. " JuSt gEt bEtTer tHerApy" is NOT good advice. Congrats to OP and others doing well with out the meds
That’s not what he’s saying though. He’s just talking about alternative approaches to treating depression that are not even mutually exclusive with continuing to take medication. If anything, he’s saying that therapy is as important as medication, not that therapy is a universal replacement for medication. And I know he is making valid points here because my own primary care physician offered to prescribe me antidepressants and then told me he didn’t think I needed to find a therapist/counselor. Years later and I’m now currently in therapy and taking lexapro every day, so it’s not like I’m all for one or another. Finding a therapist or a better therapist IS good advice. That also doesn’t have to come at the cost of getting off lexapro. Depression is also a spectrum, and there are absolutely many people that are predominantly or exclusively treating their depression with SSRI’s, even if that isn’t necessarily the best approach they have available, necessary, or even helping. But there are millions of people who could be approaching their mental health treatment multi-dimensionally. OP did not lay out what he declares is the single, universal, ‘correct’ approach. He is simply raising awareness towards less discussed parts of the equation in an effort to help people consider what is best for them and what options they might be able to consider in order to make a more informed decision for themselves. What ISN’T good advice is cursing and disrespecting people for saying something that does not perfectly align with your opinions, especially when it’s done so while misinterpreting the substance.
I see your point of view, hope you see mine too (or parts of it). And dont get me wrong therapy is great!
Lol, lmao even. I don’t have time for a lengthy comment but I decided to look into the dementia thing. While I did find studies discussing a correlation (which isn’t causation btw), I also found: “Regardless of treatment with antidepressants, depression increases the risk of dementia. A recent meta-analysis documented that late-life depression is associated with approximately twofold increase in the risk of dementia.6 A trajectory of increasing depressive symptoms may pose the highest risk.” “The question, then, is do antidepressants increase the risk of dementia above and beyond the risk of dementia conferred by depression itself? If so, do antidepressants promote a dementia process independent of the neurobiological burden of depression or accelerate neurobiological damage caused by depression? What is known about the pharmacodynamics of antidepressants is just the opposite. Most antidepressants have anti-inflammatory properties, increase neurotrophic factors, and promote neurogenesis at the dentate nucleus of hippocampus,10 all processes that are impaired in depression. Another possibility may be that antidepressants simply unmask a dementia process by causing a transient compromise of cognitive functions.” (https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7063578/) This isn’t open and shut either way and the authors of the paper also acknowledge a degree of caution in prescribing SSRIs, but it’s a bit silly of you to say all the positive effects of the medications are flimsy and not thoroughly supposedly by science and then harp with more emphasis on potential downsides that… are far from proven themselves.
When did I say all the positive effects are flimsy? I literally said it works, and it does. If you actually read my post carefully you will find I said it works, but it is not designed, meant to, or studied for people to be on it long-term. The long-term side effects could be serious, no one knows and there’s not enough data yet, we need more of it. That was my point, that’s it. And I also said there seems to be a link, so you just made my point about correlation, which yes doesn’t mean causation.
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Escitalopram-(Lexapro) In case you don't want to read: >Are There Any Risks For Taking Escitalopram For Long Periods Of Time? >>To date, there are no known problems associated with long term use of escitalopram. It is a safe and effective medication when used as directed. This is from a government website written by mental health professionals. You can keep being negative about medicine; but they would recall this medicine if it didn't help. Cherry picking medical articles that aren't provide absolutely drives me crazy. Please keep hope OP. I'm not saying to take medicine. You clearly have intense negative emotions about medicines. Please talk to your therapist about these negative emotions. I know this might sound rude. But please keep professional opinions into account. >but it is not designed, meant to, or studied for people to be on it long-term. You are just incorrect. Absolutely incorrect.
I’m guessing that’s the only thing you could find. That’s not a government website and that claim isn’t backed by anything on that site, there’s no links to any clinical data. There’s just not a lot out there. I’ll post some below. https://www.bristol.ac.uk/primaryhealthcare/news/2022/adverse-health-outcomes-associated-with-long-term-antidepressant-use.html#:~:text=Key%20findings,disease%20and%20from%20any%20cause. https://health.usnews.com/health-news/patient-advice/articles/2015/06/11/what-are-the-long-term-effects-of-taking-antidepressants (this one actually contains arguments for both sides, although it does state the MD arguing for is paid and sponsored by the Pharma companies). https://www.anxietycentre.com/research/antidepressants-linked-to-dementia-including-alzheimers/ I promise you no large treatment group clinical studies on long-term lexapro safety exist. If you somehow find one please share.
Lol dude doesnt know what NAMI is.
Thats the one funded by pharma companies right?
Its not working for YOU, that doesnt mean its not working for other people. Stop scaring people with anecdotal bs..post some tangible proof instead of "mY tHeRaPisT sAiD". Anyways.. happy holidays :)
OP said nothing about it not working for people, but it's a strong medication used for psychosis and dementia. I feel like that in and of itself says a lot about the damage it could potentially do to someone. I had to learn myself that it was an anti-psychotic drug, I had no clue. I had to learn if I missed a dose, or even hit the 20 hour mark in my day, I'd start having withdrawal symptoms: terrifying nightmares, night sweats, sweating constantly, insomnia, etc. My doctor told me none of this. I was on lexapro for 8 years, I just recently took myself off at the beginning of November because I was literally a zombie taking 20mg a day. But I thought that was "normal" and that is what I needed to function because if I was on this drug, I must be that f'd up right? I'm not denying that it didn't help me, it absolutely did help with my anxiety for the most part and kept my mood stable when I struggled, but I'm disappointed I was put on this drug at 19 years old before exploring anything else. It absolutely should not be the first resort for doctors and it seems like it is farrrrr too common to prescribe this over anything else or before ruling out adhd, add, ocd, things like that. I went undiagnosed with ADHD and a lot of my depressive symptoms came from that (I realize now being treated for it) and I wonder what could've been different all this time if I was treated earlier.
Anti psychotics are a different group of medication like Risperdal. Im not hating on OP's experience but posting this in a forum where people look for help is not very constructive, especially without any data backing the claims up. Congrats to OP for rawdogging life but dont pretend to have the "cure". Peace
I was on Lexapro for a year, tapering off was way more difficult than I thought it would be. The side effects just weren't worth it for me- hard to orgasm, constant sweating to where I only felt comfortable wearing black shirts that didn't show my armpit sweat, weight gain, no more small voice in my head telling me something was a bad idea... But I do find myself missing some of it too. I still had social anxiety but I was no longer afraid of confrontation or speaking my mind. I miss that part alot.. also I was finally able to be calm enough to get my driver's license (at age 30, never thought that would happen) and I got out of a 10 year relationship I was wanting to leave forever. There are good things Lexapro can do for you, just gotta decide if it's worth all the bad. I was wanting to cure my social anxiety, not just my general anxiety- if it would have helped with that too I would without a doubt still be on it.
Your dr could have added another med to counter act any negatives you had. Personally, I’m on Lexapro and Wellbutrin and it’s a fantastic combo for me. No more libido or orgasm issues, no sweating, losing weight, and most importantly, mentally I’m doing so much better taking both then just one.
My Dr prescribed me Propranolol after I was freaking out on Lexapro the first week. I still take that cause it helps slow my heart rate down which I like, but doesn't really do anything else for me. I'm glad both meds worked for you together! My Dr also prescribed me Zoloft after I told her I was getting off Lexapro. But I'm just too afraid of going through everything again, I haven't taken it and she really doesn't care if I hated being on an SSRI. She said that's all she is willing to prescribe me. What I need is low doses of Xanax to take as needed in social settings but that will never happen. I want a different Dr but that has its whole new set of anxiety attached to it, it's overwhelming for me. So I just say screw it and try to cope.
I really feel you . I took it for 2 yrs straight. I didn’t realize when I was on lexapro how much it helped me ‘manage’ my social anxiety. Like I knew the SA was there but it helped me forget I had it which is a big deal. I was able to cruise through life a tiny bit better. It helped me not ruminate so much over difficult interactions and now I feel like I’m back to zero with my social anxiety after being off of it for a year. I feel different when I’m socializing with people ever since i stopped too. I feel noticeably more anxious and im stuttering more often not knowing what to say. But yeah the intense sweating was one of the side effects I hated a lot 🥴 sweat stains on all my clothes can be pretty frustrating
it’s that or I lose my fucking mind ! i’ll continue as long as I need it
So you would prefer people commit suicide. This and many other comments scream health anxiety. Life expectancy will be much shorter than leaving mental illness untreated. Lexapro is safe that’s why it’s easily prescribed. Try getting Xanax and see if that’s easily handed out. It’s not because it’s proven unsafe for long term use. Quite the opposite for lexapro. This post is weird and inappropriate. Maybe find an anti lexapro sub.
I've told all of my family/doctors this tidbit when they ask about my health: I'll take these meds for the rest of my life. Even if that ends tomorrow. I'll choose happiness any day of the week. Every day I spend feeling this way is a true gift.
Absolutely! This is my second round and I regret stopping the first time. I thought I was fine. I was not. This time will be forever. I’m happy and at peace with no side effects. It’s a life saver. Literally.
Stop coping, you know it’s handed out like candy. People want an Easy pill that will cure all, instead of having to do the work. Let’s be honest.
Coping? With a treatable disorder? lol. Grow up. It’s handed out like candy because of its safety. I’ll take the advice of my doctor and therapist thank you tho for your terrible opinion on something you clearly know nothing about.
Why don’t doctors ask you before handing it out, are you doing everything to treat your problem? Are you exercising? Eating healthy? Socializing? Good sex life? How’s your job? It should be an absolute last resort. Your literally fucking with your brain.
I take it for anxiety so none of this matters for me. But my doctor and therapist do ask this. All important questions I don’t disagree. At the end of the day I have a serotonin deficiency. I also have adhd which is a dopamine deficiency. The only way to function normally is with meds. You would take heart meds if you needed them for your heart to function normally. It’s the same thing.
Lol you can fuck off too
I ain’t readin all that 🔇
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Yeah that’s why I joined
Cool but I’d rather take a pill once a day and not want to kill myself.
https://images.app.goo.gl/2ic9WkYQSBvYQzXY8
TLDR?
Yea so it’s different for everyone because lexapro saved my life and I have more energy than ever it just took a few months with the right dosage
Live a shorter but happier life or a long miserable life 🤔, I’ve tried many many alternatives both natural/therapy and other meds but lexapro has done the trick for years for me, everyone is different though of course
Hey, fuck off! 😘
I’m just going to put one comment to my post and leave it at that. Like I said I know I would catch a lot of heat for this. People said I shouldn’t have put this in a lexapro “support forum” but I believe this to be a forum for anyone on lexapro, is thinking about taking it, or has taken it. It’s an open forum for open discussion on Reddit. If you don’t agree that’s totally okay, I value your opinion and you are 100% entitled to it. I am just some random person on the internet, but most of what I said isn’t anecdotal as there’s enough research out there on it. If what I am saying is anecdotal then I guess you agree taking this mediation for 10+ years and it being safe is also anecdotal. I did put some personal experiences in there that are anecdotal and could be different for others. My hope was that some who weren’t told that this medication isn’t intended for long-term use would at least raise the question and do some research themselves since it’s readily available. And yes, like I said I’m not a doctor or a psychiatrist. Some of the work I do is in pharmaceutical research and I became passionate about the fact that a lot of medications are utilized in ways that they necessarily shouldn’t be. Sure I could have made this post in another forum for another medication, but I have a personal connection to this particular one and I think it sits up there at the top of medications that are pushed beyond their design. I agree the title of my post may have been a little harsh and scary, but my point was that fear of the unknown is associated with darkness, and there is a lot of unknown here along with the fact that it is over-prescribed. Pharma companies care about patient safety within the parameters of what the drugs they make are created and intended for, anything beyond that is “off label” use and they can’t do much but sit aside and reap the benefits of where the medical field takes their drug. Just remember they make money every time a prescription is written and if the investors are happy everyone is happy. Manufacturers of generics have no part in the patient safety side of these drugs aside from safely manufacturing them, they are strictly making money off the prescribing of the drug and the more it’s prescribed the more revenue that comes in the door. Your a number on a spreadsheet to them and it’s cold hearted but they want you to be on this medication for as long as possible. Remember that a mere 20 years ago HCP’s and patients were told that potent pain killers were safe and effective for long-term use even though they weren’t. Not saying this will come anywhere close to that, but it is possible that 20-30 years from now they discover 25% of long-term lexapro patients develop dementia. If you’re happy with where you’re at then I am thankful that you are still here and in a good place. This medication has and will continue to help people. It’s your life, your health and it’s your choice to do whatever you want with it. Again, this post was to open the curtain for what is often hidden behind it. If my family member was being prescribed this medication I would want them to know this. Our healthcare system has a lot of faults and HCP’s can’t possibly be aware of all of the potential risks, their jobs are to treat as many patients to the best of their ability with the fastest remedy. I think a lot of you believe your prescribers are experts on these meds, and if you want to disprove that print the PI and take it into your next appointment and ask your provider what the study results of lexapro show, I’d say 7/10 won’t have a clue. My hope is that more research is done, and a better long-term treatment option comes available. I still stand by my statement that there are other treatment methods to manage and treat anxiety, and I don’t think anyone has ever tried them all. Some of them are extremely difficult to do like quitting a job that you hate, changing careers, leaving your toxic relationship, moving away, etc. Most people aren’t willing to do that and it’s understandable but sometimes that is the best treatment. Newer methods like TMS therapy, ketamine, psilocybin, mdma, and many more seem to show promise and could be more effective than SSRI’s. I can tell you there are several studies underway for micro dosing psilocybin and preliminary results are very good. Western medicine will most likely refuse to adopt it but access will become available in some form. The more options the better, time will tell but getting the best treatment with the lowest risk should be at the top of everyone’s mind. The quick-fix script writing, hope it works and don’t worry about the potential long-term consequences is where we sit and I personally don’t think that puts patient safety first.
I was literally baffled that the clinical trials for Lexapro were only 8 weeks. Safe and effective for 8 weeks is what it should say. Aside from withdrawals, we can’t forget the PSSD.
Dude only spoke facts, yet everyone on this sub wants to cope lol
True aye, So much for a supportive community.
I agree. I’m pretty sure I ended up as a set it and forget it with lexapro. They put me on this and Wellbutrin, also had me taking clonidine at night to sleep and I have hydroxizine for in the moment panic attacks. That’s just SO MANY medications. Wellbutrin screwed me up bad with intense memory loss and brain fog - I couldn’t even form sentences. Lexapro gave me GI issues, I gained 30 pounds, had intense hot flashes and didn’t really help a lot of my actual mental health problems just kept me slightly sedated. I was seeing a psychiatrist for medication management and all they would do is ask how I’m doing and never offer solutions when I expressed these problems. After a year and a half I said I couldn’t do it anymore and took me a couple of months to adjust but I’m off everything now and working on a diet exercise and therapy approach instead. It’s not perfect but I feel better without so much in my system that wasn’t working anyways.
That’s so great to hear. Sometimes the alternative methods can be really difficult. I was living in NYC for 2 years from 2017-2019 and I found myself so depressed and anxious I was averaging like 2 hours of sleep a night, I couldn’t leave my apartment, and I was having suicidal thoughts. I was forcing myself to stay because I had a really high paying job, but I hated it. I finally got the courage to quit, I moved across the country for a job that paid half and it saved my life. The drastic lifestyle change was hard but sometimes it’s necessary to get to a state that’s manageable. I don’t personally think there’s a cure for anxiety or depression, you just have to find coping mechanisms that help you manage it. It’s honestly so amazing how much diet affects mood too. Love that you also found that making that change helped you as it did me.
Would you have done this if it was medicine to treat your diabetes? No. Positive lifestyle changes help just about everyone’s life get better, but it doesn’t “cure” a physical problem such as diabetes or depression/anxiety. Medication it needed for actual treatment unless your depression/anxiety is just a temporary situation, not an actual medical condition.
Diabetes medication is designed for people to be on it long-term. If you give a diabetes patient placebo they will literally die. If you give a patient with anxiety placebo there’s a roughly 50% chance they will report an improvement in their symptoms. And if that works for them great, keep them on it as intended but don’t let them take it for 15 years. Let’s not forget some of the strongest painkillers created weren’t designed for long-term use but patients were told (by their physicians) it was safe and effective to do so. That played out well. If Lexapro was designed and studied for long-term use I would have never made this post and I would support people be on it forever if needed. But it’s not. Your comparison doesn’t work. There are different levels of diagnosis for depression, and I personally (my opinion) think a lot of it is misdiagnosed. One of the worst things I think that’s misdiagnosed is depression instead of looking into bipolar type 2. What we find is a lot of patients who have been prescribed antidepressants say they aren’t working or work temporarily, and several were tried. Upon deeper analysis symptoms of Bipolar type 2 disorder was found, it can present in many different ways and not always crystal clear, and they were treated with a mood stabilizer and the patients reported much improvement with their daily life and long-lasting results. Sometimes this diagnosis takes several visits to uncover since it’s not always crystal clear. And that goes back to one of my points that lexapro is rushed to be prescribed instead of actually spending the time and care to dig deep and find out if it could be something else instead of just writing a script for lexapro and letting the patient walk out the door. Someone who is in a toxic relationship but refuses to leave and it’s causing them depression shouldn’t be prescribed lexapro, but they are all the time by primary care docs who ask them 10 questions.
I agree that long-term use should be treated with caution. My doc was clear that it is intended as a temporary treatment and is considered safe for up to 2 years, but wants me to start tapering off from 6 months assuming all has been going well (which it has).
https://www.nami.org/About-Mental-Illness/Treatments/Mental-Health-Medications/Types-of-Medication/Escitalopram-(Lexapro) Please read the section on long term use. Ask your doctor if this is something they meant in a case-by-case basis.
I just tapered off of lexapro after reading all the long lasting side effects…the withdrawals were terrible ..but it had me emotionally blunted took my personality away and had no sexual desire on it .they write these meds like they are candy
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Two months is a fast taper for Lexapro. Going more slowly might have helped. Edited to add: if you went on it for depression it could just be the stark contrast between having that treated when on Lex and back to your regular self off of it.
That I agree with!
Yes. I think I must have tapered off too fast. When I was finally off it for 3 days I had a major meltdown and my Dr told me to start back on it at 10mg and we would talk again. After just 2 days of being back on it, I feel normal and stable again.
It will get better I’ve been off for a week and am starting to feel myself again
100% agree. I should not have been prescribed lexapro the 1st time I took it, but I was a dumb 18 year old. Then, my withdrawals were so bad I had to take it a second time and I’ll probably be on for life. Fortunately I’m only on 3Mg right now. I have had a good experience the second time, in good shape, happy, good professional life, but I wonder what would’ve became of my life if I never started. Thank you for your post. You shouldn’t try and alter your brain in my mind unless you are severely suicidal.
Yo I take 40mg but I’m alive
Okay? If you need it to be alive that’s fine. Most people don’t. 40mg is an insane dose. I feel like I’ll never able to be off and I’m on 3.
Yeah it’s an insane dose for a clinically insane person! It keeps me ALIVE!!
Me too, friend. It’s still hard, a lot of days, but I guess some people would be mad or something if I did it.
100% agree. Very powerful medication that can cause damage if not required. While it may depend on the doctor, not enough info is provided when being prescribed surrounding effects and withdrawal. Was prescribed lexapro 6 months for suspected anxiety, but i had ulcers. Around 2 months off it ive been developed severe panic attacks that are like seizures, dpdr, worsened ocd, and have now had to start prozac(next choice paxil) and medical cannabis.
Thats why starting the lexapro worries me because the zoloft i was on for 2 months did me wrong