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I took Lexapro for 2 days and stopped

XXLAURAFXXLAURAF
in Postpartum Depression
I felt so drowsy the two days I woke up after taking it and then after shaking the drowsiness off I felt like I was very nervous and speedy..I did not like the feeling at all...I go to my doctor tomorrow hope they don't think I am crazy for stopping..I would like to be prescribed a pill that is taken on an as needed basis rather than everyday.. Any thoughts?
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Re: I took Lexapro for 2 days and stopped

  • Smudges*MomSmudges*Mom member

    I'm sorry that Lexapro made you feel so odd at first.  I am taking Pristiq and it made me feel much the same way when I started taking it.  I called my doctor and was told to take it every other day for a week.  After that, I started taking it every day again, and I felt much better.  I wonder if your doctor will suggest something similar.  Next time you feel weird side effects like that, with any medication, you may want to call your doctor before stopping the prescriped medication.

    As for a pill that you take on an as needed basis. . . I don't think that those exist.  One of the ways that antidepressants work is that they build up in your system.  Once that level has been reached, you start to feel better and more balanced.  So, you have to take the pill every day.

    I'm sorry that you are dealing with PPD.  Be certain to tell your doctor all that you are feeling when you go in for your appointment.

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  • XXLAURAFXXLAURAF
    Thank you... Is Pristiq for anxiety as well? That is what Lexapro if for both depression and anxiety.. I have more anxiety issues than depression..I am also worried to gain weight from medications..
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  • jenny1980jenny1980 member

    That's normal for the first few days on an SSRI. I was the same way with Zoloft, but you just need to power through the first couple of days and the side effects will diminish. Starting at a lower dose or splitting the dose into two can also help.

    There's really nothing you can take on an as needed basis that isn't fairly habit forming. Like pp said, it takes time to build up into your system.

     

    image Lucy, 12/27/2009
    Pregnancy Ticker
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  • Smudges*MomSmudges*Mom member

    I have deal with depression for years (unfortunately).  Over the years, I was on lots of different medications.  Pristiq is a newer generation of an antidepressant (Effexor) that worked really well for me, but had some wicked side effects.  So, when I developed PPD & PPA, my psychiatrist put me on Pristiq as it has many of the same benefits of Effexor without the bad side effects.

    There are a handful of antidepressants that doctors tend to prescribe first because they have the best results for a wider segment of the population.  Zoloft if one of those.

    To be honest, since you felt so funny at first, that, to me, sounds like it may work for you. When I started Pristiq, I was woozy and out of it.  Dropping back to every other day, for a week, allowed my body to acclimate to the drug and after that week, I have felt so much better!  As pp mentioned, in some cases, you do have to power through it. 

    Be sure to talk with your doctor about it though.  Don't sugarcoat things.  Be honest.

    I hope that you feel better. 

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  • XXLAURAFXXLAURAF
    Thank you so much
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  • Smudges*MomSmudges*Mom member

    imageXXLAURAF:
    Thank you so much

    You are welcome!  What you are experiencing is not fun.  This is the part of being post partum that you don't expect and its hard to deal with.  Talk with your doctor and get the help that you need!

    One other thing that I mentioned in a response in another thread--be certain that you are eating enough and good, healthy foods too.  While it won't cure PPD or PPA, nourishing your body will help keep your mood more even and you will feel less like you are on a roller coaster of emotions.  For nearly two months after my son was born, I ate roast beef (from the deli--Boors Head) and fresh fruit (the expensive kind that is already cut up for you--there was no way that I had time or energy to cut it myself, but I needed to eat it!).

    Take care and let us know how things are going!

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  • XXLAURAFXXLAURAF

    Thanks..I went to the doctor today and they told me I need to take the Lexapro...and next month they can switch me to a similar one that my insurance covers, because I had to pay $40 for a one month supply.

    I will start taking it again today, they said the reason I was feeling like that was because it was starting to go through my system and my body was accepting it.

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