Lexapro

[wfarrell]

Hello everyone,

I have not posted on this site in a while, mostly becuase I was trying to ignore my pain. :confused: yeah I know bad thing to do. Well I started with a new GP, and I told him I have IC, he looked at me like a deer in headlights, my heart sung right there. I explained it to him didnt seem worried or interested. I was there to see him because my anxiey and depression has got so bad since this condition has taken over my body. He gave me lexapro 10mg to help me. It did seem to help at first, I also take elmiron,(on 5th month) and urelle 3 x a day, along with birth control which I only take to try and get my cycle normal so i know when the additional pain is going to happen. That is a whole another story I had my period for the whole month of march, it can happen is the doc response, anyways I was wondering if anyone takes Lexapro or has? My uro doesnt seem to think or care if I have IC but he didnt think i needed med for aniexty, because I just had to calm down and relax and I already talked about the GP, so does anyone have any suggestions for me??? :bonk:

[leelee88]

The question is DO YOU THINK YOU HAVE ANXIETY? Many people with IC does have anxiety!! I am one of them.. But I cannot take meds like lexapro due to I have bead reactions to them! But if you think they could help you then you might benefit from this medicine.. Sometimes you just have to listen to your body!

[Goldfinch]

It sounds like you aren't happy with either your uro or your new gp, and the picture you paint is one of doctors who aren't terribly energetic or sympathetic.

There are lots and lots of different types of antidepressants out there, and sometimes it can take a while to find one that's right for you. Some work better for severe anxiety and others better for chronic depression, although anxiety and depression often go hand-in-hand.

I have taken Lexapro and so has my daughter. It seems to work best for high-anxiety and can make you tired. I don't know if that happened to you. I ultimately decided it wasn't the right drug for me; I felt I needed a lift, and lexapro left me in a fog.

Any doctor, whether a uro or a gp, should know that patients with chronic diseases such as IC can get pretty depressed at some point and may benefit from an antidepressant. I would discuss this further with the doc who prescribed the Lexapro; often it's a matter of dosage, or not taking it long enough to give the drug a good trial. If your doctor is unresponsive, I would consider seeking another opinion.

[TrinityEngel]

Lexapro made me feel like a zombie so I stopped taking it.

[vm]

I've been on Lexapro for about 5 years now, I think (?), and I love it. Not only did it help my depression and anxiety, but it took away my last little IC symptom - urethral irritation.

[jenjen05]

Took Lexapro for 4 days and felt like a zombie. I would look in the mirror in my bathroom and feel like I was looking at someone else. Obviously I stopped taking it.

[vm]

I was tired the first few days, but that went away as my body adjusted to the med. We obviously all react differently to different meds, but some side effects do resolve for some people. :)

[CynthiaBW]

I was taking a very small amount of lexapro when I was diagnosed with IC.
I was so anxious, nervous, and depressed about the diagnosis that my doctor
told me to take 20mg a day. Anyway I feel much better now. For me, the more
nervous I was, the worse my IC pain would get. I have had IC for a year now
and am feeling better. I also take Elmiron and birth control.
BW

[wfarrell]

thank you for all the responses! I only take 10m of the lexapro. I just dont think it is working. I am so tired, my whole body, including my bladder, hurts. I know that the lexapro will not take care of all that but I feel my mind just going further and further away. I am going to VT to see a Uro/gyno on 4/30 I cant wait. I have high hopes compared to the doctors I have been seeing. The problem with the doctors I have been seeing seem to be having a peeing contest, which ironicly is not what any of us want. lol

[Preacher-Girl]

I see a psych. nurse for things like anxiety. I actually don't have it anymore but I do take valium for bad flares. I would suggest someone in the psych field. The reason why is because some of these drugs can cause serious side effects. A psych MD/nurse knows all about these drugs and can guide you to the right ones. My nurse is pretty great and she is shocked I don't have anxiety anymore with all the physical things wrong with me. I will never get a psych drug from someone who doesn't have the background. They can be really clueless!

Sorry you're struggling!

Angela

[april ryan]

Hey there,

Is lexapro the same as Citalopram? I take it and I can tolerated quite well.. the first 2 weeks I was feeling a little strange.

You know in my experience, there is a big link between my IC and my hormonal situation... I suffer from a tyroid autoimmune desease (hashimoto's) and dysfunction of the adrenals.

Hormones have also a major role in anxiety and depression, I know that for experience! :P

What you said about your periods makes me think that a nice endocrinologist check would do quite well to understand your case, maybe help your IC.

Best of luck xx

[wfarrell]

thanks! I am going to see what i can do with all your info.

[Mrs. Peel]

I spent years in and out of the psych unit because of hereditary depression, but I've been mostly stable for the last ten.

The reason I'm posting is I've tried just about every anti-depressant (including Lithium) except for the MAOI's. Lexapro works the best of any so far, but sometimes after taking it a while you need to up the dose. It started working in less than two weeks for me and has almost no side effects!

Of course, antidepressant effects vary greatly among individuals.

An important thing to know is that ANY antidepressant takes two to six weeks to make a difference, and the side effects lessen greatly within the first couple of months.

So, if you haven't taken an antidepressant for six weeks (three for Lexapro), you haven't actually tried it.

[wfarrell]

I have been on Lexapro for ... well i just started my third month, and I have 3 refills left. I will call dr in the morning about maybe uping the dose. It was working GREAT at first! now well not really. I am only on 10 mg so maybe that is what is needed. I dont know I will call and see

[Mrs. Peel]

I forgot to say (or did I?) that it's perfectly normal to need to up your dose eventually. I'm still on 10mg after about a year.

Best of luck to you!

[vm]

I had to increase my dose to 20mg after 2 years.

[chasingbliss]

I was put on Lexapro after a bad car accident by my GP. I too started bleeding but my bleeding didn't stop after a month. Unfortunately, it took switching doctors for me to get off it. The original doc also dismissed this side effect. My new gyno was appalled and took me off the drug immediately after I had been bleeding for almost 7 weeks straight. I also felt like a zombie and not like myself at all. I've stayed away from anti-depressants since that experience. The biggest lesson I learned was to get a 2nd and 3rd opinion.

Good luck and take care!

[wfarrell]

just wanted to let you guys know, I went back to my GP on monday and saw someone else becuase he was not there. Well she told me to stop taking the lexapro. I have been having tingling, numb, pain, feel swollen in my hands and feet. She said it could be the lexapro. So I have not taken it since Monday but my hands and feet feel the same if not getting worse. The aniexty of course it here too.:cussing:

[Mrs. Peel]

I may be wrong, but I was under the impression that Lexapro is one drug you don't stop suddenly, but instead take less and less for a while. Please watch out for a depressive backlash and contact your doctor if you get one.

All my meds are monitored by a psychiatrist because staying sane is my number one priority.

Karin