Callingt hose on lexapro or luvox...
#274434 - 07/17/06 07:37 PM
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Miso
Reged: 04/20/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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I am trying to decide between lexapro and luvox for my ibs, anxiety and mild ocd, i have tried all natural anti d's and since zoloft used to work , i want to try one again, but not zoloft as i am hoping i can find an anti d that has a few less side effects, and no wellbutrin didn't work.
So all those who have tried lexapro or luvox tell me your experience please, tummy wise, anxiety wise and libido wise (if you are ok with that)
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The short version is that I love it - it gave me my life back in so many ways!
I almost don't even know where to start, haha. Well, I had NO change in libido whatsoever. I've had no lasting side effects at all, actually. For a while, I was having night sweats and a bit of restless leg, but even that's gone away. I've been taking it for almost 2 years now.
It's been a dream for my anxiety - I used to have these horrible panic attacks where I'd be literally convulsing and freaking out, and they are completely and totally gone. Because my IBS is primarily triggered by anxiety, I'm convinced that I never would have stabilized completely without it (the diet did me a world of good, but alone it wouldn't have cut it).
The funny thing is that it really didn't do anything for my mild OCD, but it DID take the edge off some annoying phobias I have (like spiders - I suddenly don't mind them much at all).
I will warn you that the initial side effects were not especially pleasant. I had terrible nausea, and D for the first few days... to counteract the D, I took Dramamine, which of course knocked me out, so I spent the first week in a stupor. BUT... you have to stick it out through the initial side effects, which can last up to a month or so, in order to see the benefits. It was so completely and totally worth it, for me.
If you have any other specific questions, feel free to ask!
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just curious, did you try therapy and or hypnotherapy before you started taking the lexapro?
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yes i have tried therapy, hypno, homeopathy, traditional chinese medicine etc.
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I tried therapy, but not hypnotherapy, as I couldn't afford it. In therapy, we tried a variety of different things, including CBT. I also tried for MANY years to take care of my anxiety problems on my own, with whatever means I could think of - meditation, yoga, etc. For some people, these treatments work like a charm. My anxiety (GAD, PTSD) is too severe for anything but medication.
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bump
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I was just put on this yesterday. I have to say my tummy is a little nauseus today, but it's pretty mild and that is supposed to go away in a week or so. HOping it works as well as I have heard it does for others.
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which of the two where you put on, luvox or lexapro?
keep me posted how it goes, i have my doc appt tommorrow, we will see which one he thinks is the best place to start for me.
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Oh! Lexapro. I think Im a little vaguely nauseated and sleepy, but really nothing terrible. However, I do not have as many reallly bad symptoms as a lot of people here (well, especiallly if I eat right). But boy, I am really getting anxiety attacks during my periods especially.
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Did this ever make you dizzy at first? I have had mild (very mild) nausea, but tonight I'm a teensy light headed? (But I am also having a bit of anxiety/panic too, so maybe it is that.)
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Yep, it did -
#275291 - 07/22/06 09:30 PM
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atomic rose
Reged: 06/01/04
Posts: 7013
Loc: Maine (IBS-A stable since July '05!)
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I do remember getting a little dizzy and lightheaded. I took Dramamine for that and the nausea, and it worked like a charm - if you can handle feeling a bit more tired, I'd recommend it. (If the dizziness is enough to bother you, that is.)
Just remember, it's all temporary! 
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So i was given cipralex, which is the canadian name for lexapro, my doc said luvox was outdated. I will be going up to 10mg tommorrow, been ok so far, making the mild hypoglycemia i have a bit worse, i have the dramamine in case of the nausea too. what mg amount are you guys taking? Chupie keep me posted and i will do the same for how you are doing.
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Well that is good to hear. It's not really bad. Just a bit weird. Just like the nausea is just very light. Nothing earth shaking.
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I'm just on 5 mg for three more days. Then to 10mg.
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... and have been for over a year now.
The good news, I found, is that the side effects didn't really increase or get worse or anything like that when the dosage increased... so don't worry, things shouldn't get any worse than they are now.
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I didn't want to really say it, for fear of scaring you guys off trying it, but my nausea and dizziness were REALLY severe - I wouldn't have gotten through it without the dramamine, and even then, I spent the better part of a week (maybe 2 weeks? I don't remember) asleep so that I wouldn't have to deal with it! So I'm very glad to hear your side effects are light, and more "weird" than anything else. Phew!
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then go up to 10mg, or go straight for 10?
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I was prescribed 10mg, with instructions to only take 1/2 of a pill every day for the first week. Then I increased to the 10mg. I was at that dose for probably 6 months or so before I decided that I needed it higher, and got bumped up to 20mg. I've been there ever since.
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i have been at the 5 mg for 4 dyas and feel good, just some headaches, thursday i will go up to 10mg which will be day 7 of the med. Dis you get your initial side effects at the 5mg dose and the 10mg dose or only when you went up to 10mg? Just curious, i hope to not have to miss any work, but we shall see how it goes. I have some homeopathic anti nauseant that i will try before i do gravol if the nausea kcicks in (gravol is canadian dramamine)
Thank you for your info on all of this, any other tips you have on the subject are welcome. Good news is i was on zoloft a few yeras back for many years so this is not all that much of a shock to my body to have a new med in me, but i had been ssri free for 2 yeras and med free for 1 year prior to this, I was trying all of the natural methods possible, but i guess chemicals won this time as things just wouldn't get better.
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Well... ok, I was still having side effects by the time I increased to 10mg, but they weren't worsened by the increase and went away completely shortly thereafter. I also had no side effects at all when I increased to 20mg later on.
If you've been on it for 4 days are feeling pretty good, I'd say that's a good sign.
Lexapro was my first antidepressant experience, and came after years of debating whether or not I really needed it. I wasn't initially happy about taking a pill, but I tried natural methods and therapy, and it just wasn't doing the trick - so I sympathize completely.
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Day 6...
#275700 - 07/26/06 08:52 AM
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Miso
Reged: 04/20/06
Posts: 559
Loc: Calgary, Alberta, Canada
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well last night i felt nauseous and so i took some gravol
and today i feel spaced out from the gravol. I am trying to make myself eat normally as usually when i feel nauseous i eat very carefullt, but then i lose weight and feel very hypoglycemic, so i am trying to avoid that. Tommorrow i go up to 10mg and hope that the nausea doesn't hang around too long and that i start to see positive effects soon, my poor hands can't take anymore washing.I took the day off work today just to recoup from my only 2 hours of sleep last night, hopefully the insomnia feeling will go away over time as it is causing my poor boyfriend to have bad sleep as well as i toss and turn.
All for now
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Did your ibs improve on the lexapro, because i know that when i used to be on zoloft my ibs was much much better, i would only get occasional attacks and could obviously manage them much better as well. I hope this med helps my tummy as well as zoloft did with less side effects as they claim it has less.
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...my IBS has always been more triggered by my anxiety than my bad food choices. I don't think I could have stabilized without the Lexapro. Mind you, it ISN'T a cure or a ticket to eat whatever I want - it still took about 8 or 9 months after starting it to stabilize, and I still have to watch what I eat. But it definitely did help - a LOT - which is why I always preach to people on here that managing anxiety is a MUST for people with IBS!
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I am on day 2 of 10 mg and have only had one night of nausea where i took gravol, but i think i ate way too much that night since i am slowly trying to increase my portion sizes to try and gain some weight.
Just mainly headaches and some toruble sleepig right now, hopefully the good effects start to kick in in a week or two, heres hoping.
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Seems fine. I have seemed extraordinarily sleepy a couple of days but not having nausea or dizziness anymore.
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its been two days now at the 10mg dose and both mornings i have woken up at 4:30 am unable to go back to sleep, hopefully this goes away soon, i can fall asleep ok, but i can't seem to stay asleep very well. any similar experiences?
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I have been on Luvox for 10 years or so for my anxiety and OCD. It, as many have said, gave me my life back. I could actually function as a human being, work, etc. although it took me some time to adjust to being sleepy from it. I am still not the perkiest of people, but I do well enough to have a good life. It never seemed to make my IBS better or worse, but the interesting thing is I recently went on the smallest doseage of seroquel in addition to my other drugs (to help me sleep) and I found it helped my D considerably. I now end up on the C side of things and have to eat more IS foods- which is fine by me!
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