Should I switch from Prozac to lexapro (?)

I’ve been on Citalopram for anxiety with some depressive symptoms for 5 yrs, that stopped working, then cymbalta for six months, but that caused weight gain and higher blood pressure. It did help with some ibs pain I was going through.

Started Prozac a month ago, first two weeks 10 mg, after that 20 mg. So currently at 20. Initially I got so much more anxious alternating with crying spells. It got better when doc upped to 20mg. After some more sunny days with not too much anxiety (but with waking up at night), anxiety is back full force. Should I switch to lexapro? Would that help even though celexa stopped working? I have a family, and last year was rough with hypothyroidism, ibs, anxiety etc.

mood wise I was good on the cymbalta but side effects were too much....

Tired of this. Just want one that works. Therapy helps, but it seems I need meds as well...

Thx

[pgseth]

Prozac made me super high and tired. I personally handled lexapro better for my depression anxiety. Prozac also caused a lot of intrusive thoughts for me. My husband handles Prozac very well though. If you feel like Prozac isn't doing all it can then it couldn't hurt to try lexapro. I of course have no real medical opinion that's just how the meds worked for me.

[Hidden in reply to pgseth]

Also interesting to see how officially there is a distinction between depression and anxiety but to me they’re just two sides of the same coin...

[Hidden in reply to pgseth]

Def getting some of those annoying intrusive thoughts again and I haven’t had those in years...

Just sent a message to my doc, to see if she thinks it’s too early.

Thx

[pgseth in reply to Hidden]

That's good you have a doctor you can message like that. I tried Prozac twice once for 6 months and again for 3 months (with buspar the first time and inderall the second time) sometimes as much as it sucks you just have to wait out the side effects. Haha I find it funny too. When I have my depression I check I have my anxiety I check and vise versa

[Hidden in reply to pgseth]

Did the buspar help?

[pgseth in reply to Hidden]

Yeah but it is really hard to get off and it is only supposed to be for short term use. I was on 30 Mg a day with 15 mg for as needed on bad days and it felt like I was a stimulant addict when it was time for me to get off of them. Even between doses (it is supposed to be taken three times a day) I would start to feel shaky.

[Hidden in reply to pgseth]

Hm... holding off on that one. cymbalta withdrawal was pretty bad too...trying to go medication light ( I’ll always need my thyroid meds)

[pgseth]

I would especially if you want to go medication light.

[homelandia17]

Prozac didn’t help me. Celexa did, but then stopped working. Been on 30mg Lexapro for years now and it’s been pretty good. No panic attacks but anxiety got bad so we added a sub-therapeutic dose of Tofranil (a very old medicine). No side effects from Lexapro at all. And the Tofranil helps me sleep and calms down my stomach completely. It’s been pretty good.

[Hidden in reply to homelandia17]

this is helpful. Thx. Good to know lexapro can work if celexa stopped

[JYDZ]

Did you try exercising? I ask because my Doctor just prescribed the generic form of Celexa. I’ve been depressed for a while and anxiety especially at night... I have not started taking it yet but my therapist strongly recommended going to the gym.

[Patricia7048]

Try alprozolam. Gentle but effective.

Its like the sea is rough with waves but this just calms it flat as a millpond !

Dont take Prozac. You think youre behaving normally but it makes you weird. Too strong.

[Colestaff in reply to Patricia7048]

No, avoid benzos. They’re short acting, not comparable to ssris and built up tolerance fast which higher addiction risk. Xanax or alprazolam would be good with panic attack incidents now and then. If you’re experience more GAD symptoms/constantly pressured ssris are the way to go! Stay away from benzos.

[Hidden]

With any change of meds you do need to give the sideaffects time to decrease. My doctor says 6-8 weeks which is true unless they are extreme. I take Lexapro 20mg but my anxiety was still bad so added 75mg of Welbutin. This seems to be working well but anyone, I still have some bad days but not like before. Good luck!

[fauxartist]

sorry your having a rough time with changing meds, that seems to be pretty common with many of us, I had a hard time going through a number of different antidepressants till I started taking lexipro. But that works for me, and we are all different, so for sure work with your doctor until you get the right fit.

[Hidden in reply to fauxartist]

Thank you. Especially rough this morning started with looowwww mood and anxiety about that. Helped to share with my husband.

[Hidden]

Took a clonazepam and things calmed down (still had some from last year)

[shawnaskin]

You could try zoloft. Thats what i take every morning and it seems to work fine,

[shawnaskin]

That and also maybe see a different psychiatrist

[Hidden in reply to shawnaskin]

Yeah the psychiatrist I liked left and now my pcp is managing things

[shawnaskin]

Is your father a doctor?

[Hidden]

No my primary care physican (pcp)... lol

[Hidden]

Since my mood drops were coming hard and fast today I went to see the doc on duty. He agreed Prozac wasn’t the one for me and switched me to lexapro. Als some hydroxycine to calm down.