Should I or not?

[CoolWhip]

Hello everyone, i was just wanting to pick everyone’s brain before I made my decision. I currently take lexapro 10mg and I’ve been taking it for almost a year and I don’t feel a whole lot better. I’ve tried other medications along with my lexapro and haven’t had any success. My psychiatrist now wants me to try trintellix with my lexapro and I’m hesitant cause I’m not a big fan of medication but I really want to get better but not sure of another pill is the answer.

[IncognitoC]

if your psychiatrist is suggesting that you take medication to help I would probably recommend you follow what he suggests.

If he feels that it will help you and set you on the path to recovery then it can only be good right?

[CoolWhip in reply to IncognitoC]

Thank you 🙏 you have a good point.

[Hidden]

i think you should go for it. i know taking medicine can be scary because you don't want to be dependent on it or anything but sometimes it really can help.

[CoolWhip in reply to Hidden]

It’s just scary cause they’re hard to come off of.

[Hidden in reply to CoolWhip]

yeah i understand. im hoping you find something that will work for you.

[CoolWhip in reply to Hidden]

Thank you 🙏 I hope so too

[BloodZero in reply to CoolWhip]

I read that trintellix can be stopped at any stage with no withdrawals.

[Ilovemygrandbaby in reply to BloodZero]

Ha, I wish that were so......

[Hidden]

I say-- go with your gut. You know you the best.

Best of luck 🙏 let us know

[CoolWhip in reply to Hidden]

Well all of this is still new to me so I don’t really know what the right decision is.

[Hidden in reply to CoolWhip]

I understand. Well, I originally posted a bigger reply but wasn't sure if the info was good enough so, I'll do it now lol

I'm on 3 meds for anxiety/depression/mood stabilizers. I finally found a cocktail that works better than others but, it took a little time to get here so try to be patient with yourself. (i'm not advocating that everyone needs tons of meds, just what works for me.) Give yourself some grace.

Meds in psychiatric care can be controversial. There are also so many meds to choose from and that make it complex when choosing one. Add-ons are new to me but, I too am thinking of an add-on for depression.

Don't be afraid to try it, especially if you feel you need it. Also, I think you should feel all (there's so many) of them out, and do your own research kinda. See which ones are available and, what the side effects are and what would be best to couple with Lexapro etc...

Your mental health is in your hands undoubtedly. Just be sure to make an informed decision.

🙏🙏🙏✨️✨️✨️✨️

[Xene]

To be honest, if you are deeply concerned about whether meds are the right answer or choice for you I would research all the possible pros and cons of all the numerous meds for A&D online. Youtube have plenty of psychiatrists PhDs willing to debate the subject about their opinions on various podcasts.

[CoolWhip in reply to Xene]

Thank you 🙏 I will definitely check that out.

[BeachWalker123]

Did you discuss increasing the Lexapro dose with your provider? 10 mg is the lowest dose, so I am wondering why you wouldn't go to 20 mg first before you added something else?

[CoolWhip in reply to BeachWalker123]

I tried that and it actually made me worse.

[Agora1]

Hi CoolWhip, I started out on 10mg Lexapro as a starter dose. I was eventually

raised up to 15mg. It might be just what you need w/o adding an additional drug

to the mix. Good Luck xx

[CoolWhip in reply to Agora1]

Ya I wish that was the case but they did increase it and it made me worse. I don’t think my body likes the medication cause I feel like it’s made me worse.

[Agora1 in reply to CoolWhip]

Sorry I didn't know that your doctor had increased it at one time.

Of course, you need to follow your doctor's orders. Each medication is a

trial and error process for each one of us. What works for one may not for

another. However....whenever starting an SSRI medication, we do need to

give it at least 4-6 weeks to reach full efficacy. It's never a smooth ride in

reaching the right dosage. I hope both you and your doctor find what works

best for you. . The benefits of a good working med is worth it's weight in gold. xx

[CoolWhip in reply to Agora1]

thank you! I guess I just need to be more open with the medication and stop resisting it.

[Jacl48 in reply to CoolWhip]

i know sometimes it seems like a slippery slope but stick w it. Well if 10 is not enough and 20 too much try try 15. That could be where the magic happens.

[CoolWhip in reply to Jacl48]

That might not be a bad idea

[Agora1]

Absolutely in my opinion as well. xx

[CoolWhip]

Did the medication help you and if so in what way? I’ve always felt like I got worse once I started taking medication.

[hypercat54 in reply to CoolWhip]

It takes up to 6 weeks to get fully into your system. Until then it is common to feel worse.

[CoolWhip]

That’s good to hear and I’m so glad that it helped you. I know I will get there eventually it’s just going to take some time and some trial and error.

[Ladyhasink65]

Hi CoolWhip,I have bipolar disorder with terribly intense depression prior to getting treatment. I know that meds are scary but for some of us who suffer with mental health issues its necessary wether its long-term or short-term. I take a high dose of wellbutrin with some success and then my doc suggested adding latuda. I researched the side effects and decided to try it and wow, the combo is really good for me. There have been some adjustments of the latuda but im so grateful to my doctor for caring enough to really help me. Now it is not perfect but I have more up days than down. I truly hope that your situation improves for you.

Trina

[CoolWhip in reply to Ladyhasink65]

Thank you 🙏 I’m glad you found success with your meditation and I hope things continue to go up for you.

[Annapolisgal]

Well it can't hurt. Try and see ut helps you if not try another till you find the one that helps.Good luck.

[CoolWhip in reply to Annapolisgal]

Thank you 🙏

[Beevee]

Whatever choice you make, learn to accept the symptoms.As long as you continue to fear them, the door is left open for them to return.

I didn't want to keep looking over my shoulder waiting for it to return and then crumbling at the first sign of it coming back.

Learn to cope with the symptoms the right way by accepting. There is no better tranquiliser to bring peace of mind and body and it will never leave you.

Best wishes

[CoolWhip in reply to Beevee]

Thank you 🙏

[mizzou7016]

But at the same time have you had the conversation with your doc that you just had with us

[CoolWhip in reply to mizzou7016]

Yes, many times.

[mizzou7016 in reply to CoolWhip]

Ok than if he is aware do what you feel is right.

[Elizabeth830]

I love Trintellix. Hated Lexapro.

[CoolWhip in reply to Elizabeth830]

Did you ever take both at the same time?

[Elizabeth830 in reply to CoolWhip]

No, I was on Lexapro for years and didn't really like it. I took it in the morning and unless I had something to do, I needed to go back to sleep within an hour of taking it. I would be in bed until 1 pm on weekends. (That is no way to live.) It did help with my depression symptoms, that's why I stayed on it. It took me a LONG time to wean myself off from Lexapro. The brain snaps and dizziness were hard to deal with. I also put some weight on too.

Two years ago I ended up spending $300 and took a DNA test through Genomind that said which antidepressants would work best for my chemical makeup and Trintellix was the best match. It didn't cause me to have weight gain. The DNA test also said that Vyvanse was best for my newly diagnosed ADHD and I had been on Ritalin. So we switched that. One of my old primary care doctors had me on Folic Acid, insurance didn't cover it. I think it was $180 a quarter. I was on that for years, and the DNA test said that it wouldn't be effective for me. LOL...all that money out the window.

I have been on many different drugs over the last 25 years (at least 15 different ones). The only things I had taken in combo were an antidepressant and Wellbutrin. Now of course, I take the Trintellix and Vyvanse.

It can be very frustrating because they take so long for the full effect. Then the seasons might change (I live in Northeastern US), so you never really know if the drug helps or the change in season helped.

[CoolWhip in reply to Elizabeth830]

I’m sorry to hear that you had to go through all of that but I’m glad you finally found a combination that works for you. I also recently took a dna test and that’s when he told me he wanted to add the trintellix.

[Good_for_us]

Hi, had you tried anything else before Lexapro? Wondering why your provider didn’t try another standalone option, rather than putting a second drug into the mix. Especially since you haven’t liked Lexapro from the beginning and increasing the dose made you feel even worse. Could be okay, but first do some research on this new drug.

[CoolWhip in reply to Good_for_us]

I’ve been telling him that for months but he refuses to switch me to something besides lexapro

[Kinlay]

Personally, I would ask if you can try going up on the lexapro to a higher dose (up to 20 mg is pretty common) or simply switching to another med (maybe something with a longer track record than trintellix, which is pretty new) rather than adding on to something that doesn't seem to be working. I would ask him to explain why he thinks his course is the right one for you. You should be able to understand his rationale instead of simply taking whatever he prescribes. That being said, finding the right med or combination of meds is, unfortunately, a bit of a hit and miss game.

[CoolWhip in reply to Kinlay]

I think that’s a good idea. Thank you 🙏

[MindfulMoment]

I took Trintellix for about a year and a half. It was the worst I’ve taken. The mood swings and constant anxiety. I thought I was ok until I ended up having a complete breakdown. Now I’m back on lexapro and doing well again. That’s just my personal experience but I will never take Trintellix again. It was a pain to get because insurance didn’t cover it so I had to jump through hoops to get it covered partially. 10 mg of lexapro is a starting dose. I take 20 split morning and night. The side effects of the higher dose for me don’t even touch the side effects of Trintellix. It made me so nauseous I could hardly bear to take it but I was told it was a wonder drug so I stuck it out. It was not a wonder drug for me. The only good side was it was easy to get off. I’ve never taken it in combination but alone it may as well have been a sugar pill that made me feel sick, didn’t help libido at all and I had anxiety constantly.

[CoolWhip in reply to MindfulMoment]

Thank you for your response and I’m sorry that you had to go through that. I’m happy to hear you’re doing well now. I will definitely talk to him and see about taking something other than lexapro or maybe I’ll up the dose again and try that.

[dutchgirl71]

maybe you need a higher dose of Lexapro. After many years of trying medications, Lexapro was the only thing that helped me….but I was taking 40mg. I have weaned down to 30mg, but I’ve always had a high tolerance to medication. I also added Wellbutrin and that has worked well for me to.

[CoolWhip in reply to dutchgirl71]

I’ve tried all of those but maybe I need to give a higher dose another chance.

[Dadoffour]

Hi cool whip. I lean on the professionals. I know that probably isn’t a great answer but that’s all I can do. I’m taking Lexapro and some other additional meds and so far it’s allowed me some time for therapy and to learn to cope.

Good luck, my heart goes out to you and everyone going through the struggle. One day at a time.. they’ll add up

[CoolWhip]

thank you and I realize that my lack of cooperation could be the reason I’m not making progress.

[Good_for_us in reply to CoolWhip]

Maybe but don’t be so quick to self-blame here- it actually could be the meds aren’t right for you, or the dosage. I’ve used Zoloft for years - tried a few others before that that I could tell didn’t make me feel good, so I pushed for other options. I would personally hold off from taking a drug that doesn’t have enough time out there. Doctors are so quick to prescribe relatively new drugs. 15 years ago, ambien came out and my psychiatrist (a very credible one) told me it wasn’t addictive, because the pharma company sold it that way. At that time, I only had occasional insomnia. Well, guess what- it WAS addictive, and I ended up needing it more and more - I still have to take it every night, and it’s not a good drug. It fact, anyone who has had success with quitting it, please let me know. My point is, the longer a drug is out, the more they (and we) learn about it.

[CoolWhip in reply to Good_for_us]

Thank you 🙏 I’m going to talk to my psychiatrist on Friday and just see if we can try upping my dose of lexapro and see how that works. I’ve done it in the past but I don’t think i was ready for the increase and I’ve made a ton of progress since then so maybe this time it will work.

[Good_for_us in reply to CoolWhip]

Sounds like a good plan! If it doesn’t work out, push for another well-known option.

[CoolWhip in reply to Good_for_us]

Will do. Thank you 🙏

[scansnap]

Dear CoolWhip,

You have gotten a lot of good advice from other members, but I wanted to add my own two cents.

Everyone responds differently to medications. What works really well for one person may not work at all for another person. Prescribing antidepressants is really a trial and error process. It does take at least four weeks for most antidepressants to become effective. If you start to experience bad side effects, or the medicine is not helping you, let your doctor know. You may need an adjustment in your dosage or a whole different medication.

If you decide to go off of medication, it’s not difficult, but needs to be done carefully and slowly. This is something that should be supervised by your doctor.

Sounds like you are seeing a psychiatrist for medication. Are you also seeing a psychologist for psychotherapy? If not, you may want to consider doing that.

Hopefully, in the near future, there will be newer and more affective treatments for depression and anxiety, such as psilocybin, microdosing, ketamine, and TMS.

I have a long history of depression and anxiety and have found that doing my own therapy. such as cognitive behavioral therapy and meditation and exercise has proven helpful. You may want to consider what you can do on your own besides taking the medication.

[CoolWhip in reply to scansnap]

Thank you and that’s kinda my goal is to be able to heal myself without the need of medication.

[MaryLee245]

10 mg is a very low dose.. Why didn't the Dr. increase the dose first before making a decision to add another medication?

[CoolWhip in reply to MaryLee245]

He increased it before and it made me worse.

[ZakyZag]

I have had the same concerns with medication and psychiatrists. I try my best to express these concerns to the psychiatrist and make sure they are heard. Also, if I am not responding to the medication (increase of medication) in an appropriate amount of time (whatever the doctor deems necessary), I advocate for a change in medication. I have even had to change psychiatrists to ensure that I am heard and respected.

[Gabsy123]

How are you now? My doctor wants me to add trinteolix to kexapro...