Anyone with experiences on Lexapro? Lexapro vs. Paxil? - Anxiety Message Board

Jugi · 01-17-2005, 11:42 AM

I'm just wondering if anyone can share their experiences using Lexapro. Has anyone found it to be effective for anxiety, especially GAD? What about side effects? Initial side effects? Long-term? And expecially, sexual side effects?

And has anyone who has used Laxapro also used Paxil? How do you think they compare? Did you switch directly from one to the other, or taper off and wait before starting the new one?

I've been on Paxil before, and it worked great for me with the only side effect being the sexual side effects, which is why I stopped. Now I'm just starting back up, but I'm wondering about whether Lexapro is less prone to the sexual side effects, and whether it might be less prone to making me sleepy, which Paxil seems to be doing to me this time around. (And I think the sexual side effects are back.)

Any thoughts/comments are appreciated!

Jamie

angeluv73 · 01-17-2005, 12:50 PM

Ok well here is my experience. Its been a while since I was on paxil but i dont remember it helping me at all. Then they switched me to prozac and it helped for a while but they had to keep upping the dose and as they did I got a very angry personality. Both those I took for depression about 4 yrs ago. I got tired of feeling like a guinea pig, feeling like no one really knew what to do and it was kinda like, "well lets try this one and see what happens" But in the last yr I was having more and more issues with anxiety and eventually I could hardly do anything cause I was so scared there would be a bad outcome. I wouldnt let my daughter go with others cause I was afraid they would get into a car crash or loose her, etc. I would lay up at night, couldnt sleep cause morbid thoughts keep running through my head. What if someone breaks into the house, what if theres a fire, what if someone is killing my parents right now, what if my brother gets into a car crash,,,etc. Completely irrational. The doc put me on Lexapro for my anxiety and I saw a difference. Ive been on it for about 6 months now and I really like it. I can sleep at night and my mood is better. As for sexual side effects-I dont know ,Im currently single. Hope this helps!

americandancer · 01-17-2005, 02:27 PM

Angeluv, have you gained weight from the lexapro or had increased appetite?

CyberNick · 01-17-2005, 08:35 PM

A common side effect it seems of pretty much every Antidepressant/Anti-anxiety med is sexual side effects. I was on Lexapro for three months about a year ago, and it did nothing for me so I just stopped taking it. I didn't even have withdrawals or anything, it was as if I had never even taken it.

I then went about a year without any meds at all except Klonopin, because I lost faith in SSRI's after taking Lexapro. I finally couldn't take it anymore and was prescribed Paxil by my doctor. I've been on it almost 8 weeks, and it has dramatically improved my Social Anxiety and my overall mood. I hardly ever think about being anxious anymore. I don't feel lightheaded in social situations anymore. I don't dread meeting new people or being in a classroom full of people. I don't look at the floor anymore when I talk to people. I don't get heart palpitations hardly ever, and I'm just more confident and happier in general

The only sexual side effect of Paxil for me seems to be that it makes me last much longer (from about 5-10 minutes to 20-30 minutes). It usually is great since it's obviously a much better experience the longer you can go, but sometimes it seems that I just am not in the mood when I used to be ready to go 24/7 (like the usual 21 year old guy, I assume

). I still have a huge sex drive though, so everything seems to be fine.

Sorry the post was so long, kind of ranted a bit

. Best of luck w/ the Paxil.