| How long to stay on anti-depressants?
I've been taking Lexapro (10mg) for a little over 2 months. I've been taking 15mg for the past two weeks because my doctor wants me to move up to 20. I'm just not sure I want to take that much - I've been having headaches and weight gain with 15, but I don't feel that it's really making a difference otherwise. Maybe it will take some time, but I've been doing well overall on 10mg. I'm not as edgy and negative, and I haven't had suicidal thoughts for the most part. I went through a rough patch and started going backward, but it was only for a brief time - this is why my doctor upped my dosage.
I've been hearing that effects of long-term use of AD's are unclear, they lose their effectivenss over time, etc. This has got me wondering if there is an ideal time period that people are suppsed to use AD's. I know it can depend on severity of the condition, but is there a general timeframe? I'm not scheduled to see my doctor again until March. He had wanted to see me in 4-6 weeks (my last appt. was late Nov.), but because they messed up my original appointment, and didn't realize it right off, I'm put off for 3 months! They're having me call in periodically to check for cancellations, but if I can't get in sooner, do you think it is ok to be on Lexapro this long?
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