i've been on lexapro for 5 weeks but I'm still feeling anxious - Mental Health Message Board

dynasty32 · 03-21-2009, 02:29 PM

i've been prescribed lexapro for 10mgs for anxiety and it has made my anxiety worse, or it did nothing for my anxiety and my anxiety was inevitably getting worse. It's about the 5th week and couple of days on lexapro, i haven't had much side effects except drowsiness. I want to try xanax, and i really don't care if i get addicted to it as long as it treats my anxiety that's all that matters.

Should i stay on lexapro for few more weeks and see if i can any results and just ween off it if it doesn't do any good for me?

Should I try xanax right now, or should I wait to see if lexapro works for me?

do you think i should go to a psychiatrist to get the xanax? because lexapro is easy to take and it's daily, but i heard xanax dosage differs alot.

if xanax works for me would it be safe if i can take it everyday? also, if xanax did work would it make my irrational fears go away?

also if lexapro won't work, would it be easier to get off it, since i didn't exprience much side effects?

or should i take a different antidepressant medication?

WantToManage · 03-21-2009, 08:03 PM

Hi -- I also started taking Lexapro recently (10 weeks now). I started at 10mg too but felt that wasn't doing the trick, so I spoke with my doctor and we decided to ramp up the dosage. I did 15mg for a couple of weeks and now I'm at 20mg. The plan is to stabilize at 20; we'll see how that goes. It's definitely helped curb my anxiety.

One of the ironies of Lexapro is that it can make you more anxious before it makes you less anxious. And I'm told that happens each time you adjust the dosage. That seemed to hold true for me -- I had my first panic attack right after I started Lexapro 10mg and my second when I went to 15mg. So far so good at 20mg....

Before quitting Lexapro, I would suggest discussing with your doctor the possibility of adjusting your dosage; maybe you just need more to feel the full effect.

Re Xanax, my understanding is that this class of drug (benzo) is better used on an as-needed basis in conjunction with an SSRI to get you through tough periods, rather than on a daily basis by itself, because benzos are addictive.