On a recent visit to my OB, my doctor asked how I was feeling. I had only recently found out that my father's cancer was back. After I heard the question, I just fell apart. Told him of my inability to concentrate for what seems like anytime longer than 2-3 minutes. My difficulty in falling asleep even though I'm exhausted at night. He suggested that I begin taking Lexpro an anti-depressant. I have been taking them for a little a week, but I seem more tired than before. I'm not sure I want to continue these. I went on the web and read some horror stories related to Lexpro. Vivid nightmares, changes in personality, weight gain, etc. Does anyone here have experience with this drug and its side effects?

Vickie M

Hi, Vickie. I, too, recently started taking Lexapro. My husband was treated for tongue-base scc (stage 4) four years ago, and he had a lot of problems with the neck dissection healing (or lack thereof), resulting in a ruptured carotid artery which caused him to have a stroke. Then, about a month ago he fell and broke his shoulder. Also, my father died a year ago and my mother, who suffers from vascular dementia, moved in with us. So, I was getting pretty burned out from caregiving.

Anyway, about Lexapro. When I started taking it I was just totally exhaused for about the first week and a half, and sort of fuzzy-headed. After about ten days or so, that improved dramatically. I'm much less tired than I was before. I'm still unhappy, of course - my situation hasn't changed. But there isn't the bottomless despair that I felt before. I haven't noticed any side effects. The only change in my personality has been for the better. The misery was making me pretty short-tempered and snarly.

Of course, like any medication it doesn't affect everyone the same way, but I would encourage you to stick with it awhile longer and see what happens.

Good luck, and hang in there

Barb

Hi, Vicki and Barb.
As a newcomer to the world of being the primary caregiver to the person you love most in the world, I've been wondering, too, how anyone copes with all that looks to be looming in the future. Since the words "a-typical cells" were read to us from the biopsy report in June, I had been unable to sleep a full night. Tom's GP gave me a prescription for Xanax to use as needed, and I do take one almost every weeknight. I have my annual gyn appt on Monday, and I was going to ask him for a recommendation on what to I could take and still function during my day-time job -which has been a real challenge. I'll be sure to look into the Lexapro before I talk to him.
Barb, it sounds like you are a living angel, and I am sure your family loves you to pieces. Do you know if there was a particular cause for the healing difficulties for your husband's neck? Is he doing well now? God bless both of you.
Nicki

With selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which most anti depressants are, it can sometimes take a couple of months of use before the positive effects of it are noticed. It can also take that long for your body to adjust to them and the various side effects like headaches, tiredness, dry mouth, etc. in many people go away. If after 60 days or so on one of these you still don't feel the positive effects, or the side effects are getting in the way of the rest of your life, do not hesitate to ask your doctor to try a different one on you. While all the same family of drugs (SSRI's) each one behaves a little differently in different people. I could not tolerate Paxil, it dried my already dry mouth too much, I moved to a different one and found the same positive results without the dry mouth. Other people swear by Paxil

Hey Vickie,
When Dan was diagnosed last year, I needed some immediate help. My doc put me on Xanax and Lexapro. The Lexapro didn't seem to do much for me one way or the other, however, I do take Xanax when I feel anxious and it helps me to not cry as much. I really haven't felt any side effects from either drug, but I do believe you need to give it time.
Hang in there! Deb

Hi Vicky,I have been on anti-depressants for more than a year to cure my severe depression after my cancer treatment. The medicine prescribed by my psychiatrist is Remeron (Mirtazapine). According to my doctor, it is a relatively new medicine more suitable to me as it does not worsen my mouth dryness. I tolerated it very well and the only side effect was weight gain, which in fact was what I needed. It didn't work immediately but took at least a month to see the expected effect on my mental state. That was a critical moment because the patient's depression might get worse. My depression was in fact treated in the hospital for about a month with the psychiatrist counselling me every day. I always told others that depression is sometimes more frightening than the cancer itself.

Karen

Vickie-

It wasn't until after my husband finished treatment and I was burdened with returning to work full time while he was still recovering from the treatment (he was hospitalized twice and lived on a feeding tube for 5 months) that I finally decided I needed to go to "my" doctor and talk about what was happening. She put me on Lexapro. I had the exact same sypmtoms you did...however I am also a compulsive overeater. I had lost all my weight and was at goal weight for 5 years, until the cancer. This was another reason my doctor put me on the Lexapro. It did make me very sleepy...so I changed to taking it at night before going to bed. This did wonders...I was able to sleep thru the night and wasn't tired during the day. I did get headaches but Advil took them away. I no longer get them (they lasted about 3 months...off and on). Unfortunately the medication didn't help with my overeating so my doctor recently upped the dozage. I don't have the dry-mouth that they talk about and when she upped the dozage I didn't start getting headaches again. What did happen was now it was keeping me awake...so I am back to taking them in the morning...and it is working out great. The anxious feeling of doom is no longer there and I am able to concentrate on what needs to be done much better. No, life isn't perfect and I'm still overweight but I know life is going to work-out, no matter what happens, and I'll be able to get back to "taking care of me"....I deserve it!!!

I'm not sure if my suggestions will work for you, but never hesitate to talk to your doctor...like Bill says, there are always other medications or options...you won't know till you ask.

Good luck....and congratulations on taking the steps necessary to take care of "you"...that is one of the most important things you can do for your loved ones and yourself.


Lorie