anybody tryed Lexepro?

[pupper]

I do too thanx for the inpuy quollou have been a real help

 

[cremebrulee]

Caution!!!!!!!!!

My husband has bi-polar disorder and they changed his medication a while back to Welbutrim and he has lost most of his sex drive. It helps him be more normal, but he doesn't want to be with me. And that is getting really hard for me, cuz when he doesn't want sex there is almost no affection or attention either, and I miss that more than the sex. I hope you are able to find something that works for you wife. Like someone else said, you may just have to try a bunch of different things before you hit on one that will work for her. Good luck, Kitty

Oh, kitty~ find a different doctor! My ex was bi-polar and was on e wellbutrin before they actually diagnosed him correctly. His sex drive was nil too, but worse than that he got on one of his manic episodes and didn't sleep for nearly two days straight (due to the high and the Wellbutrin) then had an accident at work that cost him the use of his left hand permanently. A while after that they changed his meds to lithium and eventually he evened out, the lows were less and the highs not as intense. A new doctor told us you NEVER give Wellbutrin to a patient who is bi-polar/manic depressive. PLEASE private message me if you wish or tell me to buzz off, but please get a second opinion for your sake and his.

~Creme

 

[cremebrulee]

I had been on Lexapro, Celexa too...

Well, An update,Today wifey went off the deep-end due to something very simple,the panic attacks are worse now the when she started the meds,I think I need to kick the psychiatrists ass the next time I see him.My loving wife has turned into a monster.one incident this morning turned into incident after incident(everything was a big problem)She basically toldme she didmn't love or trust me(for no reason)I love that woman more than anything,I would give my right nut for her.She has joint'/muscle pain.She has panic attacks over the most simple of issues.The kids are afraid of her,usually I can talk her down off the ceiling,I can't even do that,she tells me I'm a liar and I don't love her,there is nothing further from the truth.If I didn't love her I wouldn't be here,I would have taken off a couple of hours ago.She has no self esteem,no drive.I am sincerely worried for her well being.We have gone from being totally sexuall together to she can't stand my touch,I am the only person she has ever trusted(she grew up in a very dysfunctional family that she has "divorced over the last month" can the family divorce be triggering this or is it the lexapro,she has been on lex for 17 days before quitting cold turkey.I am atmy wits end 3 valium and two xanaxs later I am finaly getting my shit together,I am devestated(I treat her like a queen)Quoll I have registered on the links you provided,I knowhen she chills out she will be apologetic,to me and the kids,but it id=s very hard on me mentally and physiclly.Help someone what should I do,I am a very a succesful business man n Atlanta Georgia,I never loose,I always work things out,but I feel beat up for no reason.How long does thisshit stay in her system,It's been three days andshes getting worse,help Quoll,erika anybody.I can' function without her normal prersonality and love(her love drives my success)Am I codependent?I wan this situation resolved what ever it costs,I will pay it,I WILL NOT LOSE MY Soul Mate,And she doesn't usually react like this.help,help please.how log doe's it take or that stuff to leave her system .I had a funny feeling about the stuff when she decided to take it she evenargued wit the dr. that proxac made he brain dead.In my way of thinking the valium/xanax as needed for panic/anxiety is the way to go,I may be wrong but fellow litsters help me out.I can't bear to losemy wife,I love her with my very being and live to pleasure her.

I was also on Lexapro for a very short time after being on Celexa (it's isomer) and I emotionally kind of flatlined as your wife did initially, then it was followed by the first real suicidal thoughts I ever had (also had some fleeting thoughts when they tried me on Prozac, evil drug it is!). I was being treated for mild anxiety and situational depression. Once I stopped taking the Lexapro (somewhat of a taper) the extreme anxiety set in. I could not stand to be touched, had outbursts of anger, had muscle pain and spasms and a hard time breathing. I still have those symptoms to this day on occasion, and that's three years now. I currently refuse anything for the depression and take vitamins and mineral supplements to help with that, occasionally st, John's Wort in high doses, but that works slowly. They have prescribed Xanax for the anxiety after I landed in the ER three times, once in such bad shape two shots of valium and a dose of some other sedative barely scratched the surface. Now I don't have to take it every day or anything, just at times when I feel the anxiety attacks coming on, but it usually knocks me out good and slows me down. I am blessed with a man who tolerates all this and is still with me even through all of it. You're lady is quite fortunate to have you there and loving her the way you do. I will help however I can, and remember ~ the shrinks are all just guessing, nobody really knows how any of these drugs really work. I have had a few even tell me that themselves.

Take care

~Creme

 

[Quoll]

Pupper I keep coming across the same answers, you must taper off the lexapro, I can honestly say that this drug has not caused me any major problems after the first few days. However it seems to be fairly common for people who the drug did not work for, or who just stopped, to get some very serious and long lasting side effects.
The things you describe certainly compare with what I have been reading.
Again I urge you to either take her to a doc or hospital or at least ring one to get some advice.

 

[pupper]

Molenol,Thanx for you input I will be reseaching more about wellbutrin.Eriks,Quoll,linxie,bisexsplicit,creme,baremomma,and to the others I did not list I say thank you.Y'all have been very helpful to this southern boy.I am going to start a wellbutrin thread and see what comes back in coments.I would rather her not be on any meds at all,but if she needs them,she needs them.thanks again you have all helped be deal with this difficult situation.

 

[SweetErika]

Molenol,Thanx for you input I will be reseaching more about wellbutrin.Eriks,Quoll,linxie,bisexsplicit,creme,baremomma,and to the others I did not list I say thank you.Y'all have been very helpful to this southern boy.I am going to start a wellbutrin thread and see what comes back in coments.I would rather her not be on any meds at all,but if she needs them,she needs them.thanks again you have all helped be deal with this difficult situation.

It's a couple days later...how's she doing, pupper? And does her doctor know what's going on with her quitting cold turkey and possibly restarting?

I don't think you should do anything without some very close supervision by her (or maybe a better) doctor...it's too serious to handle yourselves.

 

[pupper]

Erika,thanx for your input in the matter,yes we have talked to the doctor,he canceled today (family emergency)We did tell them about the benzo's to help with the cold turkey on the lexapo,and he seemed to have no qualms with the benzo's(klonopin,xanax,and valium)if it helped the manic problems,which it seems to have done.I am going in to the docs office on her next visit.Maybe some spousal input will help with his diagnosois.Any body have any experience with welbutrin,I am going to research more before requesting wellbutrin for her,I would like to see her not have to use any meds to feel better,but I don't know if thats possible.I love this woman with my heart and soul and I will get her help.The thing that sux is she has went from a sex drive that equals mine to no sex drive at all.We usually have sex three times a day at least this has curtqailed to none to one time a day,tough on a guy like me that is used to lots of sex,Iwant my lover back,she in not replaceable

 

[pupper]

What I don't understand is the joint and muscle pain,it seems to be subsiding,although she is not her self,very argumentative,tense and uptight even with the benzo's.this stuff(lexapro)is some wicked stuff.I highly reccomend that any one wanting off thisstuff to wean off in sall increments with benzo's to take the edge off.Lexapro can be a wicked med,I'm sure it my work for others,and I wish the folks that are on it the best of luck and health.I will get my lover back on track,whatever it takes

 

[pupper]

Wellbutrin whats your experience?

Ok my soulmate has been down the lexapro highway with no luck(loss of libido,loss of orgasm,which is never a problem and changed her personalityto where she was a mind numbed robot after three short weeks of use)I was wondering what folks think of wellbutrin,I have read that sex drive/libido is uneffected,what about everyday personality,can anyone weigh in on their experience with this antideppresant.I don't want to see her walk around like jack nicholson in one flew over the cuckoo's nest after his lobotomy.She has a great personality an sense of humor and I would like to see it come back,if wellbutrin is the answer I will get her on it right away,I do not want to see her become a mind numbed robot.Fill me in on you thoughts wellbutrin users,is this the way to go?

 

[PhxPlay4n6]

Well, I've been on it for about 8 months, and here are my observations about myself and the feelings of my therapist. I can definitely say it doesn't make you a zombie, in fact it just makes you more mellow than anything. I find myself more easygoing than usual and I tend to let things roll off my back more easily. I don't let little things get to me like they did in the past.

Wellbutrin XL is not an SSRI, it works on the dopamine control in the brain, so it doesn't affect mood and sexual activity like seratonin drugs. I find that I am more outgoing and able to focus for a longer period of time. I also find that my sex drive is not affected at all, and in fact, it has been enhanced, especially when I first started it. I was having orgasms where I couldn't see straight afterward (good ones!), but that subsided eventually, but I'm still easily able to achieve orgasm when I want.

Not sure what else you'd like to know, but keep in mind everyone is different in regards to antidepressants. One person's magical drug is another one's nightmare. Lexapro is used in more of a social anxiety situation, whereas Wellbutrin is more of a general purpose drug. Do you happen to know her diagnosis? Dysthymia? Social Anxiety? Generalized Anxiety?

 

[mrmgp]

I tried Wellbutrin to quit smoking once. Was supposed to take it for a few weeks before actually quitting. Made me really short-tempered before I could get to the point of pitching the cigarettes.

 

[pupper]

Phx, I think from what you say,if it works the same on my lover it would help immenslyMy wife due to her upbringing tends to dwell on things that have no bearing on her life in general,she also tends to have a low self esteemstemming from a childhood where she was told she would never amount to anything.You wouldthink that after 17 years of me building her up and loving her would hae snapped her out of it.She does say she only feels comfortable when Iam with her.I feel she reads more into thingspeople say.My self I don't care what others think of me.I do get upset when my wife and children are slighted,but I think that this is More of a protectiveness That I feel over them not in a sick way I just want the best for them.Although I feel this protectiveness over my felow man in general.As a business man I feel business is not worth doing unless all involved benefit.I also feel that relationships are more important than any amount of money any one could make,friendships are all that matter when they bury us.I just hope that if she doe's take the wellbutrin it will help her with the dwelling over simple things that don'tmatter anyway.I will do more study on this drug and hope that I am making(and she is)making the right decision.She did try this med years ago and she claims it did nothing for her,I don't think she took it long enough,how long does it take to notice a difference with this med?Do you find you libido is there?She is very orgasmic and the loss of that closeness and orgasm tends to hurt her moods .Did say you are not mind numbed by wellbutrin,I love my wifes personality and dont want her to be numbed.She is the most special person in the world to me,and I don't want to get her all messed upon meds.

 

[pupper]

Well, I've

Not sure what else you'd like to know, but keep in mind everyone is different in regards to antidepressants. One person's magical drug is another one's nightmare. Lexapro is used in more of a social anxiety situation, whereas Wellbutrin is more of a general purpose drug. Do you happen to know her diagnosis? Dysthymia? Social Anxiety? Generalized Anxiety?

The do says Gad(generalized anxiety)I see that the main problems she has is after she has contact with her family(she has just recently cut themout of her life)I do feel she is still having a funeral over her loss of contact with family,but her family is very manipulative towards her,It's almost like they can't take the fact that she has changed and she does not condone and accept their dysfunctional behavior this upsets them and they try to drag her down(she has always ben the scapegoat I.E. the root of all the problems)from what I have observed they are the problem and she acts normal,but when she is around them her childhood(which was hell)comes crashing in.she also has panic attacks

 

[cremebrulee]

Personal experience with Wellbutrin

This might not answer your question, but I'd like to take a moment to plug Wellbutrin, if someone has to take depression medication. I recently found myself on depression meds after some serious shit that happened in my life. I flat-out told the doctor, "If you give me something that punks my libido, I'm not going to take it."

Turns out that Wellbutrin is actually a bit of an aphrodisiac:

http://archive.salon.com/sex/feature/2000/09/26/wellbutrin/

Not everyone feels this particular side effect, but at the very least, I've never known anyone whose libido was slowed or killed by this particular depression med.

It's actually increased my sex drive. Wonderful Wellbutrin, indeed.

I am glad to hear that Wellbutrin has increased your sex drive. I think for some it's the depression that actually cuts back on the sex drive (until it's under control), but in my case Wellbutrin increased the actual DRIVE but decreased my ability to orgasm . This was the case for several people I talked to who had taken the drug. One thing MEGA important about Wellbutrin ~ if it does not work to your or your doctor's satisfaction, please be sure they TAPER YOU OFF GRADUALLY! I can't emphasize this enough. I had one doctor not do the taper and it landed me in the hospital. It truly sucked. I have one good? thing to say about wellbutrin. When I first started it I felt high as a kite, like I was on coke or something. That lasted for several days and did it again when they upped my dosage. I talked non-stop. It was not a right feeling, but for some reason I enjoyed it. For my other input on Wellbutrin, well... I have one other post that is a testimony to the fact that NOBODY who is bi-polar or manic/depressive should EVER take this drug.

Glad it works for some, but after what I have witnessed very few of these drugs are failproof.

My best to you...

~Creme

 

[cremebrulee]

What I don't understand is the joint and muscle pain,it seems to be subsiding,although she is not her self,very argumentative,tense and uptight even with the benzo's.this stuff(lexapro)is some wicked stuff.I highly reccomend that any one wanting off thisstuff to wean off in sall increments with benzo's to take the edge off.Lexapro can be a wicked med,I'm sure it my work for others,and I wish the folks that are on it the best of luck and health.I will get my lover back on track,whatever it takes

Pupper~
One thing I have to commend you on, and i am sure most of us will agree~ YOU ARE THE MOST DEVOTED AND LOVING HUSBAND A LADY COULD EVER WANT!
It's so nice to see how much you care about your wife, the lengths you're willing to go for her. SHe is truly blessed to have you.
As far as the joint pain, is she having spasms or jitters of any kind? When they took me off the Lexapro I had physical spasms as well as the anxiety, apparently it was my body's way of responding to the threat of the anxiety - by giving more adrenalin thus causing more anxiety and more symptoms. I am sure a doc could explain how anxiety works with the body better than I can, but the over simplification I'll give it is like a reaction to a reaction to a reaction that just keeps building up til there are physical symptoms that can be very painful. WHen I went to the hospital I was convinced (as was my poor hubby) that I was having a stroke or heart attack. The muscles tensed and spasmed and it was painful for a couple days. Maybe that's what's up wiht your wife, even on a smaller scale?
I sure wish you the best. The one drug I did have luck with in treating both the anxiety and depression was BUSPAR. It seemed to have the fewest side effects and was easy to take for that reason. It was a subtler drug. I even went off all drugs for a while to give my brain and body a break and that went well, but only for a while til the depression set in. Now I only take Xanax when the anxiety gets bad, and can go sometimes a couple months with none at all. I have used strong mineral supplements and St John's WOrt for the depression with some luck and no side effects at all.

Please keep us posted on your wife's progress, and hang in there. It's gonna get better. Hey, she's got you!


~Creme

 

[hotkittykitty]

not a fan of wellbutrin

I haven't been personally been on Wellbutrin, but my lover recently was. I didn't like the way it affected him. He said himself he was having horrific mood swings, and our communication during his short trial of the drug (about 3 weeks) in a word - sucked. He was much less forthcoming, and generally not a lot of fun to be around.

Thankfully, he is off the med, and he is back to his former self. Our time together has gone back to being fun and enjoyable for both of us. Yes, he is still smoking (used the med to quit smoking), but I'll just have to deal with that.

 

[Heartless Bastard]

I think you will just have to wait and see what it does. It affects everyone different. I have took it to help me quit smoking. It helped but I was real bitchy and didn't like it. On the other hand my wife took for depression and it made her happy and increased her orgasm potential if anything but she tired of it after a while. Only time will tell.

 

[pupper]

I would rather her not take any anti deppresants,she is doing even better today

 

[cremebrulee]

I would rather her not take any anti deppresants,she is doing even better today

pupper~
Just out of curiousity, how long has she been treated with different antidepressents, etc and what was the original diagnosis?
That has a lot to do with all this...
SO GLAD to hear she's doing better. It's hell coming off those drugs for all involved, taper or not.

~Creme

 

[pupper]

She was on prozac for 5 years in the mid nineties(depression)she had a terrible family life growing up.the otherday she went to the psyc about adhd(which I have,I take 30mg adderrall xr per day)the psyc said she had gad and panic attacks.She really has been quite good for the last 5 or so years,he put her on lexapro,she told him she did not want tem,but she tryed them,oh what a mistake

 

[cremebrulee]

The do says Gad(generalized anxiety)I see that the main problems she has is after she has contact with her family(she has just recently cut themout of her life)I do feel she is still having a funeral over her loss of contact with family,but her family is very manipulative towards her,It's almost like they can't take the fact that she has changed and she does not condone and accept their dysfunctional behavior this upsets them and they try to drag her down(she has always ben the scapegoat I.E. the root of all the problems)from what I have observed they are the problem and she acts normal,but when she is around them her childhood(which was hell)comes crashing in.she also has panic attacks

Sounds to me as though you need to find a good therapist. The drugs only treat the symptoms, but won't make the triggers or causes go away (or the memories or the past...). My best luck was with a fantastic therapist who was open to listening listening listening and pulling things out of me I rarely shared and then calling me when I was perpetuating my own issues. Therapists like this are hard to find, but worth looking for. Instead of seeing the psychiatrist, maybe try a combo with a psychologist for a while before going back? Just a thought, it sure made a HUGE difference here.

My best to you

~Creme

 

[Buzzbomb62]

Libido and Depression

I haven't read the whole thread so sorry if this has been mentioned, but the primary cause of lack of sex drive is the illness itself. If your medication or other treatment is working you would hopefully get interested again. If the medication is working and the sex drive is muted by drugs...I believe that's the price you have to pay.
As someone who has battled severe depression for a long time, I'd rather have my mind free of its agonies than quit my meds because of libido. It's a nasty pay-off but often just has to be accepted, hopefully only for a time.

 

[SweetErika]

She was on prozac for 5 years in the mid nineties(depression)she had a terrible family life growing up.the otherday she went to the psyc about adhd(which I have,I take 30mg adderrall xr per day)the psyc said she had gad and panic attacks.She really has been quite good for the last 5 or so years,he put her on lexapro,she told him she did not want tem,but she tryed them,oh what a mistake

Pupper, I don't mean to be anything but supportive, but I'm noticing a couple of themes here that you may want to consider.
1) The psychiatrist doesn't seem to be acting in her (and probably your) best interest. She has a right to be informed and refuse medications...why would he prescribe it, and why the hell would she take it if she didn't want to? Also, as I've said before, why wouldn't he insist on seeing her when she was having problems and that she get therapy in conjunction with the drugs, especially the benzos.

2) Neither your wife nor you seem to be agressively/proactively advocating for her wellbeing. I'm not saying you don't love her...it's clear you do, but things like therapy and treatment by a doctor who follows a certain standard of care could make all the difference in the world. Also, correct me if I'm wrong, but you took her off the Lexapro cold-turkey YOURSELVES. Why on earth would you do that when several people here and all of the medical info available told you that was a really dangerous thing to do? Why not speak to the doctor, and if he'd told you something against all of the research, find a different doctor? What's your wife's role in her care? Does she want to get better long-term? Will she try therapy in an attempt to do so? Is she making the major decisions here?

3) It seems like your desire for sex many times a day is overriding other important things. I'm not minimizing the importance of sex, but is reducing it to once a day or every few days horrid enough to put her wellbeing at risk? I've been on psychoactive meds and gone through some pretty tough therapy, and while our sex life slowed way down (and stopped at times), that was what I needed to get better in the long run. All I'm saying is maybe you're prioritizing it a bit too high and prolonging her problems by doing so.

FWIW, I've had a good experience and almost no side effects from Buspar in the past as well. It can be combined with an anti-depressant, but I found those to have too many side effects and cut it down to just the Buspar after a few months.

 

[cremebrulee]

FWIW, I've had a good experience and almost no side effects from Buspar in the past as well. It can be combined with an anti-depressant, but I found those to have too many side effects and cut it down to just the Buspar after a few months.

The one and ONLY side effect (and I usually experience them ALL with everything I try) I had with Buspar was some vision issues that we couldn't figure out even if they were related to the drug or not, but they worsened with it and slowly got a bit better when I weaned off... so it looks like it was related.
I truly hope you and your wife can get this straightened out soon.
Just one more thing - when I tapered off or went off any anti-depressant I felt pretty darned good for a while. You have to remember the drugs stay in the system for a while and the side effects are sometimes the first to go so you feel like you're doing OK without drugs. Sometimes that may be true, but I'd keep an eye on things, it's easier to treat if you can see the anxiety or depression coming on than to wait til she's having a full blown panic/anxiety attack and try to counteract it. Trust me ~ BEEN THERE.

My best to you both

~Creme

 

[pupper]

Is Wellbutrin a good med to snap someone out of depression?Are there any negatives to this med?We may try it when we see the doc on Friday.I would rather her not be on any meds at all.