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#1
Jan 08, 2015, 08:22 PM
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Hi, has anyone taken Lexapro or Trazodone? I know Trazodone helps with sleep but will Lexapro do anything for my anxiety? I have PTSD and I'm really struggling with intrusive thoughts and anxiety resulting from paranoia. I have taken beta blockers before but they did nothing for the thoughts. This will be my first SSRI. Is it safe to take?
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"We deny that we're tired, we deny that we're scared, we deny how badly we want to succeed. And most importantly, we deny that we're in denial. We only see what we want to see and believe what we want to believe, and it works. We lie to ourselves so much that after a while the lies start to seem like the truth. We deny so much that we can't recognize the truth right in front of our faces." |
 sideblinded
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#2
Jan 08, 2015, 10:12 PM
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Hi wolfie205
I have been on both of these meds. I used to be on Trazodone but I didn't like the side effects. I also used to be on Lexapro. I do believe that Lexapro helped my anxiety. The SSRI's are known to help with some people's anxiety. Everyone is different and everyone's anxiety is different so whether it will be the med for you, I don't know. I would give it a shot as the literature shows it has promise. It did brighten my mood and that alone helped with my anxiety. I chose to go off SSRI's as a personal choice. I may go back on an antidepressant that has some reuptake of serotonin next week when I see my pdoc. Is it safe? It is as safe as any other psych med. Don't know about specific stats. I do know that if you have to come off of it, the SSRI's have a well documented discontinuation syndrome and you should taper off of it slowly. I would start slow and go up slowly with the med. You never know if a med will be the right one unless you try it. Your doctor will guide you. Best wishes. |
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#3
Jan 09, 2015, 10:58 AM
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The only way to know if Lexapro will help with your anxiety is to try it and see. I took its ugly cousin Celexa for a long time along with Effexor. Taking those two together was one of the most effective things I have taken.
Trazadone I took for a long time for sleep but I don't like it that much. It knocked me out in ten minutes and I woke up with the hangover effect. I like Remeron much better. It works great for me. Lots of people gain weight on it so won't take it. In my opinion (based on my 20 years of experience, the experience of others I know and have known, the fact that millions of people have been taking them for decades, and all the studies I have read) SSRI's and SSNRI's are safe to take. The biggest risk is withdrawals if you stop taking it. I have read from reputable sources that 20% of people get withdrawal symptoms when stopping. You always want to taper off very slowly with any med. Most people get some side effects that usually go away. some people get side effects that are unbearable and have to stop. You would know in the first couple of weeks. The most common that most people get are the sexual side effects that don't go away. In my experience and from what others have said these are not permanent and go away once you stop the med. It is a tough trade off for many of us. Harder for women than men I think. If you are not in a relationship not as big of a deal. I can't find any evidence that SSRI's or SSNRI's in adults have any long term adverse effects. For teenagers it is riskier as their brains are still growing and developing. With any drug there will always be some people that have serious adverse reactions. You could be allergic to it. It can trigger mania in some people who are prone to it. If you have a serious reaction stop right away and call your doctor.
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The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back Last edited by Altered Moment; Jan 09, 2015 at 11:20 AM. |
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#5
Jan 09, 2015, 01:08 PM
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Effectiveness is a different story for an SSRI. There are very few long term studies on effectiveness that I can find. There are some long term studies that compare different antidepressants to each other and some are more effective than others. There is lots of meta analysis of all the short term (6 to 8 weeks) clinical trials combined that show they are statistically better than placebo. There is a difference between clinically significant and statistically significant. 6 to 8 weeks in my opinion doesn't tell you much compared to real world clinical practice since they can take 4 to 6 weeks to work and sometimes 8. In my opinion you should take one 8 weeks to give it a fair shot provided you don't have unbearable side effects. I think the jury is still out and we need good long term studies. Many people on these boards will say they are highly effective and many people will say they do nothing for them. Overall in the real world it is hard to say. Everything I have read would put it in the 40 to 60% range, some estimates higher.
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The "paradox" is only a conflict between reality and your feeling of what reality "ought to be." -- Richard Feynman Major Depressive Disorder Anxiety Disorder with some paranoid delusions thrown in for fun. Recovering Alcoholic and Addict Possibly on low end of bi polar spectrum...trying to decide. Male, 50 Fetzima 80mg Lamictal 100mg Remeron 30mg for sleep Klonopin .5mg twice a day, cutting this back |
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