Opinions on Lexapro and Effexor?

[Blockhead59]

I can't speak for Effexor but I strongly dislike Lexapro. I took that and Depakote for a little while and it felt like my mind had been muffled, not like an anti-anxiety or antipsychotic "zombie" effect, but like an unnatural personality change, that also included horrible agitation. However, I know an individual who has been completely altered for the better with Lexapro, to each their own. Thank you.

Like has been said, I could not have put it better, greaseman. i was put on Lexapro many years ago. I remember walking through the food court of a mall nearby and thinking that no one should feel like this.  Not a zombie, but some kind of jumpy zombie, one who hasn't made it over to the other side yet. And is too confused and anxious to stay or go. Hated it. Can't speak to Effexor.

[Xfizzler]

If you also have anxiety, Stay away from Effexor cause is norepinephrine reuptake  too, not just serotonin.

Thanks for your response Relaxme, I will certainly look more into this Effexor drug. Certainly don’t want any more issues than I already have.

[texasoutlaw]

Ive taken both and i honestly have to say that effexor was the better med for me. I believe i didnt really start seeing results till the dosage as upped to about the 150mg range

[Zobra]

I was on a light dose of Lexapro for a while and I actually liked the difference it was making. I was going through some very traumatic events and it took the edge off of how badly it was affecting me. However, I had a pretty rare side effect in that it gave me slight head tremors. Well, it was the muscles in my neck of course but it would make me twitch my head from side to side. Imperceptible to someone looking at me but it was really annoying, especially when working at the computer. That and I would occasionally wake up with the ol' restless legs, which is actually very uncomfortable. I did like the vivid dreams it would give me though. But in the end I decided to quit it.

My doctor did suggest Effexor but after doing research and reading up about other people's experiences I decided against it. It sounds very hard to quit if you ever need to. And it comes in capsules so you can just cut a pill into smaller parts. I heard of some people opening the capsules and actually counting each tiny little dot of the med so they could taper down. Sounded awful. In the end I was too scared to take it. And here I am several years later still struggling with depression, med-less. Hope you find something that works. My wife takes Wellbutrin and works very well for her. Now that I think about it I took that one for a while too but it made me very cold-hearted, not caring about anything at all, and without any positive effects.

[Xfizzler]

Hello to all!

I thank you for giving me all your wonderful thoughts and insight on each one of your experiences on theses two Prescriptions. I think ultimately I’m going to stay away from both. I do suffer from anxiety but it’s not to the point that it’s crippling or a point where I need to be on something 24 seven.  I had doubts about both prescriptions and after reading about each of them I had to bring it up on this forum to confirm my suspicions. Obviously the prescriptions are good for some and bad for others I understand this. But for now I’d rather just not take either of them. I just don’t know enough of my own personal condition to make a solid decision. Once again I think you all for the advice very much appreciated. And for whoever else this thread helped out or anyone else in the future glad it was started.

Xfizzler

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I was on Effexor for a year back in the horrible dot-com era - Kaiser Permanente insurance, they don't write for benz@s AT ALL.  Plus: It did control my GAD, minus, it leeched every emotion and my entire libido from me.  I was a humdrum robot for a year...Not anxious, not happy, not sad, really didn't care about anything at all.

That's not to say it will effect you in that manner, but everyone I speak to who has been prescribed the Devil's own SSRI (Effexor) describes similar results.

My youngest daughter, on the other hand, has been on Lexapro for five years, first 10mg, then 20mg daily, and she's completely happy with it.  Eliminated her panic attacks completely, hasn't affected her mood or character - She loves it.  She's also on 20mg Adderall a day (10mg twice a day) for ADHD - I wish they'd tested her earlier for that one, she did well at University, but could have done better.

Hi Oldboy!

Interestingly enough I to am on kaiser Permanente insurance.  And they are the ones that I’ve been wanting to take me off of my usual and Zaidi medication and or pushing both the Effexor and Lexapro on me. It just seems like they want to put me on something that’s going to give me further side effects so that they can continue to profit off of these new prescriptions that “they” the doctors Get kickbacks
. Well I refuse to be the guinea pig. I’m just upset that they want to taper me off of what I’m used to and put me on something completely else not necessary for me to take.

[Xfizzler]

These are effective for depression but getting off of them is hell. I’m a 44 y/o female and I gained weight (20 pounds) in about 5 weeks so I got off of them PRONTO. This is where the real “fun” began. I suffered from “brain zaps” and that’s a real thing. They lasted for weeks and I had only been on Effexor for a month. These brain zaps are no joke. They feel like bolts of lighting going off in your head. It’s the worst feeling in the world. I asked my pharmacist about it and she said to start them again and then ween off. I tried that too. I took them for a week, and tapered down every other day and it still happened. I have taken so many SSRI’s, tricyclics, mood stabilizers but nothing has ever done to me what Effexor did. It may not happen to you, this is just a warning though. After speaking to my doc, he said this was “common.” Thanks for telling me before hand!!!!

I’ve been a human guinea pig for docs wanting to try the latest and greatest on me and it’s all the same crap, different label. I refuse to do it anymore so I will go the IOP route because I know what works for me. When I tell a doc what I need and what has worked for years, they are often offended as if lil ole me would know more than them. It’s my body, so yes, as a matter of fact I do!

Hi Loko44!

Wow! I am Sincerely sorry you have had to go through such a horrible experience. I to know  what works for me because it goes into my body. That’s why I was questioning why I was being prescribed these two different medications back to back I’m so glad and grateful that I have found the answers to the questions I was looking for. There’s no way that I’m going to except what doctor has prescribed to me and be used as a guinea pig.  This is the exact reason why I have turned to the IOP myself. Sorry for answering so short but I’m celebrating my eighth year anniversary and have limited access to Wi-Fi. But thank you for your views on the matter.