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Lexapro: 10mg Enough?
Kotenk
Registered User regular
Registered User regular
Preface: I'm in therapy, and this is doctor percscribed. He's stated openly that if I feel the need to up my dosage to 20mg, he can rewrite the perscription. Thus, this is where I asked...
Is 10mg enough? Everyone of my friends who is on it (surprisingly, after telling them I started, several told me they are on it), stated it's a "low dose".
I'm considering upping my dosage but I'm curious what's "normal". I can tell a difference when I'm on it (mostly because I was away from it for a week before coming back), but I don't know if it's.... enough? I'm taking it for some general anxiety/depression, but I know it's not a miracle drug so I'm not sure if it's false expectations to up the dose or whether it actually may not be enough. I feel like there is still some left behind but that could just be work stress/relationship stuff.
I know you are all not doctor's, but I figured some of you out there may be on it and have some personal anecdote to share.
Is 10mg enough? Everyone of my friends who is on it (surprisingly, after telling them I started, several told me they are on it), stated it's a "low dose".
I'm considering upping my dosage but I'm curious what's "normal". I can tell a difference when I'm on it (mostly because I was away from it for a week before coming back), but I don't know if it's.... enough? I'm taking it for some general anxiety/depression, but I know it's not a miracle drug so I'm not sure if it's false expectations to up the dose or whether it actually may not be enough. I feel like there is still some left behind but that could just be work stress/relationship stuff.
I know you are all not doctor's, but I figured some of you out there may be on it and have some personal anecdote to share.
Kotenk on
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No one can give advice on how you feel and whether you should up the dose, Especially considering how everyone reacts differently to different drugs and doses
I agree... it was hard to word my exact feelings.
Basically, I do notice an improvement, I still have some of that latent "stress"/bad-energy. I'm not 100% sure if thats still the chemical imbalance, or the fact that I'm still surrounded by some stress-inducing stuff.
Before I make that decision, I'm curious if anyone else on it takes a similar dosage.
Let's see, some comments:
I like my dosage, personally. It takes the edge off things a bit when I get all freaked out or start withdrawing. I basically see it as curving my usual reactions so that I'm not bouncing around the wavelength of emotions too much.
However, it's not a wonder drug, and it only really works in concert with all the other usual depression stuff (which your doctor/therapist should have gone over with you.) It's part of a whole-package effort, and it's about finding the specific combination of things that work for you.
That said, I'm speaking from the perspective of someone who has quite the tangled emotional history on top of chemical depression, so your experience may be different.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me - sorry if I'm not being that verbose, kinda tired.
Usually the dosing schedules you hear about are 5mg, 10mg, 20mg, and 40mg. I don't think I've ever heard of anybody being dosed outside that schedule (although it certainly is possible).
Basically, if you feel it working, but it feels "mild" or you're still having problems with depressive symptoms, don't be too scared to ask for 20mg.
And just FYI, Lexapro is one of the most well-tolerated antidepressants - in other words, it tends to have fewer side effects and less severe side effects than other antidepressants. That's another reason not to be too scared of going up from 10 to 20.
But as Buttcleft says, everybody experiences antidepressants differently.
the "no true scotch man" fallacy.
I'm still a bit torn because the main source of my stress/depression is another person... and I still have to see them everyday... It's better but naturally I'm still not over it. I'm potentially on the verge of distancing from them (potential job offer outside the state), so I'm sort of waiting on that before I take alternative measures.
The #1 thing I was told was "things that make you sad will still make you sad", so it's a bit difficult deciphering whether it's a natural emotional reaction or the depression.
I can sympathize completely. My boss right now is a huge pain in my ass, but because he's my PhD advisor, I'm really not in a position to just up and leave (I've put way too much time into it to quit now). I've been on 20 mg lexapro for about 6 months now (after having started with 5 mg and then 10 mg doses). I have to be honest, the transition from 10 to 20 mg for me was quick enough that I can't tell the difference between them. Whatever happens, good luck.
Anecdotes are worse then useless when it comes to medicine, especially mental health. The drugs prescribed by psychiatrists are notoriously variable in how they effect individuals, meaning there are only really two qualified groups to participate in this discussion:
You
Your psychiatrist