Lexapro

Coops- To let Lexapro (or any SSRI antidepressant) do it's job, it might help to understand how it works....

SSRI stands for Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor.

Imagine there being a barrier in your brain that prevents everything from your brain getting into your blood stream and vice versa. This barrier is called the "blood/brain barrier."

Serotonin is the main chemical in your brain that controls mood.

Now imagine that barrier not being "tough enough" (for the lack of a better term) and letting all your Serotonin wash out thru the blood/brain barrier. Once it is on your blood stream, you end up pissing it out.

SSRIs toughen up the barrier and allow more Serotonin to stay in the brain.

More Serotonin in the brain ---> improved mood.

 

Doesn't Serotonin have something to do with sleep? Do you produce more of this stuff when you sleep?

 

melatonin

 

Hell I'm on Effexor and have been for 3 years and I love it. I went from being depressed 75% of the time to almost never. I know several people that take Lexapro or Celexa and they do fine with it. The first 2 or 3 days you will have som weird side effects, but they go away after that.

 

Funny you say that about the first 2 or 3 days. I msged Fred yesterday cuz I was feeling quite spacey and out of body (a lot of confusion). I couldn't focus on anything. Didn't get anything done at work. I'm hoping today and this weekend I won't see that side effect.

 

It makes you feel nice and super relaxed..but I found myself getting a little depressed after coming off the pill.

 

Cut down to 10mg today. I was sleeping 10-14 hours on the weekends (in addition to 2-3 hour naps when possible) and 9-11 hours during the week. We'll see if this works or if maybe I need the in between dosage. Good thing is she gave me enough samples for 6 weeks!

Yeah I've felt pretty calm with a lot of things going on in my life. It got crazy about 3 weeks ago and although I was heartbroken over a few things, I was able to deal with them in a positive way.

 

i hope relief comes soon and lasts for you, coops.

 

my doctor gave me some samples just this morning...he calls it the "pissed off man drug" and said he wouldn't mind seeing this added to our water supply...safest one there is he says

3 things i guess cause high blood pressure...hereditary, diet, & tension

He said he had patients he's put on blood pressure meds and anti-depressants and eventually stopped the bp meds...also he said Lexapro should is not as addictive but does not mix well with alcohol

also, he mentioned that if i ever fely like hurting anybody, myself included, to let him know...he hasn't seen it in his patients, but the teenage stories on lexapro are out there, etc...

 

I wash mine down with Coronas nightly :bananalam