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396099 tn?1216254986

I'm considering Lexapro for the anxiety.

I'm on day 14 or15 off 40 mill / day (chewing) Oxy  Maybe I'm nieve but I hoped/expected to feel better than this by now.  The constant ups and downs of the anxiety is really really really starting to wear me down,  

The good days are kind of rare but sort of ok.  The days at work are decent because my mind is busy.  But the evenings are becoming really really tough.  I saw my GP about the anxiety early in the process (He doesn't know about the oxy) and he suggested that I may be developing a General Anxiety Disorder.  He gave me a script for low dose Xanex and suggested that if it persists that I consider Lexapro.  I blew it off because i figured I'd "get over it". Now I'm not so sure.  I can't go on like this indefinately.  I've done everything I can think to do.  Vitamins, excercise (down 10lbs), healthy diet.  I'm even spending a lot of time thinkig "out loud" with my wife (and I'm reminded why I lover her so much)

I've read some decent things about Lexapro.  It "seems" to give a LOT of help to the people who need it.   But D#mmit.  I do not want to take pills.   The way I look at it is I don't have anxiety because my body is Loxapro deficient.  I was an absolute rock of a man before I started playing with opiats.  Unflappable!  This is NOT who I am.

Anyway.  sorry for the rant...  Can anyone offer any advice about Lexapro.   I'm unclear as to weather it's just another addiction that I will have to kick eventually.  Is it something I could take as a crutch in the short term.  Is it a dumb idea at this stage.  I've read the PAWS articles and I get that this is part of it but damm...   I'd take another week of physical withdrawl over another day of this nonsense.

Thanks...
13 Responses
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396099 tn?1216254986
Just curious but were you in a similar position?  I'm just wondering how it played out long term.
Helpful - 0
Avatar universal
My experience - take the lexapro for about three months and re evaluate.....it treated me very well.
Helpful - 0
401786 tn?1309152034
It is an amino acid.  Try a health food store or a GNC.
Helpful - 0
396099 tn?1216254986
I've been on a hunt for L-theanine for a few days.  It seems the average Walgreens/CVS  doesn't carry it.  I'm guessing I need a supplement store?
Helpful - 0
401786 tn?1309152034
w/d will cause your pulse and BP to elevate.  Your BP will be that way longer than the elevated pulse.  w/d causes anxiety, so whether or not you had it before almost doesn't matter cause you'll have it then.  Hey Hopsing!
Helpful - 0
393709 tn?1295964416
L-theanine is a natural suppliment that is supposed to help with anxiety.  Avisg has a post in her journal entry titled help for tramadol withdrawal.  I think a lot of it would help everyone.  I will be trying the L-theanine.  Bad anxiety!  I guess thats why we got hooked in the first place. numb, numb, numb
Helpful - 0
356054 tn?1218552475
Hey man I too went to see my dr because of my blood pressure and chest pains. My bp was high and stayed high for two weeks. She did an EKG and it came back fine. I did notice if I took a xanax when i felt it coming it would take the anxiety away and ward off the craving that came with it.
Helpful - 0
401786 tn?1309152034
First time I asked to get off my pain meds doc said no, so I did it myself.  Stupid idea at the time.  I went to the E.R. too.  I wasn't sure whether or not I was having a heart attack.  I've got the same **** you do.  The anxiety has gone into full-blown panic attack, and man I gotta tell you, can't imagine anything worse.  I still have anxiety and insomnia, although sleep came for the first time in just about two weeks last night.  It was broken and causes rebound anxiety, but I happily took it.  You and I are experiencing textbook s/s of opiate w/d.  Your mind races, when you close your eyes, your eyes bounce all over the place or go from side to side?  Mine did, it's called nystagmus.  It finally went away.  Every little noise bounced me right off the freakin' sofa like I was levitating!  I had the t.v. turned down, lights too, lights drove me nuts.  The kids had to be quiet around me, turned down the phone too.  I'm day 13 and so much better.  Not normal, stiff suffering, anxiety, insomnia, pain, sneezing, but BETTER.  We're gonna get through this!
Helpful - 0
396099 tn?1216254986
Thanks for the quick response.  So far in this whole process I've taken Xanex for the first 3 days (to sleep basically) and twice when I felt that the anxiety was close to becoming a full blown panic attack.  On day 4 I went to the hospital thinking I was having a heart attack.  2 EKG's and 2 rounds of blood work later I was told that my heart's fine. It's severe anxiety.  I didn't mention the withdrawl but would have had it been serious.   I guess for now I will continue to live with it and take only the minimum amount of Xanex necesessary to cope.  A few more weeks of this will DEFINATELY put the exclamanation point on my foolishness.  This is like having a dripping faucet in your brain that just will not let you relax.
Helpful - 0
401786 tn?1309152034
Hey hang in there, you got this far.  Remember how bad it was at Day 4, or 8?  I do, I'm day 13 off Fentanyl patches (200mcg) for four yrs.  I've been here all week and was scared to death about the level of anxiety and sleeplessness I was having.  I ain't through it yet and I expected to be feeling relatively normal by Day 10.  I try to remind myself that no matter how sh*tty I feel, that I felt worse days ago, which indicates improvement and that this is a longer process than I anticipated.  I posted some stuff yesterday about what med texts say about the length of w/d and some can expect severe pervasive anxiety for up to 6 mos.  Which is not to say that you will, only to sa that it doesn't go away in 2 weeks necessarily.  Remember, you were CHEWING the Oxy, so instead of getting the right dose (number on pill), you got craploads because it was meant to give a certain dose over a long (12 hours) period of time.  Lexapro has a cumulative affect and is classified as an antidepressant (although is also prescribed for G.A.D.).  So, if you took it for this anxiety you're having (for w/d), first off, it doesn't work for regular anxiety/dep for several weeks and you must be vigilant in taking it.  It can even cause anxiety in some.  Your doc doesn't know about the oxy, but she did give you Xanax (Alprazolam).  That's your better bet, it is given for acute reasons mainly and works quickly.  It is also addictive, as all benzodiazepines are, so be careful, take only what is prescribed, only when you need it, and taper off before stopping if you took it alot as it can cause rebound anxiety if you stop like that (w/d).
Helpful - 0
356054 tn?1218552475
Lexapro is not addicting,however you cannot quit it cold turkey.  I take it and it helps sllightly with the anxiety. Nothing close to the xanax but the xanax is very addicting. At week 3 I felt the exact same way and pretty sure that is what led to me using again last weekend. So here we go again on day 5 and guess whats back. I know like you the anxiety is part of it. There are some natural things to help with it. I don't know what they are yet but you can bet I will be looking for them now. The problem with quitting lexapro is if you do it c/t you will have these shockwaves in your head like little brain tremors. It is freaky and will drive you nuts. They come and go and last about 3-4 weeks. If you taper slowly off the lex its not so bad. I've done both. Currently taking 10 mgs twice a day. Trying to get out of this funk from the w/d's. Good luck and let me know if you find a solution to the anxiety. It wore me down to.
Helpful - 0
402205 tn?1230481005
I'm not one to recommend substituting one pill for another but I did take Lexapro for 2 months after a bad divorce and it really helped with the highs and lows. I went right off of it (10mg 2 times a day) with no problem.
Helpful - 0
404630 tn?1204287870
never had lexapro, but i have took xanax they make me really mean and i forget everything i did, i feel the same way bout quitting taking pills, its like to quit taking one pill we have to replace it with another, try to fight it out a few more days b4 you get lexapro, im sure this anxiety will pass, just try to tough it out, i know its hard, good luck
Helpful - 0
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