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Lexapro 20 and buscopine 5 once a day

I took lexapro 10 for over 10 years. I left it cold turkey and on August 12. I started having anxiety issues. My doctor prescribed lexapro 10 again took it for 3 weeks and after not seeing improving he raised it to 20. I have been on 20 for 3 weeks now and not much of an improvement. I went to see him on Thursday and he added buscopine 5 mg once a day. I really need to know how much longer before I feel better. It’s been a very bad experience going through this again. Would this combination help and how much longer for it to help. I start talk therapy on Monday.  I need positive vibes!!
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973741 tn?1342342773
So, you are never supposed to stop an antidepressant cold turkey.  You were on a lower dose so it may have worked out for you but those medications need to be tapered down with decreasing doses over time. The general rule of thumb is that antidepressants take 6 to 8 weeks to reach full therapeutic effect and can have start up side effects in the beginning. You are feeling bad but it has been a short time.  
Also, something to remember is that SSRI's and these medications are helpers.  They do not completely alleviate anxiety all together.  They take the edge off and make it so you can cope but you will still have some anxiety where it would make sense for what is going on in your life. Are you having some things going on in life that are leading to this more anxious state?

Yes, terrific that you are starting therapy on MOnday!  I am sure this will all combine to help you or at least you will be working with those who can give you next step ideas if what you are currently doing doesn't help.  Let us know how therapy goes Monday or if you need to talk before then, we are here.  
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Thanks for the quick reply. The only think I can tell you that trigger my anxiety was my job changed systems and they made some changes that I took very hard. I was diagnosed with GAD anxiety this time but 15 years ago I had depression.  I started feeling better but now I feel it’s a little worst my doctor said to be patient as lexapro would help me and that’s why he added buspirone to alíviate and help me out sooner. I just pray this passes Because i feel so hopeless and have my family all worried about my issues
I'm not sure what your doc is doing is the proper way to go about this.  Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a regular doc?  If it's a regular doc, I'd encourage you to see a really good psychiatrist or psychopharmacologist.  10mg is the anxiety dose the manufacturer recommends for Lexapro.  20mg is what it recommends for depression.  But when you've been on a med for a long time, it can poop out and a higher dose can help.  But since you've only been back on the drug for 3 weeks, too short a time to know if it's going to work or not, upping the dose now is too soon.  It can increase side effects.  You may need that dose, but getting to it in a slow taper is the way to do that.  As Mom said, quitting cold turkey is a bad idea, and the reason is that it makes a bad and long withdrawal more likely.  One of the symptoms of a long and bad withdrawal is getting emotional problems you never had before you started taking it.  So if you were on it for depression and you got anxiety when you stopped, the withdrawal might be the cause of the increased anxiety.  Buspar, on the other hand, doesn't actually have a good clinical record of success, so it's mainly used nowadays as an adjunct for an antidepressant that is working but not working as well as was hoped.  Since you have no idea if the Lex will work this time around -- quite often with these drugs once you stop taking one it might not work again for you.  I'm not sure that applies in your case, because if this increased anxiety is due to your brain trying to adapt to not having the Lex in your system anymore and not to some other cause  going back on it is a good thing to try to get normalized again and if you want to stop it still once it starts working again you do it with as slow a taper off as suits you -- it's too early to be adding another drug.  One thing at a time so you know whether the Lex will work or not.  You don't add a drug to a drug that doesn't work, you only add -- something you can research called augmentation -- to a drug that is working.  If it isn't working at all, you have to stop it and try something else.  If your doc is using the buspar as a benzo -- to temper your anxiety until the Lex kicks in -- again, it hasn't shown a lot of success in doing that.  As for your job change, that might have triggered stress, but anxiety is a chronic ailment, not a temporary response to things that happen in life that throw us for a loop.  Either that goes away or you have to find another place to work, but that's not anxiety.  Anxiety really doesn't have to have a reason, it just is, but life will have times that make us nervous and stressed and scared.  That's not the same as chronic anxiety.  So make sure you're on the right course, so you can get better.  If you think you are on the right course, give it some time, be patient.  And drugs won't cure you.  Therapy might.  The two go together.  Whatever you do, I hope it all goes back to a good place soon.
Thanks for your input. I have bad days and ok days. It’s a regular doctor I am seeing. I asked him if he thought lexapro will work this time and he said yes I just had to give it time. I just finished week 5 of lexapro. 2 of 10mg and 3 of 20 mg. Just Thursday he added the buscopine 5 mg. I just hope and pray they kick in. I start therapy with a counselor on Monday my first appt is at 3 pm. I am just so fearful of lots of things and I have been to work at least 3 days out of the week. My mind just can’t stop worrying and that gets me anxious.  Again thanks and pray for me.
I have started seeing a therapist first day was last Monday. Tomorrow I will see her again. It’s been an ok days after I posted not completely out of it but I know I will get there just like I did the first time. I pray a lot and that kind of helps I also try to walk outside even though my allergies get bad. I might need to do something indoors like yoga or something.  
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