Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that my son saw a doctor today (whom I had talked to earlier in the week and gave him the background information) and he said the visit was really good. He was able to talk about his issues and explain what parts of his behavior he was having trouble managing on his own. At first, the doc was going to change him from the Ritalin SR which he's been on for so long to Strattera and Lexapro, but apparently there's a drug interaction between the two and so he's going to continue on the Ritalin but DC the Wellbutrin and start taking the Lexapro. From info I've gotten on the internet, it all sounds okay to me. Auntchris, I encouraged my son to take a more active role in his health care and management of his ADD but told him I would be happy to continue to provide input if he wanted. We had a really nice talk about where he is in his life and where he wants to go. I wish his GF was a little more understanding about how hard some of his behavioral issues are for him...I feel like she puts alot of pressure on him to change but doesn't get how hard that is to accomplish when you have ADD. Anyway, he's feeling like he's got a better plan now, he likes the doc, and I also feel like we're on the right track. Anyone have experience with taking Lexapro...did it give you annoying side effects when you started and did they go away? Just wondering what to anticipate if anything.

Hope you're all having a decent weekend...we're in the middle of the monsoons here in southwestern AZ and I'm ready for the dry heat again!:eek:

Sadmom

I take lexapro. Currently it is all I take. I was taking adderall but had to quit. ( long story).

Everybody is different but lexapro has been good for me. I don't have any really bad side effects. I have a little sexual dysfunction but I doubt at your kid's age that will be a problem for him. MY mouth sometimes gets a little dry but that's about it.

Lexapro is much safer drug than ritalin or adderall or concerta.

Wishing you the best of luck.

I am on Celexa but havre taken Lexapro in place of it for a couple weeks and then the dr put me back on Celexa. she didnt have any sample of Celexa in her office but the Lexapro and Celexa are quite alot the same type of medication.

I was told that Celexa is the mildest antidepressant there is that I know of.

Thanks for your input...it sounds like Lexapro may work for my son. I also read some of the threads about Strattera...I think I'm glad he's not going to take that right now. It seems like it may not have as good a desired effect as some of the other meds.

Sadmom

Hello all! Just wanted to let you know that my son saw a doctor today (whom I had talked to earlier in the week and gave him the background information) and he said the visit was really good. He was able to talk about his issues and explain what parts of his behavior he was having trouble managing on his own. At first, the doc was going to change him from the Ritalin SR which he's been on for so long to Strattera and Lexapro, but apparently there's a drug interaction between the two and so he's going to continue on the Ritalin but DC the Wellbutrin and start taking the Lexapro. From info I've gotten on the internet, it all sounds okay to me.

I just had Strattera added this morning to my Wellbutrin XL and Lexapro. The pdoc that prescribed it didn't mention any interactions and a quick search on few drug-drug interaction sites didn't bring up anything.

I used to take Lexapro, but the side effects for the first 2-3 weeks of taking it were really hard on my body. I was getting nausea, dizziness, and night sweats. In the morning it felt like I had a major hangover.
It dissapeared after a month, but if I ever went off and started back on it again, I'd be afraid to.
It has helped the anxiety/depression thing though- the knot in my stomach has mostly gone away. We all have our good and bad days.

I just had Strattera added this morning to my Wellbutrin XL and Lexapro. The pdoc that prescribed it didn't mention any interactions and a quick search on few drug-drug interaction sites didn't bring up anything.You really shouldn't mix Strattera (atomoxetine HCl) and Wellbutrin (bupropion) - they don't play well together in your brain. They both want to grab the same precursors to activate the reuptake inhibition of norepinephrine, and as both work on norepinephrine mixing the two probably isn't such a hot idea in the first place.:(

My neurologist replaced Strattera with Lexapro, a change which proved productive. I took Strattera with Ritalin, due largely to exhaustion from Strattera, but never took Lexapro alone.

Will you let us know what results the meds update derive?

Best Wishes!

I've just started Lexapro along with my existing Concerta and Ritalin booster. I can't seem to find much in the threads about it. Any advice?

I just started it a few days ago. Today, I felt NERVOUS to the point of shakey, but oddly enough, not in a bad way...? That is just weird, right? Also, I felt embarrassed, kind of guilty - like I was getting caught doing something I shouldn't. At one point, I even blushed while talking to someone and I had no reason to whatsoever.

I'm 19 and have recently been diagnosed. My psych said she would treat the ADHD first, and then treat the depression and anxiety if the symptoms didnt cease due to the adderall. Needless to say, the stimulant made me more anxious while the depression pretty much stayed the same, and in a few cases got worse. I've been on Lexapro for about a month now and I love it. Anxiety is gone for the most part, but I do notice comes back slightly towards the end of the day (i take it in the morn). I read on the lexapro website 10mg is more for depression, and 20mg is more for depression and anxiety. I might bump my rx up to 20mg at my next appointment bc my mom is on that and she likes it. Anyways, i have more motivation, i WANT to call my friends and make plans, i enjoy things most people used to that i used to shun, i want to get out of my house and do things... like i'm just an overall happy person now, which i couldnt have said about myself in a lonnnng time. and this is due to the adderall and lexapro combo, but i went from making quiteee a few F's freshman year in college, to making A's in both of my summer courses. AMAZING

I forgot to say, the lexapro had very minimal side effects, especially compared to all the side effects i went through with the Adderall. Sexual side effects are definately there, coming from a 19 year old guy with a normally high sex drive. It does get better with time though, but literally the first week or 2, no matter what the circumstances, my sex drive was literally non-existant.

chsguy88 - Thanks for the post. It sounds very good - makes me feel pretty optimistic about it.

I wasn't sure I really had depression/anxiety, but once I started thinking about it, I realized I do. I don't want to call people. I will walk out of my way to avoid running into someone and have to have a conversation. I make plans and then when it is time to do them I want to get out of them. I just want to hide at home. I'm not interested in any of my hobbies. I don't want to read books (normally, I love to read). I've followed the rule of "act like the mood you want to have" (in other words, smile, smile, smile) for so long that I didn't even recognize it.

So, if what you say about Lexapro will apply to me too, that would be great.

Here is a question though - will you take it long term? I mean, how will you know when you are "over it" or do you ever get "over it"?

I'm not sure about as to how long i'll be on it... I guess it all depends on your actual diagnosis, as in what brought on the depression and what not. I'm sure this is different with everyone but my going off to college brought out my ADHD, which led to poor grades, which led to disappointing parents.. add on top of that they told me they were getting a divorce, both of my grandparents (mom's) passed away within 6 months of each other, relationship problems in my own life, blah blah blah... I'm not even sure you doctor can tell you exactally how long you're going to be on an SSRI to be honest with you. And just because it's awesome for me, it may not work for you... My psychiatrist said it's all basically trial and error untill you find the one or combo that works for you. I think the lexapro is awesome for the depression, but i'm starting to second guess it's effects on the anxiety. My sister came in town with her dogs, who just randomly decide to bark at the top of their lungs all throughout the day, and it literally makes me jump out of my skin. But then again, I am on a stimulant, so my anxiety is raised bc of that as well. I'll def keep you updated, goodluck!

Yikes, you've had a tough time! Hang in there, you sound very positive about things though.

I've been taking the Lexapro for a week now and so far, I like it. I feel pretty good - just more natural, less forced. It's good.

But, you mention the dogs barking, and yes, I also feel a little jumpy - it's a weird feeling, like stage fright almost....hard to describe. I've got the stimulant too though, good point.

Well i went back to the psych today for an hour appointment, and i ended up getting Klonopin for my anxiety and insomnia problems. Since I totaled my family's minivan, which thank god was like a spare used for traveling and whatnot, my anxiety problem shot the ROOF.... like i'm meaning no sleep hardly at all, the earliest i've gone to bed since the accident was probally about 4:00AM.. I leaned my head on my dog the other day and patted her side and something about the way she smelt brought me back to the accident and the smell of the airbag, and a few more things like that have happened. anyways, she said the extreme anxiety and insomnia are due to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and she said the klonopin would help ease my constant worries. i just took my first one and i already feel more at ease. I'll tell you later how it works for insomnia, she told me to take 2 about 30 min before bed... so pray for the best!

Doc started me on 10mg Lexapro about 3 or 4 months ago.... and it is the best thing I've done for myself in the last 3 or 4 years. Tried wellburtrin, but didn't have much luck with it (Tried the wellbutrin because it can also help with ADD as well), but it didn't end up helping with depression or ADD, and actually made me really irritable.

Anyway, Doc started me on 10MG lexapro, once a day, with the idea to go up to 20MG, and we ended up sticking with 10MG, it's done wonders. I was constiantly telling myself bad thoughts, and feeling so down. I still had a glimer of home, and kept telling myself "I know this isn't really me, it can't be", " I know I'm not supposed to feel like this", but there were also the negative thoughts that go with the depression suchas "maybe this is just who I am now"?

But needless to say, the Lexapro has helped save me from a serious Depression. Best part it, when I started taking it I was very skeptical, I DID NOT think it was going to help, and thought I would just walk around in a fog and not really feel anything. Boy was I wrong, it brought me out of the depression, don't constantly put myself down in my head, helped with anxiety that I didn't realize I had until it started to go away, and has really helped me get back on track.

Side effects were minimal, most went away within a week, if I had to do over again, I probably would of cut the 10mg in half, and doe 5mg a day for the first week or so, then bumped up, as it made me a little dizzy and "weird" feeling first few days, but it went away. Sex drive went down some, as well as the ability to "finish" quickly, but everything still works fine, and I'm much happier!

I'm going back on Lexapro in addition to the Adderall XR I'm taking now. I was taking Lexapro before I was diagnosed with ADD, and stopped when I started taking Adderall. Well, the depression and anxiety are back, so my psychiatrist is adding Lexapro back into the mix.

When I took Lexapro alone before, I gained 20 pounds or so and got up to my heaviest weight ever at 320. Since taking Adderall and stopping the Lexapro, I've lost 50 pounds from the appetite suppression and from eating better. I'm not looking forward to gaining again, but maybe the two drugs will cancel each other out in that respect, I don't know. I could take Prozac instead if I want to, but I'm not sure I want to.

The only other side effect that stuck around was the sexual one. This was actually a beneficial effect for me, as I've had problems with premature ejaculation in the past (Is that appropriate to talk about here?).

Oh, and this is my first post. Hi all.