Hello all,
I am going thru testing with the neurologist and my mri came back ok as did the blood work that he had done.I did not go thru the sleep study that he prescribed for me cuz of money.So,he says he cannot make a diagnosis with out the sleep study.He wants me to try Lexapro ,1 tablet 10mg a day for two weeks.This is for depression,I don't think I am Depressed,lol So i wonder out loud...what affect does this have with innattentiveness and procrastination and all the other concentration problems I have?

Oh ya..continued from above post..lol lol.......after two weeks has anyone experienced any side effects?

Inattentiveness and procrastination could definitely be caused by depression. Easily.

OTOH, jeeze he's willing to get you hooked on antidepressants without a diagnosis??? I'd much rather fiddle with stimulants than antidepressants given a choice of blind, shoot-from-the-hip solutions.

OTOH it's best to address the depression first then the ADD usually since that's treatable & ADD is permanent.

OTOH I never thought my depression was real even though it's way more obvious than my ADD right now.

OTOH = On The Other Hand

Lexapro is also for anxiety. I take lexapro and I began it before a stimulant. It did help some of my ADD symptoms.

I'm on an antidepressant myself without being actually diagnosed for depression. Sometimes drugs can have dual purposes. However, I would be very careful about taking anything you are not sure about, so maybe a second opinion would be in order?

I don't know a lot about Lexapro, per se. I would research the drug the best you can. There are some great online and written documentation that is independant of any doctor's advice (The Big Pill Book is one I have. It's pretty basic and complete.)

I've been on Lexapro for awhile now. The only side effect I've had is forgetting a random word as I talk. Like if I wanted to use rhinocerous in a sentence, and could see it in my head, but the word was just... gone. It gets kinda funky sometimes. No effect on the ADD, though.

Marie

I lot of us ADDers take anti-depressants. There are a lot of reasons such as anxiety and depression (mild, seasonal, major, bi-polar...). I take one for anxiety, insomnia and for the simple reason that I am a happier person when I take them. I don't take Lexapro personally, but it is popular and has very light side effects.
It sounds like your Doctor is being particularly thorough with his diagnosis, which is good but for the fact that it's costing you a lot of money. An MRI and a sleep study would seem overly thorough to me - he's ruling out other causes - sleep apnea or some other physical cause, which could cause the symptoms you have.
The Doctor who did my diagnosis - a recognized, published expert in ADHD - didn't do any of the tests you mention - no blood work, no MRI nor X-rays, no sleep test - his diagnosis was based on questionaires, family and life history, and observation (lots of observation). Mine wasn't a quick diagnosis, I saw the Dr a number of times before he made his determination.
I sometimes wonder if Dr's don't put a few "hurdles" in our path that we much clear before they diagnose and treat ADHD - almost as a test that we are being sincere!
Good luck,
Greg

Hi, I've been on lexapro since about June. At first I couldn't really tell if I had side effects b/c of meds or not b/c I experienced things that are a daily normal thing for me-headaches, stomach problems, etc. But, I was reading on a board recently and found that all these people who are also on 10 mg. lexapro including myself after realizing it...experienced bruising on thier bodies out of the blue. I have them on my legs, this seems to be a common place for it to happen but other places are possible as well.

Hiya:) I began with Cylert then went on Lexapro a few months later. First, I don't believe an ADD diagnosis hinges on any 'sleep studies'. Insomnia can be a symptom of depression, and a side-effect of ADD medication which is stimulant. I take both pills at the same time in the morning 1st thing when I get up (otherwise I either forget or it gets too late and then I WILL have insomnia!). Second, I've read that anti-depressants can enhance ADD medication performance, so I don't think it'll hurt to try it. Sounds to me like you might want to do some reading on ADD; there is a lot of information out there and Barnes & Noble is a lot cheaper than a neurologist. I do find that I'm a lot more forgetful; words and names do go out of head sometimes as soon as they enter, but that could also be because I have a sedentary job (no oxygen-enhancing exercise) and am middle-aged:) I bruise easily too, and am more susceptible to sunburn, but I haven't had any shakes or jitters, my skin is a normal color, haven't had any constipation (or the opposite), and can sleep just fine if I take them early enough, usually around 6:00 to 8:00 am. I started out with 10mg, but increased it to 20mgs. I've been doing this for about a year. Good luck and happy trails!

I just started on Lexapro, after protesting to my psychologist that I don't WANT to be diagnosed as depressed. I agreed to try this most-prescribed anti-depressant (big drug company ad blitz because I got a month's supply for free. I guess I don't know what depression is. I am not sad; I am often happy. I just don't see my future getting better any time soon. It's realistic, given my family situation.

I have the same question: what effect on ADD? After I have taken my daily 5mg of methylphenidate, I feel like I could jump out of my skin if anybody said "Boo!" Side effects after one week are moderate: jaw-clenching, "butterflies" in the stomach, and dry mouth. But I don't feel depressed! I have a big job due tomorrow at the printers. Wonder if I will be able to do it?

I've been taking lexapro for a year now. I have a weird side effect, yawning. It's bothersome at times, but I deal with it. It seems to help, I don't cry at the drop of a hat anymore.

Yawning. That's interesting. This morning I again took just a half Lexapro, even though today I should have gone to the full 10. Maybe this amount is enough. I feel "up" with the 5 mg methylphenidate an hour after taking the two drugs, and I also want to mention a kind of "buzz" in my lips. It's very subtle, but I notice it, as well as a kind of "stage fright" feeling that you sometimes get when you are about to meet somebody new.
I haven't been placed in a really stressful situation in the past week, but I would guess I would be less teary than I was a couple of weeks ago, when a word of sympathy or concern directed my way would have started me crying, for sure.
Thanks for your comments.

I have been on Lexapro for about a year...my daughter for about 1/2 a year....I also take Adderall (which I love). My whole birth family is either bipolar or adhd or both....so our Psych said that Lexapro would cause a "manic" episode if my daughter or I were manic...well it did not happen so that is a good thing...I do like Lexapro...but it makes me tired...I have to take it before I go to bed or else I am tired...it has kind of a valum (however you spell it) effect on me...and on my daughter...she has not started her adderall yet..we are still waiting for a diagnosis ....but she and I both benefit from the Lexapro....it does help with anxiety......and depression...some of which we both have...I have not noticed any other side effects besides the sleepy one. :) Hope this helps!

Thanks for the response.

I have only one side effect from Lexapro now. I feel so sleepy in the morning that I don't want to get up. If I lie there, I go back to sleep. When my husband was in the hospital recently, I slept ten hours straight. But I am not anxious or depressed any more. I just feel like a regular person.

I don't think it does a thing for ADHD. It seems, however, to make me a more laid-back goof!

how long did it take for lexapro to work for you guys, because I have been taking it for a little over 4 weeks and I feel nothing yet. actually, I do feel the anti-depressant effects a little, but nothing for my OCD yet. also, my social anxiety is gone too, yippee!

sk8er, I think I wished ~hard~ for it to take effect, and I noticed side effects first, almost right away. After two weeks, I noticed a general ease. I felt like my "old self." As I said earlier, it doesn't do anything for my ADHD.

My husband has been taking Lexapro for three weeks for depression. I don't notice a difference in his behavior, and he hasn't said anything about feeling better. He has not said that he wishes he were dead lately, either. That's a good thing, of course.

I started out at 5 mgs for a week before going to 10. My husband started at 10 mgs.

I don't feel I have to run the world these days. I am more comfortable, not anxious. As I said, I have acquired the problem of lying in bed in the morning, and I wish I had an auto-eject to get going.

I've been taking Lexapro for a few months now. As far as I can tell, it's not doing anything at all -- no side effects, but also no good effects, either. I might as well be taking a sugar pill. I'm on 20 mg a day now. I'm not too familiar with the dosing schedule, but I doubt the doc will want to go any higher with it. I expect I'll be starting to go off it in the next few weeks after I see the doc.