ive been taking lexapro 20 mg for 1 year to help with anxiety and depression and i find it to work well.well now my insurance doesnt cover it so my doctor is switching me to prozak 20 mg ive been taking 10mg of lexapro(to wean off) and the 20mg prozak for a week now.my last lexapro was last night and yesterday i started getting anxiety attacks more often is this normal and what should i do?I HATE FEELING LIKE THIS!!!!
2006-10-09 16:33:47 · 4 answers · asked by kahlien05 1 in Health ➔ Mental Health
it can be normal whan i stopped taking mine i was the same, whille you are on the medication, your body gets used to it, but when it comes off it your body in a sense has withdrawls, and you have some for the first few days then subside, but if you are switching to prozak, your body will still need to build itself in you system,
2006-10-09 16:37:06 · answer #1 · answered by Quasar1 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Lexapro is in a class of medications called serotonin reuptake inhibitors. Prozac is also in this same class. Prozac will take much longer to work. This could be anywhere from 3 to 5 weeks, however since you've been on a SSRI for a year, it will probably be around 2 to 4 weeks.Prozac can cause increased anxiety and nervousness in some patients, so I would consult with your physican about this if this continues. Prozac sometimes is a hard to stop because it stays in your system for so long even after you stop it thus making it harder to switch to a different class of medications. Call your doctors office if this gets any worse. Take care and good luck to you. Ask your doctor about about CELEXA, it's a spin off of Lexapro and basically work the same way as Lexapro. Your insurance company might pay for the Celexa and I think it's avaliable in generic form, as well. Remember ask the doc about Celexa, good luck.
2006-10-09 20:15:29 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I had that very same problem with the insurance company. Do NOT take no for an answer. If Lexapro is working for you, then that is the drug you NEED, and they should not be keeping you from your mental health needs. When I was faced with this problem I wrote a long letter, quoting my psychiatrist on how the drug I needed effected me, and I sent the letter to the insurance company, the COMMISIONER OF INSURANCE (looke that up! and they'll have a list by state) and to my senator. Guess what? I got my drugs covered with in two weeks of them receiving the letter. The insurance company even went as far as to say that I had lied about then saying I couldn't get those drugs. But whatever, it worked.
2006-10-09 16:37:58 · answer #3 · answered by apeystar 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Being forced to change your medications is SO frustrating, and so scary, it's no wonder you're suffering a little more anxiety than usual. Hopefully, this too shall pass.
Xanax is a good reliable drug for treating anxiety, and you might ask your doctor about using that. At least it might buy you some peace of mind while your prozac is kicking in.
I know that xanax and prozac can be used together with no ill effects. I've been on prozac for 20 years, and just recently had to add xanax for my increasing anxiety.
Good luck.
2006-10-09 16:45:51 · answer #4 · answered by scorpio19th 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
apeystar is right---your insurance company sucks. my insurance company has been giving me fits because of my lexapro. the bastards at the insurance company are't doctors--and i don't want the availability of my prescriptions being left up to a mindless noob at some corporate insurance office.
raise hell! also--let your doctor know what's going on. your doc may write a letter for you demanding that your insurance pick up the tab---also, your doc may have lexapro samples to take in the meantime.
it is stupid and irresponsible to the maximum to force a person OFF of an antidepressant that WORKS to put them on a lower cost one. you and i both know that antidepressants are a weird class of drug--what works for you may not work for me--and vice versa. you could be trading mental equilibrium on lexapro for mental chaos on prozac---just so the insurance company can cut costs and increase profits.
this steams me up---the insurance companies have no right to do this.
2006-10-09 16:46:02 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
There are several anti depressant medications, and they have various methods or ways of correcting depression, which is why one particular med won't work for everyone. If you found an SSRI that works, It's not good to try to find something else that might work only half as good. Cuss out your insurance company.
2006-10-09 16:43:42 · answer #6 · answered by mrbadmood 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Stop taking drugs and exercise. Your body will create endorphins (endorphins - chemicals in the brain that are responsible for positive moods, http://www.lpch.org/DiseaseHealthInfo/HealthLibrary/mentalhealth/glossary.html ). Start eating Healthier, no fast food, more vegetables less meat, and drink lots of water, less sugar drinks. Don’t forget to push out the bad things in life, stress is the #1 killer. God Bless, get better.
2006-10-09 16:48:29 · answer #7 · answered by Dominic W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you can anticipate anxiety attacks during the transition, its definitely not fun but ask your doctor about some xanax or ativan to be used as needed through this time till you find a good prozac dose, good luck
2006-10-09 16:35:07 · answer #8 · answered by HK3738 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Do what "apeystar" said to do and you will get your meds.
2006-10-09 16:45:54 · answer #9 · answered by livlafluv 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋