question regarding Lexapro (less specifically, SSRI antidepressants)

ok so here's the deal... i'm doing a research study, and as part of the study i will be randomly assigned to take either a vitamin supplement, a placebo (totally inactive), or Lexapro 10mg. my question is NOT about the recreational value of antidepressants, i know that there is none.

seeing as i will not know for sure which of these i will be taking (double blind study), i won't know if i'm taking lexapro. my question is, does lexapro (or SSRI's in general, for those of you with experience) have immediate noticeable psychoactive effects? so if i were to take one pill the first day of the study, would i "feel" differently if it was in fact lexapro that i'm assigned to take? i know that MAOI antidepressants can take weeks to take effect, but i haven't found anything definitive on SSRI's.

basically i'm wondering if i'll get any immediate results, or is there a subtle build up in the system.

thanks for any help.

 

it takes weaks for anti depressants to start working, why i dont know google it.

 

yeah... i'm not looking for the science behind it really, i just wanna know from people who have taken an SSRI (medically or not) whether they felt any different after taking their first pill, or if it took a period of time before they noticed any effects whatsoever.

 

When I started taking Strattera, i noticed something odd after the second day taking it. Weird thoughts, slight confusion,... it was odd.

 

Yeah its not like most drugs where it kicks in after it gets into your bloodstream, it would at least take a day or two to start noticing it.

 

Then again, this is supposed to be a double-blind study, so I would try not to worry about it.

 

the first time i took lexapro i got a bit of a mdma like buzz from it, no idea if the buzz was a placebo or not but i definitely felt something that wasnt there the next few days when i took it. I guess i was also drinking a fair bit at the time so that may have had something to do with it. As for the effects of SSRI medication taking a couple of weeks to notice any effects personally i felt effects a lot sooner than that, most of them negative. I didnt have much of a good time in the 6 or so months i was taking lexapro. If you would like a more detailed report let me know!

 

SSRIs cause suicidal ideation so I can't take them, I've had issues with suicide since birth, so I try to stay away from that sort of thing. One Doctor thought I was bipolar/manic or something and gave me depakote. I was feeling fine all day and about to exercise then I took the depakote and got really depressed and suicidal.

5-HTP, the precursor to seratonin, seems to work best for me.

 

I just got started on Lexapro and have been taking it for two days, but I've already noticed some very negative effects. I feel wired up, but not in a good way, and I feel very indifferent about everything, which sucks. I'd rather be depressed than to not have any feelings at all. lol

 

When I waas put on Zoloft, I was like a zombie. Not very fun at all. I quit taking it despite my doctor's advice. Like TNS said, I'd rather be depressed than have no feelings whatsoever.

 

i definitely know where you're coming from.

however, my problem is that i'm a zombie anyway. i would also rather feel depressed than feel nothing at all which is the reason i'm looking for something in the first place.

i do think that in some people antidepressants are a good way to "kick start" the brain so to speak, and get a person back on their feet. not something to rely on or expect to be "perfect" from, but really just a way to remember what it's like to get moving and to get back into the motion of life, if you've fallen out.

i can't say if i'll continue... it's my third day and i can say that my thoughts are clearing up a little and it's easier to just sit down than it usually is. emotionally still nothing, but that's not the drug. i'll give it some time and see where i'm at.

 

I'm just gonna continue taking the lexapro until I see the doc again, then stop, and get him to give me a higher dose of xanax, as opposed to these shitty .25mg aplrazolams. lol

 

strattera gave me a response in 2 hours...i felt terrable, and wanted to die....i was EXTREMELY confused and hated everything.

 

Holy shit. Im not the only one. It just gave me strange thoughts and what not, and confusion. I felt a little off the first day, then the next two got worse. I think I was only taking like 15mgs too. (They wanted to have me up to like 60mgs after like 3 weeks... my now ex-shrink sucked beyond belief so I stopeed going altogether.)

 

When i got put on lexapro 10mg daily. I did notice some effects not immediately, but a few hours later. Had some problems sleeping. (was taking before bed) Rambling thoughts that persisted. Pupil dialation as well. I took it several weeks while in jail as well with clonazepam. Even with that, there was agitation and sleep loss for a good week and a half or two. Most of all, it seemed to remove REM sleep(at least dreams) up till the early morning hours of the day. Then when i tapered off, i had bad blood pressure problems as well as an irregular heart beat.

Celexa/lexapro seem to be unlikely canidate for me as far as SSRI's go.

Anyone actually take as prescribe, tapered off and had heart problems as well???

 

I decided not to continue taking my Lexapro. I ate some xanax a few days ago and was like "fuck this shit" and I popped all of the Lexapro out of the blister pack and threw them all in the trash can.

 

yep, threw away three scripts worth. I see SSRI's to have no benefit even in treatment of mental illness. Well, most people with "mental illness" just do not have any sense of self.

Though, Dopamine re uptake inhibitors do seem to help me out. Such as Welbutrin.

Anti-depressants are just evil IMO.

 

I threw away alot too. When I stopped takin em, my heart did act up pretty bad, almost like a heart attack. Was some scary shit

 

i dunno, i'm noticing some benefit. i can't say yet for sure whether it's something i want to keep on with, though.

 

Bumping this thread, wanted to see what was up with CherokeeMist's study. Did you stick with it? Notice anything? Get better? Quit? I was curious because I've had severe depression lately so I was put on Lexapro as well. I've been on it for a week now and it kinda seems to at least motivate me enough to get out of bed which is more than I can say I did before I started them.