Lexapro symptoms and conditions

I have been on Loestrin for about 6+ months now. I have a lot of the same symptoms as everyone else. The only thing that is different is that I'm not feeling psycho anymore...because I had my doctor put me on another medication to help with that. The name of it is Lexapro. It is AMAZING! I could tell a huge difference within the first week. I have never felt so rational, level headed, and normal before in my life. My husband loves it! We used to fight all the time. Now, it's only once in a blue moon. Lexapro works wonders, hand in hand with loestrin. As far as the extreme fatigue, weight gain, acne, etc. that I have, I don't know what to do. I haven't had a period in 3 months.

I was taking Lexapro for anxiety, but was having sexual side effects. I went to a Psychiatrist, who gave me a few options, and decided to go with Wellbutrin. He started right off the bat on 300mg, and for the first week or so didn't feel too much change. Then, about the beginning of the third week I had terrible nausea and dizziness. I was scared to drive to work some days. I also feel as though I am becoming emotionless, and have a general melancholy feeling. The nausea and dizziness seems to be getting better, but if the sad feeling doesn't subside, I believe that I will discontinue use.
On the bright side, the sex has been great!

I hate Mirena. I am on Lexapro and hate that too. (Not a negative person, I promise...just trying to be brief). Have gained about 20 lbs and I was already about 20 lbs overweight to begin with...

That said, I want to be drug free - no lexapro, no mirena and those hormones! Am trying to wean from lexapro right now. YUCK. This is a nightmare. DIZZY and NAUSEOUS.

Also, just wondering if anyone else had severe pain in the abdomen after getting Mirena inserted? I experienced a sharp pain in my abdomen for quite some time and assumed it had to do with the foreign object in me. I asked my doctor, but he didn't think one had anything to do wtih the other. When I say sharp pain, I mean, it felt like someone was taking a sharp object and cutting me from the inside out...

That eventually subsided, but the weight gain, the depression, and ALL of the other stuff mentioned happened to me too. I just want my life back!!! I'm SO tired...

Sigh....

I am 29 and mother of a 5yr old Angel and 5 mth old Ayden. I started the NuvaRing after I had my son. I liked it for the first month, but the second month was not good at all! See, I was hoping to skip periods to avoid the pain that comes from my endometriosis, and PMS which seems I have had all my life! And of course, it came highly recommended from my doctor's office as well. I started to loose weight pretty steadily in the 6 weeks that followed the birth of my son, but all of a sudden the seventh or eighth week my weight remind stagnant and I actually gained 10 pounds since having it out for only 4 weeks! I have been putting on weight in my mid section and tummy area. It has become difficult to loose any weight even with working out, but the worse part has been the drastic mood changes, irritability, problems concentrating, migraines I don't wish upon anybody, acne, leg cramps, bloating, and horrible post partum depression that I think-now that I have read all your side effects that it wasn't the overwhelming feeling of having the now 2 children and having to return to work even after having 12 weeks of maternity leave after my son was born. I am relieved, and happy that I never put in the 3rd months ring. I think the NuvaRing has a lot to do with it all. I have been off the NuvaRing now for about three and a half-going on four weeks and the side effects have only seemed to become worse. It has put a strain on my marriage because my husband doesn't understand whats going on with me and I have refused to take my Lexapro because I am scared of what it may do to me with my hormones and mind all out of wack...I am desperate to find something that will make this STOP. I am not sure what my doctor may recommend, or if I would even take anymore recommendations from them. They must know that this is happening, right? I guess thats a question we should ask our doctors.

I have an anxiety attacks, I scream I yell and I can not stop myself. And it affects my family badly. I just can not shout my mouth, screaming and saying BAD words, can not control myself. PROZAK HELPS me a LOT, I am taking 20 mg. I sleep better. And most important peace in my family. The only side effect I did gain weight around 8-6 pounds but it will go away.
I tried Lexapro before, did not kike it 5 out of 5.

Hi,

To the first poster: bbk I had the same problem. I've been on Adderall-the regular kind, not XR-since my ADD diagnosis in June.

Whenever I start an SSRI: Prozac, Zoloft, Effexor, Lexapro, my Adderall stops working. I get exhausted, brain fog, and I also get an insane appetite.

I've done some research and the explanations I've found are that SSRIs tend to increase your insulin and lower dopamine. Adderall is supposed to increase dopamine. Basically, the SSRI interferes with the Adderall.

In one appointment with my doctor (while I was on Prozac) he actually admitted that most SSRIs raise insulin, Prozac being worse than others. Guess that explains why my blood sugar was always in the 60s and I felt horrible no matter what I ate or did.

If you're already overweight and insulin resistant it will screw you up more than other people.

I'm currently trying to find an anti-depressant that works well with Adderall.

I posted a while back about the symptoms I was experiencing from Yasmin. Well, I've been off of the drug for just about a month now. My libido has DRASTICALLY improved, my moods are better, and I am getting along with my boyfriend like I haven't in a long time.

The only problem I'm now having is that my weight is continually creeping up. I have been very busy with various things for the past few months (searching for and finding a new job & new apartment in a different state, going on a week-long food-filled vacation, packing, moving, unpacking etc etc). I thought that I was up a few lbs (3) as a result of being very busy and not having as much time to commit to exercise and eating healthy. Don't get me wrong, I have still been exercising and eating healthy, I just haven't been able to commit quite as much time as normal to these things.

In the past two weeks I have gotten back into my old routine and have been doing 60 minutes of cardio approximately 5 days/week and really not eating very much. Most days I have eaten a big bowl of oatmeal for breakfast and not been hungry until dinner. Since I've gotten back into this routine I have done nothing but gain MORE weight. Additionally, I have absolutely no appetite. My stomach looks poochy and my pants are getting tighter.

I have been able to keep my weight in the same range (127-129) since I started running, 4 years ago. It would VERY occasionally creep up to MAYBE 131, but I haven't seen a higher number than that until now. I feel that I literally LOOK at food and gain a pound.

Has anyone else experienced this? Could it be that my hormones are just adjusting? Honestly, I'd almost rather deal with the side effects of Yasmin than deal with gaining weight as a result of not being on it.

I am 20 years old and had the mirena put in about a year ago. I experienced bad cramping, bleeding off and on, terrible weight gain, and depression. About 7 months after my mirena, I was put on Lexapro for depression. A couple of months ago, I was having severe cramping and I went back to my doctor, they did an ultrasound and found a cyst on my right ovary...I was supposed to go back three weeks later. The next week, I was cramping soooo bad that I called back to the doctor and they did another ultrasound...now there were two cysts on my right ovary. I had laproscopic surgery two weeks ago Friday. During this surgery they found a dermoid cyst on my left ovary they couldn't remove it, so I went for the second surgery last Friday...They had to remove my left ovary and the cyst was the size of a softball. My chances on having children are slim. My mom looked on the internet and found that a lawsuit had been filed in Portland, OR by ATTORNEY ******. They are supposed to be calling us back this week. If anyone is interested, please give her a call. The more we have call this attorney, then we may get a class action lawsuit started.

I've been on Paxil for almost 9 years. I suppose it's a success for me because it has kept the depression away most of these past years. I'm on the maximum dose - 40 mg a day.

I've always been an over-achiever, a type A personality, friendly...with the Paxil I am lazy, no longer care about details, VERY friendly.
My home used to be pristine and comfortable....now I rarely put things away, there are stacks of books, magazines, and 'stuff' everywhere. Because of the mess, we haven't had visitors in our home for YEARS! I used to host parties on a regular basis in our home but these days I would die of embarrassment if anyone saw my home!

My memory is shot...I can't remember names, faces, details...seriously, I can watch a movie over and over again because I NEVER remember the ending!

My sleep cycle is shot as well. In years past, I only required about 5 hours of sleep. On Paxil, I don't fall asleep so I take lots of over-the-counter sleep aids to fall asleep and they knock me out...I can't wake up until almost noon!

I MUST take the Paxil at the same time each day otherwise the "zapping" starts. It isn't painful...just very annoying.

On the positive side, I have achieved many great things because I'm no longer apprehensive about public speaking. I've chaired several successful fundraisers for charities. But because the memory loss has become so profound, I'm no longer capable of chairing these types of events.

I've gained weight but it may be due to having thyroid cancer & having the entire gland removed...metabolism is shot.

I've only tried to go off the Paxil once but the depression resurfaced immediately and I cried for days on end...it was frightening! Of course I went back on it.

Speaking of crying, when on Paxil, it's almost impossible to cry! The tears just won't come.

Now for the really scary part...the effect of the Paxil on my depression is not what it used to be....but I'm on the maximum dose! I've tried several other meds but they just don't work as well. So what in the world will happen when it doesn't work for me anymore? That black hole called depression is the last place I want to be.

During the three weeks I was using 150 mg. Wellbutrin, ringing in the ears gradually increased, mild headaches on top of my head, occasional light spasms around my mouth, constipation, and bladder problems. My sleep was unaffected, and my depression did not lift. My dose was increased to 300 mg, and by the fourth day, I was having serious facial spasms, intense headaches, louder and constant ringing in the ears, almost 'round-the-clock wakefulness, anxiety, difficulty thinking and completing sentences, pounding heart, amplification of sounds, jitters and quaking. I felt like a car, perpetually idling so roughly that all my parts were about to rattle right off the chassis. On the fifth day I took nothing. I've had some chills, a little nausea, headache, neck-ache (Isn't that weird?!) and some ringing, but at a lower volume that's hardly noticeable. This is the fourth day with no Wellbutrin, and I haven't had facial spasms at all in the past couple of days, have less nausea, and the very funky smell produced in my urine from the second week I was on the meds has calmed down. If I'm still in a depression it's been overshadowed by the most awful side effects I could have imagined. It felt like the spector of death was overtaking my body by day four of that 300 mg. dose. I had been on a hefty dose of Zoloft daily for almost ten years and never experienced anything unpleasant other than weight gain, my reason for trying to switch meds because I couldn't quit putting on weight no matter what. I am going to try SAM-e, and suggest that anyone looking for a natural alternative, with the prospect of few and insignificant side effects, do an online search. Whether I find success with the SAM-e, or if it falls short of what I need, I'll post here to let you know what happens. A month ago I thought the depression was the end of the world; I think the cure was worse than the disease.

I just posted a side effect on the Yaz page. I know all birth control pills are different for everyone but for the most part I had a lot of success on Yasmin. I was on Ortho Tricyclin for about 2 years in my early 20's and started having severe abdominal pain and severe bloating (all over my body). After several tests (blood work, CT scan, ultrasound, etc.) came back normal, I asked my ob/gyn to switch me to another type of birth control b/c I really didn't feel like myself and when your Mom says "You look like a zombie" then you know something is wrong. He gave me a prescription for Yasmin and I had immediate abdominal/bloating relief and felt normal again. I took Yasmin for 6 years and my only complaint is that I got PMDD the last 6 months I took it. I wasn't sure if it had something to do w/ turning 30 or just being on Yasmin for that long or a combination. I saw a commercial for Yaz and asked my ob/gyn if I could try it. The PMDD went away after the second month on Yaz but next week I'm going to try Yasmin again due to side effects I developed on Yaz (no energy, tired all the time, not feeling alert, feeling depressed). I'm crossing my fingers that Yasmin help me feel normal again and not bring back the PMDD.

I found this site by searching for depression and any of the medications I take: synthroid, metformin, glimepiride (amaryl), and lisinopril-hctz. And here's the culprit - lisinopril! I've been taking it for only a couple of months now but it feels like my world is closing in on my and I'm bouncing off the walls in my mind. I'm considering retiring having hit 62 and I thought it would be a happy time but instead I feel locked in a prison, with walls of debt, depression, loneliness, hopelessness, etc. closing in on me. I'm even very close to losing a boyfriend because I've become so clingy and emotionally needy.

I must say that I did stop taking an anti-depressant around the same time that I started with the lisinopril. However, the anti-depressant (Lexapro) was originally prescribed to combat anger and not depression. So I cannot say for sure that Lisinopril is the culprit here. But having read everyone's stories, it is very clear.

Thank you all for telling your experiences with this drug. God bless you all.

I've been on Welbutrin for about six months, along with Zoloft. I had tried it because of the lack of motivation and the lithergy I was feeling (I suspect) as a result of the Zoloft. I came across this site after a search for memory loss connected with Welbutrin. I believe I'm having that problem. I don't seem to have the quick grasp of words I did. In a phone conversation today, I could not remember a certain medical term that I have been using rather frequently over the past six months. There are some other cases, but that incident put me on the trail of memory loss research. I actually suspected that it was the Ambien I had been taking for sleep (I have not completely ruled that drug out). But all the posts here seem to indicate that the welbutrin could be at fault.

I'm on 150mg, twice daily. However, in the morning, I will actually take one and a half pills (225mg) to get me going. I have noticed CONSIDERABLE jitters, hand tremors, enough that if I'm doing delicate work of some type, I have difficulty continuing ti complete the task. At the 225mg, I do seem to become over amped a bit, but it improves my motivation. A St. Johns Wart capsule will usually calm that, but you see the problem of one drug, helping one problem, but causing another, so you take a third! I have tried numerous other antidepressants and they all caused more side effects than they were worth.
Celexa cause an eventual complete lack of ANY motivation! Plus SERIOUS sexual side effects. Zoloft has been the best with the least side effects and I have always returned to it. But the sleepiness can just be extreme with me.

I have run out of Welbutrin and the result is return of the lithergy. I also believe that the Welbutrin may be causing my occasional up tick in anger. Possibly spreading the dosage will help. Not mixing it with caffiene may also help because caffiene can make me explosive if I don't limit my intake to about a cup of coffee. Most of you know that Zoloft, Prozac and the like increase the available seritonin in your brain, a calming neurotransmitter. Welbutrin increases the available norepinephrine, a stimulating neurotransmitter, akin to adrenalin. (Research for yourselves those facts, remember, I posting this because of a problem with MEMORY! :) So it makes perfect sense that people can become overstimulated with Welbutrin. The memory aspects of it, I don't yet understand. I'm going to experiment with dosage reduction and possibly replacing the Welbutrin with the amino acid L-phenylalanine. I hope this little post can help some of you as much as the other posts here have helped me!

Burt

I CANNOT TELL YOU HOW THANKFUL I AM THAT I HAVE COME ACROSS THIS WEB SITE. UNDERSTAND THAT WE GO THROUGH LIFE WITH MAJOR UPS AND DOWNS AND SOMETIMES WE NEED SOMETHING TO HELP US OUT. BUT AT WHAT COST? EVERYONE IS DIFFERENT. AND PERHAPS WITH FAMILY HISTORY AND WHAT NOT THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO NEED MEDS TO HELP THEM OUT. I FIRST BEGAN TAKING YASMIN ABOUT 4 YEARS AGO. NEVER THOUGHT MUCH OF IT BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN ON BC MOST OF MY LIFE DUE TO BAD PERIODS, WHICH STARTED WHEN I WAS A TEENAGER. UNFORTUNATELY I DID NOT BOTHER TO EXPERIMENT WITH THE FACT THAT AS YOU GET OLDER YOU'RE BODY CHANGES. SO RATHER THAN GET OFF BC I JUST CONTINUED ON WITH IT 1 TO PREVENT PREGNANCY AND 2 IT HELPED THE BAD PERIOD SYMPTOMS AT THAT TIME. OF COURSE YOU READ ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS, BUT THEY GIVE YOU THE "NOT SO BAD" VERSION OF THEM. ALMOST A YEAR AGO I STARTED GETTING HORRIBLE UNBEARABLE MOOD SWINGS, ANXIETY YOU NAME IT. SO I DECIDED TO GO TO THE DRS. TO FIND OUT WAS WRONG BECAUSE I HAD SIMILAR SYMPTOMS TO A THYRIOD PROBLEM, BUT THERE WAS NO PROBLEM BECAUSE MY TONS OF BLOOD WORK I KEPT TAKING CAME BACK FINE. SO THE DR PRESCRIBED WELLBUTRIN AND LEXAPRO. I WAS DESPERATE AND JUST WANTED TO FEEL GOOD AGAIN. THE FIRST COUPLE MONTHS WERE ROUGH BECAUSE OF THE SIDE EFFECTS AND THEN THE MEDS STARTED TO WORK AND EASE EVERYTHING UNTIL RECENTLY. I AM BACK TO SQUARE 1! DON'T WANT TO DO ANYTHING, BASICALLY HAVE ALL THE SYMPTOMS BACK FROM THE SIDE EFFECTS. FROM THE SHAKING TO THE MUSCLE ACHE, MEMORY LOSS, WEIGHT GAIN, THINNING OF THE HAIR(AND IM BLOND AND HAVE FINE HAIR TO BEGIN WITH) WHAT EVERYONE IS AND HAS BEEN FEELING ARE REAL AND NOT JUST STUFF MADE UP IN YOUR HEAD. YOU ARE NOT CRAZY! SO BASICALLY BY JUST TAKING ONE MED LED TO ME TAKING ONE RIGHT AFTER THE OTHER. SO BY THE GRACE OF GOD I STUMBLED ACROSS THIS SITE WHEN I HAD GOOGLED MEDS TO HELP WITH SEVERE MOOD BEHAVIOR. AND THE FIRST THING IT CAME TO WAS THE YASMIN SIGHT AND LET ME TELL YOU I WAS IN SHOCK BECAUSE I COULDN'T BELIEVE WHAT SIDE EFFECTS IT HAD THAT MIMICED ANXIETY, WHICH LED ME AND MY DRS. TO THINK THAT I HAD ANXIETY, WHICH I DON'T THINK IS THE CASE. I BELIEVE THAT ALL THESE PROBLEMS STEMMED FROM THE YASMIN. I THOUGHT THAT I WOULD HAVE TO BE MISERABLE MY WHOLE LIFE. TO SUM IT UP THE SIDE EFFECTS FROM THE PILL HAD MADE MY BODY HAVE SYMPTOMS OF ANXIETY ETC. NEVER HAD ANYTHING LIKE IT BEFORE. SO I HAD CLICKED ON TO WELL BUTRIN AND LEXAPRO BECAUSE I HAVE BEEN TAKING 450 OF THE XL AND UP TO 40 ON THE LEXAPRO...HORRIBLE HORRIBLE HORRIBLE! SO I HAVE TO DECIDED TO STOP EVERYTHING AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS BECAUSE I CANNOT TAKE THIS CRAPY FEELING ANYMORE. MY DAUGHTER, BOYFRIEND, AND FRIENDS HAVE ALL SUFFERED FROM THE SIDE EFFECTS OF THESE MEDICATIONS. THANK GOD I STILL HAVE A CHANCE TO MAKE THINGS RIGHT WITH EVERYONE. EXCUSE MY LANGUAGE, BUT I PUT THE BITCH IN BITCH AND NOT PROUD OF IT BECAUSE THAT'S NOT WHO I AM. HOPEFULLY YOU HAVE READ THROUGH BECAUSE IVE READ EVERY COMMENT ON THIS SITE AND IT HAS DONE ME A WORLD OF GOOD, I FEEL LIKE THEIR IS STILL HOPE TO ACTUALLY WAKE UP ONE MORNING AND NOT FEEL TIRED , HAVE A HEADACHE, NOT BE CONSTIPATED AND THE LIST GOES ON. SO LADIES YOU ARE NOT ALONE, IT IS HAPPENING TO YOU AND HOW YOU CHOOSE TO FIX IT IS ALL UP TO YOU IF IT HELPS THEN STICK WITH IT,BUT IF YOU'RE FED UP AND MISERABLE LIKE ME, RID YOU'RE BODY AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS. I WILL DEFINITELY GIVE AN UPDATE TO WHAT HAPPENS AND IF THE MEDS WERE THE CULPRIT OF MY PROBLEMS.

My hair loss actually started 10 years ago with the advent of menopause. It was less an issue of hair loss but that my hair started to grow in baby fine. With that came a depression. A hormone implant helped. Later, celexa and then lexapro helped particularly with the symptoms of irritable bladder. Other symptoms that started 10 years ago included a slowing pulse rate, lower body temp, lost my eyebrows on the sides, etc. I was bounced between cardiologists and endocrinologists -- blaming a marginally low thyroid. An MD, alternative doctor, blamed mercury which did not abate with two separate rounds of IV chelation. Finally, my heart slowed into the 30s and the exhaustion was extreme. Got a pacemaker which helped but did not cure the exhaustion. Sleep apnea study showed a sleep disorder but no apnea. I am on thyroid meds (125 mg.), mycardis, and .75 patch of estrogen. Wellbutrin 150 mg was added about 6 months ago and that helped tremendously with the tiredness. It was great but I finally noticed that I could see my scalp -- my hair had thinned that much with that low dose. I went to various doctors (including a dermatologist) who never mentioned the connection with any of my meds. They could not tug hair out of my head and suggested a genetic problem (the women in my family have big heads of hair until they die in their 90s). Finally a physician friend in Florida suggested that Wellbutrin might be the problem. I am off of it and tired. Too soon to see if the hair loss is getting better. I just want the loss to stop and to start regrowing my hair. Suggestions? A new doc recommended Provigil for exhaustion but there is some hair loss with that noted on the blogs. I have been taking a b complex, biotin, minerals, a vitamin for hair, zinc, D, MSM -- a handful of supplements. I need something for energy (I am a college professor of graduate students) but will not put my hair at risk. I am lost in all the information about how to stop hair loss and help my hair grow out.

Words cannot explain just how grateful I am for coming across this web site. I've been taken Yasmin for about 4-5 years now and thought nothing about it. Started getting horrible horrible horrible mood swings. Everything and everyone were affected by my behavior. Pretty much have the same side effects from the weight gain to the thinning of the hair. In the past year or two I started to have these symptoms and could not figure out what the heck was going on. I must of went to 10 different doctors who took blood test after blood test and could not find anything abnormal except my cholesterol, which was strange bcuz i've eaten healthy my entire life and exercised. So here began all the different types of meds to try. Oh gosh has that been terrible. Nothing seems to be working so I decide to go to a psych dr. thinking perhaps I have some kind of imbalance going on. So I take a test that has several questions on it which pertained to alot of the symptoms I was having. I then was "diagnosed" with severe anxiety and at the time I really didn't know too much about it. Great now I know whats wrong so I thought. For the past year I have been taking Wellbutrin XL9highest dose) and lexapro. It seemed to have some effect on me, but it started to take a nose dive after several months. I stayed on it (dr. orders) just uped the dose. Horrible idea bcuz I'm back to my same symptoms. No desire to do anything!!!!! Fed up I googled this morning something to help my severe mood swings down right horrible moods. Cannot believe people don't hate me.....yet. So this web site popped up and realized it had to do with Yasmin. Could not believe it. I too felt and still feel that i'm nuts!!!! But I'm not alone and that is good news for me. Thank the Lord for whomever started this site. I'm going to stop today and not take it anymore. I will be sure to let other women know to be very cautious about this pill.

I just HAVE to add my story here!! I was on Lexapro 20mg for 2yrs. All was pretty well. It somewhat controlled my anxiety & panic attacks (I have GAD) and it helped stabilize my moods (I am Bipolar), BUT I DIDN'T like that it made it to where I couldn't cry when I wanted to but yet cried at inappropriate times! I basically came to a stand-still with the lexapro and it KILLED my sex drive, so bad that my relationship was at risk (well, thats what I think, cuz no man is happy with NO sex!!) So, I SLOWLY came off them over a month, and even though it was very slowly, the WITHDRAWAL from this drug is just a horrible experience that I hope none of you that are taking now, will ever have to go through what I did!! I seriously thought at one point I was going to die!! I was severely sick for one week-- nausea, vomiting, the runs, hot flashes, cold flashes, the shakes, internal tremors, severe migraines, dizziness when I sat up or stood up, and I got bad electrical zap feelings in my hands & brain (which, even one month & 3 weeks later, I am still having!!) But to you all still on them, I also had weight gain on them, head rushes, dizziness, headaches, internal tremors, and I didn't like that it made me generally dumb!!! Since coming off, I still have the "duhhh" moments, getting less & less, thank goodness, now if only these darn "Zaps" would go away. But yeah, the side effects of this & the withdrawals are HORRIBLE!!! I will never take this again!! So much for newer drugs eh!!

My husband (57 years old) started Lisinopril in March of 2007 for High Blood Pressure and he's never been the same. At first, we didn't connect the symptoms but now I am convinced this drug caused his problems. His symptoms include loss of memory, can't concentrate, can't retain anything, short tempered, depression. At times confusion or unable to grasp anything requiring multi-tasking. He had a loss of appetite where in lost 25 pounds in less than 6 months. He described months ago that "his head just doesn't feel right". When asked...do you have a headache...he'd reply.."I can't explain it...it just doesn't feel right. The depression has lead to another drug "Lexapro". This drug interferes with concentration too!
Prior to taking Lisinopril my husband was running his own business and working a full time job he's had for years. Within 6 months, our lives changed drastically. I know 2 other people experiencing the memory loss, can't concentrate, can't retain symptoms around the same age as my husband... all taking Lisinopril.

All of this has been weighing heavily on his mind because his mother has been diagnosed with Dementia/Alzeheimers at age 74. Guess what...she has been taking Lisinopril for years and years and has been treating for depression for years and years....any connection here? This drug has been around for many years and it seems like every elderly person is taking this for High Blood Pressure. Could this be a culprit to Dementia/Alzheimers? A reoccurring theme I see amongst all of these side effects is "depression".

Of course when we discussed these symptoms with his Doctor...we were pooh poohed with "I've never heard of these symptoms in 20 years of practicing". Well, he needs to do some research! My husband quit taking this drug on Sept 12th which takes 2-3 weeks to get out of your system. I noticed recently he didn't struggle at all at the ATM machine. I'm hoping this is the culprit as we are now in the process of getting a second opinion to determine if he may be in the early stages of Alzheimers. We pray that he is not! Get this drug off the market!!!

I am taking Wellbutrin and it has helped my depression and desire for drugs every day. I have bad ringing in my ears all the time but I can deal with that compared to the good it has done.. The problem is I'm a engineer which requires a lot of concentration that I have lost since I've been on Wellbutrin. I also have memory loss. I can't remember peoples names 2 minutes after they told me. I am a support engineer so I have to tallk to many people every day as well as typing cause and solution. I find myself having to read everything I type over again because I leave out words and sometimes what I type makes no sense at all. Wellbutrin has helped me so much but I think I will have to stop or lose my job. What a choice. Before I started taking Wellbutrin I never felt like I was in tune with the world. Smoking pot worked for me but we all know what the long term effect of that is. Codine also made me feel like I fit in. So Wellbutrin has fixed all those needs and feelings but I just hate the loss of memory, concentration, and ringing in my ears.

After 8 months, had to switch from Lexapro to Celexa because of the cost. Hoping it will work just as well.

However, terrible and constant headache, even though switching from almost same drug. Some tooth grinding, too.

Had this headache when beginning Lexapro, and it went away after about 3 weeks. Don't know why it would begin again with the Celexa...and the tooth grinding, geez.

I took Lexapro for about a year and it worked wonderfully for me for about 6 months. It stabilized my moods and helped with my social anxiety. Then I felt like it wasn’t working anymore so my doctor took me off it. We tried something else, got zero results, so I switched back. Again, it worked fabulously for awhile, then stopped. We did the switch again, went back to it, and same thing. This became a nuisance so I’ve gone off and am trying something new but maybe you’ll have more permanent results. I would recommend it for sure. I did have the decreased sex drive though. It literally diminished to nothing, but I'm told that's common with anti-depressants. I also had headaches but I can't swear that to the Lexapro. I would definitely recommend this drug for social anxiety, depression, or bi-polar. I don’t know about other uses for it so can’t give an opinion.

Was on WB 150 for about 3 years along with Lexapro 20 mg. Quit taking both and found anxiety unbearable. Tried taking both again and anxiety went through the roof. Unable to sleep or function during the day. horrendous anxiety.
Finally went back to doc who put me on Lexapro 20 with Lunesta (no WB) to get me through the nights until it "kicked in" (short term). Whew! What a relief. Much, much better.
Not a fan of WB. Takes away all emotion.

I have been on Celexa (citalopram) for about 13 months. I took it at night, starting with 10mg and over time worked up to 60mg which is the max. dose. My doctor switched me to Lexapro and then Cymbalta to see if they worked better, but eventually I ended up back on Celexa, that seemed to be best. I did gain about 35 pounds on it, though and was still going, along with absolutely NO sex drive whatsoever. When my husband could finally coax me into it, I couldn't orgasm at all. I finally begged him to even stop trying, the attempts seemed to annoy me. This wasn't me, so I slowly tried weaning off of it. First down to 40, then 20, then 10.

so here's my question: I've been completely off of it for 3 days now and I'm still feeling dizzy, lightheaded, have indigestion, headaches, etc. The other times I was off of it, I went right on another med, so I didn't seem to notice the side effects. Anyone who has been taken off of Celexa, PLEASE respond and let me know how long these awful effects last? I have a 2 year old I have to care for and she doesn't understand why mommy feels "woozy" all the time.

I've been on 200 mg Lamictal for 2 months now, after 4 month titration up from 25mg; Going off Lithium 900mg titration to 450mg this week. Since 1st day of lower Lithium, all the common Lamictal symptoms went from mild to extreme. Whole body muscle aches (like 24 hours after a heavy weightlifting workout) worse in neck & back/shoulders/calves, bad headaches, swelling in hands & feet, extreme blurred vision, loss of memory, halted speech while trying to figure out what to say, fuzzy. I called the Clinic to simply ask which NSAID (aspirin? ibuprofen? Excedrin? naproxin?) to use to manage the pain. They all freaked and made me come in for a blood test to check Lithium levels. I explained I wasn't "overly" concerned about it at this point, but just looking for a recommendation, and that they may be over-reacting (even though I did appreciate their concern). I also reminded them that I had just **decreased** Lithium when it happened, so I wasn't having a Lithium Toxic attack (I'm well-versed in that, having been on Lithium for 7 years). It didn't do much good to tell them I thought their diagnosis was a little off. I'll find out the blood test results today, but I'm pretty sure I know what they'll be. They also wanted me to see my PCP since it could be something else. Again, the problem was a ramp-up of existing symptoms the next morning after I lowered Lithium (the only change), so I'm conviced everything centers around that. I think they're a little inexperienced with this med. (Lamictal/Lamotrigine) and if they'd just read this blog they'd probably learn a lot. They had never heard of the muscle ache side effect. Pretty hard to believe after reading all of your comments! My theory is that Lithium was somehow holding back the side-effects of Lamictal and now they're expressing themselves more fully. I haven't read anything like this on any internet discussion, so maybe my body is very different. But maybe my experience will give someone else some insight in a similar situation.
I might also mention something that happened to me I have only seen (kinda) in one other "blog" about follicle (sweat gland) cysts. Yeah, I definitely got the jawline acne starting at the Lamictal 50mg level & increasing at 100mg. But I also got my first ever "cyst" that concerned me and sent me to my dermatologist for the first time in 30 years (I'm 47 and saw the old guy when I had acne at 17!). It started as a blind pimple on my chest the week I increased Lamictal to 200mg (final dose), but didn't go away. It continued to grow (not diminish) over 4 weeks to 3/8 inch round/pink/solid/itchy/burn-when-rubbed. So off to the "Doctor" like my father used to do on a regular basis (I know I'm getting old now) and scalpel/pop/stitch it was out. But it was real, not my imagination or hypocondria, and the timing of its appearance was right when Lamictal changed to full steam. Since acne appears to be a common effect with so many, it seems it's not unreasonable that this occurs occasionally as well to others. Let me be the 2nd to mention it. No "official" verification, but....
I'm not bagging on Lamictal, and have been very hopeful that this would be better than Lithium. It has eliminated the GastroIntestinal problems I had on Lithium, but I am getting discouraged that it has all the brand new symptoms that are discussed in this blog. Your "stuff" is real. I wish the Docs/Nurses/Case Workers would spend 5 minutes checking your comments out. It might bring about a better informed conversation than the shiny Glaxo flyers provide. That is all.

I HAVE BEEN ON TOPROL-XL FOR 2 YEARS. 25 MG. IN AM AND BLOOD PRESSURE WOULD FLUCTUATE UP TO 170/116 AND GO BACK DOWN TO 140/85. THEN WAS ALSO PUT ON NORVASC 25MG. IN PM. I ALSO AM HYPOTHYROID WITH HASHIMOTOS. MY SIDE AFFECTS HAVE BEEN EXTREME. SWEATING, HAVE TO CARRY A PAPER TOWEL OR SCARF TO WIPE SWEAT OFF, SPACED OUT, TIRED, FORGETFULNESS, RACING HEART, LEGS ANKLES SWOLLEN, THEY FEEL SO HEAVY, WEIGHT GAIN, EYES WATER, NOSE WILL HAVE NASAL DRIP, CONSTIPATED, SORE NECK, HEADACHES, THE LIST GOES ON. THIS SUMMER I WENT TO THERAPY FOR MY NECK, HAD ECHO AND WORE 24 HR. HEART HALTER, WHICH I HAVE FOUR EXTRA BEATS, WENT TO ENDRICONE DOCTOR WHO RAN TESTS FOR EVERYTHING, 24 HR. URINE, TESTS CAME BACK WITH TSH HIGH, EVERYTHING ELSE WAS NORMAL BUT FOR MY HEART EXTRA BEATS ENDR. AND FAMILY DOCTOR TOOK ME OFF NORVASC AND PUT ME ON TOPROL-XL 25MG IN PM ALSO AM. WELL FEELING LIKE I WAS READY TO GIVE IT ALL UP, LIKE I WAS DYING, I QUIT TAKING IT LAST NIGHT AND HAVE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS ALL YEAR, TRYING PEPTACE AND CELERY SEED EXTRACT. I FELT SO BAD THAT I KNOW IT COULD BE DANGEROUS TO QUIT THE TOPROL-XL LIKE THAT BUT I FELT LIKE MY HEART WAS GONNA BURST AND IT WAS GANNA TAKE ME OUT ANYWAY, AND DOCS. WOULDN'T LISTEN AND I HAVE BEEN IN TO THEM A LOT WITH ALL MY ISSUES. I AM 56 AND HAVE ALWAYS BEEN ACTIVE, OUTDOORS TYPE PERSON. I WALK 2 MILES ON TREADMILL EVERYDAY AND 30 MIN. OF TAE-BO EXERCISE. I WORK 5 DAYS A WEEK AND HAVE LOTS TO DO AT HOME. THEY TRIED TO PUT ME ON CYMBALTA, LEXAPRO, ELIVOIR FOR THEY SAID WHEN YOU FEEL THAT BAD YOU CAN GET DEPRESSED, I TOLD THEM NO, I AM NOT ADDING ANY MEDS. KNOWING I WOULD GET WORSE. PEOPLE AT WORK, MY FAMILY WILL SAY YOU DON'T LOOK LIKE YOU FEEL GOOD OR IS SOMETHING WRONG, HOW COMPLICATED IT WOULD BE TO EXPLAIN. SO I AM LISTENING TO MY BODY CAUSE FEELING THAT BAD ISN'T RIGHT SO I HOPE THIS WORKS. I COULN'T FEEL ANY WORSE ANYWAY. SO GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALL AND ALL OF US ARE UNIQUE TO FIND WHAT MIGHT WORK FOR US, AND MOST THOSE PRESCRIPTIONS ARE FOR ONE THING AND THEN TRIGGER OFF OTHER THINGS THEN YOU GOTTA TAKE ANOTHER MED. FOR THAT. I AM GLAD TO FIND THIS SITE.