Tuesday, December 8, 2015

Update on Anti Depressant/ Anti-Anxiety Meds

   I mentioned back in October that I was going on anti depressant/anti anxiety medication, specifically Lexapro.

  I've now been on it for 7 weeks or so, on a low dosage of 10 mg per day.

  So...how is it going?

  Well, I think it is helping, especially in the anxiety department.  It feels like I'm not on "high alert" as much.

  One noticeable difference is that I'm doing better with uncertainty. There are many decisions we make (both parents and children) and I love to have a plan and to know what is going to happen.  Reality is, many decisions take more time than I like. I am doing better about waiting.

  I am sleepier than I was, especially early evening. That may be a side effect of the Lexapro. On the other hand, I've been running around for years, probably with more adrenaline from anxiety flooding my system than is ideal.  Perhaps my body is talking to me clearly, saying "you need more rest."  I have actually been taking naps in the early afternoon on occasion, which I haven't for quite a while.

  I really think anxiety has been a bigger problem than actual depression, though I've had minor depressive episodes off and on for years and occasional more major feelings of depression.  Now that this medication has kicked in, I feel like...well, I don't know.  I know God is working on a bunch of stuff in my life, how I feel, what I'm thinking about, giving difficult situations to him, and so on.  I still feel like life isn't easy, but I do believe my brain chemistry has improved. So that is good.

   I think my doc originally planned on me moving up to 20 mg Lexapro, but the prescription was for 10 and it seems to be working well enough, so I'm going to stick with 10.

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