# lexapro & cymbalta



## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Hello, I am currently on 15 mg lexapro for general anxiety and obsessive thoughts/perfectionism for around 8 months.

My doctor today decided to put me on cymbalta.

Do I have to taper off lexapro or just jump to cymbalta?

Also if I need to taper, I suppose that I don't have to taper lexapro very slowly (as if I wanted quit AD completely), I mean can I split the lexapro dose in half (7.5) and the cymbalta capsule in half also?

Can I use them both? Because my doctor told me that I could use both if I like.

Thanks in advance.


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Just jump to Cymbalta.


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

Right answer, Sir.


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks guys, thats what my doctor said, but I wanted to be sure. 

So how to you find the change from lexapro to cymbalta?


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## euphoria (Jan 21, 2009)

Why is he switching you, if you don't mind me asking?


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Hi euphoria, to tell you the truth he put me on both, because I still have intrusive thoughts after using lexapro for some time. 

But today I am thinking that I am on 15mg lexapro only for 6 weeks and there was improvement from when I was using 10mg.

So believe it or not he told me to up my dose to 20mg lexapro. Since I was very hesitant, then he told me that better than 15mg lexapro, for my condition is prozac or lexapro 10mg combined with cymbalta.

From what I believe he is a doc supporting high doses of SSRIs/SNRIs, as he explained to me that first I have to be cured completely and then wean off. So this can be achieved with therapy and enough medication.

Now after browsing yesterday for almost all day forums etc, I saw terrible withdrawals from cymbalta and also that it doesn't come in liquid form and therefore it is very difficult to taper slowly.

Ultimately do you think that 10mg lexapro combined with 60mg cymbalta, will be better than 20mg lexapro?

Have you ever heard lexapro & cymbalta together?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

I am not a fan of combining SSRIs with other SSRIs or SNRIs.


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Thanks Medline. Do you suggest any other combination with lexapro?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

eg. with Wellbutrin if energy, SSRI-induced sexual problems or weight-loss are issues.


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Yeah I heard about Wellbutrin, I will bring it up to my doctor (who always says yes to meds anyway). However out of the problems you posted, I am having only the sexual disfunction and this since I upped my dose to 15mg and added Propecia for hair loss. So I don't know if the problem rise from the lexapro increase or the addition of Propecia (documented side effect of it) or both.


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## korey (Apr 25, 2006)

Medline said:


> I am not a fan of combining SSRIs with other SSRIs or SNRIs.


I was almost going to make a thread about this until you mentioned it in this thread. Why are you not a fan of combining SSRI's or SNRI's? I am currently on Zoloft for the second time, and it surprisingly is helping with my depression some already (assuming this isn't hypomania), but I have never tried Luvox before so I am wondering what it would be like to take it with Zoloft. The interest in Luvox is also due to Luvox CR's approval for social anxiety disorder as well as OCD (i.e. regular Luvox would have the same indications if taken multiple times daily).


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

I don't see the pharmacological point in combining several drugs that do literally the same thing.


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

Does it worth to experiment which one fits me better, or better stick with lexapro and maybe raise the dose to 20mg ?


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## Medline (Sep 23, 2008)

I would raise the dose to 20mg.


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## preza (Oct 13, 2008)

thanks Medline


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## BearFan (Mar 22, 2008)

Medline is right, plus its hard to tell which drug is actually helping if your taking both antidepressants


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