# Prozac or lexapro?



## Emptyheart (Sep 15, 2009)

Prozac or lexapro which on are you on
And did it help you?


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## GnR (Sep 25, 2009)

I'm 8 days into cipralex at 10mgs per. So far I've noticed a slight decrease in anxiety and mildly improved mood. Side effects are there, but so far aren't too much to handle.


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## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

I am on Paxil 20 mg and yes it is helping me. Depression is almost completely vanquished and Anxiety is reduced by 30-50% which is enough to take it from an unmanageable level to a manageable level. On weekends I take 0.5 mg Klonopin then my anxiety is reduced by 70-90%.

Lexapro made gave me insomnia and made me lethargic during the day so I quit it since I need a lot of energy for my job.


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## gordonjohnson008 (Nov 2, 2008)

gordonjohnson008 said:


> I am on Paxil 20 mg and yes it is helping me. Depression is almost completely vanquished and Anxiety is reduced by 30-50% which is enough to take it from an unmanageable level to a manageable level. On weekends I take 0.5 mg Klonopin then my anxiety is reduced by 70-90%.
> 
> Lexapro made gave me insomnia and made me lethargic during the day so I quit it since I need a lot of energy for my job.


Note I've been on Paxil for about 4 months; during the first 3 weeks my anxiety was actually worse than before and I got mild headaches, insomnia, and daytime drowsiness. These side effects have almost completely subsided.


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

Cipralex here too, 10mg, I'm about 5 days in now. I feel like crap. Really dizzy and light headed, stomach ache, drowsy, and my kidneys are aching. I am not sure if I feel less anxious yet. I still feel super anxious but the only people I've seen are my family and I didn't feel social anxious around them, but I keep feeling like I want to laugh for no reason which is not as nice as it sounds. I really miss my Paxil to be honest... but I have to give these a shot for a couple of months at least. The Paxil was amazing for me, changed my life, but it wore off after so many years.


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## pollster (Oct 4, 2009)

I am on Cipralex (escitalopram). I was taking 5mg (half pill) for a while, as I found that helped enough. I tried a few before that, including Effexor (first day violently ill and called it quits), Wellbutrin (made me jittery, which didn't help anxiety, although I had wanted to take it for less weight gain), and Paxil (knocked me out). 

For me Cipralex has had the least hard to deal with side effects (no GI problems, for example). Kind of makes me more tired and lazy though, and any of them have caused me to gain weight.

I am now trying to slowly wean myself off - taking approx 2.5 mg (quarter pill) until I feel it's the right time to stop altogether. Last time I tried, I got the brain zaps and my anxiety got worse. Hoping this time it will be different, because I'm now trying to address my hormonal imbalance and I'm off the BC pill - which can screw up your moods.

Are you deciding which one you want to try? 

Although we all do it (me included) it's tough relying on other people's opinions/experiences on SSRIs and the like, since every body reacts very differently. (e.g. my aunt took Effexor and loved it).


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## Eimaj (Aug 2, 2006)

I was on prozac for years, then I switched to lexapro. I was on lexapro for years. I recently made the switch back to prozac and I find it to be more effective. I definitely notice more side effects though. But, overall, prozac is still the better choice of med for me right now. When I really start to feel it and notice it I actually will skip taking it for a few days. Sometimes prozac makes me feel like I lose touch with myself. So I try to stay on the lowest dose possible. The long half-life of prozac also makes it easier to miss doses which in effect is lowering the amount that is being built up in the body.

Lexapro really did not do too much for me. And I refused to take more than 5mg because it made me depressed at higher doses.


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## Ragn (Nov 1, 2009)

Hi there

Lexapro here for three years (10 mg). I was always afraid of pills but decided to give it a try since I was going abroad to study. It helped me extremely much, I absolutely loved how it made me feel. It was weird starting taking it, I felt a little dizzy and confused for about a week and a half. And coming of it doesn't have to be hard either. I took it very slowly and minimized the intake over a five month period. The only problem I had with it was weight gain, about 20lbs in those three years. 

It felt so good to be on it because I didn't feel like a total loser like I usually do. I had more confidence, was more in control with myself. I was easy going, not the angry, paranoid, crying all the time person I was before. 

Although I do have some anxiety back after I stopped taking it, I feel it left me more in control.


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

Ragn said:


> Hi there
> 
> Lexapro here for three years (10 mg). I was always afraid of pills but decided to give it a try since I was going abroad to study. It helped me extremely much, I absolutely loved how it made me feel. It was weird starting taking it, I felt a little dizzy and confused for about a week and a half. And coming of it doesn't have to be hard either. I took it very slowly and minimized the intake over a five month period. The only problem I had with it was weight gain, about 20lbs in those three years.
> 
> ...


That is promising to hear!  Thanks


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## Ragn (Nov 1, 2009)

pixies said:


> That is promising to hear!  Thanks


It takes some time to work, so do expect a couple of months for it to work fully. 
Good luck


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

Thank you


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

Well I've now been on this stuff for about 5 weeks or something, so I thought I would update anyone who is interested and this seemed like a good thread to do it in.

The side effects were TERRIBLE for the first two weeks, but they have mostly gone now. I have no more dizziness and panic, the only effects I'm still left with now are pains in my kidneys which I'm really concerned about so I need to talk to my doc about that. It's not that painful it's just really uncomfortable in my lower back. Other than that, nothing really obvious. I feel very tired all the time and lethargic and I have no motivation to do anything. I'm not sure if it's just me or if that is a side effect.

Besides that though, it's positive. I feel far less socially anxious now, far more relaxed around people and when I am out. I still get nervous about going out, but once I'm out I'm mostly ok. I don't have the courage to talk to a pretty girl yet, and even talking to other guys is a bit scary for me, but I can do it now and I'm starting to feel a lot more comfortable with that. So I am pretty happy with this medication.


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## CopadoMexicano (Aug 21, 2004)

I cant really tell any difference on Lexapro. Prozac ive never tried yet.


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## Raptors (Aug 3, 2009)

Prozac has helped me a LOT!


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## HTF (Nov 15, 2009)

i'm on Lexapro, just got bumped up to 20mg monday, didn't feel any change on 10mg. Haven't felt anything yet on 20mg, but i just started it.

never tried prozac


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## pixies (Oct 28, 2009)

I forgot to mention that I have crazy appetite changes on this drug. Paxil did nothing to my appetite but this stuff makes me constantly peckish. Even after I have eaten a big meal, I still feel like I want more. I am no doubt going to gain weight. I will try to stop it by exercising as often as I can and resisting the urge to binge on food. Hopefully I can keep my weight steady.


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## bben (Oct 24, 2009)

Lexapro has a higher tolerability profile as it is a more selective ssri. It effects a very specific receptor. This is the better choice I believe.

Prozac has a lower tolerability profile, but it hits pretty much every receptor. 

SSRIS are all pretty similiar kinda like deciding if you want sprite or sierra mist. Comes down to personal preference. 

If SSRIS dont work you can always try drugs that act on dopamine such as wellbutrin, or stimulants. These tend to actually make people feel well. 

SSRIS tend to work by blunting moods and taking away the intensity of emotion. That works for alot of people. That is a generalization but it holds pretty true. 

Dopaminergics increase intensity of emotion, but can produce agitation. Dopamine acting drugs also create tolerance pretty fast. 

SSRIS create tolerance much slower and can be taken at the same dose for years. 

Lexapro can synergize really well if you take another dopamine stimulating drug along with it to kind of counteract the sedating and mood dulling effects.

Anyway this is all just subjective observation. Good luck.


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## Ehsan (Mar 21, 2009)

none of them.
it seems prozac has no effect on anxiety disorders.
lexapro is too expensive.
so i select celexa:yes


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## Raptors (Aug 3, 2009)

Ehsan said:


> none of them.
> it seems prozac has no effect on anxiety disorders.
> lexapro is too expensive.
> so i select celexa:yes


You are wrong. Prozac is amazing.


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## ecotec83 (Sep 7, 2009)

Had pretty much the same experience as Ragn had with lexapro. I haven't felt this alive, confident or happy in years.


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## izzy (Dec 18, 2009)

I've only been on Lexapro. I feel it helps me.


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## alex80 (Jul 9, 2015)

It seems both medications can be used to treat depression and are similar chemically and are both made by the same manufacturer. But they are very different in some ways and are not interchangeable. Only Lexapro is approved to treat anxiety, and only Prozac is available as a generic. Lexapro is a newer drug than Prozac, and it also has fewer interactions than Prozac does.


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