# Lexapro or Paxil



## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Have you had success with Lexapro or Paxil for SA? I have no energy on Lexapro and get migraines. I might switch to Paxil. I read the weight gain is high with Paxil, but I also read complaints about hair loss with Lexapro. Neither of those side effects sound good! 
Which one is more sedating, better at treating SA and has the least amount of side effects? I can't take an SSRI that is too stimulating, because they make me jittery.


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## alittleunwell (May 27, 2012)

Try Paxil CR, my pdoc says it's less likely to cause weight gain than the IR. I've been on it for over 3 months and lost 25 lbs. Definite improvement in my SA, I've joined a gym (something I would _never_ do before) and I'm more at ease with talking to strangers. For the first month it was a bit stimulating, but that side effect went away. I can't take Lexipro, it made me so wired I didn't sleep for days.


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> Have you had success with Lexapro or Paxil for SA? I have no energy on Lexapro and get migraines. I might switch to Paxil. I read the weight gain is high with Paxil, but I also read complaints about hair loss with Lexapro. Neither of those side effects sound good!
> Which one is more sedating, better at treating SA and has the least amount of side effects? I can't take an SSRI that is too stimulating, because they make me jittery.


 
Be careful of trying Zoloft because it's stimulating (my psychiatrist informed me of this). I'm on Lexapro and Klonopin, I would say it's working very well; I'm not reacting to things in a negative way as I normally would. I am pretty tired most of the day (only side effect), but that beats being extremely anxious and panicky every day. Paxil did not do a thing for my panic attacks and social anxiety. Don't forget though everyone is different, what might work for one, might not work for the other. It's trial and error. If you're having migraines try drinking a lot of water throughout the day.


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

alittleunwell said:


> Try Paxil CR, my pdoc says it's less likely to cause weight gain than the IR. I've been on it for over 3 months and lost 25 lbs. Definite improvement in my SA, I've joined a gym (something I would _never_ do before) and I'm more at ease with talking to strangers. For the first month it was a bit stimulating, but that side effect went away. I can't take Lexipro, it made me so wired I didn't sleep for days.


wired? I am the opposite. I feel tired on Lex.

Did you want to lose 25 lbs or was it a side effect?


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> Be careful of trying Zoloft because it's stimulating (my psychiatrist informed me of this). I'm on Lexapro and Klonopin, I would say it's working very well; I'm not reacting to things in a negative way as I normally would. I am pretty tired most of the day (only side effect), but that beats being extremely anxious and panicky every day. Paxil did not do a thing for my panic attacks and social anxiety. Don't forget though everyone is different, what might work for one, might not work for the other. It's trial and error. If you're having migraines try drinking a lot of water throughout the day.


I can't take Zoloft. It made me too jittery.

What mg of Lexapro are you on? How long have you been on it?


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> I can't take Zoloft. It made me too jittery.
> 
> What mg of Lexapro are you on? How long have you been on it?


I take 10mg of Lexapro a day and 0.5 mg of Klonopin twice a day. I've been on this regimen for about 4 days. I know what you're thinking, that's hardly enough time to make an assumption, but I can definitely feel a difference! I was told by my psychiatrist that I have severe depression and anxiety. It takes 4 to 6 weeks for antidepressants to reach maximum effect. You said you wanted to feel sedated and I would suggest Lexapro for this, but if it gives you migraines that's not good (like I said try drinking lots of water throughout the day). Prozac made my social anxiety worse, Paxil didn't do anything. Once again though, everyone reacts differently, so it's very subjective when it comes to medication. I hope you find your relief. There are lots of different meds to try, so don't get discouraged.


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## qcsox (Jul 10, 2011)

Lexapro is not indicated for Social Anxiety Disorder, so the use of it for this condition is off-label. I am not a big fan of it, I tried both it and its counterpart Celexa and they made me feel horrible. 

Paxil is indicated for Social Anxiety Disorder, as well as about every other anxiety disorder out there. I have had tremendous success with it. In a matter of months it completely cured my anxiety with very little side effects. I did not gain any weight. There have been multiple independent studies showing its efficacy for SAD. The main downside to Paxil is that once you come off of it, the withdrawals are a little rougher than some of the other meds, but you can solve this by asking for the liquid solution during your taper-off period and going down very very slowly.

I took Paxil from July 2011-May 2012 and I went from having severe debilitating panic attacks in social situations to being completely normal. I tapered off during the month of June and I am still feeling fine today. That's about as good a success story as you can get. It pretty much changed my life.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> Have you had success with Lexapro or Paxil for SA? I have no energy on Lexapro and get migraines. I might switch to Paxil. I read the weight gain is high with Paxil, but I also read complaints about hair loss with Lexapro. Neither of those side effects sound good!
> Which one is more sedating, better at treating SA and has the least amount of side effects? I can't take an SSRI that is too stimulating, because they make me jittery.


i responded to your post in a different thread - but i liked paxil over lexapro. read up on luvox as well, it's a great anxiolytic.

i didn't gain any weight on paxil and was on the drug for ten years before it stopped working. i didn't experience any side effects while on paxil, actually.

lexapro didn't control my anxiety at the highest recommended dose per fda guidelines (20mg/day) and it caused hair loss.


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## beaches09 (Feb 1, 2009)

Paxil for me was very chillaxing. Very anxiolytic. I loved the stuff and had a blast while on it (my fav ssri), but I couldn't go without caffeine to get going.


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## alittleunwell (May 27, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> Did you want to lose 25 lbs or was it a side effect?


Both, and also an effect of the med working well for me. The first month I lost 10 lbs without trying, it just melted off. I need to lose weight, so it gave me the kick start I needed to begin a lifestyle change. The Paxil also reduced my SA so that I'm able to join a gym and actually go work out 4x a week. After three months I can definitely say it's been easier to get the lbs. off than it ever was before (it was always a huge struggle no matter _what_ I did).


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

qcsox said:


> Lexapro is not indicated for Social Anxiety Disorder, so the use of it for this condition is off-label. I am not a big fan of it, I tried both it and its counterpart Celexa and they made me feel horrible.
> 
> Paxil is indicated for Social Anxiety Disorder, as well as about every other anxiety disorder out there. I have had tremendous success with it. In a matter of months it completely cured my anxiety with very little side effects. I did not gain any weight. There have been multiple independent studies showing its efficacy for SAD. The main downside to Paxil is that once you come off of it, the withdrawals are a little rougher than some of the other meds, but you can solve this by asking for the liquid solution during your taper-off period and going down very very slowly.
> 
> I took Paxil from July 2011-May 2012 and I went from having severe debilitating panic attacks in social situations to being completely normal. I tapered off during the month of June and I am still feeling fine today. That's about as good a success story as you can get. It pretty much changed my life.


That is a success story! Did you take reg or CR Paxil? What mg? 
What side effects did you have while on Lexapro? I have a slight increase in tremor, migraines & have no energy.


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> I take 10mg of Lexapro a day and 0.5 mg of Klonopin twice a day. I've been on this regimen for about 4 days. I know what you're thinking, that's hardly enough time to make an assumption, but I can definitely feel a difference! I was told by my psychiatrist that I have severe depression and anxiety. It takes 4 to 6 weeks for antidepressants to reach maximum effect. You said you wanted to feel sedated and I would suggest Lexapro for this, but if it gives you migraines that's not good (like I said try drinking lots of water throughout the day). Prozac made my social anxiety worse, Paxil didn't do anything. Once again though, everyone reacts differently, so it's very subjective when it comes to medication. I hope you find your relief. There are lots of different meds to try, so don't get discouraged.


I will try to add more water. Thanks! Did you just begin Klonopin? That might be the main reason for the quick relief. I hope it continues to work for you.


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

basuraeuropea said:


> i responded to your post in a different thread - but i liked paxil over lexapro. read up on luvox as well, it's a great anxiolytic.
> 
> i didn't gain any weight on paxil and was on the drug for ten years before it stopped working. i didn't experience any side effects while on paxil, actually.
> 
> lexapro didn't control my anxiety at the highest recommended dose per fda guidelines (20mg/day) and it caused hair loss.


I will read up on Luvox. I will instantly stop Lexapro if I notice hair loss! That is not good. How long did you stay on Lexapro?


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

four - five months.


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> I will try to add more water. Thanks! Did you just begin Klonopin? That might be the main reason for the quick relief. I hope it continues to work for you.


Good, sometimes headaches are caused from dehydration or stress. Yes, I began both meds at the same time. You're right, the klonopin has a lot to do with the quick relief. I hope Lexapro works out, I won't really know until 6 weeks, but so far so good. I am getting a little worried though because some people on here are saying they had hair loss from Lexapro. :afrAnyone know if this is a _common_ side effect?


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> Good, sometimes headaches are caused from dehydration or stress. Yes, I began both meds at the same time. You're right, the klonopin has a lot to do with the quick relief. I hope Lexapro works out, I won't really know until 6 weeks, but so far so good. I am getting a little worried though because some people on here are saying they had hair loss from Lexapro. :afrAnyone know if this is a _common_ side effect?


I hope it's not a common side effect. How are you? Is the combo of the two still helping your SA? I am almost to week 5 on Lexapro. I don't feel relief from my SA. All I want to do is sleep.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> I am getting a little worried though because some people on here are saying they had hair loss from Lexapro. :afrAnyone know if this is a _common_ side effect?


i don't think it's common, although it seems to be, at least via online anecdotes, more common than with some of the other ssris available.


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> I hope it's not a common side effect. How are you? Is the combo of the two still helping your SA? I am almost to week 5 on Lexapro. I don't feel feel relief from my SA. All I want to do is sleep.


Yes, I actually think it's helping somewhat. I'm not reacting in my normal panic mode in some situations I normally would (like driving or standing in line at a store, or short conversations). Don't forget I'm also on Klonopin too, so that could be an _extra_ help. Do you take Klonopin in conjunction with Lexapro? Yes, I'm _very_ tired most of the time and I have NO sexual desire at all. These side effects are better to me than anxiety anyday though.



basuraeuropea said:


> i don't think it's common, although it seems to be, at least via online anecdotes, more common than with some of the other ssris available.


I also take Spironolactone (75mg) which is prescribed for hormonal acne and hair loss, so it might counteract the effects of hair loss. I haven't noticed any hair loss yet. I read Lexapro is an SSRI with the least side effects, not sure just yet.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> I also take Spironolactone (75mg) which is prescribed for hormonal acne and hair loss, so it might counteract the effects of hair loss. I haven't noticed any hair loss yet. I read Lexapro is an SSRI with the least side effects, not sure just yet.


hope it works out for you!


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> Yes, I actually think it's helping somewhat. I'm not reacting in my normal panic mode in some situations I normally would (like driving or standing in line at a store, or short conversations). Don't forget I'm also on Klonopin too, so that could be an _extra_ help. Do you take Klonopin in conjunction with Lexapro? Yes, I'm _very_ tired most of the time and I have NO sexual desire at all. These side effects are better to me than anxiety anyday though.
> 
> I also take Spironolactone (75mg) which is prescribed for hormonal acne and hair loss, so it might counteract the effects of hair loss. I haven't noticed any hair loss yet. I read Lexapro is an SSRI with the least side effects, not sure just yet.


I am not on Klonopin. I would like to add it, but I don't think I could handle being anymore drowsy.


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> I am not on Klonopin. I would like to add it, but I don't think I could handle being anymore drowsy.


I understand what you're saying; but I actually like the feeling of being sedated because my anxiety symptoms were so acute and debilitating. I can still do normal everyday activities, like driving and errands. It's not like I'm a zombie.


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## basuraeuropea (Jul 25, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> I understand what you're saying; but I actually like the feeling of being sedated because my anxiety symptoms were so acute and debilitating. I can still do normal everyday activities, like driving and errands. It's not like I'm a zombie.


i second this.


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## anxioustocalm (Jun 21, 2012)

Sara2012 said:


> I understand what you're saying; but I actually like the feeling of being sedated because my anxiety symptoms were so acute and debilitating. I can still do normal everyday activities, like driving and errands. It's not like I'm a zombie.


I'm glad it works for you. I definitely need sedating. My anxiety has been severe. Lexapro makes me tired. I could sleep all day which is not like me. That's why I couldn't tolerate a benzo in addition to the Lexapro.


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

anxioustocalm said:


> I'm glad it works for you. I definitely need sedating. My anxiety has been severe. Lexapro makes me tired. I could sleep all day which is not like me. That's why I couldn't tolerate a benzo in addition to the Lexapro.


I would say it's working OK for me right now (better than the other SSRIs I tried), but it has only been two weeks, so I should know more in a month. How many milligrams of Lexapro are you taking? I'm so sorry your anxiety has been so severe, I totally understand what you're going through. Unfortunately, if you want to feel sedated, being tired all day is the price you have to pay. My psychiatrist told me to take my pill in the morning with food because the pill can make you queasy, but maybe if I took it at night I might have more energy during the day. I also have a feeling that daily exercise (like walking) might help.


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## Pinnigig (Nov 30, 2011)

I'm restarting Lexapro after a 3 month break. 

Did you notice any anxiety increases with Lex? What about with Paxil? Thanks!


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## Sara2012 (Jul 21, 2012)

Pinnigig said:


> I'm restarting Lexapro after a 3 month break.
> 
> Did you notice any anxiety increases with Lex? What about with Paxil? Thanks!


Why did you take a break? For me, my anxiety didn't increase with Lexapro it decreased (I'm taking Klonopin too); I still have some time for it to fully kick in. Paxil didn't increase or decrease my anxiety, so it wasn't helpful for my social anxiety or panic attacks, I took it for almost a year. As they say though, each drug works differently for everyone, so it's important not to let others' experiences influence what you do.


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## metamorphosis (Dec 18, 2008)

I would start with lexapro. It has the lowest side effect profile of all them SSRI's. It is the most selective of the SSRI's. It has pure SERT (serotonin transporter) inhibition, which explains why it's the most neutural and well tolerated of them SSRI's. It has the fewest CYP450-mediated drug interactions. It is also effective at lower doses, 10mg and sometimes even 5 mg can be therapeutic instead of having to zero in on higher doses that are effective. examples can be celexa- 20-60 mg, zoloft- 50-150 mg, prozac-20-40mg etc. 

Yup and I'm not even the rep for Forest Pharmaceuticals. Though they should hire me!!!


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## Canadian4Life (Sep 27, 2010)

Ive been on Paxil since March 2012. Was on 20mg and went to 25mg a few months back. Works well for me (anxiety wise) majorly. Tried all the other ssri and snris and none worked. Paxil was my last choice but it worked wonders. On 25 mg of Paxil now still working well for my anxiety. I tried mood stabilizers, benzos, propranolol, ssri and snris, buspar, trazodone and none worked but Paxil. Now I hear people telling me how Lexapro is a far better drug than paxil. It is more potent anxiety wise with less side effects... not that the side effects from Paxil are a problem as most have subsided. Would it make sense to switch to Lexapro if paxil is working very good. anybody with advice thanks alot


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