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Hi Stacy - I have BiPolar II Disorder and have been or am on many of these things. Lexapro is an antidepressant and can take some time to kick in. The Xanax is the anxiety med. I take Ativan and Buspar for anxiety (along with other meds for the bipolar) and try to limit the Ativan for the reasons I believe you want to limit the Xanax. I think you REALLY need to speak to a qualified psychiatrist. I couldn't tell from your post if the doctor you spoke to was a primary care or a psychiatrist. Do you have depression as well as anxiety ?? It can take MANY tries on med combos and dosages to get it right. I'm on about my 12th med and doing ok but still getting anxiety that can be overwhelming at times. Have you tried any relaxation exercises ? I know when you are in the throes of a panic attack it can be next to impossible so try to practice when you are not having one. Deep breathes can help - I use grounding exercises too - but I know that sometimes you just can't stop it. Make sure you follow up with a phone call to your regular mental health physician. If you just have anxiety - they may want to add a second anxiety med - not the antidepressant. Good luck and try to hang in there - I know it is scary. hugs

I've been on Lexapro (10 mg a day) for almost two years. I've had no ill effects from it, but it took about two weeks to really begin working. I also have some anxiety issues, and I take Xanax, but not daily. I only take it when it's extreme. the anxiety and the depression are two different things and the Lexapro might not really help the anxiety much, IMHO, but I'd ask your Doc. I agree with Witchy that another med might be better.

I don't know, my problem is primarily anxiety and lexapro works really well in terms of just raising my tolerance... my "fuse" gets longer. It's a good combo with xanax for me, because the lexapro helps for things that are reasonably mild and the xanax supplements when I NEED it.

I've been on Lexapro for a few years and have had no problems at all.
I had tried others and this works best for me. That's the problem, you
have to "keep trying" to find the right one for you. Everyone reacts
differently to each drug. Please work with your regular doctor to find
the right one for you. It will help..............
PS I take Lorazepam ( generic Ativan ) occassionally on a high stress day

Lexapro made me have nightmares. I dream alot anyway but the dreams turned mean after I started taking it and calmed down once I quit. I have tried most of the drugs used for depression but the only one that has worked is Zoloft. I take Xanax when having a panic attack to help calm me down. Of course that makes me sleepy, so I try not to take it unless I absolutely have to. I also see a pychotherapist who is wonderful. If I didn't have her to talk to and make me realize I'm not crazy, I would hate to think where I would be right now. It's been a long road but I see the light at the end of the tunnel.
The only thing is, it has not helped with my weight loss.
Good Luck!
Pam

I'm on Lexapro for IBS. Apparently, when Zelnorm was taken off the market, Lexapro become the next best thing since it also affects the serotonin in the gut. The bonus for me is that it also helps with the mild depression I've always tried to fight without drugs.

I do well on it. I find that I'm generally less irritable, more glass-is-half-full, and my husband says I'm easier to live with. It did take about three weeks for me to feel normal on it. I was taking it before bed and was still sleepy in the morning, so now I take it with dinner. I had a few days of increased anxiety, not normally an issue for me, but my doctor told me to expect it.

One thing is that withdrawing from Lexapro can be difficult. When I tried (because I forgot to refill my prescription and wasn't convinced yet that I needed it), I got rebound depression and headaches. That happens now if I forget a day.

Hi there,
I was inspired by your brief posting about your weight loss while on Lexapro. How were you able to do it?? Nothing seems to work for me. I run 12 miles a week and eat very little. I think the depression I experienced off of Lexapro was more manageable than the depression I'm expressing on it....

Cheers
Moni35

Moni--with all that running you do, are you eating enough so you won't go into starvation mode and not lose any weight? I have been on Lexapro for many months at a high dose for OCD and have been able to lose around 50 lbs. Of course, I have a lot more to lose but Lexapro doesn't seem to slow me down when I work my program.