Lexapro(1)

JDancer

Has anyone given their LO Lexapro? My husband is having anxiety. As a drinker, benzos (Xanax, Ativan) aren't an option. Has anyone had good results with Lexapro or the generic equivalent?

jfkoc

I had a very bad negative reaction to Lexapro. I think it was rare but not unheard of.

Like all drugs/suppliments etc it is a good idea to check for side effects and/or interactions before taking or even buying. I use drugs.com but there are other sites online.

King Boo

Lexapro was an amazing game changer for my LO.   It decreased his anxiety, increased his enjoyment and quality of days, and decreased the obsessive behavior that was becoming difficult for caregivers.

Once it was given in the correct amount as prescribed by the Geriatric Psychiatrist, it worked WONDERS.    His GP under dosed him with it and did not use it properly.

JDancer

The info I saw said to start with 10mg, go to 20mg if needed. How much is your LO taking?

Do you use Lexapro or generic? 

How long did it take to see results?

John1965

My DW is on 10mg. It has made both of our lives better.

Nancy Anne

My DH was on Lexapro for a while but had some reactions.  He did not sleep well and kept complaining about cold feet.  It did not help his depression and anxiety.  I on the other hand feel great taking it.   He is now taking Mirtazapine (brand name Remeron) sleeping much better and it has improved his appetite.  Depression and anxiety are somewhat better.

Jeff86

My DW takes lexapro (generic—escitalopram—30 mg).  Was on a smaller dose but neuro increased it when we dropped the anti-psychotic med due to side effects.

It seems to keep her calm and mostly controls anxiety.

harshedbuzz

JDancer-

Lexapro can be awesome. Or not. 

One downside to SSRIs is that they can take considerable time to trial. The medication is titrated up slowly and benefits/side effects might not be evident for 4-6 weeks. If it's a bad fit, it takes another couple of weeks to titrate the dose down and wean off. As with any psychoactive medication, a geriatric psychiatrist is the best specialist for management of the medication.

There is a test called Genesight that can help determine which meds might be best for an individual.

DNA Medical Testing | Genetic Testing | GeneSight

How much drinking does your DH do and is it non-negotiable? Patients are supposed to limit alcohol consumption on any of the SSRIs including Lexapro. Alcohol is a depressant, so ideally it would be best to limit it anyway. My dad was an alcoholic with dementia who took an SSRI; his geripsych added Wellbutrin to his cocktail of meds (Prozac and Seroquel) and it calmed down his urge to drink considerably. It's used for binge eating and smoking cessation, so I guess it makes sense.

Anecdote. I took Lexapro when it first came out for a particularly rough recurrence of PTSD. It was great at first, but over time I was sleeping upwards of 15 hours a day and had some memory issues with it. For me it was awful. 

HB

JDancer

My DH drinks beer all afternoon, starting around noon. 6-8 per day. Non negotiable, unfortunately.

Marie58

JDancer, would DH notice if you switched some/all of his beer with non-alcoholic beer? Or at least lite beer with has less alcohol?

JDancer

Interesting suggestion, thank you. I'll have to do it gradually to avoid alcohol withdrawal. He doesn't like light beer. I'm not sure what the non alcoholic beer tastes like. Does anyone have suggestions on which brand is best?

harshedbuzz

If he's like most beer drinkers, he might not take kindly to something other than his usual quaff. This would be especially true if he tends to drink from the can or bottle rather than a pint or pilsner glass. I would try it but based on our experiences with dad it's unlikely he'll be OK with a non-alcoholic substitute. 

We found non-alcohol versions of beer and wine to be unacceptable to me dad. His brain was damaged- not his palate. IME, most non-alcohol beers taste a bit like stale Wheaties at best. The Heineken version was the best of the ones we tried.  There are a couple companies aimed at athletes that make zero-alcohol craft style beers; I didn't like any I tried and I really, really wanted to. If he's a Bud man, swapping out for a faux IPA or stout isn't an option.

I would get a geripsych consult and discuss his drinking and the relative risks of alcohol use with various classes of medications. Given that he has a terminal diagnosis, the benefit of relieving anxiety may outweigh the risk of immediate placement to remove the opportunity to drink.

harshedbuzz

This popped up in my inbox.

Best Non-Alcoholic Craft Beers: Brooklyn Brewing, Einbecker & More - Thrillist

I would expect Big Red Liquors might carry a few of these. They were pretty deep into craft and European beers when I was last there.

jfkoc

My husband drank O'Douls. He said it was great.

Stuck in the middle

O'Douls tastes just like cheap American beer.  If he likes Bud, he'll like O'Douls.

Rescue mom

These taste experiences are interesting to me. My DH used to insist on a certain brand of beer and rum. Long story short, I found during the course of his Alzheimer’s he could no longer tell the difference. Same for a lot of foods.  Things he used to not like, he eats/drinks fine now. Maybe he lost the ability to say he doesn’t like it? But he can say that about other things, and he consumes basically anything I give him. 

 Anyway, it seems his sense of taste has mostly gone (except for the strong desire for sweets, which he did not have at all before Alzheimer’s).