4 replies to this topic

[g12]

I need some advice. I'm 27, in good shape and 170 lbs. One of my parents died 7 years ago and life hasn't been the same since. I have been on Lexapro for about 6 months now. I started on 10mg for about 2 months then the doctor wanted me to try 20mg. It worked for about 3 weeks then I started feeling very sick, dizzy and medicated so I he dropped me back to 10mg. Since then I have not felt the same happiness or relaxation I did before. He also prescribed a series of benzos (prescribed at different times and never overlapped) for social events when I would be nervous, all of which gave me headaches or put me to sleep quickly.
About a year before this I took Wellbutrin which was pretty useless and the side effect of memory loss was so great I had to drop it before I lost my job.

About 3 years before this, I took about 1600mg of Piracetam a day with 250mg of AlphaGPC. This worked great. The only reason I stopped taking it is because the supplier I bought Piracetam from stopped selling it, and that specific supplier posted purity tests of the Piracetam which made it a much more trustworthy source in my opinion. I have not trusted other sources since then and that is why I tried prescriptions. I am also concerned with Piracetam because the mechanism of action is not fully understood and seems to have as good of a chance at causing future health problems as the prescriptions I'm currently taking. One other thing I noticed is since taking Lexapro, I do feel calmer but I also don't care about getting a lot of neccessary priorities finished. I also used to feel motivated to workout but have no desire to at all since taking Lexapro.

My questions are: Should I ask my doctor to slowly take me off Lexapro so I can start taking Piracetam again? If so, what is a trusted pure supplier? Is there anything I can take to help me be calm before social events? I know from previously taking Vicodin for a week for pain that my body repsonds extremely well to opiates, but also understand it can't be taken regularly or my body will become too used to the syntheitc alkaloids and not produce its own. I'm looking for any advice right now. Thanks.

[AZabirko0901]

Eleuthero Root (prev. known as Siberian Ginseng) downregulates cortisol production (upregulates ACTh production as well), and eliminates most traces of stress for me.
(A repost from myself, but your thread is very similar to one of the key topics in the other).

[ta5]

Keep reading and learning as much as you can. Focus first on your overall health, and brain health. Make sure you've got the basics, like magnesium/calcium/vitamin D, EPA/DHA, B-complex especially B6, B12, folate. Get exercise, sunlight, etc. ...What am I forgetting? Quality sleep, but not too much.

Consider talk therapy, CBT, etc.

As far other sups, just some other ideas: You could add Inositol, Bacopa, other adaptogens. Aniracetam may work better for anxiety instead of Piracetam. For motivation, I believe some people recommend Pramiracetam or Phenylpiracetam. But, whatever works. Keep trying.

The lack of motivation is a major concern. You're in a bit of a squeeze with both a lack of motivation and anxiety. My friend has that. And has languished for the last decade - very sad. You need to get that worked out pronto. Too bad you didn't like Wellbutrin, it gets pretty good reviews, and has been shown to be more motivating. Maybe consider an SNRI instead.

[Sartac]

I like mirtazapine (Remeron) and testosterone sometimes. Fun stuff if you work out and are into gaining mass. I also take lexapro for the pure hell of it, and it may have added a hint of contentment. It could be worth visiting an endocrinologist if insurance pays a reasonable portion. Sorry to hear about your troubles, and I hope you can bring positivity to loved ones around you.

The quality sleep and sunlight suggestions also sound very nice. Try and pick a nice day each week for a stroll or jog somewhere cool, if you don't already. I struggle with the outgoing stuff sometimes and get too caught up in work. Kava tea is nice for winding down, though some extracts have been associated with liver damage.

[jadamgo]

I second the recommendation to switch to something other than an SSRI. The MAOIs are very effective anxiolytic drugs, though they can cause nasty side effects for some people.

Exercise is great for anxiety. Interval training seems to be particularly helpful, as it works out the CNS pretty heavily.

Here's the actual good news: most anxiety disorders can be completely CURED with good psychotherapy. When I say "cured" I mean "you can stop taking meds and you won't have to start taking them again." In particular, social anxiety responds very well to CBT.

As someone who recently recovered from full-blown social anxiety disorder, I can say that drugs were never the answer I wanted them to be. Sure, a sensible amount of alcohol helps a bit with socializing, but I don't like drinking heavily. Marijuana increased anxiety. Theanine, chamomile, benzodiazepines and antihistamines were too sedating. Valerian was nice, but it quit working after a day or two of using it. Phenibut was addictive, and when combined with alcohol it was far too disinhibiting -- I could have passed for manic on that combo! And antidepressants are great, but they only do so much.

Therapy was the real answer. It took a few months, but it worked like nothing else ever has.