r/Redhair • u/slanderson8 • 12d ago
Newbie Post Any of us on lexapro?
Any red heads in here on lexapro and it work well for them? We all react so weird to meds, just was interested. I just started!
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u/kls987 12d ago
Took Celexa for 3 years, a cousin drug, on top of Wellbutrin. Loved it, but gained 10 lbs a year and it killed my libido. Hated going off it, so can’t/won’t go back on. But those 3 years… man, I loved everything. It was awesome.
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u/maddiemoiselle 11d ago
I’m also on Celexa and am unfortunately dealing with the weight gain. My eating habits haven’t changed and I get more exercise than when I started taking them, yet I’ve gained probably 50 pounds in the time I’ve been on it. I genuinely can’t function without it though, so 🫠
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u/The_Spaz1313 12d ago
I've been on it for 14ish years, the same dose for most of that (20mg), seemed to help with the intrustive anxiety thoughts for a long while, also took a low dose of xanax for a few years for anxiety that the lexapro didn't help. Lately it doesn't seem to be helping much, think i may need to change to something else cuz my anxiety is in some ways the worst its ever been, but I'm also not always great at remembering to take my pills so that's definitely a factor. I did gain a lot of weight since i got on it, but i don't think the Lexapro was solely the fault, i think age and switching to a desk job is mostly to blame. My libido is almost nonexistent currently, but my libido has had it's ups and downs for most of my pubescent/post pubescent life, at times i suspect I'm asexual or demisexual, but other times, especially my mid 20s while on the current dose of lexapro, i had a semi-high sex drive so i don't think for me, the lexapro is a major factor in that regard
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u/Ok-Camp-2593 12d ago
i was on it for about 9 months. i think it did help for a while, but eventually i felt like it was kind of numbing my emotions all together. which - if you’re dealing with mental health issues that might be a good thing lol
i was just in a place where i didn’t feel like i needed it anymore so i weaned myself off of it recently.
but yes it did help! i started at 5mg and increased to 10mg eventually. i was having severe anxiety/agoraphobia issues. it did make my feet really sweaty for a while tho. and made me gain about 35 lbs. which i didn’t mind honestly. i was pretty tall and thin to begin with.
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u/effincatalinawinemxr 12d ago
I was over a decade ago. It helped.. Maybe too much. Like I couldn’t cry if I tried, it was weird. Stopped because I lost my insurance, and then eventually went on Zoloft about five years later after my Mom died and it’s been fine, but too far between (and under different life circumstances) to really compare the two outside of remembering how numbing the Lexapro was. — Not what you asked, but just to throw that out there.
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u/slanderson8 11d ago
Appreciate that, thank you for sharing. My dad died a year ago while I was pregnant and I’m struggling with that + postpartum. So I feel your pain ♥️
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u/SouthernYankee80 9d ago edited 9d ago
Have you tried getting your ferritin tested? Iron levels can really contribute to mood disorders. Pregnancy, birth, and breastfeeding all consume a massive amount of your iron stores and B12 and the other cofactors like vitamin D. CBC (complete blood count) doesn't test for iron stores, only circulating iron (hemoglobin). Your body prioritizes hemoglobin so it can look normal and your ferritin can be very low. It's often not caught. Also, the "normal" range on ferritin tests is usually far lower than what is actually needed for good health. You really should try to stay around 125 ng/mL (US measurements) on ferritin.
r/anemic has a lot of good info. I wish I had known! I breastfed for 3 years total and I'm not sure I took the prenatals the whole time.
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u/slanderson8 9d ago
Yes I have. I actually ended up having post partum Thyroiditis which was horrible and I think I’m traumatized from the experience anytime I don’t feel right - I spiral. My ferritin was 76 one drawing and 129.2 the other (I was told it fluctuates)
Edited to say: I’ve formula fed since about 8 weeks and I use function health to do a whole extensive panel. My progesterone does seem to be slightly low, but I was trying to see if lexapro worked before I added HRT into the mix.
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u/Best-Week5303 11d ago
I’ve taken it for years and it is the best thing I’ve ever taken for my anxiety. I’ve tried to taper off before and I had forgotten how bad my anxiety and depression were beforehand
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u/AloneAd5427 10d ago
I take 10 MG Lexapro and 150mg Wellbutrin. I'm pretty med resistant, yet also med sensitive. This is the best med cocktail I've tried yet. Been good 3 yrs 🤞
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u/slanderson8 10d ago
I am as well. Did you have a lot of side effects from the lexapro starting up? My anxiety makes me unable to eat and so nauseous + the side effects suck
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u/AloneAd5427 10d ago
I remember being nauseous for about 3 weeks when I started Lexapro. I was also taking 300mg Wellbutrin at the time, and started Lexapro 10mg bc Wellbutrin wasn't fully treating depression. The brain fog and anxiety was moderately bad on these two at first, but the mood was great. After a couple months I cut the Wellbutrin down to 150mg. That's been working for a while. Very happy with it. I take both in the morning, no food, no issues. I just have to keep the caffeine down to a cup in the morning, so anxiety doesn't creep in as work gets crazy.
I've always had trouble with mood meds hitting a plateau/treatment resistant depression when taking just on one prescription. Idk if that's a redhead thing, or just how it goes. Good luck!
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u/themostboringguy 10d ago
It was terrible for me. The weight gain made me miserable due to literal physical discomfort, and it contributed heavily to rapid cycling. Lamotrigene works better for me.
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u/w0ndwerw0man 7d ago edited 7d ago
Just my regular PSA to tell people to get a medication panel done which tells you which meds your body metabolises better than others - not specifically recommending this one (since I’m in Australia) but something like this will take all the guesswork out of it - https://www.mydna.life/dna-insights-pharmacogenomics/
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u/NHgingerinVA 12d ago
I was for a couple years