Lesepro-Anyone on it? What is it exactly?

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Pure
Pure Member Posts: 1,796
edited June 2014 in Stage III Breast Cancer

What is lexepro do? Is it for anxiety or depression? Any side effects?

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  • Bren-2007
    Bren-2007 Member Posts: 6,241
    edited March 2010

    Hi Pure .. it's an anti-depressant.  I took it many years ago and didn't have any side-effects.  I think you are safe to take it.  I take Celexa, which does not interfere with Tamoxifen or AI's.

    Hope all is well with you,

    Bren

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  • Maryiz
    Maryiz Member Posts: 975
    edited March 2010

    As my breast cancer surgeon kindly put it, Lexapro is for "mood," which I thought was a kind way of saying depression.  It appears very mild to me and does not interfere with other meds.  I believe Effexor, another antidepressant, interferes with Tamoxifen.  Hope you are feeling better.  Maryiz

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  • jenn3
    jenn3 Member Posts: 3,316
    edited March 2010

    Funny you asked about Lexapro.  I just went to the dr with my sister because I'm worried about panic attacks she's been having, after witnessing one myself.  My sister was given Lexapro for Anxiety and Depression.  However, it didn't help her with the anxiety and she has been taken off off the Lexapro and given another medication strictly for anxiety.  The Lexapro didn't cause any side effects or interfere with any of her other medication and although it didn't work for her, I have heard good things about it.

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  • mmm5
    mmm5 Member Posts: 1,470
    edited March 2010

    pure-

    As you know I follow your posts sometimes and see myself in you 2years ago, you ask the same questions and I know I am stage 1 but with my aggressive tumor my Oncotype came back with a very high rate of potential recurrance so I have worried obsessively as well!

    Anyway after a really bad bout of worry during the year after and every ache and pain led me for a scan that was always negative, I conceded to going on Lexapro. I took a low dose .5 mg and it helped IMMENSELY! I put it off for a year because I thought it was weak and I had never been depressed before! Finally they talked me into it and it literally changed things for me.

    I had some mild side effects initially, dry mouth, queezy stomach, headaches, and they all subsided within 2 weeks! I am now weaning off and life is finally good again after all the nightmares of the last 2 years things are getting back to normal and some days I feel so good I can't believe it! It took forever to get here and it was a lot of stuff, visiting with a counselor, physical therapy etc. But I bet as you are young you will go through a lot with the hormonal treatment! I think the lack of estrogen and AI is worse than chemo, and it can create a lot of SE's that end up worrying you that it is cancer. Anyway I feel on the other side of that now and I believe Lexapro really helped.

    PM me if you have any other questions about it!

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  • mmm5
    mmm5 Member Posts: 1,470
    edited March 2010

    PS

    I tried Effexor first and hated it, it caused insomnia.....Lexapro also had insomnia but it went away.

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  • GryffinSong
    GryffinSong Member Posts: 439
    edited March 2010

    I've been on lexapro for several years and am doing very well on it. No side effects for me, and I'm on tamoxifen with no problems. It's a seratonin reuptake inhibitor. That is, it helps keep seratonin available to the body. Too little seratonin is one of the things that can lead to depression.

    Hugs and good luck to you!

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  • Pure
    Pure Member Posts: 1,796
    edited April 2010

    Thanks Ladies so much!!! Right now the taxol is really causing me to be crazy but it only lasts about 3 days but it's sooo bad and if the ALs are going to do this or be worse I am going to need something. But, with that said, I hate taking anything....

    Thanks for all your help!

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  • nowords
    nowords Member Posts: 423
    edited April 2010

    Did your Oncologist order Ativan for you to take with chemo? It is supposed to help with nausea but it also was a mellowing  agent for me with the steroids when I had dose dense AC.

     I resisted the lexapro and effexor  (- my hot flashes and night sweats were are not too bad and the blues have mostly gone)...and I ended up okay...(I think whatever works for the individual...I just don't like taking anything if I don't have to).

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