# Lexapro



## ghosting (Apr 4, 2007)

Hey everyone. I have been reading this site for the past few months, but this is my first time to really post. To cut to the chase, I've been experiencing pretty chronic DP/DR for about 8 months. I'm not sure what the root of it is, but I have suspicions that it all started when I had a bad experience with ecstasy. I've never been an avid drug user, so when my boyfriend asked me to try ecstasy with him last October, I went into it with a lot of anxiety, which resulted in a pretty uncomfortable trip and subsequently, a fairly steady flood of anxiety and just feeling really dis-connected.

Unfortunately, DP/DR has become a fairly day-to-day experience for me. I've tried everything from acupuncture to homeopathy, to eliminating gluten, caffeine, alcohol, and simple sugars & carbs from my diet, but nothing seems to have a long-term effect. I really want to treat this as holistically as possible, but I am kind of at my wit's end.

I started seeing a great psychiatrist three weeks ago. He is also a psychotherapist and a mindfulness meditation instructor. Although, like most psychiatrists, he isn't a specialist in depersonalization, he's fairly certain that my DP/DR stems from an underlying anxiety/panic disorder (I've had a lot of panic attacks in the past year, and my anxiety level is at an all-time high these days), and that medication would really help. I'm pretty pill-phobic (part of my anxiety, he says!), but I think I'm running out of options, so I'm going to try the meds, and he's going to teach me some simple grounding meditation techniques, since he thinks my tendency to float off into space is my way of coping with anxiety. A mechanism. So, I just started taking 2.5mg of Lexapro a couple of days ago, and we might be adding Klonopin to the mix, since I've read on these boards that this combination really helps people suffering from chronic DP. I'll keep you all posted on how it goes with the Lexi. So far, so good...I'm feeling a little flu-ey today, but nothing that isn't manageable, and I have to try and stay hopeful. Any feedback on Lexapro and/or Klonopin, and how it has affected your DP, is much appreciated!


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## Guest (Apr 27, 2007)

Hello and welcome to the site. =)


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## EverDream (Dec 15, 2006)

Hi and welcome! 

Good luck with that! I hope it will help you!

Your meds seems good for treating everything. My psychiatrist, when I first started going to him, gave me something close to Lexapro which is an antidepressant and also Klonopin. Now I'm taking only the antidepressant but my psychiatrist wants me to take 1/2 a pill a day.
That's hard to say if it will help you because with everyone is different and you need to find the thing that fit. But basically from my experience the antidepressant is kinda good dealing depression haha and Klonopin is really relaxing and you can sleep really deep but it also can be very tiring and can make you some dizzy...

Good luck


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## brandon is not taken (Mar 29, 2007)

klonopin can be very helpful but it is also very addictive. For some people klonopin does more harm then good. I wouldn't try the klonopin right away. Give the lexapro some time to work.


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## ghosting (Apr 4, 2007)

Thanks for the replies, everyone. I'm definitely going to hold off on the Klonopin for now. I know it can be very addictive, although my psych said he would put me on the lowest dose, if necessary. It might be nice to have around for panic spells. It's Day 4 on the Lexapro, and I'm doing pretty well, actually. I woke up feeling super weird and panicky, but I think part of this is my general anxiety about taking pills. I tend to overanalyze, so part of my anxiety could be purely psychosomatic. So yeah, I woke up feeling panicky and disconnected, but after a really hot bath and some deep breathing, it pretty much disappeared! So maybe the meds are starting to help. The good thing is...starting at 2.5MG of Lexapro, I haven't had any horrible side effects, with the exception of a bit of a queasy stomach and a headache. But it's manageable.

On this note, I think hot baths are a God-send. I highly recommend it. Whenever I start feeling really out of my body, I run a hot bath and put some essential oils in the water (peppermint is especially good for calming yourself down). It's very grounding, and usually after 20 minutes or so, I feel a lot better. Deep breathing definitely helps. Visualization also helps if you can calm yourself down enough to think clearly. Starting at my feet, I usually try to visualize how each part of my body is connected, since part of my depersonalization is feeling very disengaged from my body (I used to just stare at my hands and feet and think they weren't real - this is the anxiety causing me to retreat into my head). I've also had a lot of success with yoga.

It's baby steps, for sure...again, I'll keep you guys posted on how the Lexapro is working.


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## lilames (May 29, 2007)

Hello. I was just curious how the Lexapro is working out for you because I went to a Nurse Practioner today and she prescribed me Lexapro and I haven't started taking it yet, but I will probably start taking it tomorrow. Let me know how it's working out for you. I was on Klonopin but it didn't really help me out at all. I really hope Lexapro works!


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