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Grand Magnate
Member Since Aug 2019
Location: hanging from a cloud
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#1
I've been on escitalopram little more than two months. The psychiatrist told me that it should help not only with my depression, but also to sleep better. Although it helped for a week or two with the depression, I'm still struggling with sleeping and I don't know wether it's because escitalopram isn't working or because it takes more time to have effect. I will ask my psychiatrist in our next appt (in 20 days), but I would like to know other people's experiences.
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Blue_Bird
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Grand Member
Member Since Aug 2017
Location: Closet
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#2
I take mine in the morning and don't think it has any sedative effects for me. Maybe the dr was thinking that lessened depression would result in improved sleep.
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Legendary Wise Elder
Member Since Jun 2013
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#3
Lexapro made me extremely manic so sleep was definitely an issue when I was on it
__________________ R.I.P mom 8/6/55-1/15/16 “All the darkness in the world cannot extinguish the light of a single candle.” -St. Francis of Assisi
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Aug 2019
Location: hanging from a cloud
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#4
I'm taking it at night because of the supposed sedative properties, but I've never felt any improvement on that regard. I'm not maniac, actually I don't have any side effect. Except for that week or two-week- period that I felt happy, I feel it's really ineffective at all, as anti-depressant and as sedative.
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Student of Life
Member Since Mar 2014
Location: South America
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#5
Hi, I don't know if you are considering switching medicines at all--but mirtazapine--a medicine I've taken for about 7 years now, is a good antidepressant and also has sedative properties... Once again, I don't know if you're looking to switch. But if you by chance are, maybe it would be a good medicine to bring up with your pdoc? Oh and also I've never taken escitalopram for depression, so I can't comment on that. I do have experience with venlafaxine though. And other meds (of course)...
Oh and I forgot to mention, they usually say 6-8 weeks for the full effect of antidepressants to kick in, but I think for effects such as sedative properties (or side effects), those can kick in earlier. So if you've been taking it for a little over 2 months, it's probably safe to say you've given it a fair shot, on the assumption that it takes 6-8 weeks to work. Last edited by WastingAsparagus; Dec 03, 2019 at 09:23 AM.. Reason: thought of something else to say... |
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kumy
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Aug 2019
Location: hanging from a cloud
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#6
Yes, actually I would like to switch given that it is not working. PDOC told me that I should start noting some of its effects after 15-21 days and full effect after a month and a half, so I hope that she is open to switching too. I will talk to her about the possibility of taking some of those options.
Thanks, WastingAsparagus! |
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WastingAsparagus
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Member Since May 2015
Location: United States
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#7
I take it in the morning and it doesn't make me sleepy. My psychiatrist didn't say anything about sleep I take trazodone for sleep.
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Oct 2016
Location: United States of America
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#8
i took celexa for a little while. my (ancient) psych referred to it as a 'tranquilizer,' i guess because it simmers people down (ideally). it was...ok. no help with sleep. your Rx is very closely chemically related to celexa.
maybe the psych was thinking you'd calm down and therefore sleep better? |
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Member
Member Since Oct 2014
Location: Boston, MA
Posts: 257
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#9
I've never taken escitalopram, but I have taken citalopram and found it to be sedating right from the get go, which was a good thing ... initially ... as I've always struggled with sleep — both staying asleep and making myself go to bed. But it started becoming a problem when I could sleep for ten hours straight, wake up, and still feel sedated/tired. After a week or two of that, I decided I couldn't deal with it, so I asked to switch.
From what I remember, my prescriber said at the time that (in her experience) most people didn't find it sedating; if anything, she found it made people feel more activated, whether normally or triggering underlying undiagnosed bipolar disorder. |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Aug 2019
Location: hanging from a cloud
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#10
Thanks to everyone for your answers. I have an appointment with PDOC on Wednesday, so I'll definitely talk with her about this.
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Grand Poohbah
Member Since Jul 2017
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#11
I experience huge trouble sleeping , so my pdoc added Zolpidem/ Ambien.
__________________ Living things don’t all require/ light in the same degree. Louise Gluck |
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Grand Magnate
Member Since Aug 2019
Location: hanging from a cloud
Posts: 3,002
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#12
I talked to her this week and she told me that, although we need to regulate and improve my sleep, that's not the most important thing right now. She asked me to reduce my intake of coffee and some general habits like that and added sodium valproate as mood stabilizer. I hope that those habits help...
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