Lexapro

LegacyUser

Not sure why I’m writing this, but maybe it might be of some help to others in a similar situation.
A bit of a back story, the last few months have been a little rough, the usual stuff changing job/pay cut etc but nothing major.
However, I personally have been slowly falling apart, starting roughly 8 months ago, when I stopped sleeping properly due to stress.
Realising this was heading down hill, I really started looking after myself, cooking my own good food going to bed on time, going out for jogs and I was very gratefully for the truly glorious summer we had :-). Unfortunately, despite my best efforts, I haven’t managed to turn things around.
so now my apartments looks like a keep animal in it and I’ve become very nervous and a little withdrawn. The smallest of things now appear to be huge challenges, really simply things like buying train tickets. I feel like I have no idea how to do anything any more. Which is truly bizarre as I have a master degree.
Amazingly I still have a full time job, but it’s a million miles way from what I would like it to be, and I know these are tough times and it really is time to keep your head down and do your best. But I am normally a very driven person so the frustration of my current job is really getting to me, but trying to change it now, would feel like trying to climbing mount Everest with a piano. On the flip side, with the industry the way it is I would be surprised if I keep this job until Christmas.
Finally after limping along for the last few months, I bit the bullet yesterday and went to see the GP and was prescribed Lexapro for anxiety. To be honest I have no real idea what to expect or how I will deal with this. If anybody else has been down this road I would be grateful if you would tell me how you got on as I feeling a little lost right now.

Oryx

Just a mod note to remind everyone not to discuss the merits or effects of any particular drugs. That should be for a doctor, not us.

Kevo

I'm on a different anti depressant but also for anxiety and depression too. It has turned my life around. For a long time I lived every day with a horrible pain in my chest, the kind you get when you are terrified. I'm still a bit anxious but I mostly feel normal now and I'm starting to enjoy life again. I'm also slowly coming off them (now on 1/2 dose) and so far so good.

I really started looking after myself, cooking my own good food going to bed on time, going out for jogs and I was very gratefully for the truly glorious summer we had

That was a good idea. Keep it up. Exercise is really important IMO. Also, don't isolate yourself during your time off. Meet up with friends, go for a hike, etc.

Counselling may be a good idea too. It will help you change your thinking patterns which lead to this.

Joey the lips

Hi OP. What you really need is a little counciling not to discuss lexipro. Dont berate yourself many people are on it and many come off it after a short space of time min 1 year i think

Nevyn

I've been on it last time was only for about 3 months but it's not a sliverbullet but it can allow you cope a bit better and to make the changes you need in your life and to start counselling.

One thing I noticed that that it could cause a change of how much I was eating usually it increased my appetite, but you seem to be trying everything, do keep up doing what you are doing and treating your body well and minding yourself.

LegacyUser

Hi OP, I was on 10mg of Lexapro per day (a very low dose in comparison to other anti-depressants) a few years back and like Thadedyal, I feel that it helped to keep me on an even keel, calm my mind down a bit, and allow me to think more rationally about things. I also started counselling at the same time as my doctor kept prodding me to do so, as a 'double-pronged approach', as she put it, would help with my depression. And she was right - whereas I felt balanced enough to come off Lexapro after a while, I'm still seeing a therapist to keep me there, and it works. You should think about therapy, too. Taking medication to adjust your serotonin levels is all well and good, but it shouldn't be used as a crutch, either. You sound like you've got your head screwed on right when it comes to doing things like exercising, eating well. Try your best to keep doing those things.

Princess Peach

I'm on lexapro. I started 10 mgs for a week and then went up to 20mgs after that. I had seriously bad side affects when I started, nausea, extreme tiredness, loss of appetite, weight loss, dry mouth. The nausea was the worst. My doctor said these are all common symtpoms and as long as they weren't affecting my life to bear with it.

It took about a month or so before the side affects went away and about 2 months till I started to feel better but lexapro really worked for me! I've been taking it a year and started to lower my does recently which has caused severe mood swings for me but I was doing great on it for a long time.

Just expect the side affects, and don't expect fast results.

Lorrs33

I was on Lexapro for two weeks but I couldn't afford it so I switched to Cipramil. Tbh, I didn't feel any difference in myself until I stopped taking them cold turkey, which wasn't a smart idea but I couldn't afford another doctor appointment. Even though I still feel really withdrawn and anxious at times, the best thing, I find, is to do stuff that make you feel better. While on the medication, it's wise to accomplish this, because once you come off the medication, you're going to feel it and you need to have something in your life that'll keep you positive. Otherwise you'll crash and possibly feel worse than you did before you went on it.

coffeenut

I've been on lexapro twice in the past few years. first time i took it, noticed a decrease in libido but was able to come off it after about 4 months thankfully. second time i was on it, had severe nausea for the first week or two and to this day, i still can't eat a caesar salad made with iceberg lettuce.

all in all, it helped me get back to where i wanted to be but it wasn't the only factor. diet and fitness are a huge factor for me as well as making a conscious effort to have a positive attitude that I was going to get through it.

As they say though, different strokes for different folks so don't be surprised if you end up having to try different dosages of different medications to find what works for you. persevere with it and be as positive as you can and you'll get to where you want to be

LegacyUser

Hi everyone, Thank you all for your replies, it's really made the world of difference to know I'm not alone on this one.

Counselling sounds like a good idea, but to be honest I don't know if I could engage in any meaningfull way at the moment. My head seem to know exactly what is wrong but the rest of me won't play ball. I do wish I could kick myself in the arse sometimes.

For now, at least, I'm going to focus on the simple stuff like taking the fecking washing out of the fecking washing machine.

Thanks again

Judes

I'm on lexapro almost a year - as I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia last October. When I began it the nausea was dreadful and I thought I can't take this - it's worse than the physical pain my body was in. I was only taking 10. Then within about 2-3 weeks - no problem - but I didn't want to take 10 each day and found that taking 5 each day just wasn't enough, so I spoke to my rheumatologist and doctor and I take 5-10 on alternative days.

I have to say it's helped a lot - it relaxes mind and body - as fibromyalgia is an inflamation of soft tissue and of course if your tense, stressed, worried, then that doesn't help your body physically. Mine was brought on by a major traumatic event and it took about 12-18 months to manifest within my body.

I'm hoping to come off it soon - as the stress levels have gone down, I'm doing pilates, walking - have changed to a dairy free diet recently and I think a combination of exercise and being positive helps. So give it a try - it's to aid you - not cure you - that part is up to yourself.

Princess Peach

Lexapro-man wrote: »

Hi everyone, Thank you all for your replies, it's really made the world of difference to know I'm not alone on this one.

Counselling sounds like a good idea, but to be honest I don't know if I could engage in any meaningfull way at the moment. My head seem to know exactly what is wrong but the rest of me won't play ball. I do wish I could kick myself in the arse sometimes.

For now, at least, I'm going to focus on the simple stuff like taking the fecking washing out of the fecking washing machine.

Thanks again

I went to councelling the day after I was diagnosed and it just went awful, I couldn't talk and didnt want to talk to the councellor. Then a few months later when I was feeling better because of the meds, my doctor was still pestering me to go to councelliDong, she said she didn't want to talk about me coming off my meds until I had. So I did a course and it went much better. I don't know if it was because of a different councellor or because I was in a better state of mind but it really worked for me then!

So you may not feel up for now but keep it in mind, cause I found it really helpful anyway

LegacyUser

Some body asked me today if I was on drugs, and I'm not sure how to deal with this,
I understand why somebody would think this as my eyes are very dialated and I feel fairly relaxed. I'm worried, what people will think if it is this obvious. I hope this passes soon.

Princess Peach

lexapro-man wrote: »

Some body asked me today if I was on drugs, and I'm not sure how to deal with this,
I understand why somebody would think this as my eyes are very dialated and I feel fairly relaxed. I'm worried, what people will think if it is this obvious. I hope this passes soon.

That never happened me! Just tell them its anti histamines or something.

When I started I think people just thought I was really hungover all the time, cause I was so tired and nauseous all the time, and I had a bad rep for drinking at the time. I kinda let them think I was hungover rather than tell them th truth!

up for anything

I've tried three times in the last few months to begin Lexapro but can't get past the bad nausea. From morning till night I feel like I am on the point of puking but don't quite get there. There is no let up it the sickness. I gave up trying. The doctor told me that he wouldn't put me on anything else instead because he now feels that I have reactive depression rather than a general depression, if that makes sense. I'm relieved not to have to try again. I can feel the sickness rising as I think about taking it.

LegacyUser

lexapro-man wrote: »

Some body asked me today if I was on drugs, and I'm not sure how to deal with this,
I understand why somebody would think this as my eyes are very dialated and I feel fairly relaxed. I'm worried, what people will think if it is this obvious. I hope this passes soon.

Lexapro relaxing anxious thoughts and shows you that life was always a safe place which helps you rid yourself of anxious thoughts. You can do that yourself by facing your fears and realising that physical sensations of anxiety are harmless by-products of adreneline. As one poster said lexapro helped them after that pounding in their chest. Simply a natural reaction to danger. By going to Cognitive Behavioural Therapy over other forms of therapy you can overcome your anxiety issues. I don't think your life is 'falling apart' - you are perceiving it like that, but things seem to be going rather normal for you. Your job is a separate issue. Clean your house, eat well, get jogging, go to a CBT <snip>

LegacyUser

Re pupil dilation, it dawned on me that I can just take the lexapro prior to going to bed (mountain/molehill anybody).

Hi counsellingorlex?, I don’t see lexapro as a long-term solution but I do genuinely feel I had reached a crisis point.
I never before had the sensation that my thinking had become fundamentally altered and disorganised.
I accept that this approach is far from perfect, but it is vastly better than the alternative.

I do intent to pursue all the non-med alternatives i.e. CBT, but I need to wait for this storm to pass.

I will post up some stuff as I go along.

Princess Peach

I used to take my lexapro right before bed, and I had insane insomnia for months! Just watch out for that. I take it in the morning now and sleep through the night mostly

kaki

Hi, I've been on lexapro 10mg since July. I've found it does dilate my pupils as well, but for me its been a small price to pay as I haven't had the other side effects (I was dreading change in appetite and loss of libido).

I take it about an hour before bed, and personally its working out great for me. I find it relaxes me and regulates my sleep; once I'm asleep I sleep really deeply, with very vivid dreams, and I wake up at 8.30 like clockwork every morning feeling really rested. This has just been my personal experience though.

LegacyUser

Similar to OP found myself in a downward spiral. I can really sympathize with the OP and others, you just can't 'function' things which should take 5 minutes take days. You keep double checking everything, did I lock the door and so on. You feel useless and the walls really are closing in at times. Like the OP I've achieved well academically but now find myself lost.

Looking after yourself, good food, exercise, avoid drink are key to any healthy life

Counseling is hit and miss, sometimes it works for people sometimes it doesn't. Counselors will try to drill in deep into your mind to discover if there is underlying issues which brought the issue on, its not always the obvious. For some it can be uncomfortable, but try it as it is the key to getting off the meds as you can train yourself to actually mentally beat the problem through CBT

Side effects wise sleep drove me nuts, slept exactly 4 hours every night, sleeping tablets (prescribed as a result) would knock me out but again 4 hours later I'd wake up, after a lot of trial and error the time taking the tablets was the key to getting good sleep, avoid evening. Libido crashed completely but returned with vengeance when I went off the meds. Word of warning is you might go from a depressed state to a manic state where you are just plain too happy before the meds settle its quite a shock as all the restrictions your mind had fall away.

Under no circumstance go cold turkey on the meds, make sure you have enough until the next appointment. Cold turkey seriously rough as you suffer a sharp shock

It really improved matters for me, been off now a year and yes I've fallen back a bit but I'm so much better than before

Ticktactoe

OP

If you are having side affects then you need to consult your doctor as you may need to change medication or have it adjusted.

As for councelling - you should go even if you feel like you have no interest in talking to anyone or that it would be too tiresome. That just means you need to go more. The first couple of sessions will be the breaking-in period and tbh you can sit there for the entire session and say nothing. A good councellor will understand this. Sometimes the session can be a break from the reality and of the way you are feeling. After a few sessions you will start conversing and it will be amazing where it can go from there.

One other tip - dont be hard on yourself for feeling this way. If your body and mind are tired and woren down then embrace it, accept it. You have to give yourself some TLC before you can become confident and strong again.

I hope this helps.

Kevo

Hey OP,
I don't think you should wait for "the storm to pass". This is the perfect time to go to counselling. You can talk about your problems as you experience them.

If you wait until you are over it you will not tell the psychologist as much about how you felt as some of the detail will be forgotten. Also you may take longer to get over it.

jimbob29

I'm in Lexapro, should you give up drink if you are on them. Don't feel they work aswell when i drink.

LegacyUser

unregd2711 wrote: »

Word of warning is you might go from a depressed state to a manic state where you are just plain too happy before the meds settle its quite a shock as all the restrictions your mind had fall away.

Yes, I think I've had a bit of this alright, it's a bit to much happiness, good to know it will settle down. Wouldn't want to go around like that all the time.

I have to say, I think the med are starting to work, open my post today for the first time in a good while. It's early days, but I definitely feel things are getting better. Although it could all be in my head!

LegacyUser

Kevo wrote: »

Hey OP,
I don't think you should wait for "the storm to pass". This is the perfect time to go to counselling. You can talk about your problems as you experience them.

If you wait until you are over it you will not tell the psychologist as much about how you felt as some of the detail will be forgotten. Also you may take longer to get over it.

Hi Kevo, I see where you are coming from, but at them moment I have to focus on the day-to-day. right now the little things are the big things.

LegacyUser

Hi Ticktactoe,

Will have a chat with the doc in the morning, but I think there's a "settling in" period for these Med's so might have to grin and bare it for a while.

Ticktactoe wrote: »

OP

If you are having side affects then you need to consult your doctor as you may need to change medication or have it adjusted.

As for councelling - you should go even if you feel like you have no interest in talking to anyone or that it would be too tiresome. That just means you need to go more. The first couple of sessions will be the breaking-in period and tbh you can sit there for the entire session and say nothing. A good councellor will understand this. Sometimes the session can be a break from the reality and of the way you are feeling. After a few sessions you will start conversing and it will be amazing where it can go from there.

One other tip - dont be hard on yourself for feeling this way. If your body and mind are tired and woren down then embrace it, accept it. You have to give yourself some TLC before you can become confident and strong again.

I hope this helps.

Judes

Hey there - I take my lexapro at about 21.00 at night and then I find I sleep really well. So try that. Good Luck!

LegacyUser

I've been on lexapro for about two months now. I don't know if my experience is typical, but here it is.

I went to the doctor after my wife more or less bullied me into it - I would have denied I was depressed but I did suffer from nasty bouts of anxiety that were totally out of proportion with the things that kicked them off. I was also prone to black moods that I couldn't shake, and which would go on for days at a time. The colour was being leeched out of the world and I had real difficulty taking pleasure from life.

I didn't think I was that bad, but when my doctor asked me how i was I burst inexplicably into tears. He asked me how long I'd been like this and I was about to say a few months when I really thought about it and realised it had actually been more like six or seven years. He advised a short course of antidepressants and sent me on my way.

I initially didn't like the idea of antidepressants. i had an idea they turned people into zombies, numbing them from real life and turning them into automatons. I am also very distrustful of the idea of just popping a pill when you feel bad - that seems like running away from your problems rather than dealing with them. But I talked all this out with my doctor and realised I was a little off the mark.

Antidepressants are not tranquilizers and take time to build up to a level of effectiveness. They don't fundamentally alter your mind, but change the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that are linked to optimism and happiness, re-balancing them where imbalances exist.

My doctor advised me to give it a go so I got the prescription but still decided to google the drug to see what came up. Bad idea. The net is full of horror stories of people who had horrendous side effects with this drug. That nearly put me off.

However, I thought about it a bit more and did some more research - it turns out this is an incredibly widely prescribed drug, and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are on it - some people get bad side effects, but that's a function of statistics - most people are fine and as a result don't feel the need to post about it online.

I started the treatment despite my misgivings as my doctor had already warned me that there would probably be side affects but they go away as your body adjusts to them. That was true - I was a bit of a wreck for about two weeks, but then they diminished and disappeared. Now I'm fine, I feel totally normal.

I'm very very happy I listened to my doctor - being on this drug has given me a window into what my life was like before I went downhill - in the process it's allowed me to see where I had fallen into patterns that weren't healthy. It's made me feel more like myself than less.

I've now started to see a counselor and feel much much better. I'm actually sorry I waited so long to deal with this - but depression is insidious, it creeps up on you and changes your outlook so slowly you're not aware it's happening. It robs you of your coping skills, but you don't notice until one day you realise that things you used to be able to cope with are now unmanageable.

I'd encourage anyone who recognizes the above in themselves to go see their doctor. Not for a prescription, just to get advice. It's really treatable but part of the condition is that it erodes your self worth and you convince yourself not to burden other people - creating a vicious circle. Or at least it did for me.

Ticktactoe

lostcausesoldier wrote: »

I've been on lexapro for about two months now. I don't know if my experience is typical, but here it is.

I went to the doctor after my wife more or less bullied me into it - I would have denied I was depressed but I did suffer from nasty bouts of anxiety that were totally out of proportion with the things that kicked them off. I was also prone to black moods that I couldn't shake, and which would go on for days at a time. The colour was being leeched out of the world and I had real difficulty taking pleasure from life.

I didn't think I was that bad, but when my doctor asked me how i was I burst inexplicably into tears. He asked me how long I'd been like this and I was about to say a few months when I really thought about it and realised it had actually been more like six or seven years. He advised a short course of antidepressants and sent me on my way.

I initially didn't like the idea of antidepressants. i had an idea they turned people into zombies, numbing them from real life and turning them into automatons. I am also very distrustful of the idea of just popping a pill when you feel bad - that seems like running away from your problems rather than dealing with them. But I talked all this out with my doctor and realised I was a little off the mark.

Antidepressants are not tranquilizers and take time to build up to a level of effectiveness. They don't fundamentally alter your mind, but change the levels of certain chemicals in the brain that are linked to optimism and happiness, re-balancing them where imbalances exist.

My doctor advised me to give it a go so I got the prescription but still decided to google the drug to see what came up. Bad idea. The net is full of horror stories of people who had horrendous side effects with this drug. That nearly put me off.

However, I thought about it a bit more and did some more research - it turns out this is an incredibly widely prescribed drug, and hundreds of thousands of people around the world are on it - some people get bad side effects, but that's a function of statistics - most people are fine and as a result don't feel the need to post about it online.

I started the treatment despite my misgivings as my doctor had already warned me that there would probably be side affects but they go away as your body adjusts to them. That was true - I was a bit of a wreck for about two weeks, but then they diminished and disappeared. Now I'm fine, I feel totally normal.

I'm very very happy I listened to my doctor - being on this drug has given me a window into what my life was like before I went downhill - in the process it's allowed me to see where I had fallen into patterns that weren't healthy. It's made me feel more like myself than less.

I've now started to see a counselor and feel much much better. I'm actually sorry I waited so long to deal with this - but depression is insidious, it creeps up on you and changes your outlook so slowly you're not aware it's happening. It robs you of your coping skills, but you don't notice until one day you realise that things you used to be able to cope with are now unmanageable.

I'd encourage anyone who recognizes the above in themselves to go see their doctor. Not for a prescription, just to get advice. It's really treatable but part of the condition is that it erodes your self worth and you convince yourself not to burden other people - creating a vicious circle. Or at least it did for me.

A very good account and advice.

Joey the lips

Just out of curiosity...Are you allowed drive on lexapro....

Are you allowed drive on anti depresents in general

Freiheit

You know there is no proof for any theories of chemical imbalances. No test to verify such. It's a billion dollar industry which leeches on this hypothesis.

A lot of the impact is placebo, if you expect something to do you good your brain releases natural healing and feel good chemicals.

I'm not saying they haven't a place,undoubtbly they do but just not in my life. We are all unique and respond differently, have different coping strategies and different needs. They could contribute to the needs of some.

LegacyUser

Joey the lips wrote: »

Just out of curiosity...Are you allowed drive on lexapro....

Are you allowed drive on anti depresents in general

Lexapro, yes, but you should use your common sense.

Other AntiD's depends on the perscription.

LegacyUser

Freiheit wrote: »

You know there is no proof for any theories of chemical imbalances. No test to verify such. It's a billion dollar industry which leeches on this hypothesis.

A lot of the impact is placebo, if you expect something to do you good your brain releases natural healing and feel good chemicals.

I'm not saying they haven't a place,undoubtbly they do but just not in my life. We are all unique and respond differently, have different coping strategies and different needs. They could contribute to the needs of some.

Well, I agree that everyone has to make decisions for themselves about their lives and how they lead them.

However, I don't think you're correct to (effectively) say that there is no science behind this area. For example, the official website for lexapro contains a number of PDFs of prescribing information and medication guides for doctors and patients that actually detail the results of various clinical trials conducted before this drug was put on the market. The methodology of the tests is outlined - the trials were double blind, placebo controlled properly conducted scientific tests -- and they all consistently showed a statistically significant improvement over placebo.

(Interestingly, the same document also lists all the adverse side effects which can occur, and also the rate of incidence in the tests. Reading those might put some people off - in other words, it's a balanced document, not marketing or advertising nonsense.)

To be clear, I'm not suggesting that anyone should go to their doctor looking for a prescription - not at all. Counseling or CBT is always a preferable course of first action in my opinion, but at the same time, if someone's doctor does suggest that they embark on a course of treatment, then they shouldn't give random people's opinions on the internet greater weight than those of a trained medical professional.

Doctor's don't always get it right, and different people react differently to different drugs, but broadly speaking they work and can make a huge difference in the majority of people's lives.

Freiheit

I didn't say that there was no science behind the properties of Lexapro, merely that there is no proof for the hypothesis of a chemical imbalance.

Tests have proven that in some cases Lexapro can make one feel better over time, but that doesn't mean that it's corrected any imbalance. Lot's of things make us feel better and it doesn't mean that they've rectified any chemical imbalance.

There is no test to verify the theory that depressed patients have a chemical imbalance. None at all. Go to a doctor with diabetic like symptoms and one must undergo a test. For cancer or asthma one requires a test, but none for depression.

A common practice in this industry is to publish results of studies which show the effectiveness of a specific drug and not to publish or even destroy those which suggest otherwise. Medical Authorities only require a number of positive test results and are not necessarily shown negative test results.

Lexapro and anti-depressants have a positive impact on a minority of patients beyond placebo but that doesn't prove any hypothese to do with a brain chemistry imbalance.

Stress upsets the brain chemistry,relaxation usually resolves this naturally over time.

For the record the positive impact of anti-depressant's is greater with more severly depressed patients. I'm not saying they haven't a role. They are necessary in some cases.

Oryx

A discussion on the effectiveness of medicines vs psychotherapy doesnt really belong here. Keep any feedback relevant and helpful to the op, thanks.

LegacyUser

Hi all, OP here, just have a quick question.

I've been taking my meds as perscribed and it has done wonders for my anxiety, and to be honest for weeks 2/3 I definitely felt a big lift. but this week has been a bit stressful in work and my mood has swung 180 degs and I'm really really down.
Has anybody else noticed this with this meds? and did it settle? because it really can't be good for me to wander around with these thoughts in my head.
Now it might not be the meds at all, and maybe I've been (really) depressed all along and couldn't see it because of all the anxiety.

I'll be in with my GP monday so I'll discuss this then, but would like to know if it's just me or if it's happen anybody else.

Many thanks for all your support
Lexapro-man

changes

Freiheit wrote: »

I didn't say that there was no science behind the properties of Lexapro, merely that there is no proof for the hypothesis of a chemical imbalance.

Tests have proven that in some cases Lexapro can make one feel better over time, but that doesn't mean that it's corrected any imbalance. Lot's of things make us feel better and it doesn't mean that they've rectified any chemical imbalance.

There is no test to verify the theory that depressed patients have a chemical imbalance. None at all. Go to a doctor with diabetic like symptoms and one must undergo a test. For cancer or asthma one requires a test, but none for depression.

A common practice in this industry is to publish results of studies which show the effectiveness of a specific drug and not to publish or even destroy those which suggest otherwise. Medical Authorities only require a number of positive test results and are not necessarily shown negative test results.

Lexapro and anti-depressants have a positive impact on a minority of patients beyond placebo but that doesn't prove any hypothese to do with a brain chemistry imbalance.

Stress upsets the brain chemistry,relaxation usually resolves this naturally over time.

For the record the positive impact of anti-depressant's is greater with more severly depressed patients. I'm not saying they haven't a role. They are necessary in some cases.

Are you a psychiatrist, neurologist or pharmacologist? or is this just an uneducated laymans opinion?

LegacyUser

Lexapro-man wrote: »

Hi all, OP here, just have a quick question.

I've been taking my meds as perscribed and it has done wonders for my anxiety, and to be honest for weeks 2/3 I definitely felt a big lift. but this week has been a bit stressful in work and my mood has swung 180 degs and I'm really really down.
Has anybody else noticed this with this meds? and did it settle? because it really can't be good for me to wander around with these thoughts in my head.
Now it might not be the meds at all, and maybe I've been (really) depressed all along and couldn't see it because of all the anxiety.

Been there, its called cycling it not unusual but the medical view varies so listen to the GP. Its real rough as its a long way down from the top.

Key to success is that the meds are just a kick to get you to thinking positively and changing how you approach life in general. Its a constant ongoing war where you have to stay focused.