Anyone using medication for COVID-related anxiety and/or depression?
I tried Zoloft, Escitalopram which worked somewhat, but the Citralopram, and a few other made my already racing heart crazy! It's a double-edged sword for us.
I read online that Covid, as we all know is an inflammatory / immune nightmare, creating pain, and host of symptoms that Duloxetine, which is for anxiety/depression and pain has helped a lot of people.
Also, since Covid affects our nerve endings, for those folks that get the awful nerve sensations that want to make you jump out of your skin, Gabapentin helps.
Interested in more discussions like this? Go to the Post-COVID Recovery & COVID-19 Support Group.
I have been on Lexapro for about a decade for depression and anxiety. I personally have had a good experience with it. I didn’t really have any side effects, though it does take a couple of months to fully adjust to it (which is the case with any SSRI). When I first started it, I had some mild lightheadedness, and I did experience a mild panic attack one night about a month in, but after I got completely adjusted to it, I had no issues.
I’ve had long Covid since I got sick with Covid on January 10th of this year, and while I have a slew of symptoms, I am thankfully not experiencing depression and anxiety, presumably because of my longstanding Lexapro prescription.
I do know that everyone’s brain chemistry is different, so my experience may not reflect what you might feel on it, but I have tolerated it very well for a long time. I wish you luck in your recovery!
Any weight gain?
I did not experience any weight gain or changes in my weight from taking Lexapro.
@gerdi, I moved your question about escitalopram to treat long COVID anxiety to this helpful discussion.
- Anyone using medication for COVID-related anxiety and/or depression?
https://connect.mayoclinic.org/discussion/what-are-you-taking-for-anxiety-depression/
Before COVID, I'd struggled with depression and anxiety and only ever tried SSRIs. And after COVID, my anxiety is severe/chronic, and my "panic response" is so overactive I physically felt like I was about to be attacked 24/7. SSRS never fully helped when I tried them before or after, and the horrible restlessness just made taking them torturous. I finally tried Effexor which is an SNRI, and I wish I'd tried this years ago. I definitely didn't need it like I do now, but it's helped me so much I can finally focus on things other than the anxiety and physical symptoms that come with it.
I'm on Lexapro for years afraid to tell my Dr I don't feel it works at all as then they want to give you Ambilify in addition. No Thanks
I use medical marijuana for anxiety and sleep. It has been so helpful. It helps me with racing thoughts,getting and staying asleep and pain.
I vape because the effects are immediate.
Me too—-10,000 mcg CBD extracted from marihuana with only a trace of CBD in it. I started using it for sleep but it really helped my anxiety also. I used to take anti-depressants for depression and sleep pre-Covid but after Covid my body metabolizes meds differently and they just made me feel sick. I found that hormone replacement therapy (topical estrogen and testosterone and oral progesterone) help depression the best now.
I meant only a trace of THC in the CBD 🤣