Switching from Lexapro to Zoloft

Welcome, @lisahelmling, to this community where you can talk with other patients and caregivers like yourself. I'm tagging fellow members like @femalepersuasion @helent @holly197205 @vfrifr who have personal experience with Lexapro, Zoloft or both.

Lisa, You must be worried about your daughter. I can assure you that you are asking really good questions. I think these are questions that should be discussed with your daughter's prescribing physician. Are you able to speak with her doctor along with your daughter?

Firstly, is Lexapro recommended by a doctor if yes then keep taking it. Depression and anxiety medication start effecting after 2 to 3 months. So don't stop it. Adopting good eating habits and spending time with friends will ease your panic attacks. Mood swings are part of every person in this life, but depression and anxiety patients feel mood swings more than normal people. So don't worry and tell your daughter, "Everything is part of life". Everyone has stress in life but the type of stress matters.

Please have a quiet talk with your daughter. Has she withdrawn from her friends? Is she spending a lot of time alone? What type of music is she listening to? You both could make a checklist of “symptoms” to look for in order to strengthen her during an episode. You could both research how depression presents itself. Know your enemy. She should understand she is not alone.
Anti-depressants weren’t an option when I was seventeen and attempted suicide. They may have helped me then, but I have no way of knowing. I’m not qualified to make medical recommendations. I only offer my own experience. I learned to become aware of impending episodes. Telling myself I was having an episode to explain why I was feeling so down helped me to understand that I could get through it eventually. It made a difference. Good luck to you. (I have been on Sertraline and Premarin way too long. Fifteen plus years since I turned sixty. I would like to stop taking them, but when I try, I have meltdowns. Very scary. I’d still like to know how to stop safely.)

It might not be helpful to create the impression that people who experience depression are not “normal” people. 😱

Welcome @everythingispartoflife. i love your username. Do you also live with depression and anxiety?

Karen, that is such an important distinction. Living with depression for many people IS their normal. Thanks for the reminder.

No. Thank YOU. My confusing syntax should have been more clear. Intimating that people who experience depressed episodes are different from “normal” people isn’t helpful.

Thanks for the compliment. i was living with minor depression and anxiety episodes but i have managed to get rid of this. I thought that i should share my experience and help the community to live colorful life. so i found this digital well engaged community and joined. Thanks again

Dr. is titrating down from Lexapro 40mg to switch to Zoloft for OCD/Anxiety. The 1st decrease was over 9 days, the second decrease over 10 days to 10mg, now after being on the 10mg Lexapro for just 4 days she wants it to be completely stopped. I experienced a severe headache going from 30 to 20mg for 2 days. I now am having back pain when I wake which may be totally unrelated but haven't done anything to stress the back. Has anyone had what seems like a quick crossover from med to med. Basically gone from Lexapro 40mg to coming off completely over a total of 3wks. The doctor doesn't think I need to do a longer titration, not even going down to 5mg which is a minimum dose for a brief period. Also started the Zoloft when I went down to 20mg Lexapro from 30mg in a week. Would like to hear if anyone has had a similar experience. Thanks

@millbrs823 Welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect and congrats on what appears to be your first discussion/ post. I am a firm believer in going very slooowly when switching meds &/or tapering off a med. All meds have side effects to consider plus possible interactions to consider so I like proceeding slooowly. Have you asked your doc for the reasoning behind doing things this way? Another thing to ask is if there are any potential problems to watch out for and if so what to do about them. Many doctors are accustomed to giving prescriptions/orders but are not as comfortable giving their patients instruction or education about the condition & treatment recommendations.