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 Has she withdrawn from her friends?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