It is critical to discuss with your doctor before changing the dosage of any medications. There are many factors that go into this decision, including age, size and weight, renal function, other medical conditions, and more. If you’re considering increasing the dosage of Lexapro from 10mg to 20mg then it’s important to be aware of all the risks that come along with this decision.
Contents
- 1 What Is Lexapro?
- 2 Dosage for Lexapro
- 3 Benefits Of Increasing Lexapro Dosage From 10mg to 20mg
- 4 Side Effects of Lexapro
- 5 Why Increase Dosage From 10mg To 20mg?
- 6 How to Increase Dosage from 10mg to 20mg?
- 7 What If Your Doctor Refuses From Increasing Lexapro Dosage From 10 mg To 20 mg?
- 8 Mindfulness Meditation For Lexapro Patients To Increase Quality Of Life
- 9 Conclusion
What Is Lexapro?
Lexapro (escitalopram) is a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor. It is used to treat the major depressive disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, social anxiety disorder, and panic disorder. It belongs to a group of medicines known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). SSRIs ease depression by boosting serotonin, a natural substance in the brain that helps maintain mental balance.
Dosage for Lexapro
The usual dose for adults is 10-20 mg per day (females) or 5-10 mg per day (males). The maximum recommended dose is 20 mg per day.
Dosage for Lexapro 20mg once daily in the morning or 20mg twice daily (10mg morning and 10mg evening). Here are some useful tips to make sure you get the right dose:
1. The dosage for Lexapro must be increased gradually in order to allow the body to adjust. This helps prevent side effects from occurring. It typically takes a few weeks for this medicine to build up and start working in your system. Your doctor will then determine when it’s appropriate to begin increasing the dose. But they usually do so after several weeks of treatment.
2. Be sure you understand how to properly take Lexapro and ask your doctor or pharmacist if you have any questions. When starting this medicine, your dosage will likely be 5 mg taken once daily for 2-3 weeks before increasing to 10mg/day. Then after several more weeks, the dosage may be increased again to 15mg/day. And then finally after several more weeks, your doctor may decide to increase it to 20mg/day.
3. It is imperative that you inform your doctor immediately if you experience any problems in increasing your dose. Or become pregnant or suspect that you might be pregnant while taking Lexapro and for at least one month afterward.
Benefits Of Increasing Lexapro Dosage From 10mg to 20mg
When you are trying to increase your Lexapro dosage from 10mg to 20mg, it is important to remember that there are several benefits to this change. Some of these benefits include:
●You will be able to concentrate better.
●You will feel less anxious.
●Your mood will improve.
●You will be less likely to experience side effects from the medication.
If you are feeling overwhelmed by your symptoms or if you are experiencing side effects from the medication, talk with your doctor about increasing your dosage. He may be more willing to do this if he knows that the 10mg dose is not working for you. Increasing your dosage may help you to achieve long-term remission of symptoms without unpleasant withdrawal symptoms.
Side Effects of Lexapro
The most common side effects were-
- Headache
- Nausea
- Diarrhea
- Dry mouth
- Insomnia
Here is a list of all the side effects that have been reported with Lexapro.
Just because a side effect is reported does not mean that all people taking this medicine will experience these side effects.
Lexapro Dosage Increase Side Effects
You may experience some side effects after increasing your Lexapro dosage from 10mg to 20mg. Some of these include:
●Insomnia
●Dizziness
●Lightheadedness
These symptoms are temporary and only last a few days. If you continue to have a problem with these or any other side effects, talk with your doctor about it. He will probably decrease your dosage again so that you can eliminate the side effects.
You may have a choice of several different medications for your condition, each one targeted towards a specific type of depression. If you are not feeling better after trying the 10mg dose for 6-8 weeks, find a new doctor who will work with you to find the best medication and treatment plan.
Why Increase Dosage From 10mg To 20mg?
There is no one reason why your doctor may decide to increase the dose of this medicine. It usually takes a few weeks for Lexapro to begin working and after monitoring you for side effects, they will gradually increase the dosage until it reaches an effective level where it controls your symptoms. If you are currently taking the maximum dose of 20mg and still experiencing symptoms, your doctor may choose to increase it.
How to Increase Dosage from 10mg to 20mg?
Due to the physical side effects of Lexapro withdrawal, some people choose to increase their dosage from 10mg to 20mg in order to get through the uncomfortable symptoms. If you are on a 10mg dose and want to go up one dosage level, talk to your doctor. He will probably ask you a few questions about how you have been feeling. If your symptoms are under control, he is likely to agree to your request.
There are several ways that you may be able to get your doctor to increase your Lexapro dosage from 10mg to 20mg if this is the dose that was prescribed for you by his office.
●If you have been taking Lexapro for several weeks or even months, your doctor will likely welcome the idea if you tell him that you would like to increase your dosage. He may feel that the 10mg dose is not working for you and it is time to try something different.
●If you find yourself stopping Lexapro treatment because of side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, or being so easily distracted that you are unable to concentrate, your doctor may be more willing to increase your dosage. If the side effects of Lexapro withdrawal become severe and make life very difficult for you, talk with him about increasing your dosage and ask what would happen if you no longer took this medication. He is likely to welcome the idea that you would rather increase your dosage than suffer from the effects of Lexapro withdrawal.
●If you have been on a 10mg dose for a couple of months and you find yourself in a terrible depression with thoughts of suicide, this is an important time to talk with your doctor about increasing your dosage. He will probably welcome the idea.
What If Your Doctor Refuses From Increasing Lexapro Dosage From 10 mg To 20 mg?
If for some reason your doctor does not agree to increase your Lexapro dosage from 10mg to 20mg, do not give up hope. When you have a mental illness such as depression, it is important to remember that your thoughts and feelings can change quickly with the right treatment. If the medication will not be changed, try to remember that you will be back with your doctor in a few weeks.
During this time, it is important to monitor your symptoms. Talk with him about how you are feeling and write down the number of problems that you are having each day on a scale from 1-10. If they are severe, talk with him again about increasing your dose. If they are not severe, look for other treatment options that may be available to you.
There are several different types of medications that can help patients with depression. Some doctors prescribe a combination of medications or add another medication to the one you are already taking in order to get better results. This is something that all doctors should be willing to do.
If your doctor is not willing to change your medication or add another one, find a new doctor who will work with you and help you manage your symptoms effectively. The goal of treatment with medications such as Lexapro is long-term remission of symptoms without unpleasant withdrawal symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, or suicidal thoughts. If your doctor is not willing to help you achieve this goal, find a new doctor immediately.
Mindfulness Meditation For Lexapro Patients To Increase Quality Of Life
Taking SSRI antidepressant medications such as Lexapro can be effective in treating symptoms of depression to improve your quality of life. But, there are other things you can do to enhance your treatment that you may not be aware of. Some people report feeling better by practicing the ancient practice of mindfulness meditation, which often goes hand-in-hand with other treatments such as Lexapro and counseling or psychotherapy.
So what is mindfulness meditation? Mindfulness is defined as a mental state achieved by focusing one’s awareness on the present moment while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations. It is the practice of bringing your attention to what you are sensing at the moment. Mindfulness has been found to be useful for dealing with anxiety, depression, stress, chronic pain, substance abuse disorders, eating disorders, problematic alcohol use in college students; in short it has been shown to be helpful in the treatment of many different psychiatric disorders.
Diagnosed with major depression, panic disorder, or generalized anxiety? Mindfulness meditation can help you change the way you feel by changing the way you think and respond to your thoughts. You can learn how to focus on living in the moment instead of worrying about the future or dwelling on the past.
With simple techniques, you can learn to bring your attention back to the present moment when it wanders off. Instead of letting your mind race around uncontrollably with negative or varying thoughts that will trigger negative emotions. You can actually change how you think by practicing mindfulness meditation every day for as little as 5-10 minutes a day. It means you can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety altogether.
How To Meditate?
There are many ways to meditate, but the main goal is to focus on your breathing. You should find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed. It will help if you sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and close your eyes. Because this will help decrease distractions and help keep your mind focused on meditating.
Start by focusing on your breath and how each inhales and exhale feels as you go through this process:
●Breathe in through your nose imagining that you are breathing in positive energy from the universe. Hold it for a second or two before slowly breathing out through your mouth.
●Breathe in again through your nose, hold it for a second or two before exhaling slowly through your mouth imagining that you are breathing out all of the worries. And stress that has built up since you last meditated.
This is just one of many mindfulness meditation techniques. But I recommend doing this one for five minutes every morning to set the right tone for your day.
You’ll want to meditate every day until you get good at it. And after a while, you won’t even need to sit down in order to meditate because you’ll be able to do it anywhere you are.
Conclusion
If your doctor knows that the 10mg dose is not working for you and it appears as though he has left prescription blanks for higher dosages, fill in one of these blanks with 20mg instead. You will be surprised at how many doctors are willing to let their patients determine their own treatment.
Increasing Lexapro dosage from 10mg to 20mg can be a very effective way of managing symptoms. However, it is important that you consult with your doctor before making any changes. They will help determine if increasing the dose would be an appropriate option for you and answer any questions about side effects or other treatment options.
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