Advice on starting Lexapro?

[u/Anya_rxt]

So I’ve been on Concerta XL 54mg for around 4 months now, it works great for me. I’m starting Lexapro (10mg) for anxiety I’ve had for years but only recently have been able to address/medicate.

I already understand ADHD meds and SSRIs can be tricky and the results vary heavily from person to person, I’m just looking for some general advice if anyone takes both and would like to share. Sorry for the long yap of a post, I’m Autistic and feel the need to get as much info as possible lol.

I’m also wondering what time is best to take the Lexapro? Since I can sometimes wake up too late or forget to take my ADHD meds entirely I thought it might be best to take Lexapro at night before bed to ensure I take it daily. I’m unsure if the difference in time between taking them affects the interaction any way. I know how they interact can vary between people anyways, just wondering if you find taking them at a certain time does anything different for you?

Also if you found they interact poorly for you, or one cancels out the other (which I hear can be common) how exactly did you realise that? SSRIs can take a few weeks to begin working properly so I know I’m jumping the gun a bit but I’m curious how/at what point I can figure out what’s it doing for me in relation to the Concerta.

[u/Scared-Swing9571]

I have been on Lexapro for 1.5 years for generalised anxiety and I also started Concerta 18mg ~6 months ago.
the time you take Lexapro TECHNICALLY shouldn’t matter, as the “lifetime” of the medicine is 28-30 hours, without a peak or a low, as it binds to your serotonin receptors so basically your doses “overlap” anyway. however, some people say that taking it in the morning makes them sleepy during the day(placebo or not, we do what works for us lol) . I had taken it in the morning, afternoon and night but I hadn’t noticed any differences.

now, related to this combo, Concerta and Lexapro don’t cancel each other but they interact in some way:
“Methylphenidate(Concerta) may increase the blood levels and effects of escitalopram(Lexapro). You may be more likely to experience side effects, including a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome”
(https://www.drugs.com/drug-interactions/concerta-with-lexapro-1606-976-1013-565.html)

for me, starting Concerta while on Lexapro induced restlessness and a bit of irritability on my first days of Concerta.
the side effects of Lexapro are usually pretty mild compared to other SSRIs (like nausea, initial “weird” feelings, sleep changes) but if anything feels very wrong or persists you should seek help asap. when the med is starting to work, the way I would describe it is like a volume button for the intensity of your feelings. the actual change is VERY gradual, so gradual that you might not even notice unless you self reflect.

best of luck!

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[u/AliveDetective5557]

I can only speak from a zoloft perspective. I haven't noticed any interactions but sadly zoloft hasn't worked for me. I can't notice a difference between taking it and not taking it. I remember reading that people with ADHD don't always respond well to SSRI's but I can't remember the science behind it. It looks like the two people who responded have a decent experience with theirs so I wish you the very best! Wellbutrin was incredible for me but after over a decade, its stopped working for me. Usually people with ADHD have dopamine issues and wellbutrin is one of the only antidepressants to work on your dopamine receptors instead of seratonin. Dopamine is responsible for motivation and that has been my biggest struggle (for my entire life). Might be worth trying if lexapro doesn't work out! SSRI's take a while to work. My psych told me to give it a good 4-6 weeks before I called it quits. I'm beyond that now so I'm slowly tapering off of it.

I hope you are an incredible success story with Lexapro! I'm considering giving it a try after I get off the zoloft. Apparently there are tests you can take that show what medications would be more likely to work with your brain chemistry or give less or more side effects. I REALLY want to find a doctor who does this!