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How Long Does Lexapro Take To Cure OCD?
Question: I am on Solian (amisulpride) 100 mg, Klonopin 3 mg, Lexapro 10 mg and Keppra 1000mg as modd stabilizer. I have some phobia and some OCD symptoms caused by a low dosage of Solian, since it was explained to me that antagonism of 5HT7 and 5HT2b and then dopaminergic activity because of this dosage of amisulpride can cause my symptoms.
I am on Lexapro 10 mg since one week, i was before during one week at 5 mg and before during years at 2.5 mg. I would like to know how much time i'll have to wait until see antiOCD activity of Lexapro at this dosage. During the last week with Lexapro 10 mg phobia and OCD are a little bit softer (maybe 10-20%), but strong enough, so i would like to know when can i expect the full anti OCD effect of Lexapro, taking into account that there is a kind of competition with the effects of amisulpride.
Thanks beforehand
I am on Lexapro 10 mg since one week, i was before during one week at 5 mg and before during years at 2.5 mg. I would like to know how much time i'll have to wait until see antiOCD activity of Lexapro at this dosage. During the last week with Lexapro 10 mg phobia and OCD are a little bit softer (maybe 10-20%), but strong enough, so i would like to know when can i expect the full anti OCD effect of Lexapro, taking into account that there is a kind of competition with the effects of amisulpride.
Thanks beforehand
Brief Answer:
Optimum effects can be seen with 20 mg
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome back and thanks again for using healthcaremagic.
From the past conversation between us and also to other doctors on this site, I can say you are very well aware about drug mechanism and interaction which you are taking.
As you noticed some improvement in OCD and phobia after increasing the dose, lexapro is working that we can say.In OCD any SSRI(Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) is required in maximum dose to get optimum effect.
Like,
Prozac (fluoxetine)- up 80 mg
Luvox (fluvoxamine)- up to 400 mg
Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride)- up to 40 mg
Zoloft (sertraline)- up to 200 mg.
All above are approved by US FDA for OCD.
However lexapro(Esciatalopram) though it is ssri , not approved by FDA for OCD.
But I remember that you have some Cytochrome-P metabolism problem so you cant use other SSRI in higher dose and escitalopram is somewhat safe in this regard.
We sometime use lexapro in OCD up to 30 mg dose. But in your case I think if you are tolerating well ,gradually 2.5 mg increasing every time and reaching to 20 mg will help.
Drug will act on receptors and change in neuro transmission and also will do receptor modulation.These changes will take time of 2 weeks. For clinically improvement in symptoms, we can say 4 weeks required to see optimum effects.
So if you are not satisfied with improvement after 4 weeks of increasing dose, add 2.5 mg more and carry on in same manner.
As per this you will see major improvement after 12-16 weeks at 20 mg.
Description what I mentioned above is more theoretical.If patient is agree ,in clinical practice, we used to increase the dose every two weeks for fast outcome.
So if you can tolerate lexapro well, you can have fast outcome by increasing dose early after discussing with your treating doctor.
No need to worry about effect of amisulpride when SSRI are going on.Just see the previous answer that amisulrpide not cause OC features but it worsen them.
Hope I have answered your query,i will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
Optimum effects can be seen with 20 mg
Detailed Answer:
Hello,
Welcome back and thanks again for using healthcaremagic.
From the past conversation between us and also to other doctors on this site, I can say you are very well aware about drug mechanism and interaction which you are taking.
As you noticed some improvement in OCD and phobia after increasing the dose, lexapro is working that we can say.In OCD any SSRI(Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor) is required in maximum dose to get optimum effect.
Like,
Prozac (fluoxetine)- up 80 mg
Luvox (fluvoxamine)- up to 400 mg
Paxil (paroxetine hydrochloride)- up to 40 mg
Zoloft (sertraline)- up to 200 mg.
All above are approved by US FDA for OCD.
However lexapro(Esciatalopram) though it is ssri , not approved by FDA for OCD.
But I remember that you have some Cytochrome-P metabolism problem so you cant use other SSRI in higher dose and escitalopram is somewhat safe in this regard.
We sometime use lexapro in OCD up to 30 mg dose. But in your case I think if you are tolerating well ,gradually 2.5 mg increasing every time and reaching to 20 mg will help.
Drug will act on receptors and change in neuro transmission and also will do receptor modulation.These changes will take time of 2 weeks. For clinically improvement in symptoms, we can say 4 weeks required to see optimum effects.
So if you are not satisfied with improvement after 4 weeks of increasing dose, add 2.5 mg more and carry on in same manner.
As per this you will see major improvement after 12-16 weeks at 20 mg.
Description what I mentioned above is more theoretical.If patient is agree ,in clinical practice, we used to increase the dose every two weeks for fast outcome.
So if you can tolerate lexapro well, you can have fast outcome by increasing dose early after discussing with your treating doctor.
No need to worry about effect of amisulpride when SSRI are going on.Just see the previous answer that amisulrpide not cause OC features but it worsen them.
Hope I have answered your query,i will be happy to help further.
Regards,
Dr.Chintan Solanki.
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Above answer was peer-reviewed by :
Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar
Answered by
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