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Lexapro? Other anxiety meds?

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  • Lexapro? Other anxiety meds?

    Okay, I'm almost exactly 6 months away from *the day* of my surgery. Dr. Lenke's recommendations say stop all antidepressants before surgery. I take Lexapro for anxiety. I am trying to wrap my head around stopping ANXIETY medication before this surgery!! Has anyone on the forum actually done this?

    I called Kelly and she said to ask my primary care doctor if Lexapro causes an increased tendency to bleed--which I guess is the problem with some antidepressants. Okay, I will do this, but frankly I don't trust my primary care doctor. She will not fully appreciate that this surgery can result in the loss of 12, 13 pints of blood.

    Is there any substitute for Lexapro that is *approved* for this surgery? Seems like a bad idea to stop anxiety meds before the most-anxiety-causing event of my life??? If I do have to stop taking it, I want to start weaning myself now.

    Any thoughts would be appreciated!

    Thanks,
    Evelyn
    age 48
    80* thoracolumbar; 40* thoracic
    Reduced to ~16* thoracolumbar; ~0* thoracic
    Surgery 3/14/12 with Dr. Lenke in St. Louis, T4 to S1 with pelvic fixation
    Broken rods 12/1/19; scheduled for revision fusion L1-L3-4 with Dr. Lenke 2/4/2020
    Not "confused" anymore, but don't know how to change my username.

  • #2
    hi Ev
    if you go to the top at advanced thread, and type in "anxiety medication"
    you will find SEVERAL posts about patients who went to anxiety meds before their surgery,
    to help calm down....

    i never heard of having Lexapro, which is a 2nd generation of Celexa, prescribed as an
    anti anxiety...only as an antidepressant....

    jess

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    • #3
      Xanax is a good medication for anxiety, and does not cause increased bleeding. It is a benzodiazepine, which is addicting, so most doctors will only prescribe it short term. My primary ordered the lowest dose for me, and only 30 pills, about 2 months pre-op, and I took them mostly to sleep. I have found they work well post-op for tight muscles, better than Valium.
      Lori in PA, 52 yrs. old
      T54/L72
      Surgery 6/7/11, T3-S1, all posterior, with pelvic anchors
      Gained 2 inches!
      Dr. Boachie, HSS, NYC
      12/10/13 Hardware Removal for infection
      Lost 2", gained PJK!

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      • #4
        I actually started anxiety meds for the operation, and I'm going to wean off them now. I took Celexa and Wellbutrin. My doctor was not concerned about them at all, and I'm doing very well. I really think that the anxiety meds helped a great deal.
        Diagnosed at age 13
        Milwaukee brace ages 73-74
        Pre surgery 58 degree curve and lordosis
        Surgery June 7&9, 2011 Fused L-4 -T-4 Age 52
        Post surgery 26 degrees
        Surgeon Yu-po Lee

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        • #5
          be careful with Wellbutrin dose...
          i was on it years ago...had a seizure...
          no family history with seizures...
          no personal history with seizures....
          the dose was too high...

          as a social worker, when i worked with addicts,
          the psychiatrist used to prescribe the meds you mention for depression
          never heard of them used for anxiety

          jess

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