Too soon to go on another ssri?

Question

Too soon to go on another ssri?

About 3 1/2 months ago I was weaned off of paxil. Now my doctor wants me to go on lexapro. Is that too soon? Or do I need to wait until my serotoin system is back to normal? Will my brain be too sensitive to the lexapro now? I was on the paxil for almost 5 years.

Answer 1

As SSRIs are all very similar, it's actually very common to switch quickly between them. 3 1/2 months is plenty of time for the paxil to filter out of your system, and if you were on Paxil for 5 years, it is possible your serotonin system has been permanently changed anyway and may never be "back to normal". It's completely safe to switch between them, especially with that buffer of time.