[auntybiotic]

Florence,

Let me know how the weight issue goes, my daughter has also gained weight from it.

How often do you get accupuncture? Does it hurt? I have to look into it for my daughter.............she's not really willing at this time.

HUG

[justme100]

This is very weird, but I really didn't have a weight problem while on lexapro, but since I stopped 5+ weeks ago, I have gained about 5-10 lbs. Never had a weight problem prior to lexapro and I am in my 40's.
Perhaps I thought the food would help the nausea... not sure. Anyone else having a weight problem after quitting? Also, any homeopathic ideas out there for anxiety? Maybe I'll try the acupuncture. Tx

[anxiousbabe]

Aunty,

I have to say that the accupuncture is working, like I said before I couldn't get off the lex because the symptoms came back instantly. The accupuncture does not hurt at all. As far as the weight you heard my story a million times. I swear my stomach looks and feels bigger tonight.

I went out and bought a 12 pack of slim fast and will start with that along with weight watchers. I have never had a weight problem or a stomach for that matter. Now the next step is to concentrate on sticking to a diet and working out. My appetite has been crazy lately and I don't know why. I will start to curb it tomorrow and really concentrate on losing the 32 pounds I have gained since this Lexapro ordeal.

How is your daughter doing??? How much weight did she gain. Does she read the posts on this site at all? I hope she finds herself getting better soon. She is so LUCKY to have a terrific mom like you.

Is body electric still away on business? He hasn't posted either.

I hope tomorrow finds everyone on this site well and keep posting.

xoxo
Florence

[mrswhite]

I was thankful when I found this site today. I was in desperation trying to search for what I was experiencing. I have been having these same "shock sensations" for several days. I had become so concerned that I not only had an MRI taken, but I have an appointment to see an ENT and a neurologist within this month. I thought I was experiencing microscopic seizures and nobody I explained this to could understand what I was meaning. I even tried to explain it as the the feeling of when you put your tongue to the tip of a battery. The MRI I had taken showed that I have sinusitus, but today when I kept experiencing the "shocking" I was determined to find out what it was even though everyone thought I was exaggerating. I have been off of Lexapro for 8 days now. I just decided I didn't need it for anxiety anymore, however, it never crossed my mind that there were withdrawal effects! I could not believe that something as simple as stopping the meds would cause such a scary feeling, but I was so relieved to know that withdrawals was what was causing this and that other people knew what I was trying so hard to explain. Now i can cope with it better. Thanx.

[Miss Lee]

Hey everyone!

I haven't posted because I haven't been around a computer. The DOC did some blood tests today, but no answers yet. I actually am having a good day. I woke up this morning an just knew I will be OK. it is the first time I have felt this way. Even though I am still having IBS, anxiety and shocks, I am not going to allow them to scare me anymore. I think it is the acupuncture. I HIGHLY recommed to everyone on this board. Aunty- Your daughter will benefit. Let her know that it feels less then pulling out a piece of hair. I have a wedding to go to tomorrow so talk to you all on Sunday!
Miss Lee

[slcibk]

HI, I was recently prescribed lexapro by my doctor because I had really bad anxiety. After taking the medication, 10mg, i feel no better and actually feel a little worse, still anxious everyday. My doctor wants to up my dose to 20mg but i'm a little leary considering what i read here, plus I don't want the med to make me feel even more worse. The anxiety was so bad I haven't been able to work or do much of anything, so my doctor gave me lorazepam to take. It works wonders but I'm afraid I will become dependent on that. I've only been taking the lexapro for 2 weeks, do you think I should stop taking it or go up on my dosage and see what happens? Also, I've seen some of your guys post natural remedies, is there anything specifically for anxiety and sleep, because I've had insomnia ever since I've taken the lexapro. Another thing, I've taken lexapro twice and both times I've ended up in the hospital with pancreatitis (I just got out of the hospital two days ago). I don't know if its related but I've seen a few posts on here talking about the pancreas and lexapro. I want to stop this and the lorazepam, should I do one at a time? Any help would be much appreciated, thank you.

[auntybiotic]

Slibk.

You have only been on for two weeks....what fortunate luck. I would not just stop but for that short time I think you can cut your dose in half to 5 Mg and see if you experience any withdrawals.

I would not take the Benzo......it also can cause anxiety. Try benaryl 50 Mg for sleep...........it is not addictive and will
help any sinus problems you may have.

Magnesium also is great for anxiety or if it seems more like panic or severe anxiety try Dr. Bachs Flower Essence in White Chestnut. It can be ordered at the Vitamin Shoppe or bought oline.

Anxious Babe,
Thanks for the update. I have a hard time keeping stories connected to the user names. This posts has gotten so big with so many replies.........I agree acupuncture is the way to go to heal after lexapro.

I think Body E is basking in the sun till Tuesday,I am jealous!!!

Thanks again for everone who has posted. My daughter does not read these posts. If she ever doubtsthat her symptoms and feelings are due to lexapro withdrawal...........I will direct her here but for the time being she is better off not reading the symptoms others are having.

Her slow taper brings, anxiety, sleeplessness and moodiness for about seven days per month after the reduction, sometimes for twelves days. I hope to avoid the zaps by the gradual tapering..we will see.

[Craigre]

Hi.
I started lexapro yesterday. I appologize for the long post but here is what happened.
October 7
2:00am
sleep
8:00am
woke up
made leftovers for breakfast
took 1/2 of a 10mg lexapro pill
9:00am
diarhea
9:30am
some feeling of medium panic
burning feeling in blood vessels
slight nausea
slight shortness of breath
slight dizziness while walking
warm head
cold feet even under blankets
tense and shakey
11:30am
more diarhea
12:30pm
worried
medium panic again
the back of my head and ears feel really hot but they arent hot to the touch, pillow gets hot
slight nausea
no appetite
dry mouth
still burning feeling in blood vessels
3:00pm
shower
3:30pm
symptoms are a little better
5:30pm
no appetite
nausea, no vomiting
a little motion sickness
for dinner very little meat (2 bites), apple sauce, sweat potato(5 bites), water (full glass)
i feel slow
sad
scared
slightlly agitated
hands kind of felt slightly numb all day
dry mouth
6:00pm
sleepy
scared to sleep
6:30pm
feet are normal temp
mouth is less dry
head has felt pressurised all day after taking lexapro
if i lay still and close my eyes for a while my body feels like its in a different position than it actually is
its usually a tense curled to the side feeling even though i know my body is straight
if more of my left ear is touching the pillow then i will feel curled to the left, if more right ear then curled right
that feeling is lost if i move
7:00pm
I hope these side effects dont worsen tomorrow
7:30pm
reading lexapro patient reviews
8:30pm
still reading reviews
mild lower back discomfort
head pressure feeling
slight dizziness when i move
9:30pm
finished reading
still have head pressure, nausea, dizziness, and back discomfort from being in bed all day
thoughts seem slowed
movement seems more relaxed, slowed, maybe numbed
movement makes me dizzy and more nauseus
reading more - would vitamins and/or omega 3 help or hurt my side effects and overall well being?
11:30pm
still reading
partial nap
October 8
1:00am
woke up
chest and neck very sweaty
head is less pressurised, feels like a minor headache now
still nauseus
low appetite
dizzy when moving head
8:00am
3 eggs, water
very afraid to take 5mg lexapro but took it anyway
preparing for a long hard sick day like yesterday
10:00am
warm arms, warm head
nausea, no vomiting
dizzy movement
.................................................. ..............

Guys, I am very scared. I don't know if I should turn back now or keep going. I think I will take 2.5mg tomorrow and continue that for a week. Then maybe 2.5mg every other day.

I know all of you will tell me to turn back but I'm sure my pdoc would say to keep going. He wanted me to take 10mg initially and up it to 20mg after a week.

BTW, is it safe to eat omega 3 supplements and/or multivitamins with lexapro? I've heard you say that it helps for withdrawl but I haven't read anything about using them together.

One more question. What tests should I have done? I want to make sure my liver, kidneys, blood, and anything else is working the way they are supposed to.

Right now I am feeling slightly dizzy, a little shakey, head feels "weird", and low appetite/nausea but I am actually eating a sandwich right now.

Thank you all for posting here.
Craig

[Craigre]

I have been in bed 99% of the time feeling terrible. I have had a pounding head and a feeling of wanting to vomit since i started. And I havent eaten much.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre,

Stop taking the Lexapro immediately..the more you take it the harder it will be on you. Two days will not develop a dependence................your body is telling you how harmful it is to you..listen to it!!!!!!!!!! You will not have withdrawals .....just your body trying to get rid of the two days you poisoned it with lexapro.

[Craigre]

2 days ago I thought I needed this to keep living but now I'm second guessing it. I don't want to be numbed and emotionless. I certainly don't want these terrible withdrawal symptoms. However, I was having extreem panic attacks and constantly worrying about them. About a month ago I had an intense sinking feeling with intense rapid feeling like I wanted to kill myself. In a split second I was basically paralyzed with massive fear that i wasnt in control of my thoughts or actions and i basically visuallized myself going out on my front lawn with a knife and slicing my throat. It was the scariest thing i have ever felt. Then everything tensed up and my body just stopped functioning. My heart was beating fast and hard but it didnt feel like blood was flowing through my blood vessels. Everything was tingly..... blah blah blah... every symptom of a panic attack basically.I had to go to the ER twice and spent the night both times. I didn't know what was wrong with me. It was life changing. I look at everything differently now.Nothing was fun or interesting. I was annoyed by tv and I was forcing myself to eat. For weeks I just layed in bed and hoped for my symptoms to get better. For the past month panic attacks would come and go in waves. It was getting less severe and less frequent so I think I was getting better. BTW, I have never had a panic attack before a month ago but I have had anxiety and mild depression. The scariest part of all these panic attacks is that they are unprovoked. They come out of nowhere.

Anyway, I thought you should know a little of my backround because I feel that some people do need these drugs and some people don't. The difference between those people would be whether or not they are actually FEELING suicidal or just having a bad day/month/year. I have taken paxil and zoloft before when i was younger and that was only because I entertained negative thoughts and i was shy. I never had a FEELING like this before. I do not want to kill myself but the panic unprovoked feeling was just too intense. I don't know how I made it for a month without seeing the pdoc. I think it was my hope that he could make things all better that kept me going.

I don't know where I am going with this post. I feel like I am arguing to stay on the med. Honestly, I don't know what I should do because I am terrified that if i stop that my panic attacks will come back in full force along with withdrawl symptoms. GOD, What should I do?

[auntybiotic]

Craug,

Do what you think is best but be ready for withdrawals ifyou continue theLexapro for 6 weeks or more.

Have you tried Omedga3 Fish Oilsfor depresssion. Magnesium Citrate for anxiety. What is your diet like? Are you taking any other meds or supplements>

erxt time you get anxiety try the Bach's Flower Essence in White Chestnut.
Have you tried cognitive therapy to help with the anxiety?

Did you have withdrawals when you went off the Paxil??

Only you and your doctor can decide what is best for you butI can tell you thatLexapro created a lot more problems for my daughter thatshe NEVER had prior to taking it..........anxiety being one of them.

[Craigre]

Yes. I had been taking omega 3 supplements and a multivitamin since september 29th but i stopped taking them both when i started taking lexapro yesterday because I didn't know if they would interact in a bad way. I think the omega 3's gave me a better mood and the multivitamin game me a bit more energy.

I haven't tried magnesium citrate.

My diet was fairly good (not perfect but not as bad as how i have eaten in the past) until yesterday when i started lexapro. I had no appetite at all. I force fed myself a couple bites of food but I felt extreemly nauseus.

I'm skeptical about natural remedy type things but I would like to know more about how bachs flower essence in white chestnut works. I have seen you post so many times about it so i know you have had good experience with it. Would something like that have withdrawls or side effects?

What is cognitive therapy? Talking to a counselor type person? That I have done a long time ago and I don't think it helped me much. I'm sorta hard headed.

Yes. Paxil was painfull to stop. This happened a long time ago when i was in highschool but I think I tried to stop cold turkey but was in so much pain that I had to go back on it and eventually had to switch to zoloft. I took zoloft for quite a while but then I felt like people were just walking all over me and using me because the drug made me not care as much. I got angry about that so my hardheaded self stopped cold turkey. I felt dizzy and vomited alot for about a week and then I was fine. Ever since then I have felt a steady slightly lowered mood. I have a sucky life that made it low but it was steady and easy to deal with. I could feel real emotions and act propperly for years. The only thing i didnt do much was cry.

About a month ago, I had those massive panic attacks that came out of nowhere and kept coming in waves until now. Before I started lexapro, I felt like they were leveling out and going away. Omega 3's seemed to be helping.

I have been reading all of these posts from page one all day and I just can't get enough of it. I'm eating it up and looking for any kind of info that could help me. I feel like i am having the same symptoms that people coming off of lexapro are having. It comforts me but angers(in a numb way right now) me at the same time that this could happen. I'm very sorry to hear about your daughters struggle. I wish her and you the best of luck.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre,

Thank you for your kind wards regardig my daughter.

Explain exactly how much Zoloft you were on and for how long? When did you cold turkey off of it.....how long ago?It sounds like the panic that you are now feeling may still be withdrawal effects of the zoloft...sometimes going cold turkey can affect one for years. Especially when you mentioned "you have been low since."

The Bach Flower Essences are very SAFE no withdrawal and are evn used on babies. Google Bach Flower Essences......there are books written on them if you care to read more. Look on Amazon to order one.

I know you are scared................itis so hard to want to feel "good" and the very medicine that may help you is so damaging.

Cognitive therapy is where the therapist does most of the "talking". Explaining why you may react to a stimuli in a certain way and how to train your thoughts and brain to regognize when a panic attack is happening and ways to divert it.If you cannot afford therapy then you could read about it by buying a "self taught" book.

Omega 3's are safe to take with Lexapro. Stay away from Caffine, Motrin, Cold medications, xanax and valium if possible. They are all processed thru the same liver enzymes as the lexapro.

Explain the Zoloft situation...............if that helped and you REALLY need a SSRI why not try that again instead of the Lexapro. What were the circumstances that led you to stop the Zoloft??

Lexapro and Paxil are the two "hardedst" SSRI's to get off of, because of the selective serotonin reutake of each.

Have you explained the "bad side effects to your doctor?'Would your doctor be willing to do a blood test to check out the liver enzymes to see if you are a poor metabolizerin cerain P 450 enzymes....the tests are done locally but mailed to the Mayo Clinic. I know Blue Cross Blue Shield covers the costs.

I can give you the exact test information if you want to find out if you are a poor metabolizer of the SSRI's.

What other medications are you on? It does sound like you are having a sensitivity to the Lexapro. Call you doctor on Monday and explain the bad side effects to him.



.

[justme100]

Dear Craigre,
I can really relate to your posts, especially the anxiety attacks...been there. However, your previous indications of suicidal thoughts and subsequent hospital stays really really concern me. I'm not a doctor, but I have read that the homeopathic remedies don't always work for a major depressive order, if that's what you have. However, as has been reported for a few years now (even on the news), use of anti-depressants can sometimes have the side effect of suicidal thoughts and uncontrolled behavior.

Personally, I have experienced both depression and anxiety (but not the suicidal thoughts). I took lexapro for about 3 years. Many of the side effects of lexapro stopped after a couple of months, EXCEPT things like supression of emotions and nausea and nightmares and lethargy (for me). But I'm sure everyone is different. HOWEVER, if I had known then what I know now about lexapro, I would have never started it.

If natural remedies don't work for me in the future and the depression/ anxiety gets too hard to handle and I NEED to be on meds, I will still avoid lexapro. I just threw away an expensive 90 day supply. Flushed it right down the toilet. Zoloft worked for me in the past, though I still didn't like the side effects. To be frank, if I had depression/ anxiety symptoms as intensely as you at this point in time, I would definitely try a therapist again and would take the meds. Maybe zoloft- though this is one of the anti-depressants they claim can lead to suicidal thoughts. I believe they are even now required to state that as a potential hazard on the label... this is a fairly recent thing. I just know lexapro is out of the question.

Therapy is a great tool to use whether taking meds or not. As much as we isolate ourselves when we are depressed, even forcing yourself to talk to someone helps. Exercise, like walking, helps too. There are other internet communities that may have even more discourse and discussions. If you can't afford a therapist, check with your local county health services or county mental health services. They sometimes have therapy sessions available on a sliding scale fee and sometimes even free. My county even has self-help discusson "groups" available for free. These types of discussion groups are usually listed or advertised in your local newspaper under events or calenders, with other meetings like toastmasters, AA, etc.

In my opinion, Therapy can't hurt you, but it certainly has the potential to help. I wish you well.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre,

Please bw wary of the State or Federal run Mental Heath Programs.

A neighbor's girlfriend cheated on him and ended their relationship conveniently after she had just borrowed a large sum of cash from him. He went to a State Run Group because he was depressed. At one on the meetings he said if he saw her walking down the street he might be tempted to run over her.............when he went home that day there were 6 cops waiting for him and guess where he ended up against his will................locked in a mental institution. No one could believe ot but this happened.

Be very careful anything you say to a State therapist can be used against you.,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,in the disguise that they are helping to protect you.

[Craigre]

I have been off of zoloft for years. I can't remember how much I took, maybe 50mg for a year or so. I stopped because I felt I didn't need it and i felt like my family was taking advantage of me. The only problems that i had from it after stopping lasted for about a week. After that I was kind of in an edgy mood for a while but then I believe I was fine. I felt normally "low" from just having a bad life. I had no friends and all i wanted was a good friend. It didn't look like anything was going to help me with that because I basically just go from work to school to home everyday over and over and see the same people. The thing is, though, I was able to deal with those helpless and hopeless thoughts without it causing any panic or uncontrolled thoughts for years. I felt that my emotional state was rock solid but just a little low but it was working fine for me.

When I started with paxil i was just a kid in highschool. They gave it to me to be more social. I also had no idea about these drugs at that time and i simply thought that "antidepressant" meant it would make me happy so i may have embellished how bad i felt to get it. I think i was just minorly sad/depressed that could have probably been delt with in other ways. I think they gave me 20mg of paxil. It was a pink pill if that means anything.

While taking paxil i went to 2 psychologists and a psychiatrist. They didnt seem to help. I always felt that they were getting paid way too much to have a conversation with me. I was hard headed anyway and didn't really respect what they said. They said stuff like how i should get out and do things with people but it was nearly impossible to do that. Easier said than done.

I definitely want to get blood tests done to find out my metabolism. I just don't know what to ask for.

Do you think that the bach flower essences are safe with the lexapro while tapering?

[Craigre]

I didn't want to get into this because i am ashamed of it and people kind of treat me like a dumba$$ after i tell them but i think i should clarify what put me in the hospital the first time. I had been taking a body building supplement called NO Xplode and a diet pill called Guggul for 3 days. I took the max amount of guggul recommended and it was working very well. I am afraid that it may have damaged my liver enzymes or thyroid though. On my 3rd day of using NO Xplode i took about 3 times more than the recommended dose for a day in about 12 hours and worked out extreemly hard during that time. When I stopped working out my heart wouldnt stop pounding and i got all those symptoms of panic attacks.

Long story short, at the hospital they put me on an IV to flush out my system for a few days and then they sent me home. I was home for a few days feeling terrible when BAM, out of nowhere, I got that unprovoked unwilled extreem sinking feeling of suicide that i expained earlier followed be the same symptoms that i had when i went into the hospital the first time. I thought that maybe they didnt flush out my system completely. I didn't know that it was probably a panic attack at the time. So I went back to the hospital. They kept me overnight with IV fluid again and gave me xanax to take home.

At home I kept having panic attacks but they became less severe and less frequent as the month went on. I was even able to go back to work for a couple days.

But now I am in this sticky situation with lexapro. Its time for me to take it today and i dont know what i should do. I think ill take 2.5mg.

[Craigre]

I took about 1/3 of a 10mg lexapro today.

[Craigre]

What tests should I do? liver? kidney? thyroid? I think someone mentioned cortisol or something. adrenalin? blood sugar? lexapro blood serum level? white blood cells? red blood cells? colestorol? I have no idea what im talking about. I want every test possible so i can tell whats going on in my body. I want to be better.

Has anyone heard of www.nativeremedies.com ? I came across it a while ago. It sounds similar to the stuff aunty recommends. Im afraid to try it.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre,

I NEVER heard of native remedies and I would not suggest trying it. The products are expensive and who knows if they actually work.

Bach's Flower Essences, I know work, they sell for $14 a bottle and are all natural and safe. Google Bach's Flower Essences to learn more.

I would be afraid to try the Native remedies for fear there would be a interaction with Lexapro. The White Chestnut and Cherry Plum Essences from Bach have a track record................I do not see any similiarity with the native remedies.

Why try the unknown...................tr y the Bach Essences............if they do NOT work for you then look into something else.

All the test you mention are fine. Thyroid, Hormones, Blood Sugar levels, Cortisol by Saliva, Adrenal Function tests and Liver Function testing including BUN.I did not find the Lexapro serum level to be helpful because most of the Lexapro is in the brain not in the blood..so the results are not worth anything. You may want to get your whole blood serotonin levels checked. (Lexapro use causes the levels to go way down).It would be great to have a base level prior to long term lexapro use.

If you are having severe fatigue and sleepless......you may also want to ask you doctor to do a REM sleep study. Lexapro use will make you REM sleep deprived so it will be interesting to see your results before using lexapro.

I may have a chance Monday or Tuesday to get the test codes for the P 450 Liver Enzyme testing. The place that draws your blood MUST have a affiliation with Mayo Clinic in order for your insurance to cover the testing.The tesingruns about $500 to $700 but insurance covers it, at least Blue Cross Blue Shield does.

[Craigre]

Thanks. That was a lot of help.

I can tell you right now that this stuff is effecting my sleep. I can definitely feel that its not as deep of a sleep as before and when my alarm clock went off I slept through it for 10 minutes and I just didn't want to get up for hours. And I am definitely fatigued in the daytime. I feel very slow.

Today actually wasn't that bad for me. I was forced out of my house 2 times because we are trying to sell it and there was an open house today but I didn't feel as bad as what I thought I would. Right now I actually feel normal besides being slowed and having less emotion. I really hate the slowed feeling and it makes me nauseus because that is soooo not me. Its like being a 99 y/o micheal jordan trying to dunk. I really feel how I think old people feel. The lesser emotion that this stuff gives me makes me sick too because I didn't have much emotion before this stuff so now i can't even pretend to laugh or smile. gahhh

Another weird side effect of this poison is that I keep making spelling mistakes. Its like i am clumsy and i don't care anymore. I have to reread everything i type to make sure it makes sense. Earlier today I wrote a sentence that had "blood" in it twice and i spelled it "bool" both times.... that scared me.

How much blood are they going to have to take? They are going to probably suck me dry. I am pretty sure that the place i go to is covered because I have been there before and i dont remember getting a bill like that. What is that 24 hour saliva thing? Do I spit in a cup all day or something?

[Craigre]

I just had a thought... maybe if i cold turkeyed right now then i could see how long it takes before i get withdrawls. That should give me some indication of how well i metabolize this stuff. Right? I would hate for it to be building up in my system and unknowingly overdose.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre,

Your post made me smile..........no you do not spit in a cup all day. You should be given cotton swabs (like q tips) and instructed to swab your mouth at different times of the day and mark the envelope with the cotton swab for say 8 AM then maybe 12 Noon then say 4 PM then 9 Pm then Midnight. Your cortisol should be lowest at night.........with Lexapro....it's usually highest at night...........thus the anxiety and sleeplessness.

I do NOT think you will have withdrawals after only taking Lexapro for a few days. I am willing to bet that you are going to be a slow metabolizer and that is why you are experiencing so many adverse effects so suddenly.I will try an get the exact test numbers and the 800 number for the Mayo Clinic. I will tell you exactly how your doctor needs to write out the RX. Most major hospital labs have an affiliation with Mayo Clinic. Lab Corp and Quest do not.

You will need to have this blood drawn at the hopsital lab. For the tests mentioned in the previous posts you will need to give about 6 vials of blood. The urine will be checked for sugar. You may also want to fast(not eat) if you are having your lipids checked.

[bodyelectric]

Hey folks. I'm at the Palm Beach airport waiting for my flight home. Sigh.

Just wanted to check in. No more withdrawal symptoms. I think they're done. Unfortunately I think that means I have to quit smoking now. Ah, if only I could have a brain zap once a week or so, it'd give me justification not to put down the coffin nails.

When my symptoms were going down, I experimented with the different supplements, only taking one certain days or another the next. Without fail, omega-3 and SAMe were most effective in my very unscientific research. Brain zaps lasted longer than any other symptom but decreased in frequency and intensity over time. Days I didn't take SAMe or omega-3, I tended to have more zaps than the previous day.

I'm going to keep taking them. I feel better than I ever have. Ever.

Omega-3 is perfectly safe to take while you're still on the antidepressant. Read up on SAMe, it can make some conditions worse, so make sure you don't have them to start with.

[Craigre]

I just got the "ok" from my pdoc to stop the lexapro. He said to stop it immediately because the symptoms I am having are probably from a serotonin overdose. He said I didn't need to get the blood test because they should have done all that when i was in the hospital last month. I really can't think straight right now and i need to leave my house in an hour because we are trying to sell it and there is an open house.

I am not looking forward to brain zaps and other withdrawal pains. I hope I don't freak out either. Hopefully my body hasn't addapted too much.

[auntybiotic]

Craigre.

Super!!! Now how are you going to address the anxiety?? Did you buy Magnesium Citrate yet?

[Miss Lee]

Craigre-
Your symtoms sound exactly like mine. My boby reacted to Lexapro as well. i literally felt like I was on Meth. It took about a week for the withdrawal symptoms to kick in. Please follow the advice on the board. Aunty and Body know thier ****. Also ACUPUNCTURE is a god send! It has hlep me immensely.

Body-
I am feel pretty good today as well. Week 7 off the poison and the acupuncture was the saving grace. My back is still killing me from my chest being so tight. It still is a little wound, but I can deal. I'll take anything I can get. I hope not to slide back the withdrawal hill, but If I do so be it. I can handle anything now!

Must jet- Off to my new best friend-my acupuncturist!

Hope all is well for everyone else!

Miss Lee

[oceangrl]

Hey guys.. I'm glad I found this site. I started on lexapro about 4 months ago for anxiety (which I think was brought on by hormones to begin with.) My doc said to take 5mg for a week then bump up to 10. My body reacted horribily to 10mg! I had dilated pupils, extreme vertigo, I felt like I was in a living dream! Lights and sounds were bothersome.. I was extremely freaked out by that reaction, so my docotor suggest taking just 5mg. I've been taking that dosage for only 3 months and recently decided to get off it. My process hasn't been very strategic.. at first I took 5mg every other day, then every 2 days.. then for a couple days I just took 1/4 ..and then decided to go cold turkey. I figured since I'd only been on 5 mg I shouldn't have a problem going off of it. Well I guess I'm experiencing some withdrawl now. The only way I can explain it is when you get up too fast and get a head rush.. I feel like I constantly have that "head rush/dizziness" especially when I'm walking. Do you think the symptoms will continue to get worse? This is still my first week of not taking it anymore. I really didn't think I'd have symptoms from only taking 5mg for three months. This drug is scary! Any suggestions would be appreciated! Thanks! [:I]

[Craigre]

Hi guys,

I went to the hospital last night because my head felt extreemly pressurized. It was not like a headache. It was like my brain was numb and detached and too big for my skull. I also felt a little dizzy and clumsy.

They did a bunch of tests including a blood test and a neurological test. The neuro test was just making sure i could feel everything on both sides of my body. Then they did a cat scan of my brain just for the hell of it. The doctor didnt think it was going to find anything but we said its better safe than sorry.

The cat scan showed that I had what looked to be an anurism on my right side right next to my patuitary gland. I was so scared because the nurse and the doctor definitely changed their tones. They looked very serious and for once i felt like they felt bad for me. The doctor offered to do a spinal tap but I figured that if my brain was bleeding then I would be feeling much much worse... like throwing up and stuff. Which i wasn't.

Due to the nature of cat scans being somewhat unaccurate the doctor said that an MRI would be the next step and that would rule out any physical brain problems. They couldn't do an MRI right then because It was like midnight and the MRI doctors start around 5 or 6am.

They put me in a room with a guy that was clearly addicted to some kind of medication. He hallucinated and would not sit still all night. Needless to say, I could not sleep.

I could go on and on about my scary stay but long story short my MRI showed that I was perfectly fine and I was discharged.

As of right now, I didn't take any lexapro today. I am feeling better than yesterday but I definitely still feel discomfort and weirdness in my head. I am not looking forward to withdrawals but now that I have officially stopped lexapro i can contribute to the topic of this forum a little better.

On monday, I have an appointment to see my pdoc again and he will put me on something else. I am thinking I should do zoloft again but I can't remember what zoloft was really like. I would really like to be drug free but I am not sure if thats the best for me right now.

I need to look into those natural supplements a little more.