[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by jdavis46

Hey everyone!

I have been on 10mg Lexapro for about 5 months now. I ended up in the emergency room with an extremely debilitating panic attack on the highway. So from then on I have been this med for panic disorder, and minor OCD. It worked wonderfully for me with hardly no panic or even anxiety. The biggest side effect was an obsolete sex drive, which was something I was willing to deal with. The first week of getting on the med was rough with extreme dry mouth, constant headaches, nausea, etc. but it didn't last long. I have recently decided to research alternative meds and in doing so, I found passion flower supplements. My grandma actually has this plant and I tried boiling the leaves like tea and drinking it. It worked wonderfully. I take it at night because it acts as a mild sedative. You get a wonderful nights sleep, and when I wake up I feel wonderful. I wanted to stop taking Lexapro because with my insurance it costs me around 50.00 and being a full time worker and full time student I can't afford this medicine every month. I thought this would be a short term deal being on the meds. So far I have been off Lexapro for one week tomorrow. I stopped cold turkey, and just started taking the Passion Flower at night. I have been experiencing extreme dizziness, and those "brain zaps" especially when I'm at the grocery store or at school. It's horrible!! I am scared to drive, I have missed two days of school so far. I can't focus. Every time I move my head I see everything in slow motion. Anyone have suggestions on making this dizziness go away or is this something I will have to ride out?

I have also notice that I have more of a temper and I get mad easily and in result break down and cry easier. I'm sure that is another side effect. Well I'm off to go lay down and miss another day of school....can anyone help?

You'll be missing alot more school if you don't get back on the Lexapro. There is no way you should quit these meds cold turkey...I don't care what your doctor says. Neither should you cut the pill and taper that way. You need to get back on your full dose of Lex or you will continue to have these withdrawals for a loooong time. For 12-18 months to be exact. So you really need to get back on it...it will take a week or 2 to get back stabilized and feeling better on it. Once you're back on it, ask your doctor for the liquid and taper at 10% decreases from the current dose you're on. If you are on 10mg, you would do 10% of that for the first taper which would be 9mg. It takes about 7 days for withdrawal to start and withdrawals last anywhere from a couple days to a week or so. Don't taper again until ALL withdrawals are gone. Then do another 10% taper...which would be 10% of 9mg, so would be 8.1mg. Then do 10% of 8.1mg and so on. This method does take awhile, but it is WORTH it and the SAFEST method out there. You will go through the least ammount of withdrawals this way and can function in your daily life and keep going to school, etc. If you cold turkey and stay off it you will have times...weeks, even months ....of bad withdrawals. And this goes on on average for a year at least with people who have cold turkied the meds.

If you can't get the liquid from your doc...you can make your own by crushing the pill and mixing with juice. Go back a page or 2 and I have it posted.

BTW, you can get Calms Forte from www.vitacost.com which is passionflower in tablet form. I take it and it works great for sleep. Also, read the post above that I wrote to SL500 about the vitamins.

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by SL500

I dont take vitamins - I should start. I am just scared of putting anything in my body cause of any reaction. As for the fish oil, is it the omega that helps? My doc gave me a prescription for omicore - its almost like pure omega 3. He told me I could take two a day. Is that any different than fish oil?

By the way - I appreciate your quick reply and also your advice and posts. I am only 27 and I have so much ahead of me and this is a big damper on my life right now - I feel like it is my life right now- and having someone who went through/going through this is a BIG relief. Even reading everyone elses posts and their replys to me - its such a wonderful support group. I do have my bf, friends and fam, but they only understand so much. So thank you and everyone else again for going through this with me......

I'm 27 also . About omicore I'm not sure. Aunty may know. But it's the EPA and DHA in the fish oil that's beneficial. I understand about you being wary to take vitamins because our systems are so sensitive going through this, but they really do help. Go with the ones I listed...they are really good and other withdrawal sites recommend them. I was sensitive to the fish oil though...so start it gradually if you want to try it for the depression. Start out taking one a day for like a week and see how you do then increase to 2 a day and so on. Just don't take it after around 4-5pm.

[SchnauzerTime]

Aunty

Have you heard of the supplement Nourkrin for hairloss? If so, is it any good? I've been losing my hair for years since being on SSRIs and it's getting REALLY bad . Clumps come out in the shower and clog my drain and I'm getting a bald spot in front. I'm desperate for anything that may help...I really don't want to have bald spots being a woman!

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Aunty

Have you heard of the supplement Nourkrin for hairloss? If so, is it any good? I've been losing my hair for years since being on SSRIs and it's getting REALLY bad . Clumps come out in the shower and clog my drain and I'm getting a bald spot in front. I'm desperate for anything that may help...I really don't want to have bald spots being a woman!

How are you doing otherwise? I've heard you are going through some rough times again. Did withdrawals start to surface again for you?
I've been wary about just quitting .1mg. I know I sound crazy, but I started to taper off making liquids and going to .09 mg. Interestingly, or maybe it's just a coincidence, I am suddenly feeling a little bit worse - like heightened anxiety, but quite sustainable. Let's see where it takes me from there.
It's interesting to see, or assume the statistics - we are mainly women here. Are we more prone to this stuff or do we just discuss it more openly?

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

I'm 27 also . About omicore I'm not sure. Aunty may know. But it's the EPA and DHA in the fish oil that's beneficial. I understand about you being wary to take vitamins because our systems are so sensitive going through this, but they really do help. Go with the ones I listed...they are really good and other withdrawal sites recommend them. I was sensitive to the fish oil though...so start it gradually if you want to try it for the depression. Start out taking one a day for like a week and see how you do then increase to 2 a day and so on. Just don't take it after around 4-5pm.

i would definately NOT take Omicore Fish oil which is currently been renamed Lovaza( Not sure if the company was purchased by another or the name was just changed. You can Google Lovaza forerly omnicore and read more. It has synthetic chemicals in its formula.


It is hard on the liver and pancreas. It has numerous BAD side effects and is a RX drug for high triglycerides. Those with hypothryoidism should NOT take omnicor. Lexapro can cause hypothyroidism.

I think Omnicore may only make you MORE SICK!!!! It is a synthetic prescription for high tryglercides. I am sure it is metabolized by the P 450 system which can also cause the levels of the lexapro to be increased and more complications down the road. Read more about omnicore at:

http://www.lovaza.com/

Carlsons Fish oil is mercury free and is known to help depression and aid in weight loss.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Aunty

Have you heard of the supplement Nourkrin for hairloss? If so, is it any good? I've been losing my hair for years since being on SSRIs and it's getting REALLY bad . Clumps come out in the shower and clog my drain and I'm getting a bald spot in front. I'm desperate for anything that may help...I really don't want to have bald spots being a woman!

Nourkrin looks safe for use with lexapro, I have attached a link that will show you active ingredients. I think you could purchase them seperately and save a great deal of money. Omega 3's. Vitamin C, Silica,.........etc.

Have your thyroid tested. SSRI's can caude hypothryoidism which causes hair loss, outer section of ebrows to thin, fatigue, depression, sleeplessness. If you do have it............... lean towards Amour Thyroid as a possible treatment as Synthroid ( common treatment for hypothyroidism) is synthetic and will not metabolize well with the lexapro

Here is the link:
http://www.hairlossremedies.co.uk/faq.htm

[SL500]

ST - Im actually glad to hear you are my age Knowing that I am not alone... So I am going to wait another week to see how I feel. My anxiety is through the roof in the morning - thats why I am taking the klonzapan. I am still taking it but .25mg of it and its not really helping. So now, I have to get off of them and I think that aside from taking the lexapro and going back up on it, the klonz is doing a number on me as well. I was looking up on it and it has some nasty side effects which might not be helping. You are lucky you are able to stay home and just go through this comfortably in your house -did you never work? How was it that you were sensative to the fish oil? What did it do to you?


Aunty - Thanks! I am not going to be taking that anymore. I ordered a bunch of stuff from the road back program -which I am not to sold on - and one is omega 3 fish oil from global dna. Is that good? or should I just get the carlsons?


Also, is there anyone who has delt with being on klonzapan as well as any other ad? Or know anything about it??

[lexa amatuer]

This is a note of encouragement for anyone experiencing withdrawal from Lexapro. I was on Lexapro for a little over a year, and it did help me through some tough times, and I considered it helpful. However, when I discontinued the Lexapro I cut back to 1/2 pill .5mg for 1 week then none. (I was on 10mg). On day 4 of not taking the pill I started experiencing the "brain Zaps" and tingling in my face, hands, and lips. If i would turn my head too quickly, I would get the brain zap feeling (lasting about 1-2 seconds) kind of like an electrical surge going through my brain. After 4 days of this, I called my Doctor whom I have the upmost confidence in to make sure I wasn't having other health issues. He told me he believed that I was experiencing withdrawal symptoms, and thanked me for the information, since this is a fairly new drug on the market. The good news is - and my reason for writing this is the sypmtons do slowly go away! Don't give up and your not "imaginging" these symptoms, they are very real and scary if you don't realize what they are. You are not alone, I went on-line and found 9 pages of testimony from people that had gone off Lexapro and experienced the very same symptoms I had. So hang in there! I think eventually it will be recognized and accepted that some people do experience withdrawal and use this information when prescribing or discontinuing this drug!

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

Nourkrin looks safe for use with lexapro, I have attached a link that will show you active ingredients. I think you could purchase them seperately and save a great deal of money. Omega 3's. Vitamin C, Silica,.........etc.

Have your thyroid tested. SSRI's can caude hypothryoidism which causes hair loss, outer section of ebrows to thin, fatigue, depression, sleeplessness. If you do have it............... lean towards Amour Thyroid as a possible treatment as Synthroid ( common treatment for hypothyroidism) is synthetic and will not metabolize well with the lexapro

Here is the link:
http://www.hairlossremedies.co.uk/faq.htm

Thanks Aunty! I don't think I have any problems with my thyroid...I've gotten it tested a couple times before when my hair was falling out and it was fine. I'll look at the ingrediants for Nourkrin and see what I can add to my vitamins I'm taking now.

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by SL500

ST - Im actually glad to hear you are my age Knowing that I am not alone... So I am going to wait another week to see how I feel. My anxiety is through the roof in the morning - thats why I am taking the klonzapan. I am still taking it but .25mg of it and its not really helping. So now, I have to get off of them and I think that aside from taking the lexapro and going back up on it, the klonz is doing a number on me as well. I was looking up on it and it has some nasty side effects which might not be helping. You are lucky you are able to stay home and just go through this comfortably in your house -did you never work? How was it that you were sensative to the fish oil? What did it do to you?


Aunty - Thanks! I am not going to be taking that anymore. I ordered a bunch of stuff from the road back program -which I am not to sold on - and one is omega 3 fish oil from global dna. Is that good? or should I just get the carlsons?


Also, is there anyone who has delt with being on klonzapan as well as any other ad? Or know anything about it??

Hmm, I'm not a doctor but maybe you need to increase the Klonz and do 10% decreases on it too. You went from .50 to .25mg on it....that's a 50% taper. It could be too fast for your body and maybe that's why you're having such a hard time stabilizing...and you tapered too fast on the Lex too. You may want to go back up on the Klonz also and just get stabilized then pick one to go off of and do smaller decreases.

I've worked before but I'm lucky enough now to not have to. And we don't have kids so I can just baby myself when I get withdrawals and not have to worry about being somewhere on time or taking care of someone else which is a real plus through all this.

The fish oil just left a bad taste in my mouth all day and I would burp it throughout the day...when I got up in dose on it I also got a little nauseous. I'm going to start taking it again though and just try 1 a day at first to see how it goes. I feel like I"m starting to get into another withdrawal phase so I want to take as many vitamins as I can to help me through it and the fish oil is great for depression.

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by Julia77

How are you doing otherwise? I've heard you are going through some rough times again. Did withdrawals start to surface again for you?
I've been wary about just quitting .1mg. I know I sound crazy, but I started to taper off making liquids and going to .09 mg. Interestingly, or maybe it's just a coincidence, I am suddenly feeling a little bit worse - like heightened anxiety, but quite sustainable. Let's see where it takes me from there.
It's interesting to see, or assume the statistics - we are mainly women here. Are we more prone to this stuff or do we just discuss it more openly?

Yes, I feel like another withdrawal phase is going to happen...yesterday I was at 6 months off the Paxil and Wellbutrin cold turkey. I don't think it will be as bad as month 4 though...that was awful! It's weird though...every time I start thinking about tapering off the Lex and getting started on that, I get sick feeling. It's like a higher power is trying to tell me it's too soon.

When did you start feeling the anxiety after tapering to .09mg? It may just be you worrying too about stopping the Lex. You really are OK to stop it now...but if you feel more comfortable doing it this way then that is fine too. Either way, I don't think you'll have any big problems.

I think doctors are more prone to think women have more emotional problems and put them on these meds. Women are emotional creatures, in general more so than men. But doctors need to see that as normal for us and not abnormal. We just show our emotions more readily...it doesn't mean that men don't get those emotions either, they just don't show it most of the time. And I'm not saying ALL women or ALL men. Some men are emotional too...I know my brother is, LOL! He's worse than I am! But in my opinion, I think these meds are prescribed WAY too readily and yes WAY WAY too readily with women.

[SL500]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Hmm, I'm not a doctor but maybe you need to increase the Klonz and do 10% decreases on it too. You went from .50 to .25mg on it....that's a 50% taper. It could be too fast for your body and maybe that's why you're having such a hard time stabilizing...and you tapered too fast on the Lex too. You may want to go back up on the Klonz also and just get stabilized then pick one to go off of and do smaller decreases.

I've worked before but I'm lucky enough now to not have to. And we don't have kids so I can just baby myself when I get withdrawals and not have to worry about being somewhere on time or taking care of someone else which is a real plus through all this.

The fish oil just left a bad taste in my mouth all day and I would burp it throughout the day...when I got up in dose on it I also got a little nauseous. I'm going to start taking it again though and just try 1 a day at first to see how it goes. I feel like I"m starting to get into another withdrawal phase so I want to take as many vitamins as I can to help me through it and the fish oil is great for depression.

Thats awesome for you! I wish I was able to. Did you stop working before this all happened or did you stop due to this. I don't want to go back up on the klonz cause it is harder to get off than the lexapro and it is so much more addicting than the lexapro. (Its a benzo.) I actually printed out a schedule to help get of klonz so I might follow that once I feel stable enough. I am going to my pharmacologist on Monday to see what he says.

A question I have - I know I am a pain in the butt, but one of the withdrawal effects I had was shaking inside - like anxiousness - and it still hasn't really gone away - it started when I went down to 7.5 on the lex - how long do you think it'll take to subside? Do you think it'll go away once I stabalize. It's so funny cause a friend of my boyfriend was on lexapro for 1 year and she was able to taper off of 10mgs over a few weeks with no problem! He was telling me last night. I guess she just was able to tolerate it.

Can you explain to me how you are still getting withdrawals if you are taking lexapro? I know you said you cold turkied two other meds, but didn't the lexapro take its place?

How are you feeling?? You will go through this withdrawal with flying colors. You've gotten this far! You will be fine!

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by SL500

Thats awesome for you! I wish I was able to. Did you stop working before this all happened or did you stop due to this. I don't want to go back up on the klonz cause it is harder to get off than the lexapro and it is so much more addicting than the lexapro. (Its a benzo.) I actually printed out a schedule to help get of klonz so I might follow that once I feel stable enough. I am going to my pharmacologist on Monday to see what he says.

A question I have - I know I am a pain in the butt, but one of the withdrawal effects I had was shaking inside - like anxiousness - and it still hasn't really gone away - it started when I went down to 7.5 on the lex - how long do you think it'll take to subside? Do you think it'll go away once I stabalize. It's so funny cause a friend of my boyfriend was on lexapro for 1 year and she was able to taper off of 10mgs over a few weeks with no problem! He was telling me last night. I guess she just was able to tolerate it.

Can you explain to me how you are still getting withdrawals if you are taking lexapro? I know you said you cold turkied two other meds, but didn't the lexapro take its place?

How are you feeling?? You will go through this withdrawal with flying colors. You've gotten this far! You will be fine!

Thanks for the encouraging words . You can't follow a "schedule" through all this, getting off the meds. If the Klonz is harder to get off of than Lexapro then you REALLY need to go slow and not taper until your body is ready again. If you keep tapering before all the withdrawals are gone they will just pile up and get worse and worse. So many people think they can just taper for a week or 2 then go down again for a week then down again and so on even when they are still having withdrawals from previous tapers. This just piles one withdrawal on top of another until you are so sick you're in bed all the time.

If you don't want to go back up on the Klonz and taper slower then there is no way to tell how long you will be in withdrawals from it. Since you halved the dose it could be months before you are better. And don't taper if you feel "stable enough". Taper when you are 100% better and normal again.

I understand it's addictive...all these types of meds are. But you will do your body more harm in cutting it down so fast like that than you will staying on it for another couple months.

The shaking or tremoring is definatly a withdrawal...I had that myself. There's no way to tell you how long it will last. If you go back up on the Klonz it will go away faster...but if you stay at that halved dose it could take months before it goes away...there is just no telling.

I'm in withdrawals because the Lex did NOT take the place of the Paxil. My lovely doctor said it woould be fine to switch cold turkey from the Paxil to Lex and the Lex wasn't enough to get me all the way out of having Paxil withdrawal. Paxil is one of the worst SSRIs out there as far as withdrawal goes. Also it depends how long you were on the med as far as how bad withdrawals are. I was on Paxil for 15 years off and on...but the past 10 years straight. So I was on it for a LONG time. Plus I was on Wellbutrin for 3-4 years and quit it at the same time cold turkey. No matter what doctors think, alot of times just switching from one of these meds to another will NOT give you a get out of withdrawals free card.

Thanks again for the kind words and I know I'll get through it but since I didn't have all this wonderful info of tapering slow at the time it will be hard and take awhile. But I'm prepared for that now and just take it day by day .

[SL500]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Thanks for the encouraging words . You can't follow a "schedule" through all this, getting off the meds. If the Klonz is harder to get off of than Lexapro then you REALLY need to go slow and not taper until your body is ready again. If you keep tapering before all the withdrawals are gone they will just pile up and get worse and worse. So many people think they can just taper for a week or 2 then go down again for a week then down again and so on even when they are still having withdrawals from previous tapers. This just piles one withdrawal on top of another until you are so sick you're in bed all the time.

If you don't want to go back up on the Klonz and taper slower then there is no way to tell how long you will be in withdrawals from it. Since you halved the dose it could be months before you are better. And don't taper if you feel "stable enough". Taper when you are 100% better and normal again.

I understand it's addictive...all these types of meds are. But you will do your body more harm in cutting it down so fast like that than you will staying on it for another couple months.

The shaking or tremoring is definatly a withdrawal...I had that myself. There's no way to tell you how long it will last. If you go back up on the Klonz it will go away faster...but if you stay at that halved dose it could take months before it goes away...there is just no telling.

I'm in withdrawals because the Lex did NOT take the place of the Paxil. My lovely doctor said it woould be fine to switch cold turkey from the Paxil to Lex and the Lex wasn't enough to get me all the way out of having Paxil withdrawal. Paxil is one of the worst SSRIs out there as far as withdrawal goes. Also it depends how long you were on the med as far as how bad withdrawals are. I was on Paxil for 15 years off and on...but the past 10 years straight. So I was on it for a LONG time. Plus I was on Wellbutrin for 3-4 years and quit it at the same time cold turkey. No matter what doctors think, alot of times just switching from one of these meds to another will NOT give you a get out of withdrawals free card.

Thanks again for the kind words and I know I'll get through it but since I didn't have all this wonderful info of tapering slow at the time it will be hard and take awhile. But I'm prepared for that now and just take it day by day .

Thanks a bunch! Just try and take it easy. When Im home and I feel ********************py - especially lately, I lay down with a cold rag on my forehead. It's very relaxing. Another thing that is calming is a lavender scent - like a candle or something. But I know sometimes smells like that can bother me when I feel a certain way.

I know I went quick on the klonz - I went down on it slowly a while ago but I dont think it was slow enough. I did take it in steps though - I was on .25 and then went up to .5 for about two months and then slowly went down.

If thats the case with you and the paxil, then that must mean that I might still be in effexor withdrawal - 6 months. I know effexor is like paxil. I was on it for 3 years (almost). Those drugs work on seratonin and noraprinephrine (I think that how you spell it). My doc had me stop that and go on lex. I was trying to wean off of the effexor, but it was quick - I was quartering it every four weeks if even that - from 150mg - 35mg. I was having a bad reaction on the lowest dose-crying shaking, etc - all the withdrawals! I didn't, at the time, know it was in fact withdrawals and I ended up going to my pcp. He told me to stop it cause he doesnt like that med and gave me lex. So I stopped it immediately.

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Thanks for the encouraging words . You can't follow a "schedule" through all this, getting off the meds. If the Klonz is harder to get off of than Lexapro then you REALLY need to go slow and not taper until your body is ready again. If you keep tapering before all the withdrawals are gone they will just pile up and get worse and worse. So many people think they can just taper for a week or 2 then go down again for a week then down again and so on even when they are still having withdrawals from previous tapers. This just piles one withdrawal on top of another until you are so sick you're in bed all the time.

If you don't want to go back up on the Klonz and taper slower then there is no way to tell how long you will be in withdrawals from it. Since you halved the dose it could be months before you are better. And don't taper if you feel "stable enough". Taper when you are 100% better and normal again.

I understand it's addictive...all these types of meds are. But you will do your body more harm in cutting it down so fast like that than you will staying on it for another couple months.

The shaking or tremoring is definatly a withdrawal...I had that myself. There's no way to tell you how long it will last. If you go back up on the Klonz it will go away faster...but if you stay at that halved dose it could take months before it goes away...there is just no telling.

I'm in withdrawals because the Lex did NOT take the place of the Paxil. My lovely doctor said it woould be fine to switch cold turkey from the Paxil to Lex and the Lex wasn't enough to get me all the way out of having Paxil withdrawal. Paxil is one of the worst SSRIs out there as far as withdrawal goes. Also it depends how long you were on the med as far as how bad withdrawals are. I was on Paxil for 15 years off and on...but the past 10 years straight. So I was on it for a LONG time. Plus I was on Wellbutrin for 3-4 years and quit it at the same time cold turkey. No matter what doctors think, alot of times just switching from one of these meds to another will NOT give you a get out of withdrawals free card.

Thanks again for the kind words and I know I'll get through it but since I didn't have all this wonderful info of tapering slow at the time it will be hard and take awhile. But I'm prepared for that now and just take it day by day .

My dear friend.........I am sorry if I am mixing things up......and I hope I am not. I think in some previous posts you said you were 27 years old ( 2 years younger than me. How come you've been on those meds since you were 12? What happened in the life of a 12-year-old to but put on SSRIs??
Did you decide now to quit them altogether, completely?
I am sorry if I am a way too emotional....

[SL500]

Originally Posted by Julia77

My dear friend.........I am sorry if I am mixing things up......and I hope I am not. I think in some previous posts you said you were 27 years old ( 2 years younger than me. How come you've been on those meds since you were 12? What happened in the life of a 12-year-old to but put on SSRIs??
Did you decide now to quit them altogether, completely?
I am sorry if I am a way too emotional....

Julia - Another young one going through this. I just can't believe how many young people were put on this stuff.

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by Julia77

My dear friend.........I am sorry if I am mixing things up......and I hope I am not. I think in some previous posts you said you were 27 years old ( 2 years younger than me. How come you've been on those meds since you were 12? What happened in the life of a 12-year-old to but put on SSRIs??
Did you decide now to quit them altogether, completely?
I am sorry if I am a way too emotional....

Yes I was around 11 or 12 when I was put on 40mg of Paxil daily by an idiot psychiatrist. My mom died of breast cancer when I was 10 and I went into a deep depression...which is SO natural...I mean come on, she was my mom for crying out loud! My best friend. But instead of just talking to me to work things out through therapy or suggesting things like exercise which helps tremendously with depression or doing things with friends which helps alot also...the doctor just slapped me on some meds...the lazy, easy way out for him. So yes, over half my life I've been on these drugs.

I want to eventually come off the Lexapro yes...I got switched from Paxil to Lex cold turkey which is what brought withdrawals from Paxil on for me. This was 6 months ago...before I found the info on the net about tapering these meds too fast. But yes, when I get through this Paxil/Wellbutrin withdrawal I want to get off the Lex too and be med-free for good. I feel like I don't need it anymore...I'm a stable person emotionally. There was a period from when I was 15-18 or so when I was not on anything and did fine emotionally. I didn't even have withdrawals because I wasn't on the Paxil for too long yet so it didn't effect me. Then I had a stressful job at 18...I had just got married too and learning to live with someone else was new . So another doctor put me right back on Paxil,lol. And of course I was like...ok...since he was the doctor , I trusted him. And then I was on Paxil for another 10 year stretch before I got changed to Lex.

So I've been down a long hard road on the junk and I know I still have a long road ahead...but I feel like if others get through this...and they DO...I can too. I've been on other forums about withdrawal off antidepressants/SSRIs and people have incredible stories about how they were on 5 or 6 different meds at ONE time and still got off them. So I have hope for sure .

[SchnauzerTime]

Aunty

I went ahead and got my thyroid tested today to make sure like you said. I found out it's been like almost 5 years since I had bloodwork on it before so I thought for sure I should just do it to make sure it's OK.

The results should be in Monday or Tuesday. I have a feeling it will be OK though and it's just the stinking drugs doing this to me. It started about 5 years ago with me losing hair and dry skin on the face and just gets worse and worse. I've heard if you're on SSRIs for a long period of time like I've been that it can start doing things like this...also birth control pills can too and I've been on those for the same ammount of time...like every since I was 12 or so. Soooo it could be either one of those medicines.

Anyway, if it's not a thyroid problem I just might try the Nourkrin for my hair and see if that does anything...I'm just terrified of losing more. I took a shower this morning and pulled out decent sized clumps of hair . I just don't want to lose it all...and I know I still have to be on the Lex for at least a year or so longer.

Thanks again for everything and the advice on the thyroid...I would never have thought of that! Hope your daughter is doing well? Take care .

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Aunty

I went ahead and got my thyroid tested today to make sure like you said. I found out it's been like almost 5 years since I had bloodwork on it before so I thought for sure I should just do it to make sure it's OK.

The results should be in Monday or Tuesday. I have a feeling it will be OK though and it's just the stinking drugs doing this to me. It started about 5 years ago with me losing hair and dry skin on the face and just gets worse and worse. I've heard if you're on SSRIs for a long period of time like I've been that it can start doing things like this...also birth control pills can too and I've been on those for the same ammount of time...like every since I was 12 or so. Soooo it could be either one of those medicines.

Anyway, if it's not a thyroid problem I just might try the Nourkrin for my hair and see if that does anything...I'm just terrified of losing more. I took a shower this morning and pulled out decent sized clumps of hair . I just don't want to lose it all...and I know I still have to be on the Lex for at least a year or so longer.

Thanks again for everything and the advice on the thyroid...I would never have thought of that! Hope your daughter is doing well? Take care .

http://health.yahoo.com/ency/healthw...._sdsYMwDogrMF

http://www.armourthyroid.com/hypothy...s.html#summary

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by SL500

Julia - Another young one going through this. I just can't believe how many young people were put on this stuff.

Just looking back there I think I would never have gotten out of where I was without this med. I think at that time it just worked miracle on me. I remember getting better and better every day as I took that oval little pill. I was very hesitant to go on it, though, since I have always refused to take any 'chemistry' into my body. At that time one day I realized I had no choice. I had quit my job and being an immigrant felt desperate. The great source of emotional support was my husband and God in whom I trusted like never before. And I decided He will take me and he did. I do feel grateful I trusted the medication.
The only thing that makes me mad was that never had I been warned about how addictive it could be. My medical history says I am 'serotonin deficient' and have to take them forever. I am so grateful I found this web site and was seen by a specialist who recognized my condition as withdrawals. I didn't have to be on this medication for almost 2 year had I known how to taper off wisely.

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Yes I was around 11 or 12 when I was put on 40mg of Paxil daily by an idiot psychiatrist. My mom died of breast cancer when I was 10 and I went into a deep depression...which is SO natural...I mean come on, she was my mom for crying out loud! My best friend. But instead of just talking to me to work things out through therapy or suggesting things like exercise which helps tremendously with depression or doing things with friends which helps alot also...the doctor just slapped me on some meds...the lazy, easy way out for him. So yes, over half my life I've been on these drugs.

I want to eventually come off the Lexapro yes...I got switched from Paxil to Lex cold turkey which is what brought withdrawals from Paxil on for me. This was 6 months ago...before I found the info on the net about tapering these meds too fast. But yes, when I get through this Paxil/Wellbutrin withdrawal I want to get off the Lex too and be med-free for good. I feel like I don't need it anymore...I'm a stable person emotionally. There was a period from when I was 15-18 or so when I was not on anything and did fine emotionally. I didn't even have withdrawals because I wasn't on the Paxil for too long yet so it didn't effect me. Then I had a stressful job at 18...I had just got married too and learning to live with someone else was new . So another doctor put me right back on Paxil,lol. And of course I was like...ok...since he was the doctor , I trusted him. And then I was on Paxil for another 10 year stretch before I got changed to Lex.

So I've been down a long hard road on the junk and I know I still have a long road ahead...but I feel like if others get through this...and they DO...I can too. I've been on other forums about withdrawal off antidepressants/SSRIs and people have incredible stories about how they were on 5 or 6 different meds at ONE time and still got off them. So I have hope for sure .

Then you have good reasons. There was a boy in my class who lost his mom when he was 12, and he got so depressed he had to repeat a grade because he couldn't attend classes. You WILL get better once you decide that you desperately want it. You sound like a strong person, and once your mind understands what is going on, it's able to cope with it. I have come to realize that patience it a big world in itself. If you are patient with your body, it will respond in a good way. I also found that it's important to let yourself be sick and not to set strict limits...at least when you are that sick.
Do you work?

[Aussiegirl]

Thanks for the support Schnauzer, EM and Aunty and others whose names escape me. I'm only able to log on once a week at the moment (internet is so slow at home!).

I will try looking for the Inisitol here in Australia - is that a brand name or the name of the herb/vitamin? I've been off Lex for about 8 weeks now Aunty, so its not long. I expect to still be getting withdrawals, but the depression and panic attacks are just sooo bad! Some days I just want to die.

Glad others have been able to relate to this experience too. My sister ended up going back onto her SSRI because she couldn't handle the withdrawals, I've been able to stay off for now and I've just got to pass through this 'phase' I guess. Its hard to see it as just a phase though, because it seems so real and seems so much like the original illness back, but when I have good days, I realise that its just a 'fake depression' and just another withdrawal in the Pandora's Box of withdrawals! I wonder what's coming next?!! Having said that I find that prayer really helps me to cope also.

Take care everyone and I'm so pleased to hear that you walked Elizabeth Marie, well done!

Schnauzer - have you thought of getting a bird as a pet instead of a cat? They make wonderful pets, very intelligent and can learn to talk. Budgerigars (Parrakeets) or anything in the parrot-family are ideal. They generally get on well with dogs too. I have a parrakeet, he is like a child to me, he talks and has got me through some bad patches.

xx

[SchnauzerTime]

Yes, Inositol is the name of the vitamin...just ask for it at your local health food store or you can get it on www.vitacost.com .

I love animals and love birds too! But my hubby won't let me get one...says they are dirty and he doesn't want to get stuck changing the cage so that option is out. I think I should just be content with my little doggy...you said the bird is your baby, well she is mine .

Hope you feel better soon!

[Danx]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

I'm in withdrawals because the Lex did NOT take the place of the Paxil. My lovely doctor said it woould be fine to switch cold turkey from the Paxil to Lex and the Lex wasn't enough to get me all the way out of having Paxil withdrawal. Paxil is one of the worst SSRIs out there as far as withdrawal goes. Also it depends how long you were on the med as far as how bad withdrawals are. I was on Paxil for 15 years off and on...but the past 10 years straight. So I was on it for a LONG time. Plus I was on Wellbutrin for 3-4 years and quit it at the same time cold turkey. No matter what doctors think, alot of times just switching from one of these meds to another will NOT give you a get out of withdrawals free card.

I don't think any specific ssri is worse then any other when it comes to withdrawals, I think it depends more on the person. I was on Paxil for 2 years and quit cold turkey with no side effects at all. Ever. But when I skipped a couple days of Lexapro I thought I was literally going to die.

It's been close to 2 months now and I am still suffering with the effects, but getting better now that I'm back up to 18mg from my orignal 20mg. I haven't had the crying problem like I have read so many others have had. But I keep myself busy all the time so I don't think about it enough to start to cry.

I spend a lot of time on my computer, watching movies, tv, etc. And of course KNITTING! I'm in California and the nights are starting to get pretty cold out. I take my dogs out late at night and since I'm bald the knit caps come in very handy. But bald is sexy, so it's a shame I cover it up. But at that time of night no one is around to see it anyway.

[clarehamish]

Hi i am currently suffering from the withdrawal effects of this awful drug. I am so glad i found this forum as i did not realise how bad this problem was!!

I started to take ciprelex (lexapro) in Aug 2006 for post natal depression. I decided in June to stop them. Initially i cut down from 10 mg to 5 mg and felt a bit of withdrawal. I tried to stop then after a month but i began feeling weird like a woozy feeling or brain fog/adrenaline rush. So Gp said to half the 5 mg tabs and reduce slowly. Been doing that for over a month and decided to stop last monday. Now i am feeling it.

I felt so bad last night i had to take 2.5mg. Symptoms seem to be worse at night when i used to take them , also suffering hot and cold sweats too. I am a nurse and work nights so this is no good to me. Just want to feel normal and drug free again!!

Mood swings have been awful too, is there anything i can take to combat this?? Many thanks x clare

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by clarehamish

Hi i am currently suffering from the withdrawal effects of this awful drug. I am so glad i found this forum as i did not realise how bad this problem was!!

I started to take ciprelex (lexapro) in Aug 2006 for post natal depression. I decided in June to stop them. Initially i cut down from 10 mg to 5 mg and felt a bit of withdrawal. I tried to stop then after a month but i began feeling weird like a woozy feeling or brain fog/adrenaline rush. So Gp said to half the 5 mg tabs and reduce slowly. Been doing that for over a month and decided to stop last monday. Now i am feeling it.

I felt so bad last night i had to take 2.5mg. Symptoms seem to be worse at night when i used to take them , also suffering hot and cold sweats too. I am a nurse and work nights so this is no good to me. Just want to feel normal and drug free again!!

Mood swings have been awful too, is there anything i can take to combat this?? Many thanks x clare

For me, withdrawals from 2. 5 mg were horrible. I didn't succeed in quitting this medication twice. I used to half the dose, too, but after I found this forum I understood it was no good.
I suggest you wait for more seasoned members of this forum and they will advise you. From my experience I suggest you reinstate on 2.5 mg ( this was something that took me 3 weeks or so), be on it for some time, then make your own liquids and go slowly.
It's normal to experience side effects when you go back on the medication. When I didn't take my dose of 2.5 mg for 2 weeks and then went back on it, I was very depressed for some time. Depression wasn't the reason I was put on this drug initially, it was one of the side effects.
To taper, you need to make liquids and reduce by 10 % of the dose. You will still feel withdrawals, but they will be mild.

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by Danx

I don't think any specific ssri is worse then any other when it comes to withdrawals, I think it depends more on the person. I was on Paxil for 2 years and quit cold turkey with no side effects at all. Ever. But when I skipped a couple days of Lexapro I thought I was literally going to die.

It's been close to 2 months now and I am still suffering with the effects, but getting better now that I'm back up to 18mg from my orignal 20mg. I haven't had the crying problem like I have read so many others have had. But I keep myself busy all the time so I don't think about it enough to start to cry.

I spend a lot of time on my computer, watching movies, tv, etc. And of course KNITTING! I'm in California and the nights are starting to get pretty cold out. I take my dogs out late at night and since I'm bald the knit caps come in very handy. But bald is sexy, so it's a shame I cover it up. But at that time of night no one is around to see it anyway.

You are right...it DOES depend on other things how bad a withdrawal is going to be and not the name of the medicine. I'm just going by what I've heard on the internet really. If you go to www.paxilprogress.com and read some of the stories there you'll understand what I mean. Also Effexor is very strong so harder to get off of too. There ARE stronger SSRIs than others which does make it harder to quit. But yes, it also depends on how long you've been on them, what dose, if you've ever taken these types of meds before, your age, your health, etc. And since you were only on Paxil for 2 years that's why you had no withdrawal...also I'm suppossing you were never on SSRIs before that? That matters. I first took Paxil when I was 12 years old for 3 years and had no withdrawals when I stopped it cold turkey. I was on it for a short time, plus I was young with a healthy system, plus I had never been on these meds before....all good things when you go to quit it.

Anyway, thanks for bringing that to my attention...I'll try to be more specific next time when I type. I'm glad you are doing better, take care .

[SchnauzerTime]

Originally Posted by clarehamish

Hi i am currently suffering from the withdrawal effects of this awful drug. I am so glad i found this forum as i did not realise how bad this problem was!!

I started to take ciprelex (lexapro) in Aug 2006 for post natal depression. I decided in June to stop them. Initially i cut down from 10 mg to 5 mg and felt a bit of withdrawal. I tried to stop then after a month but i began feeling weird like a woozy feeling or brain fog/adrenaline rush. So Gp said to half the 5 mg tabs and reduce slowly. Been doing that for over a month and decided to stop last monday. Now i am feeling it.

I felt so bad last night i had to take 2.5mg. Symptoms seem to be worse at night when i used to take them , also suffering hot and cold sweats too. I am a nurse and work nights so this is no good to me. Just want to feel normal and drug free again!!

Mood swings have been awful too, is there anything i can take to combat this?? Many thanks x clare

Ok..what you need to do is go back up to the last dose you were 100% well on with no symptoms/withdrawals. Did you ever get 100% OK on the 2.5mg? If so, go back to that dose and wait until you are completely better. This may take a couple weeks to a month. If you don't start feeling better in a week or so (it's going to be just SLIGHTLY feeling better, not a huge difference) then go back up to 5mg.

When you DO finally get completely stable and feeling like your normal self...than taper at NO MORE than 10% tapers from the current dose. Get the liquid form of Lex from your doctor. If he/she won't give it to you let us know and we'll tell you how to crush the pill and mix it with juice at home. Yes this method takes awhile to get off the medicine but is WELL worth it. You will bypass all the horrible withdrawals this way. You will still get small withdrawals but you'll be able to tolerate them.

So when you get ready to taper if you're on 2.5mg say...then 10% of that would be .25mg so your first taper would be 2.25mg. It takes about 7 days for withdrawals to start and they normally last a couple days to a week. They won't be that bad, nothing you can't handle. Stay on the dose until you're 100% over withdrawals then taper 10% of your current dose again. So it would be 10% of 2.25mg which would be around .23mg this time so would be 2.02mg (you could round this down to an even 2mg and be OK).

But first and MOST importantly...go back up to the last dose you felt really good on, I'm guessing taht was 2.5mg? And stay on that until you're completely better, no matter how long it takes. It could take a couple weeks or so, it won't happen overnight. But get back on that dose ASAP.

Let us know how you're doing in a couple days and if you have any questions fire away .

[SL500]

So today was a bad morning for me. I woke up miserable with anxiety. I was actually shaking inside. I came home from my boyfriends house to shower and my parents were leaving the house and I started panicing because I didn't want to be in the house alone - I was actually really scared! Like what if something happened to me and I was by myself?? I started to cry a little because I never used to be like that. Has anyone experienced that - It's only 1 week I am back up to my original dose of lexapro - and as it was said to me before - it might take a little more time to feel better. Sorry....I'm just rambling because I'm a little frustrated and have to one to ************************* to right now.

Danx - I tried the knitting thing - I wasn't getting it! I was following instructions that I printed from online, but I guess I need someone to show me.

[clarehamish]

Originally Posted by SchnauzerTime

Ok..what you need to do is go back up to the last dose you were 100% well on with no symptoms/withdrawals. Did you ever get 100% OK on the 2.5mg? If so, go back to that dose and wait until you are completely better. This may take a couple weeks to a month. If you don't start feeling better in a week or so (it's going to be just SLIGHTLY feeling better, not a huge difference) then go back up to 5mg.

When you DO finally get completely stable and feeling like your normal self...than taper at NO MORE than 10% tapers from the current dose. Get the liquid form of Lex from your doctor. If he/she won't give it to you let us know and we'll tell you how to crush the pill and mix it with juice at home. Yes this method takes awhile to get off the medicine but is WELL worth it. You will bypass all the horrible withdrawals this way. You will still get small withdrawals but you'll be able to tolerate them.

So when you get ready to taper if you're on 2.5mg say...then 10% of that would be .25mg so your first taper would be 2.25mg. It takes about 7 days for withdrawals to start and they normally last a couple days to a week. They won't be that bad, nothing you can't handle. Stay on the dose until you're 100% over withdrawals then taper 10% of your current dose again. So it would be 10% of 2.25mg which would be around .23mg this time so would be 2.02mg (you could round this down to an even 2mg and be OK).

But first and MOST importantly...go back up to the last dose you felt really good on, I'm guessing taht was 2.5mg? And stay on that until you're completely better, no matter how long it takes. It could take a couple weeks or so, it won't happen overnight. But get back on that dose ASAP.

Let us know how you're doing in a couple days and if you have any questions fire away .

many thanks for your reply. Just taken a 2.5 tablet as i was ok on that and will see if it helps and carry on as you suggested. I am going to ring my gP tomorrow and ask for the liquid. I have just had enough of this head rush thing no wonder people stay on them for years!!!

thanks again i will let you know how i go!! x clare