[8monthslater]

I am seriously starting to wonder if I need to take a different anti depressant! I am so worn out with all of my symptoms. On top of just feeling like total s*** all of the time I am trying my hardest to take care of a 15 month old and a 5 year old and myself and my husband. I am so exhausted. I ALWAYS have a low grade fever (100.1 yesterday and today). My ear hurts ALL of the time. I am just not finding that much joy in my life lately. It sucks. I don't know what to do. Honestly, my issue has never been depression until now. I have never felt sad and down, I have always dealt with anxiety more than anything.

The ear specialist that I did not get to see in Atlanta called me today and told me that my MRI looked "perfect" and that he could not tell me anything about my situation without examining me. UGH! I guess I should be glad I don't have a brain tumor or something really serious. I don't know why I can't just get it through my head that they are NOT missing anything and that it is just anxiety and maybe withdrawals I am dealing with (although that seems hard for me to believe since I have been off for 11 months).

I am sorry. I just had to vent somewhere. I guess today would be considered a "bad" day for me.

ERIN, where are you? I hope you are getting back to "normal" after your wonderful trip.

[Rosalinde]

Originally Posted by Julia77

Hello Rosalinde,

Do not speed up the tapering by the end, rather slow it down a little bit. The rule is: the lower you get, the more difficult it becomes to make cuts. So, do not rush it. The slower you taper the better off you are, however, don't overkill it, knowing that small doses produce unpleasant side-effects. Go with your gut feeling once you get below 1 mg. I wouldn't suggest stopping there, but maybe you will be able to stop at .5 instead of .1.

Tapering that slow you're doing yourself a big favor. Do not cut 20% at a time...please. You might not feel it right away, but w/d will catch up on you. And the good news is that the weight does come off once you're fully away from the drugs.

Thanks very much for the advice! I will not do the 20% or go faster than every 14 days. Thanks for the encouragement about the weight too. I have noticed that I'm no longer puffy and I'm getting my waist back slightly.

I spoke with The Road Back people, and they suggest tapering 5 to 10% off the original dose rather than off each new dose. Since I have not had debilitating wd symptoms, I am continuing on this way as it is faster here at the end. I am down to 1 mg without problems, so I suspect I will be ok. In two weeks, I taper to 0.5 mg, and after that I am done! Then I am doing a major detox with my husband to make sure this poison is out of my system once and for all.

Some people seem more sensitive and should do the slower taper at the end for sure. I will keep posting here as I get off.

[Rosalinde]

Originally Posted by Catfish42

She was on Lexapro for about 5 months. We noticed that she became very "unfealing" and lost her sex drive completely. I started reading on the board and convinced her to wean off the medication. We went as gradually, but not quite as gradually as was suggested. It has been about a year since she completed her weaning and I believe she is pretty much back to normal. It did take some time. She had no physical symptoms that I know of. I just wanted to share our experience since, I believe, most people who go off Lex probably just go on their merry way and have no nead to go back on this forum. I am very thankful for the advice given on this forum. Who knows what might have happened if she had gone cold turkey.

THANK YOU for posting your wife's experience! I expect people who are successful with their taper go on with life instead of posting here, and so it is wonderful to hear this story. I am also amazed that she has been off a year after only taking for five months, and she is "pretty much" back to normal. Goes to show you how powerful this stuff is.

[Rosalinde]

Wanted to list out my symptoms on 1 mg of Lex after tapering very slowly since last July.

I am no longer gaining weight.
I am still overweight (gained 35 pounds) but no longer puffy in my face and belly.
My energy is very good.
My memory and ability to focus seem 99% back to normal.
My emotions have been back for months now.
The strange obsessions I picked up on Lexapro have all died away.
My normal interests are back.
I care about life again.
I dropped five pounds without doing anything different.
I'm responsible again.
I love exercise again, but my muscles become tired easier.
I am craving starches and sweets. (This is not like me.)
I am no longer sweating a lot or smelling bad.
I am not able to sleep until 5 or so in the morning.
In spite of sleeping less, I have loads of manic energy.
I have recently become mildly dizzy.
I am having to relearn how to cope with normal stresses. After 1.5 years away from reality, you forget how to cope with normal life.

Over all, feeling soooo much better! I am expecting to return completely to normal by getting off this drug, doing a detox, eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. I am being patient with myself and allowing this to happen at my brain's pace. I realize it is a slow healing process.

Last but not least - I am so thankful for this forum! This is where I learned about the drug and how to taper.

[Aeroman]

Yep, the brain zaps are subsiding a bit. It's been since Feb 27th I had my last 5mg pill. Reading all of your posts, I feel I should have gone 2.5mg and then 1mg, etc to nothing. Past couple of days, my breathing has been a bit tougher. Also, I would wake up around 4am only to find I am not getting fresh sleep. Today, i woke up at 6:15am and felt better. It kind of feels like a hang over in the morning with a slight headache. Nausea: been getting a mild form of nausea past 2 days. Since I was on Lexapro for over two years, I have a feeling that my wd symptoms will extend the two weeks period. I have my wife as support, patience (its not easy) and God. By the way, I have lost 10 lbs since I got off Lex, sex drive has been getting MUCH better (wife loves it), and well, thats about it.


Rosalinde (nice name by the way), have you been feeling better in general since being off Lexapro? You are off Lex, right?

[HappyDad]

Originally Posted by COHiker

Happy Dad,
Thanks so much for sharing your good news! It is so nice to have some hope. These have been my main problems (headaches and fatigue since my taper to 5 mg). I also have been on many years (close to 4). I'm really glad you are having longer stretches of good times.
Could you please share what you thought was most helpful for you? I have an awesome and supportive family, so I 've got that on my side.
Thanks for the title of the book. I will check it out for sure!
Again, it is really super to hear of your good news and it does offer a bright spot- that makes facing continued tapering more tolerable!
God Bless and please keep the positive news coming,
COHiker

Yes, the headaches are the worse! Those days are without a doubt the toughest.

The things that have been most helpful for me.
#1 My faith in God

#2 My family

#3 Exercising - I Jog / race walk 2 miles at least twice during the week and I ride my bike for at least two hours every Saturday. I've forced myself to d this even when I was feeling really bad and it has paid off in spades. The key is to exercise "vigorously" for at least 30 minutes, three times per week (minimum)...even if you feel miserable. You must force yourself to do this. It WILL help you both physically and mentally. There is great power in realizing that you are personally contributing to your recovery.

#4 I take two different supplements. Magnesium Citrate and OmegaBrite brand fish oil caplets. I cannot honestly say that these supplements have helped in my healing, but I also wouldn't discount their effects. From everything I've read (and spoken to Dr's) about Omeg-3's...if you're going to take them, then take a true pharmaceutical grade brand or don't waste your time and money. The brand I take has the highest EPAHA ratio 7:1 available. If you google the term Omegabrite and then scroll down a few links you'll see one that says "Reviews of pharmaceutical grade fish oil". That link will yield more info than I can post here.

#5 Don't be too hard on yourself. You will have good and bad weeks. For me, last week was fantastic, but this week was a bit rough. Overall, this month was better than last month. You have to remind yourself of this. As my Dr. told me "it takes time for your brain to heal and re-learn some of it's processes. On my worst day I fell 10000 times better than I did during the weaning process.

#6 I found a good Cognitive Behavioral Therapist. CBT has been clinically proven to be as effective as medication in the short term and much greater in the long term...with zero side effects.

#7 The book I mentioned in an earlier post, "When Panic Attacks" is awesome! What an eye opener! The more I read and the more I do the suggested writen Exercises, etc, the better I feel. The book was written by Dr. David Burns (a real doctor) who is considered THE autority on CBT.

I hope this helps.

Go bless!

[Rosalinde]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

Rosalinde (nice name by the way), have you been feeling better in general since being off Lexapro? You are off Lex, right?

I took Lex 10 mg for a year. I began tapering very slowly July '07. I am down to 1 mg. I will be off the drug in about 4 weeks. Tapering 5% every 14 days from the original dose is a great way to do it.

I am feeling so much better in general! I was an emotionless zombie on that stuff with no energy at all. I avoided withdrawal side effects by doing the super slow taper.

Good luck to you!

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Rosalinde

Wanted to list out my symptoms on 1 mg of Lex after tapering very slowly since last July.

I am no longer gaining weight.
I am still overweight (gained 35 pounds) but no longer puffy in my face and belly.
My energy is very good.
My memory and ability to focus seem 99% back to normal.
My emotions have been back for months now.
The strange obsessions I picked up on Lexapro have all died away.
My normal interests are back.
I care about life again.
I dropped five pounds without doing anything different.
I'm responsible again.
I love exercise again, but my muscles become tired easier.
I am craving starches and sweets. (This is not like me.)
I am no longer sweating a lot or smelling bad.
I am not able to sleep until 5 or so in the morning.
In spite of sleeping less, I have loads of manic energy.
I have recently become mildly dizzy.
I am having to relearn how to cope with normal stresses. After 1.5 years away from reality, you forget how to cope with normal life.

Over all, feeling soooo much better! I am expecting to return completely to normal by getting off this drug, doing a detox, eating healthy foods and exercising regularly. I am being patient with myself and allowing this to happen at my brain's pace. I realize it is a slow healing process.

Last but not least - I am so thankful for this forum! This is where I learned about the drug and how to taper.

Rosalinde,

What kind of obsessions did you pick up on Lex, if you don't mind sharing?
I was diagnosed OCD when on Lex, after I weaned off I am not OCD any more...

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by 8monthslater

I am seriously starting to wonder if I need to take a different anti depressant! I am so worn out with all of my symptoms. On top of just feeling like total s*** all of the time I am trying my hardest to take care of a 15 month old and a 5 year old and myself and my husband. I am so exhausted. I ALWAYS have a low grade fever (100.1 yesterday and today). My ear hurts ALL of the time. I am just not finding that much joy in my life lately. It sucks. I don't know what to do. Honestly, my issue has never been depression until now. I have never felt sad and down, I have always dealt with anxiety more than anything.

The ear specialist that I did not get to see in Atlanta called me today and told me that my MRI looked "perfect" and that he could not tell me anything about my situation without examining me. UGH! I guess I should be glad I don't have a brain tumor or something really serious. I don't know why I can't just get it through my head that they are NOT missing anything and that it is just anxiety and maybe withdrawals I am dealing with (although that seems hard for me to believe since I have been off for 11 months).

I am sorry. I just had to vent somewhere. I guess today would be considered a "bad" day for me.

ERIN, where are you? I hope you are getting back to "normal" after your wonderful trip.

You MUST be patient. Please read one of the posts below on this page and see that the person who had been on this drug for only 5 months is 'close to normal' after a year off.
I had been on 2.5 mg for a year before I took 7 months to taper off this dose, and this is my 7th week off. This weekend I was depressed.....what can I say. It seems like those drugs are extremely powerful.
You must wait at least 18 months.... Would you please remind me how you tapered and what was the original reason you were put on this medication. Do you smoke, drink tons of coffee, exercise, how do you reduce stress? Do you pray/meditate? How do you unwind every day? Do you allow yourself to be sick? For instance, you feel sick, and you decide to stay in bed and then go for a walk for a little while. Do you allow yourself to do that, is your family supportive?
Do you take Fish Oil and Inisitol for depression? They are all excellent for lifting your moods up.

P.S I know how you're feeling and really feel for you. However, I convince you not to take anything now. It just hasn't been long enough...

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Catfish42

She was on Lexapro for about 5 months. We noticed that she became very "unfealing" and lost her sex drive completely. I started reading on the board and convinced her to wean off the medication. We went as gradually, but not quite as gradually as was suggested. It has been about a year since she completed her weaning and I believe she is pretty much back to normal. It did take some time. She had no physical symptoms that I know of. I just wanted to share our experience since, I believe, most people who go off Lex probably just go on their merry way and have no nead to go back on this forum. I am very thankful for the advice given on this forum. Who knows what might have happened if she had gone cold turkey.

8 months,

Please read this: 'It has been about a year since she completed her weaning and I believe she is pretty much back to normal. '

[8monthslater]

Thanks for responding to my post. I feel better today. I took Lex for 4 months and quit cold turkey. There was absolutely no tapering involved. Big mistake. It has been 11 months since I quit and I can't believe how powerful that drug is. I still can't quite convince myself that my symptoms are just w/d. I do have xanax that I rarely take and when I do I only take .25 mg and only 1 on any given day. Unfortunately I have done this 3 times in the past few days. It really does help me feel normal, but I wonder if I am setting myself back in the healing department by doing this??? I do take Omega 3's twice a day and have never tried Inisotol. I do have to say that my windows of feeling better are getting longer, but then out of nowhere I'll have a couple of bad days. I do have a supportive family, BUT it is totally busy and constant around here. I have a 5 year old boy and a 15 month old daughter who is into everything and becoming quite demanding herself. I NEVER take sick breaks, I never sleep in, never get a nap, rarely ever get any downtime and the worst part is it is all my own fault. I feel guilty if I ever take a break. I am so wierd!

[8monthslater]

Originally Posted by Julia77

You MUST be patient. Please read one of the posts below on this page and see that the person who had been on this drug for only 5 months is 'close to normal' after a year off.
I had been on 2.5 mg for a year before I took 7 months to taper off this dose, and this is my 7th week off. This weekend I was depressed.....what can I say. It seems like those drugs are extremely powerful.
You must wait at least 18 months.... Would you please remind me how you tapered and what was the original reason you were put on this medication. Do you smoke, drink tons of coffee, exercise, how do you reduce stress? Do you pray/meditate? How do you unwind every day? Do you allow yourself to be sick? For instance, you feel sick, and you decide to stay in bed and then go for a walk for a little while. Do you allow yourself to do that, is your family supportive?
Do you take Fish Oil and Inisitol for depression? They are all excellent for lifting your moods up.

P.S I know how you're feeling and really feel for you. However, I convince you not to take anything now. It just hasn't been long enough...

Julia, I don't smoke and consider myself to be in good shape. I eat well but I do enjoy one cup of coffee in the am. No caffeine the rest of the day. I don't exercise hard core, but I do get out and walk and play with my children. I consider myself to be fairly active. We definitely don's just sit around and watch tv. I need to get better about finding ways to reduce stress and having some more quiet me time.

[erinkj]

Honey you have GOT to make some time for yourself! And STOP feeling guilty when you do things for yourself! I can relate 100% to that guilt. For many years I would be eaten alive with guilt for buying myself a new pair of jeans or a purse or anything. I just kept thinking that the kid's need something more than I needed a new purse or there must be a bill or something else I should spend that $30 on. I NEVER took nap's when my children were little, even when I worked third shift. This kind of stress is what built up inside me for many years and is what I believe was the root cause of the begining of my panic problems! So, it is ESSENTIAL that you "CHILL" as much as possable, if you don't I think your problems will only get worse. When I first saw my family doctor for panic attacks 11 years ago, I knew nothing about anxiety or panic attacks. I thought I was loosing my sanity and having a nervous break down (I guess it was kind of a nervouse breakdown) anyway, my doctor was trying to explain to me what was going on. As uninformed as I was back then I did not realy get it so, he told me that the panic attacks "were my brains way of telling my body that I needed to chill out" and, he was absolutely right about that. It has taken me years to change some of those old behaviors (like working myself into the ground and running on 3-4 hrs sleep everynight) but, I have changed the way that I look at life ALOT! I no longer sweat the "small stuff" the world is not going to end if I skip dishes or laundry for a day. I don't feel guilty about taking a nap; it benefits my family as I won't be cranky and worn out resulting in more energy to spend with them and more focus to care for them. Your well being affects your family dear and if you are more rested and less stressed, they will be happier and thrive. One last thing: Do you'r best everyday. You'r "best" will not always be the same. When you are sick, you'r "best" will be different than when you are well. when you are rested, you'r "best" will be better than when you are tired. Do NOT expect more from yourself than you can give at anytime. Just do you'r "best"!...Love and hug's to you...Erin

[Unbelievable]

So I went from 10 mg to 5 mg and it's day 4. I've had fatigue and loss of short term memory but nothing worse than what I've already dealt with. So. Am I just waiting for the worst to come? I had worrying about what's coming. And ... I know it's been discussed over and over ... but the weight gain! Does it go away for most or not? I am getting married in 4 months and I work out constantly and eat right. I can't lose weight. Will my metabolism return before the wedding? Sorry, I worry a lot about this stuff as I didn't know about it going in...

[Unbelievable]

Also. I have strong desire to stop taking Lex cold turkey but I've read about how bad it can be. I am wondering, though, if you still go through the withdrawal at a slower rate, is it any better than getting it over with quickly? Sorry if this seems an uneducated post. I have read quite a bit on this and still find it difficult to wrap my brain around how I got persuaded to take this drug without knowing the side effects and that there were withdrawal symptoms...

[8monthslater]

Thanks for the encouragement and reminders that I need to take care of myself. All of my problems started when I lost a baby in my second trimester. I had years of struggles trying to conceive (it took 2 years and 2 miscarriages before I had my son and 2 years and 2 more miscarriages before I had my daughter). I have been trying to get pregnant, pregnant or nursing during that whole time. Now that I am no longer trying to have another baby and no longer nursing maybe my hormones can get back to normal. I really think that all of that is what triggered my panic and anxiety.

My question is this: Do you think I am slowing down the healing process if I take a .25 mg xanax when I need it? I never do it everyday (although I have done it 4 x in the last week). I just don't want to mess up my brain any more than it already is. What about xanax and serotonin? Does it affect serotonin? From what I understand it affects GABA, but I am not completely sure about this. I just want my brain to heal, but sometimes I just really need some help. Thanks.

[8monthslater]

Originally Posted by Unbelievable

Also. I have strong desire to stop taking Lex cold turkey but I've read about how bad it can be. I am wondering, though, if you still go through the withdrawal at a slower rate, is it any better than getting it over with quickly? Sorry if this seems an uneducated post. I have read quite a bit on this and still find it difficult to wrap my brain around how I got persuaded to take this drug without knowing the side effects and that there were withdrawal symptoms...

If I could go back to when I cold turkeyed 11 months ago and slowly taper I definitely would do just that. I wish I had known then what I know now. I will never take another SSRI again and I will tell all of my friends that do that they need to really research it and learn as much as possible about the importance of tapering. Read my past posts about the physical withdrawals that I have suffered from and also the others on this board that went too fast. I think you can save yourself a lot of heartache if you go slow. Good luck!

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by 8monthslater

Thanks for responding to my post. I feel better today. I took Lex for 4 months and quit cold turkey. There was absolutely no tapering involved. Big mistake. It has been 11 months since I quit and I can't believe how powerful that drug is. I still can't quite convince myself that my symptoms are just w/d. I do have xanax that I rarely take and when I do I only take .25 mg and only 1 on any given day. Unfortunately I have done this 3 times in the past few days. It really does help me feel normal, but I wonder if I am setting myself back in the healing department by doing this??? I do take Omega 3's twice a day and have never tried Inisotol. I do have to say that my windows of feeling better are getting longer, but then out of nowhere I'll have a couple of bad days. I do have a supportive family, BUT it is totally busy and constant around here. I have a 5 year old boy and a 15 month old daughter who is into everything and becoming quite demanding herself. I NEVER take sick breaks, I never sleep in, never get a nap, rarely ever get any downtime and the worst part is it is all my own fault. I feel guilty if I ever take a break. I am so wierd!

I bet you're withdrawing. But, you must learn to take care of yourself. Not only will the world not die, but it will be a better place for all your family members involved, should you learn how to love yourself.
What you;re doing - you're preparing ground for another nervous breakdown. I always say that when we're on the drugs, we must work on developing a different perspective about this world and try to see what a wonderful place this is, and then maintain this perspective once we're off the drugs.
You must take quiet time for yourself every day. What you're doing during this time - hot tub, meditation, praying, listening to music - is your own business. It's essential for your recovery. If you don't do it, you're setting yourself into rebound state of things...
Did you look into Bach remedies for anxiety? They work very well and are not addictive like Xanax is.

[Lori Jo]

Hi, everyone! Wow...so nice to find such an active board on Lexapro withdraw! I have been on Lex for 2 1/2 years, with GREAT success, except I can't handle the weight gain and sexual side effects anymore so I want to taper off. My daughter tapered off this past year very successfully and is doing absolutely great. I tried to taper last year and did it too fast and it did not work so I am going to do it much more slowly this time, over at least 4 months, if not more. I am only on 10 mg. I am afraid to do this without some sort of natural supplement to take after I am off the Lex, so I ordered Amoryn to help me. I wanted to use the Amoryn while tapering but read this is dangerous. Has anyone else tried a natural supplement after tapering off the Lex? I went on the Lex only because I had terrible insomnia, would be awake every night worrying about stupid things, obsessing, my mind not turning off. No sleep and total exhaustion made me anxious and depressed and moody during the day. I thought the doc would give me a sleep aid but he put me right on the Lex. I can't say it doesn't work, it does, but the side effects are no longer acceptable to me.

Also, are there any safe natural supplements I can take to help with the tapering/withdraw effects?

[ivysphotomom]

Hi there,

I've been absent a week or so....busy time w/ 4 kids, my youngest turned 4 on Wed., and I have a photography business....

Always busy!

Anyhow, I read your post about the miscarriage, and wanted to extend my sympathies. I got pregnant easily with my first, then we tried for 2 full years to get pregnant again, and I suffered an early mc one year into the 2 years. Finally I conceived, but was a nervous wreck. However, everything went fine. So my first two children are 4.5 yrs apart.

Then, wanting to try for a third, I went to see a reproductive endocrinologist. He did some simple bloodwork, including checking for thyroid antibodies (NOT just TSH), and found I had Hashimotos Hypothyroidism. Basically, my body was attacking my thyroid. My TSH was only borderline high, I think 5.2, with the reference range then being .05-5.0 I think. BUT, I've learned since then, that most women don't feel well unless they're somewhere around 1.0.

I've been told that Hashimotos is very common in women, and many women are never diagnosed, because most doctors don't bother to check for thyroid antibodies, and only look at the TSH. Thyroid function is very complex.

So I went on a small dose of Armour Thyroid pills (the natural, or piggy pills!) and got pregnant with my third child that same month!!! I eventually switched from Armour to Levoxyl. I take only 50mcg's a day. A low dose.

I also was then diagnosed with adrenal insufficiency. Too much work/stress, not enough rest for years!!!!! The hormone system is very delicate.

I'm now 46, and nurse my now 4 yr old a few nights a week, only at bedtime. So throw in there lactating, pre-menopause, thyroid and adrenal problems, and low progesterone!!!! The hormones are all over the place!

I just wanted to let you know I can relate to taking care of a 5 yr old and 15 month old. My oldest is now 16, a daughter, my son is 12, I have a daughter about to turn 9, and 4 yr old. They are more self-sufficient now. And my husband is a great dad. He takes over on the weekends, so I can tend to my business. I'm very lucky in that way.

Hang in there. And do take time to rest! I know it's hard with a 15 month old. I know the tendency to try and do as much as you can when they nap!!! Are you against putting on a Baby Einstein DVD once in a while, so you can just lay down and shut your eyes? With a babygate to keep her safe and close by?

My problem now is trying to figure out if I should RAISE my dose of lex! I was on 15 mg for a month, then 10mg for 3 months, then 5mg for 3 days, then stopped cold in Dec. 07! After 4 weeks of hell, I found these boards!

About 2 months ago, I started back on lex, only taking 5 mg. I'm doing somewhat OK. But my sleep is terrible. I seem to need like 12 hrs of sleep!!! Talk about feeling weird/guilty! As a mom of 4, I go to bed around 2am, and can't get up until 11am!!! Luckily, my 4 yr old can play on the computer, or watch TV, or sleep in with me!!!

Does anyone thing I should up my dose to 7.5mg, since I was on 10mg for 3 months? Is it possible to be going through w/d symptoms, even on 5mg???

Also 8months, my xanax has saved me countless times!!! I have .25 tablets, and take a half every morning, since w/d. Depending on what I have to do that day, I take anywhere from just half a .25 to one and a half .25's a day. I've done some research, and it doesn't seem addictive, below .75mg a day. Most papers I read said 4mg a day!!!!! So in my non professional opinion, I'd say, as have many of my friends, a half or whole .25 is nothing! I have one friend/neighbor who takes almost 2mg a day for years, with no problems!

If anyone can offer any feedback as to dosage of lex, based on my history, that'd be great. Of course I plan to taper, but after going cold turkey in Dec., am trying to stabilize as much as possible.

Thanks folks!

~Mary

[8monthslater]

I appreciate your reply. I don't know why I am so scared to take a .25 xanax when I need it. I haven't had any today, but I am enjoying my second and last glass of red wine! As long as I am not hurting my brain any more than I already have then I guess I will be ok with taking the xanax as needed. I guess I'll get off of that one when the time is right.

Julia, I will look into Bach remedies. I honestly know nothing at all about them. Thanks for the direction.

[Unbelievable]

I can't tell if it's tapering off Lex or everything else in my life...my job is dreadful and I've been warned I may not have it much longer (on Friday) and today, after just spending $1200 to repair my leased car and picking it up on Tuesday, I found that (I assume) a drunk driver smashed into my passenger side of the car last night.

I'm planning a wedding and am already financially strapped. The events of this weekend led to a complete breakdown today. I've been crying all day. I can't tell if it's situational, WD or a combination. I just feel like life is ********************ping on me.

[8monthslater]

Originally Posted by Unbelievable

I can't tell if it's tapering off Lex or everything else in my life...my job is dreadful and I've been warned I may not have it much longer (on Friday) and today, after just spending $1200 to repair my leased car and picking it up on Tuesday, I found that (I assume) a drunk driver smashed into my passenger side of the car last night.

I'm planning a wedding and am already financially strapped. The events of this weekend led to a complete breakdown today. I've been crying all day. I can't tell if it's situational, WD or a combination. I just feel like life is ********************ping on me.

It is surely a combination! That is a lot of stress even if you were not w/d. I am sorry you are having a hard time. I wish everything could be better for you.

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

If your fears are of unknown causes and are free floating anxiety which can turn into full blown panic attacks and sweating, trembling and sleeplessness, then Aspen would be the better choice in the flower essence,

If your feelings are extreme fear followed by a mental paralysis as a result then Rock Rose will calm the panic attacks that can arise from deep fear This remedy usually works within minutes of being given and will restore a sense of calm.
The flower essences are to be given 4 drops on the tongue at least four times a day.
I am not a doctor so please research. I got this info from The Secrets of Bach Flower remedies by Jeremy Harwood.

''Bach's essences are safe and fine to use with the xanax, not sure about the Body Calm but I will check out how it is metabolized. If you need to know right away Google Passionflower and the P 450 cytochrome system. If it is metabolized by the P 450 in the liver by the same pathway as xanax....I would say do not use it.

I would think the Whitechestnut would be a good essence to use during the day and the cherry plum at night. Bacg's take several days to notice a effect but you should see your racing thoughts and anxiety diminish. I am not a doctor so you can check out the flower essences by Googleing Bach's Flower Essences.''

Hi everyone on Xanax, please see Aunty's post above.

[link20]

i am a 17 yr old senior in high school. i'm sorry to tell you the following story, cuz it's kinda long and may seem unimportant, but i think it is relevant to explain my situation with my depression and lexapro. if you could read it and offer any advice it would be helpful.

my memory is terrible (nothing to do with meds just always has been) so i think i have been depressed since i was around 5. i have been seeing a shink since 4th grade. not helping alot. doc put me on paxil in middle school for a while but i got off after a few months cuz i just got angry and irritable. since middle school my depression has been getting worse. i feel like ******************** all off the time. i have been contemplating suicide since i was in elementary school. it has gone from about twice a year back then to about twice an hour today. my life is pretty good. my parents make good money. my mom got lymphoma round 91-92 and her immune system has been ******************** ever since. in the past few years she has had heart problems probably related to the lymphoma treatment. my dad is a work-aholic and doesn't know how to relax. i started taking lexapro maybe 1.5 months ago. i was nervous about taking meds again after the paxil but i was willing to take anything to make the depression stop. i started with 10mg but upped it to 15mg after a week or 2 cuz it wasn't helping. so far i have been getting more depressed and thinking longer about suicide as well as more about how to do it. at the moment all i want to do is die. in reality i would rather just be killed by something else but suicide seem to be more accessible. i think part of it is the lexapro and i want to get off of it but i'm afraid of the withdraw symptoms and that they might push me over the edge.

i would appreciate any advice you can give me.

[link20]

i forgot to mention that i am tired all of the time unless i get at least 12 hours of sleep. and i can only get that on friday and saturday nights. at the moment though i cant get to sleep because i have a term paper due and instead of actually doing it all i can do is look up stuff about lexapro, worry about whether or not i should be taking it, and wonder if i'll even make it through tomorrow (actually it's today now) ((i guess)).
Also, at one point i had forgotten to take it for a few days and i felt really weird. i only just found out from reading this forum that it was the " brain zapps" or whatever you callem. it was the wierdest and most distracting sensation i had ever experienced. i could not focus one bit during school cuz they happened about 10 times a minute. more when i was moving. it was like a little twinge of light pain in a random spot that made me lightheaded and comepletely made my mind go blank for a second.

srry bout this, but typing all this out to people who might actually have a clue what i'm talking about seems to help for the moment. so i'm going to keep writing but put it in white so that i won't seem like such a loser telling the internet about my problems. please feel free not to read it cuz it really doesn't have that much to do with this thread. just my depression.
for some reason i can joke very easily about my depression. it's kind of disturbing. if you were to walk up and ask me if i were depressed i would(with a smile) say, "Yes. Severely. i'm taking some stuff too. not really working though. think it's actually getting worse." i seem to be able to hide my depression very well. it may just be that it kind of goes away for a while when i'm around my friends but it always seems to come back. i don't hide it on purpose mind you, i just don't really show any outward signs other than exhaustion. truth be told i need to get more sleep but i have too much work to do with getting ready for college and scholl work. for some reason though, tonight i seem to be fixated on writing in this forum in stead of doing my termpaper rough draft which is already late. i have only told one of my friends that i'm getting treatment for depression. it's not that i;m hiding it from my other friends( i would tell them if they asked) it's just that he said he was going to see his shrink after school and i said me too. i know i should be telling all of this to my shrink or my parents but i dont see the point. it's like they either dont care or are so clueless about it that all they can do is kind of stare back at me. i also seem to be able to freely joke about killing myself and it freaks my mom out. it bothers me a little too. my shrink seem to have no real idea about what she is doing so i went online and looked up some tests and whatnot. just to make sure i really was depressed and not just being a kid or whatever (for the past 10 yrs). i found several sites that confirm that i am severely depressed (yipee for being right). think thats all i got in me sooo...
kthnxbai

[hope for the best]

Originally Posted by link20

i forgot to mention that i am tired all of the time unless i get at least 12 hours of sleep. and i can only get that on friday and saturday nights. at the moment though i cant get to sleep because i have a term paper due and instead of actually doing it all i can do is look up stuff about lexapro, worry about whether or not i should be taking it, and wonder if i'll even make it through tomorrow (actually it's today now) ((i guess)).
Also, at one point i had forgotten to take it for a few days and i felt really weird. i only just found out from reading this forum that it was the " brain zapps" or whatever you callem. it was the wierdest and most distracting sensation i had ever experienced. i could not focus one bit during school cuz they happened about 10 times a minute. more when i was moving. it was like a little twinge of light pain in a random spot that made me lightheaded and comepletely made my mind go blank for a second.

srry bout this, but typing all this out to people who might actually have a clue what i'm talking about seems to help for the moment. so i'm going to keep writing but put it in white so that i won't seem like such a loser telling the internet about my problems. please feel free not to read it cuz it really doesn't have that much to do with this thread. just my depression.
for some reason i can joke very easily about my depression. it's kind of disturbing. if you were to walk up and ask me if i were depressed i would(with a smile) say, "Yes. Severely. i'm taking some stuff too. not really working though. think it's actually getting worse." i seem to be able to hide my depression very well. it may just be that it kind of goes away for a while when i'm around my friends but it always seems to come back. i don't hide it on purpose mind you, i just don't really show any outward signs other than exhaustion. truth be told i need to get more sleep but i have too much work to do with getting ready for college and scholl work. for some reason though, tonight i seem to be fixated on writing in this forum in stead of doing my termpaper rough draft which is already late. i have only told one of my friends that i'm getting treatment for depression. it's not that i;m hiding it from my other friends( i would tell them if they asked) it's just that he said he was going to see his shrink after school and i said me too. i know i should be telling all of this to my shrink or my parents but i dont see the point. it's like they either dont care or are so clueless about it that all they can do is kind of stare back at me. i also seem to be able to freely joke about killing myself and it freaks my mom out. it bothers me a little too. my shrink seem to have no real idea about what she is doing so i went online and looked up some tests and whatnot. just to make sure i really was depressed and not just being a kid or whatever (for the past 10 yrs). i found several sites that confirm that i am severely depressed (yipee for being right). think thats all i got in me sooo...
kthnxbai

Please talk to someone in a serious way about how you are feeling. I'm not one to suggest meds but they do seem to help alot of people if you find the right one. Lex may not be the right one for you, please please talk to your doctor.

I haven't taken Lex myself but am working with my daughter on tapering off. She is 21 and in college at the moment. She forgot to take her Lex one time (just one dose) and started feeling w/d by the middle of the next day (very flu like) so she was afraid of how she might do tapering. So far by taking it rather slowly she is doing fine and having next to no w/d (10mg to 7.5mg for 2 weeks then to 5mg for 4 weeks, now going slower and at 4.5mg). That is a bit faster beginning taper than some might suggest but she had decided she would just try and would reinstate the higher dose if she needed to go to a slower taper. So don't fear the w/d at this point......just please let someone that is in a position to help you know how you feel and tell them you need help to figure out what to do to feel better. If they don't get it at first keep trying until they do. If they don't seem to hear then see if there is a hotline in your area with someone to talk to.

You say you need sleep and so try to get it, it's very important, more than it seems it should be. Take care of yourself in every way that you can, eat healthy foods (protein and fruits and veg) not junk food. Avoid the obvious, caffeine, alcohol etc if you can. Get some fresh air and exercise (walking at least) everyday. Look into taking supplements such as mentioned on this site such as fish oil (omega 3) and magnesium as well as others.

It's not easy being a kid, I wouldn't go back and do it again for anything and I've been watching my three daughters (16, 21 and 24) bumping along even though they have everything going for them. You sound like your home situation would be very stressful. It's very hard having someone you love struggle with illness even if they are taking it well. Please keep talking about how you are feeling and let us know how you're doing.

[SL500]

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi All,

I post randomly on this site but haven't for a while since I put my Lex taper on hold until I taper off my benzo (clonzapan). Well, I am doing a turtle taper for my benzo and am now halfway through (now .125 clonzapan - if anyone is familiar with that). About two weeks ago I decided to also lower my lex (I am in my third week of the cut). From 10 to 8.75 (I dry cut the 5mg pills). Anyways, I know I am having withdrawl effects from the clonzapan, but was feeling really well last week (after I also cut the lexapro). This week so far has been hell for me (and I also decided to put a hold on my clonzapan taper). It is not the physical symptoms, its more mental - anxiety, racing thoughts, feeling of being "not really here" (I think thats called derealization or something), scared for no reason. So my question is, after two weeks of a lex cut, has anyone had to deal with mental anguish? And if so, how long has it lasted for?

Thanks,
SL

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by SL500

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Hi All,

I post randomly on this site but haven't for a while since I put my Lex taper on hold until I taper off my benzo (clonzapan). Well, I am doing a turtle taper for my benzo and am now halfway through (now .125 clonzapan - if anyone is familiar with that). About two weeks ago I decided to also lower my lex (I am in my third week of the cut). From 10 to 8.75 (I dry cut the 5mg pills). Anyways, I know I am having withdrawl effects from the clonzapan, but was feeling really well last week (after I also cut the lexapro). This week so far has been hell for me (and I also decided to put a hold on my clonzapan taper). It is not the physical symptoms, its more mental - anxiety, racing thoughts, feeling of being "not really here" (I think thats called derealization or something), scared for no reason. So my question is, after two weeks of a lex cut, has anyone had to deal with mental anguish? And if so, how long has it lasted for?

Thanks,
SL

This is just my opinion but, I think that it may be more beneficial to taper off of the lexapro first and then taper off of you'r benzo, as the benzo can help with the withdrawl symptoms. I know that none of us realy wants to take a benzo but, if you are suffering and it help's...then why not take it? Clonazepam has a longer half life and is much less addicting then shorter half life benzo's like xanax. The likelyhood of you getting addicted to or abusing your particular benzo is very low. To use the benzo or not is your decision however, attempting to taper two med's at the same time is (my opinion) very difficult and potentialy problematic as it can cause confusion as to what symptoms are caused by the withdrawl of which drug. I have dropped my xanax dose and I will do without it when I can but, I will continue to use my benzo as I taper. I MUST function. This is just my opinion. Only you know what is best for you!...
Erin

[erinkj]

I feel for you dear. Deppression can be very tricky to treat especially when suicidal ideation is present but, you do have options, several infact. I admit freely that most of us will not advocate the use of anti-deppressant med's or other psych drug's as many of us are trying to get off of them or recover from their use. However, I cannot totally vilify these med's as they can benefit those who TRULEY need them. I am not a doctor and am not fully aware of your history, etc but, I can say with some knowledge that Lexapro is NOT the best med choice to treat deppression! From what you said about your paxil experience and what you are experiencing with lexapro I think that SSRI's may not be the best med's for you and they could actually be making your problems worse. I know that fatigue is a very common symptom of deppression but, it is also a VERY common side effect of ALL the ssri med's. Do you have anxiety or panic attacks with your deppression? If you do not have those problems and you are not overly sensative to stimulants like caffeine then, you may be a good candidate for an SNRI med. Honestly, I hate to tell anyone to use these med's and I am not telling you to do so but, if you are going to treat your deppression with medications then you deserve to be informed and actively participate in your treatment. SNRI medications have a higher succes rate in the treatment of deppression because they work through the serotonin and norepinephrine pathways in the brain. stimulating the norepinephrine reuptake has a bit more of an up or energizing type effect which seems effective in helping to lift deppression but can be overstimulating and problematic to those of us with panic problems. Cymbalta is one of several SNRI medications that is commonly used for deppression and you may want to re-search it and others in the SNRI family. I think that lexapro has much potential to make the deppression worse! We are all different and thus react differently to medications so, please do you'r re-search and discuss ALL of the options with you'r doctor. I also recomend that you talk with a pharmacist about the medication options and get their opinion as well. If you are not happy with your psychiatrist you should look for a new one. If that is not an option for you then you should talk to a counselor at your school as they may be able to reffer you to a deppression support group geared toward other's your age who can relate to what you are going through. There are also many natural supplements available that are helpful in treating deppression and this is another avenue of treatment that you may well benefit from exploring. At the very least you need to be taking a fish oil supplement EVERYDAY. Scientific re-search has PROVEN it's effectiveness with deppression. I think the recomended dose for deppression is 2 gel caps 3 time's a day but, check that as I may be wrong. Also, continue to post here as you will recieve all the encouragement and help we can give. Please, keep us updated and let us know what you decide and how you are doing. All my best wishes to you...Erin