[mims]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

YES it's still withdrawal! I still have the early morning wake up call however, the morning anxiety has practically diminished after enduring it for 3-4 months. It does go away...I still get it here and there but nothing like before.

wow, I just said something positive

depression is still my #1 bad guy

Aeroman,

Congratulations on having something positive to say!! You must be feeling better!

I'm beginning to see some improvements, too. Many of my symptoms have improved somewhat -- wish the "Bad Vibes" would go away. I had 2 pretty good days over the weekend, not completely symptom-free, but better than usual. Even though I still have some problems with my eyes, my visual acuity has cleared up a lot. So I'm feeling optimistic. I think my improvement in muscle twitches and tremors came from walking alot, and I mean several miles instead of my usual one mile around the neighborhood.

I can't keep that up every day, but I'm going to try to get alot more aerobic exercise and see if it burns off some adrenaline, or whatever. Have you tried walking/biking/jogging?

You said you were having some back pain; I know that can interfere with physical activity. I had some back problems years ago, and found that walking uphill seemed to help the back muscles. (I actually found a local park where I could walk uphill and take a trolley back down, which was perfect.) Looking back on those days, I wonder if the back pain came from SSRI's -- I did take paxil for awhile around that period of time when my back was hurting. Didn't make the connection at the time, but now I wonder if that was a factor.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by mims

Aeroman,

Congratulations on having something positive to say!! You must be feeling better!

I'm beginning to see some improvements, too. Many of my symptoms have improved somewhat -- wish the "Bad Vibes" would go away. I had 2 pretty good days over the weekend, not completely symptom-free, but better than usual. So I'm feeling optimistic. I think my improvement came from walking alot, and I mean several miles instead of my usual one mile around the neighborhood.

I can't keep that up every day, but I'm going to try to get alot more aerobic exercise and see if it burns off some adrenaline, or whatever. Have you tried walking/biking/jogging?

Thats great. Yes, I have done walking. But I tell you, its like a Catch 22. After a few minutes of walking, I start getting headaches and my lungs tighten up (i have asthma). Seems like the asthma has been exasperated by w/d's. So, I walk nice and steady and suck up the symptoms. I never had an issue before so I know this is w/d.

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

YES it's still withdrawal! I still have the early morning wake up call however, the morning anxiety has practically diminished after enduring it for 3-4 months. It does go away...I still get it here and there but nothing like before.

wow, I just said something positive

depression is still my #1 bad guy

Hey Aeroman,

I'm glad to hear your morning anxiety has subsided. Mine has too. Don't get me wrong, it's still tough getting up every morning. But it's easier when your heart is not racing and your feeling anxious.

My main problems are still anxiety and memory/confusion problems. They all seem to go hand and hand. When I'm relaxed I can remember things and figure things out. It's mostly when I get nervous/anxious that I seem to have problems still. I call these times my "duh" moments. I hope this is not permanent. I think that is what scares me the most. I think I'm the only one on this forum to still have these problems after 8 months.

Anti-Drugs

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by mims

Aeroman,

Congratulations on having something positive to say!! You must be feeling better!

I'm beginning to see some improvements, too. Many of my symptoms have improved somewhat -- wish the "Bad Vibes" would go away. I had 2 pretty good days over the weekend, not completely symptom-free, but better than usual. Even though I still have some problems with my eyes, my visual acuity has cleared up a lot. So I'm feeling optimistic. I think my improvement in muscle twitches and tremors came from walking alot, and I mean several miles instead of my usual one mile around the neighborhood.

I can't keep that up every day, but I'm going to try to get alot more aerobic exercise and see if it burns off some adrenaline, or whatever. Have you tried walking/biking/jogging?

You said you were having some back pain; I know that can interfere with physical activity. I had some back problems years ago, and found that walking uphill seemed to help the back muscles. (I actually found a local park where I could walk uphill and take a trolley back down, which was perfect.) Looking back on those days, I wonder if the back pain came from SSRI's -- I did take paxil for awhile around that period of time when my back was hurting. Didn't make the connection at the time, but now I wonder if that was a factor.

Hi Mims,

I'm happy to hear your feeling better. Kudos on the exercising! It really does help. I go to the gym 3 times a week and it does make me feel a little better.

Your vision should start improving. I had blurry vision for the first 4 months or so, but it's back to normal now. So hang in there :0)

Anti-Drugs

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by anti-drugs

Hey Aeroman,

I'm glad to hear your morning anxiety has subsided. Mine has too. Don't get me wrong, it's still tough getting up every morning. But it's easier when your heart is not racing and your feeling anxious.

My main problems are still anxiety and memory/confusion problems. They all seem to go hand and hand. When I'm relaxed I can remember things and figure things out. It's mostly when I get nervous/anxious that I seem to have problems still. I call these times my "duh" moments. I hope this is not permanent. I think that is what scares me the most. I think I'm the only one on this forum to still have these problems after 8 months.

Anti-Drugs

hey! I was just thinking about you....I know we are pretty close to time off Lexapro with about the same taper, right? You tapered 10mg in a month, no?
Nah, i still deal with anxiety - if it gets me good, it will ruin my moods for a few hours. However, if I use the Dr. Weekes' method of accepting and letting go, it usually snuffs itself out quick.

same here, I wake up in the morning and cant get myself out of bed. I would lay there for an hour until I feel I pushed my luck and have to go to work. I am just like "arggggggggggg" in the morning. Would you believe that yesterday I think I had a brain zap? Its been months since I have felt this and it took me by surprise. I was leaning over a table and I felt this weird surge go in the middle of my head and I got lightheaded.

I was doing good with the dizziness/lightheaded thing lately for weeks and now this. I just suck it up and move on. I mean, what am I going to do, call my doctor?

I am 5 days away for my 8 months off and it still sucks....

[mims]

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm pretty amazed at how much my vision has cleared. I went to the eye doctor as an "emergency" case one day about a month or 6 weeks ago, because I suddenly became aware of how blurry my vision had become. He couldn't find any reason for it, and about a week or 2 later, it was back to normal, which for me is still not great, but it was back to where it was when I got these contact lenses a year ago.

Still have some visual light flashes and a droopy eyelid, but it's great to have the return of clearer vision. I'm hoping the other eye problems will clear up soon -- I feel like they must be part of the same overall condition.

I've only seen one complaint online somewhere, maybe on this site, about a droopy eyelid from Lexapro, and that person referred to it as "baggy eyes", so I'm not sure it's the same problem I have. It hasn't drooped enough to block my vision, but it does affect my appearance which is the least of my concerns at the moment.

I'm having some memory problems, too, mostly word recall problems. My sentences sort of "trail off " due to the word recall problem, which makes me feel like not saying anything at all. And I have been extremely disorganized and have trouble making decisions and commitments. I think it's because I feel like I don't trust myself to get things right. I'm feeling a little bit of a return of a sense of humor in the past couple of weeks, which I think I completely lost on Lexapro and during withdrawals. I have felt so dull and boring. But lately I've had a few brief moments of feeling sort of normal.

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

hey! I was just thinking about you....I know we are pretty close to time off Lexapro with about the same taper, right? You tapered 10mg in a month, no?
Nah, i still deal with anxiety - if it gets me good, it will ruin my moods for a few hours. However, if I use the Dr. Weekes' method of accepting and letting go, it usually snuffs itself out quick.

same here, I wake up in the morning and cant get myself out of bed. I would lay there for an hour until I feel I pushed my luck and have to go to work. I am just like "arggggggggggg" in the morning. Would you believe that yesterday I think I had a brain zap? Its been months since I have felt this and it took me by surprise. I was leaning over a table and I felt this weird surge go in the middle of my head and I got lightheaded.

I was doing good with the dizziness/lightheaded thing lately for weeks and now this. I just suck it up and move on. I mean, what am I going to do, call my doctor?

I am 5 days away for my 8 months off and it still sucks....

I tapered 10mg in a month. The 28th of this month will be my 8 month anniversary off Lexapro. YAY!

It's funny you mentioned brain zaps. I had one while I was posting earlier. It just shows we are still in withdrawals. This whole anxiety thing is really starting to get old though. What can you do, but accept it and move on.

Anti-Drugs

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by mims

Thanks for the encouragement. I'm pretty amazed at how much my vision has cleared. I went to the eye doctor as an "emergency" case one day about a month or 6 weeks ago, because I suddenly became aware of how blurry my vision had become. He couldn't find any reason for it, and about a week or 2 later, it was back to normal, which for me is still not great, but it was back to where it was when I got these contact lenses a year ago.

Still have some visual light flashes and a droopy eyelid, but it's great to have the return of clearer vision. I'm hoping the other eye problems will clear up soon -- I feel like they must be part of the same overall condition.

I've only seen one complaint online somewhere, maybe on this site, about a droopy eyelid from Lexapro, and that person referred to it as "baggy eyes", so I'm not sure it's the same problem I have. It hasn't drooped enough to block my vision, but it does affect my appearance which is the least of my concerns at the moment.

I think I did mention that I have gotten an increase of eye floaters about 2 months ago. The weirdest sensation happens when I am looking outside through the window, nice sunny day, and I get these "waves" or "shimmering" objects just going across. I can sit there and look to my extreme right and then look straight and they would appear. Never had this that bad before...just the once and awhile clear-cell like floaters we tend to get. I made an appt with the ophthalmologist this Monday b/c i want to make sure nothing is wrong. Its more of an annoyance. I read somewhere that the floaters can break up or something. Just tired of all of these symptoms coming from left field.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by anti-drugs

I tapered 10mg in a month. The 28th of this month will be my 9 month anniversary off Lexapro. YAY!

It's funny you mentioned brain zaps. I had one while I was posting earlier. It just shows we are still in withdrawals. This whole anxiety thing is really starting to get old though. What can you do, but accept it and move on.

Anti-Drugs

ah ha, so you had your last dose in January 28th, 2008, right?

How long were you on it again? 2.5 years for me.

Yes, I KNOW I am still in withdrawals. I can just feel this overall ********************py feeling - depression is my number one complaint along with low back pain that became chronic at Month 4, same time depression set in.

You talked about exercise...I have gone out walking and I get the heart palpitations, some lightheaded, and my lungs tighten up. I have asthma but it seems that w/d is just making things worst. My heart will sometimes do "flip flops" when I get the heartbeat up...I just ignore it.

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

ah ha, so you had your last dose in January 28th, 2008, right?

How long were you on it again? 2.5 years for me.

Yes, I KNOW I am still in withdrawals. I can just feel this overall ********************py feeling - depression is my number one complaint along with low back pain that became chronic at Month 4, same time depression set in.

You talked about exercise...I have gone out walking and I get the heart palpitations, some lightheaded, and my lungs tighten up. I have asthma but it seems that w/d is just making things worst. My heart will sometimes do "flip flops" when I get the heartbeat up...I just ignore it.

No my last pill was on Feb. 28. I meant to say it will be my 8 month anniversary. Sorry about the typo :0) I was on Lexapro for 2 years.

My heart does weird things sometimes too. Like when I exercise or sometimes when I'm just watching TV. I've had an EKG, but that was normal.

My lower back hurts sometimes too. I had a bad case of sciatica a few years ago, and my back has never fully recovered. So I don't think I can blame this on Lexapro.

Anti-Drugs

[erinkj]

Chronic Stress Alters Our Genetic Immune Response
ScienceDaily (Aug. 27, 2008) — Most people would agree that stress increases your risk for illness and this is particularly true for severe long-term stresses, such as caring for a family member with a chronic medical illness.


However, we still have a relatively limited understanding of exactly how stress contributes to the risk for illness. In the August 15th issue of Biological Psychiatry, researchers shed new light on one link between stress and illness by describing a mechanism through which stress alters immune function.

In a very promising preliminary study, Miller and colleagues found that the pattern of gene expression differed between caregivers of family members with cancer relative to a matched group of individuals who did not have this type of life stress. They found that among the caregivers, even though they had normal cortisol levels in their blood, the pattern of gene expression in the monocytes, a type of white blood cell involved in the body's immune response, was altered so that they were relatively less responsive to the anti-inflammatory actions of cortisol, but relatively more responsive to pro-inflammatory actions of a transcription factor called nuclear factor-kappa B, or NF-κB.

Gregory Miller, Ph.D., corresponding author, explains more simply that, although "caregivers have similar cortisol levels as controls, their cells seem to be 'hearing' less of this signal. In other words, something goes awry in caregivers' white blood cells so they are not able to 'receive' the signal from cortisol that tells them to shut down inflammation."

Thus, the current findings might help to explain why the caregivers would seem to be in a chronic pro-inflammatory state, a condition of immunologic activation. This activated state could contribute to the risk for a number of medical illnesses, such as depression, heart disease, and diabetes. Dr. Miller remarks that part of the importance of these findings is "because people have traditionally thought that higher cortisol is the reason that stress contributes to disease, but this work shows that, at least in caregivers, it's actually the opposite - there's too little cortisol signal being heard by the cells, rather than too much."

However, many important related questions still remain unanswered, as noted by John H. Krystal, M.D., Editor of Biological Psychiatry and affiliated with both Yale University School of Medicine and the VA Connecticut Healthcare System. He comments that in addition to not knowing how stress produces these altered patterns of gene expression in the immune system, "we don't know how to account for the resilience of some stressed people exposed to severe sustained stress or the vulnerability of some people to relatively mild stress." He adds that "the better that we understand the underlying molecular mechanisms that link stress to illness, the more likely we are to make progress in answering these important questions," and this article is certainly a vital step in that direction.


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

Journal reference:

Miller et al. A Functional Genomic Fingerprint of Chronic Stress in Humans: Blunted Glucocorticoid and Increased NF-κB Signaling. Biological Psychiatry, 2008; 64 (4): 266 DOI: 10.1016/j.biopsych.2008.03.017

[erinkj]

Stress Hormone Found To Regulate Brain Neurotransmission
ScienceDaily (Aug. 11, 2008) — CNRS and Inserm(1) researchers, working at the future NeuroCampus in Bordeaux, have just shown how one of the stress hormones regulates brain neurotransmission on the short and long term and enables neuronal connections to adapt.



This work, directed by Laurent Groc and Francis Chaouloff, may lead to the identification of new therapeutic targets for psychiatric illnesses such as post-traumatic stress disorder and depression.

When we are subjected to a stress, our adrenal glands secrete hormones that affect our entire body. One of these hormones, cortisol, enables us to adapt physically and mentally to the stimulus. Following a major or repeated stress that the individual has no control over, however, cortisol is secreted in great quantities over a long period of time. This hypersecretion has damaging effects on the individual, to the point of accelerating aging and facilitating the onset of illnesses such as depression.

The researchers have shown that in one part of the brain, the hippocampus, corticosterone (the equivalent of human cortisol in laboratory rats) modifies the intensity of transmissions made by excitatory synapses(2). To the researchers' great surprise, this hormone increases the mobility of receptors found on the surface of neurons, thus allowing synaptic connections to adapt more effectively to the demands of brain activity. The stress hormone can be thought of as an alarm that mobilizes the receptors.

In addition, briefly exposing neurons to corticosterone increases synaptic plasticity(3), due to increased receptor mobility. Although this first effect is beneficial, in the case of prolonged stress (corticosterone stimulation over several hours), synaptic plasticity is reduced. This inverse effect can be explained by the fact that after a certain amount of time, the stress hormone not only increases receptor mobility, but also increases the number of receptors mobilized at the synapse level, leading to a decrease in plasticity.

The characterization of these newly discovered mechanisms opens up numerous possibilities for future research that could enhance both fundamental knowledge and clinical benefits. We can now imagine that in certain individuals subjected to major stress, lack of receptor mobility contributes to a lack of adaptation. Under stressful conditions, synaptic plasticity would then depend on the dynamic interactions between cortisol and the neuronal receptors that modulate brain activity. In the end, better mobility means better adaptation.

Notes:

(1) Laboratoire Physiologie Cellulaire de la Synapse UMR5091 CNRS and Neurocentre U862 Inserm, Université de Bordeaux.

(2) Excitatory synapses represent more than 80% of synapses. The neurons communicate between each other at the synapse level. Broadly, this junction contains a pre-synaptic element, which sends the information, and a post-synaptic element that receives the information. When the pre-synaptic compartment is stimulated by an electrical signal, it releases chemical messengers called neurotransmitters. Then, several milliseconds later, these neurotransmitters bind to special receptors.

(3) A synapse's ability to modify the information that it transmits.



Journal reference:

Groc L., Choquet D., Chaouloff F. The stress hormone corticosterone conditions AMPA receptor surface trafficking and synaptic potentiation. Nature Neuroscience, Online July 11, 2008 DOI: 10.1038/nn.2150

[erinkj]

Sympathetic nervous system
The sympathetic nervous system (SNS) is part of the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which also includes the parasympathetic nervous system (PNS).

The sympathetic nervous system activates what is often termed the fight or flight response. Like other parts of the nervous system, the sympathetic nervous system operates through a series of interconnected neurons.

Sympathetic neurons are frequently considered part of the peripheral nervous system (PNS), although there are many that lie within the central nervous system (CNS).

Sympathetic neurons of the spinal cord (which is part of the CNS) communicate with peripheral sympathetic neurons via a series of sympathetic ganglia.

Within the ganglia, spinal cord sympathetic neurons join peripheral sympathetic neurons through chemical synapses.

Spinal cord sympathetic neurons are therefore called presynaptic (or preganglionic) neurons, while peripheral sympathetic neurons are called postsynaptic (or postganglionic) neurons. At synapses within the sympathetic ganglia, preganglionic sympathetic neurons release acetylcholine, a chemical messenger that binds and activates nicotinic acetylcholine receptors on postganglionic neurons.

In response to this stimulus, postganglionic neurons principally release noradrenaline (norepinephrine).

Prolonged activation can elicit the release of adrenaline from the adrenal medulla. Once released, noradrenaline and adrenaline bind adrenergic receptors on peripheral tissues.

Binding to adrenergic receptors causes the effects seen during the fight-or-flight response.

These include pupil dilation, increased sweating, increased heart rate, and increased blood pressure. Sympathetic nerves originate inside the vertebral column, toward the middle of the spinal cord in the intermediolateral cell column (or lateral horn), beginning at the first thoracic segment of the spinal cord and are thought to extend to the second or third lumbar segments.

Because its cells begin in the thoracic and lumbar regions of the spinal cord, the CNS is said to have a thoracolumbar outflow.

Axons of these nerves leave the spinal cord in the ventral branches (rami) of the spinal nerves, and then separate out as 'white rami' (so called from the shiny white sheaths of myelin around each axon) which connect to two chain ganglia extending alongside the vertebral column on the left and right.

These elongated ganglia are also known as paravertebral ganglia or sympathetic trunks.

In these hubs, connections (synapses) are made which then distribute the nerves to major organs, glands, and other parts of the body..

[erinkj]

Stress is a biological term which refers to the consequences of the failure of a human or animal body to respond appropriately to emotional or physical threats to the organism, whether actual or imagined.[1] It includes a state of alarm and adrenaline production, short-term resistance as a coping mechanism, and exhaustion. It refers to the inability of a human or animal body to respond. Common stress symptoms include irritability, muscular tension, inability to concentrate and a variety of physical reactions, such as headaches and accelerated heart rate.[2]

The term "stress" was first used by the endocrinologist Hans Selye in the 1930s to identify physiological responses in laboratory animals. He later broadened and popularized the concept to include the perceptions and responses of humans trying to adapt to the challenges of everyday life. In Selye's terminology, "stress" refers to the reaction of the organism, and "stressor" to the perceived threat. Stress in certain circumstances may be experienced positively. Eustress, for example, can be an adaptive response prompting the activation of internal resources to meet challenges and achieve goals.

The term is commonly used by laypersons in a metaphorical rather than literal or biological sense, as a catch-all for any perceived difficulties in life. It also became a euphemism, a way of referring to problems and eliciting sympathy without being explicitly confessional, just "stressed out". It covers a huge range of phenomena from mild irritation to the kind of severe problems that might result in a real breakdown of health. In popular usage almost any event or situation between these extremes could be described as stressful.[15]

Hans Selye researched the effects of stress[3] on rats and other animals by exposing them to unpleasant or harmful stimuli. He found that all animals presented a very similar series of reactions, broken into three stages. In 1936, he described this universal response to the stressors as the general adaptation syndrome, or GAS.[4][5]

Alarm is the first stage. When the threat or stressor is identified or realized, the body's stress response is a state of alarm. During this stage adrenaline will be produced in order to bring about the fight-or-flight response. There is also some activation of the HPA axis, producing cortisol. Resistance is the second stage. If the stressor persists, it becomes necessary to attempt some means of coping with the stress. Although the body begins to try to adapt to the strains or demands of the environment, the body cannot keep this up indefinitely, so its resources are gradually depleted. Exhaustion is the third and final stage in the GAS model. At this point, all of the body's resources are eventually depleted and the body is unable to maintain normal function. At this point the initial autonomic nervous system symptoms may reappear (sweating, raised heart rate etc.). If stage three is extended, long term damage may result as the capacity of glands, especially the adrenal gland, and the immune system is exhausted and function is impaired resulting in decompensation. The result can manifest itself in obvious illnesses such as ulcers, depression, trouble with the digestive system or even cardiovascular problems, along with other mental illnesses.

Richard Lazarus published in 1974 a model dividing stress into eustress and distress.[6] Where stress enhances function (physical or mental, such as through strength training or challenging work) it may be considered eustress. Persistent stress that is not resolved through coping or adaptation, deemed distress, may lead to anxiety or withdrawal (depression) behavior. The difference between experiences which result in eustress or distress is determined by the disparity between an experience (real or imagined), personal expectations, and resources to cope with the stress. Alarming experiences, either real or imagined, can trigger a stress response.[7] Therefore, Lazarus's model argues that cognitive processes of appraisal are central in determining whether a situation is potentially threatening or harmful.[8]
The neurochemistry of the stress response is now believed to be well understood, although much remains to be discovered about how the components of this system interact with one another, in the brain and throughout in the body. In response to a stressor, corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH) and arginine-vasopressin (AVP) are secreted into the hypophyseal portal system and activate neurons of the paraventricular nuclei (PVN) of the hypothalamus. The locus ceruleus and other noradrenergic cell groups of the adrenal medulla and pons, collectively known as the LC/NE system, also become active and use brain epinephrine to execute autonomic and neuroendocrine responses, serving as a global alarm system.[9]

The autonomic nervous system provides the rapid response to stress commonly known as the fight-or-flight response, engaging the sympathetic nervous system and withdrawing the parasympathetic nervous system, thereby enacting cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, renal, and endocrine changes.[9] The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (HPA), a major part of the neuroendocrine system involving the interactions of the hypothalamus, the pituitary gland, and the adrenal glands, is also activated by release of CRH and AVP. This results in release of adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) from the pituitary into the general bloodstream, which results in secretion of cortisol and other glucocorticoids from the adrenal cortex. These corticoids involve the whole body in the organism's response to stress and ultimately contribute to the termination of the response via inhibitory feedback.[9]

Stress can significantly affect many of the body's immune systems, as can an individual's perceptions of, and reactions to, stress. The term psychoneuroimmunology is used to describe the interactions between the mental state, nervous and immune systems, as well as research on the interconnections of these systems.



Note: This is an article I found on wikipedia....I thought some may find it of interest as many people are not sure about " the anatomy of stress"...Happy reading....Peace...Erin

[mims]

I haven't filed any kind of complaint to the FDA yet, but I think we need to let them know about the effect these drugs have had on our eyes. If I had known SSRI's could cause permanent (or even temporary) eye problems, floaters or anything else, I would never have taken it. I've had borderline high pressure in my eyes over the years also, and wonder if there's a connection to the SSRI's I've taken.

All the other problems with Lexapro are bad enough without having vision disorders.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by anti-drugs

No my last pill was on Feb. 28. I meant to say it will be my 8 month anniversary. Sorry about the typo :0) I was on Lexapro for 2 years.

My heart does weird things sometimes too. Like when I exercise or sometimes when I'm just watching TV. I've had an EKG, but that was normal.

My lower back hurts sometimes too. I had a bad case of sciatica a few years ago, and my back has never fully recovered. So I don't think I can blame this on Lexapro.

Anti-Drugs

yes, about the back pain, I had episodes here or there with my back lasting no more than 3 days. Since Month 4, it has become chronic and I believe it is directly related to the w/d (i.e. depression).

Yes, I knew we were pretty close on the schedule. I took the drug 6 months more than you. Did you start it for depression? Anxiety? Sorry if you mentioned it earlier....

[SL500]

Hi all,

Is there anything that can be taken to help with the anxiety as I taper??

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by SL500

Hi all,

Is there anything that can be taken to help with the anxiety as I taper??

I was told magnesium citrate helps relax u.

[SL500]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

I was told magnesium citrate helps relax u.

Have you tried it??? or anyone else??? i heard melatonin too can help regulate your cortisol levels????

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by SL500

Have you tried it??? or anyone else??? i heard melatonin too can help regulate your cortisol levels????

yes and it didnt do anything. I tried melatonin too and it too didnt do a thing.

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

yes, about the back pain, I had episodes here or there with my back lasting no more than 3 days. Since Month 4, it has become chronic and I believe it is directly related to the w/d (i.e. depression).

Yes, I knew we were pretty close on the schedule. I took the drug 6 months more than you. Did you start it for depression? Anxiety? Sorry if you mentioned it earlier....

I started Lexapro in February 2006 and stopped in February 2008. So I took it for exactly 2 years. I took it for anxiety. I would wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath and a tight chest. Then the episodes started happening during the day and I could barely function. That's when I finally decided to see someone about it. My Dr. said I had generalized anxiety disorder and started me on Lex. It did help for the first 12 months or so. Then it seemed to stop. I started having anxiety again(milder than before) and tremors. So I decided to stop taking it. When I look back to all the things that happened to me medically in those 2 years I took Lexapro, I can probably attribute all of them to Lexapro side effects. Little did I know it was causing me more harm than good.

Anti-Drugs

[mims]

Originally Posted by SL500

Have you tried it??? or anyone else??? i heard melatonin too can help regulate your cortisol levels????

I tried it. Magnesium citrate is supposed to be the most easily absorbed, but it can cause diarrhea, and it did that for me. I switched over to magnesium malate which is less likely to upset your gut. At some point I read that Slow-Mag was a good choice, and I switched over to that. (purchased at CVS). It's slow-release with calcium added. It may have improved my sleep some, seems to have a relaxing effect. I can't say for certain if it has alot of benefit, given the fact that my problems vary from day to day anyway, but it did not give me an upset stomach, and it's easy to swallow. Several weeks ago on this site, Erinkj posted some info about magnesium and calcium. You might want to look back and read that.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by anti-drugs

I started Lexapro in February 2006 and stopped in February 2008. So I took it for exactly 2 years. I took it for anxiety. I would wake up in the middle of the night with shortness of breath and a tight chest. Then the episodes started happening during the day and I could barely function. That's when I finally decided to see someone about it. My Dr. said I had generalized anxiety disorder and started me on Lex. It did help for the first 12 months or so. Then it seemed to stop. I started having anxiety again(milder than before) and tremors. So I decided to stop taking it. When I look back to all the things that happened to me medically in those 2 years I took Lexapro, I can probably attribute all of them to Lexapro side effects. Little did I know it was causing me more harm than good.

Anti-Drugs

Did you anxiety come out of the blue or was there a trigger? Mine symptoms started as anxiety too (I didnt know at the time) which then led me into depression. It was 2003 and I was happily engaged, working, and going to school for my MBA. I was driving down the freeway when I experienced the weirdest sensation go all over my body. I told my wife (fiance at the time) that I was feeling weird. I was getting clammy hands, nausea, feeling hot all over, and had to keep getting off the freeway to go to the bathroom (#1). When we arrived to the event, I still wasnt feeling right, left, and went straight to the doc (extended hours, walk in). They couldnt find anything just the blood pressure elevated a bit. I went home and laid down...I was out of it. That day, I believe, I experienced my first panic attack. Could it have been the engagement? Was stress building up? I don't know!!!!!???? All I knew is that I was physically something wasnt right. I then started to get disconnected from everything and my feelings towards my fiance went empty. How could I go from excitement, being in love, etc to this within a matter of weeks? I went to the doc and he gave me Prozac...., rest is history

[SL500]

Originally Posted by mims

I tried it. Magnesium citrate is supposed to be the most easily absorbed, but it can cause diarrhea, and it did that for me. I switched over to magnesium malate which is less likely to upset your gut. At some point I read that Slow-Mag was a good choice, and I switched over to that. (purchased at CVS). It's slow-release with calcium added. It may have improved my sleep some, seems to have a relaxing effect. I can't say for certain if it has alot of benefit, given the fact that my problems vary from day to day anyway, but it did not give me an upset stomach, and it's easy to swallow. Several weeks ago on this site, Erinkj posted some info about magnesium and calcium. You might want to look back and read that.

Thanks. I am going to try and look back on it. Did you start taking it during your taper or when you were done with it?? Someone told me it was not good to take during w/d from a benzo or a/d so thats why I wanted to ask on here.

[SL500]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

Did you anxiety come out of the blue or was there a trigger? Mine symptoms started as anxiety too (I didnt know at the time) which then led me into depression. It was 2003 and I was happily engaged, working, and going to school for my MBA. I was driving down the freeway when I experienced the weirdest sensation go all over my body. I told my wife (fiance at the time) that I was feeling weird. I was getting clammy hands, nausea, feeling hot all over, and had to keep getting off the freeway to go to the bathroom (#1). When we arrived to the event, I still wasnt feeling right, left, and went straight to the doc (extended hours, walk in). They couldnt find anything just the blood pressure elevated a bit. I went home and laid down...I was out of it. That day, I believe, I experienced my first panic attack. Could it have been the engagement? Was stress building up? I don't know!!!!!???? All I knew is that I was physically something wasnt right. I then started to get disconnected from everything and my feelings towards my fiance went empty. How could I go from excitement, being in love, etc to this within a matter of weeks? I went to the doc and he gave me Prozac...., rest is history

So how are you doing now with everything?? I know you are in w/d but how is everything at hoem and work???

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by SL500

So how are you doing now with everything?? I know you are in w/d but how is everything at hoem and work???

Currently, I am in the dumps (depression). Anxiety is not as bad, neither is the restlessness. And the low back pain lingers. Therefore, I am no where close to recovered but I can safely say I am more "stable" than in Months 4-6. My sleep is still out of whack but at least I sleep. It is unrestful.

Work is stable. If I asked my boss right now (I have been avoiding him), he would probably tell me I am low performance. Home-wise, I lay around, surf the web, watch movies...I dont make it into my garage anymore so things have collected dust. I have no kids so it makes it easier to deal with this. However, it isnt easy on my wife...my moods rub off on her and it makes for not a pretty picture. So, still chugging along...

[mims]

SL500,

I think I started with the supplements just before I quit completely with the Lexapro. I did have lots of w/d symptoms, so it's hard to say whether the supplements had much effect. I did not taper slowly enough toward the end of my taper. I've decided after reading people's comments on this site that the end of your taper is just as important, maybe more so, than the early part. The end seems to be when people have the most trouble, and that was true for me.

I have taken salmon oil, magnesium, multivitamins, and pro-biotics, and kefir most of the time since mid- july (quit Lex around Aug 1). Sometimes I get tired of swallowing pills and quit for a while. The slow-mag is not a super- potent strength, I can't imagine that it could be bad for you in any way. Same with salmon oil. I also started taking whey protein powder mixed in milk sometimes, which I think is good nutritionally, without having to swallow a pill.

My advice would be to start with only one or two supplements at a time and try to eat well, instead of trying to swallow a bunch of pills. I now take the slow-mag, kefir, protein powder, and try to eat salmon and sardines some days instead of taking fish oil capsules every day. I was taking some other vitamins like acetyl L carnitine and some kind of antioxidant alpha lipoic acid. Still take them occasionally, but just got tired of gagging as I swallowed handfuls of pills. I also try to drink some of those potent juices sometimes like acai berry mixed with other juices, or tart cherry juice. Does it help? I don't know, but some of this is simply good nutrition, which can't hurt.

I tried to keep a diary of what I was doing or taking, and nothing seemed to work any miracles for me, even though with nutritional foods and products, you might have delayed or long-term effects, which makes it hard to evaluate.

The one thing I tried that I did not like was calms forte. Had a worse night the one time I took it, which may have been coincidental.

I've been feeling better the past few days in terms of physical symptoms; hope I continue to improve.

Someone recently (in the past week) posted a successful taper, maybe it was "hope for the best" ?? who posted her daughter's taper and supplements.

good luck

[Aeroman]

I hate to say this but sometimes eliminating everything takes the variables out of the equation? I know many supplements can work great for people and lessen the effects of the w/d's. I have yet to find anything that has worked so I have chosen to suck it up and just deal with it. As long as I know it is not forever, which it wont, I can accept and move on. I know it is hard but w/d's bring on the weirdest uncommon things and I think by adding this or that causes more drama to my already hypersensitive brain.

good luck.

[SL500]

Thanks...I am already taking omega 3's. I was contemplating the mag because they say its supposed to be good for you. Other than that, I don't I would take anything else - believe it or not, I am too scared to Thanks for the advice.

[anti-drugs]

Originally Posted by Aeroman

Did you anxiety come out of the blue or was there a trigger? Mine symptoms started as anxiety too (I didnt know at the time) which then led me into depression. It was 2003 and I was happily engaged, working, and going to school for my MBA. I was driving down the freeway when I experienced the weirdest sensation go all over my body. I told my wife (fiance at the time) that I was feeling weird. I was getting clammy hands, nausea, feeling hot all over, and had to keep getting off the freeway to go to the bathroom (#1). When we arrived to the event, I still wasnt feeling right, left, and went straight to the doc (extended hours, walk in). They couldnt find anything just the blood pressure elevated a bit. I went home and laid down...I was out of it. That day, I believe, I experienced my first panic attack. Could it have been the engagement? Was stress building up? I don't know!!!!!???? All I knew is that I was physically something wasnt right. I then started to get disconnected from everything and my feelings towards my fiance went empty. How could I go from excitement, being in love, etc to this within a matter of weeks? I went to the doc and he gave me Prozac...., rest is history

My anxiety started when we were trying to build a house and sell our current house and I lost my job all within a months time. I use to have panic attacks every time we had to meet with our loan officer. It didn't help that our contractor would be AWOL for weeks at a time either.

I've learned to deal with my anxiety. Some days it gets really old though! It makes me crabby too. I take it out on my husband. Sometimes I wish he would try to understand what I'm going through. If I'm having a bad day, I have to keep it to myself because he is tired of hearing about it. He calls me a hypochondriac. So I've been keeping quite. I'm paranoid to try and have a conversation with him (or anyone else) because I'm always fumbling for words. If I say an incorrect word he just laughs which in turn makes me mad and causes an argument. So silence is bliss as they say.

Anti-Drugs