[mims]

Originally Posted by tabcat

Thanks for your replies:

Re: my doctor - he has no inclination to help me get off of drugs. He wanted me to start back on 20mg of lexapro, but even taking one 5mg pill puts me into a two day panic attack at this point.

I am also dealing with other medications I've tapered down recently. I know they are probably making this process harder.

I believe I need to find a new doctor, but I've grown weary of being told I just need more antidepressants, when I can't tolerate them at all. My doctor doesn't believe that I'm even in withdrawal, says I'm insane. He wanted to put me on Pamelor, a tricyclic antidepressant, if I didn't want to take lexapro.

I have no idea how to taper when I can't tolerate the medication. I'm scared to death, and I wish I had never taken 5mg after 8 days off AD's...

Out of all the medications I've tapered, the antidepressant is the worst, the hardest, the most miserable. I feel as if I am on a permanent acid trip and my brain will never heal. I've used the road back before for effexor, I don't know if that will help now.

It's very frustrating to have a doctor not understand withdrawal symptoms. My doc tried to put me on a different antidepressant, too. I refused, but my situation was very different from yours.

Is the klonopin helping? If so, does your doctor think it's OK for you to continue it regularly until you feel better? I have never taken klonopin and don't know much about it, but I got the idea from your post that it was possibly helping your symptoms. ( I think that's one of the prescriptions I was given after I quit lexapro, but I never did take it; at that point I was so afraid to take anything else. )

I noticed on your previous posts you mentioned several other medications; if you still have some of those in your house, be sure to ask your doctor before taking or switching from one to another. Just be careful; it's easy to get in trouble with these potent drugs.

[rujoking]

Originally Posted by tabcat

I've been reading this topic for days...
I was on lexapro for almost a year, and then my doc switched me to celexa. Two months ago I switched back to Lexapro. I had a kidney infection (or thought I did) during my taper from 10mg to 5mg, I was weepy, and I had akasthisia. I was on phenergen, which seemed to help.

Anyhow, I went two weeks without lexapro, getting through the rage and zaps with fish oil, and hoping it would get better with time. During that two weeks I took celexa three different times.

When I got to 8 days without any AD whatsoever, I started having suicidal thoughts, and attempted to cut. I had read all the books about potential withdrawal symptoms, and tapering more slowly, etc.

I went to my doctor, knowing he wouldn't believe me, and he diagnosed me with a new panic disorder. My symptoms after two weeks off lexapro were severe anxiety, to where I felt paralyzed to leave the house.

My doctor recommended I go back on 20mg of lexapro!!! (I was basically on lexapro/celexa for 1.5 years at 10mg, no more.) I tried 5mg, and I had severe restlessness the next day, and severe panic attacks, they were more concentrated, like I'd been shot up with adrenalin. After a day of klonopin 3x/day, I got through it, and tried 10mg the night after the next.

The panic was so terrible, I felt like I'd been injected with bad speed. I got through the day holding very still and not doing much.

Today is slightly better, not as much panic, and the klonopin seems to be helping this time .5, but I've been so scared that I'm losing my mind. I was trying to go back on it so I could taper, but it looks like I waited to long, and I can't tolerate the medication.

Some of you are saying that you've had withdrawals for months to years, I was hoping I would get better in two weeks, but I gave in after 8 days, and I feel so terrible.

Does anyone know if I've started the process all over again by reintroducing the lexapro? And now that I can't seem to tolerate it, what are my options? I have no idea where to turn. My doctor keeps trying to force the drug back on me, or switch me to a TCA antidepressant like Pamelor. I just know that I'm so afraid I'm never going to get myself back again.

I keep praying and praying, while going through withdrawal I've hit everything from almost throwing up to anxiety through the roof. I've been afraid to leave the house and very tired. I just want to sleep for weeks, but I had trouble sleeping for a few nights.

My father went through this with prozac in the 90's, he had taken it for 3 months, and he took about 2 1/2 months to come back to normal.

I feel like I'm going crazy. I don't know if I've set myself back by taking the 10mg, or if the akasthisia and panic will go away, or if I'll just have to deal with it.

It seems the only thing that heals is time. There's a program that's hell of expensive called Point of Return that swears they can help, but IDK.

I'm so lost, I feel like I've lost my life to this medication, I feel like there's no way out, and I am battling with wanting to die to end the creepy crawly feelings.

If I could just get myself out and moving, I might be able to get through this, but I've read post after post looking for answers, and I can't seem to figure out what to do now that I've had a toxic reaction.

The days before I took the last dose I was so scared of everything, taking the dog out, moving from the couch, taking a nap, going to the bathroom, I feel like I need a shot of thorazine and to be locked up.

This is like a bad acid trip...

Will I survive? Am I back at square one? Has anyone gotten through this?

tabcat - I am not a doctor but it sounds to me like you have had an adverse reaction to the med when you re-introduced it - the same thing happened to me last year with prozac - if that is the case you have to just stop it - not the best choice but the meds keep making you worse- that is what I did...it has been a long year but I am healing,

I would consider searching for a doctor in your area to help you....your current doc has not clue....maybe you could call a teaching hospital and get some referrals. I am going to try to private message you here if you have enabled that feature. Try to stay calm, drink a lot of water and take the klonopin sparinly - it is also very addictive.

ruj

[rujoking]

tabcat - I see you have not enabled the e-mail feature - google lov4k9s - her story will come up about the reaction to prozac - read the whole thread on depressionforums.org.....

[Tiredofmeds]

day 8 of weaning off of 6.5 years of lexapro 10mg. I have reduced it to 7.5 No dizziness, but the chest panand palpitaitons sucK!

PS my doc says just go off them as lexapro does not present withdrawl symptoms...ugh...

[Pugcrazy]

Well here I am just a little over 6 weeks off. I had a few very good days. Today I woke up pretty irritable. Yelled at my 6 year old today when he was misbehaving and felt like a fool afterward. I shouldn't of yelled because it really gets me no where. I had a million errands to run and did not want to move out of bed this morning. I think that was giving me anxiety therefore making me nervous. I did get all of the errands done if I were still on lexapro I would of came up with see lame excuse and did none of the errands. So I feel real good, in fact great, that I get the errands done. The irritability is there still but I am getting good at controling it. Still feel better now than I ever did on lexapro. My stomach has been real crampy and upset this week. I also have a killer headache today and am VERY itchy. Just chalking it all up to withdrawals. Well just checking in. I have some alone time now so I think I am going to take a quick nap!
Pug

[tabcat]

Originally Posted by rujoking

tabcat - I see you have not enabled the e-mail feature - google lov4k9s - her story will come up about the reaction to prozac - read the whole thread on depressionforums.org.....

Thank you so much for that link, really. It helps so much. My symptoms are not that bad compared to what I've read there, but it looks like my body has taken the lexapro as a poison.

[tabcat]

Thank you so much for that link, really. It helps so much. My symptoms are not that bad compared to what I've read there, but it looks like my body has taken the lexapro as a poison.

My doctor finally believed me, but he wants to put me on a TCA, like nortriptyline. I just fear anything serotonin. I've read Prozac: Panacea or Pandora, Toxic Psychiatry and your med may be your problem. I think the problem is I've read way too many horror stories.

I'm having windows of being ok. My forehead is covered in pimples trying to flush the drug out of my system. Sometimes I fear I'll just lose my sanity, but I seem to be doing ok, hanging in there, saying the 23rd psalm a lot, reading positive stories.

I managed to get up early (well, can't sleep in and didn't sleep well) to walk the dog, got to the psych, visited my husband and work and made it to therapy. I also called some friends for advice, and talked to my dad, who went through this with prozac and with klonopin.

I am so exhausted. I'm afraid of everything, even napping, but god didn't put me here for me to lose it from some ssri, so I've got to be able to get through this, somehow, someway. Every day I wake up scared this will be the day I lose my mind, but you know what? Bring it. I will get better. This will pass. I am hopeful.

This is from the benzo board, but I found it helpful.

"YOU ARE NEVER ALONE IN WITHDRAWAL.

When Valium leaves it sends it's army to try to make you invite it back. The generals in this army are called ANXIETY and TERROR, there they are, leading the rest of the troops all the time. They also have a dreadful secret weapon they use from time to time called PANIC.

Withdrawal picks its own battleground by means of Sergeant Major AGORAPHOBIA. He hardly ever lets you go out, but he doesn't work nights. INSOMNIA takes over from him then. To ensure you can't put up a good fight he blasts your CONFIDENCE and SELF ESTEEM, banishes your APPETITE so your body can often become thin and exhausted. There is also the secret agent called P.HEADACHE. Otherwise known as PERMANENT. He nags at you all the time and wears you down. Then there is DIZZINESS, to ensure you can't aim to fight back. There is a huge gorilla army with troops such as PALPITATIONS who ensure you are frightened of dying all the time. Then WITHDRAWAL invades and occupies your stomach so it hurts and churns and fills with air, making you feel uncomfortable, the OFFICER in charge of the stomach is called NAUSEA. The WITHDRAWAL air force drops bombs containing BLURRED VISION, PAINFUL JAWS AND TEETH, CLENCHED TEETH and SORE TONGUE. Also chemical weapons attack your nervous system so that you feel that your legs won't hold you up, you feel faint, like you are fading away.
What can you do in the face of such forces? Firstly, hang on in there and NEVER give up. There are freedom fighters working for you, some of whom you cannot see. There is your MIND and BODY struggling to regain lost ground. PEOPLE who love you even though they may be so frustrated and bewildered they don't seem to. There is your Dr (if you're lucky). There is GOD, and the best weapons of all PATIENCE and TIME. Don't despair if you don't seem to be making headway; month by month you will gain a little ground. You may not even notice at first because you are so overwhelmed. Then you'll begin to win a few skirmishes, you will push back PANIC and AGORAPHOBIA, now you're really starting to fight. Your army will start to take pride in itself again, it will stand up and polish its weapons. You may not have taken the last hill yet, but neither are you laying in the trenches. At last, HOPE will have joined YOUR army, NOW YOU JUST CAN'T FAIL.

Anonymous. Best Wishes Love Carol."

[mims]

rujoking

Did you read on paxilprogress site about the "kindling effect"? I've suspected this is what happened to me, and possibly to you, tabcat, and others who have taken meds before, quit, and then tried again with really bad results. Or who took SSRIs sporadically in any way.

I suspect that the original drug use oversensitized or altered receptors and their ability to adapt to the medication.

I have wondered if I made myself much worse by reinstating one month after quitting; I also had taken similar meds in previous years.

This effect may be mentioned in the book tabcat mentioned: Prozac - Panacea or pandora. I haven't read it.

Hope you're feeling OK.
mims

[rujoking]

Mims-

no doubt in my mind about this - as you may have guessed, I have been all over the net and have found this to be true in so many cases, what a sorry state of affairs, eh?

I had a BAD week last week but woke today feeling better, it is very difficult when you never know what to expect, we just keep moving along, I will repeat again, it is not as bad as 6 months ago so that makes me grateful, but I do get weary of it all. Last night I spent the evening at the beach with some friends - I was worried the stimulation might make be feel bad but instead I slept well and woke with no shakes (so far) - it feels good to get into life a little even if it is with some trepidation. I am trying to stop the incessant worry over these stupid symptoms and push myself (a little) to start just 'living' again - how are you doing? I would love to communicate with you if you are so inclined..

pugs
- you are doing all the right things - stay strong and hang in there......

baby bottom - I really feel like you are almost there - the weight will come off - you did the right thing taking care of yourself so well during all of this! I hope you contiue to check in ....

mimmie - you out there?

tabs - the quote you posted was so insightful - thankyou!

have a great day all,
ruj

[Camom]

I cant seem to find any threads that discuss this drug so i thought I would just ask a general question about any medication. I just started taking Pristiq and it says to take the medication at the same time every day. i havent really had any side effects except for sleepiness and nausia but I have been taking the medication at 1 in the afternoon ever day. Does anyone have any suggestions on what time is best to take these types of medications? My concern with taking it at night is that I work some nights so I am not home at the same time to take it every evening. I feel like the medication is helping with my depression im just so tired after taking it that it kind of ruins my day. Any thoughts would really help! thank you so much

Camom

[Pugcrazy]

Hi all,
Today I woke up feeling miserable after such a horrible vivid dream about my husband. My poor husband is actually starting to understand. So actually my mood improved greatly because of him but I am so tired today. I have been doing so much reading about adrenal fatigue and think I may have it secondary to the withdrawal from lexapro. So again I will give an update when I see the natural md.
Ruj, I hated the shakes from the lexapro. I have not had that in a while. I agree that with time we will all get better. I feel so much better than I did months ago.
Camom I am no expert on these meds but I used to take the lexapro always before bed. I used to work nights and would take it when I got home and went to bed. So somedays I took it at 7am and other days at 11pm. I would have to adjust my meds according to my work schedule. Yes it sounds very confusing and am sure it screwed me up more but this was recommended by my psych MD. This of course is the same MD who said I would not gain weight on lexapro or there are no withdrawals associated with lexapro. Obviously he knew nothing. I hope this helps. I had to take the lex before sleep because it made me so tired. Good luck
Pug

[mims]

No medical education here, but based on what I've read, the instructions to take meds the same time every day may be due to a short half-life of the drug. Drugs with a short half-life leave your body quickly, so you may need to take it about the same time every day in order to maintain a certain level of meds in your body. In other words, you might get withdrawal - type symptoms if you miss the dose, or take it late. Your pharmacist may be able to give you some advice about how much you can vary from the same hour each day.

[IM_LORI]

ain't that the truth! I typically take this at 6:00am, and I forgot this morning. By 11:30 my hands felt that odd tingling-vibrating-electricly charged sensation. It's working great for me as long as I keep taking it!

[mims]

I'm sorry you had a bad week, but how nice that you had some time at the beach with your friends!

I've had trouble sleeping the past few nights, and had some breathing issues again last night, but not terrible, just some of that weird stuff that prevents me from falling back asleep; Not a complete throat block.

I'll look into the private messaging feature, never have enabled it up to now.

I don't know why we have these flare-ups of symptoms; it's annoying not knowing what to expect, and there's the loss of sleep that is so tiring. I've slacked off on the regular exercise - maybe that's why; but it's hard to keep it up every day.

[tabcat]

Hi ruj mims...
I just wanted to check in.
I've been feeling a bit better every day, aside from the intense anxiety/panic/fear of being alone (and I'm Alone a lot).

I put away all the horror stories about withdrawal, stopped trying to figure out when this will end, and cut out all stimulation for a few days. I didn't drink caffeine or smoke, I couldn't seem to watch tv, I listened to enya, lol.

It seems to have helped.

Mornings are the hardest, I wake up with my heart pounding at 7 or 8am, and I spend a few hours sobbing my guts out, fearing I'll go to the looney bin, trying to read helpful books/psalms/pray for help and recovery.

It really feels like I'm dealing with a resurgence of all the emotions I had locked up while on the lexapro, pain, fear, abandonment...

I think at times it's helpful to just get out into nature. I went on my mothers sailboat yesterday in the sun and talked to her about what happened. I felt peaceful, not so scared.

I just keep reminding myself that the brain is remarkable and can heal itself if I don't mess with it anymore right now. The panic fear cycle gets worse if I read too much about symptoms of withdrawal or try desparatly to control the outcome by trying to figure out when this will end.

Making sure I get out of the house, even if it's sitting in the yard, or call someone, even if I sob through the call and feel embarrssed, anything to keep my mind off the unrelenting anxiety or fear of what next.

It does seem that a lot of people have thos reaction when they've taken ssris in the past and try to take them again, I think that means the brain has healed and doesn't need or want the medication anymore.

I've really had to revert to a childlike state of living in the moment to get through this, and even though my nerves are raw and I'm scared, I have faith that things will get better, that we will heal. Our bodies are trying hard to rest and shut out unnecessary stimuli so that they can revovet, and it's all part of healing.

I think it's hardest when you've never withdrawn from meds or drugs, and didn't want to or expect to, or that this is worse than any illicit drug we've ever tried, but our doctors go on saying it's innocuous, completely harmless, so we think were insane.

It's shameful, really, a drug pushers wet dream. Get people hooked, and when they withdraw, which makes them insane, blame them so they have to keep taking your drug. And it's all legal! I'm so incredulous that doctors just don't see this at all, and we seem to have nowhere to turn.

We do have eachother though, and were not crazy. We will recover. It's nothing I would wish on my worst enemy, or even my doctor, I'm just not malicious like that. And it's hard to go through a battle that leaves you so dry and weak and sick and sad.

I've been praying a lot, and I'll keep you all on my thoughts. Thank you for your support.

[rujoking]

tabcat - you have a great attitude - I think that is half the battle here....it is hard to keep your attitude in check when you feel so miserable - try to keep it up!

mims - why do these 'flares' keep coming well that is the million dollar question,eh? I wish I knew the answer but we just keep on keeping on....I know I am a lot worse without good sleep too. Even though I 'think' I sleep well some day I wake up so very tired - if I sleep 'scrunched up' I pay for it the next day with a sore neck and shoulders which can make my arms and hands tingle, not very pleasant! did you enable the e-mail feature yet? Also, are you a member of paxil progress or just a reader there?

pugs - the irritablility, stomach issues and itchies are all w/d - it will go - what does your anxiety 'feel' like if it is not the shakiness?

Camom and Lori - Pristiq if I am not mistaken is a version of effexor which is like lexapro - I think you are supposed to take them at the same time because of the short half life but it sounds like you figured that out.

hope everyone else is well

ruj

[Pugcrazy]

Ruj, my anxiety feels like I am going to crawl out I my skin and I can't handle a thing. For exams if I see the laundry piling up I feel the anxiety growing. Then on top of the irritable I am a mess. I go crazy and then when the attack is over I can't believe what I was going through moments earlier.
Funny thing last night I could not sleep so I got up to watch some tv. I was watching a show that shows lake michigan in October. I was actually able to smell the fall season and for some reason all feelings of depression came rushing back to me. I became very emotional. I am not sure if I was just over tired but it scared the ******** out of me and I was very worried my depression was coming back on full force. I am not an overly religious person bi I just starting praying to Jesus for help. I just did not want to go to sleep and wake up feeling that depressed. I just kept believing that I had to be strong enough to over come this depresion without meds and you know what when I finally fell asleep and woke up I felt ok. I know months 4 and5 are supposed to be rough so I am holding on to that. I am happy that I know about the withdrawal process from lex because if I did not I might think that needed the lex to get over the depression and went back on it. Thank God for you guys and this forum. I can't tell what I have learned. I want to end this post by saying I still feel better now than when I was lexapro!
Pug

[mimmie2008]

Originally Posted by rujoking

Mims-

no doubt in my mind about this - as you may have guessed, I have been all over the net and have found this to be true in so many cases, what a sorry state of affairs, eh?

I had a BAD week last week but woke today feeling better, it is very difficult when you never know what to expect, we just keep moving along, I will repeat again, it is not as bad as 6 months ago so that makes me grateful, but I do get weary of it all. Last night I spent the evening at the beach with some friends - I was worried the stimulation might make be feel bad but instead I slept well and woke with no shakes (so far) - it feels good to get into life a little even if it is with some trepidation. I am trying to stop the incessant worry over these stupid symptoms and push myself (a little) to start just 'living' again - how are you doing? I would love to communicate with you if you are so inclined..

pugs
- you are doing all the right things - stay strong and hang in there......

baby bottom - I really feel like you are almost there - the weight will come off - you did the right thing taking care of yourself so well during all of this! I hope you contiue to check in ....

mimmie - you out there?

tabs - the quote you posted was so insightful - thankyou!

have a great day all,
ruj

Yep, still hanging in. Still having the cold flashes, I think that they are better than hot flashes, but still annoying. I am still doing okay. Nothing new going on, thank goodness, and nothing has gotten worse. My sleeping has gotten so much better in the last couple of days. The only weird thing is that I sleep so much better during the day than I do at night. I can sleep really good anytime during the day but not so well at night. I don't really understand that but I am not complaining because any good sleep is amazing. Hope all is doing well or at least better. M

[rjcrespin]

There are many posts on here about the withdrawal symptoms but few if any about after withdrawals are over. Heres one.

Although at the time I began lexapro (5 years ago) it was helpful but it was time to stand on my own. My first attempt was a disaster the side effects which are well described here were to strong to cope with, even driving was dangerous. So I got back on it.

I am now off lexapro and have never felt better, really. I am pleasant to be around, LESS tired and irritable. I have much better reactions to difficult situations. But most important I feel like myself again, and I missed me. Soooooo worth it.

How did I get off? Very slowly. I halfed my medicine from 10mg to 5mg for about a year then halfed the half to 2.5mg for another year. Honestly I had no side effects whatsoever until I stopped taking it altogether, weird. But when I did quit taking it, I had the same side effects everyone has but much less severe. It has been 3 weeks and I can actually say that I am "happy" a term I could never used to describe myself for many years.

Do it! Get off this ********. Take a vacation. Quit your job. Use a layoff as your opportunity, do whatever you have to do. This drug @$%Q$ you up. You and everyone around you will benefit.

One more thing 20mg should only be used for horses, that is a huge dose. I would add another year to wean off of that.

[karenwest1961]

Originally Posted by Tiredofmeds

day 8 of weaning off of 6.5 years of lexapro 10mg. I have reduced it to 7.5 No dizziness, but the chest panand palpitaitons sucK!

PS my doc says just go off them as lexapro does not present withdrawl symptoms...ugh...

I've been on Lex for over 5 years. My cardiologist told me to talk to my family doctor, that he would prefer that I wean off since we are trying to find the triggers of my a-fib. My a-fib has gotten more frequent over the last year.

Anyway, family doc says take a half for a week, then quit. Well, I did. Palpitations and chest pain. Had no idea if I was being set up for an a-fib attack. Well, ended up having full forced a-fib attack. I'm guessing the stress of being off of the Lex...plus having to quit cigarettes and caffeine. I'm a walking crybaby.

Anyway, getting through it by telling myself that this is only temporary. And sometimes, I have to take life one minute at a time.

Long story short? You can wein all ya want. You're still going to have withdrawal of some sort. Whether mild or extreme. Lex was a good drug for me...but baaaaaaaaaaaaaad when trying to come off of it. Prepare yourself for the ride. Wein the way your doc tells you to. Stay hydrated....and stay away from the junk food while you're withdrawing. Get rest.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by karenwest1961

I've been on Lex for over 5 years. My cardiologist told me to talk to my family doctor, that he would prefer that I wean off since we are trying to find the triggers of my a-fib. My a-fib has gotten more frequent over the last year.

Anyway, family doc says take a half for a week, then quit. Well, I did. Palpitations and chest pain. Had no idea if I was being set up for an a-fib attack. Well, ended up having full forced a-fib attack. I'm guessing the stress of being off of the Lex...plus having to quit cigarettes and caffeine. I'm a walking crybaby.

Anyway, getting through it by telling myself that this is only temporary. And sometimes, I have to take life one minute at a time.

Long story short? You can wein all ya want. You're still going to have withdrawal of some sort. Whether mild or extreme. Lex was a good drug for me...but baaaaaaaaaaaaaad when trying to come off of it. Prepare yourself for the ride. Wein the way your doc tells you to. Stay hydrated....and stay away from the junk food while you're withdrawing. Get rest.

"Wein the way your doc tells you to."

LOL x 1000000

[rujoking]

ditto that.....your doc like most docs has no clue.....wean no more than 10% every few weeks and hope for the best.....read back on this site....just a couple of pages or so ago mims reposted the best schedule

the heart palps and chest pain are w/d plain and simple....

rjcespin - come back in a few months and let us know how you are doing...

everyone else - hang in there and try not to fear your symptoms...they can get worse before better and may take different shapes and forms.....come here and read back - it helps...

ruj

[ray34iyf]

Hi all,

I'm new here but I also have had big time trouble with Lexapro withdrawal. I had been on the drug for 1.5 years, and after getting thru the probs I had, I knew I could get off of it, infact I probably never should have gone on.

Well, it's been almost 4 weeks, and while the brain zaps and dizzyness are not bad anymore, I feel so unreal, depersonalized and zombified I don't even know who i am anymore. I also get really anxious and depressed all the time for no reason. Irritability has improved, but I still get irritable way more than I should. I also have alot of trouble communicating and speaking, as if my brain became retarded or something.

Now, I was at 10 mg, then I went to 5 for a week, 5 every other day for a week, and then off.

My question is, can I start taking 5 again and let myself restabilize and feel good again for a while, and then try and taper more slowly????

I am at my whits end...somedays I just want to die.

Anyone plz help, Thanks.

[mims]

Originally Posted by ray34iyf

Hi all,

I'm new here but I also have had big time trouble with Lexapro withdrawal. I had been on the drug for 1.5 years, and after getting thru the probs I had, I knew I could get off of it, infact I probably never should have gone on.

Well, it's been almost 4 weeks, and while the brain zaps and dizzyness are not bad anymore, I feel so unreal, depersonalized and zombified I don't even know who i am anymore. I also get really anxious and depressed all the time for no reason. Irritability has improved, but I still get irritable way more than I should. I also have alot of trouble communicating and speaking, as if my brain became retarded or something.

Now, I was at 10 mg, then I went to 5 for a week, 5 every other day for a week, and then off.


My question is, can I start taking 5 again and let myself restabilize and feel good again for a while, and then try and taper more slowly????

I am at my whits end...somedays I just want to die.

Anyone plz help, Thanks.

The usual recommendation here (on this lexapro withdrawal thread) is to go back on if you're still within about 6 weeks of quitting. Then several weeks later, taper more slowly by gradually reducing dosage no more than 10% every few weeks, but don't skip days between doses. Every -other- day dosing seems to make matters worse.

However, I reinstated a month after quitting, and probably didn't taper slowly enough toward the end. (look back a few pages on this thread to find info about gradually tapering down to very small doses.)

I'm still having some withdrawal- related symptoms a year later, so I can't say for sure whether it's a good idea to go back on after 4 weeks. I think you're wise to initially try reinstating at 5 mg instead of the full 10mg. That's just my personal opinion, not a medical opinion by any means.

Based on what I've read, some people seem to have worse problems if they go on and off SSRIs repeatedly. ( I think that's what happened to me: I had taken them before, skipped doses, quit abruptly, did everything wrong.)

So, if you do decide to go back on, and it helps you feel better, taper very slowly if possible, in hopes that you won't have to try again later.

In the meantime, it would be great if you could find a good doctor in case you run into trouble, since you are feeling so bad, but it can be tough if not almost impossible to find someone who really understands withdrawal.

Also, many people have found that getting some exercise, ( especially outdoors for some of us), seems to help; even just taking a walk every day helps me. Exercise as well as some daylight and sunshine are thought to help regulate brain chemistry. Also Carlson's fish oil or other good quality fish oil, and a really good diet, avoid alcohol.

A word of encouragement: I went through a time of having difficulty speaking and communicating, and while this has not completely cleared up, it has improved considerably. I still feel uncomfortable in a group of people, but I think it's mainly due to the memory of how things were last year.
I still feel a little "off" and my vocabulary seems limited as well as my memory at times, but compared to a year ago, there's definitely been an improvement.

[ray34iyf]

Thanks mims. I appreciate your detailed response...it's just so frustrating that I can't be myself, now that everything in my life has come together and is ready to roll except what's going on with this lexapro ********.

Well, I took 5mg at 11am this morning. I'm hoping I feel better in a few days or w/e. Or atleast can talk and socialize with friends I've known for years. This is pathetic. I just can't do it right now.

Also, the reason I went back to 5mg is that that is the last dose that while I was tapering I felt good at. Do you think that makes any sense? And if I stabilize, how quickly will it occur do you think?

Thanks,
Dan

[mims]

Most people feel better pretty quickly after reinstating, probably within a few days. I'm certainly not an expert on tapering: my information is based strictly on what I've read on sites like this, and I also read a book by Dr Joseph Glenmullen.. Most people say you should wait at least a couple of weeks before trying to taper off again. The ones who taper slowly seem to get along better in the long run.

And yes, I think it makes sense to go back on at the last dose that you felt OK.

There's also some good info on paxilprogress.org about getting off SSRIs - Paxil and lexapro are similar drugs and the withdrawal process and problems seem to be the same.

[tabcat]

I've been improving every day that I'm away from lexapro but I've had some snags...crying spells, random depression that sweeps over me like it's the worst in the world, the fatigue - the hard part is not sleeping well at night and then being tired all day, trying so hard not to nap during the day.

I spent the weekend up in the sun and though I had crying spells, day terrors and some anxiety attacks/panics/fears, I was getting better every day until I tried to take milk thistle to support my liver - it seemed to start a complete relapse. I had a day of napping and extreme anxiety.

I'm trying not to let it get to me, this whole process, but it's hard. I've been praying day and night, even reading scriptures, and I hope to God I can get through this and be myself again.

I just can't believe how hard this is. Sometimes I just want to take a medication to feel better, but I know better, and really, my body can't even handle allergy medications right now. Anything I put into it that's not some type of food seems to rile up my symptoms. Sugar, caffeine...

I miss being happy and free, this process has been so hard...especially on my family, because I'm so scared and sad a lot of the time. I'm just grateful for the little things, but tired of feeling like I have wobbly weak limbs, a flu-like feeling throughout my body.

Illegal drugs are easier to quit than these legal ones!

[ray34iyf]

How are you guys dealing with your family and friends and the understanding they show you? It's been very frustrating as I am a 21 year old college kid living at home during the summer...one who is working only a part time job because of this ********( probs had been going on similiar to withdrawal when i was on 10mg) and not having the social life that I should. God it's hard.

It's hard to be told that I should just get over it, and that they're sick of hearing it, yada yada....i just wish they knew.

Anyways, I took 5 mg today at 11am and i feel a bit better than yesterday...hopefully the beat goes on.

I look forward to reading more of your guys' thoughts.

[mims]

Originally Posted by ray34iyf

How are you guys dealing with your family and friends and the understanding they show you? It's been very frustrating as I am a 21 year old college kid living at home during the summer...one who is working only a part time job because of this ********( probs had been going on similiar to withdrawal when i was on 10mg) and not having the social life that I should. God it's hard.

It's hard to be told that I should just get over it, and that they're sick of hearing it, yada yada....i just wish they knew.

Anyways, I took 5 mg today at 11am and i feel a bit better than yesterday...hopefully the beat goes on.

I look forward to reading more of your guys' thoughts.

Dan, I think the reality is that without experiencing this, other people really CAN'T understand what it's like. If I had not gone through this, I probably would not have much sympathy or understanding either.

If there's someone who is counting on you, like a spouse, I think it's important for that person to try to have an understanding of what you're going through. Otherwise, I've found it's best (for me) to avoid talking about it very much. Every now and then, I have to remind people that I don't have their energy level, but I have found that people just don't understand, no matter how you explain it.

I have a very close friend and also a sister who were very concerned about my illness at first, before I knew it was SSRI withdrawal related. After I told them it was probably connected with the medicine I took, they never asked me again how I was feeling. Not once. Sometimes I feel like "nobody cares about me", but in all honesty, I really think they just don't understand. How could they?

It must be really hard for you as a 21-year old, because you're probably missing out on a lot of fun and social opportunities, and people expect you to be energetic, etc. All your friends may be going out, drinking beer, whatever, and alcohol is not good for you right now, and you'll probably need to avoid or limit alcohol for a while after you quit lexapro.

you'll just have to focus on doing what's best for you, and try not to worry about what other people think about it.

You might find that when school starts back, your college friends may have changed a little over the summer, too. Students go back to school with a more serious attitude in the junior or senior year. (According to my son who recently graduated)

[purpleviolinist]

This is the second SSRI I have stopped using. The first (Effexor) was a horrible experience...a physical and emotional mess. This time, with Lexapro, I was on 10mg and stopped fairly suddenly. I started to have brain shivers, dizziness, emotional ups and downs and just generally did not feel well at all. I decided to take a B-100 prolonged release vitamin and a multivitamin to try to balance my brain a bit. It has really helped. I still get the symptoms, but only as the B-vitamin wares-off.

Also, drink plenty of water and make sure you stay on all other medications and take them on schedule. Your body is searching for consistency. Fruits and veggies are good for the brain and certain fruits (kiwi is one) have serotonin.