[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by pboy

Pug,

It's so great hearing such a positive post on here It gives me some hope. Thankyou. I believe we all have difficult journeys to take and eventually will be stronger people at the end of it. Although in limbo at the moment I intend to live my life to the fullest once I'm off this ********.

Aeroman,

if you're around I wanted to ask, did you hear back from Aunty about the amino acids program she mentioned some time ago? I would like to send her a message but can't seem to

nope, nothing. I e-mailed her way back in the day and nothing. Sooooo, I am not sure why. i would like to know too!

[pboy]

That sucks. I would give it another try if I were you. I've tried to message her myself but private messaging seems to be disabled for me.

[Pugcrazy]

Hey everyone I am at the airport and so far I am feeling great!
Aeroman I wonder if aunty is ok? I really miss reading her posts. I wish I was on the site when she was so active on it. I really hope evrything is going well for her and her daughter. Talk to u all soon. Also FYI I slept like a baby last night and that never happens before I fly. Gotta love the magnesium glycinate!
Ttyl
Pug

[pboy]

Does Magnesium help with chest pains and feeling like you cant breathe normally? I have that at the moment. I read somewhere that Magnesium can slow breathing down so I'm not sure if it'd be good to help with this problem.

[mims]

pboy

I googled this, does magnesium affect breathing, and found an nih.gov article about magnesium. I don't know how to copy it here, but you can find it by googleing or going to the nih site. It gives recommended dosages and warnings. I also found an article about magnesium helping asthma.

My 100 mg makes me feel like I'm breathing better as I fall asleep, but who knows what happens after I'm actually asleep? I think it's a good idea to ask a doctor before exceeding recommended dosage of any vitamin, supplement, etc. If you're uneasy about the supplements, the nih site also lists dietary sources. And since calcium blocks mag absorption, I did read somwhere that you can increase your mag by limiting your calcium intake. Now that's just something I read; it makes sense, but again, I have no medical-related training, so I have no knowledge of this other than having read it online.

I think mag relaxes your muscles, so the effects may depend on whether you are having problems because your muscles are too relaxed or too tense.

[pboy]

Thanks for helping mims

I'll do a little more research on the magnesium. I took some Magnesium Citrate earlier, 300mg, and seem to feel a bit better now. I was getting into a panicky state of depression and cracking up aswell as the breathing trouble. I think I tapered my Lex dosage too far recently, hence these withdrawal effects. I see now why everyone says to taper off mega-slowly.

As for calcium intake I had recently started taking some calcium tablets as I'd heard they help with sleep (with vitamin D added), so maybe they affected my magnesium levels. I'm gonna cut them out and see how I go.

Again thanks for the help.

[pboy]

Aeroman, have you tried magnesium for your anhedonia? I've been researching various things and came across this:

"Our data show a moderate stimulation of the reward system by magnesium. We consider that a magnesium-induced stimulation of the RS is an important issue for treating anhedonia in patients with MD. An increase of intracellular magnesium may be part of the mechanism of action of antidepressants."

[mims]

pboy, remember the citrate form of magnesium can cause diarrhea, so just be aware of that. I think all forms can, but citrate especially.

[pboy]

Yeah I noticed that I have to be careful of my dosage, but it's actually quite good at keeping me regular.

For some reason it's hard to find Mag Glycinate here in the UK, no shops sell it. There's one website that sells it but it's a mixture with aspartate and lysinate. I'm gonna try that next.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by pboy

Aeroman, have you tried magnesium for your anhedonia? I've been researching various things and came across this:

"Our data show a moderate stimulation of the reward system by magnesium. We consider that a magnesium-induced stimulation of the RS is an important issue for treating anhedonia in patients with MD. An increase of intracellular magnesium may be part of the mechanism of action of antidepressants."

Hi pboy,

thanks for posting. I have tried Magnesium but for sleep last year...which did nothing. I think I took it for 2 weeks and I did not feel a difference as far as giving me motivation to do things or relieving anhedonia. As far as I know, I am going to let it run its course just like the other symptoms.

By the way, I have a new symptom - sensation in the ears, especially the left one. Somehow, I am sensitive to noise all of a sudden. I feel this fuzzy like feeling inside my ear. When a group of loud women are around me, it bothers me pretty bad - and no, this isn't a joke! I feel this pressure on the side of my head and it's annoying. Gonna let it just run it's course too!

[pboy]

Someone on another forum said about Lex, "it makes me wonder how on earth they manage to invent something which creates all the inconvenience of physical dependency, yet without any of the usual fun upsides of being 'on drugs'? it's quite an achievement."

Aeroman did you ever try Inositol? That's been my next line of research and I found an interesting article with an MD about it. Aunty once reccommended it I believe. It's been shown useful for depression, OCD, anxiety. Doses between 12g-18g. This article suggests it may be as good as an SSRI, so could possibly return someone to the same level after discontinuation. It needs to be taken for about 6 weeks before it takes effect for depression. Worth a shot anyway!


"Using inositol for promoting brain wellness: an interview with Robert Belmaker, MD - Nutritional Medicine Update - Interview

RC: How does inositol work?

RB: That of course is a very good question. We have done quite a bit of animal work in rats to look at the mechanism and we think that the strongest findings relate to serotonin and particularly the 5HT2 serotonin receptor. In a rat if you drip serotonin on neurons with those receptors, and measure the response, after a while the nerve cell stops responding and if you add inositol it jumps up and starts responding again. So, it seems like cells can get depleted of inositol. Or, specific nerve cells might not have enough to be able to maintain neurotransmission in the serotonergic system. Of course, there are many things we have not investigated, but it could be that some patients have deficiencies in the brain of inositol to the point where their serotonin system cannot respond.

RC: What about SSRI medications and inositol, since they seem to be accentuating the same pathway. What if someone is taking a Zoloft or a Prozac and they ask their physician, "Can I take inositol at the same time?"

RB: We have studied that, and we have not had side effects with it. But, to our surprise and disappointment, we did not see synergism. We would have hoped for synergism, but it seems that inositol works and the SSRIs worked. If you put the two of them together it doesn't work any better than inositol alone or SSRIs alone. So that SSRIs in that sense are an alternative to inositol, or inositol is an alternative to SSRIs. We don't have reason to believe that it is a good addition to a SSRI non-responder, although we have not found it in any way unsafe if someone wants to try.

RC: What if someone wants to transition off of a SSRI? Would inositol be a logical stepping-stone to perhaps a more natural approach to accentuating serotonin metabolism?

RB: It is certainly an option, but we don't have data on that. We have data on people who have been treated in the past with SSRIs successfully and on their next depressive episode they were treated successfully with inositol. But we don't actually have people going from one to the other in the same depressive episode."

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by pboy

Someone on another forum said about Lex, "it makes me wonder how on earth they manage to invent something which creates all the inconvenience of physical dependency, yet without any of the usual fun upsides of being 'on drugs'? it's quite an achievement."

Aeroman did you ever try Inositol? That's been my next line of research and I found an interesting article with an MD about it. Aunty once reccommended it I believe. It's been shown useful for depression, OCD, anxiety. Doses between 12g-18g. This article suggests it may be as good as an SSRI, so could possibly return someone to the same level after discontinuation. It needs to be taken for about 6 weeks before it takes effect for depression. Worth a shot anyway!


"Using inositol for promoting brain wellness: an interview with Robert Belmaker, MD - Nutritional Medicine Update - Interview

RC: How does inositol work?

RB: That of course is a very good question. We have done quite a bit of animal work in rats to look at the mechanism and we think that the strongest findings relate to serotonin and particularly the 5HT2 serotonin receptor. In a rat if you drip serotonin on neurons with those receptors, and measure the response, after a while the nerve cell stops responding and if you add inositol it jumps up and starts responding again. So, it seems like cells can get depleted of inositol. Or, specific nerve cells might not have enough to be able to maintain neurotransmission in the serotonergic system. Of course, there are many things we have not investigated, but it could be that some patients have deficiencies in the brain of inositol to the point where their serotonin system cannot respond.

RC: What about SSRI medications and inositol, since they seem to be accentuating the same pathway. What if someone is taking a Zoloft or a Prozac and they ask their physician, "Can I take inositol at the same time?"

RB: We have studied that, and we have not had side effects with it. But, to our surprise and disappointment, we did not see synergism. We would have hoped for synergism, but it seems that inositol works and the SSRIs worked. If you put the two of them together it doesn't work any better than inositol alone or SSRIs alone. So that SSRIs in that sense are an alternative to inositol, or inositol is an alternative to SSRIs. We don't have reason to believe that it is a good addition to a SSRI non-responder, although we have not found it in any way unsafe if someone wants to try.

RC: What if someone wants to transition off of a SSRI? Would inositol be a logical stepping-stone to perhaps a more natural approach to accentuating serotonin metabolism?

RB: It is certainly an option, but we don't have data on that. We have data on people who have been treated in the past with SSRIs successfully and on their next depressive episode they were treated successfully with inositol. But we don't actually have people going from one to the other in the same depressive episode."

Never have and never will

Quick fixes suck.

[marinatherapy]

I've been reading all of the side effects and have had them to the nth degree!! I thought I was for real dying!! I still feel gross and exhausted,but have started Sam-e out of sheer desperation and I think it's helping to abate the symptoms.I still get very dizzy and am so grateful I work at home,I can't imagine trying to go out to a job right now! I can scarcely do the bare necessities and on a side note,my boyfriend broke up with me while I was going thru the worst of it...he didn't get it.Thank God,I found this site,I was getting really really scared!! Thanks to everyone who's shared!!

[pboy]

Originally Posted by marinatherapy

I've been reading all of the side effects and have had them to the nth degree!! I thought I was for real dying!! I still feel gross and exhausted,but have started Sam-e out of sheer desperation and I think it's helping to abate the symptoms.I still get very dizzy and am so grateful I work at home,I can't imagine trying to go out to a job right now! I can scarcely do the bare necessities and on a side note,my boyfriend broke up with me while I was going thru the worst of it...he didn't get it.Thank God,I found this site,I was getting really really scared!! Thanks to everyone who's shared!!

How long is it since you stopped taking Lexapro? You're not meant to take Sam-e for upto a year after quitting Lexaoro because it can cause 'serotnin syndrome' which is very bad. Please post back with info about how long it was since you quit Lex and how long you've taken Sam-e.

From wikipedia:

"Serotonin syndrome is a potentially life-threatening adverse drug reaction that may occur following therapeutic drug use, inadvertent interactions between drugs, overdose of particular drugs, or the recreational use of certain drugs. Serotonin syndrome is not an idiosyncratic drug reaction; it is a predictable consequence of excess serotonergic activity at central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral serotonin receptors.[1] For this reason, some experts strongly prefer the terms serotonin toxicity or serotonin toxidrome because these more accurately reflect the fact that it is a form of poisoning.[2][3] It may also be called serotonin storm, hyperserotonemia, or serotonergic syndrome."

[mims]

Originally Posted by marinatherapy

I've been reading all of the side effects and have had them to the nth degree!! I thought I was for real dying!! I still feel gross and exhausted,but have started Sam-e out of sheer desperation and I think it's helping to abate the symptoms.I still get very dizzy and am so grateful I work at home,I can't imagine trying to go out to a job right now! I can scarcely do the bare necessities and on a side note,my boyfriend broke up with me while I was going thru the worst of it...he didn't get it.Thank God,I found this site,I was getting really really scared!! Thanks to everyone who's shared!!

It's probably not a good idea to take supplements that affect serotonin levels while taking SSRIs or soon after quitting an SSRI. Be sure to research this thoroughly before taking anything like SAMe, 5-HTP etc.

Hope you feel better soon.

[mims]

Epsom Salt Council has good info on benefits and absorption of magnesium from epsom salt baths.

[ray34iyf]

Quick question for y'all.

It seems that I'm still having trouble fully stabilizing on the Lexapro 10mg... and part of this seems to be connected to heavy weighlifting I've been doing 3x a week. I just started to see the connection of a severe increase in bad effects directly after a weight lifting session and for days after.

Is it possible that my body can't tolerate heavy exertion while stabilizing and needs to give it a rest?

Thanks,

Dan

[rujoking]

ray - the only excercise I could manage for a year was walking for about 30 minutes a day and some days even that was too stimulating for my damanged CNS - I would consider cutting back on your workout or maybe change to a less strenuous schedule and see if that helps - you are pretty young and I am assuming otherwise healthy so I think you could give the excercise thing a break for a while.....

hang in there....

ruj

[pboy]

Just wanted to report back on my supplement usage. I started taking Inositol a few days ago, around 8-12g (I mix it with tea or juice), and have noticed an increase in energy aswell as memory. My response-time to thing seems faster and I seem better able to pay attention to things. My thinking seems clearer. It's hard to describe it all exactly, the best way I can put it is that my ability to process information seems faster. For me this is an improvement, but I realize I'm nowhere near out of the woods yet.

As for Magnesium it's been great at getting rid of the many muscle aches and pains I've had since starting Lex. I can walk without feeling tired and achey and wanting to come home.

Anyway for anyone reading this I'm not a doctor or anything, and I reccomend you research any supplements if you decide to try them. Just reporting on my experience so far.

Oh and I'll try the epsom salt baths too, thanks mims.

[jasmine22]

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and stumbled upon this forum when google-ing side effects of Lexapro withdrawal.

I was initially prescribed Lexapro 2 years ago for anxiety and depression at doses between 10mg - 20mg (at different times I needed different doses if that makes sense).

Had terrible side effects at 20mg so have been at 10mg for the majority of those 2 years. Decided 1 month ago to withdrawal from Lexapro as I have been on some sort of SSRI for quite some time - around 6 years (Aropax, amongst other meds like Xanax, Valium, etc). My depression and anxiety has improved greatly as I have gotten older and I feel its time to see what I'm like without them.

In the past month I have tapered from 10mg to 5mg to 2.5mg and I am on day 4 or 5 of nothing now. Looking through these forums I now know this is cold turkey!! I am having awful side effects - buzzing, vertigo, dizziness, nightmares, panic attacks, paranoia, nausea, hot and cold flushes, headache, shakiness, weakness/fatigue, brain zaps, stomach cramps, food cravings and then periods of hating even the thought of food, when I do eat it is salty fatty food! etc etc.

I am feeling absolutely horrible. Have called in sick for work tomorrow (which i feel awful about) and my boyfriend is taking me to the doctor where I will get another script for Lexapro and go back on at either 5mg or 10mg and wean myself SLOWLY from this horrible drug.

Have been reading this forum and the advice is wean 10% of the dose every 2 weeks, is this correct?

Can anyone else please give me any advice that may be useful?

Thanks everyone!

[pboy]

Hi Jasmine,

Once you go back on the Lexapro I would wait for 2-3 weeks until your mood and symptoms 'stabilize', before reducing your dosage by 10%. How do you plan to reduce the dosage? The most common ways seem to be to use liquid Lexapro and measure it with a plastic syringe, or to crush the tablets and mix with juice and use a syringe to measure. You have to taper it slowly though, I mean really slowly. From 5mg I tapered to 4.5mg. My next taper will be to 4mg. That's 10%. I have had a few faint side-effects by doing this but they are bearable.

I also use supplements to help me such as magnesium and Inositol. If you look back at auntybiotics posts she suggests many supplements.

Also be wary of your doctor - they don't seem to understand how bad withdrawal can be and can give bad advice such as "take your dose every other day" or try to get you to taper too fast.

The general rule is 10% of your current dose every 2-3weeks, once you are stable after the last reduction.

Keep checking back here as there's lots of great advice.

[michellebill2]

I've been taking 10 mg Lexapro for about 5 years. Recently I have been taking on and off, maybe skipping 3 days in between, I'm not good at taking pills. Should I just stop cold turkey since I haven't taken it in 3 days, or will my withdrawal symptoms continue to get worse? I have had no dizziness, but am having restless sleep, hot flashes, sweats, and feel like everything is wrong right now. If this is as bad as it gets I can handle it until it's over, but if it is going to get worse, I would consider starting a smaller dosage then weaning off. Can anyone else me please?

[pboy]

Originally Posted by michellebill2

I've been taking 10 mg Lexapro for about 5 years. Recently I have been taking on and off, maybe skipping 3 days in between, I'm not good at taking pills. Should I just stop cold turkey since I haven't taken it in 3 days, or will my withdrawal symptoms continue to get worse? I have had no dizziness, but am having restless sleep, hot flashes, sweats, and feel like everything is wrong right now. If this is as bad as it gets I can handle it until it's over, but if it is going to get worse, I would consider starting a smaller dosage then weaning off. Can anyone else me please?

I can't say exactly what will happen but I'm SURE that it will get a lot worse. If you go cold-turkey you are putting yourself at risk of depression and suicidal thinking, manic symptoms, electric shock sensations, panic attacks. Those usually happen a little while after you have stopped taking it. Just because you feel you can handle it now, doesn't mean you will be able to later. Also because you've taken it for 5 years you are at even more risk of withdrawal symptoms than someone who took it for say, 5 weeks.

Please go back to your original dose and taper off slowly. Look back at the many posts on here - the people who cold-turkeyed had horrible withdrawal.

[pboy]

Are any of the old posters such as hairyarmadillo or elizabeth marie still around? It'd be nice to hear how people have done since coming off Lex. Success stories are the only thing keeping me going at the moment.

[mims]

OK, it's not MY update, but nolex just posted her 3-year update on paxilprogress.org. I think she used to post here also on this thread, possibly under a different screen name. She used lexapro for a short period of time- 6 weeks- and became very ill after quitting. If you go to paxilprogress you can find her update today - it's very positive and offers a lot of hope. The title of her thread on paxilprogress is UPDATE- 3 YEARS TODAY by nolex.

[vestabula]

I thought I weaned off this poison properly...over the course of four months! 10 mgs to 7.5 to 5mg to 2.5 then to licking the powder in the bottom of the package. The brain 'swishing' noise and feeling like I am getting an adrenalin rush through my body is so horrible I keep eyeballing the bottle and wonder if it's worth continuing this nightmare and giving in. I can't even drive the car, or blink my eyes without getting zapped. This is only day five! I am taking the Omega 3 fish oil and B-12 as someone suggested. I was given this drug for fibromyalgia pain and the depression that came after four immediate family members died within two years. I'll take the pain and depression any day compared to this. How long can I expect to feel like this? I am afraid the hubby is going to move to a hotel until it's finally over! Doctors have no clue what a patient will go through when weaning off...mine certainly doesn't. He said 10 mgs is such a small dose I shouldn't have any problems. Duh!

[mims]

Did you go straight from 2.5 down to "licking powder" or did you taper from 2.5? If you were stable (feeling OK) at 2.5, you might want to consider going back to that dose, stay there for a few weeks, and taper by grinding tablets or switching to liquid lexapro.

If you're going to reinstate, it might be best to go ahead and do it now.
I waited a month and I think maybe that was too long. Or maybe I was just going to be sick anyway. I'm really sorry -- nobody can say how long it will last, but for me, the worst of the zaps and the occasional dizziness lasted only a few weeks, but some of the other problems have continued.

Some of us have found magnesium glycinate helpful for sleep. Magnesium malate is supposed to be good, and the malate is thought to help with fibromyalgia. Some people say that B vitamins make symptoms worse. Don't take anything that affects serotonin levels, like 5htp , etc.

Look back to the postings on this thread in February 2009, and find the post by hope for the best -- might be helpful to you.

Good luck

[vestabula]

Actually, I got the Lexapro as free samples from my Rhuemy who is a family friend. I don't have health insurance and I am sure he believed helping me without the cost was beneficial. At the end...I took the 10mg pill and cut it up into the smallest pieces I could and did that for about two weeks...that's what I meant about 'licking the powder in the bottom of the box' which sounds ridiculous but I truely thought I couldn't get a smaller dosage than that! Also, about two months ago I started taking 2.5mgs every other day and that's when the zaps started...so missing a day or two a week didn't help...kept on taking 2.5 mgs then cut that in half for two weeks. I called my pharmacist yesterday and asked if there was anything I could take for the zaps. She said "OMG...I have been trying to get off this drug for six months and have had to finally give in a take it because I can't do my job with the brain shivers." She mentioned benadryl but I don't want to take anything else that makes me sleep all day. I take 5mgs of valium at night for Restless Leg Syndrome...which I also read helps with lexapro withdrawal but hasn't seemed to affect me. BTW..she also told me that since being on this drug herself she has done some research and the withdrawal is as bad as or worse than cocaine withdrawal!

I am a writer by profession and can't seem to complete a sentence...since starting taking it and withdrawing from it. Thanls for the vitamin B warning. I won't take anymore of that. ZAP!

[mims]

The every-other-day routine is the worst! So many people have gotten in trouble with that!!! I hope that people like your pharmacist will help get the message out about the dangers of these drugs.

[rujoking]

vestabula - sorry to hear you are another victim - it is important to take very good care of yourself during this time, mild, regular excercise, healthy diet and tons of water....read this thread for more helpful tips or encouragement when you feel down - try not to let the symptoms scare you, it could be some time before they go but you will be ok.

I bet your pharmacist has a hard time filling those script now, eh?

ruj