[sarita]

Body,
Thanks for sharing your story. You are a survivor.Any advice for me?
I'm on 5 mg. Can't miss work. But want to get off this ****. Gotta drive. And have lots to do in my life. I know 5 mg. sounds low, but
i'm very sensitive. i know i'll have a hard time.


QUESTION FOR EVERYONE: Does anyone know the lowest dosage of lexipro
pills? is it 10 mg? Cause how do you cut these pills to taper properly?
I heard that changing to liquid is another 4-6 weeks of adjusting
plus side effects again.
I heard getting on Omega 3, Barley, and Cherry Extract are the best
for w/d's. You can order them at www.theroadback.org

quote:Originally posted by Miss Lee

Hi Body-

I am still around and I am glad to hear from you. I am feeling better, but still have small issues. I am completely in agreement with the symptoms and whether you feel you're making them up or not. They whole reaction threw me for a loop and I am trying to recover pysically and mentally.

Debbie- I miss everyone as well, but if it means they are doing well-then I applaud them. I hang around because I am still scared #hitless of the whole thing.

Gapske- Talk therapy is good. It helps normalize the racing thoughts. But I urge you to find the right one and state up front that you are against medication. then they won't push it on you.

Mandy- I feel for ya. I know how hard my cycles have been and what a mess I have been in front of my b-friend. But it has made our relationship stronger and I love him so much more than I ever have. I am proud of they way he supported me. Be honest with your b-friend. I feel that you always cry most when the person with you is "safe". Hugs and hugs to you. Hang in there.

Sunny- I know exactly how you feel. I had the shaking as well and still have it when I feel overwhelmed, tired, upset. I believe that it is your nervous system trying to repair its nerve endings. It takes a long time to repair. I still have it as well. Try (which I know is hard) to just accept it for what it is. And don't take anything for it. You have to sedate your nevous system to help heal it. I tend to forget this and want to load up like I used to on activities. I feel that if I get back to my "normal"life i will feel better. But I am thinking that "normal" needs a new definition.

Miss lee

[debbie724]

Hello Miss Lee, I would agree that it would be okay to not hear from the "old timers" if they were doing okay... but they are not! You yourself know that you have had a couple bad days of late. Redbled too. I will speak for Mr. Spock and say that I know that he is not past this yet either. I worry about Shifty, Torxis, Mohannie... I know that they are not doing 100%... but why aren't they here anymore? We are NOT over this yet!!! We still need each other. Please don't give up.

debbie

[Miss Lee]

Debbie- I see what you are saying. Red is doing a lot better as am I. He wrote me to say he is doing better everyday, with a few bumps here and there. I am no where near the place I was a couple months ago. I still need the support when a bad day comes and am thankful that I have it.

Sarita- I see that you are so afraid to go off Lex. You just have to do it scared. I believe (but do not work in a pharmacy) that the lowest is 10 mgs (pills). I haven't heardthat switching takes time to adjust. I think you just have to go for it with the liquid. Cutting the 10 mgs pills down to 4.0 is impossible to get accurate. We are here for you. Lord know that I am very sensitive to meds as well. I know you are strong and you can do this fear and all.

So I am doing laundry on a Friday night. How cool am I!!!! HE EH he

Miss Lee

[mhillqt]

So I switched over from 7.5 mg prozac(been on it, on and off for 10 years) and am now on 5 mg lexapro(2 weeks).....I never gained weight on prozac(am a runner) and a bit concerned about lexapro....when do people start gaining weight on this drug....my doc said its mostly weight neutral and most but few do gain weight, he also mentioned that its much easier to tolerat than paxil and the withdrawals for most are not nearly as severe as paxil....BUT everything im reading on this site seems to point to weight gain and the same type of paxil withdrawals....i switched from prozac because my panic wasnt being helped by it anymore(I black out from my attacks)......ive always taken a low dosage but it sounds that even 5 mg of lexapro people have problems......also noticed that these boards are probably only filled with people that have bad experiences and eventhought there are over 130 pages of lexapro withdrawal posts, these posts are being written by the same handful of people throughout.....guess you need to be careful not to read too much into other people's experiences on the net but keep a watchful eye to helpful warnings and info without getting scared....the main reason many of us are on these drugs is because we were not in great shape prior to taking them AND tried everything else - i know i did, ie changed diet, excercise regularly, meditate, supplements(which btw can be just as dangerous as drugs) etc ettc

Michael

[antonio]

I have been a Bi-Polar now for 6 years...i took lithium in conjunction with lexapro for 5 years (dosage of lexapro ranging from 30mg to 10) Now i am on lamictal and have titrated up to 300mg...MY Pdoc has suggested that i drop the lexapro which i was taking at 5mg the whole time on lamictal....do you think i will feel the withdrawl as hard now that i am on lamictal also is there any body that has experience with Lamictal alone that would like to share his or her experience with this...

Also how long will it take to rid my body of lexapro and what type of detox program should i try....

thank you all so much this discussion makes me feel that i am not alone...

Lets do this....

[mhillqt]

Antonio....why did your doc change you to lamictal? I have heard good things about that drug but dont know much about it...I would think that if you are already down to 5 from 30 and still on another drug that you will probably have minimal to nill withdrawal but you should discuss with doctor...did you gain weight or have sexual disfunction on lexapro? how is the lamictal feel for you/

Michael

[bodyelectric]

Sarita -- get a pill cutter. It will help cut small pieces off the pill, though sometimes pieces will fly across the room. Still, it's easier than trying to break them or using a knife. If you're sensitive, just cut a tiny bit more off your pill each week, every other week, or each month -- whatever you find works best for you.

Miss Lee -- glad to hear you're recovering.

BE

[tamra]

Sarita, My pharmacy was able to order 5 mg pills. They are already small and there isn't a scored mark to cut thru...so I used a large very sharp knife. My 10 mg pills, I could cut into 4 pieces and the 5 mg pills, I could cut into 1/2....this gave me enough of a variety of "fragments" to taper....I'm sure that a pill cutter would be much more "accurate". A few times Aunty has posted a taper technique to grind the fragment and mix with juice and throw away a certain amount.

It may be more comfortable for you to check into getting the lexapro liquid that I've heard about...this way you can be absolutely sure of your dosage and tapering. I don't know what the cost is and the size of the bottle. I guess looking back on my experience of tapering...if would have also been alot easier to use the liquid instead of reading all the bottles labeled with the mg of my fragments.

You are researching and planning this very well. You will come to a point where you feel confident and completely prepared to do it...and with faith and support..you can do this! Look at each day as an accomplishment.

Live every day to it's fullest!

[antonio]

Hey there Michael...to answer your questions about weight and sexual side effects i can tell you with 5 years + of experience that it does take a toll on you....in one year i went up about 10pounds i barely noticed it...it messes with your metabolism....as for the sex part it was wierd sometimes i was on fire and most of the time i was pretty much out of it....so it was hard to tell...it mainly gave me lots of anxiety then helped that much.


as for lamictal i changed because i didnt do to well with lithium...lamictal has been amazing thank god...full of energy,no weight gain, hella sex over all excellent...it has an antidepressant effect,plus preventive and treatment for Bipolar...its the 3rd day off the lexapro for me and i am feeling more normal with everyhour...i really want to be able to control my mood since i am bipolar with the minimum amount of meds...i am down to the lamictal 300mg daily hopefully i can stay like that forever i hope....

thank you all....any feed back on lamictal alone with no lexapro would be greatly apprecitated

antonio

Lets do this....

[sarita]

tamra,
thanks for the tips. all my pharmasists haven't heard of a 5 mg.
pill. how did you do that? maybe i'll call the manufacturer. are
you sure it was a 5 mg. pill? wow. that would solve all my problems.
Going on the liquid, I was told, will cause side effects for 4-6 weeks. That's what i was told. How are you doing now?

miss lee and body,
thanks for answering. i am scared to death. i have so much anger
and fear for getting on this stupid pill. i know i suffer from
anxiety at times, but not enough to get on a pill for it. sometimes
i have low thyroid, and then i get anxiety during pms and my period.
but i'm sure there's some natural thing i can take.

aunty,
have you heard that switching from pill to liquid causes side effects
for 4=6 weeks? a company called the road back advisor told me it would
definelty cause a reaction. Do you know about a 5 mg pill that tamra
was talking about?

quote:Originally posted by antonio

Hey there Michael...to answer your questions about weight and sexual side effects i can tell you with 5 years + of experience that it does take a toll on you....in one year i went up about 10pounds i barely noticed it...it messes with your metabolism....as for the sex part it was wierd sometimes i was on fire and most of the time i was pretty much out of it....so it was hard to tell...it mainly gave me lots of anxiety then helped that much.


as for lamictal i changed because i didnt do to well with lithium...lamictal has been amazing thank god...full of energy,no weight gain, hella sex over all excellent...it has an antidepressant effect,plus preventive and treatment for Bipolar...its the 3rd day off the lexapro for me and i am feeling more normal with everyhour...i really want to be able to control my mood since i am bipolar with the minimum amount of meds...i am down to the lamictal 300mg daily hopefully i can stay like that forever i hope....

thank you all....any feed back on lamictal alone with no lexapro would be greatly apprecitated

antonio

Lets do this....

Hi all,

I have been taking 10mg of Lexapro since March 05.

The reason I got on it was to deal with anxiety attacks that had suddenly become part of my life at the time. It was the "long term" solution to work side by side with the short term solution of xanex (in the form of alprazolam).

Naturally, I'm afraid to take any medication for fear or reliancy and long term side effects. But in this case, I had no choice. The anxiety was dehabilitating.

I took the 10mg dose every morning and as needed, .25 of xanex(alprazolam). SLowly I didnt have to take the .25 anymore. The xanex was a great short term solution, let me tell you. But it's almost like alcohol. It only helps with the symptoms, not the problem.

Anyway, fast forward to Feb of this year. I had my first anxiety attack since April of 05. It was pretty awful and I had to take out my xanax bottle from MONTHS ago to deal with it. I can tell you exactly why I had this issue. I think one thing I fail to see here is a focus on the problem and too many people focusing on the symptoms.

My life did not include enough sleep, too much alcohol, and too much worrying/left minded thought process stuff in general. ALl leading to overwhelming anxiety.

Keep in mind, I have been on 10mg of lexapro this whole time and I still had the awful attacks. I go to see the dr and tell him this and he recommends 15 mg of lexapro!! More drugs to deal with the problem, hmm, ok. At this point, I'm scared so I do whatever he says. In the meantime, I started playing basketball this week. My anxiety went completely away!! I always played basketball growing up, throughout high school and in college. But since post college graduation (1.75 years or so now), finding the time has been tough. So I was encouraged that I had no anxiety/depression at all.

I also, during the last few months, have a new girlfriend. I've been unable to reach orgasn more often than not while on Lexapro. Never had a problem here before March 05.. then first sexual relationship since then and I'm having problems.

So I got pissed, called the dr, he tells me to take cyproheptadine (an antihistamine) at dinner then right befoer sex to help deal with the orgasm side effect. 2 mg at dinner, 2 mg right before (from 4mg pills). Needless to say, who can time when they are going to have sex. It's not something you plan.

So I got even more discouraged, and on Wednesday this week, I took my last Lexapro. The 2 days following included me masturbating to see if reaching orgasm was any easier, and let me tell you it was !!! I was so happy.. I was looking forward to seeing my gf tomorrow..

Back to the story, no withdrawal symptoms at all first two days following. Now, here I am 5:39am on Sunday. I had the brain shocks that everyone complains about all night. I felt like I was going to pass out or something. It was terrible. I had a few beers for the first time in months tonight. I managed to get to bed. Now I had a terrible nightmare, woke up and feel anxious and depresssed.

Who else has experienced anything like this? I hate to rely on a pill that is ruining my sex life... I would be willing to switch and will explore this with a NEW pyschiatrist ASAP.. but for now... I am stubborn and would rather have great sex and anxiety and feel alive then take these pills that just leave you somewhere in the middle, never too sad, never too happy. Other than brain shocks and a terrible nightmare followed by sleeplessness (very rare for me, I usually sleep like a log) I have had no other symptoms as of yet. Going into day 4 now.. the side effects became too severe. I went back to 10mg of Lexapro, my normal initial dose.

Also please note, I only gained 10lbs in a year of taking this. I feel this was mostly related to lack of exercise, not lexapro. So I'm a story where weight gain really was not a factor. I have been stable for months now and actually lost weight in the past month by eating healthy food and exercising.

Now a few questions for the community: Has cold turkey worked for anyone here when getting off Lexapro? Has weening off worked for anyone? If so, what was your plan of attack? Has anyone else (male) experienced sexual side effects? Mainly inability to reach orgasm?

[sarita]

Flow,
Yes. It causes weight gain. I went on in July 05, and gained 15 lbs.
going on 20 lb. and i'm an aerobics instructor.
Yes. It's hard to achieve orgasms and feel sexy and horny, but once
in a while, it does happen.
Yes. This drug sucks. And i'm with you, I'd rather feel alive and learn how to deal w/anxiety, or take some natural supplements.(you can to www.theroadback.org for info.
You should definelty taper off of it slowly. Auntie can guide you through, but that website can tell you exactly how to taper with little side effects. I haven't tapered yet because i'm planning very carefully and doing alot of research. Glad to know you didn't have to wait long before enojying sex. that's good to know.

Good luck to all of us.

quote:Originally posted by flowingsphere

Hi all,

I have been taking 10mg of Lexapro since March 05.

The reason I got on it was to deal with anxiety attacks that had suddenly become part of my life at the time. It was the "long term" solution to work side by side with the short term solution of xanex (in the form of alprazolam).

Naturally, I'm afraid to take any medication for fear or reliancy and long term side effects. But in this case, I had no choice. The anxiety was dehabilitating.

I took the 10mg dose every morning and as needed, .25 of xanex(alprazolam). SLowly I didnt have to take the .25 anymore. The xanex was a great short term solution, let me tell you. But it's almost like alcohol. It only helps with the symptoms, not the problem.

Anyway, fast forward to Feb of this year. I had my first anxiety attack since April of 05. It was pretty awful and I had to take out my xanax bottle from MONTHS ago to deal with it. I can tell you exactly why I had this issue. I think one thing I fail to see here is a focus on the problem and too many people focusing on the symptoms.

My life did not include enough sleep, too much alcohol, and too much worrying/left minded thought process stuff in general. ALl leading to overwhelming anxiety.

Keep in mind, I have been on 10mg of lexapro this whole time and I still had the awful attacks. I go to see the dr and tell him this and he recommends 15 mg of lexapro!! More drugs to deal with the problem, hmm, ok. At this point, I'm scared so I do whatever he says. In the meantime, I started playing basketball this week. My anxiety went completely away!! I always played basketball growing up, throughout high school and in college. But since post college graduation (1.75 years or so now), finding the time has been tough. So I was encouraged that I had no anxiety/depression at all.

I also, during the last few months, have a new girlfriend. I've been unable to reach orgasn more often than not while on Lexapro. Never had a problem here before March 05.. then first sexual relationship since then and I'm having problems.

So I got pissed, called the dr, he tells me to take cyproheptadine (an antihistamine) at dinner then right befoer sex to help deal with the orgasm side effect. 2 mg at dinner, 2 mg right before (from 4mg pills). Needless to say, who can time when they are going to have sex. It's not something you plan.

So I got even more discouraged, and on Wednesday this week, I took my last Lexapro. The 2 days following included me masturbating to see if reaching orgasm was any easier, and let me tell you it was !!! I was so happy.. I was looking forward to seeing my gf tomorrow..

Back to the story, no withdrawal symptoms at all first two days following. Now, here I am 5:39am on Sunday. I had the brain shocks that everyone complains about all night. I felt like I was going to pass out or something. It was terrible. I had a few beers for the first time in months tonight. I managed to get to bed. Now I had a terrible nightmare, woke up and feel anxious and depresssed.

Who else has experienced anything like this? I hate to rely on a pill that is ruining my sex life... I would be willing to switch and will explore this with a NEW pyschiatrist ASAP.. but for now... I am stubborn and would rather have great sex and anxiety and feel alive then take these pills that just leave you somewhere in the middle, never too sad, never too happy. Other than brain shocks and a terrible nightmare followed by sleeplessness (very rare for me, I usually sleep like a log) I have had no other symptoms as of yet. Going into day 4 now.. the side effects became too severe. I went back to 10mg of Lexapro, my normal initial dose.

Also please note, I only gained 10lbs in a year of taking this. I feel this was mostly related to lack of exercise, not lexapro. So I'm a story where weight gain really was not a factor. I have been stable for months now and actually lost weight in the past month by eating healthy food and exercising.

Now a few questions for the community: Has cold turkey worked for anyone here when getting off Lexapro? Has weening off worked for anyone? If so, what was your plan of attack? Has anyone else (male) experienced sexual side effects? Mainly inability to reach orgasm?

[auntybiotic]

Sarita,

Yes there is a 5 Mg pill. No, my daughter takes a combination of the liquid and the pills as she tapers down and other then withdrwal for about two weeks, no side effects.

[annaoffmeds]

hey everyone-
found out an interesting book and article. My moms a counselor and gets "psychotherapy _____ worker" (sorry i cant remember the middle word!) Anyways, in the Jan/Feb 2005 article they mention going off anti-depressants and all the side effects people go through. so maybe some people are getting the word out.

Anyways, it listed a book that i havent checked out yet but i thought I'd put it out there:
"The Anti-depressant Solution: The Only Step by Step Guide to Safetly Overcomming Anti-depressant Withdrawl" by Joseph Glenmullen.

Hope everyones well!
anna

[tryinghard]

Hi All,This is my first post to this forum. I have been on 20mgs of Lexapro and 15o pf Wellbutrin for about a year. Didnt seem to be enough for me. I was still depressed. Anyway, I am weening down 5mg a week from Lexapro, And adding 37.5 of Effexor. This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. I am now on 10mgs of Lex and still on 150 of wellbutrin and 37.5 of effexor. I feel nauseas all of the time and feeel tired and fluish all of the time. Has anybody had any experience with this problem? I was of effexor and wellbutrin for about 5 years 2 plus years ago but changed due to chronic nausea. But I was also drinking pots and pot of coffee daily. I think the caffine may have been the reason for the nausea so I wanted to try again now that I do not have caffine anymore. Is this normal to feel this awful for this many weeks? I rally want to try the effexor/ wellbutrin coctail again since nothing else really helps the depression. But I dont want to feel like I have the flu forever. PLEASE HELP>

[mhillqt]

At what dosages were you all on when you gained weight and how long did it take, also did you initially lose and then gain? Antonio - you said you gained 10 lbs in 1 year....what dosage were you on and did you continue to gain weight since you were on it for 5 years? Im in week 3 of lexapro at 5 mg and no weight gain yet(prob early)....i run 15 miles per week and do weights every day.....also, seems like the sexual side effects are gone...

Michael

[Gapske]

tryinghard,
I don't know anything about mixing the Wellbutrin and Effexor, do know that a friend of mine was trying to switch to the Wellbutrin from Lexapro and felt really sick. She wanted to get off the Lex. because of no sex drive. So what exactly are you taking now? And, I think minimizing your caffene is a great idea.

sarita,
I cut my 10mg pills in half with a knife and using the marked line down the middle. A pill cutter is a good idea, especially if you're going to cut that in half again. At that point, (2.5) I think would be good and see how you feel and maybe start taking the 2.5 every other day. It's really all about how you're feeling. My problem was I started feeling good taking 10mgs every other day and didn't know about the slow tapering. Felt so good I finally just stopped taking it. My withdrawal symptoms were bad!

I think with this very slow taper of yours you'll do fine with little side effects. I think the symptoms are worse when it's a huge jump off the meds. Kind of like jumping off a cliff and hitting the ground real hard!

[sarita]

mhll,
same w/me. at first, i lost weight, then 2-3months into it, i started
gaining w/no change in what i ate nor exercise i did. i'm on 5 mg.
as to this date, 8 months, i've gain almost 20 pounds. bad sexual side effects, but like once a week i'll get horny. (before it was like everyday!!) also, i'm more tired, and anxious, and if i don't stay busy, i get alittle lythargic. also, dry skin, bad periods,

gap,
thanks for the tips.

i called the pharmacutical company and asked if switching from the
pill to the liquid would cause side effects. she said she didn't think so, because the "active" ingredient the one that causes the
side effects, is the same.

aunty, did your daughter suffer from side effects switching from pill to liquid?



]Originally posted by mhillqt

At what dosages were you all on when you gained weight and how long did it take, also did you initially lose and then gain? Antonio - you said you gained 10 lbs in 1 year....what dosage were you on and did you continue to gain weight since you were on it for 5 years? Im in week 3 of lexapro at 5 mg and no weight gain yet(prob early)....i run 15 miles per week and do weights every day.....also, seems like the sexual side effects are gone...

Michael
[/quote]

[vaughny]

Hi guys. Haven't posted in over a week but wanted to give an update. I had been weaning from 10 to 7.5 which I did for 2 weeks with no noticeable effects.

Two Friday's ago (Mar 3) I went to 5mg/day since I was seemingly tolerating the withdrawal OK. Yesterday I had the first abnormal signs that might be withdrawal effects, but the jury's still out on if it's related to the withdrawal. I had what I would describe as very mild irritability and agitation yesterday (Sunday) morning. Now maybe it's completely unrelated to the meds - my grandma died last week and then yesterday was my daughter's 1st birthday party and I was having computer problems keeping me from finishing a projext I had started for her (a slideshow of pics of her first year). I think ordinarily the stress of all this would likely cause some frustration/irritability in most people so it is hard to say.

I plan to stay at the 5mg dose for another couple of weeks before cutting further, but so far nothing really adverse.

I am wondering if males have an easier time getting off the meds than females. Many of the revent posts are females but that might just be a reflection on the fact that women are more likely to discuss their emotions and feelings vs. guys. Who knows.

[Beachie]

Hi everyone...

I tried to post yesterday, but it doesn't look like it went up, or I may have spaced and forgotten to press POST.
Thanks Mandy,
Until I read your post I didn't realize that I was using the syringe incorrectly too! Which means that I was still taking 5 mg not 4.. Which means. (to Sarita) that I did infact experience symptoms similar to a step down this past week when I changes from pill to liquid. Of course this may only have been me...

****, thought I was further along than I am.. grrrrr

That means I have been on 5 mg from 10 for about a month. Time to get down to 4mg I started it last night.. so that means I can enjoy a few days , think everything is great and then not think the world is coming to an end in oh.. approximately 5-8 days when the side affects may or may not kick in..

I always hope for the best, but then Blammo... I think I'm going crazy again.. and that I'm a mess. The sweats, the crying, and it's just so weird!! I mean, I try to intellectualize that its the medication but the physical symptoms are real. Raw nerves, anxiety, nauseu, dizzy, my eyes play tricks on me.. and the whole waaaaah thing.

Good news is, that things are a bit better with my boyfriend and me. I snapped at him the other day, and then apologized a second later.. I remember thinking.. "Ahhhh this isn't me! I dont snap about things like this!!!" Well, evidently in the throes of lexapro withdrawal AND PMS I do!"

Ok new symptom anyone had anything like this!??!: (Disclaimer!:Men you may want to cover your ears)
I am a dark brunette.. everywhere. no signs of greying anytime soon. I went to get waxed the other day and the women noticed that the TIPS of some of my hair had turned white.. NOT the roots. and as it is growing in, some of it is coming in Blondish and white?!

I mean, I have heard of stress and some medications doing funny things to your hair.. just womdering if anyone has any info or experience with this?

Thanks! By the way thanks to everyone for posting... Aunty, Miss Lee, Body , Sarita, Mandy and everyone else... I feel bonded to you guys through this experience.. Kinda like how I felt during the hurricanes down here (florida) last year.. where we all went through a disaster and supported each other whereas normally we wouldn't be speaking to our neighbors.

BIG HUGS@@@@

[soundmind]

Hi everyone, I feel like I know all of you. I have been reading these message boards for quite some time as I began my Lexapro tapering 6 months ago. I tried to post something once and messed up, not real good with computers. Anyway, think I got the hang of it now. Basically everything all of you went through, I have been dealing with as well. I am up for another reduction in my meds. from 7.5mg to 5mg. in approximately 2 weeks and I'm sure I'll be a disaster and will need some support. Just wanted to let Sarita know FOR SURE they make 5mg pills because I have them. I bought a pill cutter and you can get a 2.5mg peice fairly accurately. I have the liquid in my house but am thinking I will just stick with the pills for now. I may try the liquid when I get to tapering below 5mg, however, my common sense tells me there would definitely be an adjustment period to the liquid too and I'm not real trilled with that.
Thanks for posting, it has really helped me through some tough times, especially this last round of withdrawals when I swear I was going into relapse!

[Gapske]

mandymcj,
I have been meaning to reply to this email. Has this happened again to you? The chest pain, etc.? I hope it's nothing serious and if it happens again I would recommend you see a dr. just to get checked out.

Do you think it could have been a panic/anxiety attack? I'm not minimizing what happened to you, because that sounded scary.

I know from doing some reading that it's going to take awhile for our bodies to readjust to their normal selves. Our bodies have to learn how to do certain things again and maybe that's what was happening with you. Your body was over compensating what it was feeling while working out.

Like I've commented before, that damn drug is numbing.
Let me know how you're doing.

quote:Originally posted by mandymcj

Thank you to everyone who gave advice on the alcohol issue!


Throughout this whole process I've kept telling myself to go out and exercise, but I've been so tired that the last thing I feel like doing is going to run. I only went out once and shortly after felt really sick and stopped.

Today I felt that I really should just get out there and try to get rid of all my rage by running.

After 1 lap around the track I felt like I was dying. I know it may just sound like I was really out of shape, but this is nothing like I've experienced before except for the time I went running a couple weeks ago. There was a tightness in my lungs that I've never felt before, like something was pushing down on them. It was quite painful. I could barely breathe. I ended up coughing, gagging, and throwing up on the side of the track. What the h-ell is going on? Could this be lexapro related?

I really don't think this is me being out of shape (I'm not denying that I am) but these effects are just really unlike me. I used to start soccer season after months of physical inactivity, and though it would be very hard on my lungs and such, it never was like what I experienced today. It was really weird, different feeling.

[Gapske]

Hey everyone,
It's amazing to see so many new posts. Hang in there everyone.

It's now my 27th day off Lexapro. I am feeling alot better, still having alot of emotional issues. (I'm probably so backed up on letting my tears out!)[]

Last Friday I had to drive 2 hours to meet my parents. I typically don't do long trips on my own, no need for them. Anyway, I really was nervous about it, what if I panicked, would I make it, etc. So I took my favorite cd's with me and sung my heart out there and back. Wow, did the tears flow. It was so wierd, but also very cathartic, much needed. While I was on the drug, I had no interest in music anymore, which had always been a huge thing for me, ever since I was little girl.

I'm still very snappy, still adjusting. Still working through.

Keep smiling everyone!

[antonio]

Its been 3 days now and i have finally been hit by the fatigue,drowsiness and brain sloshing whateva you want to call it...

i am taking omega pills and vitamen C......is there anything else i can do....plus how long does it take to go away?? or at least tone down..??



Lets do this....

[soundmind]

My withdrawal typically began around days 7-10 following the dosage reduction and have lasted up to 3 weeks. Some days are better than others. I only tell you this so that you don't give up or think it is relapse or something. Do the best you can and it may not last that long for you. Exercise, keeping busy, taking naps, and vitamins have helped some. Good luck.

[sarita]

gap,
the pharmacutical company said it takes 32 days for lexipro to
leave your system. and aunty said it can stay in your liver or
something like that, so she suggested to do a liver detox. right
auntie?

beachie,
do you think maybe because you went up and down a mg. that that may
be the cause of the side effect not the switching to liquid? i don't
know. i'm lost.

antonio,
go to www.theroadback.org...they can tell you what supplements to
take while going through all this. for ex.,if you have anxiety or
can't sleep, you
should take cherry extract. barley juice is to clean the liver, gives
you amino acids, b6 and b12 for energy, etc.....

mandy,
i've had chest pain befoe i went on lex, and i'm pretty sure it's a
panic attack. try deep breathing, or get some cherry extract. but
my chest pain wasn't in my heart.

soundmind,
yes. you're right. they make 5 mg. lex, but i can easily cut the
10 mg. into 4, right? the 5 mg pill is tiny, right? the 10 is bigger.

quote:Originally posted by Gapske

Hey everyone,
It's amazing to see so many new posts. Hang in there everyone.

It's now my 27th day off Lexapro. I am feeling alot better, still having alot of emotional issues. (I'm probably so backed up on letting my tears out!)[]

Last Friday I had to drive 2 hours to meet my parents. I typically don't do long trips on my own, no need for them. Anyway, I really was nervous about it, what if I panicked, would I make it, etc. So I took my favorite cd's with me and sung my heart out there and back. Wow, did the tears flow. It was so wierd, but also very cathartic, much needed. While I was on the drug, I had no interest in music anymore, which had always been a huge thing for me, ever since I was little girl.

I'm still very snappy, still adjusting. Still working through.

Keep smiling everyone!

[mhillqt]

I thought prozac was the drug that stayed in your system for close to a month...never heard that lexapro stays in your system 28 days....anyone else hear this?

Michael

[all2007]

hi everyone im new here i just have a question im 32, female and just started taking lexapro 10mg a day its been my 12th day. i dont feel any different at all but i know it can take time the only side affects are headaches well bad ones.. and sleepy so i take em at night.
im reading lots about everyone getting off lex, do people get off it when they are all better .? arent you worried about getting worse again? i started taking it for some depression and planned to jsut take it forever hahaah hey if its supposed to make me happier why would i want to get off it?
so im curious what causes someone to stop taking it? im pretty naive, i told my dr i was depressed he handed me a handful of free sample packs of this stuff- like months worth- and never even told me when to take it so i kinda am figureing it out on my own. ie- taking it at night now instead of the day...anyhow please email me with any of your stories id love to hear from you. mary lee. southern california.

[Mr Spock]

Hi everyone,
Well, as Debbie indicated, my computer has been on the blink for over two weeks due to a thunderstorm.
First of all, I would like to welcome all the new members to the forum and have spent the last hour catching up and reading your stories. Unfortunately, there does seem to be a sad commonality to many due to the distressing and debillitating withdrawal symptoms that you are all coping and dealing with. The first thing I would like to reiterate is to taper s-l-o-w-l-y....
I would also like to say hi to my friends, Debbie, Kimi, Tamra, Miss Lee, Redbled, and of couse Auntybiotic, as well as welcome Body Electric back whom I thought had vanished into the maelstrom!!!
The current status of my situation is that I am now 6 weeks into a liquid Prozac regime after 4 1/2 months cold turkey from Celexa. Unfortunately, I still had pretty bad withdrawal effects including zaps, rear of head and upper neck (?brain stem) pain, dizziness, lethargy, confusion, tiredness, etc. I did NOT have any anxiety or depression, however. To those of you, unfamiliar to my story, I was originally put on the Celexa, as a PRECAUTION against depression as I was on a form of chemotherapy.
Anyway, since starting the Prozac (7mg, due to the time that had elapsed since my last Celexa dose), I have had very bad anxiety, particularly first thing in the morning, a feeling of my head being pickled, with slightly painful tingling, as well as all over parasthesia, particularly after eating or when I'm tired. The brain stem pain is worse (? extrapyridimal) and I'm clenching my jaw (ditto) It really became so untenable that a week ago, I reduced the dose down to 6mg, with no difference as yet...
I do have some thoughts about this and to the scholars in the forum, I would like to promote a brief discussion about the metabolism of SSRI drugs, such as Lexapro. As Aunty has heralded in the past, these (and many other drugs) are metabolised by the CYP 450 enzymes in the liver. Unfortunately, there is a percentage of people (perhaps as high as 8%, who, due to genetic polymorphism, may not have enough of these enzymes to metabolise these drugs. This is what I believe was the reason that Miss Lee, and Redbled, despite only being on Lexapro for less than 2 weeks, have had such a battle afterwards with the withdrawals. Celexa, the drug I was on, and Lexapro, are both mainly metabolised by the CYP 450 2C/19 enzyme. All of the other SSRI's, including Prozac, are metabolised mainly by the CYP 450 2D6 enzyme. Therefore, it may not be automatic that someone who wishes to withdraw from the effects of Lexapro will be able to tolerate Prozac, which COULD be why I am feeling a bit rough...
My final point on the CYP 450 system is to reiterate previous discussions and remind you all that if there are other drugs (eg Benzos, alcohol, mood stabilisers, antibiotics, antihistamines, neuroleptics etc) being taken at the same time as an SSRI, due to the demands on the liver these drugs will potentiate each other, so be careful and aware of that..
Peace and Long Life

[Miss Lee]

Hey everyone-

Hi to all (mr. Spock!! glad to have you back!)

So I went to the endocronologist today and she was very nice and helpful. I don't think that I have told you all that I did an egg donation cycle for my sister and never really got back to center after the whole ordeal. I had a lot of displaced nervousness and gained a lot of weight during.

So anywho- The doc told me that she thinks that I am acting in a hypersensitive state to my hormones and she wants to try the BC pill to help regulate. I want to believe that this is the answer- Because I still have issues during the month (plus it would be nice to gain weight!) She actually want me to skip three period cycles and give my body a break. It would shut my system down, and rely on this system to gain balance.

What do you think? It makes me a bit nervous(what doesn't anymore!), but I will try anything to get back to feeling better.

Any feedback would be welcome!

Miss Lee