[nvt]

Hello,
I have taken Lexapro for a bit over 2 years. I started at 10mg and worked up to 20 mg. I decided to get off it in Oct. 2005 but was aware I would need to slowly come off it - not really understanding why.
At the start of October I decreased my dosage to 15mg, about two weeks later I awoke one morning to find numbness in my feet. The next morning I found both my feet from the ankle down totally numb. The 3rd morning I stood up and could "barely" walk. I had parathesia (the feeling you get from anesthesia) along with a burning/tingling feeling from my waist down. I could barely walk. This was alarming at best.
I got into see my M.D. immediately and he sent me for a series of test, which all proved negative. I was soon turned over to "specialist" at a very well known hospital in the US. They also ran a series of test and blood work and this also proved to be negative with no findings. I was next up for a spinal and a thorough EMG. I opted out after Thousands of $$$ spent in Med Testing. At this point the parastheia had moved up to my chest region and I was experiencing some taughtness around my ribs. I would also wake at night with night-sweats and sharp shooting pains in my groin area.
Just prior to Christmas 2005, I went to see a gynecologists and after she did some testing that also proved negative, she prescribed me 10 mg of Amitriptylin for the pain I was experiencing and the fact that I was still barely walking. I wasn't sure what was happening to me and if I'd be dead or crippled for life. I also dealt with some depression from the unknown. I started the Amitriptylin that night prior to bedtime. It was like a "miracle" the next day I could walk normal, the parastheia was not noticeable and the burning/tingling was not present. I could tell I wasn't back to normal that the med was masking the situation but atleast I could deal with this and I was [u]walking normal again</u>.
Okay so I had been to see my psychiatrist for med checks during this time and had relayed this information to him, only for him to assure me that it was not the Lexapro.
At the start of January my gynecologist increased the Amitriptylin to 25mg as it was showing a positive affect for me. That same day I met with my psychiatrist for another med check and he told me to decrease my Lexapro to 10 mg to allow for the gynecologist to be able to continue further increases as necessary and again assured me it was not the Lexapro causing any of my symptoms.
This past Friday, I was speaking with another doctor and as a side note he mentioned that when he was at Med School, he was told that when there was no reasoning for substantial circumstances, to always check the Meds. Tonight I found this website and I am astonished! I looked up the meds back in October but did not come across this site. What a shame. So now, my walking is pretty normal but I'm still experiencing sharp pains randomly and my leg muscles feel weak often. My feet have a strange feeling on the bottoms and I'm still waking occasionally with night-sweats. As well I have the taughtness around my ribs.
So what do I do now? Tomorrow I will notify my psychiatrist about the information I have found. I am somewhat concerned that if he did not know the outcome of this medication, he might not know what to do next. Anyone got ideas what to do next? I feel a relief that now I know the culprit however what to do is still a mystery.

[debbie724]

nvt, please visit the "Lexapro Withdrawal" discussion board. There you will not be alone.


debbie

[auntybiotic]

NVT,

The amtripiptylin that your gyno gave you also increases serotonin.
The magic effect you felt after taking it actually counteracted the withdrawals that you were experiencing when going from 20 to 15 Mg of lexapro which is a 25% cut..............way too fast.

You may want to ask your doctor to SLOW down the taper as what may happen is that you may thru withdrawals when you stop the amtripprtylin as it is currently acting on the serotonin to counteract the reduction due to reducing the lexapro.

Ask your doctor to consult Flockart Drug interacyion guide (available online) and look into the P 450 Cytochrome system.thisinformation is VERY important for all those on Lexapro.

Good Luck.

[Cincygal]

NVT, I hope you are feeling better nowadays.

You know it's one thing when a doctor just is ignorant when it comes to the medicine they prescribe -- but do they not have a responsibility to do some research when there are problems and become better informed??????????

I'm actually a retired doctor's daughter! I think doctor's need to leave time in their day apart from collecting money from patients (and helping most of them) to research and become knowledgeable on the tools they use in their practices - perscriptions!

[tiger]

mvp
i had weakness in my legs so badly i though i was having a stroke.
but it went away when i went on the lexipro, however, when i started
tapering off the lexipro, it came back. of course, the doctors know
nothing. what did they say to you and how r u feeling?
tiger

quote:Originally posted by nvt

Hello,
I have taken Lexapro for a bit over 2 years. I started at 10mg and worked up to 20 mg. I decided to get off it in Oct. 2005 but was aware I would need to slowly come off it - not really understanding why.
At the start of October I decreased my dosage to 15mg, about two weeks later I awoke one morning to find numbness in my feet. The next morning I found both my feet from the ankle down totally numb. The 3rd morning I stood up and could "barely" walk. I had parathesia (the feeling you get from anesthesia) along with a burning/tingling feeling from my waist down. I could barely walk. This was alarming at best.
I got into see my M.D. immediately and he sent me for a series of test, which all proved negative. I was soon turned over to "specialist" at a very well known hospital in the US. They also ran a series of test and blood work and this also proved to be negative with no findings. I was next up for a spinal and a thorough EMG. I opted out after Thousands of $$$ spent in Med Testing. At this point the parastheia had moved up to my chest region and I was experiencing some taughtness around my ribs. I would also wake at night with night-sweats and sharp shooting pains in my groin area.
Just prior to Christmas 2005, I went to see a gynecologists and after she did some testing that also proved negative, she prescribed me 10 mg of Amitriptylin for the pain I was experiencing and the fact that I was still barely walking. I wasn't sure what was happening to me and if I'd be dead or crippled for life. I also dealt with some depression from the unknown. I started the Amitriptylin that night prior to bedtime. It was like a "miracle" the next day I could walk normal, the parastheia was not noticeable and the burning/tingling was not present. I could tell I wasn't back to normal that the med was masking the situation but atleast I could deal with this and I was [u]walking normal again</u>.
Okay so I had been to see my psychiatrist for med checks during this time and had relayed this information to him, only for him to assure me that it was not the Lexapro.
At the start of January my gynecologist increased the Amitriptylin to 25mg as it was showing a positive affect for me. That same day I met with my psychiatrist for another med check and he told me to decrease my Lexapro to 10 mg to allow for the gynecologist to be able to continue further increases as necessary and again assured me it was not the Lexapro causing any of my symptoms.
This past Friday, I was speaking with another doctor and as a side note he mentioned that when he was at Med School, he was told that when there was no reasoning for substantial circumstances, to always check the Meds. Tonight I found this website and I am astonished! I looked up the meds back in October but did not come across this site. What a shame. So now, my walking is pretty normal but I'm still experiencing sharp pains randomly and my leg muscles feel weak often. My feet have a strange feeling on the bottoms and I'm still waking occasionally with night-sweats. As well I have the taughtness around my ribs.
So what do I do now? Tomorrow I will notify my psychiatrist about the information I have found. I am somewhat concerned that if he did not know the outcome of this medication, he might not know what to do next. Anyone got ideas what to do next? I feel a relief that now I know the culprit however what to do is still a mystery.