Rain: dropped dose of lexapro

[Rain]

Rain, I'm so sorry you are still in so much struggling. You are not alone I'm in the worst hell too.

 

I shared my opinion last October about your situation, feeling your main symptoms akathesia, restlessness, twitching are most probably caused by the drug. You tried cutting dose and felt better with those symptoms. Then those symptoms got bad again late last year. what you are experiencing now reinforced my thought that those are caused by Lexapro. Some of the symptoms are indeed from WD that is what makes the whole thing very confusing. I have been having similar situation for a long time and I know how puzzle some it can be when in the mix of WD and side effects. It's even harder to balance the two, dancing between the two evil as I call it. Unfortunately you have to deal with both, and the very opposite two evils. In this very tricky situation, you have to give the most intolerable ones higher priority while trying the maintain the other at a relatively tolerable level. It sounds to me your current main struggle is from the drug, so cutting dose is what supposedly help. As how much and frequent, it gonna to be a trial and error thing. Starting small is the way to go as always you can cut more if the effect of relieve side effects is not enough.

 

Another option is to change meds. From my own experience, once one is stuck in between WD and side effects in a huge manner, it will stay with you all,the way down. I was hoping when the dose is lower the side effects will be less, but now I'm at 0.07mg the hell of reaction still stays strong.

 

Lex

 

I am so thankful to you Lex! And sorry about you are in the hell even stay on such a low dose, I am doing a dry cut to the tablet, so my dosage might not as accurate as yours if I cut to that low dose. 

 

I totally agree with your opinion and I had read through your posts and Reachingforthestars thread, my situation is pretty much the same as hers, what made me stuck on 9mg is I was still struggling between WD and reaction, but since last weekend, symptoms start to be very severe (also quite similar to my symptoms when I was on up dosed to 20mg of lexapro) and made me believe this is part of adverse reaction to the Lexapro. But I don't know if I still having WD or not. 

 

Anyway, I could not tolerate such a strong heart palpitation for a whole week, I decided to taper the Lexapro down to 8.8mg today see what happen, I pray for less WD come out and lessen the adverse reaction a bit. 

 

Thanks again Lex for your suggestion, your idea definitely helpful and might be a life saver to me now! 

[LexAnger]

Rain, my fingers crossed for your experiment! This is such a hard place to be not only the pain to go through but also the total uncertainly of whick path to take and what each leads to.

 

I believe you are taking daily notes. I take notes every hour or less, still it took me a long time to grasp some of the causal relationship.

 

Please let us know how you are doing.

[Rain]

Rain, my fingers crossed for your experiment! This is such a hard place to be not only the pain to go through but also the total uncertainly of whick path to take and what each leads to.

 

I believe you are taking daily notes. I take notes every hour or less, still it took me a long time to grasp some of the causal relationship.

 

Please let us know how you are doing.

 

Sorry Lex im in the worst now, I don't know what happened, my first worst panic attacked, I only started cut 2% yesterday, I don't think this will act that bad? 

 

How long you usually ease your symptom after a cut? 

[LexAnger]

I'm so sorry rain! God, sound like my guess is wrong. My WD has been with me all these years maybe just a day or hours clear, but never be that bad until recently I dropped from 0.9mg to 0.07mg in 2 months then it has been constant and severe.

 

Do you think maybe you can make up the drop today? Has the panic subsided? How long did it last?

[Rain]

I'm so sorry rain! God, sound like my guess is wrong. My WD has been with me all these years maybe just a day or hours clear, but never be that bad until recently I dropped from 0.9mg to 0.07mg in 2 months then it has been constant and severe.

 

Do you think maybe you can make up the drop today? Has the panic subsided? How long did it last?

 

I Lexanger, I don't really know what I am going through, today is constent severe panic attack and heart palp all the time more than 100bpm, my forehead is some kind of hot burning sensation and feet hands are all numb. 

 

So when you cut the meds, was there a instant relief or it can take some time to let the body calm down? 

 

My symptoms for this week is keep worsening, it doesn't feel like WD, but maybe it still is, so this is the hardest part. 

 

I was thinking to go to the ER over and over again today, but I don't know what they will do to me. 

 

I have totally no idea what i am going to do now... 

[LexAnger]

Rain, my drug reaction symptoms are Severe DR, swollen head/hands, binding teeth, muscle twitches, extreme inner tension, too much sleep, sometimes coma like, then brain fried non- functional, allover burning/pricking pain they always subside or disappear immediately ( next day) to dose cut.

 

I don't have anxiety or depression, at least not obvious all these years. My WD symptoms are mainly numbness and pressure plus just recently paralyzed brain and body on the left from the huge drop. These flares up after I drop dose, also immediately.

 

The two set symptoms alternate around dose cutting, when one is in control the other is in background.

 

How about the other symptom? Those got worse immediately after taking he meds and restless leg and akathesia type?

 

If the current is immediate response to the dose cut,, it can be a good test of what symptoms are from what.

[Rain]

Rain, my drug reaction symptoms are Severe DR, swollen head/hands, binding teeth, muscle twitches, extreme inner tension, too much sleep, sometimes coma like, then brain fried non- functional, allover burning/pricking pain they always subside or disappear immediately ( next day) to dose cut.

I don't have anxiety or depression, at least not obvious all these years. My WD symptoms are mainly numbness and pressure plus just recently paralyzed brain and body on the left from the huge drop. These flares up after I drop dose, also immediately.

The two set symptoms alternate around dose cutting, when one is in control the other is in background.

How about the other symptom? Those got worse immediately after taking he meds and restless leg and akathesia type?

If the current is immediate response to the dose cut,, it can be a good test of what symptoms are from what.

Hi Lexanger:

 

You are lucky than me! I got both physical and psychological, but usually they come to me separately!

 

After the dose drop, i feel legs are good at the moment and akathisia not appear, but heart palp still there remains unchanged, panic attack starts yesterday but gone after eating. Heart palp still more than 100 bpm so I couldn't sleep again.

 

As I remember, after I dropped my dose of 20mg, my heart palpitations slowed down gradually within one month, after one month WD kicked in I believe. After 10 months hold I experienced windows and waves, windows getting much better, but right after akathisia coming out of blue, I got confused with this pattern...

[LexAnger]

I guess so Rain that Lexapro mainly messed me up with physical symptoms initially, even the mental nonfunctional was only added on AFTER my severe reaction in middle of tapering by an accidental dose increase ( the worst turn to the whole nightmare leaving me no option but dropping dose like crazy).

 

Good to know the symptoms I considered from drug side effects lessened so it sounds we wer niot wrong in that theory. It sounds anxiety is a WD symptom for you, and we have to wait and see about heart palpitations. Those got better should be from the drug.

 

If things move along well for some time, and you feel this strategy is worth of continuous trying, you may want to consider a even smaller drop.

 

I used to be able to drop 1% every week or 10 days to control the drug side effects, but over time, I had to drop more frequently until the last couple months I had to drop 1% everyday, eventually that was still not fast enough so I jumped like a CT to 0.07mg then was hit big by WD. I don't think I can do better though as the akathesia was way to strong I felt dying immediately if I put one more drop into my body.

 

My situation is an extreme exception, I use it Just to illustrate how the drug interact with body when in WD and reaction.

[Rain]

Hey Lexanger, just some happy news: Last night my heart palp was fast to 100 but it started to keep slow down to 78 bpm in the mid of the night, then I went sleep soundly and couldn't get up! System must be tired with this heart palp! I was happy after wake up because I at least had a very nice 9 hour sleep.

 

Sorry about you are struggling with your symptoms! Akathisia is my worst symptom as well, but I still can't tell this is my wd or reactions, this need to keep watching.

 

Hope you will get better!

[LexAnger]

Fabulous! Thanks for updating with such great news!

Keep the good work moving forward.

 

Hugs,

Lex

[Sertralinsomnia]

Hi Rain,

 

Hope you doing well. What about the panic? Does it still linger? Or did it calm down like the heart palpitations? I had the same thing, now is milder, but still happens.

[Rain]

Fabulous! Thanks for updating with such great news!

Keep the good work moving forward.

 

Hugs,

Lex

 

Many Thanks Lexanger, I will keep watch my pattern and decide if I need more dosage drops. 

 

Btw, You are in such a low dose, why not try jump off from the 0.07mg? Because I am guessing, 0.07mg needs very acurate measurement and even body might not absorb as acurate as this dose daily, so if the dosage is up and down everyday, will this cause unstable condition made you feel more WD symptoms?

 

Regards 

Rain

[Rain]

Hi Rain,

 

Hope you doing well. What about the panic? Does it still linger? Or did it calm down like the heart palpitations? I had the same thing, now is milder, but still happens.

Hi there, 

 

Thanks for writting to me, My panic attack was really bad yesterday, but today it totally disappeared, the heart palpitations are getting much better than yesterday, but still a bit. Are you still taking Zoloft? or you are suffering from WD symptoms?

 

Regards

Rain

[Sertralinsomnia]

Very remarkable rain about the panic, we will never understand how our CNS really works to adapt. Yes, i had to reinstate, but i reinstated to a dose that i didnt tolerate, and it was 2 mg, and this dose is pratically nothing acording to the so called doctors. But i only found some reilef at 0.5 mg of zoloft, and i am sticking with it, until symptoms free. Not gonna drop until symptoms free because if i am i would not let my CNS adapt first. So must wait. But of course everybody is different and each one of us must learn how to listen to our bodies, how it responds and act accordingly.

 

What was the panic like for you? Was it like a strange sensation coming from the brain giving the sensation of fright and fear? I feel like its a sensation starting on the right side of head, its weird

[Rose9975]

Hi Rain, I just wanted to say I'm happy to read today is a better day for you xx.I had a window today also keep holding until your brain & nervous system has healed xx

[Rain]

Very remarkable rain about the panic, we will never understand how our CNS really works to adapt. Yes, i had to reinstate, but i reinstated to a dose that i didnt tolerate, and it was 2 mg, and this dose is pratically nothing acording to the so called doctors. But i only found some reilef at 0.5 mg of zoloft, and i am sticking with it, until symptoms free. Not gonna drop until symptoms free because if i am i would not let my CNS adapt first. So must wait. But of course everybody is different and each one of us must learn how to listen to our bodies, how it responds and act accordingly.

 

What was the panic like for you? Was it like a strange sensation coming from the brain giving the sensation of fright and fear? I feel like its a sensation starting on the right side of head, its weird

 

Hi there,

 

I actually feel a bit not well again for today, I don't know if panic will come again or not, I am having my first meal now. 

 

Yes, exactly your description of the panic sensation, I also got very high heart palptations when going through this, the sensation starts from my whole head and down to the chest, stomach then to the feet! So feet will feel very weak, soft, tension, also hands and feet are extremely cold and numb tingling. Oh, and my back neck is cold and tense too, feels like its become like a hard rock. 

 

Btw, your panic starts from your meds adverse reactions or it's just your WD symptoms? 

 

Regards

 

Rain

[Rain]

Hi Rain, I just wanted to say I'm happy to read today is a better day for you xx.I had a window today also keep holding until your brain & nervous system has healed xx

 

Hi Rose, 

 

So nice to hear your better today, window is always the best thing for both you and me! 

 

You will have more and more windows, then one day you get stabilized, new life starts! 

 

So your current dose is 15mg of Lexapro? 

 

Regards

 

Rain

[Sertralinsomnia]

I think it is the changes that the SSRI in general make in your brain. The serotonin autoreceptors are downregulated due to chronic use of the antidepressant, when you stop to take it, and after some time, for some after months (protracted widhtdrawal) the nervous system reaches a point where it cannot deliver enough serotonin to important parts of the nervous system, because many autoreceptors are desensitized, "disabled", downregulated, as you will, when this happens, a bunch of weird things starts yo happen to your body, all that symptoms we are having. So is this widhtdrawal, or are the changes that the nervous system trying to restore? My belief is that this are changes on our serotonin system and now the nervous system is trying to adapt, to restore. Thats why the help of ghe low dose drug (reinstatement) helps to minimize the symptoms, because until the brain heals it self, you will still have those symptoms and thats why i believe it is useless to start any tapering until you are free of symptoms. I explained this idea in my introduction in my last post.

[Rain]

I think it is the changes that the SSRI in general make in your brain. The serotonin autoreceptors are downregulated due to chronic use of the antidepressant, when you stop to take it, and after some time, for some after months (protracted widhtdrawal) the nervous system reaches a point where it cannot deliver enough serotonin to important parts of the nervous system, because many autoreceptors are desensitized, "disabled", downregulated, as you will, when this happens, a bunch of weird things starts yo happen to your body, all that symptoms we are having. So is this widhtdrawal, or are the changes that the nervous system trying to restore? My belief is that this are changes on our serotonin system and now the nervous system is trying to adapt, to restore. Thats why the help of ghe low dose drug (reinstatement) helps to minimize the symptoms, because until the brain heals it self, you will still have those symptoms and thats why i believe it is useless to start any tapering until you are free of symptoms. I explained this idea in my introduction in my last post.

 

Thanks for the explanation! Well explanation! Only time can heal these distablization I believe. I hope both of us can survive this disaster! 

[Sertralinsomnia]

Yes we will, i hope. The explation i gave, is the result of my own experience and it is my opinion. I am sure time will favor my ideas about this. But there are some people who do recover making drops or jump off from the tapering, having still mild or tolerable symptoms, and they subside.

 

That is why the forum recomends you can start tappering even if symptoms are mild.

 

The admins here are very helpfull and give you good advices. But in the end, it is you who will see and feel what is the result of a reinstatement, or a result of a drop, and you already experience this couple if days.

 

Now i have to decide the next steps about tapering, so i gave you my opinion only, you may decide otherwise, and you and me will have to live with the decisions we make. So every opionion i give is not a medical advice, you have to speak with a medical profissional about this type of decisions or try to follow the recommendations on this forum.

 

Rememer you must make your own decisions and take responsability.

 

I have no doubt that if we do everything fine we will endure.

 

Now we have learn to listen to your body and act.

[LexAnger]

Many Thanks Lexanger, I will keep watch my pattern and decide if I need more dosage drops. 

 

Btw, You are in such a low dose, why not try jump off from the 0.07mg? Because I am guessing, 0.07mg needs very acurate measurement and even body might not absorb as acurate as this dose daily, so if the dosage is up and down everyday, will this cause unstable condition made you feel more WD symptoms?

 

Regards 

Rain

That's a valid consideration rain. But I'm in obvious Severe WD now much more severe than the drug side effects since down to 0.2 mg or so. These tiny doses are actually my life saver since then. As for dose accuracy, I am doing great with great multitude dilution.

 

How are you the past couple days?

[Rain]

Hi Lexanger:

 

Sorry to hear you are having Wd now, what's your WD Symptoms? Is there big difference between your reactions?

 

I was having two better days, my heart rate is obviously going down, but today, the symptom came back a bit, which i am worrying about it. I am worrying if symptom will getting worse again, as you know 2% cut is tiny, just some powder on the tablet. I am still wondering if I need to cut more or hold, it feels like the symptom is going back now.

 

Regards

Rain

[Rain]

Oh, unfortunately, the heart beat hit me again, now. I just slept for 1 hour and heart palp again! I don't know I need to keep reducing or it's WD I need hold, the symptom is still totally confusing me, It was better for 3 days, and now it come back again... But it still just doesn't like my normal WD symptoms, It's very strong, with lots of symptoms, such as no appetite, nausea, restlessness, red ears, totally insomnia, numbness hands and feet, etc... And feel panic is on the way, too!

 

I need some suggestions if I need to taper more or hold?

[Sertralinsomnia]

Hi Rain, i am just like you sleeped only an hour yesterday or less. Try to remove variables that could be interfering with absorption of the medicine. I was taking silica gel for my stomach during the last 4 days, and i think it is interfered with my medication absorption. I stopped to use this gel today and will not use it until i get better. Try to see what changed in your daily foods or suplements, etc from the days you were ok and now.

[Rain]

Hi Rain, i am just like you sleeped only an hour yesterday or less. Try to remove variables that could be interfering with absorption of the medicine. I was taking silica gel for my stomach during the last 4 days, and i think it is interfered with my medication absorption. I stopped to use this gel today and will not use it until i get better. Try to see what changed in your daily foods or suplements, etc from the days you were ok and now.

Hi Sertra:

 

Hugs! We are same insomnia, But my heart rate is incredible, it is too high, I believe, for me, it might be the meds reverse reaction, this usually happens after 4 hours of taking lexapro, but recently it went very bad, it didn't subside after 4 hours, really hard. 

 

I am still trying to figure out what's exactly happening to me, but it takes time to show up. 

 

Regards

 

Rain

[Rain]

Fabulous! Thanks for updating with such great news!

Keep the good work moving forward.

 

Hugs,

Lex

 

Hi Lexanger:

 

Some updates, 

 

I have had some relief days which I could have a nice long sleeps. The panic attack is totally gone, which is good, the heart palp is slowing down (usually 75-85bpm now). My appetite was back a bit yesterday as well. 

 

But I still feel some kind of agitated, restless feeling inside, especially today, after woke up, heart palp was fast to 105bpm, but slowed down to 80bpm in 2 hours. 

 

I have gradually cut 2% each time, so now I cut 8% of the dosage since last week. I am having 8.2mg now... It looks a very crazy fast drop, but I found some relief from this drop, I also worrying about if WD hits me hard. 

 

Do you hit by WD as soon as you drop your dose? and while you were doing quick taper, have you all the time feel the WD? 

 

Thanks 

 

Regards

Rain

[LexAnger]

Hi rain, glad to hear you are feeling much better with the taper!

 

Yeah, I believe I have been on constant WD and reaction with my fast taper but reaction is more intolerable so it has been the main driver to cut each time. To minimize WD, I only cut when I feel the reaction is flaring back up. My WD has been managable in the year long fast taper until I dropped way too fast from 0.8 mg to 0.06mg. I know it's impossible to have no symptoms for my case, so I just accept and push through each day for a whole year without any day of symptoms free. My major fear was one day the reaction was way too strong that I had to CT, which eventually happened when I got down to 0.8 mg when I started having akathesia type of feeling ( the worst in my opinion) so I had to jump. Now I'm experiencing major WD almost like CT, and the reaction subsided a lot since then in the past month, but it seems flaring up again even at this low dose, very incredible.

 

I played with the dose high and low various ways trying to stay on the drug as long as possible by spreading daily doses from morning to night in hourly intervals, adjusting the amount to take at each hour, and others I don't remember. I don't recommend this strategy to anyone and don't know if it worked in favor for the situation or not, I will never know I guess.

[LexAnger]

And to your question about if I had WD immediately after dropping. It was try and error all the time as how much, how often to drop to balance the two sides for the goal of controlling reaction while maintaining tolerable WD. somehow I managed Wd to be manageable most of the time with various reduction rates ( 1-10% holding different period from 0 day to 13 days, as detailed in my signature) As a matter of fact, I always feel better overall immediately after dropping dose until the last one to 0.06.

[Rain]

And to your question about if I had WD immediately after dropping. It was try and error all the time as how much, how often to drop to balance the two sides for the goal of controlling reaction while maintaining tolerable WD. somehow I managed Wd to be manageable most of the time with various reduction rates ( 1-10% holding different period from 0 day to 13 days, as detailed in my signature) As a matter of fact, I always feel better overall immediately after dropping dose until the last one to 0.06.

Many Thanks Lex! 

 

Hope you will be better soon!

 

Till now, I don't feel bad WD kicked in, because now it's all about the same symptoms which I feel they are all reactions. And the experiment shows, we might be right! But I still having restless feelings after woke up, mostly for all day long, I believe the meds reactions still not lessoned to a point that I can tolerate. I have done 8% in total cut within 2 weeks, so I am wondering If I can do more. But once I get reactions as bad as 4 days ago, the only choice for me is keep cut doesn't matter if WD kicks in badly. 

 

And also, can I ask, how long for you usually noticed the reactions started to flare up between a cut? 

 

Thanks!!! 

 

Rain

[LexAnger]

It changes over time, i started the fast taper from 3.2mg in February.2016, started with about 0.1 mg cut holding like 2 weeks or so, then over time, I could only hold 10 days, then 7 days, then eventually after reaching 0.9 mg I had to cut 1% everyday that's how I dropped to 0.06mg in two months.

 

I feel my severe reaction ( severe DR, coma like, blurred vision, then muscle twitches, super tightness binding teeth after 0.9 mg) was caused by multiple dose up and down in the past so it can be the worst case).

 

Basically I listened to my body for cutting time. It has been very confusing all the time before I figured out what is from what so I focused on the main symptoms that I'm sure about the cause. It's interesting that my body bounce back from WD symptoms rather fast, when its over, I know it's safe to do another cut.

 

I took notes every hour or less which helped a lot with understanding the puzzle.

You are at the beginning of the experiment, before you know how soon you will see WD symptoms, it may be safer to hold longer as long as the reaction is tolerable just in case the WD is delayed. I do agree if reaction gets too strong then you know it's time to cut again.

[Rain]

It changes over time, i started the fast taper from 3.2mg in February.2016, started with about 0.1 mg cut holding like 2 weeks or so, then over time, I could only hold 10 days, then 7 days, then eventually after reaching 0.9 mg I had to cut 1% everyday that's how I dropped to 0.06mg in two months.

 

I feel my severe reaction ( severe DR, coma like, blurred vision, then muscle twitches, super tightness binding teeth after 0.9 mg) was caused by multiple dose up and down in the past so it can be the worst case).

 

Basically I listened to my body for cutting time. It has been very confusing all the time before I figured out what is from what so I focused on the main symptoms that I'm sure about the cause. It's interesting that my body bounce back from WD symptoms rather fast, when its over, I know it's safe to do another cut.

 

I took notes every hour or less which helped a lot with understanding the puzzle.

You are at the beginning of the experiment, before you know how soon you will see WD symptoms, it may be safer to hold longer as long as the reaction is tolerable just in case the WD is delayed. I do agree if reaction gets too strong then you know it's time to cut again.

Hey Lex, a bad news is I have just hit by the meds reaction again, right after 4 hours, I feel I nearly pass out... I think the current dosage is still too stimilate to me, tomorrow might be a hard day again. Till now I still feel really bad! What I should do with that... 

 

Do you think it is possible that meds reaction and WD come out together? 

[Frogie]

Hi Rain-

 

Just stopped by to see how you are.

 

Hope you are doing better.

 

Take care,

Frogie xx

[LexAnger]

Hi rain, sorry to hear that.

Yeah, symptoms from WD and reaction can coexist. I'm still having both now, only WD is more severe at this dose.

Actually passing out was the symptom made me aware of the drug reaction problem. I was already taking the 3.2mg over several hours those days to lesson severe needling pain ( always show immediately after dosing for many years), the first 1/3 of liquid started making me passing out right after I take it, then gradually subside. The other 2/3 would be ok to take. Eventually I had to spread the dosing time from 10am to mid night to tip toe tiny doses the entire day.

[Rain]

Hi Rain-

 

Just stopped by to see how you are.

 

Hope you are doing better.

 

Take care,

Frogie xx

Thank You Frogie！

 

Hope you are doing well these days! 

 

Hugs

 

Rain

[Rain]

Hi rain, sorry to hear that.

Yeah, symptoms from WD and reaction can coexist. I'm still having both now, only WD is more severe at this dose.

Actually passing out was the symptom made me aware of the drug reaction problem. I was already taking the 3.2mg over several hours those days to lesson severe needling pain ( always show immediately after dosing for many years), the first 1/3 of liquid started making me passing out right after I take it, then gradually subside. The other 2/3 would be ok to take. Eventually I had to spread the dosing time from 10am to mid night to tip toe tiny doses the entire day.

 

Hi Lex, 

 

I am having a better day today, which is good! I started having lots of sleep and couldn't get up from the bed. 

 

I still feel heart palp after taking meds, but today feel less impact in my body, hope I am going to be alright soon. 

 

I actually did a dosing spread yesterday as well, but it made me hit by the reaction 3 times, then whole body just feel weird...  I put the tablet into my water bottle, put warm water and shake it. No matter how I tried, the Lexapro just formed into particles and couldn't disolve into water completely, so I drink it 1/3 as soon as I shaked it. I gave up spread dose at the moment. 

[Frogie]

 

Hi Rain-

Just stopped by to see how you are.

Hope you are doing better.

Take care,

Frogie xx

 

Thank You Frogie！

 

Hope you are doing well these da

 

 

 

Hugs

 

Rain

Rain:

 

I'm glad to hear you are doing better!

 

If I could get rid of my nausea I'd be good!

 

Take care,

Frogie xx