Snicole82: Lexepro 10mg One Time

[Snicole82]

Hi all,

 

I took Lexepro 10mg Wednesday night around 10pm. By 3am, I was waking from a night terror. Hearing things. The doctor told me not to take another one. From then on, I've experienced chills, waves of anxiety worse than what Inhad before, teeth clenching to the point of biting my tongue, insomnia, absolutely no appetite, and just a feeling of malaise. I have this sensation that keeps going from my feet to my chest in which it radiates. 

 

PLEASE tell me this will stop. How long does this stay in your system?  My family is just advising me to ride it out. I feel like the Lexepro did some damage. I should not be feeling this way from ONE pill. The doctor said one pill will not have withdrawals.

 

Please tell me this will stop. It's been 3 days. The jaw clenching is better, but I want my appetite and this chill sensation to stop.

 

Best Regards, 

Shanna 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

Hi Snicole,

 

Welcome to SA.  I'm sorry that you are feeling so badly after taking 1 Lexapro.  It sounds like you may have had an adverse reaction.

 

Could you Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Please include ALL drugs (included drugs you are/have taken that are not antidepressants), dates, doses and how you decreased/increased.  Knowing your drug history will allow the staff to offer suggestions based on your individual situation.

 

"worse than what Inhad before"  Could you please give more details about this and what happened before?  Had you taken or stopped another drug?  Thank you.

 

What was the reason for you taking the Lexapro? 

 

The more knowledgeable staff should be along soon.  They might have some more questions to ask you.

[KarenB]

Hello Snicole,

 

You're right, it's crazy how potent a drug can be.  From what I've seen on SA, very occasionally a person does have a fast and bad adverse reaction.  You did the right thing stopping it straight away.  Sometimes it can take 4-7 days for changes in dosage to take hold, and you are on day three so there's room for improvement yet. 

 

It will end - that the jaw-clenching has improved a little is a good sign.  I'd encourage you to write down your symptoms daily, and rate their severity so you can monitor how things are going for you.  Some symptoms can take longer to fade away, e.g. insomnia, but the intensity should start to lessen. 

.

What you really want to do over the next week or so is take life really easy.  Bump up the soothing activities - eg a hot bath with epsom salts to help your muscles relax, a gentle short walk, listen to guided meditations, wrap yourself in a soft blanket.  Eat as healthy as you can - coffee, alcohol, sugar etc can all make symptoms worse.  See this thread for more ideas:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/

 

Be sure to come back to this thread and ask more questions and let us know how you are.

 

Welcome to SA,

Karen

[Snicole82]

Hi there -  I  hope I filled out the signature correctly.

 

Well, ended back in the ER last night. Diagnosis, anxiety.

 

They said Lexepro is not in my system anymore.  I think it still is. After I left the doctor, had flu-like symptoms of diarrhea, body chills, and sweating. I was able to sleep somewhat. 

 

Thank you both for your encouraging posts.

 

Best Regards, 

Shanna 

[Snicole82]

Hi - Forgot to mention that the reason for me taking Lexepro was for GAD and panic attacks.

[Dan998]

Hi Snicole,

 

The doctors at the ER were wrong. The half life of Lexapro is 32 hours. This means that half of your dose is eliminated every 32 hours.  If you took 10mg on wednesday, then you would still have a couple of milligrams floating about in your body on saturday. It takes about 9 days for a single dose of lexapro to be totally flushed out of your system. So, I suspect you will probably be feeling the effects for a few days yet.

 

Its obvious that you are very sensitive to SSRI's and should stay away from them in the future. Think of this as a good thing, because antidepressants don't really work any better than a placebo and long-term use will cause all sorts of health problems. It might seem like you're in a bad place right now, but you've had a lucky escape.  

 

You'll need to find alternative ways of dealing with your anxiety and panic attacks. We have a section here at SA that is full of helpful suggestions - Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms. 

 

Best of luck and I hope that you feel better soon.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Snicole.

 

As Dan noted, some people have immediate adverse reactions to SSRIs, which can last for a long time even when the drug has completely worn off. It sounds like you are one of those people.

 

You will recover very, very gradually. See our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/for suggestions about how to cope with symptoms.

 

Many people do better with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/
http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/
 

Both can help anxiety and induce relaxation.

[Snicole82]

Thanks everyone!  

 

I'm starting to feel better. Was able to sleep without jaw clenching.  Able to get up a bit.  Standard anxiety, nothing like before. 

 

Still no appetite and th warm/cold sensations are becoming fewer. 

 

I think I'm on the road to healing. 

 

Meds should completely be out of my system by mid-week.

 

I'm going to look at other ways to handle this and probably change my doctor.

 

Thanks everyone! 

[KarenB]

Glad to hear you are feeling a bit better Snicole - that should continue.  Just keep taking care of yourself - and your precious brain!