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mysterium: Should I add Lexapro back in?


mysterium

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Hello, New Member Mysterium,

 

I have never been in a forum of this kind before, but I am happy to have found all of you, and read your stories. Thank you. 

 

I have been dealing with this on my own for a very long time. I have tapered off but as I am reading... probably WAY too fast. 

 

So right now not sure if I should ADD a small amt per day??? That is my biggest question.

 

 

Emotional/Physical: I am still getting myself to work, for walks, for what seems like normal but I feel like I am walking in a water tank, and my reactions and actions are surprising and devastating to me. Things

I would never say or do, ect. I am having a hard time typing this, so I know my ability or feeling like myself is not right.  Last time maybe 2010, I went of Lexapro was because it was too expensive and 

my doctor put me on Celexa for a week or two, that is when I had "these" symptoms in which the doctor told me were my "original" depression.  I did not believe him and ended up going back on

Lexapro and I felt myself again. I started getting tic's, sometimes it's hard to walk, it was hard to do anything, I even hit my garage with the car, because my foot jerked. SCARY. My doctor had taken

me off Welbutrin cold turkey 6 months ago. I didn't think I had having withdrawal systems from that.  My tic's are still happening but less and less often.

 

Thanks for the help.

Edited by scallywag
tags added

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi, Mysterium.

 

Welcome to SA. 

 

According to your signature, you stopped Lexapro on 9/16, which was yesterday. Is that correct?  If so, then yes, you may very well want to reinstate. 

 

Please let us know the rate that you tapered and what dose you came off of. 

 

Here are some links to get you started:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

And here is some information on what to expect during your taper and recovery:

 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 
 
The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Once we have more information about how quickly you tapered off the Lexapro, we can help you with a reinstatement amount. 

 

This thread is where you can update your symptoms and ask plenty of questions. I'm sure you'll find plenty of information and support here. 

 

 

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Thank you, Shep,

 

I was taking 10 mg, and it's hard to say exactly when I started tapering. I would say 2 months ago? I have a pill cutter, but I don't know "exact" amounts as I was slicing them best I could size wise.

 

I did reinstate 9/17, very small slices (I have the 20 mg tablets).  My symptoms definitely improved by the next day. Hard to believe that such a small amount has HUGE impact. Powerful drugs!  

 

Thank you for the links. I actually read them all when I signed up for this site, as four days ago I was in a completely different state of mind, and it was hard to type or comprehend it all.  Paranoid thinking loops and deep despair.

 

I noticed when I reinstated my tics came back almost immediately, yet not as severe as in the past. I didn't connect the tics and memory loss to Lexapro until recently and most helpful to find this site. My doctor would never confirm anything of the sort. I have an appointment with him for 6 month med check on 9/26.  I will ask him if he is willing to work with me to getting off of them, or if he can refer me to someone else. 

 

Thank you so much for this site, I can't tell you how much this means to me to have support. 

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

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I am looking for mg scales now, so my measurement and assessment will be more accurate. Does anyone have advice as to what to look for?

This is such a small amount, is it possible to weigh? or is there another method?

 

Thanks

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

You may find some suggestions for suitable digital scales here: Using a digital scale to measure doses

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

You may find some suggestions for suitable digital scales here: Using a digital scale to measure doses

 

Thanks scallywag, didn't see that post... ;)

 

I found one from American Weigh - GEMINI-20 Portable MilliGram Scale 20 bt 0.001 G

$20.00 US

 

 

 

Thanks

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

Link to comment

 

You may find some suggestions for suitable digital scales here: Using a digital scale to measure doses

 

Thanks scallywag, didn't see that post... ;)

 

I found one from American Weigh - GEMINI-20 Portable MilliGram Scale 20 bt 0.001 G

$20.00 US

 

 

 

Thanks

 

This scale is working well for me.

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

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1. Has anyone experienced tic's and odd body movements while taking Lexapro?  

 

2. Has anyone that is off of Lexapro, that had tic's find that the tic's still occur or have stopped?

 

3. Any supplements that you may have found helpful in lessening these?

 

Thank you.

Edited by scallywag
merged topics

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

mysterium: Here's a topic about Tardive dyskinesia and involuntary movements and one about Facial tics.

 

When you are looking for information about a symptom or a self-care technique, we suggest doing a google search on those words and adding "survivingantidepressants" as a search term.  You'll get a list of topics on this site where that word or combination of words appear.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

Thank you again for the direction. I was also hoping to connect/chat with "people" who have actually experienced this side-effect, as it happened a few years into taking Lexapro and

It was not just a withdrawal symptom, it was a effect.

 

If this site is not for connecting with similar experiences, perhaps i misunderstood. Thank you.

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

You absolutely CAN chat about your symptoms and experience with others.

We like to be able to refer people to information on a symptom or self-care technique. The most efficient way for us to do this is to have *one* topic/thread on a symptom where the discussion occurs.

Moderators and active members look at the introduction threads more often than other forums. To keep your information in one place, we have a "one introduction topic per member" policy. If you post your questions in your intro, more people will see it.

One way to find others who may have similar experiences with Lexapro is to leverage the tagging. You can either

  • click on the links at the bottom of your intro thread, on another topic with one of the same tags as this one,
  • click on a tag at the top of any intro page to see all other topics that have the same tag.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

Thanks again for your help scallywag, I get confused on how the threads work, quote or multiquote. It's  beenpart of my issue of not being able to focus. lol 

Thank you for being patient with me... it's a frustrating process.  Trying to be "okay" with not being, okay. :blink:

29 years on antidepressants 

1988-1990 Norpramine/Prozac/Norpramine -1991-2000 150 Welbrutrin 

2000-2004 10-20 Lexapro added-2004-2015 100 Buproprion & escitalopram oxalate (Lexapro generic)/.5-1.0 alpraolam for sleep

3/9/2015- buproprion dropped by doctor because of tics?

3/16-7/16 escitalopram Oxalate tapering/ .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep

9/1 - 9/16 completely off escitalopram

Withdrawl symptoms foggy head, memory loss (also causal) agitation, tic's, anxiety (later afternoon) depression, despair, hopelessness

9/17 reinstated escitalopram  (Lexapro generic) 5 mg.  also .5 -.75mg alprazolam for sleep.

1/25/2017 reinstated Buproprion 50 mg. I can't go off completely. Would have to quit my job and enter a hospital with support staff.

Best of luck to you all.

 

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