Moderator Emeritus JanCarol Posted January 6, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 6, 2017 Hey Mellie - I'm sorry that your Lexapro didn't work - it was not the drug that was used before, so it didn't hit the same receptors, and it sounds like it agitated a few, too. You are over a year out from your last prozac. It would be difficult to recommend a reinstatement, but if you get desperate through your treatment, it is the one you should try - maybe just 2.5 mg prozac would help. If you had been tapering since Nov 2015, you would be down to about 4 mg right now. Prozac is available in a liquid, as well, for easy tapering, later. I'm sorry for what you've been through. I've heard about the Tamoxifen, my Mom had an option to not take it, so she did not - but not everyone feels comfortable with that. It's a risk / benefit that each individual must weigh up. I cannot imagine the stress of what you are experiencing. I can share with you that I had a total hysterectomy and was thrown into immediate menopause. While that's given me some long term endocrine problems (combined with what the drugs did to my thyroid etc.) - going into menopause overnight was not nearly as traumatic as I thought it would be. In many ways, it was a relief! Maybe it will be that way for you, too. I hope you are feeling better soon. "Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again. My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices. A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia. CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013. Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine). Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 - Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years on Lithium). Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made. The tedious thread (my intro): JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium The happy thread (my success story): JanCarol - Undiagnosed Off all bipolar drugs My own blog: https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/ I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016! Link to comment
Mellie Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 I'm now wondering if I stopped the Lexapro too soon. I've also been taking a very powerful antibiotic (same family as Cipro) and I think that may have been amplifying my symptoms. I've noticed that after I take it, I get very anxious and agitated. Only on it for a few more days. Thank God! I would love to try a reinstatement of Prozac, but it doesn't mix with tamoxifen! My choices are Effexor (no thanks!), Celexa, or Lexapro. It's just scary because so many women who are on tamoxifen without a history of depression or withdrawal problems need an antidepressant to deal with the side effects of the drug. I feel like I'm between a rock and a hard place. No good answers. Trying to figure out the best path forward is so stressful and anxiety-producing, but I appreciate everyone who has offered me advice and support. 1998-2002 - High dose of Luvox for 4.5 years. Rapid taper over a couple of months in early 2002. Not much withdrawal issues, other than increased irritability and mood lability for a few months. 2005 - Brief trial of Wellbutrin. Stopped taking it after a few months with no problems. 2008 - Started fluoxetine (Prozac), 10 mg. Took this dose for several years. At some point upped the dose to 20 mg and maintained until late 2015. November 2015 - Cold turkeyed off of Prozac 20 mg. Experienced low energy, lack of motivation, irritability, but these were symptoms I was experiencing while still on the SSRI (albeit to a lesser degree). May 2016 - 6 months later, late-onset withdrawal symptoms appear. Severe anxiety, insomnia, dread, unprecedented feelings of hopeless depression, suicidal ideation, bouts of crying, nausea, loss of appetite, akathisia (feeling like I'm vibrating internally, but no need to move). June - September 2016 - Symptoms continue. Mostly waves, but some windows. Some recovery. October - November 2016 - Diagnosed with breast cancer. Handled fairly well, but resorted to benzos for sleep in the week prior to surgery. Following surgery, was pretty out of it for 3 weeks on pain pills and antibiotics. December 2106 - Withdrawal symptoms back with a vengeance, especially anxiety, insomnia, suicidal ideation, and depression. Oncologist prescribed 10 mg Lexapro. Took 2.5 mg for 2 weeks, but felt it was making anxiety worse, so stopped. January 2016 - Restarted 2.5 mg Lexapro after realizing it was the antibiotic I was taking that was making things worse, not the SSRI. Have stabilized to a large degree. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted January 7, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted January 7, 2017 Effexor is tricky and annoying because of its short 4-hr half-life. The implication of that is you need to be very disciplined about taking it at the same time each day. What are your concerns about it? Celexa (citalopram) is the "parent" drug of Lexapro (escitalopram). Of the two, the less potent Celexa *may* be somewhat easier to taper than Lexapro. 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 IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Mellie Posted January 7, 2017 Author Share Posted January 7, 2017 Effexor was the first drug I actually tried way back in the day. Was on it for less than a week and didn't like it at all. It made me incredibly drowsy. All I did was sleep (which now that I have withdrawal insomnia, doesn't sound so bad, but still...). Also, it's notorious for difficulty withdrawing and they don't have a liquid for tapering. The liquid option of Lexapro is why I opted for that over Celexa. 1998-2002 - High dose of Luvox for 4.5 years. Rapid taper over a couple of months in early 2002. Not much withdrawal issues, other than increased irritability and mood lability for a few months. 2005 - Brief trial of Wellbutrin. Stopped taking it after a few months with no problems. 2008 - Started fluoxetine (Prozac), 10 mg. Took this dose for several years. At some point upped the dose to 20 mg and maintained until late 2015. November 2015 - Cold turkeyed off of Prozac 20 mg. Experienced low energy, lack of motivation, irritability, but these were symptoms I was experiencing while still on the SSRI (albeit to a lesser degree). May 2016 - 6 months later, late-onset withdrawal symptoms appear. Severe anxiety, insomnia, dread, unprecedented feelings of hopeless depression, suicidal ideation, bouts of crying, nausea, loss of appetite, akathisia (feeling like I'm vibrating internally, but no need to move). June - September 2016 - Symptoms continue. Mostly waves, but some windows. Some recovery. October - November 2016 - Diagnosed with breast cancer. Handled fairly well, but resorted to benzos for sleep in the week prior to surgery. Following surgery, was pretty out of it for 3 weeks on pain pills and antibiotics. December 2106 - Withdrawal symptoms back with a vengeance, especially anxiety, insomnia, suicidal ideation, and depression. Oncologist prescribed 10 mg Lexapro. Took 2.5 mg for 2 weeks, but felt it was making anxiety worse, so stopped. January 2016 - Restarted 2.5 mg Lexapro after realizing it was the antibiotic I was taking that was making things worse, not the SSRI. Have stabilized to a large degree. Link to comment
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