stanoly Posted March 8, 2017 Share Posted March 8, 2017 I asked for and started taking 10 mg Lexapro for social anxiety mid 2015. I don't think it's making much difference so decided to get off it. I thought it would take a few weeks on half dosage but this site has corrected that impression. i particularly like the parabolic graphs that show the need to take extra care at very low dosages. 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted March 8, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 8, 2017 Hi Stanoly and welcome to SA, Thank you for creating your signature. Did you ever try dropping by 50%? If yes, please add that to your signature. Or did you find the information about 10% tapering before that? If yes, great!!! Is Lexapro the only drug you are taking? So that we can offer suggestions based on your own situation please include all prescription, non-prescription drugs and supplements you are currently taking. Thank you. You might find these interesting and helpful. I know I have: Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery I will also give you some other links just in case you haven't yet seen them: Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization The only 2 supplements that SA recommends are Omega-3 Fish Oil and Magnesium. Try each one separately and only try a small amount to start with. There are a lot of existing topics and discussions on this site. To search the site I use google and type in survivingantidepressants.org + topic. It's good to get Non-drug techniques to cope under your belt: Acceptance Acceptance and Mindfulness Acupuncture - Posts #6 & #8 (not detox or stimulation) Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System "Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms Change cognitive framing - Redirect - Another Way Cognitive Behavior Therapy (CBT) for anxiety, depression Cognitive Behavior Therapy lessons Guided Meditations, Calming Videos, Sleep Hypnosis Yoga for calming (very simple poses can help greatly) This is your Intro/Update topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress. Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management Link to comment
stanoly Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Thanks CC I googled before making any changes to my dosage, today was day one of my taper. I use paracetamol and ibuprofen for aches and pains weekly. 900mg of aspirin at the onset of a migraine, I used to have an attack a year but it's increased to almost weekly, relationship stress I think, I read today that lexapro is specifically given to prevent migraine, that was a bit of a shock, it clearly isn't working for me I have used meloxicam a nsaid for wrist pain, my wrist improved after a month so I stopped as the dr requested. Great site and support, thanks. 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
stanoly Posted March 8, 2017 Author Share Posted March 8, 2017 Plus I take 10 mg of a statin to lower cholesterol 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted March 8, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 8, 2017 Hi Stanoly, welcome from me too, I am pleased to see that you googled and found your way here before starting your taper. CC has given you some valuable info that will help you have a successful taper. Please be careful taking aspirin and ibuprofen, as both tend to thin the blood and could cause bleeding if taken together, If you go to drugs.com and put yor drugs into the interactions checker it will tell you of interactions. https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted March 9, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 9, 2017 Hi Stanoly, I was taking Lexapro too, but came off it much too fast, so now I get to 'enjoy' protracted withdrawal, so I'm glad you found this site before starting your taper. You will avoid lots of suffering. Something I wanted to mention was that my migraines increased when I was on anti-depressants, as did a lot of other common little physical issues which I experienced occasionally. Antidepressants seem to be prescribed for almost everything these days from normal emotions, to unexplained pain and menopause, but more often than not, they don't help and in fact cause a lot of the symptoms they are given for. I wanted to share my little migraine remedy. At the first sign of a migraine I would take 2 aspirin, 2 panadol and a strong cup of coffee. They seemed to work synergistically to stop the migraine in its tracks. Maybe one aspirin and one panadol with the coffee would have worked too, but that's what I used to do. I rarely get migraines now that I'm off the lex. But for some people, migraines can also be a withdrawal symptom as well as being a side effect. Our nervous system and brain chemistry can really get messed up by taking psychiatric drugs, its like tinkering with our operating system without knowing what we are doing. Social anxiety is fairly common, could actually be considered normal in certain circumstances. Or culture tends to put unrealistic expectations on us, to measure up to impossible standards in all areas of life. Some people are just not as naturally social as others. Its not an illness to be different. There are much healthier ways to manage difficult aspects of life, maybe CBT and/or lifestyle changes. I'm also wondering if your relationship stress started soon after you started taking Lexapro. These drugs have a way of changing personalities, slowly at first so you don't really notice. They numb emotions, cause apathy, can make you lose your passion and feelings of love. They have been the ruin of many good relationships. Just something which occurred to me as I was reading your post. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
stanoly Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 Just updating with thoughts so far. I'm tapering a little faster than 10% per month. I'm hoping I'll be ok as: I'm older, so my brain was fully formed I don't have a long history of using and only used the one type of psych drug I'm not suffering any symptoms from the 'glen mullen' list beyond mild, only a few of those and nothing I didn't have before starting using I've started using DailyO to track mood and hopefully it's flexible enough to track symptoms I wouldn't say I was under any pressure but there is an expectation from my support that I could just quit in a few weeks If I wanted to. I won't do that as I expect it to get harder from now I just cut the pills with a knife which isn't very accurate planning to reduce to 1/2, 1/4 1/8 and flakes of a 10mg tablet added in combinations in mg 5, 3.75, 2.5, 1.9, 1.25, 0.6, 0.3 ?? may stick to a month as the decreases are larger than suggested 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted May 10, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 10, 2017 I recommend the Gemini 20 scale, available on Amazon, for more accurate measurement, especially when you get down to the low doses. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
stanoly Posted May 10, 2017 Author Share Posted May 10, 2017 Ordered. 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
stanoly Posted September 11, 2017 Author Share Posted September 11, 2017 Off lexapro for a few days now. Going OK. Last drop was from 1mg! I'm ramping up my meditation, going to a 10 day retreat soon and determined to maintain afterwards. Done in 6 months, Hooray!! 10 mg Lexapro - August 2015 to Feb 2017 9 mg Lexapro - 8 th March '17 7.5 mg Lexapro - 6th April '17 6.0 mg Lexapro - 5th May '17 5.0 mg Lexapro - 15th May '17 4g Lexapro - 1st June '17 (cut and weighed with scales) 3g Lexapro - 21st June '17 2g Lexapro - 26th July '17 1g Lexapro - 18th August '17 Link to comment
Madeleine Posted September 11, 2017 Share Posted September 11, 2017 Congratulations! Good to hear the taper went well. Sounds like you are in the know and are going to take it easy over the next few months, which is great. It's important to be mindful of how you feel in the months ahead -- as some people get delayed withdrawal, even a few months down the line. You weren't on too long, just two years, so most likely you will be fine. Unfortunately, when I got delayed withdrawal, I panicked. My symptoms were not too bad, but I did not realize what was happening. Panicking was a huge mistake -- as I ended up reinstating on a huge dose and had to start tapering all over again :-( So, it's good that you are going to a retreat. Watch for any symptoms and make sure to take it easy and relax over the few months. And, I look forward to reading about your experiences in the Success Stories section of this Forum. With very best wishes! M. 200 Zoloft; 10 mg Zyprexa; 4 mg valium as of May 2021; Valium taper: July 16: 3.5 valium; July 30: 3 mg (paused valium taper); Aug. 23: 2.5 mg Zyprexa: July 26: 8.75 mg; Aug. 9: 7.5 mg; Aug. 30: 7.1 mg ------- Dec 1, 2016. 10 mg zyprexa for 1.5 month. Started taper mid-Jan. 2017. Cut 1.25 mg every 2 weeks; smaller cuts 2.5 mg down. Stopped at .6 mg. May 7, 2017: zyprexa free. Zoloft: Dec1, 2016, 200 mg. Started taper: Jun12, 2017: 197.5 mg; Jun19,:195 mg; July 2:185mg; July 9,:180 mg; July16,: 175; July 23: 170; July 30: 165; Aug6: 160; Aug13: 155; Aug. 20: 150; Aug.27: 146 mg; Sept3: 145 mg; Sept10:143 mg; Sept17:140 mg....Nov5: 122 mg...Dec3:112.5 mg; Jan14, 2018: 95 mg...Jan28: 90 mg; Feb21:80 mg; Mar11: 75 mg; May2:70 mg; May15: 68 mg; May28: 65 mg; Jun9: 62 mg;Jun25: 60 mg:July22: 55 mg; Aug25: 45 mg. Aug28: 50 mg...Oct 28: 38 mg; Dec.4: 30 mg; Jan8,2019: 25mg; Feb6: 23.5 mg; Apr1:17.5mg; May1:1 mg; May 5: 18; May 18:15mg; June 16:12.5mg; Sept 10:11 mg; Sept.16:10 mg; Oct. 1: 9mg; Nov. 27: 8mg; Dec.5: 7mg; Jan.1,2020, 6 mg; Feb1: 5 mg; May 1: 2.5 mg; Jn 1: 2 mg; Jy 1: 1.5 mg Link to comment
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