Somnambulator: Escitalopram withdrawal journey

[Somnambulator]

Currently off escitalopram as of the beginning of February 2018 after a rocky road with adverse reactions to ADs and a year of chopping and changing medications at my psychiatrists request, with no benefit to myself. Having been put on antidepressants for insomnia back in November 2016 I was soon sent into a hell of akathisia, suicidal ideation, severe depression and agitation. This led to an admission to a psych unit where various medications were tried to treat my ‘agitated depression’. After the 3rd or 4th change I ended up suffering from a brief psychosis. Eventually I was stabilised on Escitalopram but I was never better or back to where I was prior to ADs.

 

Slowly I have come off the ADs but I am struggling with the hell of withdrawal. I currently experience anhedonia, bone crushing depression and depersonalisation. As well as a whole host of cognitive/neuro complaints; confusion, memory troubles, balance issues. 

 

Of course all symptoms are being attributed to my ‘depression’. Im determined to stay off the medication but am struggling to see light at the end of the tunnel at the moment. 

 

So grateful to have found this community and I hope I can draw on the strength of others to get through this. 

 

 

[Gridley]

Hello, Somnambulator, and welcome to SA.  

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Please include information about how long you were on the Escitalopram, the dosage, and  the way you went off the the drug.  Did you taper and if so, at what rate.  Or did you 

cold turkey?

• Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

Your symptoms are known and acknowledged as common in withdrawal from SSRI medications and other neuro-psycho-active substances. 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

Regarding the issue of whether what you're experiencing is withdrawal or relapse, please read:

This post and Is it withdrawal or relapse?

 

When we take medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  Some people have found the information and explanations at these links helpful:

One theory of anti-depressant withdrawal syndrome

How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

It is understandable that you want to be drug-free. I do want to present an option should the withdrawal become too difficult to bear.  

 

At this time, reinstatement of a very small dose of the original drug is the only known way to help alleviate withdrawal syndrome.  The only other alternative is to try and wait out the symptoms and manage as best you can until your central nervous system returns to homeostasis.  Unfortunately no one can give you an exact timeline as to when you will start feeling better and while some do recover relatively easily, for others it can take many months or longer.  

 

Reinstatement isn't a guarantee of diminished symptoms for everyone but it's the best tactic available.  You're still in the time period where reinstatement most predictably works, up to 3 months after last dose.  It is best to reinstate as soon as possible after withdrawal symptoms occur. We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose.  Then, once you've stabilized on that dosage, you can begin a 10% per month taper down to zero.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Read Post #1 of this topic.  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Please let us know if reinstatement is something you want to consider and we will suggest a dosage.  

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but Iam glad that you found us.