TriD: tapering from antidepressant after short term use

[TriD]

I went through a high stress period for 3 months when i was diagnosed by my psychiatrist with Adjustment Disorder due to marked events in my life at the time which caused me non stop severe panic attacks, anxiety and major depression.

 

I took escitalopram starting at 10mg to 25mg over 6weeks. Now my life is sorted amd problems gone, i want to ask advice as to how i should taper off the drug as i feel i dont need them anymore.

 

Q. Do i need to slow taper as my use was only 6week mainly on 15mg and 20mg. I understand some people are on the drug for years, while i was only ever them this once due to my marked event due to stress. I dont have a history of GAD, OCD, DEPRESSION. im male 43yo and medium weight.

 

I also dont use drugs, smoke or drink.. And im perfectly strong and healthy without any chronic health problems.

 

Just want to know if i need to taper if its only 6weeks on escitalopram?

 

Thanks

Tri

[ChessieCat]

Hi TriD and welcome to SA,

 

I'm really pleased that you found SA before starting to get off your drug.  Unfortunately many of our members usually end up here because they are in difficulties from trying to get off too quickly.

 

To start with please create your drug signature.  Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please.  Thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

Generally SA's recommended method to get of a psychiatric drug is to taper by no more than 10% of the current dose with a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Unfortunately, six weeks is enough time for your brain to have adapted to getting the drug.  However, if you have not previously taken any psychiatric drugs, then you may be able to taper faster.

 

When we reduce a dose we can sometimes experience some mild withdrawal symptoms as the brain gets used to a lower dose.  This is reasonably normal.  If the withdrawal symptoms are more than mild than it means you are reducing too much/too quickly and will need to slow down.  It's important to listen to your body and your symptoms.  It's a good idea to keep daily symptom notes so that you can be objective about them.

 

It's important to note that as your dose gets lower you may need to slow down.  This topic is helpful for understanding this:   Why taper paper: dose-occupancy curves

 

This is your own Introduction topic where you can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

I will check with the other mods about what size reduction you could try.

 

LINKS:

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?  

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

 

Edited January 8, 2019 by ChessieCat
added occupancy link

[ChessieCat]

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[ChessieCat]

During any taper, there will be times of discomfort.  We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, TriD.

 

When was your last dosage increase? If more than a month ago, you'd be wise to taper at 10% and see how it goes.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) 

 

 

[TriD]

Thanka for reply Altostrata.

 

I was starting from initial 20mg lexapro tapering about 3weeks ago. I know its 2x the strength of citalopram. The initial 5mg increment drops were ok 20 to 15mg to 10mg. Over 3 weeks. I take it every day. But from 10mg - 5mg i started to experience widthdrawal effects. Ive been on 5mg for 5 days. I understand from your link there is a steep drop in concentration at lower doses, at current 5mg im feeling fine. So i will drop slowly to zero at 25% every 4days and monitor if i need to take smaller increments or more time needed for each step drop. Im pretty good with this drug and it doesnt cause me major peaks amd throughs.. Hope to be 0mg in 2-4 weeks.

 

I only took escitalopram/lexapro for 6weeks but based on my research anything over a month requires tapering.

 

Thanks

[Altostrata]

4 minutes ago, TriD said:

I understand from your link there is a steep drop in concentration at lower doses, at current 5mg im feeling fine. So i will drop slowly to zero at 25% every 4days

 

Please do NOT do this. This is not "slowly" after your fairly drastic dosage decreases. You already got a red flag when you experienced withdrawal symptoms before.

 

If I were you, I'd stay at 5mg for a month, let your nervous system rest, then reduce by 10%, as in Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Do NOT count on being able to updose if things go wrong, sometimes you can't get back to stability.

[TriD]

Okay thanks i will stay on the 5mg for a month

[TriD]

Hi, ive been on lexapro / escilatopram mainly 10mg and 20mg for around 6weeks due to a marked event that trigger a nervous breakdown resulting in panic attacks, anxiety and major depression.

 

Now im tapering at 5mg. i had a stessor today at work during a negative review of my performance which i took pretty badly mentally.

 

I was a bit surprise my body reacted so poorly to it, a strong burning and tightening from inside my chest that ran up to my neck and tingly all the way down my harms, followed by dizzying headaches

...felt i was losing control in the grip of fear and anger. Which i never did in the past.

 

My question is, while on ADs does your nervous system recover strength or does it remain weaken as the drugs work to buffer you from shocks?

 

And.. After ive tapered and off all drugs will my strength and composure return? I hope this isnt permamet because i dont want a future instance like this have such a profound impact on triggering such an anxiety reaction, when in the past i was far more resilient, today it was so sensitive that i went back into an anxiety attack so easily, i was surprised it was still possible.

 

Whats the expected recover time? And also to return ones nervous system to full strength

 

Thanks

Tri

[ChessieCat]

From are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

Stability

 

stabilizing-what-does-that-mean

[TriD]

Hi, I look lexapro 10-20mg for about 2months then tapered off to zero on the third month. nov 18 - jan 19. Was also taking mirtazapine (remeron) 4mg to sleep during that time.

I went off remeron cold turkey at 4mg 4 weeks ago, and got withdrawals about 1 week after last dose.

its been pretty bad, but each week its improving, do you think my progress is getting to full recovery?

 

week 1 - got a bad flu and also stomach pains which lasted 7 days then all cleared

week 2 - got depression most of the day, a lot of brain zaps (mainly a tugging feeling rather than zaps) , near loss of all appetite, had to force myself to eat, high lethargy 

week 3 - depression during the morning bad but clears towards night, depersonalisation, brain zaps easing, sleep is getting better, dizzyness and light headedness, agitation and anger

week 4 - depression morning to noon but clears after that then feel normal, some depersonaisation, brain zaps near gone, some appetitite returning and actually feeling hungry now but slowly returning

week 5 - ? waiting to see what happens next week

 

Other - sensitivity to noise, smells, crowds. some ringing in ear, face is oily (like when i started lexapro), some headache all over head, wobbly legs at times

 

didnt get much anxiety apart from psychological as the symptoms do make me fearful.. but ive accepted the symptoms as wait and see.

 

if things begin to relapse, i might restart my small dose of lexapro, but not remeron as most of my WD symptoms are remininscent of remeron and I think it is the main contributor to my symptoms.

 

I guess I want to ask what people think about my progress? and maybe get some reassurance? as im new to this an a bit confused and concerned. My psychiatrist said im okay to just keep going cold turkey as i decided to do it anyway, or i can go back on my lower doses

I'm keeping up okay, but it is challenging

 

Edited March 6, 2019 by ChessieCat
unbolded deitalicised

[ChessieCat]

It helps us to help you when we can see your drug history at a glance.  As previously requested:

 

Please create your drug signature.  Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please.  Thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[TriD]

Sensitive to Nootropic supplements and adverse effect

 

Hi wondering if somone can assist

 

I was on lexapro 6months now 6weeks off on 0mg after taper.

 

I tried various nootropics recently while off lexapro for some time to help with some symptoms of WD...but while I had initial positive effect.. I have bad reaction shortly after the good effects...usually anxiety, agitation, mood and confusion which last over 10hrs and longer for 1-2 days. 

 

I tried SAMe, tryptophan, 5htp, sjw, cbd oil, gaba etc. and had the same bad reaction ...

Even coffee i get bad headaches after half a cup.

 

I know its the supplements as i feel quite normal when not taking them. I feel my body is reacting to the nootropics. But not sure whats going on. Maybe some help pls?

The reaction is also quite extreme and prolonged. In the past i never had problems with supplements.

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

We have topics on all of the things you have listed.

 

Copy and paste the following individually in google:

 

survivingantidepressants.org supplements

survivingantidepressants.org SAMe

survivingantidepressants.org tryptophan

survivingantidepressants.org 5htp

survivingantidepressants.org St Johns Wort

survivingantidepressants.org cbd

survivingantidepressants.org gaba

survivingantidepressants.org caffeine

 

[TriD]

Withdrawal symptoms occur only at 0mg

 

Just wondering if anyone experience this.

 

i was on lexapro 10-20mg for 6months. I tapered quite fast over 6weeks. For all the drops I noticed no adverse symptoms. I’m convinced that the PET scan research is correct in that serotonin receptors will be largely blocked at even low doses. As such a 20mg vs 5mg dose of lexapro has little difference  eg. 80% vs 60% blockade of receptors makes little difference.

 

the exponential rise at low doses seems consistent with my experience, hence the very slow tapering at low doses eg. 10% of the prev dose per month etc.

 

my question is, I experience no problems at all until I actually went to zero. My theory is that even at my lowest dose 2.5mg there is a receptor blockade of 50%. 

 

But 2.5mg to 0mg is a big 50% steep drop.then 2 days later I start experiencing all the WD symptoms.

 

thus I suggest people try first to taper fast at high doses to assist with psychological effect and morale if they have few symptoms and then hit the brakes at low doses. There doesn’t seem a justified reason to go at 10%  at high doses as you can be wasting up to 12months unnecessarily and causing attrition 

 

Edited June 2, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[TriD]

Hi ,

 

my story is short and not as painful but i decided to join this site.

 

Was put on lexapro last november after suffering panic attacks due to Adjustment Disorder,  - new job, relocated to another state, difficulty with real estate agents, move caused a lot of fatigue, difficulty finding accomodation, starting new job.

I ended up on lexapro 10mg - 20mg for about 6months.

Note: ive never been on drugs at all in my life, until recently, Im 43 now. Only diagnosis from therapists as having mild to moderate anxiety and social anxiety.

 

I thought it would be an easy thing, get on meds, get well, get off meds.

 

But since the last 2months I have had problem getting off the medication without very bad discomfort.

 

Im now on 0mg for the last 6weeks and fighting on. I had all the usual withdrawal symptoms and also the psychological impact and fear from things ive never experienced before, and unrelenting daily depression, anxiety, derealisation, headches, zaps and so on.

 

I hope these symptoms will go away..and I can go back to my normal life. Right now, my body is very sensistive, I can only talk to people for about 15min before I feel overwhelmed and need to lie down.

Before this i was very strong, I was travelling backpacking around europe just last year, today i feel totally helpless i can barely hold down a job or travel very far.

 

 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

2 Introduction topics merged

[ChessieCat]

You might want to consider reinstating a very small amount.  Please read Post #1 of this topic:  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

You might find that 0.5mg or 1mg of Lexpro reduces your withdrawal symptoms.

[TriD]

thanks ChessieCat,

 

I would consider that if my symptoms become unbearable.

 

But I have been doing some deductions in what ive been taking... I am still taking BComplex and Fish Oil, I believe I B vitamin is causing me these problems, I might ditch the fish oil and go supplement free.

 

This is because ive had pretty bad reactions to ALL supplements ive taken recently, and thanks to this website I realise that the body can be easily agitated by even small doses of these things. I experienced this.

 

I will see if things improve when I go totally off vitamins and supplments and just eat whole foods. Also now watching what foods I eat and seeing how my body reacts.

 

Bear in mind up until 2 weeks ago I didnt realise the body is be this sensitive, I was eating junk food like pizza and KFC, and then would spend the entire day feeling very agitated and my brain would twitch like crazy, mood would swing.

 

But the only option i think is to go back to a micro dose of lexapro if required and then continue my withdrawal after i get some respite..

 

 

[TriD]

Just add my bit..

 

i managed to to trace a lot of it to supplements I was taking, now on no supplements. Here is my list

 

5HTP - makes me feel calm for 1-2hrs at small 25mg, then anxiety and agitation sneaks up and stays like that for 12hrs

SJW - felt little mood improvement, the hrs late feel very sad, like my pet dog just died. 

SAMe - took 200mg tablet, bad effect occurs few hrs later anxiety agitation

fish oil - Same agitation after some initial relief, face gets oily sebum

vit b - causes agitation lasts for hours

tryptophan - worse than 5HTP only taking 50mg was enough to ruin entire day

GABA - first 2 days on 100mg then 3rd day on 300mg cause massive flu like symptoms for 2 days, could barely get out of bed. Then suddenly clears

valerian - used to have no problems but causes calmness then spikes of anxiety

melatonin - unsure but I believe it may cause morning depression and sadness

CBD oil - 2 drops..stress and obsessive thoughts go down but followed by anxiety

 

 

as of now I take no supplements due to sensitivity, it took 3 weeks of trial and error conclusion is body doesn’t like any direct interference with balance.

[ChessieCat]

I've moved the post about supplements from the B vitamins topic to this one:

 

supplements-what-helps-what-doesnt

 

Each/most of the supplements you mention in the post have their own topic.  I suggest that you post your experience of that supplement in the relevant topic.

 

I use google and add survivingantidepressants.org to my search term.

[TriD]

lexapro withdrawal story

 

Hi just want to put my story forward.

 

Oct 2018 relocated to new state and new job, got fatigued and stressed, struggled till mid Nov when I started getting recurring panic attacks.

 

was prescribed 10mg lexapro from psychiatrist, then after 1week upped to 20mg

took this till early Jan 2019 (about 2months on drug) and started taper..6wks total. but got bad WD soon after 0mg, and struggled for 3weeks to see if it would pass, but it got worse

 

reinstated 10mg March 3weeks felt better then tapered again over 4weeks. 

0mg April 20th got insomnia and nightmares.

 

total time on drug 4-6months inc tapering time

 

now June 7th still have weak tolerance to stress and morning depression.. also just lost my job due to company layoffs.. feel bit lost and lonely as I have no friends or family in new state (Sydney Australia)

 

only support is my psychiatrist who keeps telling me to go back on lexapro ..my psychologist who is supportive but doesn’t understand antidepressants and withdrawals 

 

i feel mostly fine  if I am not stressed but it goes downhilll and all WD symptoms return. Morning depression is quite bad...

 

i also research a lot and obsess about my symptoms and have high anxiety over all this, wish it would just be over and heal, want my old life back. Lexapro removed my panic but also caused me to suffer many months...wish I can get well and back to 100%

 

thanks

 

Edited June 7, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

merged 2 Introduction topics

[TriD]

On 6/4/2019 at 8:24 PM, TriD said:

The title information has been very valuable to me.

 

i have found my symptoms of what I consider the brain have mostly gone and is now replaced by symptoms that are fight-flight in nature.

 

the symptoms that I feel are related to upregulation of receptors have seem to cleared, I even believe that my brain has completely restored itself, as I was on SSRI for only 6 months overall.

 

the issue I have now seem CNS related and it’s usually the agitation and anxious jittery type feeling, unable to focus or stay still, it’s like being in a nervous state without external factors causing it, it comes and goes but it is mild.

 

this also influences my thoughts, an anxious body will create anxious thoughts. Sometimes I feel like someone with GAD, although before SSRI I was a very cool customer.

 

ive tested the idea with taking a myriad of supplements, ie. nootropics and also vitamins..they have initial calming effects followed by the contradictory effects for hrs following, and this I believe is the triggering of the autonomous fight flight mechanism. I even reduce my doses eg. 5HTP to 20% of the recommended dose and got quite severe reaction which could last a day, and the reaction feels very CNS and not like WD symptoms,

 

another is low resislience, when I am having a nice conversation with friends I will suddenly feel agitated, spaced out and numb, and the need to lie down after 15 mins of stimulation.the same occurs with stress, the tolerance level is quite low, compared to my normal self before SSRI, I could have hr long heated debates or party all night, even backpack across Europe for months. The shocks were easily shouldered. I am surprised that coming off lexapro left me in such a weakened state, I can barely enjoy a conversation for more than 15 min before feeling overwhelmed.

 

i can only give this time and hope I recover, as said, the paradigm shift occurred and the symptoms I felt with initial discontinued have turned into what feels more link CNS.. pardon me if I don’t know the medical language for this, but the feeling and experience is certainly different. I can test this just by taking some tryptophan or SAMe, even fish oil or vitaminB and in a few hrs I will being to feel very uncomfortable. Even things like coffee and nicotine can cause me to feel this internal buzzing which quickly turns into a throbbing headache..now in the past I could easily slam down 5 coffees a day or stack up piles of vitamins with little effect. Its a big difference today, so I am sure there is something that needs healing until things go back to normal

 

On 6/5/2019 at 4:15 PM, tmzddz said:

Hello, regarding this statement, "Antidepressants cause downregulation of serotonin receptors. In a mechanism of brain self-defense, the receptors actually disappear, becoming more sparse so as to take in less serotonin. It is thought among withdrawal researchers that people who experience the worst withdrawal are slower than others to repopulate serotonin receptors"  can someone explain the process to reverse this? What makes the receptors come back/go back to normal? Does it happen automatically with the absence of the SSRI?

 

(post moved from one-theory-of-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome)

 

In regards to first post here. Can someone comment on where I am at present.

 

ive become very sensitive to supplements vitamins and also stimulants. They actually cause me headaches and fog and anxiety, even a cup of coffee. When I was on lexapro I didn’t have this, but now off the drug... I’m super sensitive to everything. I used to down vitamins easy before being on lexapro.

 

also I am having trouble when I talk to people seems like my tolerance is 15mins before my head starts buzzing and begin to feel the bottom fall out from under me.

i was thinking this is serotonin dropping

 

but otherwise I feel mostly fine. Seems like I lost a kind of buffer or resilience.

 

 

Edited June 7, 2019 by ChessieCat
added quotes before moving to intro topic

[ChessieCat]

Once you experience withdrawal symptoms your nervous system may become destabilised and you may become sensitive to things.

 

Have you read the posts in this topic?  are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

[Repent]

Hows it going for you Trid? Didnt catch when you hit the 0 off Lexapro? But i can relate to everthing youve written, took Lexapro 5mg for a month. Cut it CT for 8 months ago. 

[TriD]

Post moved from Kronos's topic.

 

Can someone explain what is POTS?

 

also as mentioned here, the anxiety the symptoms cause makes things a lot worse. The feeling of being out of control, and confusion also loss of confidence in being able to do normal things I used to do...it’s upsetting.

 

but I just have to remember it’s just the symptoms, I get windows when I’m totally fine and relaxed, I guess that’s when my body finds a stable and balanced point, until it falls apart, but it reminds me of what normal is like and hope I can get there eventually so it stays at normal.

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by ChessieCat
added note

[ChessieCat]

It's easy to search SA, using the search function or using google and add survivingantidepressants.org to the search term.

 

postural-tachycardia-syndrome-pots

 

Or just do a general search in google for POTS.  Of course it would bring up lots of other things so because we know/think it is a medical condition you could search POTS symptoms, or POTS diagnosis.  When you type POTS into the search bar of google it brings up searches which other people have done so if you can't think of extra search terms you can click on one of the other ones.

 

Edited June 8, 2019 by ChessieCat

[TriD]

PAWS post accute withdrawal syndrome

 

Hi apologies if there is already a thread on this but I was unable to find one that specifically address this.

 

i believe I am going through PAWS phase.

while initially when I went to zero I got insomnia and vivid dreams this passed in a few weeks.

 

i felt I was freed, but then new symptoms seem to arise, one is my stress sensitivity has gone very high as in I cannot hold a conversation without suddenly feelings of losing control and feel fight flight and needing to lie down. I’ve also become sensitive to all supplements , in addition I cannot do much walking without later feeling depressed and derealised and a general awful feeling which isn’t specific to any one symptom 

 

i read that this happens as a second stage of all drugs that affect the neverous system, and it is a stage of rebalancing or return body recovering...

 

after I researched websites that address PAWS which tend to be alcoholics and opiate users that there is more information on this a it actually matches what I am now experiencing .. it would seem for SSRI it’s referred to as “protracted withdrawals “? So I am confused...

 

i have only been on lexapro, I don’t use other drugs except I vape and drink 1-2 coffees a day.

 

was hoping someone can shed light on my situation and does it look like paws? I am almost 2months now since I stopped my final dose of lexapro with only a 6week taper after about a 6 week reinstatement 

 

Edited June 14, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

protracted-withdrawal-or-paws-post-acute-withdrawal-syndrome-how-long-does-it-last

 

[Altostrata]

How are you doing, TriD?