DogLover55: Stopped Lexapro, feeling very depressed

[DogLover55]

I stopped taking Lexapro about 5 months ago. I felt like it had stopped working well for me and I'd been on it for about 15 years. But since I stopped, I've felt pretty bad. I have some days where I feel okay but others where I feel extremely low. I also feel very rageful at times. I'm not normally an angry person so the flare-ups of rage really scare me.  The question is whether I need to go back on an anti-depressant in order to function. My life consists basically of going to work and going home because I can barely stand to be around people. I just feel too angry and impatient around them. I have a volunteer job that I go to every other weekend and I enjoy that. But otherwise I just want to go home and be alone. I mostly watch tv and sleep. My question is whether the situation will improve more the longer I'm off the meds. Does anyone else have experience with this? I thought I might also try talk therapy, although I wonder how much it will really help. I don't want to go back on meds but I also don't want to feel depressed so much of the time.

[Gridley]

Hello, DogLover55, and welcome to SA.

 

Did you stop taking the Lexapro cold turkey in Dec. 2018 and was the dosage 20?  That is, did you go directly from 20mg to zero?  Please put this information in your signature.  Here's the link to your signature.

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

We recommend tapering no faster than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

If you cold-turkeyed or tapered too fast, it's very likely the symptoms you describe are withdrawal symptoms.  Anger and depression are common withdrawal symptoms.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

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.  

 

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.  We usually suggest a much smaller reinstatement dose than your last dose.  These drugs are strong, and when reinstating it is better to start with a small amount and increase if symptoms remain unbearable. Your system has become sensitized and If you take too much it may be too much for your brain and can cause you become unstable.  During the 5 months you've been off the drug, your brain has made adjustments to not having the drug, and going back to your original 20mg would likely be too much for your system.  After you've answered the questions in the first paragraph, we can suggest a reinstatement dose.  Please don't reinstate without letting us make a suggestion.  If you decide to reinstate, you would wait to stabilize then begin a 10% taper of the reinstated dosage.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

The situation will improve, but unfortunately there is no way to predict how long it will take.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[laydefish]

Hi @DogLover55 & Welcome to the group!  Unfortunately Rage is one of the common symptoms of Withdrawal & yes it will pass with time.  Benzo Rage…inability to control outbursts of anger towards even minor events. May also give rise to uncharacteristic anti-social acts such as shoplifting or sexual offences or violence. A loss of control causing irrational behavior. Very occasionally it can be the result of a vitamin or other supplement causing a bad reaction in the brain.  Keep holding on & Stay Strong - Laydefish

[DogLover55]

Thanks for the input, everyone. In retrospect I realize that I tapered off the drug too quickly. That's why I have such extreme symptoms now. I'm trying to work through them because that's preferable than starting up the drug again, at least at this point. I updated my signature to reflect my tapering dosage.