DMS66: Lexapro VS. Me

[DMS66]

I had been taking lexapro 10mg for a year and a half - I noticed that I gained a significant amount of weight in this time. My appetite was crazy and my hunger pains were REAL! Last summer I tried to switch to Welbutrin (?) and I had an “outer-body” like experience so I quickly went back to lexapro..side note i switched because I had zero sex drive. So now fast forward to current day I started to taper off lexapro because I wanted to give myself a shot at no medication. I take Xanax every night to “quiet my mind” and occasionally during the day when I feel like my heart is beating out of my chest. I have a 4 year old who needs me to be the best version of myself but I just feel like anything but that. Two weeks ago I was taking a half pill every day, last week it reduced to a half of pill every other day...and now this week it’s day 3 with nothing. I’m experiencing major fatigue, light headed at times — where my equilibrium is off, fits of anger, zero patiences, and just very “blah” for lack of better words. I need some guidance somebody to cheer me on, I don’t know...Just feeling really crummy 

Edited November 14, 2019 by Shep
added username to title

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, DMS66.

 

You are experiencing withdrawal symptoms from tapering too fast.  We recommend tapering no faster than 10% of current dose every four weeks. We strongly discourage skipping doses.  It causes the amount of the medication in your bloodstream to go up and down, battering your nervous system, and makes withdrawal worse.

 

 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Reinstatement of a very small dose of your original drug is the only known way to mitigate withdrawal symptoms.  The alternative is to wait it out.  While some recover fairly quickly, others take months or longer.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.

 

If you decide to reinstate, I suggest reinstating 1mg of Lexapro.  If you take too much, it can result in further destabilization.

This link explains how to obtain the small doses of Lexapro you'll need for reinstatement.

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

Please keep us updated on how you're doing.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  Again, welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, DMS.

 

On 11/12/2019 at 12:47 PM, DMS66 said:

I take Xanax every night to “quiet my mind” and occasionally during the day when I feel like my heart is beating out of my chest.

 

How long have you been taking Xanax? Why did you start it? How often have you taken it in the last 2 weeks?

 

What times of day do you take your drugs, with their dosages? How's your sleep?

[DMS66]

I have been taking Xanax for a year and a half. I started taking it because my anxiety was making me feel like i was having a heart attack at night - the last two weeks I have been taking it pretty much one during the day (sometimes I don’t - depends on the mood I’m in / situational) and every single night at around 8pm. I’m on day 4 now of no lexapro (from tapering starting 3 weeks ago) and I feel like I have vertigo. I get jolts of pulsating in my

brain and tonight I started to feel a tingle down my arms into my hands. My sleep is horrible. Its been about a week of not sleeping consecutively through the night. I hate this feeling. 

[Katy398]

Hi DMS66

Welcome to SA I’m so sorry you’re in the thick of withdrawal. Everyone here knows how horrible withdrawal can be. You’re in the right place for support. The collective wealth of moderator knowledge here, is far,  far greater than any individual GP or Psychiatrist could possibly hold. 

 

I want to share my early mistakes, so others may learn from them. It helps me through my suffering somehow.

 

I was in such neurological mess when I found SA, that I found it challenging to work through the moderators links, questions and advice. By the time I’d worked through it, for me it was too late to reinstate safely and I couldn’t take the risk. 

 

Please breathe, read through their support carefully, get help to read through it if need be and then make your decisions ultimately they will always be your decision, moderators will only advise. 

Hang on in there DSM66 help is here.

Apparently everyone gets better it’s just a matter of time.

Take care Kx

[DMS66]

Yesterday I found myself in complete hysterics. I was getting intense pulsations to my brain, my heart was literally beating out of my chest, blurred vision, tingles running down my arms and into my hands. It was too much for me. I thought I was ready to get off my medication, but I’m just not sure that is the case anymore. I almost feel like a failure. Here i am at 33 with a child and I can’t get out of this quicksand. I was so on edge and angry and sad these past few weeks during my (what I thought was the proper way) to taper. I finally wound up in my GP Dr’s office — she assured me that on medication or off I’m still strong and that the only person stigmatizing myself was in fact myself. So with that I went home took a dose of 10mg lexapro & a Xanax to go to sleep..I woke up this morning took another Lexapro 10mg and I’ve been feeling much more at ease. All day I haven’t had one bit of brain zaps, tingles or felt like I needed a Xanax. I didn’t get agitated either. I hate to think it’s “all in my head” because the feeling was REAL and my body’s response now is real. I just don’t want to feel this guilt I’m having for taking my medication again. I also feel as though I’m in a rut and need something - a vitamin recommendation that will give me the energy I desperately need. I appreciate you all taking the time to read and respond, this website is a blessing and so are you.❤️

[Katy398]

Hi DM,

Firstly taking the medication again sounds like it will stabilise you.  Don’t feel guilty it’s not only a very strong decision but also an educated one. I so wish I had reinstated.

Once you stabilise and you become level headed, you will be able to  approach tapering with the support of this team. The main goal with a slow taper is to come off these scandalous drugs with the minimum of withdrawal symptoms. It’s understandable speeding up the process is appealing but withdrawal symptoms are so unpredictable and consuming that quality of life during withdrawal has to be a consideration. So many people on this site talk about losing months and years of their life with withdrawal. I really hope that through reinstating you will be able to come off these drugs without feeling you have lost precious months/ years of your life. 

I’m not sure about vitamins best ask the experts. Be really kind to yourself, treat yourself as if you would a nearest and dearest going through this. Rest whenever you can and try to get enough sleep. 

Take care you will be drug free one day and the journey there will be much smoother. 

Kx