Heath: Lexapro taper plan introduction

[Heath]

Documenting here after last drop. Symptoms- dry eyes, mouth, sinuses, itchy face, memory loss, can’t think as good, sleepy, no energy, going through the motions, not proactive at work. Not interested in doing anything- then interested in doing something. Not talking. Again these come and go In phases. 

I’m starting to notice a pattern of dry eyes and mouth are more extreme upon waking after sleep. 
 

so currently 3 1/2 weeks after last drop. Muscles sore. Normal tasks muscles feel sore over worked feeling. Arms and legs achy. Stomach feels tight and tensed. Back and butt muscles tensing and releasing. Can’t seem to relax. Back and neck aching. Diarrhea. Little heartburn. Burning yucky mouth starting the past few days. Eye sensitivity- water line in vision some. I mostly sleep 8 hrs. Last night was first night of 5 hrs sleep in several months- wide awake in early morning but felt like I got only 1 hour of sleep sore and achy. 
 

The good news is these will gradually go away as this has happened many times before. 
 The other good news is it’s been several months maybe 6 or more since I needed Prilosec. I attribute this to lowering lexapro dosage. I use Pepcid very seldom and currently for 2 days - heartburn. 
 

Recently I have become more aware of the no emotion feeling. I see it more now for some unknown reason. Just Been thinking about it. 
 

[Greatful]

@Heath  Hang in there my friend--Thank you for reminding me that this is how the processes works--up and down like a yo-yo..  Somehow-someway-someday we will slowly close the chapter of WD---

Hard to imagined being of sound mind lol-

Have you seen this on YouTube? 

An interview with Mark Horowitz https://youtu.be/PSjYH044-2Q

Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and Management.

I wish I could get all  doctor that prescribe these drug  to watch it🙄

Wow what a difference it could make for them to acknowledge and learn that so many of their patience are not relapsing but are in WD.. 

 

 

[Heath]

2 hours ago, Greatful said:

Have you seen this on YouTube? 

An interview with Mark Horowitz https://youtu.be/PSjYH044-2Q

Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and Management.

I wish I could get all  doctor that prescribe these drug  to watch it🙄

yes that’s a good video! Makes you wonder how drs cannot see this? More and more will! It’s coming!

[Heath]

On 4/19/2022 at 7:15 AM, Erell said:

Hello @Heath, 
Yes, sometimes we feel like we've been through the list, and then we discover a new symptom... an amazing adventure!

 

But that's great to read you're doing relatively ok : going to work, running errands, living day after day, ... It's amazing to be able to do all these things while living with WD symptoms. I am amazed at the resilience and stubbornness of the members of this community to stay patient and believe in the future. I hope you manage to be proud of yourself! I am, truly proud of all of us.
Sometimes it makes me smile to think that many people see us as weak, or not very courageous, while I know that I have met the strongest and most optimistic people in my life here!
Whatever happens, we hold on, and we know that life is worth it.
Thank you for being that inspiration too !

 

And what a pleasure to read that you are working with a new boss! It's absurd when you think about it, how the human race has managed to create such toxic environments as the "job market." I'm glad you are now in the company of caring people.
 

Hope you'll see more light sound 🙏In any case, all those who have followed this path before us say that healing is the outcome ❤️

 

Erell I don’t know how I missed this !

maybe it worked out this way for a reason. I needed these words today. 

thank you for the encouraging words ! 

[Heath]

Putting this here to document . 

I have weird ear /auditory feeling and sensations during wd, and tapering. The reason I thought of this is because I was just outside and I started feeling heavily fatigued, loopy, brain fatigue, dizzy feeling and exhausted. It hit me within in one hour period. It alarmed me a little. And then I felt the pressure in my ears. Then I knew what it was. Allergies. Before taking  lexapro and having withdrawals and tapering slow I never had this much sensitivity to pollen . It has always been sneezing and watery eyes before ssris.

[ChessieCat]

Petroleum jelly in the nostrils!!!

[Kaervin]

16 hours ago, Heath said:

Before taking  lexapro and having withdrawals and tapering slow I never had this much sensitivity to pollen . It has always been sneezing and watery eyes before ssris.

I never made the connection before, but after reading your post a light went on. I have always had minor allergies my whole life but it seems like the past 9 years I get horrible allergies in May/June. It may be a coincidence that after I started ADs my allergies became worse. However it appears I am not alone. Main problem is watery eyes and really ticklish palate and uvula. 

 

Besides allergies how are you doing overall currently Heath?

[Heath]

18 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Petroleum jelly in the nostrils!!!

Yes I also forget to do this. I need to put a post it note and a jar in my truck

[Heath]

@Kaervin For me the severe trouble started when I started lexapro a few years ago. But I had them also with Paxil 20 years ago but not as bad. Side effects and withdrawals have given me severe dry mouth, dry sinuses and dry eyes. I’ve come to realize that the dryness has caused my sinuses to not work right. Somehow it gives me these symptoms worse in allergy season. It took me a few years to put 2 and 2 together 
 

you can read back in my intro around 2020 where I described the symptoms when I was trying to figure it out.

I mean basically the symptoms I am talking about NO allergy medication would help and one time a decongestant made it worse. 
 

spring is tree pollen, 

summer is grass pollen

fall is weed pollen 

 

But I can also believe since withdrawals make us more sensitive then that would make us more sensitive if we have allergies. 

[Heath]

@Kaervin I forgot One thing I do not have running nose or watery eyes like I did before ssris. No mucus , just dry. 

[Heath]

Dr visit update. Went better than expected. He is coming around to me tapering off. I didn’t say that’s what I m doing but he is reading the lines and body language. He’s not telling me to or not to.
 

He is interested in my health. I reminded him dizziness is going away as dose is lowered but dry eyes, mouth, and sinuses is still bad. 
he reminds me to excercise more to get that AC1 down. 

When I told him I was on 5.2 ml. He chuckled and said how are you getting that dose!!!!! I mean y’all can just visualize this! He said that’s a really low dose. I measure it with syringe. I said I just have to go slow.  I said I guess I am a wierdo. I’m sensitive to changes in this medication. He said no just unique “I’ve never seen anyone reacting this way coming off”.  He said that takes patience and a lot of people would have given up by now.
 

I reminded him about my past tapers and drops while under his care in a respectful way. I let him know the patience teaches me a lot. Accept, acknowledge and float. I explained a little about this . He was grinning that’s great he says. I told him this time has given me more time to practice the accepting things. He loved the information and where I was at now. 
 

The reason I felt better after visit is because about year and half ago he was a heck no you aren’t tapering off. 
 

If I didn’t know any better he may have started taking some of his on prescription meds😂😂😂. 
 

that’s all the juicy details for today👍

[Greatful]

@Heath

Congrats for staying calm.  Just reading this make me say WHAT you are unique. Maybe half of his patients are unique too but where told that their mental illness was coming back or they have developed a new one..LOL Would he be open to any literature or information on Withdrawal?  I guess you have to take it slow and toss in a little bit of info here and there.

I have to work on controlling myself sometimes when I am talking to my new Physic doctor.  At least she is of the mind that the Lexapro is not agreeing with me and I need to get off.  She is letting me do it my way ♥️ 

I bet I'm unique too.😅

 

 

[Heath]

Thanks @Greatful yes I’ve known him for about 9 years. It’s taken me about 4 years to get this far with him. I don’t like to tiptoe around him or lie but we have to do what we have to🤷‍♂️
 

It was on tip of my tongue “unique if you only knew” 🙄🤬I guess if I saw him with the anger wd symptoms which I do get often -  it might have went different. And yes I really try to control my tongue it’s hard I suspect lexapro is helping with that some.  But I have to give credit to SA for the self help tools has a lot to do with controlling tongue. 
 

I almost opened up about the withdrawal symptoms I been having but I cut myself off. If he continues to write my prescription to the last dose he will get to attend a 1 hour wd training seminar from me! 

[Heath]

On 6/10/2022 at 10:53 PM, Heath said:

Putting this here to document . 

I have weird ear /auditory feeling and sensations during wd, and tapering. The reason I thought of this is because I was just outside and I started feeling heavily fatigued, loopy, brain fatigue, dizzy feeling and exhausted. It hit me within in one hour period. It alarmed me a little. And then I felt the pressure in my ears. Then I knew what it was. Allergies. Before taking  lexapro and having withdrawals and tapering slow I never had this much sensitivity to pollen . It has always been sneezing and watery eyes before ssris.

I want to add to above statement. We had cut up a 250 year old oak tree this spring and I was storing the splinters from splitting the wood in 2 barrels in my shop for kindling in winter. I was in shop when the above  happened. That’s what I discovered caused above symptoms. Allergies to oak and lexapro. 

 

So I thought case was closed on this allergy/lexapro issue but I’m reopening the case.

It’s 3 pm here and really hot outside. I was in attic for less than 3 or 4 minutes looking for some spare truck parts and I became out of breath and heavy chest , weak, and I also noticed tensing and releasing butt, leg and back muscles. So I m inside chilling out typing this before I forget it happened. 
 

I had this happen also a few weeks ago in direct sunlight cutting that big oak tree. 

Again I have noticed this every summer since I started lexapro. So these are side effects from lexapro and it can be just allergies or heat. It doesn’t have to be both at same time. 
 

I have been getting a few negative ruminating thoughts about this never going away,  But I do know it will go away once the lexapro is out of me because of previous fast tapers with Paxil and other side effects. And I do accept it. But I sure as heck  don’t like it! 🤬
 

And I did do a stress test for Dr last fall because my brother had a heart attack last year. I past the test , no problems found. And the year before that trip to ER for chest pains, all good.
 So I tell my crazy thoughts to go away, I’ve down been checked out🤨I’m good. 

 

I will be so glad when I am off this poison. 

[Heath]

Attached is my taper graph and data. PDF is graph only and excell is graph and data. Someone please try and open and let me know if it works. thanks

Taper data 7-7-22.xlsx Dosage Taper.pdf

[Heath]

data only pdf

Dosage Taper data.pdf

[Heath]

I opened it works! Not bad for a rookie 🙂 with help. And thank you getofflex! I had to put in first and last day of each dosage to make graph come out right. 

[Heath]

Had a  few rough days. Tuesday and Wednesday hot. Fatigue, sore , foggy headed, tired, vision eye problems like spots or line in vision one eye then the next. Some darker urine.  Thursday Off work to go to funeral . Mostly inside. Around 98 degrees f outside. Some allergy sneezing. Heart pounding in neck , fatigue, ear ach, sinus headache . Severe dry eyes, dry mouth and dry burning sinuses. Went home went to bed. Friday went to work 100 degrees f. Same heart pounding dizzy fatigue. Took off early went home went to bed.

 

Sinus rinse helps some. Staying inside cool helps. I drink pretty regular. Morning hours worse. Afternoons better. 
 

And of course I don’t sweat much since taking ssris. It feels like lexapro has dried me out🙄.  I’ve read through the temperature disregulation thread and the allergy thread.  I read that these symptoms are common in wd and ssri usage. And most have said it fades away after ssri use.

 

And I am reading more on dehydration which can also cause these symptoms, thank you for reminding me CC. 
The fatigue heart pounding in hotter weather has got me concerned. 

In one way it’s easy to figure out because it only happens in spring summer but it’s also hard to figure out because it only happens for about 3 months out of a year. Not enough time to experiment with resolutions. And by the time I apply solutions the weather has changed. As stated before having allergies and heat and lexapro makes it a little complicated. 

 

It’s so frustrating that this didn’t start until lexapro. And I have a few years left of this poison. Just a few downer days. It does seem to get a little better as dosage gets lower .
But I will note here that summer of 2019 was extremely Hot as is 2022. Then 2020 and 2021 were wetter and cooler which I had less symptoms. 

 

I will continue to focus on hydration and protection against allergies. 
 

If anyone can relate ,Thanks!

[ChessieCat]

2 hours ago, Heath said:

But I will note here that summer of 2019 was extremely Hot as is 2022. Then 2020 and 2021 were wetter and cooler which I had less symptoms.

 

It's good that you noticed the difference. 

 

2 hours ago, Heath said:

In one way it’s easy to figure out because it only happens in spring summer but it’s also hard to figure out because it only happens for about 3 months out of a year. Not enough time to experiment with resolutions. And by the time I apply solutions the weather has changed.

 

I think in the future it would be best to expect the worst, be prepared and try to take all the precautions you can to help reduce the chance of it happening.  I know, easier said than done.

[Ariel]

Hi @Heath

I hear you. 

For what it's worth: 

Fiddling with my diet has greatly helped my allergy symptoms. 

Do you know about pollen allergies and cross-reactivity? Sometimes called cross allergies.

(That is just a more or less random page I found just now when doing a search for you; I'm sure you can find more and better.)

I know diet is highly individual. I have focused on healing my gut through diet and I believe this has helped with pollen allergy symptoms. 

I'm also careful to stay indoors during the times of day when the particular pollen I'm allergic to is at its highest (different kinds of pollen have different intensity patterns during the day; I've got an app that helps track this). If I have to go out when pollen is a maximum level, a face mask and big sunglasses can help protect my airways from the worst of it. 

I still react to pollen but much less now, and the main symptom is fatigue. I no longer use any allergy meds/remedies whatsoever. 

I am an escitalopram PAWSer so I can relate to lexapro WD complications. 

I also find heat and bright sunlight to be challenging, spring and summer can be tricky.

It gets better, though. Healing is happening!

In solidarity and support,

A. 

[Heath]

Thank you both Ariel and CC!
 

I have been tested numerous times and I am the highest allergic to all 3 - trees , grass and weeds. So I get it spring, summer and fall. 
 

At work we usually keep doors closed but it’s been so hot and dry for 2 weeks  they have been opening the big doors with fans blowing dust and pollen everywhere . And we are in the middle of cotton fields. Dirt everywhere.

@Arielwhich app do you use?  Does your app alert you when pollen gets to a certain number? I use pollen.com when I remember to. It doesn’t alert me I have to go and read it. And yes the cross reactivity I have and I have noticed fruit tickling or itching my throat some years ago like  in summers. 

 

I used to take Allegra daily because of my allergies but after the dryness of lexapro , I started taking only as needed. Which has turned into forgetting to take it. 
And I used to get a cortisone shot once a year, haven’t had one in a few years. I may have to get one this year. 
 

I’ve been inside since yesterday. I’ve flushed sinuses 3 times and it’s still not all come out. 
 

I have read somewhere years ago that allergy suffers may get anxiety more often. In which I noticed lately when this happens to me I have muscles tensing and releasing and feel a little anxious. So I believe it’s possible that allergy reaction may bring on anxiety. So for someone tapering or in wd could this bring on a wave, it’s a possibility? My system is a little on high alert rt now. 

 

so I guess I’ve got myself in a pickle by not preparing this year. I tend to forget. 
 

Again thank you both for taking time to read my complaining and bringing me back to my senses so I can see. 

[ChessieCat]

You body is currently fighting the allergies etc which is a stress.

 

STRESS

 

Quote from the video:

 

any time that you have a stress response you're  going to decrease repair so basically you can  

defend yourself or you can repair stuff but you can't do both at the same time

 

This is a video about liver detox but the part that I would like to you to watch, and this is where the link begins, is the explanation about stress and the body:

 

Sten Ekberg:  #1 Absolute Best FATTY LIVER DETOX

[Heath]

Thank you chessiecat.
Definitely got congested sinus headaches. We got a rain  this morning. Thank goodness. I slept in. Which meant late on lexapro dose. After the rain   In afternoon I went outside (using all precautions) to walk some to get this cement head to drain down. I feel like some anxiety is coming on. Feeling kinda cold. Haven’t felt this in a very long time. I did take an Allegra and a decongestant earlier. Haven’t had a decongestant in many years. Allegra has been as needed. 
Defenitly anxiety atm. 

[Heath]

Currently sipping on some magnesium 

[Ariel]

@Heath

I was going to say something similar to what ChessieCat has commented:

 

10 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

You body is currently fighting the allergies etc which is a stress.

 

STRESS

 

Please note that the effect of stress on the body is cumulative. 

That's why symptoms can sometimes feel worse during allergy season, and allergy symptoms can feel worse during WD. 

 

This same principle of stress being cumulative potentially informs all of the following: 

 

14 hours ago, Heath said:

allergy suffers may get anxiety more often. In which I noticed lately when this happens to me I have muscles tensing and releasing and feel a little anxious. So I believe it’s possible that allergy reaction may bring on anxiety. So for someone tapering or in wd could this bring on a wave, it’s a possibility? My system is a little on high alert rt now. 

14 hours ago, Heath said:

And yes the cross reactivity I have and I have noticed fruit tickling or itching my throat some years ago like  in summers. 

 

Muscle tension can be a reaction to stress, and the other way around, too. Same goes for muscle tension and anxiety.

 

The body does not differentiate between psychological stress and physiological stress. Stress is stress. 

 

In WD, the same goes for welcome and unwelcome external stressors. We may be doing something fun that we want to do; it is still an external stressor. As soon as it's too much for our nervous systems and we get overstimulated, the WD body perceives a threat and attempts to regulate. It's just that our systems' attempts at regulation can misfire due to WD wonkiness, which may increase symptoms and potentially trigger a wave. 

It's part of the body's re-learning healing process, trying to figure things out as we go along. 

 

As for the cross-reactivity, my suggestion is elimination of any fruit, veg, nuts that tickle or itch your throat to any degree. Based on my personal experience, if you eat something and notice the slightest sensation of a reaction, I'd suggest eliminating that food completely. Even if it's consciously only felt as a hint, if you are registering a reaction, that means the body doesn't like it. Sometimes we eat something and feel minor fleeting discomfort and tell ourselves, Oh that's weird, and then think no more of it and continue to eat it now and again. That may be fine for a non-WD organism but I believe it's counter-indicated for us in WD. 

It's imperative we listen to our hypersensitized systems if we are to have any chance of working with them; if we ignore cues and override our bodies' signals we risk adding to the load of cumulative stress and working against ourselves. We want to support our bodies in their beautiful, highly intelligent healing processes. 

Stress from food intolerance is also cumulative and adds to the body's overall stress burden. Any beneficial dietary changes sustained over time will facilitate an internal environment for repair. 

 

One thing is cross-reactivity and those consciously sensed reactions, another no less important factor is the many potential food intolerances we may not consciously register reactions to. That doesn't necessarily mean we're not reacting to them. Sometimes reactions to foodstuffs can be very subtle and not obviously discernible, e.g. fatigue and inflammation or overall increased reactivity in another area, such as allergies. Thus food intolerance may be both a direct and indirect contributing factor to exacerbating allergy symptoms in that it adds to the body's cumulative stress burden, exacerbating hypersensitivity and increasing reactivity overall. This is yet another reason why I believe so strongly in the potential merits of a nutritional approach to healing the gut. 

 

I don't know your current diet or how you feel about experimenting with possible changes, but if you're curious or would like to hear more about my experience, feel free to inquire. 

 

14 hours ago, Heath said:

I have been tested numerous times and I am the highest allergic to all 3 - trees , grass and weeds. So I get it spring, summer and fall. 
 

At work we usually keep doors closed but it’s been so hot and dry for 2 weeks  they have been opening the big doors with fans blowing dust and pollen everywhere . And we are in the middle of cotton fields. Dirt everywhere.

 

Sounds like the perfect storm. 

Have you been tested for allergy to dust mites? This is a common one. 

Is there any way you can protect your airways while at work? I don't know what your job is, but if there's any way you can use a face mask, goggles, somehow shield your nose, mouth, eyes against the brunt of incoming allergens, that could be beneficial. 

 

14 hours ago, Heath said:

@Arielwhich app do you use?  Does your app alert you when pollen gets to a certain number? I use pollen.com when I remember to. It doesn’t alert me I have to go and read it.

 

I use a local app pertinent to my current geographical location and country of residence. Looks like you're in the USA, so the app I use wouldn't be relevant there. 

 

I don't use alerts or notifications on any of my devices, apps, programs, ever (including SA). I only ever check things of my own volition.

This is a guiding principle to plugged-in online tech-gadget life, I recommend it to anyone and everyone who's interested. I honestly don't know how people stay sane with alerts and notifications and reminders and so many intrusive sounds going off left and right. I observe what it does to the people around me and it's clearly detrimental to their cognitive functioning and well-being in ways they may not even notice themselves. For example, both my parents demonstrate telltale signs of cellphone- and social media anosognosia and it is crushing to witness. The unexamined way in which they use their devices (or rather, the way the corporate forces behind their devices use them) negatively impacts attention span, ability to be present, ability to connect with other people in real life, capacity to relax, and the long, sad list goes on. It just breaks my heart. 

But I digress. I'm not a purist. I understand that one might have a lot to juggle and it can be a useful tool to employ a phone/computer as a personal organizer and memory assistant. No judgment whatsoever, that was just a tangential little rant from pet peeve territory where opinions run amok and soapboxes stack high unto barricades! 

 

15 hours ago, Heath said:

Again thank you both for taking time to read my complaining and bringing me back to my senses so I can see. 

 

By the way I don't read it as complaining, Heath. No shame at all in sharing what you're dealing with and exchanging with others to the aim of gathering input and insight. You are so generous supporting other members here, I frequently appreciate your helpful comments and like your posts. That's what this site is all about, we help each other by sharing in community. 

 

Hope you feel better soon!

 

[Heath]

Having Morning anxiety

tips ? Having the cool flush over me tingly shaky. 
have the ruminating fear thoughts of going in hell again 

[Heath]

I feel like I am going to have to go up in dose . I’m shaky and don’t even want to type here. I have to work tomorrow. I’m shaky like I’m freezing. Any tips on upping dosage? I’m pretty sure that’s what I’m gonna have to do. 

[Heath]

I have got some klonopin. Sitting here looking at it

[Heath]

Benadryl. 
nyquill

[Heath]

I’m shaking like freezing . Only thing I know to do is start back up in lexapro dose. 
 

[Heath]

Is upping 0.1ml ok? Or 0.2?   I feel chemical anxiety . I’m tensing and shaking. I feel a little emergency here. I feel this is the right move. Any mods ? 

[Heath]

I just took extra 0.01ml

[Heath]

Can’t take anymore magnesium today 

 

[Conner]

Hang in there buddy @Heath

[Heath]

Pacing can’t sit still or be still

[Heath]

I took a total of 5.4 ml for today’s dose which would be half of previous dose and pray I can sleep tonight