christianjw12: took Lexapro /escitalopram for 3 months, stopped it, experiencing withdrawal

[christianjw12]

Hi,

 

I want to share my story and get some of your advices.

I was diagnosed with pure O OCD in November 2019 and I started to take Lexapro (10mg/day) in January because of insomnia linked to intense anxiety.

This med helped me to sleep again (but poor quality of sleep) but it increased the intensity of anxiety and it depersonalized me. Also, I experienced many suicidal thoughts while I took this medication so I told my psychiatrist and he thinks I needed to increase my dose while I thought that this medication didn't help me cope with my OCD.

So now I decided to stop it after 3 months by tapering (2 weeks at 5mg then 0). I have stopped in the end of April and I still experience the withdrawal syndrom. The main problem I have is impaired concentration (it's very hard for me to read and to think now, as I try to think of something, many random thoughts come and go and they are not even related to the topic I was thinking of). My mind wanders all the time from switching thoughts to thoughts even when I try to stay focused. Also many old memories come back while I thought I forgot them. Did someone experienced impared concentration ?

I have seen another psychiatrist and he said that Lexapro can't cause this kind of withdrawal syndrom and he thinks my lack of concentration is a symptom of depression so he told me to take another antidepressant. But I am sure that my impaired concentration is due to the end of Lexapro.

 

What are you thoughts?

 

Regards

 

Christian

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, christianjw12.

 

You are experiencing withdrawal caused by your fast taper of Lexapro.  It's good you didn't increase the drug.  You will heal, but we can't give you a timeline on how long it will take.  It's to your advantage that you were on the drug only a short time.  Psychiatrists know nothing about withdrawal and, as you've learned, don't even believe it exists.  

 

Lack of concentration is a very common symptom of withdrawal.  Many members in withdrawal have described  their concentration problems in words very similar to your.  It's often called cognitive fog, and It will improve in time.

Brain Fog: Blank mind, comprehension, concentration ...

 We definitely don't believe in taking another antidepressant for withdrawal symptoms.  Mistaking withdrawal for depression is a common misdiagnosis.

 

So that you have a better understanding of what you're experiencing, here is some information on withdrawal and the healing process.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

When we take psychiatric 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.  

 

These explain the healing process really well.

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

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) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you fund your way here.

 

 

 

 

 

[christianjw12]

Hi again

 

Just want to give an update of my situation : I took my last dose of Lexapro (called Seroplex in France) the 23rd of April 2020. I was taking it at 10mg from 23rd January until 9th of April then I began to reduce it to 5mg for two weeks before quitting it. For the first 3 weeks after my last dose, I experienced many WT symptoms : weird thoughts, tremors, muscle spasms, pressure inside my head, repetitive thoughts, musics which play non-stop inside my mind, brainfog, nightmares, suicidal thoughts.

Since my last dose of Lexapro, even though, most of them are gone, the one which remains and which is very disabling is brain fog (almost impossible to focus on any task : reading, watching movies, socializing, sleeping, it's like my mind always want to participate to any task I'm doing, it's always racing and send me any random thoughts or souvenirs from the past).

 

Also these 3 last weeks, I noticed some old and new symptoms : physical fatigue (new symptom), nerve pains (new symptom) , tremors, muscle spasms.

Fortunately it's not too disabling even though somedays I feel very desperate, the WT seems like to last forever and that I'm never going to heal. What help me go through this period are Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT Therapy) I learned from my psychologist to treat my pure O OCD and reading success stories on this website. I'll try to give regular updates to this post and hope that I'll one day write my own success story on this website !

[Gridley]

4 hours ago, christianjw12 said:

I noticed some old and new symptoms : physical fatigue (new symptom), nerve pains (new symptom) , tremors, muscle spasms.

These are common withdrawal symptoms.  It's good that your WD is not too disabling.  It's not going to last forever, and you will heal.  

 

If you haven't already tried omegas and magnesium, take a look at the link I gave you in my previous post.  They can be calming to the system in withdrawal.  Start at a low dose and introduce one at a time.

 

 

[christianjw12]

Thanks for your reply @Gridley ! I went to some pharmacies and they sold me magnesium. I tried it but it didn't seem to help much. Instead, I get difficulties to pee so I stopped it.

[christianjw12]

Hi again !

Just to give a quick update of my week.

This week, not too many physical symptoms but still a lot of brainfog and the feeling of having electricity inside the area close to my nose. Has anyone experienced brainfog after quitting Lexapro ? I get many random thoughts and it's so annoying !

 

Christian

[ChessieCat]

Hi Christian,

 

Please create your drug signature so that we can see your drug history at a glance. 

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

I suggest you check out this link .  There is an index to links for specific topics in Post #1.

 

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

 

[mustafa]

On 7/21/2020 at 8:10 PM, christianjw12 said:

pharmacies and they sold me magnesium. I tried it but it didn't seem to help much.

Hello christianjw,

Magnesium didnt help me too and you may find it worsening u, this is no problem.

Very good your symptomts arent disabling because that mean u will heal very soon.

I want to advise u to never be back to the antidepressants; you are lucky to stop it after only 3 months from use.

Search for non-drug techniques to cope with your symptomts please and you will find lots of these techniques here, in this website.

Please take my advice.

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, mustafa said:

Search for non-drug techniques to cope with your symptomts please and you will find lots of these techniques here, in this website.

 

This is an excellent suggestion from mustafa.  SA strongly encourages members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to get through the difficult times.  Here is the link:

 

Non-drug techniques

[christianjw12]

Hi !

Just to give a quick update of my situation !

I'm currently at 3,5 months off med, I still experience many symptoms from WD. Those last two weeks, they are :

- brainfog and repetititve obssessive thoughts (there are many random thoughts that just come and go 24/7, my mind is racing even when I sleep I get lots of weird dreams)

- intrusive thoughts (like I hear me insulting pedople but I actually don't want to insult them), but I manage them well with acceptance and commitment therapy

- sour taste in my mouth ? Could it be withdrawal ? It's not disabling though.

- little headaches from time to time

- tremor, I feel my head is shaking internally

 

The nerve pain seems to be gone but I know it can come back anytime

 

There are still some days I feel very desperate and that my brain is permanently damaged but I'm sure I will heal !

 

Christian

 

 

[ChessieCat]

Please update your drug signature with the last dose you took.  Thank you.

[christianjw12]

@ChessieCat, it's 5mg of Lexapro the 22nd of April. Is my signature visible ?

 

Christian

[ChessieCat]

Yes it is visible but it isn't obvious what your last dose was.

 

23rd April 2020 - Stopped Lexapro at 5mg

[christianjw12]

Hi !

 

Quick update of my situation again.

These last weeks, still a lot of brainfog and weird facial twitchs. Also I still feel tremors inside my head from time to time. But it seems I am on the right track to recovery : i feel like my concentration is better as the time goes.

 

Christian

[christianjw12]

Hi ! Me again, quick update !

These last weeks, the brain fog seems to have lessened, my concentration is way better even though I still get some random thoughts when I'm watching TV ou talking to people.

I noticed a little bit of health anxiety, like I became hypocondriac (little headaches I feel like I'm having brain tumors and contamination OCD due to covid19, I always feel like my objects are contaminated). I also feel depersonalized from time to time but I already used to have it while I had pure O OCD so I don't give too much attention about it, I know it's just a feeling and not real.

 

I still get some muscle spasms from time to time and head pressure. I feel like I'm getting better and better, today will mark 4 months since my last dose of Lexapro (stopped at 5mg).

[christianjw12]

Hi,

An update again ! 

Those weeks were good and bad. The symptoms are still brain fog, tremors, head pressures, poor concentration.

 

[christianjw12]

Hi ! Another quick update of my situation ! It's been almost 5 months from my last dose of Lexapro (5mg)

These last weeks were OK ! A little bit of despair but felt well ! The brain fog has lessened so much.

I'm sure I am about to quit this tunnel and see light !

 

christianjw12

[Erell]

29 minutes ago, christianjw12 said:

Hi ! Another quick update of my situation ! It's been almost 5 months from my last dose of Lexapro (5mg)

These last weeks were OK ! A little bit of despair but felt well ! The brain fog has lessened so much.

I'm sure I am about to quit this tunnel and see light !

 

christianjw12

So glad to read this !

I'm really happy for you.

And I thank you for letting us know : positive updates are so important for our community.

 

Wish you a nice day

[christianjw12]

4 minutes ago, Erell said:

So glad to read this !

I'm really happy for you.

And I thank you for letting us know : positive updates are so important for our community.

 

Wish you a nice day

 

Bonjour @Erell :),

 

Yes you are right ! Keep having hope, on guérit toutes et tous !!

 

christianjw12

 

[slowlybacktome]

It’s so good to hear that you are doing better!  I’m almost six weeks off of Zoloft which I took for one month after a cross taper from lexapro which I took for two months.  SSRIs gave me horrible symptoms.  Your thread gives me hope that I won’t feel like this forever!  I have brain fog, nerve pain, depression, intrusive thoughts.  So much of what you had.  Everything comes and goes in waves.

[christianjw12]

40 minutes ago, slowlybacktome said:

It’s so good to hear that you are doing better!  I’m almost six weeks off of Zoloft which I took for one month after a cross taper from lexapro which I took for two months.  SSRIs gave me horrible symptoms.  Your thread gives me hope that I won’t feel like this forever!  I have brain fog, nerve pain, depression, intrusive thoughts.  So much of what you had.  Everything comes and goes in waves.

Yes we do get better !

The first 4 months were pure hell. Now it's better !

[christianjw12]

Hi !

 

 A quick update of my situation. The brain fog has lessened so much that now I'm back to capable to read a book with much more concentration than compared to 5 months ago. I still get some intrusive thoughts and random memories from the past but I feel like I'm close to the end of this nightmare. The key is really to let time for your brain to heal, you'll all heal whether you took antidepressants for 1 day or 20 years. Believe me, you'll heal, just accept the situation without trying to control your thoughts or emotions !

 

[Lucy1983]

christianjw12 that is an awesome update!!! I hope others will read this and find the hope they are needing.

[Altostrata]

Good to hear, @christianjw12 What are your remaining troublesome symptoms? How's your sleep?

[christianjw12]

14 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Good to hear, @christianjw12 What are your remaining troublesome symptoms? How's your sleep?

Hi @Altostrata, my main symptoms are :

 

- brain fog so lack of concentration (but it's very manageable now compared to 5 months ago) and my mind always wander off without being able to stay focused.

- intrusive thoughts

- tiredness

- internal tremors (I feel like my brain is shaking inside my head)

- mood swings

 

my sleep is not too bad but I haven't slept a whole night without waking up around 3 or 4 AM for a year and I dream a lot. Before antidepressant, I don't dream and I always slept a whole night so I'm a good sleeper.

It's almost 6 months from my last dose of Lexapro (at 5mg). The beginning was very very hard and it's still hard from times to times. But I feel like I'm getting better and better.

 

Christian

 

[Altostrata]

1 minute ago, christianjw12 said:

my sleep is not too bad but I haven't slept a whole night without waking up around 3 or 4 AM for a year

 

Your signature says you started Lexapro in January 2020. Did you have drug treatment prior to that?

[christianjw12]

33 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

Your signature says you started Lexapro in January 2020. Did you have drug treatment prior to that?

No, no antidepressant at all but I took some tranquilizers for a very short period :

- Valium once but I can't remember how much, probably 1 or 2mg (only once).

- Xanax 0,25mg like 7 times during a period of 3 weeks.

but my sleep problem began while I started Lexapro.

 

 

[Altostrata]

You started taking Lexapro about 9 months ago. Did your sleep problems start with Lexapro or before Lexapro?

[christianjw12]

5 hours ago, Altostrata said:

You started taking Lexapro about 9 months ago. Did your sleep problems start with Lexapro or before Lexapro?

 

Hm, I would say with Lexapro. Before Lexapro, I had a period of insomnia but it was due to my anxiety. I was diagnosed with pure O OCD, I couldn't sleep for 4-5 days straight but I didn't dream and while I could sleep, I didn't wake up until early in the morning and not around 3-4 A.M.

With Lexapro, I could sleep earlier but I always wake up around 3-4 AM before going to sleep back and wake up around 5-6 AM and so on.

I noticed my sleep quality was not that good, I always feel tired at a moment during the day (like for full 2 hours straight, I will yawn a lot and feel like I can't concentrate, random thoughts will just come).

[Altostrata]

Do you use the computer late at night? Maybe play games?

[christianjw12]

40 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

Do you use the computer late at night? Maybe play games?

No, not at all, I also wear blue light blocking glasses at night when I read on my kindle or my phone. The paradox is that I played a lot videogames at night when I was a student like 5-6 years ago, but I still slept well.

[Heidi1]

@christianjw12 really glad to hear you’re doing better!

[christianjw12]

Hi ! Another quick update of my situation.

These 2 past weeks have been good and bad. But I feel the waves becoming less and less intense. It's very hard to believe that only 3 months of Lexapro can damage so much the brain that after 6 months, the waves are still there. But there's no a designed pattern, everyone will have a different experience. My brother in law, he took Lexapro (10mg) for 4 months and he tapered off in 1 month like 3 years ago and he hadn't had any withdrawal problems. But anyways I am so much better compared to 6 months ago where I felt so hopeless. The remaining symptoms are :

- brain fog (random intrusive thoughts so can't concentrate)

- tremors

- tiredness (but it's manageable)

 

the only thing that helps me is mindfulness, to step back and see those withdrawal symptoms without rejecting them even though it's very hard. When I step back and continue to do whatever I was doing even when those symptoms hit hard, I feel a sense of relief.

 

[Nyfa25]

@christianjw12 it’s good to read that you feel improvements, it gives me some little hope

[christianjw12]

2 minutes ago, Nyfa25 said:

@christianjw12 it’s good to read that you feel improvements, it gives me some little hope

@Nyfa25, tu iras mieux, ne t'inquiètes pas. Le cerveau prend du temps pour guérir. Il y a 6 mois, j'étais vraiment mal que je pleurais au téléphone quand je discutais avec ma copine en lui disant que j'ai l'impression que je suis condamné pour toujours dans ce cauchemar. Mon esprit allait 1000 à l'heure, j'étais incapable de le calmer quoique je fasse, je regarde la télé, des souvenirs aléatoires reviennent, je mange, je pensais à autre chose, je marche, je pensais à autre chose, je parle à quelqu'un, je pensais à autre chose... Ce brouillard cérébral était vraiment horrible car on a l'impression que quelqu'un d'autre est dans notre tête et on n'a plus aucun contrôle de notre situation. Puis j'ai décidé juste de laisser les choses telles qu'elles sont sans les contrôler et petit à petit je me suis habitué à ça et j'ai remarqué que par moment, mon esprit me laisse tranquille et j'arrive à me concentrer.

Renseignes toi sur la thérapie d'acceptation et d'engagement ! Ça va t'aider !

 

@Nyfa25you will get better, don't worry. The brain takes time to heal.  6 months ago I was really bad that I was crying on the phone when I was chatting with my girlfriend telling her that I feel like I am doomed forever in this nightmare.  My mind was racing 1000 an hour, I was unable to calm it down no matter what I do, I watch TV, random memories come back, I eat, I was thinking about something else, I walk, I was thinking about something else, I talk to someone, I was thinking of something else ... This brain fog was really horrible because it feels like someone else is in our head and we have no control over our situation.  Then I just decided to leave things as they are without controlling them and little by little I got used to that and noticed that sometimes my mind leaves me alone and I can concentrate. Please have a look about the Acceptance and Commitment Therapy !
 

[Nyfa25]

I have already done 4 sessions of acceptance and engagement therapy, and I continue to go but for the moment I do not yet find the benefits of this therapy!

 

Thanks for your encouragement, I had a tough week with strong emotional symptoms I hope next week will go better..