raddy: Medical Cannabis to help with withdrawal from Lexapro

[raddy]

Hi, I am 18 and have been on Lexapro for 12 months.  I tried to come off about 5 months ago, but now reading this site, i realized i didnt taper/went too fast. (it was what my doctor told me to do).

the main reason i want to stop lexapro is it makes me very tired.

i saw a different doctor today who practices more integrative medicine.  She suggested I consider medicinal cannabis to help 'mask' the symptoms of Lexapro as i slowly taper off over a 10 month period (0.5 MG every 2 weeks).

She is a a trained psychiatrist and can prescribe it legally.

does anyone have experiences, positive or negative, in using cannabis under guidance from to taper off lexapro?  is it something i should try?

Edited October 12, 2020 by manymoretodays
moved from S and S care, name added to title

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, raddy.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Be sure to include the dosage you're on.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

Here's a link so you can see the reaction of others in withdrawal to cannabis.

Cannabis, marijuana, hashish, THC, & CBD or Hemp oil ...

I don't know what dosage you're on, but very likely ten months to taper to zero is not a slow taper and is much faster than we recommend.  We recommend tapering no more than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.  

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

It's much better to taper by percentage rather than an unvarying straight drop.  Decreasing by a straight .5mg  accelerates the amount that you  would be decreasing each time, making it rougher and rougher with each drop. Decreasing by a percentage however decelerates the amount of each drop and makes things gentler on your system.

 

This link explains how to get the nonstandard doses of Lexapro you'll need for a taper.  SA recommends using a liquid to taper as it's easy and accurate.  If liquid Lexapro isn't available in Australia, the link explains how to make your own liquid suspension.

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

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 complete your drug signature, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.