bioubiou: Prepping for my 2nd attempt at getting off Lexapro

[bioubiou]

~Oct 2013 - Feb 2015: Effexor (can't remember the dosage)

~Oct 2015 - Sept 2019: Lexapro 10mg at first then 20mg

Tapered over 2-3 months ending Sept 2019. but had no knowledge of anything. did it by myself. certainly had not read any of this forum stuff. symptom did not appear until a good month after I was totally off Lexapro. symptom included horrendous insomnia + crying spell + irritability... and it got worse and worse and worse... then suddenly something stressful happened in my personal life... and I could not sleep at all. would fall asleep and bolt awake at 2-3am and incapable of going back to sleep...

~Oct 2020 - Present: Lexapro 10mg

I still have insomnia. sweat profusely. and I am covered in cold sweat every night. I wake up in the middle of the night, several times but typically i am sedated enough tofall back asleep but sleep is bad. Exercise helps to clear my head during the day and I can function without screaming at my co-workers .

oh and I am 46... ie. hormonal changes from menopause have started...double whammy

 

I am living in SF. Aetna is my insurance...

Any doctor recommendation that would be understand the struggle, and understand what I am asking him or her to prescribe?

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, bioubiou.

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

 

A direct link to your signature is here:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. Please note: 

• Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

As you provide more information, we can better guide you in setting up a slow and careful taper. Please continue to use this thread to ask question and document your taper. 

 

Regarding a doctor, doctors knowledgeable about tapering and withdrawal are not numerous.  Any M.D. can prescribe Lexapro. I Googled SurvivingAntipdepressant.org recommended doctors.  The following is the most recent entry.  I have no knowledge about this group or their prescribing ability in your area:

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On 11/27/2020 at 6:45 PM,  purple said: 

I'd like to recommend psychiatrist Dr. Kendra Campbell, site is freerangepsych.org and I believe there are other doctors to work with as well. I watched the Medicating Normal documentary and she was on the panel discussion at the end. She seems to have a lot of experience in de-prescribing medications.

I went to freerangepsych.org and didn't see Kendra Campbell, but I booked a free consultation with Dr. Jennifer Giordano for next week.  I'll let you know how it goes and will post complete contact info at that time if it feels like a good fit.

 

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We are a site for tapering psychiatric drugs and helping members to deal with withdrawal.  I'm assuming you want to taper off the 10mg Lexapro you're still on.  I tapered from 20mg Lexapro to zero, using protocols and advice from this site, and am now 7 months off the drug and doing fine.  Lexapro is the most powerful of the SSRI's, and from 10mg down it is especially important to taper slowly and carefully.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10%of your current dose every four weeks.  Some have to taper more slowly.  This might be the case with you since you're currently in withdrawal from your previous drop from 20mg to 10mg.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Lexapro, including how to get the non-standard doses needed for a 10% taper.  Prescription liquid Lexapro is available in the U.S. and is a convenient and accurate method for tapering Lexapro. It does require a crossover period from tablet to liquid, and if you decide to taper with liquid Ldxapro, let us know and we can suggest a crossover schedule.  Tapering with a prescription liquid as well as other methods are described in the link.

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

The symptoms you describe are typical of antidepressant withdrawal and would very likely stem from your fast taper from 20mg to 10mg in 2019.  Withdrawal that lasts longer than a few months is known as protracted antidepressant withdrawal syndrome (paws) and is quite common.  So that you have a better idea of what you're experiencing, here is some information of withdrawal and the healing process.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

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.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

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. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).

 

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.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited June 1, 2021 by Gridley