CloudyDay: Introduction and Search for De-prescribing Prescriber

[CloudyDay]

I currently take 10 mg escitalopram and I have been searching for a prescriber in my state (Connecticut) who can help with tapering down and maybe totally withdrawing from it. I currently see a psychiatric APRN for the prescription, but I'm not sure she will be of much help with tapering and withdrawal.

 

I already checked the Mad in America Provider Directory and contacted Inner Compass Initiative but didn't see anything promising...except perhaps some long-distance prescribers in private practice who do not accept insurance. I have Medicare and state Medicaid.

 

Can someone help recommend a prescriber in Connecticut to help with tapering?

[ChessieCat]

Hello CloudyDay (and it is a cloudy day here in Sydney at the moment 😊)

 

Welcome to SA,

 

Unfortunately not many medical professionals know how to get people off their psychiatric drugs safely.  That is why SA and other similar sites exist.

 

SA was started in 2011 by Altostrata who experienced bad withdrawal symptoms when she cold turkeyed Paxil.  If you want to know about SA's founder please see Post #1 of this topic.  I highly recommend listening to this podcast which might give you more confidence in the information that is provided on this site.

 

about-altostrata-11-years-of-protracted-antidepressant-withdrawal-syndrome

 

So long as you can get your prescription you do not need to have a doctor to oversee your taper.  There is a wealth of information here on SA and many members have got off their drugs successfully or are in the process of doing so.  I can now count myself as one of the ones who got off (only last week) thanks to the information and support I received here.

 

Some SA members don't tell their doctor that they are tapering.  The important thing is to make sure that you can continue getting the prescription for the duration of your taper.  However, you may need to ask for specific doses.  In this topic members discuss this type of thing:

 

how-to-talk-to-a-doctor-about-tapering-and-withdrawal-what-to-expect

 

SA's recommended tapering protocol is to reduce by no more than 10% of the current dose (not the starting dose) followed by a hold of at least 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The idea of tapering using the above rate is to keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum.  However you may experience some withdrawal symptoms during the taper so it is good to know what they might be.  This list is helpful to have:

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Post #1 of this topic explains how to get non standard doses:

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

So that we can see your drug history at a glance, please create your drug signature and update it with the date and the dose whenever you make a change.  Please read the instructions about how to create your drug signature.  The second link goes straight to where you type the information in; remember to click Save, which is below the box:

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature
Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

We do have a topic where there are recommended doctors listed:

 

recommended-doctors-therapists-and-clinics

 

And you can also post in the relevant area where you live topic.  See Post #1 of this topic:

 

check-in-topics-survivingantidepressantorg-members-near-you

 

This is your own Introduction topic.  Each member has one (only one).  Your own Introduction topic is the best place to ask questions and journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means that you do not have to repeat your story.

 

SA encourages members to visit other members' topics and support each other.

[ChessieCat]

Thank you for creating your drug signature.

 

2021 escitalopram August quick taper to 10 mg

 

If you went straight from 15mg escitalopram to 10mg that is a 33% reduction.

 

If you made some reductions from 15mg to 10mg, please put the dates and doses in your drug signature.  Thank you.

 

Q:  How did you feel just after you did that reduction?

 

Q:  How are you feeling now?

 

Q:  How is your sleep?

 

Because you made such a large reduction it might be a good idea to do a long hold.

 

OR if you do want to make a reduction soon, it might be better to make a small reduction to ensure that your system is stable enough to start tapering.  Perhaps a 2.5% reduction.  Doing a small reduction is better than trying a 10% reduction and then having to updose if you get withdrawal symptoms.  The brain likes consistency.  If you made a 10% reduction and then had to updose then you would probably end up having to hold for longer.

 

SA suggests not tapering whilst you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms.  It is better to let things settle down before you reduce again.  It's been nicknamed WDnormal, for withdrawal normal.

 

WDnormal

 

Moderator brassmonkey has written more about WDnormal in his Success Story:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

[CloudyDay]

Hi, ChessieCat. Thanks for all the helpful information. I did go straight from 15 to 10 mg escitalopram in August. I am still on 10 mg.

 

I definitely felt more anxious and mentally unbalanced around the time of the quick taper for like 1-2 weeks at least of apparent WD. Now I feel pretty stable, more or less like before the taper.

 

My sleep is poor and erratic, but I attribute this much more so to a chronic health issue I have been dealing with for almost 4 years: "idiopathic" intracranial hypertension with associated transverse sinus stenosis. I am seeing non-psychiatric doctors for this. The main symptom is a continuous painful headache.

 

If I started with a 2.5% reduction and felt well enough to continue, how much should I reduce the next month?

[ChessieCat]

6 hours ago, CloudyDay said:

If I started with a 2.5% reduction and felt well enough to continue, how much should I reduce the next month?

 

One step at a time.  Instead of me trying to cover all possibilities (which there are many and takes a lot of time and mental energy to cover the various options), my preference would be for you to wait until after you have done the reduction and then let us know how you are doing 2 weeks after the drop.

 

Please keep notes for yourself so that you can see how the reduction is affecting you.  It can be hard remembering what happened when after the fact.