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Alwaysalreadyso: long-term Paxil user switching to Lexapro - have symptoms

Alwaysalreadyso

By Alwaysalreadyso
in Introductions and updates

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Alwaysalreadyso Newbie

Alwaysalreadyso

Posted
Posted (edited)

Original title before shortening: 

 

Long-term Paxil user switching to Lexapro: symptoms have begun; heart surgery is in the offing. What to do?

 

I'm a 60-year-old male in very good health, except for a heart defect that needs surgery. I have been taking Paxil, mostly at 40mg for close to 30 years.

 

Perhaps unwisely, and because I felt that Paxil was "pooping out," I asked my GP if I could switch to Lexapro. We embarked on the switch in May 2022. Before staring Lexapro, I quickly moved down to 30mg and then 20 mg of Paxil, then we starting at 5mg Lexapro. Again, all very quickly. I have been at 10mg Paxil and 10mg Lexapro for close to four weeks now.

 

From reading through the site, it would appear that my symptoms are, for now at least, relatively manageable. Over the past month I've had two "troughs" of about 3-4 days where I felt like I have a bad flu, but without a fever or chills: petty severe joint pain, headache, some nausea, and some dizziness. At other times, I  have been feeling quite well. No psychological symptoms (anxiety, derealization, etc.) at all.

 

My question is this: Given that I will have to deal with everything open-heart surgery involves (it will take place in September 2022), and given that I seem to be experiencing waves of symptoms, should I move back to Paxil 40mg, drop the Lexapro, and wait until I have recovered from surgery to embark on either a much slower switch or a much slower taper?

 

Thank you!

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added original intro title before shortening

Alwaysalreadyso

For close to 30 years - 40mg, on average, Paxil

2022 03 - started Candesartan 4mg for heart issue

2022 05 - began rapid switch to Lexapro, moved from 40mg to 30mg over a few weeks, then 20mg Paxil

Currently - 10 mg Paxil; 10mg Lexapro; 4 mg Candesartan

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Onmyway Grand Master

Onmyway

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Posted
7 hours ago, Alwaysalreadyso said:

I'm a 60-year-old male in very good health, except for a heart defect that needs surgery. I have been taking Paxil, mostly at 40mg for close to 30 years.

 

Perhaps unwisely, and because I felt that Paxil was "pooping out," I asked my GP if I could switch to Lexapro. We embarked on the switch in May 2022. Before staring Lexapro, I quickly moved down to 30mg and then 20 mg of Paxil, then we starting at 5mg Lexapro. Again, all very quickly. I have been at 10mg Paxil and 10mg Lexapro for close to four weeks now.

 

From reading through the site, it would appear that my symptoms are, for now at least, relatively manageable. Over the past month I've had two "troughs" of about 3-4 days where I felt like I have a bad flu, but without a fever or chills: petty severe joint pain, headache, some nausea, and some dizziness. At other times, I  have been feeling quite well. No psychological symptoms (anxiety, derealization, etc.) at all.

 

My question is this: Given that I will have to deal with everything open-heart surgery involves (it will take place in September 2022), and given that I seem to be experiencing waves of symptoms, should I move back to Paxil 40mg, drop the Lexapro, and wait until I have recovered from surgery to embark on either a much slower switch or a much slower taper?

 

Thank you!

@Alwaysalreadyso

Welcome to SA. We are a site to help people come off of their psychiatric drugs with the least harm possible if and when they want to do so. We do not provide advice on what psychiatric drugs cocktail to take and we certainly don't advise on medical issues of which we don't know much. These are conversations you need to have with your doctors.

 

It seems like you are not looking for tapering advice at the moment. If and when you do, we will be glad to support you.

 

OMW

1

"Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig 

 

I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. 

 

In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. 

 

Aug  2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg,  xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn 

Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used)

Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up)

September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0

Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd

March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week

Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering)

citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg,  7/27/19 -1.5 mg,  8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg

 

Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Alwaysalreadyso: long-term Paxil user switching to Lexapro - have symptoms
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ChessieCat Grand Master

ChessieCat

Posted
  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted (edited)

Hello,

 

Just so that you have the information if in the future you decide to reduce/taper your psychiatric drug, Post #1 of the following topic has links to a lot of helpful topics as well as links to Tips for Tapering specific psychiatric drugs and how to get non standard doses.

 

Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

General tapering information (not information about changing drugs):

 

Please be aware that if/when you taper off a drug, SA's recommended taper rate is no more than 10% of current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  If you go faster than that you might experience withdrawal symptoms.  It can take as little as 4 weeks for the brain to fully adapt to getting a drug.

 

Edited by ChessieCat
1

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Alwaysalreadyso Newbie

Alwaysalreadyso

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Posted

Understood.

Alwaysalreadyso

For close to 30 years - 40mg, on average, Paxil

2022 03 - started Candesartan 4mg for heart issue

2022 05 - began rapid switch to Lexapro, moved from 40mg to 30mg over a few weeks, then 20mg Paxil

Currently - 10 mg Paxil; 10mg Lexapro; 4 mg Candesartan

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