GreatGigInTheSky

[GreatGigInTheSky]

Hello 👋 I wanted to introduce myself and say I am looking forward to reading through here, learn about safe, gradual tapering and getting to know you all.  Thank you!

[manymoretodays]

Hi there GreatGigIn TheSky, Welcome aboard,

 

Tell us a bit more about yourself and your goals around your drug(s)please.

 

What are your current drugs.  Would you be so kind as to tell us what you take now?

I spy Adderal 20 mg

Lexapro 15 mg at present, with a reduction from 20 mg done on the 2nd of August

And Clozapam 1 mg prn-  Did you mean clonazepam(Klonopin)?  

 

What times do you take them.

 

Please put them all in a Interaction checker at Drugs.com

and then copy and paste or link us to your results with that

 

I've seen many like you, who did a CT, while on more than one drug, and then really did not get into difficulty until later on.  

What prompted you to try a complete reintroduction of Lexapro.  What kinds of symptoms were present a 4 months off.  And any symptoms shortly after coming off Lexapro.

 

I'll give you a little bit of general information now too.

 

We go with a harm reduction model for getting off drugs

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro

helpful in learning how to get doses for tapering, that are often not readily available and some information about your drug(s)

You can also use Drugs.com to learn more about any individual drug and side effects

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

Okay.....you basically just remedicated completely.  I mean that is a reinstatement just not what or how we might have advised.  I'm not trying to be rude.  We've found it best to do reinstatements at much lower doses, as so many have sensitized nervous systems after CT's or many drug changes, etc.  This is often different how a lot prescribers do things.....just so you are aware.

 

Tapering off multiple drugs? What drug to taper first?

 

 

Brain Remodelling

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Dr.Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take 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.  The CNS likes stability. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur. 

 

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. 

Just one new thing, or change at a time though.  Also start low, go slow.......more about that concept here:  The rule of 3K's, slow, simple, stable

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Welcome again.  Feel free to browse around from our Home Page.  Give me an idea how you are doing right now too.  Is is business as usual, or were you starting to come apart at the seams, or having high anxiety/fears, and/or any physical symptoms.  Look at the Dr. Glenmullen PDF list and see what you might attribute to WD(withdrawal).

 

This will be your home base now, YOUR Introduction page.  Specific questions, concerns around your case go here.  Keeps all your pertinent information together.

More about this site, and how it came to be, and other stuff in this Forum:  Read This First

 

Happy explorations, sorry for the long wait getting you started.....so busy here and often volunteer staff shortages as well.  We all have tapered, or are tapering, and are trying to navigate life at this point.

 

Best, Love, peace, healing, and growth,

manymoretodays(mmt)

 

 

Edited August 17, 2022 by manymoretodays
minor so far

[GreatGigInTheSky]

Thank you for the help and for reaching back out.  I wish I had known about this website and you supportive people prior to my hospitalization in April.

 

I was nieve and uneducated that going off these meds cold turkey could have such a detrimental effect on my brain and body. It was a scary uncertain time in my life and made worse with the suicidal ideation that was to follow..I will touch on more about that.

 

My initial diagnosis back in 2017 was ADD inattentive type and this just by my GP and a checklist that I most identified with. Life stressors could have a large part to do with overlapping symptoms at the time (being married to a “functioning” alcoholic while raising two young girls practically solo to keep the house afloat. Social anxiety started to creep in during that time and I followed up with my GP to see if there was any help for relieving those symptoms. That is when I was introduced to the SSRI -first zoloft but stopped that shortly after due to brain fog -he recommended switching to Lexapro to give that a try as “most people have been sucessful with that”.

 

Little did I know at the time that these drugs are supposed to be a short term fix and here I am 5 years later desperately wanting to be off the medication as I have felt them stop working the way they use to. My goals around the drugs is to eventually ween the safest way possible and minimal side effects during the process. I know I can’t go back and undo the past but moving forward have more knowledge. The initial week quitting cold turkey was OK it was the week or two after that I developed the horrible brain zaps that would come and go through out the day. I was still able to function and go to work etc. I thought I was going to be in the clear until I woke up from the middle of night with my first ever panic attack which I could have easily mistaken for a heart attack. Still working through the brain zaps and going about my day until about three months later during a move and life transition is when the horrible suicide thoughts and ideation took ahold and extreme insomnia which had never been a problem before.

 

I got about two hours of sleep for 7 days straight, down to 105lb from 125lb-voluntarily admitted myself into a psych unit at the hospital as my only hope to stop the suicidal thoughts. It was there that whatever attending resident who only saw me for about 5 minutes each day decided to put in orders for trying Paxil, gabapentin, and diazepam prn. Having never been on any of these drugs before I was completely hesitant and refused when the nurses would come to drug me up with these new medications.

 

It was a horrible experience overall and I finally settled on restarting the lexapro -still confused how bumping it 20mgs (as he ordered) would help when I had been on it for 5 years at 10mg.  

 

All I want to do now is sleep all day and night and feel that I am over medicated on 20 so my GP agreed I could taper to 15 -that is where I am at right now but still so tired during the day. I take this in the evening about an hour before bed..and 10 mg of adderall in the morning and then again after lunchtime. I am in my early fourties and can’t imagine another 5 years on these medications as I am noticing it starting to change my vision and having more hair falling out is scary! As well as social isolation and new agoraphobia symptoms. If you have gotten this far reading thank you so much for listening to my story and grateful for any feedback, just even reading the positive stories on here helps me distract from all the negative. Praying I may see the light again one day soon. My kids and praying to God, my higher power, is what is keeping me going right now.  

 

(I realized after you wrote me that I put the wrong medication in my signature. Diazepam is what they prescribed me when I discharged from the hospital but did not want to take it unless it was absolutely necessary) 

Edited August 19, 2022 by manymoretodays
just spacing for easier read

[GreatGigInTheSky]

Moved from:  Taking Multiple Psych Drugs topic

 

Wondering how to ween off an AD and a stimulant ..currently taking both daily 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

Q:  How often do you take the clonazepam?  What days have you taken in during the last 2 weeks?

 

Please put ALL drugs you are currently taking including PRN into the drug interaction checker and copy and paste the results here in your Introduction topic.

 

Drug.com Interactions Checker
 

[ChessieCat]

I have asked the other staff for their assistance.

[manymoretodays]

On 8/18/2022 at 7:23 PM, GreatGigInTheSky said:

(I realized after you wrote me that I put the wrong medication in my signature. Diazepam is what they prescribed me when I discharged from the hospital but did not want to take it unless it was absolutely necessary) 

 

Have you taken any diazepam(Valium) GG?   And could you correct your signature?  Just go to AccountSettings/Signature and scroll down to correct your benzo information as soon as possible please.   That will help us out a lot.  Thanks.

 

Also get the interaction report done as well.  Just copy and paste it here or link us to it.  Let me know if you have problems with that.  There are already a couple links for you above to get to drugs.com.  Thanks.

 

I did see your medications

On 8/18/2022 at 7:23 PM, GreatGigInTheSky said:

All I want to do now is sleep all day and night and feel that I am over medicated on 20 so my GP agreed I could taper to 15 -that is where I am at right now but still so tired during the day. I take this in the evening about an hour before bed..and 10 mg of adderall in the morning and then again after lunchtime.

 

Wow.  So you obviously don't get too activated on your Lexapro now.

GG, once we've got more information from you, and you've been enlightened to the somewhat kooky combination of drugs you're on.......we can better help you make a plan.

 

How have you been doing since the 5 mg decrease in Lexapro on August 2nd?

Did you stay on your Adderall thoughout your Lexapro changes, pre and post hospital, same doses, same time?

 

So......a couple things for you to get to now.  I bolded them.  Thanks for sharing your story thus far too.  I did get a chance to read through.  Keep in mind, we are gathering information now.......and hopefully soon can help you come up with a good plan for the future.  Does that sound okay?

 

And...... keep posting right here, on/in YOUR introduction page instead of in the topics.  That way your information is altogether  in one place.  That's just the way we do it here. 

 

L, P, H, and G,

mmt

Edited August 22, 2022 by manymoretodays
another ?