Tori: withdrawing Lexapro and clonazepam

[Tori]

Hello. My name is Tori. I found this looking to find out how long it might take me to feel some sort of normal after getting off antidepressants or if there was any hope at all for normalcy without meds.

 

My story: I was started on antidepressants and therapy around age 12 and have been on many different cocktails since then. Some made me more tired, some made me feel like I was floating  etc. At around 13-14 I found a productive combo of Lexapro daily and Clonazepam as needed.

 

Recently, however, I was given a month to get off my antidepressants for a sleep study where I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. (Not happy with the sleep doctor for a multitude of reasons, but that's a whole thing in itself).  The withdrawal from these meds gave me such an awful withdrawal period with shakes and chills, something I never want to put myself through again.

 

Because of that, I have stayed off of antidepressants the past 2 and a half months, and, though I have remained alive, I am doing poorly. The past 3 days in particular I've only been able to do a couple things in an entire day between distracting myself from how I feel with sleep, Phone, Games, etc.

 

Rapid switches of emotions. Cold, numb fingers from depression at the same time as a grossly palpable heartbeat because not doing anything is sending my anxiety. Having breakdowns at work and going home early, but I need to work to sustain life, but I don't even always know that I want to try that hard to sustain life when it feels like this. And my fiance is so supportive through all this, but I fear for how my constant negativity might be affecting him.

 

I felt a lot better on my antidepressants, not normal, but smaller dips and peaks in emotions. So I'm here to find out if it actually is possible to feel and function normally when getting off antidepressants after over a decade? How long did it take? Were there any other things you added to your life that helped accelerate the process/make the process smoother, or was it just a waiting game of tolerating the pain long enough for the mind to figure out how to get back to normal on its own? 

 

Thank you in advance.

[Tori]

Tori's Introduction: Withdrawing Lexapro and Clonazepam

 

Hello. My name is Tori. I found this looking to find out how long it might take me to feel some sort of normal after getting off antidepressants or if there was any hope at all for normalcy without meds.

My story: I was started on antidepressants and therapy around age 12 and have been on many different cocktails since then. Some made me more tired, some made me feel like I was floating, etc. At around 13-14 I found a productive combo of Lexapro daily and Clonazepam as needed. 

Recently, however, I was given a month to get off my antidepressants for a sleep study where I was diagnosed with narcolepsy. (Not happy with the sleep doctor for a multitude of reasons, but that's a whole thing in itself).  The withdrawal from these meds gave me such an awful withdrawal period with shakes and chills, something I never want to put myself through again.

Because of that, I have stayed off of antidepressants the past 2 and a half months, and, though I have remained alive, I am doing poorly. The past 3 days in particular I've only been able to do a couple things in an entire day between distracting myself from how I feel with sleep, Phone, Games, etc.

Rapid switches of emotions. Cold, numb fingers from depression at the same time as a grossly palpable heartbeat because not doing anything is sending my anxiety. Having breakdowns at work and going home early. I need to work to sustain life, but I don't even always know that I want to try that hard to sustain life when it feels like this. And my fiance is so supportive through all this, but I fear for how my constant negativity might be affecting him.

I felt a lot better on my antidepressants, not normal, but smaller dips and peaks in emotions. So I'm here to find out if it actually is possible to feel and function normally when getting off antidepressants after over a decade? How long did it take? Were there any other things you added to your life that helped accelerate the process/make the process smoother, or was it just a waiting game of tolerating the pain long enough for the mind to figure out how to get back to normal on its own? 

Thank you in advance.

 

Edited October 11, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Tori

 

You went off Lexapro and clonazepam recently? When did you take your last doses of either?

 

You probably have a combination of antidepressant and benzo withdrawal. How have your symptoms changed in the last 2 weeks?

 

Withdrawal syndrome can last many months, with very slow recovery. Many people find these to be helpful:

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

You might try a low dose of one at a time to see what it does for you.

 

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