JamieDish Hello to all from a lexapro junkie

[JamieDish]

Hello, wanted to make my introduction! I began ssri therapy in about 2011 with Prozac. I had suddenly developed feelings of what I believe were detealization and anxiety at the age of 27. Not many tests were done and I was given Prozac as a bandaid. It did help some but I haven’t felt myself again since before them. Sometimes 10% “my old self” sometimes 90% but never “healthy” again. 
 

I switched to lexapro in 2014 due to weight gain on Prozac. Spoiler alert, the lexapro wasn’t any better really. I have tried a few times to quit the lexapro with no success do to feeling horrible from withdrawal.

 

I finally decided recently in 2022 that I want off this poison and I want to get to the root of my issues without it in my body. 
 

I have been on a two week taper schedule, I know too quickly though. 
 

20mg 

15mg

10mg

5mg

2.5mg

2.5 mg every other day

 

i have two doses left until I hit zero. 
 

these first three tapers weren’t bad. I tried to exercise, stay busy, lots of water, healthy food, lower carb. 
 

from 5 and down has been hard. I have mood swings, irritable, dizzy spells occasionally, lightheaded, weakness, adrenaline surges, poor interruption of sleep, and the latest is what I think is reactive hypoglycemia. Scared to death of the Final Cut to zero. 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, JamieDish.  Thanks for completing your signature.

 

I guess you know that you're tapering much, much faster than we recommend, which is no more than 10% of your current dose every 4 weeks.  This is especially so with Lexapro, which is the strongest SSRI on the market.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

And we never recommend every other day tapering, which is a 50% cut and causes the amount of the drug in your bloodstream to go up and down, battering the nervous system and making withdrawal worse.  The symptoms you describe are typical withdrawal symptoms.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

If I were you, I'd stop my taper where you are at 2.5mg, start taking it every day, and then hold there at 2.5 until you stabilize.  Once you've stabilized, you can continue with a 10% taper.  This will give a more durable, safer taper, one you won't have to repeat.  This link is specifically about tapering Lexapro, including how to get the small nonstandard doses needed for a 10% taper.

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

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 (glycinate is a good form) 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.

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[littlebird]

Welcome! Glad you’re here, hope that final taper is easier than you expect.

[JamieDish]

Thanks all. I did end up looking around this website and realized the every other day was no good. I decided to start at 1.25mg and holding. Symptoms are up and down from day to day still but I do feel a bit more stable just from taking the smaller dose daily vs the 2.5 every other. 
 

the worst thing for me currently is the adrenaline at night when im trying to sleep. My sleep is so broken by rapid heart rates. I’m exhausted. Blood pressure seems to be fluctuating wildly as well. I’m also having what I think are symptoms of POTS, anyone else have that? High heart rate upon standing , head rush etc. 

 

I go back and forth many times a day thinking I should just give up and reinstate. But I don’t want to. I’ve come so far. I just don’t know how much more I can take. I have a toddler to care for and this is so hard. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, @JamieDish Good to hear that a steady dosage has helped somewhat. Your withdrawal symptoms probably started before you got to 2.5mg, and 1.25mg every day isn't enough. You might now try 2.0mg and stay there for a bit to get better and stabilize. 

 

You'll be able to taper by tiny amounts later. Please let us know how you're doing.

[JamieDish]

Not doing well. I actually ended up in the ER yesterday because my heart rate and blood pressure was all over the place. Never had high BP before in my life. Doc did ekg and ran blood work and monitored me but couldn’t identify an issue. I believe it’s all the adrenaline. I hadn’t sleep more than about 9 hours in three night due to adrenaline surges when I would try to fall asleep . He gave me some trazodone so I could sleep- I took one last night- it helped. Even my heart felt calmer. I am gonna follow up with a cardiologist of course but I’m certain this withdrawal is doing this to me. I’m thinking of just reinstating 10mg and being on with my life. It’s not worth it to me if I’m going to feel this way for any amount of time. Especially when my only negative side effect was weight control.