Heldandloved

[Heldandloved]

I was introduced to antidepressants when I was a junior in college.  I had transferred to a school where the sky stayed grey from mid-November to the beginning of April.  I would assume my body was in dire need of vitamin D and some b-vitamins.  I was twenty, an athlete in college and developed some disordered eating habits.  When being treated for mild depression and disordered eating, I was put on Prozac.  I took it for a month and then got off of it.  I don’t remember why but just chose not to take it.  
Lots of life happened in between twenty and twenty-six.  Right before my twenty-sixth birthday I gave birth to my second child.  At my two week follow up appointment, I had an IUD placed.  In what seemed like a week, I spiraled into a pretty severe depression.  I’m not sure if it was postpartum depression or IUD induced.  My doctor started me on 100mg of Zoloft and then pushed it up to 200mg.  I was on and off this four years until I became pregnant with my third child in 2012.  Upon becoming pregnant, my doctor had me cold turkey my antidepressant.  I remember being dizzy and feeling some out-of-body feelings but didn’t ever suffer any lasting or harmful withdrawal symptoms.  In 2014 I had my last child and shortly after having her my doctor encouraged me to start an antidepressant for irritability/anxiety.  I started taking Lexapro 10mg and my dosage increased to 20mg.  Taking the Lexapro did very little if anything for my irritability/anxiety.  In 2020, when being treated for endometriosis I was put on a low dose birth control.  The low dose birth control is what finally helped my irritability/anxiety.  
Over the past eight years taking Lexapro I’ve struggled physically with sexual dysfunction, low libido, very low metabolism causing weight gain and an increase in overall body fat.  Mentally I feel as though my feelings have been numbed.  I could count on one hand the number of times I cried and had tears actually stream down my face.  I even feel as if I was able to harden my feelings easier towards people in my life.  This is just not the kind of life I am meant to live.  
My journey to come off antidepressants started in March of 2023.  My initial jump from 20mg to 10mg of Lexapro was DIFFICULT.  It was about one month of dizziness, out-of-body feeling, flu like symptoms, auditory disturbances, restlessness, irritability, crazy dreams.  I gave my body another month or so on 10mg.  My jump from 10mg to 5mg seemed fine, and I stayed there for a few weeks.  I then went to 5mg every other day for a week or so and then went to 5 mg every three days for a week.  I stopped taking antidepressants on  May 25th thinking this would be my last dose.  I was so very wrong.  A few days in the dizziness and tunnel vision started.  A week after stopping I developed neuropathy in my hands and feet.  It felt like I sunburnt them and then was rubbing icy-hot onto my hands and feet.  Shortly after I spiraled mentally.  I had crying spells, anxiety attacks waking me up from sleep, nightmares, an overwhelming sense of doom and I didn’t have the mental capacity to communicate with friends or family.  I do believe God led me to this page.  A light in my darkness and even more…HOPE.  The day after I found this page I restarted my lexapro, 2.5mg every other day and thankfully again by the grace of God, it has helped steady me and take away my most difficult symptoms.  I was able to go into my doctor, and although she clearly didn’t fully believe me about my symptoms coming off antidepressants (suggesting it could just be the depression), she’s supporting me and prescribed the lexapro liquid.  
I was hoping to find some help with where to go from here…if I take 2.5mg every other day what would a ten percent decrease look like, and when and for how long?   
Thank you again for this place where there is so much honestly, vulnerability, transparency and guidance.  
 

[Frogie]

@Heldandloved

 

Welcome to SA. We are a volunteer ran site helping people taper off psychiatric medications or have tapered off and are now healing.

 

 

This is your introduction page where you will receive information, ask questions and meet other members. We ask that you only have one introduction page so we can keep all your information in one place.

 

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications:

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

First, do not take the Lexapro every other day. The brain likes consistency and alternating days is not consistent.  

 

Considerations about "Stability" - Stop jumping around!

 

 

 

 

You need to take the 2.5 mg of Lexapro daily, and hold on this for quite a while before tapering. On the site they generally suggest a 6 month hold to stabilize. I'm going to provide you with some links that you will find useful.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

What is withdrawal syndrome?
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
 
The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

 

We don't suggest a lot of supplements on here as they can be stimulating to the central nervous system (CNS), except 2. If you would like to try one, try a small amount and wait a few days before introducing the other.

 

 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

 

 

After you have read the links provided, please reach out with any questions you may have.