SandiBW Posted August 4, 2023 Posted August 4, 2023 (edited) Hi, I am new here. I finished my taper January 2022 and I was doing really well! I felt like a new person! Then I started hormone therapy in Sept. 2022, which I am thinking may have been too much too soon. I was still doing ok, but emotional. Then....I found out that the skin cancer on my nose came back and I need surgery that will require reconstructive surgery that I can't afford, my mom died, my business started to decline due to economy and is now non-existent, my youngest and I got into a huge fight, she moved out and I became an empty nester in a house that I can't afford and my ex-husband is getting remarried....yes, all this at the same time. Both kids are grown and doing their own thing, while trying to be somewhat supportive to me. I am alone. No other family. Close friends are few but they don't know how to help me through this situation and have even become somewhat distant. I have severe depression, anxiety, shakes, unable to focus, sleep, eat (I have loss a lot of weight that I can't afford to lose), leg and arm numbness, chest and neck on fire and tingling, ears ringing, unable to work or make even the simplest decisions. I have gone into a rabbit hole and can't seem to get out. This is EXACTLY how I felt when I went CT in Dec. 2016. If I don't find a way to go back to work, I am going to lose everything, which is only compounding my situation. But, I am unable to work in this condition. I signed up for a 6 week therapy group M-F 3 hours a day, but only seems to make things worse hearing about other people's problems. I am running out of time. My question is would it be the worse decision to reinstate or try something else just to get me on track to tackle the things in my life that need to be addressed? I have tapered once before, I can do it again! Any advice is greatly appreciated. I hope I will be able to see the comments, I am a little overwhelmed with this site structure. Edited August 8, 2023 by manymoretodays Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 11, 2023 Administrator Posted August 11, 2023 Welcome, @SandiBW It seems that you have protracted withdrawal syndrome, which can be exacerbated by external stress. We have seen that sometimes a low-dose reinstatement can help. The tricky think is that your symptoms indicate your nervous system is destabilized and probably hypersensitive, so we advise being very careful. You might try 0.5mg citalopram (escitalopram's milder sibling) to see if it helps. Please let us know how you're doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted.
SandiBW Posted August 11, 2023 Author Posted August 11, 2023 Thank you. Now I gotta find a doctor willing to prescribe me that. 😪 Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
Administrator Altostrata Posted August 12, 2023 Administrator Posted August 12, 2023 Citalopram comes in a prescription liquid. Most doctors don't have a clue about withdrawal. You might say you'd like to start slowly to ramp up to a "therapeutic" dose. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted.
SandiBW Posted August 12, 2023 Author Posted August 12, 2023 Great idea! I used liquid for my taper. Unfortunately, I was bit by a raccoon tonight and had to start a series of rabies shots this evening. Which is probably the worst thing for my nervous system right now. But I didn't have a choice. I'm gonna wait to see how this plays out. Thanks for the advice! 1 Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
SandiBW Posted August 14, 2023 Author Posted August 14, 2023 I was able to get my doctor to call-in a Rx for liquid escitalopram. I have an appt with her on Thursday to go over my plan to reinstate. I'm so nervous. I hope I'm doing the right thing and not making things worse. I guess I will soon find out. Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
SandiBW Posted August 31, 2023 Author Posted August 31, 2023 Good morning @Altostrata I reinstated last night at .5 mg of escitalopram. I have never done this before. What do I do from here? Any advice you can provide is greatly appreciated. I did this out of desperation for some relief. Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
SandiBW Posted September 24, 2023 Author Posted September 24, 2023 @Altostrata guess what! I reinstated at the suggested .5 mg and it worked! My CNS settled down and I went back to normal in 5 days! I'm so thankful to you! I know it had risks but in my case it worked!! I'm gonna hold for awhile and taper once my stressors settle down and give my CNS time to heal. I even accepted a job offer! That's huge!!! Thank you so much!!!!! 1 Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
Administrator Altostrata Posted September 24, 2023 Administrator Posted September 24, 2023 Thanks, @SandiBW Congratulations! Please do take care of your nervous system, it's feeling better now but it's had a big upset and probably needs more time to get strong again. Don't take on too much! And no alcohol at all, that often sets people back a lot. Please let us know how you're doing. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted.
SandiBW Posted September 25, 2023 Author Posted September 25, 2023 Thank you! Unfortunately I still have quite a bit of stress ahead of me (2-3 skin cancer/reconstructive surgeries and starting a new job on 10/9), but I'm going to try to navigate through it the best that I can. If I can survive this, I can survive anything! 🤗 1 Lexapro 20 mg 2004 - December 2016 Cold Turkey December 2016 - March 2017 Reinstated Lexapro 10 mg March 2017 Started Taper January 2021 Finished 12 month Taper January 2022 and was doing well overall Now struggling...hit a wall June 2023 and all WD symptoms came back with a vengence.
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