Dryheat: Lingering Lexapro withdrawal?

[Dryheat]

Hi all,

 

First off I am grateful for this forum, thank you for letting me join.

 

My journey began with trying to address some confusing health issues that put an end to a career that I dearly loved.

 

Anxiety and overwhelm with my situation took over and it was recommended by my therapist that I try an antidepressant. Since my father took escitalopram without issue (going on or off) I decided to try it.

 

My mother and I are sensitive to medication and I was very, very resistant to going on an antidepressant.

 

My GP prescribed 10 mg of escitalopram and hydroxzine for sleep. At this point I had been taking 50 mg of Trazodone for sleep.

 

The first weekend of taking those meds  changed everything.

 

After the first dose I woke up dizzy and disoriented, nearly falling out of bed. The derealization and confusion from that was incredible. The panic and anxiety intense.

 

After that weekend I stopped the hydroxyzine

 

I asked to step down to 5 mg and did that for a month, eventually going to 7.5 because I was told that my body would adjust (under my doctors direction by alternate taking 5 and 10 mg every other to reach 7.5mg).
 

By the fourth month at 10 mg I was having severe waves of body agitation followed by waves of peaceful calm, extreme eye strain, evening concussive headaches, sweating, fluctuating eye sight, trembling, contstipation, and derealization.

 

The waves of body agitation were the worse but at least at that time I could lay down, ride it out and have moments of peaceful calm.

 

I was told by my psychiatrist that most of my symptoms couldn’t be from the meds and had more with my aversion to taking it.

 

After seeing several specialist and testing it was determined that I have acquired spontaneous nystagmus and an inner ear caused balance. Based off of my timeline of symptoms the balance issue thought to be most likely caused by long covid.

 

At four months on escitalopram I tapered down over 2 weeks from 10 to 5 to 0 mg. Reviewing information on this site I realize now that may have been too fast.

 

However, a lot of my symptoms did improve until I started vestibular therapy where they suggested that an ssri has sometimes been found to be beneficial.

 

So, after 1 month of being off of escitalopram I started fluoxetine at 10 mg.

 

Trembling started again with more headaches and brain fog. After two months of fluoxetine I’d had enough and was told that I could go off it cold turkey because it was “self tapering”.

 

I have been off of fluoxetine for a month and was told that it would be out of my system at that point.

 

Still I’m left with feet tingling, headaches and a constant feeling of derealization with brain fog, headaches, concentration issues and unsteadiness.

 

Now true to form my physiatrist wants to try other things like Viibryd, Lamictal or Gabapentin.

 

I can’t see getting hooked on benzo’s or going back on another psych med unless it’s going to be able to address my other issues.

 

Of course nobody except my audiologist wants to go down the long covid route.

 

Looking at past immediate AD reaction post it appears to me that I may in fact have had an adverse reaction to escitalopram and may have deregulated my nervous system further starting fluoxetine?

 

Admittedly I am anxiety ridden over my situation regarding my nystagmus, inner ear balance (long Covid) issues but the brain fog derealization is the worst of it. I feel I may have made things worse by switching around with the meds, the way I took them and went off of them.

 

I am being told that I wasn’t on the meds long enough or at a high enough dose to cause lingering withdrawal symptoms.

 

I’m now basically bed ridden, unable to work or drive.

 

I have looked through the supplements recommendations and started fish oil. I have taken vitamin C and D and a probiotic for ever.

 

Thanks for being here and any insight that you can give me

Edited February 14 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @Dryheat

 

Do you mind confirming if by hydroxzine, you meant hydroxyzine? Also, just to confirm, you taking all three at the same time? It's a good idea to put all meds you take into the drug interaction checker. Sometimes, this explains some of the symptoms you feel at the time: https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.html it seems there is a major interaction between Lexapro & Hydroxyzine meds.

 

It may have also been an immediate adverse reaction: 

 

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

At four months on escitalopram I tapered down over 2 weeks from 10 to 5 to 0 mg. Reviewing information on this site I realize now that may have been too fast.

 

Yes, Why taper by 10% of my dosage? When you taper faster than this, as you did, your likely to experience very unpleasant WD symptoms: 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

So, after 1 month of being off of escitalopram I started fluoxetine at 10 mg.

 

Trembling started again with more headaches and brain fog.

 

Was it an immediate reaction again?

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

After two months of fluoxetine I’d had enough and was told that I could go off it cold turkey because it was “self tapering”.

 

I have been off of fluoxetine for a month and was told that it would be out of my system at that point.

 

 

You'd likely have WD symptoms from this, too. I've read that you can become dependent on ADs within 4 weeks. 

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

Still I’m left with feet tingling, headaches and a constant feeling of derealization with brain fog, headaches, concentration issues and unsteadiness.

 

I note these symptoms are on the WD checklist I gave you above.

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

Now true to form my physiatrist wants to try other things like Viibryd, Lamictal or Gabapentin.

 

They'll just keep throwing drugs at you. You need to decide if that's what you want.

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

I am being told that I wasn’t on the meds long enough or at a high enough dose to cause lingering withdrawal symptoms.

 

There are plenty of people on this site that would completely disagree with this statement.

 

8 hours ago, Dryheat said:

I’m now basically bed ridden, unable to work or drive.

 

Sorry to read this. With time and patience, things will improve. The following links may be helpful:

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but two that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. Add one at a time and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Avoid alcohol. 

 

This is your own Introduction topic.  Each member has only ONE Introduction topic.  Your own Introduction topic is the best place to ask questions and the place to journal your progress.  This keeps your history in one place and means you do not have to repeat your story. 

 

Once again, welcome to S.A.

 

Emonda

[Dryheat]

Hi Emonda,

 

Thank you for responding.

 

For two days at the start of taking Escitalopram I took hydroxyzine (antihistamine) then stopped after my reaction and went back to 50 mg trazodone.

 

I have since started a slow tapping off of trazodone from 50 to 25 to 12.5 mg in favor of 5 mg of Ambien.

 

Headaches came back right after starting fluoxetine. 

 

I still have feet tingling, slight headaches and eye strain. I am immediately lightheaded and in derealization/dazed as soon as I get up from lying down.

 

Unfortunately for me it is hard to separate out what is potentially withdrawal, nystagmus or inner ear balance

 

I know that things took a turn for the worse starting Escitalopram.

 

I have been told my balance issues could be from Covid, I have also found research that ssri and antihistamines can cause inner ear damage. I know after that first weekend starting Escitalopram and hydroxyzine falling out of bed was a game changer.

 

Now I have been prescribed Nurtec for my headaches and I am considering trying CBD for sleep.

 

My biggest concern, and I don’t know if this could be withdrawal related or not, is the derealization. It like being in a trance like dream. I don’t have the other symptoms of derealization. After stopping fluoxetine I also lost a feeling of presence and being me, if that makes sense.

 

I’m am being told by my PNP I have been off the AD’s long enough and that there is no way any of what I’m experiencing is withdrawal

 

He is now suggesting starting a low dose 5 mg of Escitalopram or starting Gabapentin for my anxiety and derealization/brain fog 

 

I’m really torn as to how to proceed.

 

Thank you for any and all assistance 

[Emonda]

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

am considering trying CBD for sleep.

 

I'd be cautious.

 

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

it is hard to separate out what is potentially withdrawal

 

Based on what you have written, I'd expect WD would be a significant factor. 

 

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

My biggest concern, and I don’t know if this could be withdrawal related or not, is the derealization. It like being in a trance like dream.

 

It's certainly a documented WD symptoms. Plenty hear experience it.

 

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

I’m am being told by my PNP I have been off the AD’s long enough and that there is no way any of what I’m experiencing is withdrawal

 

Spoken by a person that has probably never experienced WD symptoms. The site is full of accounts of people that experience WD symptoms for way longer than doctors believe is possible.

 

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

He is now suggesting starting a low dose 5 mg of Escitalopram or starting Gabapentin for my anxiety and derealization/brain fog

 

6 hours ago, Dryheat said:

I’m really torn as to how to proceed.

 

They will keep throwing drugs at you so long as you keep going back. There is no quick fix for WD symptoms. For some, reinstating a small amount of the original AD may help, but you seem to have been quite sensitive to them. So perhaps not a good idea.

[Dryheat]

Now my unsteadiness and whoosy head are worse and not sleeping well on Ambien or trazodone 

 

I stopped the CBD

 

Trying to cut back on supplements even fish oil gives me trouble 

 

The 24/7 derealization is really intense 

 

I am really having a hard time making sense of what’s going on, what my issue really is. 
 

I have been off all AD’s for 2 months but things are getting a lot tougher the last 2 weeks.

 

No windows and waves, no peace from this