Tbc1981 - about to start slow taper off Lexapro

[Tbc1981]

Hi, all. I’m new here and thought I would do an introduction. Im a 42f mom of 3. I’m fortunate to have found this forum thanks to the Lexapro support group on FB and mentions in subreddits before I started my taper.

 

in December of 2023 I was going through a time of heightened stress and anxiety that sent me into panic attacks, agoraphobia, and extreme anxiety and depression. I’ve always had moderate anxiety but this was on another level. I went to my primary doctor out of desperation and she immediately suggested Lexapro, and she stressed that it has hardly any side effects, easy to come off of etc. I wish I had educated myself better but I was desperate at the time. I went on 5mg. It maybe helped slightly, but not much. In January she upped my dose to 10mg. I was still having extreme anxiety and panic frequently, but things were slightly better maybe. I started researching more and decided I don’t want to be on these meds anymore.

 

I have been on it for a total of 11 weeks, 6 weeks on 10mg. I want to start tapering slowly asap but I am nervous. I still don’t feel like I’m stable, I still have heightened anxiety although not as bad as the beginning. I am absolutely EXHAUSTED, to the point where i can barely function. I don’t know if these meds even “work” for me and if I’ll ever stabilize on them enough to start my taper. I was planning on maybe waiting until I’ve been on 10mg for 8-12 weeks to see if I’m more stable at that point. Does anyone have any suggestions or advice? 
 

I am also in therapy, take supplements (fish oil, vitamin d, b12, multivitamin, l theanine, and magnesium), I exercise daily, eat healthy, no caffeine, meditation daily, and go to acupuncture monthly. 
 

Happy to have found this site, it’s an amazing resource.
 

 

[Emonda]

Welcome @Tbc1981

 

It's great you found this site and its resources before you started your taper.

 

Do you mind adding the dates in December and January that you added/increased Lexapro.

 

It sounds as though you've done a bit of reading. If, after consulting your doctor*, you want to taper your medication, a good place to start would be by reading the following links:

 

* although your doctor did say:

9 hours ago, Tbc1981 said:

Lexapro....has hardly any side effects, easy to come off of etc

 

So maybe you just keep educating yourself 🙃

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable Some valuable nuggets here.

 

Never skip doses to taper  It's amazing how many people are told to skip doses to taper.

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? You know that the monthly reductions should get smaller and smaller, right?

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF): This is really helpful for monitoring your progress. Slow down if WD flares up. 

 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering Some of us find 10% per month in one hit a bit too much. I certainly do. I find this more manageable.

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization Even when you taper slowly, you still have ups and downs.

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

Melatonin for sleep

 

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. 

 

9 hours ago, Tbc1981 said:

I still don’t feel like I’m stable, I still have heightened anxiety although not as bad as the beginning. I am absolutely EXHAUSTED, to the point where i can barely function.

 

To quote another member of this site, you don't want to start a marathon with a broken leg or sprained ankle. Equally, you don't want to start tapering if you don't feel stable. Perhaps give yourself more time to stabilise.

 

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

[Tbc1981]

Thank you for all of the valuable information, @Emonda! I will definitely read through it all. 
 

I will consult with my doctor before beginning my taper, but I know she’s going to be difficult and say a slow taper isn’t necessary. I hope she will prescribe liquid but I have a feeling she won’t. I have been reading/watching how to make it myself. 
 

I will add dates to my signature! 
 

I am giving myself some more time to stabilize, I’m just afraid that I’m one of the people Lexapro doesn’t work for and I’m afraid I’ll never be stable! I know I need to wait before starting my taper, though. 
 

thank you for the welcome!

[Tbc1981]

I feel like I might finally be starting to stabilize on the Lexapro. This week has felt the most “normal” since I started taking it in December. I’m definitely going to hold for awhile longer and give myself time to feel stable before I start my taper. I am so nervous about it. I’ve been reading what people go through during tapering and it breaks my heart for them and makes me nervous to go through the same. Everyone here is so strong. 

[Tbc1981]

If anyone has any advice on how long I should wait to start my taper, I’d love to hear it. I feel a lot more stable for the past week. I still have anxiety but the extreme restlessness etc. seems to be better and panic is less. I have still had some depersonalization but not terrible. I’ve been on 12 weeks total, 7 on 10mg. I feel like it has never fully “worked” for me. I really want to go off of this. I was thinking of making sure I feel mostly stable for at least a month or so and then possibly starting to taper. Does that sound good? 

[Erimus]

11 minutes ago, Tbc1981 said:

If anyone has any advice on how long I should wait to start my taper, I’d love to hear it. I feel a lot more stable for the past week. I still have anxiety but the extreme restlessness etc. seems to be better and panic is less. I have still had some depersonalization but not terrible. I’ve been on 12 weeks total, 7 on 10mg. I feel like it has never fully “worked” for me. I really want to go off of this. I was thinking of making sure I feel mostly stable for at least a month or so and then possibly starting to taper. Does that sound good? 

Sounds like you’re still experiencing a few start-up symptoms.

 

I would hold on a couple more weeks before testing the waters with your first drop. A month of relative stability, like you said, sounds ideal.

 

You're already ahead of 95% of people who go on these drugs, in the sense that you have discovered this site before you begin tapering.

[Tbc1981]

Just now, Erimus said:

Sounds like you’re still experiencing a few start-up symptoms.

 

I would hold on a couple more weeks before testing the waters with your first drop. A month of relative stability, like you said, sounds ideal.

 

You're already ahead of 95% of people who go on these drugs, in the sense that you have discovered this site before you begin tapering.

Thank you! That’s what I’m planning on doing, I think. I’m just afraid that it doesn’t “work” on me and I’ll never fully stabilize. I am trying other methods (meditation, CBT, exercise, etc.) so hopefully I begin to feel relatively okay before starting. 
 

I feel very fortunate to have found the site before going off too quickly. 
 

I have another question if anyone has an answer…it seems like people have w/d symptoms either way, whether they are doing a slow taper or go off too quickly. Are there people who have only done a slow taper and not had any ill effects? 

[Erimus]

10 hours ago, Tbc1981 said:

I’m just afraid that it doesn’t “work” on me and I’ll never fully stabilize.

I had a terrible reaction to sertraline, and even I stabilised after 3 months on it. Although I never felt "good", things were consistent day to day.

 

10 hours ago, Tbc1981 said:

I have another question if anyone has an answer…it seems like people have w/d symptoms either way, whether they are doing a slow taper or go off too quickly. Are there people who have only done a slow taper and not had any ill effects? 

There are a few on the site who are micro tapering with no withdrawal symptoms. The point of the slow taper is to manage any withdrawal symptoms, and allow them to dissipate before making the next cut. For most of us, symptoms during the taper are unavoidable, it's just about finding the right balance.

[Tbc1981]

8 hours ago, Erimus said:

I had a terrible reaction to sertraline, and even I stabilised after 3 months on it. Although I never felt "good", things were consistent day to day.

 

There are a few on the site who are micro tapering with no withdrawal symptoms. The point of the slow taper is to manage any withdrawal symptoms, and allow them to dissipate before making the next cut. For most of us, symptoms during the taper are unavoidable, it's just about finding the right balance.

Thank you! I definitely feel more stable than I did when I started, just still don’t feel great or “normal”. I am so incredibly exhausted all the time on the meds, I can’t imagine being on them for so much longer while I’m tapering. I hope the exhaustion goes away. It’s hard to function. I appreciate you taking the time to answer! 

[Erimus]

10 minutes ago, Tbc1981 said:

Thank you! I definitely feel more stable than I did when I started, just still don’t feel great or “normal”. I am so incredibly exhausted all the time on the meds, I can’t imagine being on them for so much longer while I’m tapering. I hope the exhaustion goes away. It’s hard to function. I appreciate you taking the time to answer! 

When I was stable I felt exhausted constantly, had no energy and was depressed. As you reduce the dose, in a safe manner, these symptoms should reduce in intensity.

[Tbc1981]

1 minute ago, Erimus said:

When I was stable I felt exhausted constantly, had no energy and was depressed. As you reduce the dose, in a safe manner, these symptoms should reduce in intensity.

That’s definitely how I feel. I hope you’re doing okay now. 

[Daniel1269]

On 3/11/2024 at 11:41 PM, Tbc1981 said:

I feel very fortunate to have found the site before going off too quickly. 
 

I have another question if anyone has an answer…it seems like people have w/d symptoms either way, whether they are doing a slow taper or go off too quickly. Are there people who have only done a slow taper and not had any ill effects? 

@Tbc1981,

 

Hi,

 

Just come across your topic and thought I’d say a few things just to give an anecdote of how mine is going.

 

Like you did, I too found this site before following an ill-advised taper, thank god!
Although my heart goes out to everyone on this site who had to go through this first.

 

Whilst I am not very long into my taper at all, I have reduced 10% of 50mg Sertraline two weeks ago and SO FAR have no withdrawal symptoms, hoping it carries on!

 

There is some great info in Mark Horowitz’s new book and this site if you want to further educate yourself RE the SERT Occupancy charts, hyperbolic and exponential tapering etc.

 

It is available on Amazon for £25 (e-book) and would be a good idea to show this book to your GP to try and convince them otherwise to prescribe the liquid, along with the updated NICE guidelines if you’re UK based, all discussed in the thread “What to expect when talking to your doctor” or something along those lines (although it didn’t work for me! The NHS clearly cares more about cost efficiency than safety!)

 

It is also due to the fact that GPs are just uneducated on safe deprescribing, so despite showing my GP about practically all the info out there on this subject (and pharmacist) they still denied it as they’ve “never seen it before” and ironically, they are “concerned about safety” if they prescribe the liquid to do a slow taper!

 

But maybe in your case your GP is a bit more open minded once you present the book. If this fails you will have to look into alternative methods e.g dry cuts with the Gemini scale like I have or homemade liquids etc. dry cutting is going well SO FAR.

 

The book is called: The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines

 

Hope that eases some of your worries about my symptom free start to my taper 16 days in, although remember it is all based on the individual.

 

Best of Luck!

[Tbc1981]

26 minutes ago, Daniel1269 said:

@Tbc1981,

 

Hi,

 

Just come across your topic and thought I’d say a few things just to give an anecdote of how mine is going.

 

Like you did, I too found this site before following an ill-advised taper, thank god!
Although my heart goes out to everyone on this site who had to go through this first.

 

Whilst I am not very long into my taper at all, I have reduced 10% of 50mg Sertraline two weeks ago and SO FAR have no withdrawal symptoms, hoping it carries on!

 

There is some great info in Mark Horowitz’s new book and this site if you want to further educate yourself RE the SERT Occupancy charts, hyperbolic and exponential tapering etc.

 

It is available on Amazon for £25 (e-book) and would be a good idea to show this book to your GP to try and convince them otherwise to prescribe the liquid, along with the updated NICE guidelines if you’re UK based, all discussed in the thread “What to expect when talking to your doctor” or something along those lines (although it didn’t work for me! The NHS clearly cares more about cost efficiency than safety!)

 

It is also due to the fact that GPs are just uneducated on safe deprescribing, so despite showing my GP about practically all the info out there on this subject (and pharmacist) they still denied it as they’ve “never seen it before” and ironically, they are “concerned about safety” if they prescribe the liquid to do a slow taper!

 

But maybe in your case your GP is a bit more open minded once you present the book. If this fails you will have to look into alternative methods e.g dry cuts with the Gemini scale like I have or homemade liquids etc. dry cutting is going well SO FAR.

 

The book is called: The Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines

 

Hope that eases some of your worries about my symptom free start to my taper 16 days in, although remember it is all based on the individual.

 

Best of Luck!

Thank you for your response! I will check out those resources. I hope your taper continues to go well for you!