Jump to content

Problems after Lexapro reinstatement following med-free decade


snappcrack

Recommended Posts

Hello everyone,

 

I was on and off different medications, including multiple SSRIs, from adolesence into my late 20s, which ended with a very bad clonazepam withdrawal. The following decade had its challenges of different PAWS symptoms, including some bad waves, but for the most part, I lived a fairly rich and functional life. My withdrawal from Lexapro in 2007 was also extremely quick and took many years of tinkering with supplements, exercise, and other methods to deal with, but over time it was fairly manageable.

 

Over the past year, as personal issues mounted one after the other, I found myself in a state of genuine psychiatric crisis. The benzo PAWS precipitated a two week period of extreme dysautonomia and insomnia which was helped with Trazodone, and I was back to being chemically stable for the next month or so. However, the psychological issues that existed independently of any of these chemical questions were not adequately addressed, and after a period of extreme spiraling, I attempted to reinstate Lexapro at 5mg, which I took for one day.

 

Within a few hours, I found that pretty much all my lingering SSRI PAWS symptoms were gone, I was thinking extra clearly, and was feeling quite optimistic. The next day, however, I found myself experiencing intense anhedonia, brain fog, and anxiety, along with other symptoms that I attempted to ameliorate with some supplements that had previosly helped but ended up just inflaming everything. Over the next couple days I experienced unprecedented DP/DR, inability to feel emotions, and a bizarre difficulty crying. At the end of the week, I took a dose of about .1mg which that night again ameliorated most of the symptoms, only to have them return over the next day or two. 

 

In the past few weeks, I've instituted a true microdose of around 0.01-0.02mg, which has seemed to attenuate some of the DP/DR, but the the emotionlessness has remained. I also implemented low dose lamictal, and I can't tell if it's helping or revving up my system even more in the long run. I've found, oddly, that when I don't take the Lexapro microdose for a day, the dyspnea/emotional blunting actually goes away, so I don't know what is caused by the SSRI, what's caued by withdrawal, or what is psychological. Even after bringing the microdose back after one day off, within seven hours after taking it, I actually feel my mood lift, followed by all the other symptoms mentioned. Right now, I'm having immense trouble thinking clearly, much more brain fog, headache, emotional flatness, and more tingling in my feet along with dysautonomia than usual.

 

I don't know if I should attempt to switch to Prozac or sertraline, increase the Lexapro, dose it multiple times a day, get off entirely, add more lamictal, remove the lamictal, or what. Like many others on this forum, every option feels like a bad one with hidden risks, and I have to remind myself to not feel personal guilt over this situation.

 

Thanks very much for any help.

2000 - 2004: Paxil 10mg, Wellbutrin 150mg (14 to 18 years old), CT both

2005 - 2007: Lexapro 10mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Concerta, rapid tapers

2008 - 2012: Effexor 150mg, slow taper, successful, reinstated after breakdown

2012 - 2014: Effexor, Prozac on and off, Klonopin and Ativan, bad withdrawals, lasting  PAWS issues but managable

2014 - 2024: med free

January 2024 - February 2024: Trazodone 50mg after severe insomnia issue

March 2024: 5mg Lexapro one day, immediate withdrawal symptoms, reinstated two weeks later at extremely low dose (around 0.02 mg); Lamictal 0.5 - 1mg daily

Link to comment
  • Administrator

Welcome @snappcrack

 

On 3/30/2024 at 10:16 AM, snappcrack said:

I don't know if I should attempt to switch to Prozac or sertraline, increase the Lexapro, dose it multiple times a day, get off entirely, add more lamictal, remove the lamictal, or what.

 

This site exists to help people slowly taper off ADs. We are unable to assist with swapping from one AD to another.

 

Have you tried counselling for the personal issues you refer to? Are you avoiding alcohol and recreational drugs?

 

Emonda

Please don't send me PMs. I am not a doctor. My comments are based on my personal experience with ADs and tapering. Consult your doctor about your own medical decisions.

Start of taper: Jan ’22 Vortioxetine 15mg, 

End year 1: 4.5mg, 

End year 2: 2.38mg, 

Year 3: 8 Feb 2.19mg, 21 Mar 1.99mg, 2 May 1.83mg, 13 Jun 1.69mg, 25 Jul 1.50mg, 14 Aug 1.46mg, 3 Sep 1.43mg, 10 Sep 1.40mg, 17 Sep 1.37mg, 16 Oct 1.34mg, 23 Oct 1.32mg, 30 Oct 1.29mg

Link to comment

My point was that I have no idea what the next move is. Why was my entire post reduced to one clause of one sentence? I don't see anyone else on this forum getting treatment this dismissive.

2000 - 2004: Paxil 10mg, Wellbutrin 150mg (14 to 18 years old), CT both

2005 - 2007: Lexapro 10mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Concerta, rapid tapers

2008 - 2012: Effexor 150mg, slow taper, successful, reinstated after breakdown

2012 - 2014: Effexor, Prozac on and off, Klonopin and Ativan, bad withdrawals, lasting  PAWS issues but managable

2014 - 2024: med free

January 2024 - February 2024: Trazodone 50mg after severe insomnia issue

March 2024: 5mg Lexapro one day, immediate withdrawal symptoms, reinstated two weeks later at extremely low dose (around 0.02 mg); Lamictal 0.5 - 1mg daily

Link to comment
  • Administrator

From personal experience, I know how hard it is to get off these things.

 

It takes ~4 weeks to develop a dependence on these meds, so I'd avoid them if I were in that window.

 

If I understand your post correctly, you are two weeks in.

 

3 hours ago, snappcrack said:

My point was that I have no idea what the next move is.

 

This would be my next move:

 

3 hours ago, Emonda said:

Have you tried counselling for the personal issues you refer to?

 

And if you are drinking alcohol or taking recreational drugs, I'd avoid those.

3 hours ago, Emonda said:

Are you avoiding alcohol and recreational drugs?

 

Regards, Emonda

 

Please don't send me PMs. I am not a doctor. My comments are based on my personal experience with ADs and tapering. Consult your doctor about your own medical decisions.

Start of taper: Jan ’22 Vortioxetine 15mg, 

End year 1: 4.5mg, 

End year 2: 2.38mg, 

Year 3: 8 Feb 2.19mg, 21 Mar 1.99mg, 2 May 1.83mg, 13 Jun 1.69mg, 25 Jul 1.50mg, 14 Aug 1.46mg, 3 Sep 1.43mg, 10 Sep 1.40mg, 17 Sep 1.37mg, 16 Oct 1.34mg, 23 Oct 1.32mg, 30 Oct 1.29mg

Link to comment

I'm not on any alcohol or recreational drugs and have not been for the past ten years.

 

I stopped my microdose about a week ago now. The issue that is most concerning to me which has showed almost no sign of abating is this horrific anhedonia/numbing and I am wondering how long this has taken for most people to resolve. My concern is that since this came after a reinstatement rather than a withdrawal/taper that there is no hope of it recovering.

2000 - 2004: Paxil 10mg, Wellbutrin 150mg (14 to 18 years old), CT both

2005 - 2007: Lexapro 10mg, Wellbutrin 300mg, Concerta, rapid tapers

2008 - 2012: Effexor 150mg, slow taper, successful, reinstated after breakdown

2012 - 2014: Effexor, Prozac on and off, Klonopin and Ativan, bad withdrawals, lasting  PAWS issues but managable

2014 - 2024: med free

January 2024 - February 2024: Trazodone 50mg after severe insomnia issue

March 2024: 5mg Lexapro one day, immediate withdrawal symptoms, reinstated two weeks later at extremely low dose (around 0.02 mg); Lamictal 0.5 - 1mg daily

Link to comment

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

Terms of Use Privacy Policy