theprocess: My tapering journey - need advice.

[theprocess]

Hi all,

 

First of all thank you for this great forum and all of the amazing information.

 

I started taking Lexapro for Anxiety/rumination caused by a life event at the start of this year. With most of the life event resolved and from having a bad time adjusting to the pills I started tapering in March, first by splitting tablets up and then using a digital mg scale when I got down to 2.5mg.

 

With lots of conflicting information on the internet I thought I could taper faster than 10% and would go by feel. I had periods of anxiety and withdrawals mostly for a few days.

 

The issue I have now is at my last drop to 1.25mg on 18th of August I was feeling some physical withdrawals/slight nausea in the first week, was feeling really good in the second week until the 7th of September when I started having a sharp drop in mood, a return in anxiety but new thoughts, vertigo, some tinnitus and insomnia - wake up about 2am every night and sleep poorly the rest of the morning, this partly with having a new born, but previously I could get back to sleep after the baby is fed by my wife. This all appears to be peaking in the morning. I have my Lexapro at 9:30am every morning, and have noticed that by later in the afternoon, I start to feel a lot more relaxed. I had very strong anxiety/catastrophic thoughts this morning from starting about 7:30-8am and started to feeling a lot better around 12:00pm which is probably the earliest so far.

 

Is it a good idea to hold until I am stable and then begin a 10 percent taper or should I do a slight up-dose? The returned anxiety is worrying me that I haven't recovered, it's all very confusing!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited September 17 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @theprocess

 

7 hours ago, theprocess said:

I started tapering in March, first by splitting tablets up

 

Accuracy and consistency are very important. I'm glad to read you are now using a digital scale. What scale do you have?

 

7 hours ago, theprocess said:

I thought I could taper faster than 10% and would go by feel.

 

It's best to stick to the maximum 10%. Rapid tapering can catch up with you down the track.

Why taper by 10% of my dosage? The reductions should get smaller and smaller each month, for example: 10mg, 9mg, 8.1mg, 7.3mg etc. This process involves a degree of trial and error, as there is no way of predicting how an individual will respond. Importantly, if you develop unpleasant side effects from tapering, halt the taper, give yourself time to settle, and once stable, taper more slowly and by smaller amounts moving forward. The experience of others suggests that the lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with tapering.

Those that taper too quickly often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience.

7 hours ago, theprocess said:

sharp drop in mood, a return in anxiety but new thoughts, vertigo, some tinnitus and insomnia - wake up about 2am every night

This sounds like WD. Also, you mentioned a new baby in the house...that was many years ago for me, but I do recall it being an anxious time with interrupted sleep. But I suspect the rapid taper is your problem.

 

7 hours ago, theprocess said:

Is it a good idea to hold until I am stable and then begin a 10 percent taper or should I do a slight up-dose?

 

Holding is always a good plan. That said, at the start of my taper, before finding this site, I did updose to the last dose I felt stable..I tapered way too quickly. I think it was the right call for me as stability returned soon enough and I just held my dose for months to recover from the trauma.

 

These days, if I feel fragile, I draw a line in the sand. If I still feel fragile in, say, three weeks, I consider a small updose. The updose would be small, no more than 10%.

 

8 hours ago, theprocess said:

The returned anxiety is worrying me that I haven't recovered,

 

Do you mean you are worried about a relapse? That has been a fear of mine on this journey. If you take it VERY SLOWLY, and hold your dose when symptoms flare up, you can make great progress.

 

The lower you go in dose, the slower you need to go with your tapering.

 

The following general links are worth reading:

Recovery from ADs and tapering is not linear. There are good days and not-so-good days/weeks/months. This is referred to as the 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.

Don't change the manufacturer of your AD.

Once again, welcome to S.A.

Emonda

[theprocess]

 

Thank you for your reply.

 

8 hours ago, Emonda said:

Accuracy and consistency are very important. I'm glad to read you are now using a digital scale. What scale do you have?

I have this one - Prospecting Portable 20g Digital

 

8 hours ago, Emonda said:

Do you mean you are worried about a relapse? That has been a fear of mine on this journey. If you take it VERY SLOWLY, and hold your dose when symptoms flare up, you can make great progress.

 

Yes, exactly. I think the fear of it happening plays into the severity of the anxiety and the thoughts as well.

 

I forgot to mention in my signature that I am supplementing with Magnesium Glycinate. I have updated that now.

 

Thanks again for your response.  I will ride this out at the same dose for a few more weeks at least.

[Tuikea]

Magnesium Glycinate doesn't work for me it makes me tired during the day rather than helping my sleep at night and increases my anxiety.

You could try a good quality fish oil (omegas)

WD can cause anxiety that feels like relapse.

Can you get out for a run or walk or join a gym what ever suits you.

[theprocess]

13 hours ago, Tuikea said:

Magnesium Glycinate doesn't work for me it makes me tired during the day rather than helping my sleep at night and increases my anxiety.

 

Funny all the mixed reports on this one. I feel like it does relax me, however I have been getting some GI upset so will stop soon if I don't find a way to stop that.

 

13 hours ago, Tuikea said:

WD can cause anxiety that feels like relapse.

 

Which makes it that much harder...

 

@Emonda is it normal for withdrawals to peak 3 weeks out from the last reduction, I guess as you said it could be the quick taper all coming compounding.

 

After having a brutal sleep and a pretty awful day holding myself together at work, I have started to feel really good tonight from about 3pm onwards. It's like the good feeling is moving forward a few hours (dose taken the same time 9:30am).. I seem to be having waves and windows in the same day.

Edited September 18 by theprocess
added dosage time

[theprocess]

@Tuikea thank you for the advice by the way. Hope you are doing well.

[Emonda]

8 hours ago, theprocess said:

I have been getting some GI upset so will stop soon if I don't find a way to stop that.

 

Spread out the amount you take across the day. If I take too much in one go, I end up with GI issues too.

 

8 hours ago, theprocess said:

 is it normal for withdrawals to peak 3 weeks out from the last reduction

 

Anything is possible with these things. Some ADs more than others have delayed WD symptoms. Is it possible, yes.

 

I saved the picture below in my offline diary. There is no mention of the AD they are referring to, however it makes a helpful point in my view.

 

8 hours ago, theprocess said:

I have started to feel really good tonight from about 3pm onwards.

 

This was always my experience. I'd feel worse in the morning and perk up at night.

 

 

 

[BaccatePlayer]

On 9/17/2024 at 10:21 PM, theprocess said:

I think the fear of it happening plays into the severity of the anxiety and the thoughts as well.

Sadly, yes. There's no habbit a brain learns quicker than associating danger, pain or fear with something you choose to suspect may be unsafe.

[Luciana]

On 9/17/2024 at 6:39 AM, Emonda said:

Holding is always a good plan. That said, at the start of my taper, before finding this site, I did updose to the last dose I felt stable..I tapered way too quickly. I think it was the right call for me as stability returned soon enough and I just held my dose for months to recover from the trauma.

Sorry, this is probably not the right thread to ask, but I was wondering where I can find more info on whether to hold or updose if emotional symptoms get really intolerable during the taper? Are there any general guidelines?