AlexV: Lexapro withdrawl

[AlexV]

Hi All,

 

My name is Alex I am male 37.

 

This is my antidepressant history:

 

2023 May Estacilopram 10mg
2023 August Estacilopram 0g (cold turkey)
2024 February Estacilopram 10g
2024 August Estacilopram 0g (cold turkey)

 

Last year i started lexapro and i was on it only for duration of 2 months. During that period i only registered skin itching and some swollen taste buds on my toung and dry mouth. Then i quit the drug cold turkey. It seemed like without any side effects (i was on it only 2 months). Then in 2024 i started to have urticaris come ang go for period of january. This was presumably covid or long covid. First  appearence of urticaris started some 6 months after start of Covid in 2021. In order to try to calm down the utricaris i started to take antihistaminics in Jan 2024. It seems that it works nevertheless it did not resolve the utricaris completely. The utricaris was connected to high histamine foods, it would appear always after eating high histamine food. Eventualy the utricaris would resolve itself sometime in february after quiting antihistaminics.

 

The antihistaminics gave me dry mouth eventually leading to swollen salivary glands in certain point. At that point i also started to have deep anxiety so i started with esticilopram (while quiting antihistaminics). The anxiety got resolved within 8 weeks since starting the drug. Nevertheless, dry mouth persisted all the time even now already 10 weeks after quiting esticilopram the dryness feels better but not 100%. Also since reintroduction of the drug in February i have frequent mouth ulcers. Usually one at a time which would heal after a weak, but another would appear. 

 

Now last week 9 weeks after quiting i started to feel itching, burning and tingling in my skin which is almost away currently. But also i still get the ulcers. Is it posdible that it would be linked to the drug especially this late 9 weeks after qutting? 

 

thank you a lot for advices

Edited November 6, 2024 by Emonda
Name to title

[AlexV]

Hi All,

 

I am Alex 37 male. My first antidepressant experience started in May 2023 i was on Lexapro until end of July 2023. My only side effects would be few days of itching skin and having here and there swollen taste bud on my tongue and dry mouth. Withdrawl was practicaly non existing, if it did not somehow added onto what started later (see below).

 

It was all good only until a point of time when utricaria would show up in december 2023 this would be on off until january 2024. After time i realized that the utricaria would appear only after eating high histamine food. Also first appearence of the utricaria was roughly 6 months after tge covid started in 2021, so i believe that this has to do sonething with covid. Anyway, high histamine food lead me to test out antihistaminic drugs so i was using them for 3 weeks starting early February. Again suddenly dry mouth would appear. After 3 weeks I inflamation of salivary glands. At this time in February i would reinstate 10mg of Lexapro. At the beginning my sking was itchy, tingly etc, i had some issue with errection. But also a mouth ulcer would now appear here and there. Usually, one at time only. It would appear and heal after 7 days. In august 2024 (10weeks ago) i went off Lexapro cold turkey. My mouth ulcers are still following me. Altough, at the begging 2 weeks after i quit it felt like there is improvment as the ulcers would heal already after 2 or 3 days. Week ago (9 weeks after quitting Lexapro) i started to feel something what is first withdrawl symptomps i would say. My skin started to itch and tingle, burn. Now as of today the skin issues are almost gone. Nevertheless, on last thursday i had highly anxious period in evening. Next day a mouth ulcer would appear. Yesterday the ulxer just got healed but another appeared just after finishing my dinner but this time on my lips.

 

Do you think that it is likely caused by Lexapro even so it was already 10 weeks?

Further, is there any way how to ease the ulcers without reinstating the drug?

 

Thank you a lot for your insights!

[Emonda]

Welcome @AlexV

 

20 hours ago, AlexV said:

9 weeks after quiting i started to feel itching, burning and tingling in my skin which is almost away currently

 

20 hours ago, AlexV said:

Is it posdible that it would be linked to the drug especially this late 9 weeks after qutting? 

 

Stopping ADs cold turkey is not recommended. Those that taper too quickly / stop CT often develop very unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) is a helpful summary of what many experience.

 

Can you relate to some of the items on the list? I've certainly experienced burning and tingling.

Recovery from ADs and tapering too fast / stopping CT 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.

What date in August did you stop?

Emonda

[AlexV]

Hi Emonda,

 

Thank you a lot for your reply. After reading your forum, I am aware that quiting Lexapro cold turkey wasn't best idea. Nevertheless, it seems that the anxiety, itching and the mouth sores i had 2 weeks ago are gone. Only i still feel little dry mouth. This is already 11 weeks after qutting. To reply your question i think that my last dose of Lexapro was on 23rd of August 2024.

 

Kind Regards,

Alex

[AlexV]

Hi All,

 

Update after few weeks. This is 7th week into withdrawl effects. It looks like everything is already gone. Except of the fact that my stool changes during day from almost normal into loose stool (would not say diarrhea but almost). Second issue i have is silent reflux, which seems to be initiated by eating. It is quite annoying as it persists almost entire day and fades away during night. I am starting to loose my hope and feel like that this is parmanent damage i made myself. 

 

Please, is here anyone who would manage to resolve the reflux without going back to SSRI. Or without ussing PPIs. I read that PPIs are one of the drugs one can stay on entire life so kind of same as SSRIs. 

 

Really, i am starting to feel hopeless ..... Please, can anyone help?

[Evelyne]

Hi @AlexV! So good to hear you have been improving. Stomach issues can be pretty stubborn and they do come in various forms during WD.

 

Silent reflux is a problem for me also. I have used mainly mild products to treat it like chewable antacids, Gaviscon and Silicol gel, if it gets really bad. Another thing that has been recommended (especially here) is DGL, deglycyrrhizinated licorice - I haven't tried it yet, but others have had a lot of help from it. Sipping some water that has baking soda in it (I put like 1/5 teaspoon to a big glass) clears my throat and esophagus also, since it apparently can clear out gastric juice enzyme pepsin. Tastes quite horrible but it helps, so I'm not complaining too much.

 

PPIs are quite problematic indeed, especially if used longer than couple of weeks or used together with an antidepressant. Also H2 blockers like famotidine can have some bad effects, but they fit for some. Of course us in WD are often quite sensitive to many things. so it is always recommended to be careful when trying out new medication or supplement, and doing your own research about them.

 

Reflux is often treated by lifestyle changes and diet, whether it is silent version or not. It might be good to keep a journal of your foods to figure out if there is some specific things that aggravate your symptoms. Also it can be a histamine thing, since you mentioned having histamine-related symptoms before, and you feel that your symptoms get better by night when you don't eat.

There are many topics that might be useful for you to read through:
 

 

 

 

Hope this helps!

[AlexV]

Hi Evelyne,

 

Hopefully, you are doing better!

Well this silent reflux drives me crazy. It has been some 15 days with this symptom. All other symptoms went away after 5 days usually. So this feels more like that it is not directly caused by serotonin level rather there is a damage to LES or GI tract. In my case it is same as yours silent reflux. Based on that i just believe that the issue has to do something with low levels of stomach acid as opossed to high level. I read an article claiming that 50g of unbroken (by your stomach) carbohydrates will create roughly 10 litres of gas and that gas might be reason why body creates the extra protective layer of mucus.

 

Does the issue also go away when you are laying down on back or side?

 

So far i just wanted to try GAPS diet as someone recommended it here. First step is to start with broths. So i went to a vietnamese restaurant and had phobo as dinner, which is broth. It was 5pm and the thing suddenly resolved only until next morning. So i tried the very same broth again. This time as lunch and i eat only half of it. It wasnt improvement as the day before over course of afternoon, but wasn't also extra intense. The rest of the phobo i took with me home and heated up that in microwawe for dinner. This actually made the reflux worse. So it seems that something happened with consistency while it went through temperate changes.

 

As mentioned above with regards to carbohydrates. I started to keep low carb diet, not sure if it works actually.

[Evelyne]

10 hours ago, AlexV said:

feels more like that it is not directly caused by serotonin level rather there is a damage to LES or GI tract.

We simply don't know what causes what, especially if there's no tests like endoscopy done. But it's not uncommon for WD effects to consistently stay around for longer, even if it's new for you.

There's so many connections from different neurotransmitters to vitamins to hormones to the nervous system that can have an effect on different parts of the GI tract and it's functions. Our intestines are called our second brain after all. I wouldn't call it damage per se, not when you've had this for only two weeks or so, more like glitching of the normal functions.

 

10 hours ago, AlexV said:

Based on that i just believe that the issue has to do something with low levels of stomach acid as opossed to high level.

 

It is a possibility, quite many doctors seem to believe low stomach acid is way more common than high. Have you tried out any of those tricks that supposedly could indicate low stomach acid? Like drinking apple cider vinegar before eating or seeing if sodium bicarbonate water makes you burp? There's several of these when you google around (recommended to do research before trying out anything, as always).

 

10 hours ago, AlexV said:

Does the issue also go away when you are laying down on back or side?

 

I haven't noticed such difference to be honest. But I do know that laying down usually don't aggravate my symptoms.

 

10 hours ago, AlexV said:

The rest of the phobo i took with me home and heated up that in microwawe for dinner. This actually made the reflux worse.

 

This, for me, might indicate that histamine issue, since histamine levels increase when re-heating something - and overall in leftovers the histamine level builds up. That's why I currently eat only freshly made things or I freeze food quickly after it's cooled down (freezing cuts the formation of histamine) and heat it from there.

 

Soups and broths in general are good and easy to digest for the stomach though, so it might be that it did some soothing for your GI tract if you originally found it helpful before eating it as leftovers.

 

10 hours ago, AlexV said:

As mentioned above with regards to carbohydrates. I started to keep low carb diet, not sure if it works actually

 

Diets are annoying in that sense that it usually takes some time before the effect is shown. So patience! And sometimes, if the change is too sudden and big, like in tapering or WD when we are so sensitive, our bodies don't like it, so gradually, slow and steady, that is the way. I've reduced carbohydrates too, and I've read many here have had benefits from it.

[AlexV]

Hi All,

 

Please, can anyone experienced advise?

 

I am wondering if i should not reinstate very small amount of Escitalopram to decrease my withdrawl. It has been already 4 months since discontinued 10mg Escitalopram at the end of August 2024. Nevertheless, only at the end of October appeared first withdrawl symptom. (My theory is that once a person starts with SSRI after some time his/her brain gets saturated with serotonin and basicaly in simplicity brain becames full and won't accept any further serotonin.

At this point serotonin will get stored in guts. After quiting the SSRI CT suddenly brain is not full as serotonin reuptake works again. Now for some time guts can supplement brain with serotonin, but only until they get depleted.)

 

So in fact this is week 10 of experiencing withdrawl symptoms. Only persisting physical symptom i have is silent reflux and irritation in my throath, then time by time i won't sleep well, sometimes i have anxiety, or brain fog. Maybe my libido decresed, but this is not big issue at this time.

 

Would it make sense to reinstate lets say 0.2mg or even lower dose? If so, what is the best way to weigh the dose and in fact how to properly get it to my GI tract. Especially, lets say i would tapper from 0.2 mg going to something below 0.1mg. The dose would be already dust which might get stuck on ylur teeth or something. 

[AlexV]

Hi @Emonda,

Please can you assist?

 

 

[Emonda]

Hi ALexV,

I missed your previous posts, sorry.

 

On 1/4/2025 at 3:33 PM, AlexV said:

I am wondering if i should not reinstate very small amount of Escitalopram to decrease my withdrawl.

 

You should read these two links:

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

Kindling

You are outside the 3-month window. Reinstatement is less predictable the further out you are from a CT.

Only you know how bad your WD symptoms are. You need to consider the risks versus the possible relief.

Happy to chat once you have read the links.

 

Emonda

[AlexV]

Hi Emonda, 

 

My symptoms appeared only 9 weeks after withdrawl so it is questional whether I am within 3 months window. It feels like the reflux caused by Lexapro is permanent issue. All other symptoms well excluding food sensitivy, diarrhea and anxiety are gone.

 

Not sure what to do at all. It all seemed improving over time only yesterday it got worse and i move like to the point where i was week ago. It might have been ginger, lemon, honey drink i drunk even prior. Really no idea what to do now.

[Evelyne]

2 minutes ago, AlexV said:

It feels like the reflux caused by Lexapro is permanent issue. All other symptoms well excluding food sensitivy, diarrhea and anxiety are gone.

 

Not sure what to do at all. It all seemed improving over time only yesterday it got worse and i move like to the point where i was week ago. It might have been ginger, lemon, honey drink i drunk even prior. Really no idea what to do now.

You are still in too early to say it's a permanent issue. Don't be too discouraged - and remember to think about the fact that your other issues have resolved!

Ginger and lemon might be irritating when dealing with reflux, so I wouldn't be surprised if that caused you problems. You had a setback, but you were just improving before this, so I see a lot of good in what you're telling.

[Emonda]

6 hours ago, AlexV said:

All other symptoms well excluding food sensitivy, diarrhea and anxiety are gone.

 

6 hours ago, AlexV said:

It all seemed improving over time

 

This sounds positive

 

6 hours ago, AlexV said:

only yesterday it got worse and i move like to the point where i was week ago.

 

Have another read of the Windows and Waves link.

 

6 hours ago, AlexV said:

It feels like the reflux caused by Lexapro is permanent issue.

 

I don't believe you can draw that conclusion at this time.

 

6 hours ago, AlexV said:

It might have been ginger, lemon, honey drink i drunk even prior.

 

Stick to a very plain diet.

[AlexV]

Hi All,

 

Thank you a lot for support!!!

 

It is 2am i gave up to try to sleep anymore. After appealing to mother of my son to try to keep period of peace for few weeks, there was today afteernoon fight over triviality. Leading later in the evening into question wheter she minds if i die. Her response being: "I don't care".

I am now thinking to pack my stuff and move to my parents at least for few weeks ....

 

Ah hopefully tonight i will sleep.

[Evelyne]

3 hours ago, AlexV said:

After appealing to mother of my son to try to keep period of peace for few weeks, there was today afteernoon fight over triviality. Leading later in the evening into question wheter she minds if i die. Her response being: "I don't care".

I am now thinking to pack my stuff and move to my parents at least for few weeks ....

 

Ah hopefully tonight i will sleep.

I'm really sorry to hear such horrible words said to you. Please know that you are needed, here, and in the world, whatever she says. 

 

As someone who did pack their packs and moved to their parents for a while to deal with all this - if you feel like it would give you some ease, I see know shame in doing it. We all need help sometimes. A place of rest. And a place where there's no such stress as a fight with someone who says such awful things.

 

If you can't sleep, try to accept it and do something else. I woke up to a hefty cortisol surge (I think) so here I am, just doing something instead of struggling to sleep. 

 

This is a place of safety for you ❤️ I hope better nights and support for you.