bluestates Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hello all. For over 10 years now I have been on some sort of medication or combination of them for depression. I think the very first one was Paxil way back when. It has been a roller coaster ride. I had been on Abilify (5mg) and Lexapro (10mg) for several years until a little over a month ago. The reasons why I stopped taking them are a bit complicated. I may go into them at another time.I tapered off the Abilify but not nearly to the extent I should have. I had no idea the withdrawal symptoms would be this severe. Thankfully I came across this site while searching Google. The first few weeks after stopping both the Abilify and Lexapro I was mostly fine. Then about a week or so ago I got a minor head cold. No big deal... normally. But between being sick and working I assumed I had simply gotten run down. I'm now over the cold but am dealing with lethargy and my brain feels a bit scrambled at times. I have experienced some of the typical "brain shocks". I know them all too well from years of different SSRI's. I'm convinced that the discontinuation of Abilify is what is dragging me down at the moment. I wish I had never started taking it. Despite the fact that it put me in a state of pseudo-happiness whilst taking it. I'm pretty sure I feel much worse right now than I ever did actually depressed. I'm very thankful to have found this site as it gives me hope that I can get through this. Even though it is currently very difficult. I would appreciate any input or even just some positive vibes! Intro Thread Off of Abilify (5mg) & Lexapro (10mg) as of November 2014 (approximately). Was on both for at least 2 years. Tapered Abilify for about 2 weeks. Stopped Lexapro cold turkey. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted December 29, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hi Bluestates Welcome to the site, sorry to meet under such circumstances! I agree that you are probably experiencing withdrawal. Flu like withdrawal symptoms are very common. Could I ask you to put your drug history in your signature for ready reference? One thing I'm not clear on is how long you tapered the ambilify and what's happening with the lexapro We will be able to provide more advice with a more complete picture Here are instructions for how to complete your signature. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ Dalsaan Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to comment
bluestates Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hi Bluestates Welcome to the site, sorry to meet under such circumstances! I agree that you are probably experiencing withdrawal. Flu like withdrawal symptoms are very common. Could I ask you to put your drug history in your signature for ready reference? One thing I'm not clear on is how long you tapered the ambilify and what's happening with the lexapro We will be able to provide more advice with a more complete picture Here are instructions for how to complete your signature. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/ Dalsaan I can see now after browsing the site that I certainly did not taper off the Abilify the way I should have. I just had no idea... I stopped the Lexapro cold turkey. Thanks for your response. Intro Thread Off of Abilify (5mg) & Lexapro (10mg) as of November 2014 (approximately). Was on both for at least 2 years. Tapered Abilify for about 2 weeks. Stopped Lexapro cold turkey. Link to comment
MatGMax Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Good luck blue states. Some people can tough out a cold turkey WD. I almost made it twice when I didn't have any info. If I had have realised they where withdrawals I probably would have made it. I thought they were originals symptoms. From my reading a big majority of people make full recoveries in time. It just doesn't feel like it while you go through it. Cheers Damien Off all SSRIs as at November 2016. Been on SSRIs (mainly Lexapro) for around 15 years. failed attempts to go cold turkey before I got proper info on it. Over last 2 years I've slowly gone from 20 mg Lexapro to 2.5 mg Lexapro. on 25th Jan 2015 I've now moved to home made liquid Lexapro. Plan is to drop roughly 0.2 mg per month over the next 1-2 years. 25th Jan 2015 2.5 mg Lexapro liquid. 24th Mar 2016 1.0 mg lexapro (crushed tablet mixed and refilled into capsules) Planned to be at 0.0 mg lexapro by about October 2016. I also take 50-100 mg modafinil per day, no short term plans of stopping/tapering modafinil but will re-evaluate after I'm off lexapro. Link to comment
luv2knit Posted December 29, 2014 Share Posted December 29, 2014 Hi, bluestates. Welcome. I am 5 months out from a much too fast taper off of Zoloft. Zoloft 100 mg. daily for Chronic Fatigue Syndrome since Oct. 1994 / Synthroid 88 mcg. daily / Supplements: Neptune Krill Oil-1,000 mg. twice daily/Astaxanthin 10 mg. twice daily/Ubiquinol 100 mg. twice daily (These 3 have allowed me to discontinue (approved by doctor) bp meds I was on. Calcium Citrate 500 mg. daily/Vitamin D3 2,400 iu daily/K2 (MK7) 100 mcg daily (osteopenia and fam. hist. of severe osteoporosis). Stress B Complex (1/2 dose)/Quercetin (for allergies/asthma)/Magnesium (400 mg. oral glycinate and about 50 mg. magnesium chloride spray oil a day, divided throughout day). Tapered Zoloft about 6 wks. Totally off since the end of July (25-29, 2014). 3 wks. vertigo at end of taper, then 3-4 wks. OK, followed by withdrawal symptoms increasing in severity (nausea, gastric disturbances, loss of appetite, insomnia, restlessness, jitters, anxiety, agitation--jumping out of my skin--possible akathisia?) Seem to have paradoxical reactions to everything new, even Vitamin C. Severity of akathisia comes and goes, but is constant to some degree. Hard to leave house, and cannot be home alone. (Retired) Link to comment
bluestates Posted December 29, 2014 Author Share Posted December 29, 2014 Thank you both. Intro Thread Off of Abilify (5mg) & Lexapro (10mg) as of November 2014 (approximately). Was on both for at least 2 years. Tapered Abilify for about 2 weeks. Stopped Lexapro cold turkey. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus dalsaan Posted December 29, 2014 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted December 29, 2014 Mmmmnn, not surprised you aren't feeling well. Are your symptoms getting worse, staying the same or getting better? Any other symptoms? The brain zaps aren't good. They represent a brain n trauma. Normally we would recommend reinstating at a low dose, waiting for stability and the slow tapering. But I'm not sure which one I would reinstate. Another mod might chip in on this question. Usually people don't want to reinstate, which I can understand but withdrawal can be very protracted and cold turkey is very hard on your brain and body Here is a thread on reinstating, perhaps have a read and think about that option. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3079-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-stop-withdrawal-symptoms/ Dalsaan Please note - I am not a medical practitioner and I do not give medical advice. I offer an opinion based on my own experiences, reading and discussion with others.On Effexor for 2 months at the start of 2005. Had extreme insomnia as an adverse reaction. Changed to mirtazapine. Have been trying to get off since mid 2008 with numerous failures including CTs and slow (but not slow enough tapers)Have slow tapered at 10 per cent or less for years. I have liquid mirtazapine made at a compounding chemist. Was on 1.6 ml as at 19 March 2014. Dropped to 1.5 ml 7 June 2014. Dropped to 1.4 in about September. Dropped to 1.3 on 20 December 2014. Dropped to 1.2 in mid Jan 2015. Dropped to 1 ml in late Feb 2015. I think my old medication had run out of puff so I tried 1ml when I got the new stuff and it seems to be going ok. Sleep has been good over the last week (as of 13/3/15). Dropped to 1/2 ml 14/11/15 Fatigue still there as are memory and cognition problems. Sleep is patchy but liveable compared to what it has been in the past. DRUG FREE - as at 1st May 2017 >My intro post is here - http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2250-dalsaan Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted January 1, 2015 Administrator Share Posted January 1, 2015 Welcome, bluestates. Do you have any Lexapro left? That's less expensive than Abilify, if I were you, I might try reinstatement of maybe 2mg Lexapro. This topic gives instructions for how to take a very small dose of Lexapro Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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