Victoria Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 I have never experienced pins and needles ever in my life. It started probably about a few days to a week after updosing and feels like it's getting worse. I wish I had kept notes to know for sure. Have felt numbness as well and in hands too. Have been on and off of Lexapro several times. Never had trouble weaning. Always did it by 10%. Was on no medication from Sept 2013 to July 2015 Started taking Lexapro in August 2015 In January 2016 I started to taper from Lexapro. Went from 10mg to 7.5. Stood there for 2 weeks when withdrawal symptoms began. Went back up to 10mg. Feb 2016 Still experiencing withdrawal symtoms. Head pressure, elictrical current feeling in head, numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Link to comment
AliG Posted February 15, 2016 Share Posted February 15, 2016 Victoria. It sounds like it could be making you worse. You might be sensitized to the drug. If it were me , I would try dropping the dosage back , a little. Maybe , 8.5mg and keep notes. See how you go. Unfortunately , this is not an exact science, and often it's trial & error. Perhaps , have another read of this link : http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/7562-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-reduce-withdrawal-symptoms/ Many SSRI's and SSNRI's over 20 years. Zoloft for 7 years followed by Effexor, Lexapro, Prozac, Cymbalta, Celexa, Pristiq, Valdoxan, Mianserin and more - on and off. No tapering. Cold turkey off Valdoxan - end of May 2014 Psych Drug - free since May 2014 . Link to comment
Victoria Posted February 15, 2016 Author Share Posted February 15, 2016 Thanks AliG. I would really love to get off this drug and I've done it so easily before. Anyone else have any thoughts in my situation? I don't want to make things worse. I'm scared to taper and I'm scared to continue getting worse. So what if my head symptoms get better but the pins and needles continue or get worse? I feel so lost and worried right now. Have been on and off of Lexapro several times. Never had trouble weaning. Always did it by 10%. Was on no medication from Sept 2013 to July 2015 Started taking Lexapro in August 2015 In January 2016 I started to taper from Lexapro. Went from 10mg to 7.5. Stood there for 2 weeks when withdrawal symptoms began. Went back up to 10mg. Feb 2016 Still experiencing withdrawal symtoms. Head pressure, elictrical current feeling in head, numbness and tingling in hands and feet. Link to comment
Moderator brassmonkey Posted February 15, 2016 Moderator Share Posted February 15, 2016 Hi Victoria-- physical symptoms are really common when making dose changes. Body aches and pains, pins and needles, various body parts "going to sleep" at random times (I got that one a lot and still have a lot or aches and pains.) The large drop in dose followed by the increase in does has really confused your body and it will take some time for it to regain its balance. The brain zaps are the clue that you dropped too far. They are indicative of either too far or too fast. It's only been a few weeks since you updosed, so it going be a few more before things start to settle out. Things happen painfully slow when it comes to making dose adjustments. The best thing to do is roll with it as best as you can until things settle. 20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013. Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks. The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better. Final Dose 0.016mg. Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017 "It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general." Stephen Hawking Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted February 16, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted February 16, 2016 Three weeks really isn't very long at all with these meds. It's normal for things to be up and down for a while. I would hold there a good while longer and not make any changes, unless something becomes really severe. If your head symptoms have improved, that's a good sign. 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment
Christian Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Correct me if I'm wrong. After a dose increase you feel bad reactions within days and the benefits 3-4 weeks later? Does that mean the head pressure can improve after 4 weeks or its there to stay as it was noticed right away? Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs. Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010. Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues. Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until 12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges. Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016. Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016. 2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days 6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron 10/11/16: Off all psych medications After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue. Link to comment
Colonial Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Christian, I think it's a symptom to the "on again off again" relationship to the Lexapro. Your brain is trying to come to terms with what you are expecting of it. I think once you stop changing the dose it will settle down. I don't think it's a "bad reaction" in the way we normally think of a drug "reaction". I think it's the constant starting and stopping 3 times in the past year. Starting ds 2 (12.5 CR'S) = 25 MG PAXIL CR 1/21/15: 1 Pill + 10mg liquid (2 weeks) 2/4: 1 Pill + 9mg Lq (3 weeks) 2/25: 1 Pill + 8 mg lq (1 week) 3/4: 1 Pill + 6 mg lq (2 weeks) 3/18/15 1 Pill + 4 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/1/15 1 Pill + 3 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/14/15 1 Pill + 2 mg lq (2 weeks) 4/29/15 1Pill + 1 mg lq (16 days) 5/15/15 1 12.5 mg Pill ONLY (9 days) 5/24/15 12 mgs liquid (8 days) 6/1/15 11mg lq (12 days) 6/13/15 10 mg. 12/3/15 Drop from 8mg to 7.6 (24 days to) 12/27/15 7.2mgs 8/4/16 6.8mgs, 11/1/16 6.4mgs, 2/5/17 6 mgs 4/3/17 5.6mgs, 4/24/17 5.2mg, 6/13/17 4.8mgs, 9/20/17 4.4mgS, 11/23/17 4 mgs, 1/1/18 3.6 mgs, 2/15/18 3.2 mgs. 4/13/18 2.8mgs, 5/11/18 2.4mgs, 6/10/18 2.0 mgs, 8/4/18 1.6mgs, 9/27/18 1.2mgs, 12/24/18 0.8mg, 3/24/19 0.64 mg,(syringe change issue date?) 4/22/19 0.60 mg, 5/24/19 0.60 mg, 7/7/19 0.52 mgs, 8/4/19 0.44mgs, 11/4/19 0.36mgs, 2/1/20 0.28mgs, 3/1/20 0.24mgs (crash April 6) Compound started 6/28/21: 0.24mgs, 8/29/21: 0.22mgs, 10/31/21: 0.20mgs, 1/03/22: 0.18mgs, 3/5/22: 0.16mgs, 5/5/22: 0.14mgs. Original Wellbutrin Dose: 6 months from 9/14 to 3/2015, 300 XL 3/15/15: Half to 150 XL ( severe symptoms started on day 12) 4/16/15: 125mg for 20 days to: 5/6/15: 100mg for 15 days to: 5/21/15 75mg for 10 days to: 6/1/15: 56.25mg 13 days to: 6/13/15: 37.25mg 7 days to: 6/20/15 28.12mg 14 days to: 7/4/15 18.75mg, 7 days to: 7/11/15; RAISE BACK TO: 28.12 to 8/14/15: 18.75mg 20 days to :9/3/15 : 12.5mg, 8/4/16 9mg 1/9/17: 8.5mg 2/8/17 8mg, 3/9/17: 7.6 4/9/17 7.2 5/27/17 6.4 6/24/17 5.8, 8/1/17 5.0, 8/29/17 4.2mgs, 10/2/17 3.5mgs, 12/28/17 2.5mgs, 2/27/18 1.7mgs, 4/19/18 0.8 mgs, LAST DOSE: 6/11/18: 3 YEARS, 2 MONTHS, 27 DAYS... Link to comment
Christian Posted February 20, 2016 Share Posted February 20, 2016 Makes sense ! Lexapro: started in 2002 at 10 mgs. Ambien: started as a as needed sleep aid in 2010. Quit Lexapro cold turkey in June 20015 due to contributing to low sodium issues. Restarted Lexapro in late November for a week (only 5 mgs) but quit due to dizziness side effects. Side effects worsened for 3 weeks until 12/24/15: Protracted WD hit, experienced extreme anxiety, insomnia lack of full concentration and social challenges. Reinstated Lexapro on 1/1/16 at 5 mgs. Increased per Dr to 7.5 MG. Tapered off Lexapro in March 2016. Started 50MG of Seroquel in late January 2016 for bedtime to help in eliminate Ambien. Tapered off both Seroquel and Ambien in March 2016. 2/14/16: Prescribed both Remeron (15 MG) and Temazapam (15 MG) for sleep. Also use Klonopin and Ambien again in place of Temazapam to avoid addiction. However I did take Temazapam 60 straight days 6/15/16: Stopped use of all benzo's and now use Belsomra 1-2 times a week. Still on 15 MG of Remeron 10/11/16: Off all psych medications After kindling, trying to regain my strength suffering from severe mental and physical fatigue. Link to comment
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