Franklander: A Dance with Escitalopram

[Fresh]

What are the new symptoms that have appeared Franklander? When do they come , level of

intensity etc , please be as detailed as possible.

 

It's very common to have waves and windows during this period , so that 4 days ago you had a great

day , then some bad ones , then more good ones will come again soon enough.

[Franklander]

Physical Symptoms come every time I take another dosage:

The Tinnitus has become a novel on its own, It feels like it is evolving, from being a noisy feeling due to some pressure in my head to - sometimes - a very audible noise, it varies to which ear that stage actually goes to
but it is mostly possible to listen to it from the right side.

Hyperacusis is varies even being constant, I'm refraining from using music as a distraction device, also gave up on using earphones, even so I mostly use it to things not related to music - this had a toll on me.

The Headaches are mostly over, but fatigue is coming back as well, I'm yawning and lazing/stretching my body most of the time.

Not only hearing is far more sensitive, but smells are also.

My skin feels also much more sensitive, every scratch takes time to get away, it feels like I'm fragile to the point that anything can break me.

Twitching of my body is irregular, some days is all over me and some others they non-exist.

No sign of sinus pressure.



Psychological:

Most of the issues are with coping, aside from everything else, I'm not being able to cope with the tinnitus. Listening to music has been a way to relax and be joyful - it was a good way to distract myself from former withdrawal issues, before the taper process itself.

Still no improvements on the cognitive side, I'm forgetting days and dates, forgetting to do daily chores and washing dishes, I'm spending most of my day distracting my mind from the withdrawal, even avoiding contacting from message programs like whatsapp.

I hate admitting it, but with this comes the anger, and now grudge consumes my thoughts. The events that transpired and led me here, even though I can't clearly see them, I fuel from the anger that psychiatrists and myself had put me.

Thanks to these symptoms, my mom is berating that I'm becoming hypochondriac - after the incident with tap water from Flint (USA), I'm refraining even from drinking water from the only source available until we manage to get hands on a new filter. This one, I believe, will carry on with me long after the WD subside, if ever.

Concentration is not good yet, tbh it has never been that impressive, way before my meds, I could only focus on stuff that really catched my eye. I took mostly an entire day to sit down and finish this post, but I can't attribute this to anything beside the situation I'm into. WD itself has done this to me.

 

 

Sorry, I needed to vent, I've never been a hopeless guy, and I'm fighting everyday against this thought.
I guess the inability to cope is what making everything else so unbearable.


Thanks for hearing, Fresh. It's not fair that you should be listening to me like I was some child. No one else understands what's going on with me.
 

[Fresh]

Do you mean the symptoms feel worse soon after taking the 1mg dose?

We need to work out if it's worth trying an increase of 1mg or if it's actually making things worse.

 

What time do you take it?

What time of day are symptoms at their worst? at their lowest?

[Franklander]

I take my dosage at 00:50 right before bed, The Tinnitus change or increase in intensity some hours after it. The twitches usually came at the same pace as the tinnitus. The fatigue carries over during daylight. Perhaps I'm more active at night. The remnant of the symptoms stay as they are during the entire day.

[Fresh]

Do you mean you take it at almost 1 o'clock in the morning? Do you feel sleepy after taking it?

 

How about moving it a few hours earlier , e.g 9pm. or even better to a morning dose.

If you're not trying to sleep you may not notice if there's an increase in symptoms a few hours after

taking it.

[Franklander]

It might be a good idea a morning dose. I've been improving to actually change my sleeping pattern but to no much avail. It takes me around 1-2 hours before I can properly sleep, they usually already appears meanwhile. Surprisingly, I do not feel sleepy right after taking them.

[Fresh]

This is good. It's okay if they don't make you sleepy , but in this situation a morning dose will be

more suitable.

 

This will be a nuisance for a few days , but I suggest you move the dose to around 4am for around 3 or

4 days , then to 7 or 8am. It's smoother than moving it forward 8 hours in one go.

 

Let's try that and see how you go , okay?

[LexAnger]

Hi Frank,

 

I am so sorry you are going through all these! I can relate to most you are experiencing especially after the reinstate.

 

If you read my thread, you will see what lexapro did to me both WD and reaction.

 

What are the new symptoms you think are from the reinstate? I'm stuck in between WD and reaction myself, and have been cutting dose faster while handling WD as well. I found each cut helps with reaction symptoms but brings up Wd symptoms, so I have less reaction for a few days after each cut while enduring the WD symptoms. When the WD symptoms lift gradually (4-5 days after cut) the reaction symptoms would flare up again. Then I would do another cut to repeat the cycle.

 

My core WD symptoms are severe needling pain allover, severe numbness and pressure on left side head to toe, severe back pain,

My core reaction symptoms are severe sluggish, DR, blurred vision, brain non functional, dream like and sleepiness, swelling, dizziness, heart issue, tight muscle etc.

 

Just to share my experience and thoughts in case you would agree the new symptoms are caused by drug reaction and like to consider testing it by a tiny drop.

[Franklander]

Hey Lex, thank you for your sharing of your experience. Terribly sorry about being stuck at this limbo too

I've been wary of this suspect quite a while, but I quite had to spend my time telling myself that I couldn't have a reaction while my WD are on check - I have to stop with this feeling that i'm being annoying on my own journal.
If I'm having a reaction, is it still wise to continue tapering?

It's 03:03, two hours from the usual time I take my dosage, and I'm already noticing changes in my state of consciousness, surprisingly I'm really stable and much less prone to nervousness, the tinnitus hasn't changed
but I guess it is one of those things that usually take days, if any, to stabilize back. Most likely it will be less of a hell than I've thought before.

Brain non funcional is also one of the side effects that I share with ya.


This one is specially for Fresh:
After changing my schedule, I will be reporting daily on the details of my effects while on the med. Wish me luck. Thanks for your support.

[Fresh]

Thanks Franky. Try not to get too introspective. Changing timing is a bit like changing the dose , and

will take at least 4 days on an all morning dose to fully assess.

 

It is good to keep brief notes so you can look over them when you're worrying and see how things are changing.

 

[LexAnger]

It's a new concept for me too. I always thought long holding helps with WD, so for the first time I gave myself a long hold of 4+ months at 3.2mg then I suddenly developed many new symptoms mainly mental function issues and heart problems. I continue thinking its WD until one day I started having immediate strong reaction to tiny drops of liquid when I started wondering. So I tested by dropping doses there it is, I got immediate releave from those new symptoms. I did several rounds of cuts and it always shows the same effects. Unfortunately, this don't mean WD is cancelled by the drug reaction, s a matter of fact, I have to deal with two evils now perfectly conflicting to each other, like you say it, a constant dance with the dose to balance.

 

My interpretation of the drug reaction is, the body is poisoned by the drug somehow. So reducing dose should lesson this reaction. Since we also face WD problems at the same time, we have to play with the dose to achieve the least of overall suffering. I tapered rather fast in the past 10 weeks as the drug reaction was way too strong and disabling, and just slowed down due to WD catching up intolerable now.

 

I've been following many, if not everyone here on lexapro and its similars, and found many, many had reaction to reinstating or increasing dose. And the reaction could be much more severe than WD. In my opinion, reinstate lexapro needs to be extremely cautious. It seems other ssir are quite safe to go back to for reasons unknown.

 

Just want to bring this up to lex users attention as its a hard lesson for me, and it's very easy to overlook.

[Franklander]

Your hypothesis is the one that started growing on me - so far - I will not jump into conclusions yet and I'll let this week tell me how the medication is really affecting me overall.
 

Well, time for more of the poison, see you on the flip side

[LexAnger]

Good call being open minded and same time cautious.

Like every aspect of this whole thing, it is very individual based. Nothing can be generalized and everything needs to be tested.

[Franklander]

05:30 and, one hour after dosage and my tinnitus is really, really bad. I'm definitely convinced of a reaction to the med. Tonight will be really harsh to sleep. My body is twitching sometimes and I'm having signs of mania.

[Franklander]

05:08.

Answering from the day after my last post, it was somewhat good, I felt stable, even though when I woke up I've had a really loud tinnitus with different pitches in both ears, which kept coming and fading.
For the first time I felt an improvement in my brain fog, so much that I could see more clearly my mind's eye. I'm not cognitively at my best, but I felt an improvement in that as well.
My nightmares weren't a mess of mumbo jumbos but more like a collective of ideas.
After the bad tinnitus I've noticed a change in my hearing, the hyperacusis seems to be fading too. I might be thinking that it has something to do with the stability of the liquid suspension.
I'm still dreading the changes in the tinnitus, I don't know how it will be now, but keep faith that it will improve.
I'm feeling optimistic.

Cheers

[Franklander]

00:34 by now, and the Tinnitus has stepped back to a tolerable point.


But I can't reassess to which should I credit it for. I took the medication yesterday at the time usual for its insertion (around 4:30), but I did it in a friend's house.
Thanks to a repainting done to a bedroom, I've had to sleep at a buddy's home.

I took my medicine and my syringe, but couldn't find anywhere that could sell distilled water, so I've had to do it with Bottled water instead: Mixed the suspension in 15ml and left it in the fridge for around 30 minutes
prior to my usual reinsertion. Even though at that moment the tinnitus got worse as it would, the moment I woke up to now, it felt like changing to the point that I can't barely hear it, only if I close my ears, and it is low pitched.
Not only that, my cognition partially recovered, it doesn't feel like I'm doing that amount of effort (even though I'm doing some) to find words for a description, like my former self usually did.
My anxiety feels different now, not as rampant as it has been whenever the tinnitus triggered, but much more tame. I'm remembering priorities for the first time in ever.

I don't know what to make of it, how different it can be by reinsertion, if the medication gets much more powerful in my body by method of suspension, but for the first time felt right.
I don't like this, it might feel that I'm doing something wrong, or that the medication is actually not working, I can't figure out, but meanwhile, I might just enjoy the moment.
 

[Franklander]

For precision sake, I'll point out the symptoms I'm having so far:


Tinnitus: 1-10 ( I might have this for longer than I've thought, but now I can hear my thoughts)

The burning skin sensation is happening by now: but much less intensely, besides, I can attribute some of it by the scorching hot baths I take and by the usual brazilian tropical climate during intense heat.

Mental confusion has really stepped back, I can think much more clearly about my thoughts and words, not as good as it was before WD but dear gods, much better than weeks ago.

Still no sinus pressure, no akathisia and no excessive emotions so far. Feeling really rationale.

Can read better and write somehow with much less confusion.

Hyperacusis is still here, but not as painful as it was.


Can't figure out what to make of this.

[Franklander]

18:43.
I've had to move my dosage schedule to around midday, I'm not the kind of person who can wake up early.
As my memory partially arises, so does old venoms. My rivalry and grudge-some persona is resurfacing,
these experiences and past ones to previous withdrawals are slowly turning me into a callous person.

In my need of finding my old confronting personality, I'm calling in more confronts than ever before,
but I still lack the fortitude or brain to carry on with them. 

Grudge is my sin, the original one, the one who pushed me towards the path of antidepressants, and so, I might
have to find other ways to try circumventing it, if that's what I really need.

I hate myself, I hate my old psychiatrist, I hate my brother/mother and everyone who passed through my life.




Physical symptoms have subsided, the Tinnitus is minimal, I can barely hear it at this point (maybe only when I'm laid down) but I haven't tested
my hearing to test if Hyperacusis' still around.

[Franklander]

Prior to this morning's reinstatement, the tinnitus faded, after it that it has reappeared, but nowhere as intense as before.

[Franklander]

I'm avoiding sleep due to the tinnitus, hearing the ringing in my ears brings the worse in me.
After these days of taking the meds, I've compiled the amount of effects that appears specially after taking my dosage.
 

Brain malfunctioning cognitivelly;

Lost notion of passage of time;

Flu-like symptoms whenever I reinstate;

Tinnitus becomes intense after reinstatement;

Muscle Twitches and loss of control sometimes - specially jaw;

Oversleeping;

Neck pain;

I'm dreading so much the possibility of having this ringing in my ear for life, It's having a ototoxic reaction on me, nothing else can explain the
ear pains my body is enduring so much. i'm starting to lose faith on this reinstatement.

[Rose9975]

I'm sorry to read all your extremely unpleasant withdrawal symptoms. This is a new journey for you.Your are unsure what to expect.What new symptom(s) will rise? When will you have relief? When will you have your life back? I have come to the conclusion that I need to be hopeful & trust the process. I feel you need to be more gentle with yourself and stop pushing yourself.The Driver: 'try harder'.Stop on the road for a while & let the healing catch up with you. Wait for it like an adult waiting for a Child.I liken this process to sitting on a beach & thinking all is well.I will drop again. However, if I wait I can see & feel another tide coming in from the sea to overwhelm me.This tide is not to be feared.It is your brain healing.Welcome it.Befriend it.Get to know it.Pause.

 

 

Don't know if this helps.

 

Go gentle.

 

Love & light xx

[Franklander]

Today I've tried to hangout to try to forget a little about some symptoms, it did well for some, not so much for the remnant.
Hyperacusis made the restaurant unbearable to sit and dealing with ambient sounds only made my tinnitus worse
when I made it back home.

I tried holding the dosage intake for a bit to match it up with some hours after awakening, 3 hours tbmp, and the interlude was delicious - the tinnitus didn't fade
but the hyperacusis did the moment I held - only to resurface after dosage. After it came the muscle twitches and uncontrollable 
movements, neck pain and derealization.

I miss listening to music, It made the WD much better to endure.


During the dinner, I've noticed sharp ear pains, two series of it happened and the second one was so intense that I almost fell off my chair.


Should I also avoid leaving home? So far, every kind of noise is kinda painful. I don't know if ambient noise might be hurting my hearing, but I can't avoid places like the subway, otherwise I might not even hang outside.
 

[Altostrata]

13:00. Since the moment I've went to bed, I starter hearing this high pitched noise in my head, I woke up and it seems it hasn't gone. Is this permanent for people who went though tapering?

 

Franklander, did the tinnitus start a few days after you reinstated 1mg Lexapro?

 

What is your daily symptom pattern? Does the tinnitus get worse after you take 1mg Lexapro? What time of day do you take it?

 

Please keep notes on paper about your daily symptom pattern and drug dosage. Do you take any other drugs?

 

For precision sake, I'll point out the symptoms I'm having so far:

 

 

Tinnitus: 1-10 ( I might have this for longer than I've thought, but now I can hear my thoughts)

 

The burning skin sensation is happening by now: but much less intensely, besides, I can attribute some of it by the scorching hot baths I take and by the usual brazilian tropical climate during intense heat.

 

Mental confusion has really stepped back, I can think much more clearly about my thoughts and words, not as good as it was before WD but dear gods, much better than weeks ago.

 

Still no sinus pressure, no akathisia and no excessive emotions so far. Feeling really rationale.

 

Can read better and write somehow with much less confusion.

 

Hyperacusis is still here, but not as painful as it was.

 

 

Can't figure out what to make of this.

 

It's been about a month since you reinstated, which symptoms have gotten better and which have gotten worse?

 

18:43.

I've had to move my dosage schedule to around midday, I'm not the kind of person who can wake up early.

As my memory partially arises, so does old venoms. My rivalry and grudge-some persona is resurfacing,

these experiences and past ones to previous withdrawals are slowly turning me into a callous person.

 

In my need of finding my old confronting personality, I'm calling in more confronts than ever before,

but I still lack the fortitude or brain to carry on with them. 

 

Grudge is my sin, the original one, the one who pushed me towards the path of antidepressants, and so, I might

have to find other ways to try circumventing it, if that's what I really need.

 

I hate myself, I hate my old psychiatrist, I hate my brother/mother and everyone who passed through my life.

 

 

 

 

Physical symptoms have subsided, the Tinnitus is minimal, I can barely hear it at this point (maybe only when I'm laid down) but I haven't tested

my hearing to test if Hyperacusis' still around.

 

It is "normal" in withdrawal to intensely feel old grudges and shames. Do not focus on this, it will pass.

 

See Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

It sounds like you recently had somewhat of a window, when you were at your friend's house. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Overall, are you feeling better or worse than before reinstating 1mg Lexapro?

 

At least you found a doctor who is somewhat sympathetic.

[Franklander]

Hey Alto, thanks for your reply, sorry about the delay on my part.



Yes, the tinnitus came around a week or two after reinstatement - the hyperacusis came around some hours after the tinnitus.


I took some notes on the pattern yesterday:

Inner ear popping in and out constantly: Happens the entire day, sometimes I have some relief but it seems random (Like the inner pressure is not regulated enough ~ IT MIGHT BE THE ROOT OF MY EAR ISSUES)

Tinnitus: Gets much worse at night/ Ramps when I take the next dosage/ Varies when I hold the next dosage intake) (Is relieved somehow whenever I sneeze or when I expel the mucus for some time)

Confusion (Usually ramps when I take the next dosage)

Headaches: It has been much worse, but it happens occasionally now

Muscle Twitches: Usually happens when I take the dosage.

Sudden movements: Happens randomly, usually ramps when I have the dosage.

Memory Issues: It has been chronical, by now it has been stabilized

Lost notion of time: It has been happening ever since reinstatement
Forgetfulness: Happening ever since the last withdrawal and forth, I hasn't improved that much, but feels different this time.
Runny Nose and Flu-like throat scratching, might be sinus, it happens 30 minutes after dosage intake. I have to even scratch my ears sometimes.
Hyperacusis gets worse when I take dosage, every kind of noise is painful, when I try to hold a bit the dosage, I feel a relief on the symptom.

Brain Fog has improved somehow, my emotions are rampant sometimes - but I'm used to it, mostly the physical symptoms are the worst.


Yesterday I've had the worse case of ear pain, it happened 5 times, and each time was more debilitating the the last one ~ everytime I hold the intake, the symptom ceases.


I'm highly suspecting the window coincided with the change of intake method, using bottled water probably turned the medication's absorption less intense in my stomach.

[Franklander]

And no, I do not take any other kind of medication, I've cut off caffeine and sugars ever since I started tapering.

[Altostrata]

You changed from a solid tablet to liquid?

 

That could cause the symptom: The liquid gets into your system faster.

 

Has the 1mg helped?

 

If it has, I would try this: Take .5mg Lexapro at the usual time, another .5mg one hour later, for your full 1mg daily dose.

 

Please keep notes of your symptom pattern when you make a change, and let us know how you do.

[Franklander]

Yes, I did it. 

The 1mg helped maintain the withdrawal symptoms at bay, but the reaction symptoms are really disencouraging.


I will try this method and I'll report back if any changes.


Tomorrow I have an appointment with an otolaryngologist and I'm basically going there just to clarify any abnormalities being cause by anything else other than the meds.

[Altostrata]

Tinnitus is a quite common side effect of antidepressants and withdrawal symptom.

[Franklander]

It's been the longest since I've last posted, week has been quite busy and I'm kinda avoiding reading disturbing stuff in the net.
As much as this site is being helpful, I'm avoiding altogether reading other cases, since they only fit on making me anxious.

I've taken notes on the dosage input-change ever since 4-5 days earlier, going from a full 1mg to two doses of .5 mg:

 

 

 

BEFORE THE INPUT CHANGE:

Inner ear popping in and out constantly (Possible Eustachian Tube Dysregulation / Have to averiguate possible Hearing Loss or Sinusitis)

Tinnitus (Gets worse at night) (Varies when I hold the next dosage intake)

Confusion

Headaches

Muscle Twitches

Sudden movements

Memory Issues

Lost notion of time
Forgetfulness.


 

-----05/05---------

 

Before the full 1mg intake (.5 gram intake)

Some of the symptoms held, but I haven't been on it enough to fully

conclude anything.

Example: Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

 

================================================

 

After full 1mg

 

Same of the symptoms reported before, the tinnitus ramps whenever

I do it. It is definitely a reaction.

 

 

 

======================////============================

 

 

06/05/2016

 

The tinnitus is related to the medication intake, no question in my mind at this point. I've felt a relief from my eardrums constant popping by morning late at night, a few muscle twitches happened, somehow the sexual dysfuction was proeminent today, the tinnitus relieved. Past half of the intake, some of the reaction symptoms immediately resurfaced, the ears started popping again, the tinnitus intensified. After the second intake, the same thing happened. Throat started scratching and my nose runned with mucus.

 

 

======================////===========================

 

07-08/05/2016

 

Tinnitus is linked to a reaction to the meds, it seems there's no difference if I split the dosage. Due to bad timings with relationships, I'm starting to give in to stress.

Brain malfunctioned most of the time.

I've had my first tantrum ever since a while.

I'm avoiding leaving home due to fear of worsening of permanency of the tinnitus.

 

Memory is not improving in any range, time seems to be running like running water, since I'm losing notion of its passage.
I'm forgetful most of the time as well.




 

 

 

 

My conclusion:
The new symptoms are related to the medication dosage, I don't know if it's possible, but maybe even 1mg might be way too much to me. Sometimes making me feel like in a zombie state. Maybe I haven't noticed it yet because I'm surrounding myself with an overwhelming amount of distractions so I can plug off from these symptoms.
By this day, splitting dosage intake hasn't change in the end, I've had some panic surges and insomnia in the in-between, but I'm at the same place as before.

 

After 1 month of reinstatement, is it safe to already start tapering? Should I just drop some of the dosage already and await for another stabilization? I know that I'm just wanting to get rid of some of these symptoms, but I also am aware I'm being reckless because I want to listen
well again.

I've reached these conclusions and hopefully I can have the opinions of those much learned than I am.


Thanks for hearing once again.

 

[AliG]

Hi Frank .                

After 4 weeks of reinstatement, if you feel you are on too much , then you could possibly start tapering by 10 % .You could also consider a micro - taper.( see link ) 1 mg is still a considerable dose and has to be tapered very carefully . In fact , at these low doses, it is even more important to be very slow and careful. Are you still on the liquid ? This will make it easier.

This link helps to explain the importance of  tapering very slowly, at this point   :

Why taper? Paper demonstrates importance of gradual change in plasma concentration

 

Tapering lexapro :

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/406-tips-for-tapering-off-lexapro-escitalopram/

 

If you are considering a micro - taper :

Micro-taper instead of 10% or 5% decreases

 

When to end your taper :

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/11051-when-to-end-the-taper-and-jump-to-zero/

 

Also, It would be a good idea to keep notes on your symptoms, during this time.

Rate symptoms daily to track patterns and progress

 

Ali

[Franklander]

I should have posted here before, but I guess one of the withdrawal/reaction symptoms has become some kind of inability on sitting down and write anything long than two lines.

What happened in during these days is basically that I started tapering my last dosage, I started it by a micro-taper of 5% to take notes on my CNS reaction meanwhile, it has been full 4 days along with today.
By all means, I'm on 0.9.5 

On the first day I've notices changes in my consciousness, a bit of the headaches and the skin rash resurfaced, along with the feeling of a more lucid thinking, by a while both tinnitus and hyperacusis relieved,
for a bit I wasn't afraid of noises, but only because I think my CNS was adapting to it.

The Second one has been the one I've taken most of the notes, I think I've felt a mini-heart arrhythmia, palpitations and a bit of a brain fog,  I've a muscle twitch that lasted an hour or two, tinnitus and hyperacusis
stayed as it has become ever since I started.

The third day was the stable one, nothing extraordinary happened, I think I stabilized by it, besides an usual confusion, nothing pretty much of taking notes.
 

 

 

 

Today is the same as it was yesterday, I might have to take another 0.4.5 since I've profoundly slept and I can't remember if I had it or not, I believe I didn't. My memory hasn't improved that much before and after reduction, but I'm fairly certain I've skipped a dosage somehow, I don't feel as intoxicated as before, I think an interval of one hours between doses might be too little still, I think I'll have to extend it to probably two hours. Today I've found out that this kind of Lexapro has a "coated capsule" to hold the dosage release maybe. I think by taking a liquid form without taking notice of this I might have damaged my hearing, probably to a permanent extent, even tho I'm feeling a relief of the Tinnitus.

 

[Franklander]

03:28 and only now I've realized how much white noise I have to make to mask my tinnitus. When a black-out, that took 50 seconds, shut every kind of noise here, I felt like listerning to a train 
braking all the time. Even diminishing doses, it is a quite loud tinnitus. All of the other symptoms feel like the same as before.
I realized that it usually becomes worse everytime I make a take a dose out of a fresh new liquid solution.

It is a reaction, it's clear in my mind since a while, but I don't know how to proceed, should I diminish the dosage even more? I've had the thought of making a new batch and wait for at least 3 days until I start taking it so
that the solution gets less potent.

[Franklander]

Being really honest, I think what is contributing with it is the fact that I'm ingesting my med in a liquid form.

[Franklander]

After all these days, and I can't seem to find a way to make this symptom relieved in any way. I would have to live the rest of my life with high levels of white noise to not go insane over this - that, or interrupting
Lexapro once again. It makes no difference if I taper this medication perfectly and end up with this ringing in my ears as a residual damage. I'd rather end my life right now.

[AliG]

Frank. This is a common withdrawal symptom and it's not necessarily permanent. It should resolve in time, as it has with many here. Have a read of this link, and you will see that this symptom has been experienced by quite a few in withdrawal. I know it's hard while you're going through it, but so many symptoms are transient, and will slowly improve with time.

On the 21st May - you posted that you had some relief of the tinnitus. This is a good sign , that it's part of the windows and waves healing pattern. 

This link might help :

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1736-tinnitus-what-does-all-that-noise-mean/

 

Please get some counseling or face to face help, if you are really struggling. However, I hope that you realize this is only temporary.

Let us know how you are doing. We care.

Ali

[Altostrata]

Lexapro generally does not have a time-release coating.

 

It is possible the liquid form gets into your system too fast for comfort. Can you look into getting custom dosages compounded from escilatopram powder? For example, you might get 5mg escilatopram capsules made, and then add 4.5mg liquid to one 5mg capsule per day to take your current dosage.

 

At a 10% reduction per month, this would enable you to hold the capsule intake steady at 5mg for 6 months while gradually reducing the liquid portion. (A 6 months, you'd be down to 5mg daily dosage.)