beginner Posted August 23, 2016 Share Posted August 23, 2016 (edited) I have taken 10mg of Lexapro for just 4 days and want to discontinue. Do I need to taper off? Can't get through to my doctor. Edited January 16, 2017 by Skeeter tags added (Scallywag 23/8/16) Tapper fix (Skeeter) Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted August 23, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 23, 2016 You should be able to just stop since it's only been four days. One caveat is that it takes four days for the med to become steady-state in the blood, but since your system hasn't had a chance to become "addicted" to the med (remodeling to take it's action into account), you should be ok to just stop it. SG Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac. Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002 Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history. Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots! Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off. Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep. June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened! Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015. Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month. 12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18: 2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
beginner Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Thanks Squirrly Girl~ Thanks for the response. That is good news. Just as a precaution though, would it be a good idea to drop down to 5mg for a day or two, or would that be a bad idea? Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus SquirrellyGirl Posted August 23, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 23, 2016 Did you step up over the four days? You could do that, step down, but the longer you are on the med the more chance your system will adapt to it, meaning that oppositional modifications are made to bring about homeostasis. If I were you, I would just stop, but that is your choice. Either way you should be able to get away from the drug successfully in short order. Were you having start up side effects? SG Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac. Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002 Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history. Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots! Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off. Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep. June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened! Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015. Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month. 12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18: 2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679 This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. Link to comment
beginner Posted August 23, 2016 Author Share Posted August 23, 2016 Not sure if I had start up side effects. On day two, i just felt 'mellow' where as usually I am a pretty fast paced person. Day two and three, still felt 'mellow'. Today, day four, the 'mellow' is leaning towards depressed. I could cry if pressed. I agree, the longer it is in my system, the greater chance my system will adapt. I am going to stop. Thanks so much Link to comment
beginner Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 Is it safe to take aspirin while on Lexapro if i get a headache? ? Or when stopping Lexapro? 4 emails and 2 calls into my doctor over 4 days and no response. Pharmacists just refer me back to the doctor so they are no help either. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted August 24, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 24, 2016 Hi beginner, I think taking a small amount of aspirin if you need to would be fine. I've taken aspirin while on lexapro and also at times during withdrawal and recovery. Mild headaches can sometimes be alleviated by drinking water, they can be a symptom of dehydration, maybe try that first. I'm so glad to hear you have decided to stop taking lexapro after only 4 days. I wish I had made the same decision many years ago. I ended up on antidepressants for over 13 years and regret it terribly now. There are healthier ways to manage life and difficult emotions, rather than poisoning ourselves with harmful, brain changing drugs. I'm happy you are one of the sensible few who realized this early on. You may experience a few symptoms or unusual mood changes over the next week or so as your brain readjusts back to its default state, so don't be alarmed if you notice this. After only 4 days of use, I'm sure you will be back to your normal self very quickly. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
nz11 Posted August 24, 2016 Share Posted August 24, 2016 Welcome beginner just want to say i totally agree with SG. Just stop it and don't ever take this kind of chemical again. Gee i am envious i wish i had have had the gut sense to stop this early. You are very lucky. Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing. http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651 Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos. Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you Recovering paxil addict None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped." Dr Mosher. Me too! Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015 I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015 Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017 Link to comment
beginner Posted August 24, 2016 Author Share Posted August 24, 2016 Doctor just called and confirmed 'no need to taper off after just 4 days', so Squirrely Girl was correct. My reason for taking Lexapro in the first place was just due to a 'situation' that i am too focused on (almost compulsive about). I decided I would rather just figure out how to get 'over' the situation on my own. I was 'on the fence' about taking the Lexapro in the first place, so it was an easy decision to discontinue when i got a few red flags early on. Does anyone have any suggestions about healthier ways to manage life and emotions when in the middle of menopause? Herbal remedies? Books? Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted August 24, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted August 24, 2016 Books - Kelly Brogan MD, A Mind of Your Own, is written for and about women. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to 0.0 mg Aug. 12; details here scallywag's IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
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