ilein: My Cipralex story

[ilein]

Hello!

I am glad to find this group. First of all sorry for my English - it is not perfect!

 

I am Ilein from Bulgaria. 13 years ago i had a very very strong vertigo. I visited the best doctors in my country and everyone said that I have Panic disorder and anxiety. I was 15. After nearly 15 different doctors who told me that this is just "emotional vertigo" I visited a psychiatrist, who prescribed me Cipralex -10 mg daily.

 

A month later my balance was better, but the strong spinning crisis were still there. I started therapy with a psychologist, but there wasn't so good result. I tried do stop Cipralex 4 times trough the years, just because i beleived that i realy have a disorder to my vestibular system and nobody can find it.

Everytime when I tried to stop Cipralex finished into a hospital. Here in Bulgaria the doctors doesn't have any idea how to stop SSRI and they tell people to taper with 1/2 of the tablet which is 5 mg through 2-3weeks. So you can imagine that 90% of the people can't stop this drug. And my life passed through me 12 years on this drug and the strong spinning vertigo crisis.

 

BUT 7 months ago I heard for a doctor who helped to some people like me and I decided to visit him. After some tests he told me I have BPPV vestibular disorder and we tried the Epley maneuver. A week later the spinning crysis disapeared and i felt absolutely healthy. Then decided to stop Cipralex forever, this time slowly. I didn' t have any withdrawal symptoms since last week when I started feeling dizzy and with bad balance, insomnia and anxiety too. I had to return to 5mg and will try to taper again next month ot two months later.

 

Also I want to ask can I prepare a home made solution from Cipralex - they are film coatet tablets, so that i can take a precise dosage.

 

This is my story, thanks to everyone in this forum, you don't realize how useful you are.

 

Hello!

I live in Bulgaria and 13 years ago when I was 15, I had a strong vertigo. The doctors here prescribed me Cipralex (escitalopram) because they thought this is anxiety disorder. I felt better with the balance, but the spinnig symphtoms continued. 7 months ago a young doctor told me I have BPPV vertigo disorder and helped me for 5 minutes with the Epley maneuver. A week later I felt perfect and decided to stop slowly the drug.

Edited October 25, 2016 by scallywag
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[scallywag]

ilein -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
I am glad that you have found a treatment that is effective for your vertigo. You must feel very happy and relieved.  Cipralex, or escitalopram, can be difficult to discontinue. It's very unfortunate that you tried 4 times before to stop it with bad advice from doctors.
 
A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly?

• Any drugs prior to that can just be listed with start and stop years.
• You don't need to include symptoms or diagnoses other than the initial condition that led to prescribing the first drug.
• We ask for this information in your signature so that we can see it at a glance. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs.
• You can find instructions in this topic: Please put your withdrawal history in signature
• If you are using a phone, the instructions are in Post #8; and Post #9

Most people do well when they reduce the dose of their medication by 10% or less of their dose once per month. You can read more about the reasons why at this link:
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
 
 
You asked about methods of tapering Cipralex (which is called "Lexapro" in other countries). Escitalopram does dissolve well in water so you can make a liquid from your tablets. Please read our topics at these links:
Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)
Making a liquid from a tablet or capsules
Using an oral syringe and other tapering techniques]  

This is YOUR introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us.

[ilein]

Thank you very much!

I think I changed the signature now. I am going to read all the information you gave to me

[ilein]

Hello, how long can I take fish oils without break? I take Jamieson Omega 3-6-9.

[scallywag]

How long were you thinking of supplementing with essential fatty acids?

 

In the long term it's safer to get nutrients from food; supplements are helpful during times of stress, such as withdrawal, or when we have clear signs symptoms of deficiency.

 

One note: You would be better taking a formula that is exclusively Omega 3, though. If you eat any grain-based commercially manufactured products, you get more than enough Omega 6. Taking Omega 3 is about counter-balancing the overload of "6."

[ilein]

Helllo, sorry for the late answer.

I was 1 month on Omega 3,6,9. Now I don't use it. Started eating healthy and well balanced food.

 

Since 1-th December I am on 3 mg Cipralex.  I feel very good. If everything is okay I am planning to taper again after some weeks.

 

Thanks to everyone here!

[scallywag]

Nice to see your post, ilein.  Three things:

• It looks as if you are reducing your dose by 1 mg per month. Is that correct? 
  
  If yes, please consider slowing down your decreases. We suggest that people decrease by no more than 10% of their dose per month.  That means your next few doses would be 2.7 mg, 2.43 mg, 2.19 mg.  Please read the first post in the discussion at this link: Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
   
• If you start having difficulty with anxiety or other symptoms of over-stimulation, you may want to discontinue taking the Vitamin B complex. Some people find vitamin B makes their symptoms worse.
   
• Would you update your signature to show the doses you've taken since October and dates you started taking those doses?

 

Here is a slightly modified version of your current signature that will allow more space for future updates. Feel free to copy+paste it to replace your signature.

 

05.2004 -08.2011 - 10mg Escitalopram (Cipralex) daily, prescribed for anxiety; 3 unsuccessful attempts to discontinue
08.2011 - 08.2013 - 15mg; 08.2013 - 06.2014 -10 mg; 06.2014 - 12.2015 - 5mg;  01.2016 - 4^th try to stop.
03.2016: Return again on 15 mg Escitalopram;  then started tapering from May 2016. 10.2016 - 5 mg; 12.2016 - 3 mg
Current dosage - 3 mg,
taking also: Fish oils, complex of vitamins B, Valerianae and Pasiflora
 

 

Signature as of today:

05.2004 -08.2011 - 10mg Escitalopram (Cipralex) daily, prescribed for anxiety
01.2007 - fist unsuccessful try to stop
04.2007- 04.2009 - 10mg daily 
04.2009 - second try to stop
08.2009 -04.2011 10 mg Escitalopram daily
04.2011 - thurd try to stop
08.2011-08.2013 - 15mg Escitalopram
08.2013 - 06.2014 -10 mg Escitalopram
06.2014-12.2015-5mg Escitalopram
01.2016 - fourth try to stop. Return again on 15 mg Escitalopram from 03.2016, then started tapering from May 2016.
Current dosage - 5mg, taking also: Fish oils, complex of vitamins B, Valerianae and Pasiflora