Bartleby: Almost there....then this

[Bartleby]

I joined the site several months ago thinking i would find useful information to complete my taper. Now, after tapering from 20 to 2 Mg. Lexapro (known as Cipralex here in Canada), in about one year, i find myself back to where i started with serious depression. I am 69 years old and have been taking Lexapro for 20+ years. In 2015 i came to the conclusion that the Lexapro was having a counterproductive effect and after becoming acquainted with Dr. Breggin's work decided to begin tapering. To assist in the taper, i was prescribed 20-25 Mg. Dexedrine. I found that to be very helpful but planned to taper that after i was safely off the Lexapro.

 

About 6 weeks ago i incurred a traffic accident in which i was struck by a car while riding my bicycle and breaking 7 ribs and a lot of soft tissue damage. I was given various morphine formulations as well as Tylenol 3 with codeine. For the first 4 weeks , despite the pain, i avoided going into depression. However during week five a became aware that the dexedrine was no longer having any effect. I am puzzled and frightened at having lost my mood lifter. I don't know why it has stopped working and wonder whether it will again be effective after my healing is complete in three to 4 months.

 

I would be very thankful if anyone can shed some light on my dilemma.

 

Thank you!

[pocketnurse]

So sorry you have run in to difficulties. The pain medication you were taking may have contributed to your low mood particularly if you had been taking it regularly and then stopped it suddenly. Equally your traffic accident has no doubt caused you distress and you have probably suffered a degree of shock from it.

Just like you I am a long term ssri user although I have been on various types with Lexapro being the most recent about 5 years ago. I have tried a slow taper on three previous occasions and sadly run in to major problems. This most recent taper has been ongoing for the last 3.5 years. Even though you have taken a year out, to go from 20mgs down to 2mgs may still have been a little too fast (we cannot underestimate the power of this crap).

I have at times increased my dose by the smallest amount possible when things have got tough just to get me through, hold a while longer and then slowly reduce again- may be this is something for you to consider. many people on here trying to get off Lexapro have problems due to it's potency. Don't be discouraged though as you have clearly done very well. i found the lower the dose the more I noticed symptoms and had to adjust my reducing regime to manage it.

Your accident was significant and you need to recover from that too. Others will no doubt be along to give advice. 

 

Best wishes for a speedy recovery

 

PN x

[nz11]

Welcome Bartleby

Sorry to read of your traffic accident ...7 ribs, ouch!! Dont  worry i wont crack any jokes. I cracked a rib once playing squash the other player ran into me, i prefer racquet sports with nets where the oposition keeps well away actually, anyway i can only imagine what 7 cracked ribs  must be like.

 

That one year taper was far too fast. I know that is hard to accept but its a fact and the difficulty getting off these drugs has been hidden by pharma.

Are you currently taking 2 mg or did you jump off at 2 mg ?

Are you able to complete a drug signature with drugs, doses and dates of changes.

 

Here are a few of moderator chessies favourite threads and i like them too:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

What is withdrawal syndrome? 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

You say

i find myself back to where i started with serious depression.

 

What you are calling depression is most likely withdrawal symptoms from the too fast taper off of lexapro. You may well have needed to put aside something like 2-3 years to taper off.

 

Taking more drugs is not the way out of this.

Have you read the book by Breggin Your drug may be your problem.

Im sure Breggin would not be calling these drugs 'mood lifters' Im sure he would refer to them as brain disablers.

[btdt]

you were likely able to do a faster wd because of the upper... same old drugs they called uppers in the old days

 

Stopping Dexedrine - Google Groups

https://groups.google.com/d/topic/alt.support.attn.../WjuKNtBRun4

1.  
2.  

Mar 26, 1999 - If you are going off this "cold turkey" you are SUFFERNG. I beleiveDexedrine withdrawal is one of the worst. Its best to titrate off these drugs, ...

 

Pain drugs mess with everything... if you take uppers and pain pills I am sure that would have a different effect than each alone.  

 

From what I hear in Canada the hosp have a program they can punch a bunch of drugs into and see what the effects would be it is only available in hospitals here in Ontario it may be the same where you live is your doctor has hosp privileges he may do this for you. 

 

If your off the pain pills and still on the upper it maybe the upper will still have the same effect after the wd from the pain pills end. I can't be sure it is just a thought. 

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Bartleby.
 
Are you taking 2mg Cipralex and 20-25 Mg. Dexedrine?

 

To help us out, see these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature

 

It is possible your recent drug intake changed the way your body responds to the drugs. It is also possible this has caused tolerance to dexedrine, a truly addictive drug.

 

Substituting dexedrine for Cipralex was not a very good idea on your doctor's part. The advantage of the SSRIs supposedly is that they are not addictive like the older drugs such as dexedrine, which is an old-fashioned amphetamine known as "speed."

 

In addition, taking a drug in anticipation of a return of depression doesn't make any sense. Over time, your nervous system changes, it's very possible you would have found going off Cipralex would not have brought a return of your original depression (though it might have caused withdrawal symptoms).

 

So, you are stuck on dexedrine. We can't help you with the tolerance issue, it would require increasing the dosage. I suggest you speak to another doctor about your dependency on dexedrine and what you should do about it. This might involve going to a drug rehabilitation clinic.

 

As for the Cipralex, if you haven't had any withdrawal symptoms so far, I would not worry about further reducing it gradually to zero. The dexedrine is a much more serious problem.
 

[Marsupial]

Bartleby...were you given any antibiotics during your treatment for your recent injuries?

 

Revisiting my own expjerience, I realize that the two major depressive episodes I have experienced followed close on courses of AB treatment.

One course was treatment for a UTI and the second following surgery. There's a dawning conviction that inflammation is a factor in depression and AB's murder your gut microbes (and we NEED most of those guys) and cause 'leaky gut' and inflammation.

 

Try adding fiber to your diet and taking a good probiotic. Worked for me, although it took a couple of weeks.