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Pika: Lexapro


Pika

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I'm new here and have just begun to taper off 10mg of lexapro. I've been on it for a month. I'm decreasing by 10% per month and I am highly sensitive to drugs. My question is how to dose fractions like 7.29. Do I round up or down? Your help will be greatly appreciated.
BTW, l'm on the third day of my first reduction.
Pika

Edited by scallywag
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Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

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Welcome Pika

Well done on finding sa after only one months use

 

You say you are sensitive to drugs . Why do you say this have you been on other psychotropic drugs in the past.

 

As for the rounding well i think the best thing you can do at this stage is to pop up a drug signature then the good folk at sa can better understand your context.

And then the moderators can give you specific advice.

 

You will need to put your medication and tapering history in your signature -- that's the information you see at the bottom of someone's post. This will help people understand your situation no matter where you post on the site. See instructions in this topic:

http://survivinganti...your-signature/

 

nz11

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

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Pika -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)
 
Good for you for taking a cautious approach to tapering off Lexapro.
 
How are you tapering -- with a scale, dry-cutting by eye, or making a liquid?

I'm not sure that I understand your situation. As nz11 suggested, posting a medication signature will help us help you.
 
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 18 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years.
  • Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago)
  • Please spell out months, e.g. "January" or "Jan."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9 2016 or Sept. 1 2016.
  • Symptoms and diagnoses aren't needed in your signature; they actually make it harder to understand your meds situation.
  • 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 or mobile device, you need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 8 and Post 9

Here are links to a few topics which you may have already read. I'll post them anyway so that you can get back to them quickly:
Tapering -- what you need to know
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?
Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

Here are links to a few topics that explain both why a slow taper is a good idea and why symptoms occur:
One theory of anti-depressant withdrawal syndrome
How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"
Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm glad that you found us early on in the tapering process!

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

Thanks for your replies. It took me a bit to figure out how to navigate around this site.

 

I am allergic to many drugs and don't tolerate many of them so I'm always leery of taking anything.

Last September, I had a regular check-up and was found to have extremely high blood pressure so was sent directly to ER where they gave me an intravenous dose of hydrolozine. I immediately had a severe reaction so they hospitalized me thinking I had had a heart attack which I had not. The hospitalist, whom I had never met, came in and said I was high strung and gave me a prescription for a drug that "will help with that and with your high pressure". The drug was Zanax and I had never heard of it. I have always been very healthy although two years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes. I changed my diet to plant-based to avoid taking drugs. My blood pressure had gone from 122/80 in July to having to be sent to ER almost overnight. After taking the Zanax I began having terrible reactions including dangerous bp spikes. I was in and out of ER constantly and always being told it was only anxiety and go to a psychiatrist. They wouldn't believe that I have always been a very calm person. Finally, by December I was bedridden and could not eat more than a few bites. Thinking this was due to bp and my brain not working well by this time, I didn't connect my symptoms to the Zanax. The last week I was on Zanax, I was in ER 3 times. One of the dr.s noticed I was taking Zanax and told me what a bad drug it is...e.g. brain shrinks over time, kills memory cells, etc. So, I told her I would stop taking it. Not once did she warn me about stopping CT. I stopped it immediately and experienced the most horrendous withdrawals imaginable. Wound back in ER where they finally told me I shouldn't have stopped CT but that after 5 days I was probably over the dangerous part and to just stick it out which I did. My dr. insisted I take Lexapro. I asked if it was addictive and she said no so I took it.

 

I have had reactions to it like dizziness, jitteriness, restless legs, headaches and high blood sugar that

I can't seem to control with diet so I researched it and then asked to stop taking it. The dr. said to just stop it because I was on the lowest dose. Again, I researched tapering off and found the 10% rule. I then found this site. The dr. never heard of the 10% rule and thinks I'm over reacting. I need support and help with questions along my journey.

 

I am taking the oral solution but the generic is not available. The manufacturer has it on back order and they don't know when it will be available. I was able to get the brand name but it is very expensive. I called the dr. yesterday and today asking for 5mg tabs to take with the oral solution but have not heard from her. I may have to change dr.s

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment

My dr. insisted I take Lexapro. I asked if it was addictive and she said no so I took it.

 

 

This is truely heartbreaking.

Its exactly what happened to me only replace the word lexapro with paxil.

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

 

 

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Could someone explain how to dose a fractions like 7.29, 3.87, or 0.478? I'm not there, having just begun tapering, but I would really like to know if I should round up or down. I think it could make a difference.

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment

Could someone explain how to dose a fractions like 7.29, 3.87, or 0.478? I'm not there, having just begun tapering, but I would really like to know if I should round up or down. I think it could make a difference.

imo with only one months use you should be able to taper hopefully at faster than the rate of 10%. I cant see in your position even given the xanax exposure why you have to taper for longer than you took the drug for but anyway i guess the cns will be the judge right. So its probably best to start slow. Maybe xanax wdl could still be in the pipeline who knows.

Given you havent got to this issue yet and given your short term use it may well be that you may not have to deal with fractions.

Lucky you.

 

If however you feel it could make a difference and you are losing sleep over this then imo  be conservative and round up.

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
  • Moderator Emeritus

If it's the new dose, then round up. If it's the amount to decrease, round down.  That way you'll be making slightly smaller changes than if you rounded the other way.

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

Link to comment

Thank you so much. I'm tapering slowly after reading about someone who had only taken lexapro for 11 days and wound up with terrible w/ds. After my past experience, I'm very going to be very cautious. I'll see how I feel as I go along and then I might speed up the taper.

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment

I took 9ml for 9 days and then the pharmacist insisted I should reduce to 5mg because of the short time I was on lexapro. So I have taken 5mg for 4 days and my blood pressure began to gradually rise yesterday even though I'm on bp meds. Tonights by was 162/65. I haven't read this to be a w/d effect. Has anyone gone through this? Is it temporary or will it continue to get higher? Should I go back to 9 ml? Other than the high bp, I have not had any other problems.

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment

Well, I decided to go back to 9 ml and went ahead and took anther 4ml for today. I hope this is the correct thing to do. Now my question is do I now begin the 30 day countdown all over again or just continue with my previous countdown which would make today Day13? I wound up taking 5mg for only 3 days.

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

I'd suggest playing it by ear.  You might get away with it, or it might become obvious that you need to give yourself the extra time.  Keeping good daily symptom notes will help in your decision making.  It's amazing how hard it becomes to remember how you were feeling a week ago...  Do let us know how your blood pressure pans out.  

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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Dont rush it. Im still suffering from too fast taper from lexapro after only 3 weeks on 5mg! Drug sensitivity is no joke. Im at 0.08 now.

<p>Sept 2015: 5 mg Cipralex for 3 weeks. Lots of side effects. Reduced to 2.5 mg for 2 weeks. Experiencing withdrawal and side effects still after dose reduction. Quit after almost 4 weeks on 2.5 mg because of adverse effects. Experiencing withdrawal symptoms still. Reinstating 1mg after 3 weeks. Reduced to 0.50 after 2 days due to sensitive reaction (dysautonomia) and trip to ER. January 2016: After 14 months of tapering from 0.5 mg im now down to 0.08mg. Planing on one more drop before 4-8 weeks healing, then jump to zero. 14.03.17: Lexapro free!

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Had a bad night with w/d symptoms like severe headache, chills, flushing, sharp pain near right shoulder blade, and bp that kept rising until I took another bp pill. This A.M., I feel much better with only a slight headache and bp is down in 150's. I guess that might take a couple of days to settle down. I am definitely going back to 9ml for a month.

 

Thanks for your advice and support. I have felt so alone in this journey as none of my dr.s believe what I go through with these drugs. Could someone tell me how to add member quotes to my posts?

Pika

September 30, 2016 -December 11, 2016 10mg xanax

CT December 12, 2016 to present and no W. symptoms now

December 13, 2016 - January 12, 2017 10 mg Lexapro

Began taper January 13, 2017 9ml oral solution

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus

Good to read that you're feeling better.

 

Are you using a phone or a computer to post on the site?

Using a computer (Windows or Apple):
If the post you want to quote is in your topic, click on the grey "Quote" button that appears in the bottom right corner of the post. This will copy the post into the reply window at the bottom of the page.

Using a phone or mobile device:
You need to switch to the "full" or desktop version of the site. Instructions are in Post 9

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 Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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