Jenniferdiana: Lexapro & Invega sustenna

[Jenniferdiana]

How can I successfully taper off invega sustenna injection? I am really scared seeing as my last withdrawal symptoms from lexapro was and is terrible...

[Jenniferdiana]

Hi I didn't quite taper off of lexapro correctly..and now I've been having terrible withdrawal/symptoms and have developed an eye condition called nystagmus...i am very worried this may never go away. I don't know what to do. But If it is a withdrawal symptom do you think I could reinstate lexapro to make this symptom go away and taper off correctly. I've been off lexapro since January. It's the only symptom I developed..well that and insomnia. I would do anything to stop this seeing as it's becoming annoying for me...

[baroquep]

Hi Jenniferdiana, welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA).  Am glad that you found the site before going any further in your tapering process.  As you've mentioned that you feel you are still experiencing difficulties from not tapering Lexapro correctly, it would be strongly advised not to even consider tapering Invega until you are stabilized and we have a better picture of what you have been dealing with. 

 

What symptoms are your currently experiencing?  When did you first start to notice withdrawal symptoms?  Please provide details of what you are currently dealing with now so that we have an idea of what is going on.

 

As well, we would ask that you summarize your withdrawal/drug history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months in particular?  We ask all members to provide their drug history as a signature.  This will be a permanent part of your introduction and It helps moderators to be able to see all of your details at a glance.  You can find the information on how to complete your signature at the link below:

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

    •    Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.

    •    A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

    •    Any drugs prior to 24 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)

    •    Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.

    •     

SA recommends tapering by no more than 10% of your previous dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  

 

While we are waiting for your more details of what you are dealing with and the completion of your signature, I would recommend that you also familiarize yourself with the protocols that Surviving Antidepressants recommends to safely withdrawal from psychiatric drugs.

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Best,

BaroqueP

[Jenniferdiana]

I am just having problems with my eyes. Feels like nystagmus. I had the problem many years ago while I was on lexapro but it had left..then it came back aggressively right after I stopped lexapro..the symptoms come once or twice a week..its very annoying and scary. It happens more when I get tired.. I also have insomnia...i take 156 mg invega injection every four weeks..how can I taper off that in a year?

[baroquep]

Hi Jenniferdiana, as I'd mentioned in my previous post, it would be best for you to provide your withdrawal signature history so that we have a better idea of what you are dealing with at the present time. 

 

Could you summarize your withdrawal/drug history in a signature - ALL drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months in particular?  We ask all members to provide their drug history as a signature.  This will be a permanent part of your introduction and It helps moderators to be able to see all of your details at a glance.  You can find the information on how to complete your signature at the link below:

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

    •    Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses.

    •    A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 

    •    Any drugs prior to 24 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)

    •    Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016.

 

Edited September 4, 2017 by baroquep

[Jenniferdiana]

I'm confused. I made my signature but it's not showing?

[baroquep]

Hi Jenniferdiana, I can see your signature now, thanks for providing the information.  Can you answer a few questions about your Lexapro taper?  how did you reduce the 20mg?  Did you taper over a period of time or did you reduce quickly? 

 

From my understanding Lexapro is a very potent anti-depressant and oftentimes has to be tapered much slower than other antidepressants.   It is highly probable that you are still feeling the effects of the Lexapro taper and reinstatement might be an option to help reduce and/or eliminate your current withdrawal symptoms.   

 

Do you have any other withdrawal symptoms besides problems with your eyes and insomnia?  You mentioned having terrible withdrawal symptoms in your initial post.

 

I am going to attach a few links to help you to determine if what you are experiencing is withdrawal from Lexapro or something else.  It is best to know exactly what you are dealing with before making a decision to reinstate at this time and would encourage you to have a look at the links I have attached below to familiarize yourself with antidepressant withdrawal syndrome so that you can determine exactly what it is you are dealing with.

 

One Theory of Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome

 

What is Withdrawal Syndrome?

 

Is it withdrawal or relapse?  Or something else?

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Please feel free to post again once you have had a chance to take a look and the links and we can then take a look at your options and provide you with more details at that time.

 

Best,

BaroqueP 

Edited September 4, 2017 by baroquep

[ChessieCat]

Hi Jennifer,

 

Your signature is showing as:  Lexapro 20 mg /started March 2012 discontinued Jan 2017/invega sustenna March 2012 156 mg

 

However we need more information.  Please include how you stopped Lexapro.  If you tapered please include approx dates and doses.  If you don't know dates but did 1 week 15mg, 1 week 10mg etc.  If you stopped abruptly without tapering please include cold turkey.

 

Please put Invega on a separate line.  Please include every 4 weeks.

 

Please also change / to - as it is easier to read.  All the mods are going through our own withdrawal and we need things to be in a simple and clear format.  The following format will be helpful for us.  Thank you. 

 

Lexapro 20 mg  - started March 2012 discontinued Jan 2017 include how you stopped

Invega sustenna - started March 2012 - 156 mg - every 4 weeks

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Jenniferdiana]

Oh I mean those are the only w/d symptoms I have that are terrible. The insomnia I can handle. The eye thing I can't. It's too weird and gives me anxiety knowing that this may never go away. I have to drive. I stopped the lexapro in january 2017 I tapered for 3 days only. 10 mg. (I took the 20 mg pill and split it in half but im afraid i may have split the pill wrong..)Then I stopped...do you think it's too late to reinstate the lexapro? I may see a neurologist to see if what I have is nystagmus or not but it has to be the lexapro because that's when it started after I stopped the lexapro. I edited my signature btw...i can't see the third link ..it shows error message..i wanted to read that one

[ChessieCat]

Hi Jennifer,

 

Thank you for amending your signature.

 

Here's a discussion:  eye-twitching-eye-pain

 

[baroquep]

Sorry Jennifer, it looks as though that link has been removed from the website, I am attaching the relevant information below:

 

How do I know it's withdrawal and not relapse?

 

Typically, in withdrawal symptoms such as melancholia, anxiety, and disorientation come in intense waves, sometimes only a few minutes long, which differentiates them from relapse of a psychological condition.

In withdrawal, symptoms are much more intense than the original psychological condition. People suffering from withdrawal often say things like

- "This doesn't feel like my depression."
- "I've never had symptoms like this before."
- "I feel very weird and not like myself."
- "I can't feel my feelings."

It's up to you to decide whether your body and brain are behaving "normally" as they did before you tried medication, or if you are feeling differently. No one else, not even a doctor, can determine this.

[Jenniferdiana]

Thanks cheesiecat... and thanks for that thread although what I'm experiencing  isn't exactly eye twitching..its something more serious..my eyes actually move up and down..and last for an hour or so..its scary

[Jenniferdiana]

Baroque thank you for posting that

[baroquep]

HI Jennifer, I would definitely make an appointment with a neurologist to see if you have developed nystagmus.  I would try not to panic until you have a definitive diagnosis by a medical doctor.  It is easy to panic when we experience something that we are unfamiliar with and your eye problems may just be related to your quick withdrawal off of Lexapro.  It is never recommended to abruptly discontinue an antidepressant so quickly as your central nervous system has difficulty adjusting which results in withdrawal symptoms and is also likely the cause of your insomnia.

 

You may want to consider reinstating a very small dose of Lexapro to see if it helps reduce and/or eliminate your symptoms and I am attaching a link below to give you an idea of the process.  Please feel free to post again if you have any questions or need specific information to your particular situation.

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
What to Expect in Reinstatement (James Heaney article)
Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

[Jenniferdiana]

Ok thanks. I really hope this goes away...

[Jenniferdiana]

How long does it take lexapro to leave your body

[ChessieCat]

Hi Jen

 

Psychiatric drugs change the brain.  It takes time for the brain to adapt when the drug is reduced or stopped.

[Jenniferdiana]

That's not good to hear. Thanks

[AliG]

Hi Jennifer. Unfortunately, these drugs actually change the architecture of the brain so it's a lot more complicated than just waiting for the drug to leave the system.

 

The link below explains it really well and this is a small extract from it:

 

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1160-how-psychiatric-drugs-remodel-your-brain/

 

These links may help to explain the process :

 

Healing from antidepressants. Patterns of recovery/

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Are you taking Magnesium and omega 3 ( fish oil) ? They can be beneficial in withdrawal.

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

Edited September 6, 2017 by AliG
added white space

[Jenniferdiana]

Shoooot. I hate this. I just want to be normal again..i wish I'd never got myself into this mess..i feel like my life is over...

[ChessieCat]

Your anger is understandable and perfectly normal.  However continuing to be angry only adds stress and stress slows healing.  Stress diverts the brain away from healing because it has to deal with the stress instead.

 

It's important to learn Acceptance and Non-drug techniques to cope

[Jenniferdiana]

I guess i have no choice but to accept it ..i feel so broken. I'm suppose to be tapering invega soon but now I'm not so sure if I should do that. And knowing that makes me feel bad...I'm not really really bad off but I'm still worried...its like my life went in a direction I wasn't expecting....sigh

[Jenniferdiana]

My doctor is tapering me off invega from 156mg to 78 mg..would that be bad?

[ChessieCat]

Here is the SA topic:  Tips for tapering off Invega (paliperidone)

 

The discussions in these topics might help you with how to talk with your medical professional:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

[Jenniferdiana]

On 9/11/2017 at 5:23 PM, ChessieCat said:

Here is the SA topic:  Tips for tapering off Invega (paliperidone)

 

The discussions in these topics might help you with how to talk with your medical professional:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

I read that..it doesn't exactly say how to taper off invega injection

[Jenniferdiana]

My side effects have all gone away hopefully. and i got off my invega shot without tapering, its been 3 months and it didnt experience anything. 

[Altostrata]

That's good to hear, Jenniferdiana. An Invega shot should just fade away in time.