Anubhav: Lexapro cold turkey

[Anubhav]

Hey Guys, m 24 years old.... I was prescribed escitalopram in 2014 10mg,then after my dose was reduced to 5mg...So in December 2017 I quit it without tapering, which m now learning was a big mistake.....

 

Everything was fine till February 5th when I had my breakup.... Suddenly my brain started behaving differently..... I started feeling like everything is Getting away from me.... Anxiety came back.... Slowly slowly symptoms began to get worse.... I used to wake up in the middle of the night, felt like crying most of the time, loose motion, sweaty hands, chronic fatigue....

 

Now from the last three weeks I feel like my memory is fading, it's like I don't remember all these years wt actually happened, I do remember most of the things but it just feels like I don't remember them with all the feel....

 

So last week I went to see my psychiatrist and he said it's a relapse case.... I told him maybe it's the withdrawal symptom then he said they only last for 10-15 days..... AND told me to get back on 10mg again.... At night I took my first dose of 10mg, the next day in morning I started shivering and feeling cold..... I went to pee and felt like m gonna faint.... There was a burning sensation under the skin of my arms and back..... I decided not to take these meds....

 

So m asking you guys wt is the best thing for me to do now.... Should I reinstate with the small dose and then taper it down or just hope that everything gets better with time? 

Edited June 1, 2018 by Songbird
make paragraphs

[Songbird]

Hi Anubhav, welcome to SA!  If your psychiatrist was right and withdrawal lasted only 10-15 days, there would be no need for this site.  Unfortunately, doctors have a lot of wrong ideas about anti-depressants.  It is very common for withdrawal to be diagnosed as "relapse".

 

It would be helpful if you could create a signature with your med history, including all drugs, doses and dates (starting and stopping).  You can edit your signature under your Account Settings.  See this topic for more info: Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Reinstatement tends to work better when done sooner.  After six months, your system has done a lot of re-adapting, so reinstating may not work, and there is a higher chance of adverse reactions occurring.  Trying to reinstate the full dose was too much for your system to handle - it would probably be better to start with a very small dose (e.g. 1mg) to see how your system handles it.  If you're really struggling with withdrawal symptoms and finding it hard to cope, then reinstatement of a very small dose might be worth a try.  If you feel like your system has done some healing already and are coping reasonably well, then you might decide to just stay off and let your system continue sorting things out.

 

Please see this topic for more information about reinstating:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.  

 

I have a few questions to help us understand your situation.  You say you used to wake up in the middle of the night, felt like crying most of the time, loose motion, sweaty hands, chronic fatigue - have these symptoms recently improved, worsened or stayed the same?  What symptoms have you had in the past three weeks other than memory problems?  How many days ago did you try the 10mg?  Do you still have the adverse effects from that dose, or have they subsided?

 

 

[Anubhav]

4 hours ago, Songbird said:

Hi Anubhav, welcome to SA!  If your psychiatrist was right and withdrawal lasted only 10-15 days, there would be no need for this site.  Unfortunately, doctors have a lot of wrong ideas about anti-depressants.  It is very common for withdrawal to be diagnosed as "relapse".

 

It would be helpful if you could create a signature with your med history, including all drugs, doses and dates (starting and stopping).  You can edit your signature under your Account Settings.  See this topic for more info: Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Reinstatement tends to work better when done sooner.  After six months, your system has done a lot of re-adapting, so reinstating may not work, and there is a higher chance of adverse reactions occurring.  Trying to reinstate the full dose was too much for your system to handle - it would probably be better to start with a very small dose (e.g. 1mg) to see how your system handles it.  If you're really struggling with withdrawal symptoms and finding it hard to cope, then reinstatement of a very small dose might be worth a try.  If you feel like your system has done some healing already and are coping reasonably well, then you might decide to just stay off and let your system continue sorting things out.

 

Please see this topic for more information about reinstating:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.  

 

I have a few questions to help us understand your situation.  You say you used to wake up in the middle of the night, felt like crying most of the time, loose motion, sweaty hands, chronic fatigue - have these symptoms recently improved, worsened or stayed the same?  What symptoms have you had in the past three weeks other than memory problems?  How many days ago did you try the 10mg?  Do you still have the adverse effects from that dose, or have they subsided?

 

 

Symptoms I Had Before : Vomiting, Loss of appetite, Fatigue, Major Anxiety About Everything, Sweaty Hands, Dry Mouth, Loose Motion, Crying Over Small Issues, Heart Palpitations, Waking up in the middle of Night, Headache

 

Symptoms I have Now : Fatigue, Dry Mouth Not As Bad As Before, Trouble Sleeping, Memory Loss, Cannot cope up with My Studies, Headache

 

ABOUT Taking 10mg : I took it on 26th May at Night around 11pm, the next day (27th May) In morning I started shivering And I woke up at 6am.... Suddenly had a bad stomach And while taking a dump I felt like m going to faint, Had a 2 glass of water With Glucose and felt better... But the whole day was a mess, had burning sensation over my body, loose motions, crazy thoughts like wt if I become a mass murderer and ol

 

So I decided that 10mg is quite a high dose for me as I feel weak also, so I decided to take 5mg on 27th may at night, 5mg was okay but I felt anxious throughout the next day, So I decided I won't take them anymore!! 

 

Last 3-4 days have been quite weird, few positive things and few negative things. 

 

Positive Things : Feeling more like myself, Brain Fog is not there, Sleeping quite well at Night

 

Negative Things : anxiety does hit me if I think about my future, constipation

 

Do you think the positive things m feeling is because of the last 2 pills I took, coz my brain was more alert when I took 10mg or 5mg of escitalopram... 

 

Anyways Things M doing to cope up with my withdrawals are : 

1. Taking ashwagandharishta and sarasvatarishta for my Anxiety (both are Ayurvedic tonic) 

2. Eating Almonds, taking flax seed oil

3. Taking a walk 

4. Taking medha Vati for my insomnia 

 

 

[bhasski]

@Anubhav

Hi,

I am sorry for what you are going through.  Your location says you are in Mumbai now... well I was also there when were on drugs and was seeing an idiot there for 2+ yrs. I will not go into my story,  but only that they made me  1000 times worse.

 

 

What your doctor says is not correct... and they wont agree and will treat you like a fool if you talk withdrawal to them. 

You can also hear that- 

no drug remain in the body after 6 weeks, even the heroine withdrawal is maximum 6 weeks - 

I had to hear that.

 

10 hours ago, Songbird said:

Reinstatement tends to work better when done sooner

 

Yes, you  should try it sooner that means as early you try, you would not get adverse effects.

 

10 hours ago, Songbird said:

Trying to reinstate the full dose was too much for your system to handle - it would probably be better to start with a very small dose (e.g. 1mg) to see how your system handles it.

 

Great advice.. small dose and see.

Titrate up if necessary slowly like 2mg, 2.5mg... till you get symptoms alleviated.

 

 

What you suffering is cold turkey symptoms which is far worse than tapering medicine.?

 

I am still suffering but can assure you that you will get better. 

You will get great advice here from mods.

[rupa]

On 6/1/2018 at 1:53 PM, Songbird said:

Hi Anubhav, welcome to SA!  If your psychiatrist was right and withdrawal lasted only 10-15 days, there would be no need for this site.  Unfortunately, doctors have a lot of wrong ideas about anti-depressants.  It is very common for withdrawal to be diagnosed as "relapse".

 

It would be helpful if you could create a signature with your med history, including all drugs, doses and dates (starting and stopping).  You can edit your signature under your Account Settings.  See this topic for more info: Please put your withdrawal history in your signature

 

Reinstatement tends to work better when done sooner.  After six months, your system has done a lot of re-adapting, so reinstating may not work, and there is a higher chance of adverse reactions occurring.  Trying to reinstate the full dose was too much for your system to handle - it would probably be better to start with a very small dose (e.g. 1mg) to see how your system handles it.  If you're really struggling with withdrawal symptoms and finding it hard to cope, then reinstatement of a very small dose might be worth a try.  If you feel like your system has done some healing already and are coping reasonably well, then you might decide to just stay off and let your system continue sorting things out.

 

Please see this topic for more information about reinstating:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms.  

 

I have a few questions to help us understand your situation.  You say you used to wake up in the middle of the night, felt like crying most of the time, loose motion, sweaty hands, chronic fatigue - have these symptoms recently improved, worsened or stayed the same?  What symptoms have you had in the past three weeks other than memory problems?  How many days ago did you try the 10mg?  Do you still have the adverse effects from that dose, or have they subsided?

 

 

Something wrong with Anubhav's account.

He is replying to you  and Bhasski ,but it is  not showing up here.

As he said.

[Petunia]

Hi Anubhav,

Your post is showing up now.

 

It sounds to me like you have been improving since stopping the medication again, even though you did have some improvements from 5mg. That indicates to me that a lower dose might help more, but even if you don't reinstate again, you will recover.

 

Do you feel you are able to manage the symptoms you have now? You will recover, but it could take a while before you are feeling completely back to your old self. You need to decide if you want to stay off the drug now and wait to recover, knowing that recovery usually happens in a windows and waves kind of pattern. You may start to feel a little worse again before some more improvements.

 

Or would you prefer to try reinstating a lower dose, perhaps 1mg, then waiting to stabilize and begin a taper from that.

 

Please read through the reinstatement topic that Songbird gave you, it has important information about what to expect from reinstatement and will help you decide what to do.

 

Here is our escitalopram tapering topic with information about how to take a small dose and tips for tapering it safely when you are ready if you decide to go that route:

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

Many people find  fish oil and magnesium helpful, see King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker

 

22 hours ago, Anubhav said:

Negative Things : anxiety does hit me if I think about my future, constipation

 

When thoughts about your future come into your mind, notice them and send them away, you can deal with your future when it happens. Magnesium often helps with constipation.

 

If you have more questions, please ask them here in your thread. Let us know what you decide to do.

[Anubhav]

2 hours ago, Petunia said:

Hi Anubhav,

Your post is showing up now.

 

It sounds to me like you have been improving since stopping the medication again, even though you did have some improvements from 5mg. That indicates to me that a lower dose might help more, but even if you don't reinstate again, you will recover.

 

Do you feel you are able to manage the symptoms you have now? You will recover, but it could take a while before you are feeling completely back to your old self. You need to decide if you want to stay off the drug now and wait to recover, knowing that recovery usually happens in a windows and waves kind of pattern. You may start to feel a little worse again before some more improvements.

 

Or would you prefer to try reinstating a lower dose, perhaps 1mg, then waiting to stabilize and begin a taper from that.

 

Please read through the reinstatement topic that Songbird gave you, it has important information about what to expect from reinstatement and will help you decide what to do.

 

Here is our escitalopram tapering topic with information about how to take a small dose and tips for tapering it safely when you are ready if you decide to go that route:

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

 

Many people find  fish oil and magnesium helpful, see King of Supplements: Omega 3 Fatty Acids (Fish Oil) and Magnesium, Nature's Calcium Channel Blocker

 

 

When thoughts about your future come into your mind, notice them and send them away, you can deal with your future when it happens. Magnesium often helps with constipation.

 

If you have more questions, please ask them here in your thread. Let us know what you decide to do.

I don't want to get on these SSRI's ever.... 

Anyways the only withdrawal symptom that worries me is lack of learning skills,  weak memory and loss of concentration .... M not able to learn new things otherwise other symptoms are manageable.... Do you think this symptom will also subside slowly? 

 

One more thing I smoke cigarettes once a day.... Should I quit smoking? 

[Anubhav]

@Petunia M thinking of reinstating at 1.25mg today, will let you guys know abt it

[ChessieCat]

16 hours ago, Anubhav said:

One more thing I smoke cigarettes once a day.... Should I quit smoking? 

 

8 minutes ago, Anubhav said:

thinking of reinstating at 1.25mg today

 

It's best to only make 1 change at a time so that you know what is causing any issues if they happen.  If you reinstate and stop smoking at the same time and you develop (for example) irritability/anxiety you won't know if it from the reinstatement or if it was from stopping smoking.

[rupa]

On 6/1/2018 at 7:20 PM, Anubhav said:

 

4. Taking medha Vati for my insomnia 

 

 

Hi Anubhav

I am Very glad to see you are getting so much help and real quick response from the  Kind Moderators

Mr Bhasski is very supportive person.

How is sleep with Medhavati?

Did you experience sleep disturbances with dreams in withdrawal ,before using Medhavati?

How is sleep and dreams now with Medhavati?

[Songbird]

On 6/2/2018 at 1:50 AM, Anubhav said:

Anyways Things M doing to cope up with my withdrawals are : 

1. Taking ashwagandharishta and sarasvatarishta for my Anxiety (both are Ayurvedic tonic) 

2. Eating Almonds, taking flax seed oil

3. Taking a walk 

4. Taking medha Vati for my insomnia 

 

 

Hi Anubhav - I don't have experience with Ayurvedic medicine so I'm not familiar with these formulations.  Are you experienced with Ayurveda or consulting someone who is? 

 

These formulations contain dozens of herbal ingredients.  These ones have some of the same ingredients so you could be getting a double or triple dose of some of these herbs.  Do you know whether these formulations are safe to be used together?  If any problems develop, there are so many ingredients that it would be impossible to tell which were causing problems.  Also during withdrawal our bodies may not respond to herbs and supplements in the "normal" way. 

 

When did you start taking these formulations?  Have you found them helpful for your withdrawal symptoms?

 

There is some discussion here about ashwagandha and bacopa:

ashwagandha herb for anxiety stress and toxic overload

bacopa or water hyssop supplement

 

 

[Anubhav]

6 hours ago, rupa said:

Hi Anubhav

I am Very glad to see you are getting so much help and real quick response from the  Kind Moderators

Mr Bhasski is very supportive person.

How is sleep with Medhavati?

Did you experience sleep disturbances with dreams in withdrawal ,before using Medhavati?

How is sleep and dreams now with Medhavati?

Well I did had troubles sleeping during my withdrawal, I used to have weird dreams and used to wake up with a shock kinda feeling in my brain..... My sleep from the last week is kinda good, no weird dreams..... I think it will help you coz it worked for me.... Take 2 tablets after dinner and after breakfast

[Anubhav]

6 hours ago, Songbird said:

These formulations contain dozens of herbal ingredients.  These ones have some of the same ingredients so you could be getting a double or triple dose of some of these herbs.  Do you know whether these formulations are safe to be used together?  If any problems develop, there are so many ingredients that it would be impossible to tell which were causing problems.  Also during withdrawal our bodies may not respond to herbs and supplements in the "normal" way. 

Man now m confused AF , Idk now wt really is helping me out, is it Ayurveda or my body is only healing itself.... So during my withdrawal I was acting like a maniac.... Anxiety was hitting me up real bad... So I went to see a Ayurvedic Practitioner (also known as Vaidya Ji)..... I told him that m having this Anxiety And ol, so he told me to take ashwagandharishta and sarasvatarishta together..... So I started taking these two together from 18th March 2018, and I have been taking them since.... As it is believed that Ayurveda doesn't gives you a instant relief, it takes time.

 

So now from having a sweaty hands and feet, having anxiety about everything even meeting people..... I have come to a point where now I don't have sweaty hands and feet neither I have anxiety....Its not like From 18 March to today, I was all consistent.... I did have episodes of anxiety, heart palpitations, sleep troubles, random thoughts but from the last one week they are gone completely......

 

The only new symptom I have seen from last 3 weeks is that m not able to remember things properly 

 

One more thing I have been experiencing this waves and windows throughout my withdrawal, every single day.... It's just from the last one week m much better just having memory issues

[Songbird]

Anubhav, I did not mean to freak you out.  I have no experience with Ayurveda myself.  If you are seeing a competent practitioner and you have experienced relief from symptoms then it would seem the formulations are helping your recovery.  I mentioned it because some people react badly to herbal medicines in withdrawal, so caution is advised.  If they have helped you, that's great!  The remaining symptoms may resolve in time as your body gradually recovers.

[rupa]

20 hours ago, Anubhav said:

Well I did had troubles sleeping during my withdrawal, I used to have weird dreams and used to wake up with a shock kinda feeling in my brain..... My sleep from the last week is kinda good, no weird dreams..... I think it will help you coz it worked for me.... Take 2 tablets after dinner and after breakfast

Very good to know Anubhav.

Please update your signature with all the Ayurvedic medicines you are using now,its uses  and its timings.

It may help others.

[Anubhav]

Okay now this is getting really frustrating.... I can't just solve normal problems...I can't handle stress.... My body goes numb, when stressful situation comes... Short Term Memory Is ****** Up

Edited June 14, 2018 by Songbird
masked expletive

[Anubhav]

Okay guys I have been working out from last 4 days.... Lifting some weights not Soo heavy though.... From yesterday I have this ringing sound in my ears

M quite confused, should I reinstate or not.... As the days are passing by m running out of time

Symptoms I have right now are

Loss of memory 

Loss of emotions 

Ringing in ears

Just not feeling myself

 

M scared about reinstating also, as many people have had adverse reactions to it.... And wt if I become more miserable

[bhasski]

@Anubhav

 

Try the simple recipe that rupa has recommended me. It has a good effect on me.

[Anubhav]

M taking Itraconazole..... Is it safe during withdrawals? 

[Anubhav]

M not able to get a proper erection from the last week.... Morning erection is also gone

Is it Pssd.... Did not have this issue until now 

[Anubhav]

@bhasski Bhasski Bhaiya when will it get over..... I feel like crying, 😢

This new symptom is killing me 😢

 

[Anubhav]

Is it possible to get Pssd symptom after 6 months in withdrawal? 

[Anubhav]

@Altostrata @Petunia Should we avoid taking Antifungal medicines during withdrawals? 

[Altostrata]

What kind of antifungal medication? Use the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

 

to see interactions with your current drugs, also read the side effects on drugs.com.

 

[Anubhav]

 

On 7/5/2018 at 12:51 PM, Altostrata said:

What kind of antifungal medication? Use the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php

 

to see interactions with your current drugs, also read the side effects on drugs.com.

 

Okay guys what's Kindling, my Psychiatrist prescribed me 10 MG of escitalopram after I was 6 months off drugs, I did take 10 MG of escitalopram but the next day I started shivering and felt like m gonna faint..... What's a kindled brain, have I kindled my self

[Anubhav]

Wtf is Kindling, I see lot of people write that I have kindled myself, my brain is kindled etc etc.... Can Nyone plzzz explain me wts kindling? 

[Altostrata]

"Kindling" means the drug causes too much stimulation. You had this kind of reaction. Many people here have had it, too, and recovered from it. You need to let your nervous system settle down.

[Anubhav]

11 hours ago, Altostrata said:

"Kindling" means the drug causes too much stimulation. You had this kind of reaction. Many people here have had it, too, and recovered from it. You need to let your nervous system settle down.

Thank You

[Anubhav]

Wowwwww The Only Girl I love is walking away from my life And I have to let her go because of this withdrawal I can't feel anything and I can't make an effort to make her stay as Stress makes my Symptoms even Worse..... As people only think it's just in my mind and I love being lazy or not trying hard enough.....

 

Is this really happening 

 

6 months before I had everything 

A loving Gf

Good Friends 

Lots of energy and creativity 

Was Doing YouTube, Photography, Giving Auditions 

 

And Now Everything Is Gone 

Now m left with Apathy, Body pain, cognitive issues, Anxiety And wt not

This withdrawal is Giving Me Many Life Lessons..... I hope this suffering is worth Something 

[Anubhav]

Okay From 2 days I have not slept...... Symptoms have gone worse.... Diarrhea, vomiting 

Over thinking about my thoughts, just can't trust my thoughts anymore.... 

Last night I texted my gf but then I realized that it's my anxious brain so I decided to delete that msg but somehow she read it and reacted in a rude way and then we had a argument 

 

Now again m over thinking about how can I make her understand that I didn't mean it and it was just my anxious brain... As she doesn't want to talk to me anymore and said I have always been like this

 

M sorry if m putting this over here.... But I want to make sure to write my every struggle.... So that the day I heal, I can look back and realize wt hell I have been through!! 

[sadandconfused]

On 7/12/2018 at 6:11 AM, Anubhav said:

Wowwwww The Only Girl I love is walking away from my life And I have to let her go because of this withdrawal I can't feel anything and I can't make an effort to make her stay as Stress makes my Symptoms even Worse..... As people only think it's just in my mind and I love being lazy or not trying hard enough.....

 

Is this really happening 

 

6 months before I had everything 

A loving Gf

Good Friends 

Lots of energy and creativity 

Was Doing YouTube, Photography, Giving Auditions 

 

And Now Everything Is Gone 

Now m left with Apathy, Body pain, cognitive issues, Anxiety And wt not

This withdrawal is Giving Me Many Life Lessons..... I hope this suffering is worth Something 

 

I hear you.. I'm going on two years of no feelings and the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach. I was in tears last night looking back at pictures of me and my boyfriend from when we were so happy and my heart aches that I can't feel that anymore. It's so unfair what these pills can do to a person and relationships. 

[Junglechicken]

2 hours ago, sadandconfused said:

 

I hear you.. I'm going on two years of no feelings and the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach. I was in tears last night looking back at pictures of me and my boyfriend from when we were so happy and my heart aches that I can't feel that anymore. It's so unfair what these pills can do to a person and relationships. 

 

I know the feeling, terrible mood swings puts a lot of pressure on a relationship.

 

I'm up and down like a yo yo.

[Anubhav]

3 hours ago, sadandconfused said:

 

I hear you.. I'm going on two years of no feelings and the thought of that makes me sick to my stomach. I was in tears last night looking back at pictures of me and my boyfriend from when we were so happy and my heart aches that I can't feel that anymore. It's so unfair what these pills can do to a person and relationships. 

Yeah I literally feel like a Bipolar.... One moment m okay then one moment I feel sooo miserable.... One moment m just numb and next moment m full of emotions and overthinking 

[Anubhav]

1 hour ago, Junglechicken said:

 

I know the feeling, terrible mood swings puts a lot of pressure on a relationship.

 

I'm up and down like a yo yo.

Yeah and it's quite difficult for the other person to understand why he's feeling like this

[Junglechicken]

1 minute ago, Anubhav said:

Yeah and it's quite difficult for the other person to understand why he's feeling like this

 

Add to that hormonal imbalances, and its even better 😪

[Anubhav]

20 minutes ago, Junglechicken said:

 

Add to that hormonal imbalances, and its even better 😪

Hahaha....

Happy Healing to you, I see a small star just next to your topic 😊