Wizardstein: Lexapro withdrawal journey

[Wizardstein]

I’m 27 years old and I have been off lexapro for almost a month now and around week 3 (used for 3-4 years) is when the struggle really began. I have read endless forums for peace of mind. The small manageable things are random headaches manageable with ibuprofen, random brain zaps which are lessening each week, and quick ejaculation during intercourse. The dizziness and zaps have subsided since stopping 5htp during withdrawal.

 

The real struggle is my anxiety and irritability. Small things in the family household tend to flood me with anger quickly to where I want to punch things and I say things I later regret. My fiancée has been supportive but it’s still hard for her to deal with. The anxiety is the other half of the battle. I get heart palpitations randomly that will last through the day with moderate anxiety that is a little short of an impending doom feeling. It leaves me almost not wanting to go out in public and I have never been that way. When I go to the gym I can sometimes feel the heart palpitations in my neck to the point of affecting my cardio. I assume this is just my bad anxiety at times from the withdrawal. 

 

The irritability and anxiety are my main battle and sometimes make me feel like I’m losing it although I am always in control. I just need some support in knowing this will pass and will be worth it in the end. I don’t feel depressed just kind of beat down from this battle. Any advice or experience in going through a similar journey would be much appreciated! Researching forums all the time, it’s still hard to find successful stories of people completely off this poison. 

 

See my signature for current med regimen!

 

Edited July 2, 2018 by ChessieCat
spacing

[Songbird]

Hi Wizardstein, welcome to SA.  Thanks for creating a signature with your med history.

 

It looks like you have tapered Lexapro very quickly.  The general guideline we have here is drops of no more than 10% of each dose, with at least four weeks between, whereas you've been doing 50% drops, which are much harder for your system to adjust to.  For more information, see:  why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

You might consider reinstating a small dose of Lexapro (e.g. 5mg) with an aim to alleviate withdrawal symptoms, restabilise and then taper down again more slowly.  In general, reinstatement works better when done earlier.  If you wait longer and withdrawal symptoms get worse, there is a higher risk of a reinstatement not working or causing adverse reactions.  See:  about reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

Please use your introduction topic to post your updates and ask questions about your situation.