Daisy: Effexor xr

[Daisy]

Lexapro 2.5 mgs at night at 10 pm

 

Prozac 5 mgs  8 AM

 

Prilosec 20 mg  6:30 AM

 

Xanax  0.5 mgs  8 AM

Xanax 0.25 mgs  12:30 PM

Xanax 0.5 mg 6:30 PM

[Daisy]

I do not remember how to change my drug  profile. I am going to start at 2012  when I was put on Prozac while stopping Effexor XL 150 mgs . Effexor XL stopped  completely in 2-3 weeks while on titrating up Prozac

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Prilosec 20 mgs daily for over 10 years prescribed by Internist

 

Prozac 40 mgs 2012 to Feb 2018. Prescribed by PD

 

Prozac 50 mgs Feb 2018 to March 2018 Prescribed by PD

 

Xanax 0.25 to 0.75 mgs daily since 2008 Tapered off it 2012. Prescribed by Internist

 

Xanax 0.5 to 1mg daily Feb  2017. Prescribed by PD

 

Xanax  1.5 mgs daily Feb 2018. Prescribed by PD

 

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Recent med history

 

Lexapro 5 mgs March 2018-May 10th 2018

 

Lexapro 10 mg on May 9th 2018 for 1 night

 

Lexapro 2.5 mgs May 9th  2018 to current

 

Prozac 10 mgs May 15 2018 to May 18th 2018

 

Prozac 5 mgs May 19th 2018 to current

 

Xanax 1.25 mgs daily May 22nd in 3 divided doses

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Stopped meds that were started in 2012

 

Buspar 30 mgs twice a day 2012  stopped 2015

 

Remeron 7.5 mgs  2013 at night as needed for sleep stopped 2017 

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I want to get off Lexapro but very slowly. 

 

I want to get off the Xanax very slowly 

 

I want to get off the Prozac slowly

 

Currently  my desire is to stay at  2.5mgs of Lexapro until I feel more stable after the sudden drop from 5mgs to 2.5 mgs. Mean time I am having withdrawal symptoms. I was started on the Prozac 10 mgs in hopes of bridging the drop from 5 mgs Lexapro to 2.5 mgs Lexapro.

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First desire to start getting off of would be the Lexapro. I really really do not like what it does to me.

 

Second desire to start getting off of would be the Prozac

 

Third desire to start getting off of would be the Xanax

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Antidepressants I have been on in the past

 

Started with Prozac, Heard it was good to help bulimia. Went to a psych x 1 for that Stopped it after a while and was on nothing

 

Elavil 10 mgs for less than a year. Stopped it and was on nothing. Prescribed by Endocrinologist I was seeing for PMS.

 

Paxil  on and off  then started again for ? years Prescribed originally by Endocrinologist then Internist' Heard Effexor XL was better. Stopped Paxil for 3 days before starting Effexor XL and had my first experience with withdrawal. Started Effexor XL 37.5 mgs then eventually up to 150 mgs.  Paxil withdrawal stopped once on 37.5 mgs Effexor XL . Prescribed by Internist

 

Stopped Effexor XL completely 2012 in a short period of time and started Prozac 40 mgs Prescribed by PD.

 

I hope this helps.

 

Daisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Daisy]

 Psychiatric Dx; Anxiety/Depression

 

Daisy

[Daisy]

Contributing factors In raising dose of Xanax to 1.5 mgs and Prozac to 50 mgs and the crying jags.

 

1 year Anniversary of Mother's death Feb 14th 2018

Sudden death of my sister's husband April 9th 2018

Good friend having surgery May 16th 2018 and fear of losing him too.

Good friend having complications from surgery. Slow recovery

Increased stressful situations at my job. All have to do with terminally ill patient's that have chosen Hospice.

Death this week of someone I took care of for 10 months and had gotten attached to.   

 

Daisy

 

[mammaP]

Hi Daisy, this link will take you to the signature box. http://survivingantidepressants.org/settings/signature/

It is important to include all current drugs and doses, and the last year. Also the drugs and approximate month or year started and stopped previously. You can copy from your post but without the explanations, just the drugs doses and dates.  Thank you for listing them for us. 

Edited May 24, 2018 by mammaP

[Daisy]

This Lexapro really makes me feel bad and I need to get off it as quickly as possible. But I am afraid of the consequences. Can you help me? Because I have not been on it very long (3/22/18) can I get away with just stopping it? I do not know what to do. I need some advise from someone who has been in a similar situation and help me come up with a plan. I really am desperate to feel better. I can not take the side effects much longer. I am being honest with you and trying not to analyze and over think it. I am trying to keep it simple. Please help me. I am truly frightened. My legs feel heavy, my stomach is upset and I feel dizzy. My brain is fuzzy. I have hard time functioning.and have to write things down so I remember to do them or that I need to do them. I took more Xanax just to get through tonight. I hate having to do that. This is not the way I want to live my life

 Desperate for relief Daisy.

[Daisy]

Thank you MamaP. I will do it when I feel up to it. Right now I am a mess.

Daisy

[Shep]

55 minutes ago, Daisy said:

Because I have not been on it very long (3/22/18) can I get away with just stopping it?

 

Daisy, dependency can develop in as little as a month with an antidepressant and as little as 2 - 4 weeks with benzos. 

 

On 5/20/2018 at 4:55 PM, Daisy said:

I am now on 2.5 mg Lexapro at night, 0.5 mgs Xanax 3 times a day and 10 mgs of Prozac in the morning.

 

11 hours ago, Daisy said:

I saw my PD yesterday. . . . . The PD changed the Xanax to 0.5 mgs with breakfast, 0.25 mgs at lunch and 0.5 mgs at dinner.

 

56 minutes ago, Daisy said:

I am truly frightened. My legs feel heavy, my stomach is upset and I feel dizzy. My brain is fuzzy. I have hard time functioning.and have to write things down so I remember to do them or that I need to do them. I took more Xanax just to get through tonight. I hate having to do that. This is not the way I want to live my life

 

 

You are all over the place with your drugs at this point. We can't give you tapering advice until you are able to keep everything steady and work with us. 

 

Please start a drug and symptoms journal in this format:

 

Symptoms and drug journal format

 

Please post it daily here in your thread. Also list supplements and the hours you sleep each night. 

 

Please also take some time to find some non-drug coping skills to help you through this. 

 

Non-drug coping techniques

 

This will get you started:

 

The Breathing Space by Jon Kabat Zinn video (4 minutes)

 

After we have a few days of your drug and symptoms journal we can help you set up a taper plan. 

 

[Daisy]

I will do it when I am able.. I just really got scared last night. One thing I did not tell you that after I took the Lexapro, I was went to bed. I heard a noise like a thud and then a vibration that went through my whole bed just under me. My dog and cat did not react to it. I tried to ignore it, but I had to get up and look around to make sure nothing had happened to the house. I heard no sirens, so nothing had happened anywhere else. I turned on the TV and nothing about an earthquake. It has got to be me. I do not understand what is going on with me. I think I am going nuts!

Daisy

[Daisy]

In defense of my PD, he is just trying to help the only way he knows how. I hold no grudges

Daisy

[Daisy]

I hate to be so stupid cause I am in rough shape this morning, but what time should I post the symptom and drug journal?

Daisy

[Daisy]

These drugs have brought me to my knees. I am really scared. Woke up at 6 am and now I am shaking and crying. This is not part of my daily symptom and drug journal. I is what I mean when I said I am in rough shape this morning.

Daisy

[Daisy]

FYI. I live by myself.

Daisy

[Daisy]

Living by myself is probably a good thing because if someone was with me, they probably would take me to the ER or have me committed at a psych unit. I am not suicidal. I promise. Just miserable.

Daisy

[Daisy]

I have got to get it together by June 9th when my sister's neighborhood is having a " Celebration Of Life" party for my brother in law. I bet it will include a band, food and lots of people. He was well loved by many and very involved in the community. I can not miss it.

Daisy

[Daisy]

I am trying to as honest as I can by telling you that the good friend that had the surgery and I was afraid of losing is my therapist of 30 years. I can't even go see him. At least he feels well enough to return phone calls now, which helps. If everything works out well, he will return to work in the beginning of June. Originally he was to return to work May 22nd

Daisy

I know I am posing a lot this morning, but I am just trying to distract myself and also get my thoughts more focused instead of so scattered.

Daisy

[Daisy]

May 24th Start of Symptoms and drug journal

6 a.m. Woke up started shaking and crying

6:55 a.m. Calming down. Trembling. No crying. Drinking cup of coffee and having cig.

7:a.m. 20 mgs prilosec

7:30 a.m. Still trembling

7:40 a.m. Clenching teeth. Put in night guard

8:00 a.m. 5 mgs Prozac solution. 8 oz of water

8:27 a.m. Dizziness/off balance. Little heart burn started when walking dog. Put on Sea Bands. Chewed ginger gum.

8:40 a.m. Still trembling. Nausea and dizziness/off balance better

9:02 a.m Trembling better but not gone

9: 10 a.m. Ate plain yogurt mixed with unsweetened applesauce and a little Almond milk. Mixed in protein and vitamin powder. Added probiotics and powder of 2 mineral capsules.

9:18 a.m. 0.5 mgs Xanax

9:25 a.m. 1250 mgs of Krill oil

10:30 a.m Have heavy feeling in head and slight headache. Still have sensation of trembling. Hands are not steady

10:33 a.m. Drank 8 oz of organic vegetable juice and 4 oz V8 lowered sugar healthy greens. Feel cold.

10:45 a.m. Still feel off balance when moving about. No nausea. No dizziness

More to come later

Daisy

 

 

 

[Daisy]

Hope to feel good enough soon to update signature medications

[Altostrata]

Thank you for getting a Drug Interaction Report at https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=1013-565,1750-1118,1115-648,133-54 You can see that the drugs interact with each other and make their effects stronger.

 

We don't go by diagnosis. What we're looking for is your current symptom pattern and whether it is caused by prior drug use and withdrawal or whether it may be side effects of the drugs you're taking now. Then we can figure out what to reduce.

You are doing a good job with your symptoms and drug notes.

 

16 hours ago, Daisy said:

Lexapro 2.5 mgs at night at 10 pm

 

Prozac 5 mgs  8 AM

 

Prilosec 20 mg  6:30 AM

 

Xanax  0.5 mgs  8 AM

Xanax 0.25 mgs  12:30 PM

Xanax 0.5 mg 6:30 PM

 

How long have you been taking Xanax at those dosages and at those times?

 

How long have you been taking Prilosec, and why? Have you had your vitamin B12 levels checked recently?

 

It looks like you took 0.5mg Xanax at 9:18 a.m. today, correct? Why did you take it later than 8 a.m.? It's very important you keep to the same drug schedule every day, that's the way we can tell if your symptoms are side effects.

 

[Daisy]

Thank you Alto. I do not mean to be discourteous by calling you Alto. I am having a hard time remembering how to spell your name and spelling in general. I do not seem to be able to figure out how to quote your questions so I am going to copy and paste them because I have a hard time remembering things.

 

"How long have you been taking Xanax at those dosages and at those times?"

I have been taking that dose I think starting I think yesterday.

 

"How long have you been taking Prilosec, and why? Have you had your vitamin B12 levels checked recently?"

I have been taking Prilosec for over 10 years for GERD. I have not had my vitamin B12 levels checked lately.

 

"It looks like you took 0.5mg Xanax at 9:18 a.m. today, correct? Why did you take it later than 8 a.m.?"

 

Yes. I took it at 9:15. I was told by PD to try taking it with breakfast because it might cut down on the sedating effects. I did not consider the banana I ate when I took the 5mg of Prozac breakfast. I also have to be careful not to trigger my GERD. Plus I also wanted to see what made me feel better, the Prozac or the Xanax.

36 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

It's very important you keep to the same drug schedule every day, that's the way we can tell if your symptoms are side effects.

I figure out how to quote. Okay. I will stick to a schedule.

 

Daisy

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Daisy]

On 5/15/2018 at 3:08 AM, Daisy said:

But I had no choice but to switch because I could no longer tolerate the Prozac anymore.. It was causing serious  anxiety and a terrible knot in my stomach and swallowing difficulties. I had to get off it and switch to something else. I even tried reducing the dosage of the Prozac, but I had the same symptoms as before. I just feel like I am in a pickle.

Explanation in an earlier post as to why I switched from Prozac to Lexapro.  What I meant by decreasing the dose of Prozac because it was really bothering me was that I took 10 mgs for 1 day and I had the knot in my stomach and swallowing difficulties again for that day. It scared me.

Daisy

[Daisy]

28 minutes ago, Daisy said:

I have an order for a complete blood panel, CBC, thyroid level and CBC I got from Walk in Labs/Lab Corp that I got on line at a good price. I can add an order for B 12. I just have not been able to make myself get to the lab to have it drawn. When I get it done and get the results, I can read the results myself. I will also send it into my PD and go to my new internist I have never seen her before) through my new insurance if something is off. It will also be read by a MD that Lab Corp employees and abnormal values will be called to me. I did it this way because the labs jack up the prices for their services if you go through your insurance  which I totally disapprove of.  I also did it this way to save myself the embarrassment with a new Internest if all the values were normal and my feeling bad was just caused by the changes in medication.  

Daisy  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

When you switched from Prozac to Lexapro, that was in March and you were taking 50mg Prozac, is that correct?

 

Even if you lowered the dose to 10mg Prozac for one day, you might still have had a lot of Prozac in you, it has a very long half-life.

 

My guess is 50mg Prozac was too high a dose for you.

 

1 hour ago, Altostrata said:

Xanax  0.5 mgs  8 AM

Xanax 0.25 mgs  12:30 PM

Xanax 0.5 mg 6:30 PM

 

How long have you been taking these dosages? How long have you been taking them divided up like this, on this schedule?

 

When was the last time your daily Xanax dosage was increased or decreased? By how much? What were the results?

 

If you look at your drug interaction at https://www.drugs.com/interactions-check.php?drug_list=1013-565,1750-1118,1115-648,133-54 , you will see why the Xanax is so sedating for you now. It interacts with Prozac and Prilosec as well as Lexapro. Taking it an hour later is not likely to change that.

 

Please stick to a consistent drug schedule each day.

 

I'm sure your PD means well, but his or her experiments are probably creating your symptoms. We need to see consistent dosing compared with symptom pattern. Please stop trying to adjust your drugs until we figure this out.

 

 

[Daisy]

7 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

When you switched from Prozac to Lexapro, that was in March and you were taking 50mg Prozac, is that correct?

Yes that is correct

 

9 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

How long have you been taking these dosages? How long have you been taking them divided up like this, on this schedule?

I lost my notes about the about when I took the 0.5 mgs @ 8 AM,  Xanax 0.25 mgs @12:30 PM  and Xanax 0.5 mg @ 6:30 PM. It may have even been a schedule I had set up but did not follow.

 

That is about all I can answer right now. My brain is on overload.

Daisy

[Daisy]

I hope I have it more together more tomorrow because my sister and her and my friend are coming over at 10 a.m. to visit. My sister knows about the problems I am having now, but the friend does not. I want to keep it that way,

Daidy

[Daisy]

May 24th Start of Symptoms and drug journal

1 p.m. Xanax 0.25 mgs

2:55 p.m. Ate 1 can of Healthy request chicken noodle soup

3:50 p.m. Feeling tired. Sitting Blood pressure 90/64. Heart rate 76

4:45 p.m. Still feel tired. Sitting Blood pressure 105/71 Heart Rate  78

Note: Making sure I drink water to stay hydrated

Will write more later. Have to break it up to reduce things that cause fatigue like using the computer.

Daisy

[Daisy]

FYI. I just dread having to take the Lexapro tonight. But I will because the consequences of not taking it may be worse.

Daisy 

[Altostrata]

Daisy, it's important that you take the benzo on a regular schedule. We need to match it to your symptom pattern.

[Altostrata]

3 hours ago, Daisy said:

I have an order for a complete blood panel, CBC, thyroid level and CBC I got from Walk in Labs/Lab Corp that I got on line at a good price. I can add an order for B 12. I just have not been able to make myself get to the lab to have it drawn. When I get it done and get the results, I can read the results myself. I will also send it into my PD and go to my new internist I have never seen her before) through my new insurance if something is off. It will also be read by a MD that Lab Corp employees and abnormal values will be called to me. I did it this way because the labs jack up the prices for their services if you go through your insurance  which I totally disapprove of.  I also did it this way to save myself the embarrassment with a new Internest if all the values were normal and my feeling bad was just caused by the changes in medication.  

Daisy  

 

 

Your insurance should cover the costs of these tests. If you want to pay out of pocket, that's up to you.

 

Why are you afraid of the Lexapro?

[Daisy]

26 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

Why are you afraid of the Lexapro?

Because it causes me to feel so lousy. And last night I took it at bedtime. I think it was about 2 hours later I thought I heard a low thud  like something hit the house, then I felt a vibration under my body. My body did not shake. So that was not the source of the vibration. But no earthquakes, no sirens, everything checked out at the house inside and out. Dog was not disturbed. So it was just me. It scared me so much that I am sorry, but I had to take an extra Xanax to calm down and get to sleep.

Daisy

[Altostrata]

Do you feel you could take 2mg Lexapro tonight instead of 2.5mg? My guess is you have plenty of SSRI in you from the Prozac.

[Daisy]

Yes please. Right now I feel pretty good and am able to do my evening chores. I would like to keep it that way. FYI- I just took my 0.5 mgs of Xanax at the correct time.

I am not even going to tell my PD about what happened last night after I took the Lexapro because he might think I am going crazy.

Daisy

[Daisy]

To clarify: I feel pretty good  right now and I meant to add that I feel good and had not yet taken my evening dose of Xanax at 6:30 p.m.

Daisy

[Daisy]

May 24th continued symptoms and drug journal

6:00 p.m. Feel pretty good. Straightened up up the house, cleaned kitchen and started dishwasher

6:30 p.m. Xanax 0.5 mgs

7:30 p.m. Ate dinner of Healthy Choice Power bowl

8:15 p.m; Sweet attack. Went to McDonald's and picked up a large chocolate shake and 3 chocolate chip cookies.

8:40 p.m. Ocular migraine. No pain. Shimmering light mainly left eye with area of partial vision loss. I have had them before but not in awhile. They are not dangerous, just a nuisance. They go away in 15-20 minutes.

9:00 p.m Ocular migraine totally gone. I feel good!

 

 

[Daisy]

I am making a decision that may have not have such a great outcome, but I am willing to live with it. I took my 0.5 mgs of Xanax at 6:30 PM, did a few things and then lay down on the couch to watch TV, setting my alarm for 10:30 so I would wake up to take the 2 mgs of Lexapro. Well I slept through the alarm and it is now 3AM. I really want to be awake  and functioning tomorrow when my sister and friend come over at 10 AM tomorrow, so I am going to skip this Lexapro dose. I will resume my schedule for the Lexapro tomorrow night. I will keep my schedule for the Xanax and Prozac during the day on the 25 th.

 

Daisy

[Shep]

Daisy, do you really want off your drugs? You've been a member here for over 6 years and you are just as drugged now as you were when you came in the SA cyber door.

 

Some questions that will guide your decision: 

• Are you willing to learn non-drug coping skills so that when you have a stressful situation, you aren't reaching for pills? 
• Are you willing to change your diet? Processed and fast foods and coffee can really complicate your taper. A diet such as one for people with low blood sugar works very well during withdrawal - it's high in protein and low in sugar. Eating small healthy meals and snacks every few hours will reduce blood sugar fluctuation (low blood sugar causes anxiety, depression, crying spells, etc. all which mimic withdrawal). 
• Are you willing to set a drug schedule that you stick to without excuses? Skipping doses repeatedly can cause problems and can take days or weeks for your nervous system to settle down from the changes. 
• Are you able to self manage through your taper? Is your home/work life so that you are dealing with repeat crisis situations? 
• Are you wiling to update your signature when asked? Your benzo use still isn't listed. Please note that moderators are volunteers who are going through withdrawal ourselves - we don't have the time and energy to read and re-read your thread to get this information. 

We may not be the right web forum for you, at least not at this time. There are forums set up to work with people who looking for advice on medication management. Forums like depressionforums.org or patientslikeme.com are for people who need advice on medication management. SA is for people coming off their drugs and are willing to do the hard work, set up a consistent schedule, and deal with what many of us find to be the most difficult phase of our lives. It's possible to come off these drugs, but it does require a lot from every one who comes into SA. 

 

Please let us know if you are serious about coming off your drugs and are wiling to do this work. It's likely that a lot of your problems are connected to the benzo. But without being able to eat nutritiously, take your drugs according to a schedule, and develop non-drug coping skills, you will have a very hard time getting off these drugs.