Artpro: my mirtazapine escitalopram nightmare

[Artpro]

After being on Abroad for 10 years, I had a stomach ulcer and an eroded stomach lining. The doc changed me to Mirtazapine 30mg about 9 years ago. It has a gentler effect on the stomach... I did have trouble with side effects but persisted .. 

 

I was getting worse panic attacks, anxiety and phobias so the doc changed me to escitalopram.20mg. CT. No taper or wash out.

 

My nightmare started from that night onwards.

 

Symptoms :

• brain zaps
• fried brain feeling
• couldn't think to even make breakfast, drive a car, remember anything at all from one moment to the next, couldn't even think of anything to say to anyone.
• sweats,
• insomnia 
• tinnitus 
• loss of balance
• constant pain in the cheek bones
• pins and needles
• pain in the stomach
• nausea
• burning mouth and tongue
• constant itching and redness
• constipation, still using movicol to keep things moving
• lots of other things but you probably know those already.

 

it wasn't till nearly 6 months before some of these things started to settle. I felt Ill the whole time. My GP didn't believe me and said I'd googled the symptoms. I was too scared to go to the hospital in case they changed my drugs and id have to go through another round of symptoms.

 

I had to give up work and basically lost the whole of 2017.

 

then I'd get an odd say where I didn't feel too bad.. but not for long. 

 

2 years on and I'm just starting to be able to remember a bit. Still have a buzzing head, terrible insomnia. Only sleep for 1.30 ~ 2 hour stints.

 

my whole life has changed. I could always do 3 things at once before. Now I'm flat out doing much at all. 

I tried taking magnesium L~Threonate but after a couple of weeks I had nausea etc so have dropped the dose on that.  If too much happens, I get a terrible headache, my eyes can't focus and my tinnitus gets worse.. I still have itching and a gripping feeling on my back, like some one is touching my left ear and around my chin... also am worried as my tongue feels like I've bitten it really hard every now and then..

 

any help or advice would be most welcome as I feel like I'm struggling along without any advice... I get told I'm just super sensitive to the meds.. like its my fault all this happened.  It so frustrating.

cheers. 

 

Edited October 29, 2018 by ChessieCat
spacing

[Gridley]

Hello, Artpro, and welcome to SA.  I'm sorry you've be going through this all-too-common nightmare.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

It sounds as if you had/are having an adverse reaction to Lexapro combined with withdrawal symptoms from your CT of Mirtazapine.  

 

Are you interested in tapering off the Lexapro? Generally, adverse reactions lessen as the dosage decreases.   We recommend a slow taper of 10% of current dose every four weeks.  Some member have to taper more slowly.  

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram)

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This link contains helpful information, including insomnia and also non-drug coping skills.    

 

 Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

 

Some members have found Melatonin helpful with insomnia. 

 

 Melatonin for sleep   

 

It's best to start at a very low dosage, such as .25mg, and gradually increase if needed to the lowest effective dose.  

 

This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community.  I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation.  I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but I am glad that you found us.

 

 

 

[Artpro]

Hi Gridley, 

 

Thank you very much for answering.

 

I will go through each of the links you sent..thank you.

 

I'm not sure, as much as I'd like to, I can taper off Lexapro at the moment as im not sure that I would cope without another SSRI. My constant anxiety and Panic Attacks would come back for sure...I am hoping in the future to be able to taper off though as I get on-top of everything.. I did think that Lexapro was causing a lot of side effects but stuck with it hoping they would lessen... They have but it's taken a long time to just get to this stage. I'm terrified that decreasing will be a nightmare too.

The Lexapro has certainly helped with the anxiety and Panic Attacks and my phobias.. ie: claustrophobia.

I had got to the point where I couldn't even look at a low ceiling on a TV show without getting panic... A lot of things were affected because of this.. Elevators, car parks, hallways etc.

 

On the days I don't feel to bad, it is good but I still seem to get waves every now and then.. I get a terrible headache if I'm stressed and if I do too much, I feel dazed, my eyes won't focus etc...

 

Kind regards,

Artpro

[Artpro]

Hi again,

 

Well I am another year on and still battling away.

After being catatonic and battling to get some sort of life back, I am still left with chronic insomnia, dizziness, thick foggy head and headaches, itchiness, etc.. some seem to come in waves.. I think a lot of this could now be a medication issue. The psych put me on Topamax to try and settle my nerves as he thinks I am getting a lot of false signals from the CT damage hence the insomnia etc... it has helped a bit but of course, has it's own set of symptoms... 

anyway, I definitely need a very slow lexapro taper to start with I think. 

Thanking you,

Gina 

[Shep]

Your symptoms may be an interaction between Topamax and Lexapro.

 

Drug Interaction Checker - Topamax and Lexapro

 

18 hours ago, Artpro said:

The psych put me on Topamax to try and settle my nerves as he thinks I am getting a lot of false signals from the CT damage hence the insomnia etc.

 

Topamax is not likely to fix withdrawal from another drug and as you mentioned, does come with its own set of symptoms. 

 

How long have you been taking it?

 

Please update your signature to include the drug changes / additions you've had since 2018. Your signature is here:

 

Account - Settings - Create or Update Your Signature

 

 

[Artpro]

Hi Shep,

I've only been on Topamax for a month. the symptoms are probably worse and like you say, has it's own set of problems/side effects.. it has helped the insomnia and agitation at night and my ability to be able to do things again. 

I've gone from someone who could do 5 things at once to bot being able to remember what I'm doing by the time I walk downstairs. 

The worst of my problems have been ongoing ever since my CT from Mirtazapine to Lexapro although I have had a bad patch of nausea and then 5 days of really bad head dizziness/pressure/doppeyness... hard to describe really... I tried to ring the psyc but he was away and we only have one in the area. I had to wait 8 months just to get a visit. 

The idea of the Topamax was to try and settle my brain down and then do a taper off Lexapro.. 

I just tried to add to my signature.. it is saying I have too many lines even though I have counted 12.. ??  not sure what I'm doing wrong.. something though. 

[Shep]

6 minutes ago, Artpro said:

The idea of the Topamax was to try and settle my brain down and then do a taper off Lexapro.. 

 

I've added the Topamax to your signature. 

 

Are you here to come off psychiatric drugs or to switch from one drug to another? Please note we aren't able to help you set up a new drug cocktail. All we can do is advise how to taper. 

[Artpro]

I am here to find the safest kindest method of tapering off Lexapro and hope and pray that I won't need another drug in my life... I have a long history of Anxiety and Panic disorder and was in a bad way with phobias and Panic attacks before this last swap so if I can find a way through without having to resort to another drug, I will be ecstatic... my father is 97 and refuses to take a drug, this is the way I was brought up, so I am finding all this very destressing to say the least.  

I seem to be very sensitive to meds and everytime I try and use natural products, I come unstuck as well.

The doctors don't really care as they know they did the wrong thing so don't want to get involved. 

So I thought I'd make a start by finding the best taper method because I don't think my brain can handle to many more sudden jolts. 

If I can get my life back drug free, so much the better. 

[Altostrata]

Hello, Artpro. What times of day do you take your drugs, and their dosages?

 

How has the Topamax helped?

[Artpro]

Hi Altostrata,

I take Lexapro in the morning 12.5mg 

and 1 and a half tablets of 25mg Topamax ( 37.5mg)

Then 1 and a half 25mg again at nigh of Topamax (37.5mg) plus 25mg Valdoxan.. another drug to try and get off of. augh. 

I have terrible itching, odd pains, terrible insomnia ( an hours sleep a night ) and agitation.. the psyc said he things my brain is sending false signals like seizures so wanted to try Topamax to see if that helps settle things down.. it has helped with sleep and due to the hyperactivity side effect, I was doing well but my head feels worse and the tinnitus is really loud... unfortunately, can't get help from GPS..  they just say stop Lexapro by half dose for 5 days then stop.  so I am going to take it into my own hands as it's obviously a med thing and get off this drug. 

[Artpro]

Have already started to drop Topamax by an eight of a tablet 6 days ago. Will go to a quarter tomorrow 

[Artpro]

Topic title:  3 year CT nightmare: Artpro

 

After being on 30mg Mirtazapine for 8 years, I was getting constant anxiety, panac attacks and phobias. Mainly bad claustrophobia. My weight had gone up at least 45 pounds so rather than increase my dose, my GP decided to swap to Lexapro 20mg. He insisted, even though the chemist advised against it, that he knew what he was doing and to change in one overnight. 

This started nausea, sweats panic etc which I thought at the time was side effects I should stick out til the new tablets kicked in...little did i know what I was in for. 

I was basically catatonic as I couldn't work out how to do even the simplest of things, remember anything, and everynight, I lay there all night with barely an hours sleep, thinking of nothing and strangely not tired... I couldn't pay down in the day either. Just sat there. 

I had cut down to 5 mg of Lexapro and the doctor looked at me like I was loopy. I wrote down my symptoms as I couldn't articulate them while I was in there and he told me I had just googled them... I felt like I was being treated like I was crazy when normally, I am a very capable person. 

When I finally got to see a psyc months later, the look on his face said it all as to what he thought of the CT decision. Because I had been in the ER with sever stomach pain, and nothing had shown in a gastroscopy, he put me on Lyrica to stop the nerve pain in my stomach... This worked and I weaned myself off several months later. They also gradually got me up to 15 mg as they say 20 mg is the medicating dose...Unfortunately, the few visits I got with him, I was still finding it very hard to communicate and so I didn't get to say much howevery after the first visit, and the GP and Psyc communicated, I seem to get the label of " Your just Super Sensitive". 

The GP had also added Valdoxan 25mg to help with insomnia... It did help at slightly but when I tried to drop it off, it was like a black cloud rolled in so I reinstated it and hope to address it as well.

Anyway, over the course of the 3 years, I have very slowly had some better days but always seem to have this terrible headachy dizzy feeling... It is really bad some days and I have just been through another 5 days where it was just too much again.. my neck is stiff and sore, I still get itching, bouts of folliculitis, sweats at night mainly and burning feeling...also with the Topamax, have added numbness in my hands and feet, bad taste in my mouth and a dry mouth at night. 

I also seem to be very sensitive now to any changes to meds... Hence I have put off tapering as I long to just feel normal again. 

Thank you for allowing me to let off steam.😨

 

Edited September 3, 2019 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[ChessieCat]

Merged 2 Intro topic.

 

Please note that each member has 1 Introduction topic where they can ask questions and journal their progress.  This keeps a member's history in one place.

 

Please do not create any new Introduction topics.  Thank you.

[Shep]

Artpro, please start a daily drug and symptoms journal. Also include:

 

• any supplements you are taking (the name and dose)
• the hours you sleep at night

Below is the format we need. 

 

On 9/27/2016 at 2:49 PM, Altostrata said:

In the course of discussion in your Introductions forum topic, you may be asked to keep notes on paper of your daily symptom pattern, including when you take your drugs, their dosages, and any symptoms. We ask this because there may be something we can do to reduce the symptoms.

 

What we need to see for every single day over several days is what symptoms you get before and after you take your drugs. If you're not taking any drugs and have withdrawal symptoms, we still need to see your symptom pattern throughout the day:

 

The time of day, dosage, and severity of symptoms are essential information. Include

 

- Time and dosage for all drugs taken throughout the day, psychiatric and non-psychiatric.

- Following each dose, note any symptoms. If you are having a reaction to the drug, it may take hours for a symptom to show up -- that's why we ask you to keep notes all day long.

- If you're not taking any drugs, your symptoms throughout the day.

- Your sleep pattern. Since so many drugs disturb sleep, if you find you're waking in the middle of the night, it could be from a drug you took earlier in the evening. If you're not taking any drugs, there may be ways you can improve your sleep.

And so forth. A diary, in chronological order, looking something like this:
 
6 a.m. Woke with anxiety
8 a.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
10 a.m. Stomach is upset
10:30 a.m. Ate breakfast
11:35 a.m. Got a headache, lasted one hour
12:35 p.m. Ate lunch
4 p.m. Feel a bit better
5 p.m. Took 2.5mg Lexapro
6 p.m. Ate dinner
9:20 p.m. Headache
10:00 p.m. Took 50mg Seroquel
10:20 p.m. Feeling dizzy
10:30 p.m. Fell asleep
2:30 a.m. Woke, took 3mg Ambien (NOT "took 1/2 tablet Ambien")
2:45 a.m. Fell asleep
4:30 a.m. Woke but got back to sleep

 

[Shep]

Also, I noticed that Lexapro is not in your signature. Please add this drug. Your signature is here:

 

Account - Settings - Create or Edit Your Signature

 

Are you still taking Lyrica? 

[Altostrata]

15 hours ago, Artpro said:

Have already started to drop Topamax by an eight of a tablet 6 days ago. Will go to a quarter tomorrow 

 

If the Topamax is helping, why are you reducing it? Why do you take it at the same time as Lexapro?

 

If Lyrica worked, why did you go off it?

 

When did the itching start? Is it worse after you take any of your drugs?

 

Some of your symptoms might be from drug interactions. Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php  and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

 

I agree with Shep, those daily drug and symptom notes would be very helpful.

[Artpro]

Topamax HAS helped but the side effects have increased the side effects of Lexapro. Shep has also commented that it has a moderate interaction..

I was told to take a split dose. Half at night and half in the morning  so the morning dose coincides with my Lexapro dose.

 I am taking 75mg of Topamax so will at least drop back to 50mg and see if that brings some relief so I can taper off Lexapro and hopefully the whole lot eventually. 

The Lyrica stopped the pain in my frazzled nerve endings in my stomach after my CT off Mirtazapine. I took it through the worst of the first year but gained 20 pounds so slowly weaned myself off. I still get stomach pain on and off but nothing like the original pain experienced a few months in my withdrawals. 

The itching started the day I swapped drugs. I thought it was from Mirt withdrawal but it is ongoing although nowhere near as bad. It is worse on arising in the morning and some days are worse than others.. hot days I prickle all over. 

I have started a daily diary and will post it tonight.

 

I take 25mg Valdoxan and it isn't in the drug interaction list?.. 

 

Interactions between your drugs

Moderate

topiramate escitalopram

Applies to: Topamax (topiramate), Lexapro (escitalopram)

Using topiramate together with escitalopram may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Some people, especially the elderly, may also experience impairment in thinking, judgment, and motor coordination. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Also avoid activities requiring mental alertness such as driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. Talk to your doctor if you have any questions or concerns. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

 

 

 

Edited September 4, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed attachment and pasted drug interaction direct

[Artpro]

Supplements:

kyolic Aged Garlic ( Naturalife)  240mg equ to 874 mg fresh

Probiotics+ (Blackmores)

Zinc Plus ( Cenovis)- Zinc chelate 25mg, manganese2mg, Bit b6 10mg, 

Movicol - for constipation 

 

5pm - Movicol X 1 sachet ...chronic constipation

6.30pm - Took 37.5mg Topamax and

      25mg Valdoxan with dinner as this helps avoid stomach pain.

9.30pm - hot and prickly with a heady feeling on and off.

10pm -  stomach pain starts... Lasts all night

12.pm - finally get to sleep

1.30am - wake up with stomach pain, hot burning legs and mouth, a tight feeling around right ribs, head pressure and the pillow feels like concrete, sore neck

3.30am - still awake so get up to go to the toilet and arms start itching. still stomach pain

6.30am - fall asleep

7.30am - wake up but lay there with a heavy head and my eyes closed for half an hour to breath calmly and quietly.

8am- arose with itching and redness on arms, back and back of thighs. lower back is very stiff... Not a usual symptom though

8.30am - breakfast with 

Lexapro- 12.5mg

Topamax - 32mg

Parriet - 25mg

Crestor - 10mg

Kyolic Garlic X 1

Probiotics X 1

Zinc X1 

10.30am - Prickling burning on face, chest and feet, still sore stomach

10.50am...not too bad...a bit heady as usual

2pm - still stiff in lower back, Prickling again in face, chest, feet and head feels heavy and dopey with tightness across the top of the skull

3pm - another prickly flush with head symptoms

3.10 - Feet burning

6pm - dinner with Topamax 37.5mg and Valdoxan 25mg again

 

Generally, head not as bad as some days, Tinnitus is very loud day and night. The afternoons always seem to be a better time of the day for some reason. It is now 7.45pm and I'm finding it very hard to type any more as my head is hurting from the concentration.. it's in behind my eyes somewhere and across the top of my head. 

 

Thankng you

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Shep]

10 hours ago, Artpro said:

The itching started the day I swapped drugs.

 

Which drugs did you swap? Please post all the information you have (name of drugs, dose, and date swapped). 

[Artpro]

Mirtazapine 30mg CT to 20mg Lexapro the next day.

I dropped to 5 mg Lexapro as I was so sick.

This happened in Jan 2016

At first it was extremely itching with large rashes. Also various patches like the palm of my hand would turn white and itch. I would get nerve type areas where it felt like someone was touching me or grabbing a handful of skin and squeezing... Due to the CT, I thought it was Mirt withdrawal but I still have the itching although no where near as bad. 

 

[Artpro]

5pm - movicol X 1 sachet

6.30pm - Took 37.5mg Topamax and

 25mg Valdoxan with dinner.

8.45pm - hot and prickly with a heady feeling

9pm - slight stomach discomfort and more hot prickly feeling through out body

11pm - get to sleep

12.30am - wake up again, hot burning legs and mouth, head pressure mainly in the nasal bones and a sore neck

Awake all night and have to get up at 7 am to help in the gallery today

7am...get up with the usual itching and redness on arms, back and back of thighs. lower back is still very stiff... 

8.30am - breakfast with 

Lexapro- 12.5mg

Topamax - 32mg(1 and a quarter tablets)

Parriet - 25mg

Crestor - 10mg

Kyolic Garlic X 1

Probiotics X 1

Zinc X1 

Don't feel to bad this morning..😀

9.30am - Prickling burning on face, chest and feet, hot flushes

10.50am...not too bad...a but bit heady as usual

1pm - still stiff in lower back, a bit of prickling again in face, chest, feet 

3pm - another prickly flush with head symptoms

5pm - Movicol

6pm - dinner with Topamax 37.5mg and Valdoxan 25mg again

8pm - the hot flushes have started up again.

 

A better day than yesterday overall... My head tonight has started to get bad again though. Concentration is difficult and my eyes are tired from lack of sleep. Hopefully, tonight will be better . I'm 2 days in at dropping Topamax by a quarter of a tablet so will keep going. I think it's 5-6 days before it's out of your system.. 

 

[Shep]

On 9/4/2019 at 7:07 AM, Artpro said:

Mirtazapine 30mg CT to 20mg Lexapro the next day.

I dropped to 5 mg Lexapro as I was so sick.

This happened in Jan 2016

At first it was extremely itching with large rashes. Also various patches like the palm of my hand would turn white and itch. I would get nerve type areas where it felt like someone was touching me or grabbing a handful of skin and squeezing... Due to the CT, I thought it was Mirt withdrawal but I still have the itching although no where near as bad. 

 

 

I'm glad you're seeing improvements in the itching.

 

1 hour ago, Artpro said:

A better day than yesterday overall... My head tonight has started to get bad again though. Concentration is difficult and my eyes are tired from lack of sleep. Hopefully, tonight will be better . I'm 2 days in at dropping Topamax by a quarter of a tablet so will keep going. I think it's 5-6 days before it's out of your system.. 

 

By "keep going" do you mean you are going to reduce even further? You may want to hold a bit longer. I know you've only been on this drug briefly, but please don't go too fast for your nervous system to handle. It takes about 4 days for your nervous system to register a change and a week or longer to adjust.

 

The half-life for Topamax is 21 hours, so yes, it does take about 6 days before it's out of your system, but if you rush the taper, the withdrawal symptoms can last much longer than the elimination time.

 

I'm glad you're seeing overall improvements.

[Artpro]

Thank you Shep.. I am planning on at least a week at this dose before dropping again.. even though I haven't been on it very long, about 2 months, it obviously affects me. so I'll take it slowly... I just need some relief from all this flushing, prickling and most of all, the constant aweful head thing. 

[Altostrata]

On 9/4/2019 at 4:07 AM, Artpro said:

Mirtazapine 30mg CT to 20mg Lexapro the next day.

I dropped to 5 mg Lexapro as I was so sick.

This happened in Jan 2016

At first it was extremely itching with large rashes. Also various patches like the palm of my hand would turn white and itch. I would get nerve type areas where it felt like someone was touching me or grabbing a handful of skin and squeezing... Due to the CT, I thought it was Mirt withdrawal but I still have the itching although no where near as bad. 

 

 

This sounds like an allergic reaction to Lexapro. If I were you, I'd choose to go off that drug first.

 

4 hours ago, Artpro said:

Lexapro- 12.5mg

Topamax - 32mg(1 and a quarter tablets)

Parriet - 25mg

Crestor - 10mg

Kyolic Garlic X 1

Probiotics X 1

Zinc X1 

 

You're taking 4 drugs at once in the morning, Can you move Topamax, Parriet, and Crestor towards noon, so we can separate their interactions from Lexapro? You'd do this by moving them an hour later each day until you get to noon.

 

You are taking an unusual drug cocktail. When you did the drug interaction report, did you include Pareit and Crestor? They may be causing side effects, too. Please put ALL your drugs in the Drug Interactions Checker https://www.drugs.com/drug_interactions.php
and copy and paste the results or a link to them in this topic.

 

Did your doctor ever mention the possibility of drug-drug interactions?

 

[Artpro]

I put all my drugs in the drug checker but only the Topamax /Lexapro came up as an interaction.  As in my post above. Valdoxan doesn't come up in their list so I can't check that one against them. 

 

No doc, psyc nurse, psycologists or psyc that I've seen had said anything about drug interactions. Except one, who put me on Lexapro in the first place, he questioned the stomach med the ER gave me, told me it interacted and gave me another, I didn't take it as it was a nerve problem in the end anyway but when I saw his locum a few weeks later, he said, your not taking that stomach med are you, it interacts with Lexapro... augh... craziness.. 

My next script for Parriet is for 10mg not 20mg. I hope this doesn't cause problems, but I have been on Parriet for a long time. 

 

Just a side note.... I can't take Nexium at all as it affects my coordination.. after 2 days 9n it, I can't walk straight or do anything that requires coordination like typing... which is why I'm on Parriet. 

 

I will start working out the best way to taper Lexapro.. 

 

[Artpro]

 

5pm - movicol X 1 sachet

6pm - 37.5mg Topamax and 25mg Valdoxan with dinner.

8.45pm - hot and prickly flush

9pm - another hot prickly feeling through out body head feeling

Not sure when I nodded off but it was the early hours of the morning as I was away most of the night, hotburning legs and mouth and  head pressure most of the night.

Also felt agitated and had some nausea a few times.

Got a couple of hours sleep in the early hours about 4.30 to 7.30am.

got up with the usual itching and redness on arms, back and back of thighs. lower back is still stiff but not as bad as the last 2 days... Noticed it was twitching during the night.

8.30am - breakfast with 

Lexapro- 12.5mg

Topamax - 32mg(1 and a quarter tablets)

Parriet - 25mg

Crestor - 10mg

Kyolic Garlic X 1

Probiotics X 1

Zinc X1 

 

9.30am - Prickling burning on face, chest and feet, hot flushes

10am..heady as usual and very hard to concentrate. Pain in the back of head and neck. 

Lunch time, prickling again in face, chest, feet , hot flush and head pressure

3pm - another prickly flush with head symptoms

5pm - Movicol

6pm - dinner with Topamax 37.5mg and Valdoxan 25mg again

8pm - the hot flushes have started up again

Not as good as yesterday but not as bad as my worst.... My head always seems to get worse at this time of night though. 

I am feeling quite agitated which is unusual for me... 

Annoyed at someone's behaviour when I usually ignore it and let it go.

Also have had several hours of nausea last night and today...could that be the small drop in Topamax? 1/8th of a tablet 2 days ago.

I tried Tapping at 3.30 am this morning to try and help get to sleep so will try it again earlier tonight. 

Tinnitus is still very loud day and night

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[Artpro]

Rashes on Escitalopram/ Lexapro

 

Hi all,

 

I've been on Escitalopram for 5 years now after a disastrous CT from 30mg Mirtazapine to 20mg Escitalopram.  

 

I honestly didn't know what was withdrawals and what was side effects but 5 years on, I know the symptoms I have now are still side effects. 

 

So one of the many I had was rashes. These settled somewhat after a bout 2 Years.  possibly due to me lowering my dosage but still odd rashes etc

 

About 8 months ago, I started developing a rash that burns and is very painful in my creases. The skin breaks if i dont use a Steroid cream. It settles it down but it comes back again after a few days. Everytime I think its gone, it comes back. 

 

I wondered about it being a Covid Vax side effect as it was after that, I developed the rash but the doc doesn't even consider that it could be. He suggested it could be the Lex and wanted me to change SSRIs. 

 

I said I'd think about it because I've been tapering off for the last 2 years and I'm down to 6mg atm. I'm have to go super slow now, tapering, as each 5% drop is starting to give me withdrawals.  I hold for at least a month to stabilise but this last drop, I'm holding 6 weeks because I've not felt well at all. Next drop will be 2%. 

 

So I really need to pinpoint whether it's the Lex causing the rash or not to know how to proceed. 

 

Thanking You, 

 

 

 

Edited November 23, 2022 by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

[Shep]

@ArtproIs the 7 mg of Lexapro the only drug you're taking now? Are you taking any supplements? 

[Artpro]

Sorry Shep, I couldn't get back before now. Thank you for answering.  

I'm on 20mg of Pariet, PPI, but I'm slow tapering it so still taking about 15mg at the moment.  The rash occurred before this taper started. Also taking Krill Oil, Vit d3 and K2. I usually have a Calandula tea in the morning but that's about it. I haven't taken to many supplements as so many things seem to react with Lexapro.  I should be on BP meds but they seem to increase my anxiety greatly.  

[Shep]

@Artpro How is your diet? Many people develop issues with histamine due to these drugs and find changing their diet to be helpful. Please see: 

 

Histamine food intolerance