mdwstrx: Lexapro / escitalopram taper or not?

[Tom37]

Shame I can’t sing!😂......enjoy the night out with your friend.

[mdwstrx]

Another good day so far.  Symptoms present but low key.  Enough that I am able to go about my business and almost forget; almost.....

[Leo1983]

Great.

 

Sounds like you missed the Ghost train. Good for you. 

 

Its been like the Rocky Horror show in my house 🤣😣

[Tom37]

Good to hear....your definitely getting there. Symptoms reducing in intensity is a very good sign. 

 

One of the guys on here who has helped me, crashed and took about 12 months to stabilise and his description was of symptoms all over the place for the first several months, then a pattern started to emerge, then the symptoms slowly started reducing in instensity until they stopped all together as he stabilised so your on the right track.

 

Dont read into the 12 months time frame either as just an example.

 

Hopefully it keeps up!

[mdwstrx]

Thanks Leo. I'm sorry to hear things are rough... I'm praying that it turns around and healing happens very very soon. 🙏 

 

Tom, that's helpful to hear and I can see how he's probably right.  My chart kinda shows the same thing.  As for the 12 months, it will take what it takes I guess.  Then onto the real work of deciding if I can get off this stuff.  

[mdwstrx]

Thankfully had another good day where symptoms were low key. They were slight burning in arms, hot flushing and some internal low key buzzing. 

 

Went to church and spoke with a former coworker friend. She told me she’d been on Prozac 20+ years. She decided last year to attempt to stop and her doctor had her taper and skip days over the last year.  She’s now on one pill of 10 mg each week?  Has been for some time. She’s afraid to stop that weekly pill. How is that even possible?🤔  Curious, if she stops her one pill a week, if there’d be any impact?

[Tom37]

Glad you had a good day....crazy about the one pill a week. No idea what would happen there. 

 

Keep up the good progress.

[mdwstrx]

Similar day today as the past several days.  I’m very thankful, hoping that it means stabilization is near. Symptoms are present but remain low key enough for me to function well. 

 

I transitioned from 2.5 tablet/4 liquid to 1:25 tablet/5.25 liquid today.  Hopefully, I won’t notice the change. We shall see.  

 

The lingering symptoms, though slight,  concern me and I hope they go away in time. They are:

breathing difficulty 

thigh muscle pain/weakness 

burning skin

neuro fear 

buzziness 

chest/back aches

 

If all continues to go well, I plan to resume a taper the first of April if mods agree. 

[Tom37]

Good to hear.....they will lessen and lessen as you get to stability so you will then be almost symptom free or completely symptom free. 

 

Try not worry about them as once they have shown their weakness it won’t be long before they go.

 

Keep it up.

[mdwstrx]

Thanks. I appreciate your support!  Been thinking about you today. How has your day been?. Hoping it’s easing up and you’re feeling better. 

[Tom37]

No worries.....it’s been a bit better day than yesterday....still in the wave. Got through the work day....lucky don’t have a physical job. Just hope when it ends my baseline has improved again then hopefully can really see some real clear progress. 

 

Thanks for thinking of me.

[mdwstrx]

Im glad to hear it’s better, even if just a bit. I can’t imagine working through this. Maybe it’s just me being relatively ‘old’ but i would have had to take time off.   Admire your strength.   Hoping for a good night sleep for you tonight. 💤

[Tom37]

Will just see what happens in the work front. For now I’m managing and I don’t stress about and if I get to a point and have to stop then so be it. I’m fortunate enough that financially we will be ok if I’m not working so don’t have that stress. 

 

I admire how you seem so calm about this whole process and deal with it so well.

 

Have a good night.

[mdwstrx]

Hello.  A great night sleeping last night.   Dozed on the sofa for about half an hour, then got an additional 9 hours sleep with one break.  Feeling really good so far today.  

Mods, question; do you think April 1 is too soon to begin a taper if stabilization keeps up?

[Altostrata]

2 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

Hello.  A great night sleeping last night.   Dozed on the sofa for about half an hour, then got an additional 9 hours sleep with one break.  Feeling really good so far today.  

Mods, question; do you think April 1 is too soon to begin a taper if stabilization keeps up?

 

How about the buzziness, etc.?

 

Good sleep is a good sign. You'll probably have waves, still. All in all, tapering in April looks promising.

[mdwstrx]

Hi Alto.  Thanks for the reply.  Things are pretty darn good!  

• A little achy and feeling sleepy now (that's unusual especially with so much sleep last night).  But its overcast, cold and just a blah weather day so I'm sure that has something to do with sleepiness.
• Buzziness is super low key to the point it almost is not there. 
• Breathing difficulty has centered in the suprasternal notch (had to look it up  ) or the area that indents in the neck.  I hope that goes away as it kind of give me a feeling of unease. 
• The thigh muscle pain is there still.  Annoying but hopefully it will leave too.
• I still have hot flushes too on occasion.

I am still on the fence about tapering off completely. The big fear I have is tapering off to have some type of late onset akathisia set in a few months later that is untreatable.  

 

Dr. Shipko's last correspondence to me was that he thought you were "certainly more optimistic" than he about a positive result.  He went on to mention a patient on Lexapro 12 years who tapered off over a year and a half with no symptoms.  6 months later, akathisia set in.  It resolved with reinstatement.  He stated that he's never seen in his practice, akathisia which did not improve with prompt reinstatement.  Therefore he thought as long as I were to reinstate within a few weeks, if needed, I'd most likely be ok.  I found that less than reassuring given what I have learned here on this site. Unfortunately, Dr. Shipko did not reply directly to a couple of my questions that would have helped me to decide.  

 

Brassmonkey has said he'd be willing to correspond when he returns after telling me that tapering long term users is somewhat controversial.  So my plan is to start a taper and try to get to the lowest dosage I'm able to without jumping until I decide. 

 

 

 

[Tom37]

Great to hear again.

 

Tough decision on if to taper afterwards or not especially after knowing what wd is like. 

[mdwstrx]

Thanks.  Sorry to hear the wave is still with you.   Posted on your thread. 

 

As far as tapering, the alternative is to be stuck on a med where it's possible to lose access to it.   I think of those elderly folks in homes where they have to rely on caretakers to medicate them or less pleasant scenarios I won't go into.  There are so many reasons to get off this drug, if at all possible. I think its best to get to a very minimum dosage at least - under 1 mg hopefully.

[mdwstrx]

Sun is shining today for first time in a week.  Yay!  That makes things seem so much more pleasant.   

 

Had a second session with a counselor yesterday in preparation to begin a taper.  In discussing some past issues, symptoms ramped up a bit.  Seems stress is provoking waves still as feeling symptoms a bit more this morning.  Progress is happening regardless and I most likely will have blips like this along the way.  But they're very manageable if not a bit unpleasant.  🌤️

 

8 hrs sleep.

slight burning in arms

chest ache

slight breathing difficulty

sensitive to neuro fear

[bubble]

Give yourself time, enjoy your stability and functionality.

 

For some reason the first thing most of us think about when finally beginning to stabilise is tapering. Not a really good instinct. I wouldn't be surprised if there were a few more waves since the process is not linear. You will get there

[mdwstrx]

Thank Bubble for your thoughts.  I still  have waves of symptoms but they are much less intense and certainly less defined. It all seems to merge at some point with symptoms coming and going but at a functional level.  At least for me. 

 

Tapering before the crash was not difficult.  At least to the 2.5 mg dosage. I have no idea what it will be like afterward and at the lower levels. But I intend listen to my body and go very slow.

 

Grateful for another relatively good day. 

 

 

[JackieDecides]

15 minutes ago, mdwstrx said:

Grateful for another relatively good day. 

 

I'm glad things are going so well. 🙂

[Gracee]

11 hours ago, bubble said:

 

For some reason the first thing most of us think about when finally beginning to stabilise is tapering. Not a really good instinct. 

 

I am so glad I just read this.   That is exactly what happened to me this morning.   I tapered, then came to SA and was gently reminded "It is too soon" so immediately returned to current dose.

[Tom37]

Glad to hear another good day!

 

Yes holding seems to be very difficult but it’s crucial in getting through this with the least amount of pain as possible. No one wants to have to go through this again.

[mdwstrx]

Thanks Jackie and Tom.  Appreciate the kind comments.  And your're so right Tom.  Hope to never go through this again. 🙏

 

Got a good 8 hours sleep last night.  Sx present but low key again this morning.  I'm functioning between about 85 to 90%.  Hoping that the remaining percent comes back in time.   

[mdwstrx]

Today has been a little different.  Stayed in all day.  Another gloomy, overcast, wet and gray day.  Blah.  Worked on some sewing projects. 

 

Noticed throughout the day and the past several days, a lot of hot flushing.  Last couple of days have also seen an achy back/chest.  Add to that a headache, slight burning in arms and the thigh muscle pain, I may be having a bit of a wave. I think that because I have found myself going back to my resignation and thinking this may never end; even though symptoms have been so improved. 

 

It could be a combination of things including a depressed mood due to the constant gray, cold, damp weather.  It's supposed to be sunny tomorrow!!  Thank goodness. 🌞

[Carmie]

Hi md, 

 

I’m guessing you’re not enjoying your gloomy wet day. ☔️💦💦 I’ll send you some sunshine from sunny Queensland.☀️☀️😁

 

I’m sorry about all the pain in your body, it’s definitely no fun, we won’t know ourselves when we are no longer in withdrawals. Yes, it’s so easy to think withdrawals will never end when we are going through them. When we get windows, though, we can see that our bodies can heal. Here’s to more windows. 

 

I’m glad you got some sewing done, I’m all for distracting oneself. I’ve been watching funny auditions of X Factor and Britain’s Got Talent. It’s been very entertaining. It always amazes me when people are tone deaf but they tell the judges they can sing as good as Whitney Houston etc.🤣 I can’t sing to save my life, but I know it. I sound a bit like a dying walrus, and there’s no way I’d go on shows like that. It makes for good entertainment watching these people though. The looks on the judges faces is hilarious too.

 

Enjoy your sunny day tomorrow, I hope it lasts all day.💚

[Tom37]

Could well be a wave coming through which is to be inspected like Bubble mentioned above. Doesnt make it an easier though when they come. That thinking is perfectly normal so dont worry about that.

Since you were tracking along nicely it may pass through pretty quick anyway and if it does stick around for a few days that's normal too.

 

Will swap you the weather....31c today and very humid.....last bit of summer for us it seems.

[Tom37]

*expected not inspected!

[mdwstrx]

Thanks Carmie, for the upbeat post!  By this time, most of us are ready for Spring in these parts! Hope you’re doing well.  💜

[mdwstrx]

Tom.  How are you doing? I’d swap the weather any day.  I like it hot but we also have central air because it gets pretty hot and humid here for a lot of the summer. 

[Tom37]

A lot better day today🤞

[mdwstrx]

Made the jump today to all liquid escitalopram from 1.25 tablet/5.25 liquid.  In logging on my chart, I noted my last change was 4 days ago from m  2.5 tablet/4 liquid - seems like longer.  I guess it could account for the ramped up sx I've been seeing.  Taking 6.5 mg liquid is a lot of liquid.  We'll see how this change goes.      

 

Tom, so glad to hear things are going much better!   🤗

[mdwstrx]

1 hour ago, Carmie said:

I’m glad you’re feeling a bit better. I’m afraid withdrawal normal doesn’t mean we have no symptoms. It’s just they aren’t as intense and are overall more bearable. Take care💚

Hi Carmie.

 

I have some questions for the mods, including one on the post above that came from another's thread.  I know the concept you mention is from BrassMonkey's essay.  I'm just not sure what it means in the context of stabilizing without further tapering.

 

Question:  When does wd end if not the absence of symptoms (if one is not actively tapering)?

 

Question:  If I taper to a low dosages successfully, is it likely that escitalopram will no longer work for me in the event an up-dose is necessary?

 

Thank you.

 

[mdwstrx]

Not as good of a day as I've had recently. 

 

Chest/back achiness and hot flushing seems to have subsided which is nice.  Instead, a slight bit of the old heart pounding, slightly irritable/edgy and unsettled chemical feeling is here.  Either a continuation of a small wave or the switch to full liquid yesterday has ramped up new symptoms. 

 

Played sports for a couple hours this morning and joined a group of twenty or more for lunch afterward at restaurant.  Didn't really enjoy as I had a hard time focusing on sports and felt different from the rest at lunch.  I have to remind myself of the number of people who have offered up that they either are or have been on these drugs.  Amazing really.

 

Example:

• 24 yr old hair dresser - fluoxetine (and according to her, most the girls in the shop are "on something")
• 6 fellow sports players - citalopram, prozac, effexor
• xray technician - ssri(?)
• gal who called to give xray result - ssri (?)
• gal at church - prozac
• aunt - ssri(?)
• uncle- ssri(?)
• friend -escitalopram
• friend - wellbutrin

I could go on but it's safe to say they are still prescribing this stuff, a lot.  Crazy.

 

A couple of other questions for anyone willing to tackle.

• Is Wellbutrin hard to go off of for someone who's been on for 4 years?  

• My friend has tapered to one 10 mg tablet of Prozac, 1 x a week.   She's taken that one pill a week over a year.   She's afraid to stop.  Do you think she would have wd if she does?  Or should she consider tapering the dosage of that weekly pill?  If the latter, I'll suggest that she sign up here for guidance.

Thanks.

 

 

 

[JackieDecides]

5 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

Not as good of a day as I've had recently. 

 

I hope you are back to feeling better soon, sounds like a rough time. 

5 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

I have to remind myself of the number of people who have offered up that they either are or have been on these drugs.

 

a huge percentage of people, it's frightening