Cynthia: 4th day off serotonin. Scary symptoms

[Cynthia]

Withdrawal - Brain rushing, zapping, diarrhea, flushing, heart, pulse racing. Day 4 post stepping off seratonin after 25 year. Scared. Psychiatrist never discussed possible ‘discontinuance’ withdrawal symptoms. Bad at night. Afraid. I’m 71 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
unbolded

[ChessieCat]

Hi Cynthia and welcome to SA,

 

I'm assuming that when you say stepping off seratonin you mean that you stopped taking your antidepressant SSRI or SNRI.

 

We need to know what drug you have been taking and what dose you were taking.  And did you just stop it or did you take a few smaller doses before you stopped it.

 

If you can provide the information straight away I can give you some information immediately.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

Not many medical professionals know about tapering and withdrawal which is why this site exists.

 

SA recommends tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

When the drug is taken away too quickly we can get withdrawal symptoms:  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

The only known way to reduce withdrawal symptoms is to take the same drug that the brain has adapted to.

 

When reinstating a drug, because your nervous system can become unstable because of withdrawal symptoms, we recommend a smaller dose.  You could take 1/2 the dose that you had been taking.  From Post #1 of this topic:  About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

On 10/9/2012 at 10:17 AM, Altostrata said:

 

Reinstate at what dosage?

Sometimes reinstatement not only doesn't work but makes symptoms worse. That is why we often suggest very, very low doses -- to reduce this risk. Higher doses can go wrong in much bigger ways. A very low dose is a way to explore the option with less risk.
 
The dosage is always going to be a guess. Here are some factors that might influence the dosage of reinstatement:

• How the person quit the drug and how long he or she's been off it. If you've just cold-turkeyed 20mg Celexa a few days ago, you might reinstate at closer to your original dosage, such as 10mg. (It may not be necessary to go back to 20mg, standard dosages tend to be overly powerful.)

 

 

This topic has links to Tips for Tapering various drugs and explains how to get the dose you need:  Important topics in the Tapering forum and FAQ

 

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

• details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
• summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

[Cynthia]

1993 Zoloft 100mg (Sertraline)

   (1st “psychopharmacologist”)

 

1995 Zoloft 150 mg + Wellbutrin XL 150 (psychiatrist #2)

 

Nov 2017 (current psychiatrist) Step down Zoloft

5 days 100 mg , 5 days 50ng

Then stopped Zoloft and

started Lexapro (escitalopram)

  5 days 5mg

   5 days 10mg

  5 days 15 mg

  then settled back on 10mg Lexapro

 

December 2018 Step down Wellbutrin: 5 days 100mg SR

      5 days 50mg SR

Then stopped Wellbutrin 

 

Jan 2, 2019 step down Lexapro

        5 days on 5 mg

Jan 7th stopped Lexapro

 

Hope this helps. 

 

 

[ChessieCat]

Okay I've simplified it a bit:

_________________________________________

1993 Zoloft 100mg (Sertraline)

1995 150 mg 

Nov 2017 Step down Zoloft

5 days 100 mg ,

5 days 50ng

stopped Zoloft November 2017

_________________________________________

Nov 2017 started Lexapro (escitalopram)

5 days 5mg

5 days 10mg

5 days 15 mg

back on 10mg Lexapro

Jan 2, 2019 step down Lexapro

5 days on 5 mg

stopped Lexapro Jan 7th 2019

 _________________________________________

1995 Wellbutrin XL 150  

December 2018 Step down Wellbutrin:

5 days 100mg SR

5 days 50mg SR

stopped Wellbutrin  December 2018

_________________________________________ 

[ChessieCat]

Because you have stopped two drugs very recently within a very short space of time I will ask the other moderators for the assistance.  Please make sure than you continue to check your introduction topic for responses.

[Cynthia]

Thank you so much. Really helpful. So reducing the dosage 50% every 5 days - my poor brain kind fell off a cliff! Also quick on the heels of changing from one med to another

-Zoloft to Lexapro- & stopping Wellbutrin. 

What’s that saying-  “First, do no harm.”  ?!

Bless you!

 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[ChessieCat]

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

Edited February 6, 2019 by ChessieCat
moved the position of one of the links

[ChessieCat]

During any taper, there will be times of discomfort.  We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through tough times.

 

Understanding what is happening helps us to not get caught up with the second fear, or fear of the fear.  This happens when we experience sensations in our body and because we don't understand them we are scared of them and then start to panic.

 

This document has a diagram of the body explaining what happens in the body when we become anxious:

 

https://www.getselfhelp.co.uk/docs/AnxietySelfHelp.pdf

 

Anxiety Stuff - all kinds of stuff about anxiety attacks and things that help ...

 

Audio FEMALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Audio MALE VOICE:  First Aid for Panic (4 minutes)

 

Non-drug techniques to cope

 

dealing-with-emotional-spirals

 

Dr Claire Weekes suffered from anxiety and learned and taught ways of coping.  There are videos available on YouTube.

 

Claire Weekes' Method of Recovering from a Sensitized Nervous System

 

Audio:  How to Recover from Anxiety - Dr Claire Weekes

 

CBT Course:  An Introductory Self-Help Course in Cognitive Behaviour Therapy

 

Resources:  Centre for Clinical Interventions (PDF modules that you can work through, eg:  Depression, Distress Intolerance, Health Anxiety, Low Self-Esteem, Panic Attacks, Perfectionism, Procrastination, Social Anxiety, Worrying)

 

On 4/28/2017 at 4:03 AM, brassmonkey said:

 

AAF: Acknowledge, Accept, Float.  It's what you have to do when nothing else works, and can be a very powerful tool in coping with anxiety.  The neuroemotional anxiety many of us feel during WD is directly caused by the drugs and their chemical reactions in the brain.  Making it so there is nothing we can do about them.  They won't respond to other drugs, relaxation techniques and the like.  They do, however, react very well to being ignored.  That's the concept behind AAF.  Acknowledge, get to know the feeling involved, explore them.  Accept, These feelings are a part of you and they aren't going anywhere fast. Float, let the feeling float off as you get on with your life as best as you can.  It's a well documented fact that the more you feed in to anxiety the worse it gets.  What starts as generalized neuroemotinal anxiety can be easily blown into a full fledged panic attack just by thinking about it.

 

I often liken it to an unwanted house guest.  At first you talk to them, have conversations, communicate with them.  After a while you figure out that they aren't leaving and there is nothing you can do to get rid of them.  So you go on about your day, working around them until they get bored and leave.

 

It can take some practice, but AAF really does work.  I hope you give it a try.

 

 

[ChessieCat]

 I will tell you what happened to me.  It will help you to know that I do understand what you are going through, give you some hope as well as understand what can happen when we go off the drug too quickly.

 

The fact that I had a benchmark makes my second experience rather unique.

 

I've had two completely different experiences.  I CTed citalopram and felt great for a few months then got hit with the withdrawal flu and was bedridden for 2.5 weeks and lost 8kgs.  It wasn't until I joined SA that I made the connection that it was withdrawal.  I ended up on Pristiq.

 

I reduced my Pristiq from 100mg to 50mg and for 2 weeks I experienced severe cog fog, and even walking took my whole concentration.  I joined SA but didn't updose as suggested because I was trying, through the brain fog, to learn about what was happening.  A couple of days after joining I got to the stage that I was unable to type.  Having been a typist for 40+ years I knew that something was really wrong.  I was very thankful for SA's suggestion.  I went and took extra Pristiq.  Astoundingly after only about 4 hours I was able to type again and the brain fog was lifting.  Because I had a benchmark I knew that it was because of the drug.  After stabilising I have been following SA's protocol and I'm now down to 4.75mg and only experience mild withdrawal symptoms.  During times of stress, even good stress, they do ramp up a bit, and I sometimes find that after a reduction my anxiety increases a small amount for a few days.

[ChessieCat]

I'll be logging out soon.  Hopefully one of the other mods will respond soon.  Good night from down under.

[Cynthia]

4 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

Because you have stopped two drugs very recently within a very short space of time I will ask the other moderators for the assistance.  Please make sure than you continue to check your introduction topic for responses.

I will. And thank you again. You did a lot of work for me. I’m very grateful.

Also, just looking at it here, it seems insane. I should know better. Doctors can be so glib & cause a lot of harm. 

I had a doctor tell me to just stop Dalmane (Fluraxepam) after taking it for 20 years. He wouldn’t take me as a patient otherwise. I followed his instructions, 4 days of the worst hell of my life. Then he told me to take it again. 

 

So I also take 30mg of Flurazepam at bedtime - for more than 40 years. That relationship is cemented for life. 

 

[Cynthia]

Thank you so much. I just broke down & cried for the first time because you’re there, what you’ve written, the resources. Real understanding & compassions. I’m suffering but I feel so blessed. You are all a Godsend. 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Cynthia]

18 minutes ago, ChessieCat said:

I'll be logging out soon.  Hopefully one of the other mods will respond soon.  Good night from down under.

Good night my new friend. 

Sweet dreams. 

[Cynthia]

I’ve been fighting with my own resistance : “hang tough ...wait another day...”. 

Everything you wrote about your experience, I connect to. 

I just took a 5mg  escitalopram

This was my 5 day taper dose. 

Was on 10 mg maintenance dose for about a year. 

 

 I did have hot flushes 3rd day on this 5mg tapered doseage. 

Didn’t make the connection - no information, discussion  about what I might experience coming off the drug.

 

The escitalopram never really felt effective & still had periods of diarrhea. Possible side effect of Seratonin in the gut. 

 

Question/concern - going back up to 10mg & tapering per SA , slower longer period, Or try doing from 5 mg? 

Complicated by diarrhea. 

Switched to escitalipram thought to have less side effect in gut; turned out not to be the case. 

 

Sorry if rambling - also having trouble typing, brain fog, vision wonky. 

Will  read all info I can on SA. 

 

My impression is that antidepressant withdrawl an  under-addressed problem effecting a huge population globally  -  possibly more than number of souls struggling with rx opiates currently on TV discussed by news media & politicians. 

 

A Note: A well respected GP put me on flurazepam & valium in my early 20’s - he misdiagnosed symptoms of hyperthyroidism & eventually toxic thyroid.  

 

If I hadn’t stumbled on SA site 

I would still be flloundering & terrified. Thank you 🙏 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Cynthia]

Technical Question: I’m connecting with SA on cell phone. Hard to see but I’m afraid to shut down - that I won’t find again. Don’t want to lose SA lifeline. 

Can you tell me if I can put on desktop? What is URL where I can find SA to sign out/sign in again?

can I shut down & stay signed in?

Brain to fuddled to think through. 

Thank you. 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[ChessieCat]

3 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

Can you tell me if I can put on desktop?

 

The website URL:  survivingantidepressants.org

[ChessieCat]

42 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

he misdiagnosed symptoms of hyperthyroidism & eventually toxic thyroid.  

 

If you are taking a thyroid medication please include that information in your drug signature when you create.  Thanks.

[Cynthia]

I am. I’ll add current rx meds to profile. 

Supplements as well. 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote

[Cynthia]

Is drug signature what I sent & you edited last night?  Still navigating. 

Will go to site on computer- iPhone since last night. 

I would also like to contribute donation - monthly if can set up. 

I want to support the organization. 

You are life savers. 

Please let me know how.

 

[Cynthia]

1 hour ago, ChessieCat said:

 

The website URL:  survivingantidepressants.org

 

Thank you. 

 

 

 

Edited January 10, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed extra quotes

[ChessieCat]

2 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

I would also like to contribute donation

 

donations-gratefully-accepted

[ChessieCat]

The simplest format for your drug signature.  Only include the year for the first mention of that year.  If you don't know exact dates, please use early, mid or late with the month name. 

 

For drugs you took (no longer taking) more 2 years ago just year and drug.  If we need more information we can ask for it.

 

Drug name:  Year - year

Drug name:  Year - year

 

For drugs you are currently taking show it this way:

 

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose; date, dose;

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose; date, dose;

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose; date, dose;

[ChessieCat]

11 hours ago, Cynthia said:

Thank you so much.

 

You are very welcome.

 

1 hour ago, Cynthia said:

I just took a 5mg  escitalopram

 

You will need to keep daily symptom notes on paper so that you can see how the reinstatement affects your symptoms.  These notes will be helpful to the mods, so that we can assess whether you may need to introduce a small amount of Wellbutrin back in.  One of the more knowledgeable mods will be able to help with that.

 

It takes about 4 day for a dose to get to full level in the blood and a bit longer for it to register in the brain.  You will need to be patient and stay as calm as possible during this time.  When we panic we can make bad decisions.

 

You may notice some improvement in the first couple of days.  Please let us know how things are going.

 

Example:

 

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

[Carmie]

Hi Cynthia, 

 

Just wanted to welcome you to SA too. I’m sorry you are feeling so scared. This can certainly be a scary journey, but we will all heal in the end. When we are going through severe waves we feel like they are never going to end, but they always do. At the end of last year I went through a three month wave, but it ended. 

 

When we stabilise, it is so important not to taper too quickly, no more than 10% a month. I can only do about 4% to5% myself. If we haven’t stabilised within a month we need to hold longer. It’s important never to go according to a calendar, but according to how our bodies are feeling. 

 

Wishing you all the best in your recovery💚

[ChessieCat]

12 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

 

Hi, and thank YOU!.  After the 5 day drop off I thought I was having a stroke and was going to go to urgent care - since, hey 'discontinuing' shouldn't be a problem.  Then I thought I'd do some research and read everything I could on the web

and stumbled onto this SA site. I was so grateful to read something very real from wonderful moderators and folks struggling. So grateful that at 2am last night I broke down and cried in relief - and validation - horrible as I felt.

 

This morning at about 10:30am I took a 5mg Lexapro (escitalipram). I donS't feel better - still that awful rushing in my head like cars rushing wooshing by through rainy freeway).  Then I received a post from a moderator who said it may take awhile before I feel the effects of going back on.  So no I can be patient instead of stressed about it.   I am now also thinking it might not be a bad idea to go back up on Wellbutrin.  I didn't think it had an effect on me and going off was easy.  But that's a lot of chemical changes in the brain.

 

Could be dopamine would be helpful.  But how much, how to reintroduce, if I should - questions yet to be addressed

 

I want to my psychiatrist to call in a script to a compounding pharmacy so I can gradually reduce the medication by 10% a month. That's a huge difference from 50% in 5 days.

 

But how to I 'educate' my doctor!?  She's a young psychiatrist (very few choices on my insurance) . I like her but times have changed.

Last time I saw a psychiatrist, it included talk (45-50min) and medication monitoring (or 'here, try this' which sometimes worked and sometimes was a disaster). Now I'm in and out of her office in 10-15 minutes.  How the heck can you treat psychoactive disorder in 10 minutes!?

 

I'm thinking that I will give her the SA URL and tell her to read it.  Delve into it, maybe sign up as a doctor to communicate with SA and read real life experiences.

 

I think I need to find  a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction.  I can have water sandwiches for lunch!

 

Much Gratitude!

Cynthia

 

 

Quoted post from another member's topic.

 

 

"I am now also thinking it might not be a bad idea to go back up on Wellbutrin.  I didn't think it had an effect on me and going off was easy.  But that's a lot of chemical changes in the brain."

 

One thing at a time.  First we need to see how the escitalopram reinstatement affects your symptoms.  If you make 2 changes at the same time it muddies the waters.  I have already posted about this, quoted below.  Please read this topic:  Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

1 hour ago, ChessieCat said:

 

You will need to keep daily symptom notes on paper so that you can see how the reinstatement affects your symptoms.  These notes will be helpful to the mods, so that we can assess whether you may need to introduce a small amount of Wellbutrin back in.  One of the more knowledgeable mods will be able to help with that.

 

 

 

"But how to I 'educate' my doctor!? "

 

You could give her my website addy which has lots of links to things I've found on the internet, including SA links:  adwithdrawal.weebly.com   I created this website as an attachment to an email that I sent out: email-campaign

 

 

"I think I need to find  a psychiatrist who specializes in addiction. "

 

Addiction professionals think in terms of physical addiction and getting it out of your system.  With AD withdrawal that is not the case.  As previously explained the brain adapts to getting a chemical and the chemical needs to be taken away slowly.  You don't need a psychiatrist to write your prescriptions.  Any doctor can do that.  The following topics have some helpful tips on how to talk to medical professionals to get what you need to taper your drug/s:

 

How do you talk to a doctor about tapering and withdrawal?

What should I expect from my doctor about withdrawal symptoms?

[Carmie]

Hi again Cynthia, 

 

I just wanted to tell you that you made me laugh when you edited a post elsewhere and wrote the reason being is that you corrected gibberish!🤣🤣🤣 I love a great sense of humour💚

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Cynthia.

 

How are you feeling now? How's your sleep?

 

If over the next week you find 5mg to be too stimulating, I would ask your doctor for a prescription for the liquid so you can take a bit less.

 

You are automatically subscribed to this thread, you should be able to find it fairly easily.

[Cynthia]

Hi Altostrata,

Actually feeling a bit better over the last hour- went back up to 5mg this morning after dropping off 5 days ago.

For the past half hour - rushing in my head has stopped.  Even if it comes back, it's a blessed relief.

Definitely going to ask my doctor for a liquid - and there's a compounding pharmacy that delivers to my area.

 

I feel like I can focus a bit better so will absorb as much information as I can from this website, your and ChessieCat recommendations and links.

 

I took 1/2 of a 5mg  Xanax to calm down so I could fall asleep last night (withdrawal seems worse at night, heart racing, etc.). I don't want to become dependent on it.

 

I take 30mg of Flurazepam (Dalmane) for sleep every night and have done so for more than 40 years. Tried going off 3 times, but that's a hell I won't try again. Only worry is that it's a very old drug, few pharmacies even carry it anymore and it's a controlled substance.  If it's discontinued I'll have to find a long acting substitute. I come from a family of insomniacs so may be a genetic issue. Who knows?

I have never taken more than prescribed, even if I can't sleep. 

I am so used to the Dalmane it doesn't help me fall asleep. But when I do, I sleep well and through the night, wake up without issue.

 

Xanax helps me fall asleep but I take it very very rarely - traveling, for example. I took one 5mg tablet two nights in a row because of current withdrawal which feels worse at night, especially feeling that heart is racing and wooshing in my head. I bit a tablet in half last night and it worked o.k.  I don't plan on taking tonight. Hopefully I'll feel less rattled and can fall asleep on my own.

 

Thank you so very much for checking in!

 

[Cynthia]

Hi,

ChessieCat asked me to update my drug profile.  Couldn't find how/where to do.  I posted, Chessie edited and asked that I add all current RX meds. Also, where can I keep/update daily log of how I'm doing/what I'm doing/taking etc.

Thanks very much!

Cynthia

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by ChessieCat
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[Cynthia]

Chessie, Where/how can I update drug signature and also where can I write/

track progress as per your example below?

 

Thanks again! Cynthia

 

p.s. feel better last hour or so after taking 5mg escitalopram at 10am this morning. Am contacting doctor for liquid compound to step down slowly as advised. Still singing in my ears (electric Canaries?) but respite from wooshing freeway in my head.

 

Thanks once again.

 

Cynthia

 

Edited January 11, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed quote and extracted post

[Carmie]

Hi Cynthia, 

 

Chessiecat gave you a link above entitled Account Settings - Create Or Edit A Signature. Just press on the link and you can do your drug signature there. 

 

You can keep your daily log of symptoms and how you’re doing here on your thread. A lot of people on this site have tinnitus while going through withdrawals. 

 

I’m actually water titrating my medication, it’s a great way to go down slowly.💚

[ChessieCat]

Hi Cynthia,

 

When you want to post, please do not click on the Quote.  Just click in the Reply Box at the very bottom of the page, where it say in light grey Reply to this topic, and start typing.  Thank you.

 

9 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

Where/how can I update drug signature

 

It may be easier to do this on a computer, instead of a phone.  Click on this link:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

Type the information in the box and then click on Save at the bottom.

 

10 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

where can I write/

track progress as per your example

 

You will need to keep the notes on paper, and then each day post a WHOLE DAY as a post in your topic.

 

37 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

I took 1/2 of a 5mg  Xanax to calm down so I could fall asleep last night (withdrawal seems worse at night, heart racing, etc.).

 

Please include your Xanax use in your drug signature.  Please also include it in your daily notes for the day you took it.

 

I can understand why you took it and taking one last night should be okay.  However I would urge you to try not to take any more.  It will make it difficult to tell how the reinstatement is affecting you.  And you can become dependent on them in a very short period of time, even if only used intermittently.  They can also end up causing issues which will make it difficult to work out if the reinstatement is working.  SA recommends making only 1 change at a time so that there it is easier to tell what is happening.  Keep it Simple, Slow and Stable

 

15 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

feel better last hour or so after taking 5mg escitalopram at 10am this morning.

 

This is a good sign, and will hopefully mean that you won't feel the need to take Xanax.

[Cynthia]

ChessieCat,

Got it- where to reply & also did my drug signature. Just got into bed, hopefully sleep. Rushing in head came back but less intense, a few hot flushes, feel heart in my chest (racing?). Lexapro seemed so inocuous a drug, stuned by powerful withdrawal. Can’t say I’m no longer scared, but new knowledge giving me patience to ride out process to give the 5mg a few days. If withdrawal symptoms haven’t improved or worsen I am worried about communicating with my doc & having her on  board. 

Thank God you’re there and the forum community. If I’m thrown overboard, I’m not afraid of drowning. I am 71, though, and recovering takes longer. Don’t have years to lose. It is (justifiably) depressing to be here again, going thru withdrawal, way older. But, as George Burns put it, “compared to the alternative...”

Technical question (again?!!). Can I add tags to my topic or change title?  Or do you think I can seek & be found as is?

Good night & sweet dreams. 

[Cynthia]

Fri 1/11:  2nd day back on 5mg Lexapro 

Slept last night without Xanax

Struggling with Diarrhea. At this point could be from escitalram

or withdrawal. Waves of brain rushing/zapping & hot flushes, heart poundng in chest but much less intense, less frequent. Exhausted. 

I’ve made appointment with my psychiatrist on Monday- will tread carefully. 

Feel like brain is rusty old car trying to start. Off or reduced feels like my brain is getting no seratonin & receptors asleep at the wheel. 

Went off Zoloft because diarrhea is high on list of side effects. 

Have recently seen ads on TV for RX med for diarrhea that blocks seratonin in the gut. Too much seratonin in the gut thought to cause IBSD , diarrhea. I would not even consider taking this med as side effects sound dangerous. 

 

Any thoughts, information on this?

 

Also, back to old car analogy, do you think stopping Wellbutrin (dopamine) so quickly might be 

contributing- trying to start old car wih no gas or oil?  I 

had no prob going off the Wellbutrin - but wonder how dopamine & seratonin affect each other. 

[ChessieCat]

Glad to hear that you didn't take any Xanax.

 

Q:  What symptoms have improved since you reinstated?

 

At the moment that is more important to focus on than on what symptoms you are still experiencing.

 

Q:  Have any new symptoms come up since reinstating?

 

15 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

Struggling with Diarrhea. At this point could be from escitalram

or withdrawal.

 

Q:  When did this start?

 

Q:  What makes you say it could be from escitalopram?

 

Q:  Did you suffer from diarrhea whilst taking the highest dose of escitalopram?

 

15 minutes ago, Cynthia said:

Went off Zoloft because diarrhea is high on list of side effects.

 

Q:  Did you suffer from diarrhea whilst on Zoloft?

 

Q:  If no, why were you concerned about diarrhea?