Kronos18: Lexapro withdrawal

[Kronos18]

Hi.My name is Adrian.I took Lexapro for 6 weeks of 10mg, 2 weeks of 5mg, and it’s my 9th day off it.Since day 4 off I experience severe vertigo(ground tilting), severe headache, severe derealization and depersonalization, total weekness of body mostly in legs, feeling like my arms are floating, lack of concentration, confusion,  flu like symptoms, anxiety, vivid dreams, hot and cold waves over body, tingling in fingers, I almost got into some panic attacks, severe anger, can’t feel my legs while walking, severe brain fog.Hope it all goes soon as i find it very hard to cope with the symptoms.

[Shep]

Hi, Kronos18.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants.

 

You may have become dependent on Lexapro. Unfortunately, this can happen in as little as 1 month. 

 

For this reason, you may want to consider a reinstatement.  Please see:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms 

 

HOWEVER, you came off the drug so quickly, did you have an adverse reaction to it? If so, you may be better off not reinstating. Before making a decision, please let us know more about your experience when you first started taking Lexapro. 

 

Please add a signature.  Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

• Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• This is a direct link to your signature:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

As you provide more information, we can guide you in deciding whether or not to reinstate. 

 

Edited February 4, 2019 by ChessieCat
removed background from name

[Shep]

Your new name is set up, so you're good to go, Kronos. 

 

Please see my post above and let us know more about your Lexapro experience and how we can help. 

[Kronos18]

Ok, thank you.So I did come off a little quick because of the drug effect in the last 2 weeks, it just make me so angry and gave me total panic.I feel a lot better without taking it, even my father told me that now I am more sinsible and emotive, I think it may have been the serotonin symptom due I had a huge agitation, nervousness, mania, dillated pupils.I would say that apart from the worst withdrawal symptoms such as derealization and depersonalization I feel much better off the drug.How much time until withdrawal symptoms pass? I didn’t take it for years, it was a lillttle of time, and the 10mg for 4 weeks, 5mg for 2weeks is not that much.

[Shep]

Dealing with an adverse reaction can take awhile to work itself out.

 

The fact that you are already feeling a lot better is a great sign. 

 

Quote

I only took lorazepam 2 weeks about mid of November for panic attacks, can’t remeber exactly the dates, tappering was way too fast, i had no idea about it, 1week of 3mg per day, 4 days of 2mg, 3 days of 1 mg and then nothing.I did resist to that withdrawal symptoms, I can do it now.The idiot gp made me do that, i had no idea about how these drugs work and withdrawal symptoms etc

 

I'm confused by what's in your signature. Your opening post is about Lexapro, but your signature is about lorazepam. 

 

Are lorazepam for 2 weeks and Lexapro for 6 weeks your only history of using psych drugs? 

 

Please update your signature to reflect your drug history for ALL drugs. This will help us give you advice, as you may be dealing with both lorazepam and Lexpro withdrawal. 

 

Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can. 

• Any drugs and supplements prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. 
• Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) 
• Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. 
• Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. 
• A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. 
• This is a direct link to your signature:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

[Kronos18]

They are my only history of taking this kind of drugs, the question from signature was drugs in last 24h.Thank you.Do you know aproximately how much time will it be utnil I get back to normal?thank you

[Shep]

Please see:

 

Are We There Yet? How Long is Withdrawal Going to Take?

 

It may take a number of weeks or even several months. We simply don't know. You may be dealing with an adverse reaction and / or withdrawal from two psychiatric drugs. The fact that you're already seeing improvements is a great sign that it may not take as long. 

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements, as many members report their nervous systems are simply too fragile to handle them. However, magnesium and fish oil tend to be calming to the nervous system and many people report they do help. Please only add in one supplement at a time and at a small dose. For more, please see:

 

 King of supplements: Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil)

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker

 

Try adding in a bit of magnesium first, starting with a low dose, and see if that helps. Give yourself a few days or a week and then try a small dose of fish oil. 

 

You may find some helpful information to handle your symptoms here: 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

[Kronos18]

Thank you so much for this.I’ve been through Lorazepam withdrawal as I took it before I took Lexapro, I am currently taking fish oil, magnesium and multivitamins, to be honest with you, physycal i’m horrible because the withdrawal, with all of it’s synptoms, but psychycal I’m feeling a lot lot better than on pills, so that is what motivated me a lot.I don’t know what means to be normal since November, as I’ve been through Lorazempam withdrawal with all of it’s symptoms, then came Lexapro with all of it’s symptoms when I started taking it and kept milded a little of symptoms after week 4, than came whithdrawal from it which I’m currently in.I only want to get over it so I can enjoy my life like I did in the past

[Shep]

Please be careful with the multivitamins. Anything with B vitamins and D vitamins can be stimulating. 

 

Multivitamin tips

 

Supplements - what helps, what doesn't?

 

Check out the non-drug coping techniques link I posted earlier. Target your non-drug coping skills to your symptoms and I'm sure you'll find a few things that make you feel better. 

 

[Kronos18]

I attached a photo of it.Do I need to take it longer or stop it?thank you

[Shep]

Please either take a picture of the part of the multivitamin bottle that shows the ingredients or write out the list of ingredients. 

 

How is your diet? Do you eat healthy foods and snacks, including dark leafy vegetables, plenty of protein, and is your diet low in sugar? Do you drink coffee or alcohol? 

 

A lot of us find that it's best to eat healthy, drink plenty of water, and avoid most supplements until we heal. It's also best to avoid coffee and alcohol until your nervous system is healed. 

[Kronos18]

I posted a photo of the ingredients it contains.To be honest i’m not drinking alcohol, eating healthy, drinking 1 cup of medium coffee per day, the only bad habit is smoking 20 cigs per day.Water i drink at least 2-3L per day.thank you

[Kronos18]

Today I had a very severe derealization after i ate, around 2 hours ago, had some panic attacks that lasted for 1h.It’s so frustrating, i just want it to end

[Shep]

21 hours ago, Kronos18 said:

I posted a photo of the ingredients it contains.To be honest i’m not drinking alcohol, eating healthy, drinking 1 cup of medium coffee per day, the only bad habit is smoking 20 cigs per day.Water i drink at least 2-3L per day.thank you

 

I'm not familiar with everything in that list in your pic, but I do see Vitamins B12 and D, and some people find these to be stimulating. 

 

You may want to stop the multivitamin for now and only take the recommended supplements fish oil and magnesium (please see the links in my earlier post). I'm glad you're eating healthy. That's the best way of meeting your nutritional needs during withdrawal. 

 

Nicotine can also be stimulating, as well. If you're interested in stopping, I had a friend who slowly tapered her cigarettes by about 1 cigarette a week until she was completely off. Tapering them that way, she had very few withdrawal symptoms. 

 

Although some people find smoking calming, nicotine can cause upticks in anxiety, even in people not going through withdrawal from psych drugs. So it could be one of the causes of your panic attacks that led to taking these drugs. That in mind,  it might be worth coming off. 

 

Just a thought.  You could walk away from this experience healthier than you were prior and set yourself up for a great life, drug and cigarette free. 

 

How are you doing finding non-drug coping skills to help? 

 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

Edited February 5, 2019 by Shep
added info

[Kronos18]

Thank you.The only thing i find too hard to cope with is that powerful derealization.since yesterday night it’s worse, hope it will get better.Thank you

[Kronos18]

I am also taking 5-htp before I go to bed and GABA, is ok to continue taking it? Thank you

[Shep]

Those may be causing you problems. Please see:

 

5-HTP (5-hydroxytryptophan) and l-tryptophan

 

GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid) tablets, capsules, liquid

 

Per Alto's note:

 

On 1/12/2014 at 3:40 PM, Altostrata said:

I don't know how taking supplemental GABA will affect you if you have benzodiazepine withdrawal symptoms. If your nervous system has been sensitized by benzo withdrawal any time in the past, I suggest being very cautious with supplemental GABA.

 

 

Kronos, how long have you been taking these supplements? 

[Kronos18]

SO GABA I’m taking for about two weeks, and 5-htp for about 2 days.I will let them go, I will take only fish oil and magnesium

[Shep]

That sounds like a great plan, Kronos. The simpler you keep this, the better. 

[Kronos18]

The derealization today is awful.Is way too powerfull, I can barely barely function

[Kronos18]

I feel very bad since yesterday night, it’s been 11 days off, 7th day after the 4 days when I was ok after not taking the pill.I hope it’s getting better, it’s just horrible

[Shep]

Depersonalization / derealization (dp/dr) are my worst symptoms. You can read my thread - the link is in my signature, along with a link for my favorite non-drug coping videos and techniques. You may find some things that help you, too. 

 

Here are a few videos to get you started:

 

Body Scan Meditation by GoZen! video (6 minutes)

 

4-7-8 Breathing Exercise by GoZen video (4 minutes)

 

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

 

Breathing exercises can be helpful, gentle yoga, taking a walk in nature, and also, the understanding that dp/dr is not going to hurt you. It's a frightening experience, but the more you can stay grounded in reality, the better. Mindfulness exercises such as asking yourself, what do I feel? Smell? Hear? See? Taste? I feel the smooth plastic computer keys under my fingers and the warm air coming from the radiator, I smell and taste my peppermint tea, I hear traffic and a wail from a siren outside my window, I see the words pouring out onto the computer screen and the shadows against the wall. 

 

This kind of mindfulness technique can be very helpful, but it may take awhile to really benefit from, but it's worth trying. 

 

It's important to not attach thoughts to your dp/dr, but simply let it pass by without engaging in it. Engaging in it makes it stronger. Here are some helpful links:

 

Dealing With Emotional Spirals

 

"Change the channel" -- dealing with cognitive symptoms

 

Some members really find Dr. Clair Weekes to be very helpful in handling anxiety (dp/dr has strong roots in anxiety, so as much as possible, learning to handle anxious states can be very helpful).

 

Dr. Claire Weekes - Podcasts for Anxiety

 

Are you able to go outside for a 15 - 30 minute walk every day? That can be very helpful, especially if you can get out into nature for awhile every day. 

[Kronos18]

I try to walk 5 mins and my condition gets worse, i have very severe diziness and aggitation when i try it.It’s horrible

[Kronos18]

It’s this withdrawal playing with my mind, making me so horrible that i want to take the pill, but i will not do that.I will just keep going no matter what

[Kronos18]

I know deep in my mind that these are mind tricks and it will end soon, at least it will get better, i believe in this.I must keep going

[Kronos18]

To be honest, ny mind is getting better, I feel that i am getting better.But this mind tricks are almost impossible to deal with

[Kronos18]

Also one more huge problem that I have and I also had during the pills is that i get panic attack symptoms while around someone.I even get them while my parents, it’s so annoying i feel like i am losing my mind.I think it might be the increased anxiety, as I started this pills for anxiety and panic attacks.I wish I never started the pills.

[ChessieCat]

We strongly encourage members to learn and use non drug coping techniques to help get through discomfort and 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.

 

 

[Kronos18]

Hi.I write to describe all of my symptoms that i’m going through right now.These include fatigue, derealization and depersonalization, mood swings, lack of hope, diziness and vertigo, aggitation, i really get mad, is that feeling where you think you will go crazy, I can function, but not even half of what i used to function without medication, psychically i’m ok, but my anxiety got at really high levels and I an struggling with the feeling of panic and mostly thinking that I will get a panic atrack.Today is two weeks since I haven’t taken any medication and I feel like these symptoms are getting worse.What do tou think? Will they get better? I was on lexapro for 6 weeks of 10mg and 2 weeks of 5mg.Thank you

[Kronos18]

What do you think of probiotics as a suppliment for withdrrawal?

[Gridley]

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.

 

I take a probiotic for a separate medical condition and tolerate it well, but everyone is different.  If you decide to try a probiotic, start at a low dose.

 

For more information, Google "SurvivingAntidepressants.org probiotics"

 

[Kronos18]

Right now from withdrawal i’m currently facing panic attack simptoms, powerfull derealization and feeling of losing control and going crazy.It’s so hard to cope with these symptoms, at least i get enough sleep and eat well.It’s day 14, these become more intense these days but i’m sure that they will lessen over time

[Kronos18]

Can I take probiotics while withdrawing?

[eymen23]

2 hours ago, Kronos18 said:

Can I take probiotics while withdrawing?

 

Kronos,

 

What are you hoping to achieve with the addition of the probiotics? 

 

As Gridley noted above, SA only recommends two supplements, magnesium and fish oil.

 

Probiotics can have adverse reactions in some people (I’m one of them). Although there are some studies proving efficacy and people anecdotally report feeling better whilst using probiotics, there is still a lot we don’t know. For example, which strains are best for which condition. Which strains will agree with your existing microbiome etc.

Edited February 9, 2019 by eymen23

[ChessieCat]

There are many existing topics on this site.  I like to use google and add survivingantidepressants.org to my search term.

 

probiotics-and-gut-health

[Kronos18]

Today I felt like crap, seems like it's getting worse, every day is another struggle for me, derealisation is so powerful,anxiety is so high, dizziness vertigo and brain shivers, all of them and the panic is so high also.This is the worst among other simptoms