getofflex: weaning of Lexapro

[mstimc]

Getofflex

 

I have a lot of family in the Joplin/Webb City/Springfield area.  Are you near there?

[Greeneyedfelines]

@getofflex Aww bless you! 🤗 Weather and air pressure can have such a huge impact on mood and our physical bodies. We had a heatwave in the UK recently and a change in air pressure which has effected my anxiety levels, gave me headaches and interrupted my sleep. I’ve also been a bit erratic taking my Estrogel as a result of being busy and forgetting this week, so I have had a return in hot flushes and night sweats! 😓 

 

This is just a blip! All will be well. You’re doing amazing!!! Remember how far you’ve come! 🙌🤗

[getofflex]

59 minutes ago, mstimc said:

I have a lot of family in the Joplin/Webb City/Springfield area.  Are you near there?

No I'm in St Louis, the eastern central part of the state. 

 

57 minutes ago, Greeneyedfelines said:

Weather and air pressure can have such a huge impact on mood and our physical bodies

Yes, it certainly can, especially when our nervous systems are still healing from psych drugs.  

 

57 minutes ago, Greeneyedfelines said:

This is just a blip! All will be well. You’re doing amazing!!! Remember how far you’ve come! 🙌🤗

Thanks!  Yes, I'm starting to feel better already.  😄

[getofflex]

Well I seem to be in a wave currently.  I had no sleep at all last night.  I'm about 3.5 weeks into jumping off Lexapro.  I did the taper extremely slowly and gradually over the past several years, but I'm still having a hard time having gone to zero.  There are stress factors and other things going on in my life currently, and this wave was triggered, I believe by a very severe weather front that hit my area almost a week ago.  I was doing very well until then, and the day that front hit, and dumped 8 to 12 inches of rain in my area, my sleep has been significantly disturbed. I will be taking it easy, and keeping a low profile, and doing the minimum I have to do.  I'm working on acceptance, but I must admit, this is pretty discouraging.  I'll be focusing more on prayer and bible reading, and avoiding any stressors that I can, although some stressors are unavoidable.  I think acceptance is the key right now, and being optimistic that this is temporary, and will pass.  I've been listening to relaxing music, and will do simple physical activities to distract myself, which always seems to help when I'm in a wave. At least I'm not having severe anxiety, although I do have a feeling of uneasiness.  

Edited August 1 by getofflex

[brassmonkey]

@getofflex  This too shall pass. Sorry to hear that you've had an uptick in symptoms, it's quite disheartening so soon after making the jump, but pretty common. The first several months can really be up and down a lot, but it all settles out. It can follow a windows and waves sort of pattern with the windows getting bigger and the waves smaller.

 

The storm front probably had a lot to do with triggering it. I watched the news, getting that much rain so quickly would be quite concerning. I really wish you could send some of this way, we are on the verge of running out of water to drink. In fact, some cities not far from us already have.

 

Try to roll with it as best as you can, and it will get better.

 

(((((((((((MONKEY HUGS)))))))))))

[Ninabird]

I’m praying for you getofflex that this wave will be short lived and a beautiful window is right around the corner. 

[Greatful]

You"ve got this offlex🌞  You have all the years of experience to make it through🌞

[getofflex]

@brassmonkey, @Ninabird, @Greatfulyou guys are great.  Thank you for reassuring me, and for being there for me.  I'm so used to being the one to dispense advice, and reassurance, etc, and now I'm on the receiving end.  One forgets just what it is like, perhaps this will help me to be more empathetic with others who are suffering the same.  It is easy to forget what it feels like.  But I'm very determined, I will never go on any psych meds again, ever!  There were several other factors that converged together yesterday, having to do with my marriage, and my relationship with my older son, that also triggered me, without me even realizing it at the time.  And quite a lot of emotions surfacing, because the Lexapro masked them.  I'm thankful that I have my emotions again, even if they sometimes make me cry.  I'm reminding myself that the emotions are exaggerated due to the neuro emotion thing, and not to act upon them in an unwise way.    

Edited August 1 by getofflex

[Greatful]

offlex.  I changed your name lol......NO, NO, NO drugs.  You have come to far.  I bet you can look back and see that you had waves and stronger emotions as you came down off the emotion blunting drug and you got through it then and you will again.  No pressure but we need you to be strong for the rest of us and remind us it can be done🌞

[getofflex]

21 hours ago, Greatful said:

offlex.  I changed your name lol......NO, NO, NO drugs.

LOL Grateful.  😆

 

21 hours ago, Greatful said:

I bet you can look back and see that you had waves and stronger emotions as you came down off the emotion blunting drug and you got through it then and you will again.

Yes, I can see that my emotions are much stronger now.  I'm feeling much better today, I was able to sleep OK last night, thankfully.  Thanks for the support!  

 

[Ariel]

Hi gotofflex,

Thinking of you and sending big HUGS for having made it through what sounds like a very challenging week <3

[jozeff]

Congratulations getofflex!

 

I just learned that you jumped to 0.000 mg! You should be very proud of yourself!

 

I read through your recent replies and it is very disheartening to hear you felt "wavy" last week. Could it be a kind of reversed placebo effect: the realization that you take zero drugs and just that fact alone makes you feel very uneasy?

 

I'm looking forward to reading more good news !

 

Cheers

 

Jozeff

[Ariel]

@jozeff

 

(please excuse me for butting in on your thread gotofflex) 

 

6 hours ago, jozeff said:

I read through your recent replies and it is very disheartening to hear you felt "wavy" last week. Could it be a kind of reversed placebo effect: the realization that you take zero drugs and just that fact alone makes you feel very uneasy?

 

It is normal to experience waves after the zero mark, even when one has conducted a careful, slow taper. The drop to zero is still a reduction, just as with any other cuts throughout the taper. 

 

Our brilliant organisms are committed to healing and won't stop until their work is done. Once we get to zero our brains and bodies are finally free to heal without any outside interference from drug(s). That unleashes great potential for further healing, the process of which may sometimes entail waves of symptoms, as our systems adapt and recover. This is all par for the course. 

 

Healing doesn't stop at zero, it is a continuous process that lasts as long as it/we need. Thank goodness our bodies are so thorough and excel at their jobs! 

 

WD recovery is non-linear, uncertain, and unpredictable, which can be a psychologically challenging experience -- especially if we keep thinking, Okay now we're really finished this time, and then feel disappointed when that turns out not to be the case. Something that helps me navigate these fluctuations is the lesson of the story of the Chinese Farmer (shout-out to @Roserdl for having originally brought this tale to my attention), for example as retold by Alan Watts:

 

The whole process of nature is an integrated process of immense complexity; and it is really impossible to tell whether anything that happens in it is good or bad; because you never know what will be the consequences of the misfortune; or you never know what will be the consequences of good fortune.   

 

(transcribed from video)

 

It helps to know that waves can be expected after we are off of the drugs completely. That doesn't in any way change or diminish the phenomenal achievement of completing a successful gradual, slow taper and making it to zero. That's an absolute, stand-alone accomplishment, worthy of celebration and pride in and of itself. It is also a beautiful beginning. 

 

Healing is happening <3

A. 

 

[getofflex]

On 8/7/2022 at 3:14 AM, jozeff said:

Could it be a kind of reversed placebo effect: the realization that you take zero drugs and just that fact alone makes you feel very uneasy?

Interesting idea, jozeff.  It is quite possible.  I also have CPTSD, and I'm dealing with that, too, especially now that the Lexapro is no longer numbing my emotions.  

 

@Arielno problem at all, what you said helped me, so thank you.  

[getofflex]

I was doing well, but I had a stressful event happen last Thursday (had an intense encounter with an energy vampire drama queen), and it is causing an uptick in my symptoms.  This event has triggered my CPTSD, which has triggered my PAWS symptoms.  I didn't sleep well last night, and feel tired, and lots of cog fog today, and neuro emotions.  Hoping for a better night tonight, and better day tomorrow.  

Edited 7 hours ago by getofflex