shaz Posted July 27, 2013 Share Posted July 27, 2013 (edited) Well where do I start. ..A brief history I suppose. I am a 31 year old mother of two beautiful girls. I was first put on ADs as an 18 year old when I went into a random GP claiming to be a bit down. She prescribed me Effexor XR im unsure of the dose. After a year on these meds I started questioning how they had changed me and going through a tough time with a boyfriend, began having suicidal thoughts. Completely out of the blue. Upon mentioning this to my sister she suggested I stop taking them and on the advice of another doc I went cold turkey with the help of perscribed valium. This was done with the intention of reinstating another ssri, zoloft. The hell that followed wss unimaginable. I was so sick and scared I thought I would die. Needless to say I never filled the script for the zoloft! These drugs were bad. Why hadn't I been warned. I felt like I had just weaned of heroin initially I started off feeling 100 times better but in hind sight I had some really low times and made some really bad desisions in the months that followed. Fast forward to 2009 I fell pregnant with our second child, O, I fell into a depression whilst pregnant with her and had probably been suffering PND after my first child in 2007. After O s shock birth I was fine until the dreaded 3 day blues kicked in and never really left. I was an anxious mess and was barely able to function let alone look after two young children. I was beside myself with stress over whether to go down the root of anti depressants. In yhe end I caved. Reassured it was small dose I was gradually weaned onto 20mgs of Lexapro and dxd with a panic disorder...from a few months in I hated how they made me feel so numb and emotionless. All anxiety was gone of course but I struggled to give a damn about anything. I just wasn't me anymore. I knew all about slow tapering but six months in I was desperate to gey of this drug and dropped from 20 to 15 then to 10mgs. Telling myself id cut down slower from here. I tryed desperately to stabilize but 6 months later I was still suffering debilitating wd symptoms. I had told myself I would increase to 15 mgs and slow taper from there. The next day I was to up my dose will be a day I will never forget. We found out that day that our 3 year old daughter, I , had cancer and was days from losing her life. All my worst nightmares instantly became true! The next week was pure hell as we came to terms with her diagnosis and I battled the weaning anxiety increasing my dose of Lexapro. Over the nect 10 months the Lexapro was a godsend I could not have gotten through the hell that is seeing your child fight for their life without it. But when she graduated to a maintainence chemo I knew I had to get off these meds. Afterall it was not normal to have no feelings when on a childhood cancer ward. I had been gaining weight like never before and had no ability to enjoy a healthy sex life. I wanted the old me back. I started a slow taper by grinding the tablets and weighing them into capsules. A tedious process! In the following year I managed to get down to 9 mgs but struggled with angry outbursts constant anxiety and bouts of depression all of which were 10 times what they had been previously to taking lexapro. I was able to do one 10percent drop ( which coincided with my cacer child breaking her leg) but the rest had been only 5 percent drops. A few weeks back I had to attend my friends childs funeral. I hit rock bottom and have been struggling ever since. I have Reinstated back to my previous dose am seeing a psychologist, exersising and practicing breathing techniques but my anxiety and depression are unbearable at times and again I feel trapped on this drug. Not to mention I may be pregnant again and had hoped to be off the meds before that happened. Help will I ever get off this! I am so scared to drop the dose again Edited July 27, 2013 by Karma added paragraph breaks for readability 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
shaz Posted July 27, 2013 Author Share Posted July 27, 2013 Does anyone know if you can get liquid Lexapro in Australia. My gp said No. But she also discredits every side effect, withdrawal symptom and any talk of problems with coming off this medication. In fact on my last visit she suggested me going back up to 20mgs! If only she knew the hell I'd been through to get where I am now. 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Administrator Karma Posted July 27, 2013 Administrator Share Posted July 27, 2013 Hi Shaz, Welcome to our community. I am so sorry for what you have experienced. What is your current does of Lexapro? How long have you been at this dose? Can you tell us specifically what your current symptoms are? I'm not sure if the liquid form is available in Australia, but it is in the UK and the US. You might be able to call a pharmacy and find out if the liquid form is available. Here is our topic on weaning off of Lexapro - you will find information on a "do it yourself" liquid in this link: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/406-tips-for-tapering-off-lexapro-escitalopram/ We do recommend dropping no more than 10% of the previous dose for each decrement, but you have to listen to your own body. For example, I am weaning off of Effexor and I find that I can wean no more than 7% at a time or experience unpleasant withdrawal effects. What I have found helpful is to track my symptoms so that I can adjust how much or how soon I taper: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1779-rate-symptoms-daily-to-catch-withdrawal-early/. It would help us to help you if you can summarize your withdrawal history in your signature like so: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/. Your signature shows up with every post and will help moderators and members to understand your history quickly. We have other members who are or who have weaned off Lexapro and they will be along soon to offer some suggestion. Karma 2007 @ 375 mg Effexor - 11/29/2011 - 43.75 mg Effexor (regular) & .625 mg Xanax 200 mg Gabapentin 2/27/21 - 194.5 mg, 5/28/21 - 183 mg, 8/2/21 - 170 mg, 11/28/21 - 150 mg, 4/19/22 - 122 mg; 8//7/22 - 100 mg; 12/17 - 75mg; 8/17 - 45 mg; 10/16 40 mg Xanax taper: 3/11/12 - 0.9375 mg, 3/25/12 - 0.875 mg, 4/6/12 - 0.8125 mg, 4/18/12 - 0.75 ; 10/16 40mg; 1/16 0.6875 mg; at some point 0.625 mg Effexor taper: 1/29/12 - 40.625 mg, 4/29/12 - 39.875 mg, 5/11/12 - Switched to liquid Effexor, 5/25/12 - 38 mg, 7/6/12 - 35 mg, 8/17/12 - 32 mg, 9/14/12 - 30 mg, 10/19/12 - 28 mg, 11/9/12 - 26 mg, 11/30/12 - 24 mg, 01/14/13 - 22 mg. 02/25/13 - 20.8 mg, 03/18/13 - 19.2 mg, 4/15/13 - 17.6 mg, 8/10/13 - 16.4 mg, 9/7/13 - 15.2 mg, 10/19/13 - 14 mg, 1/15/14 - 13.2 mg, 3/1/2014 - 12.6 mg, 5/4/14 - 12 mg, 8/1/14 - 11.4 mg, 8/29/14 - 10.8 mg; 10/14/14 - 10.2 mg; 12/15/14 - 10 mg, 1/11/15 - 9.5 mg, 2/8/15 - 9 mg, 3/21/15 - 8.5 mg, 5/1/15 - 8 mg, 6/9/15 - 7.5 mg, 7/8/15 - 7 mg, 8/22/15 - 6.5 mg, 10/4/15 - 6 mg; 1/1/16 - 5.6 mg; 2/6/16 - 5.2 mg; 4/9 - 4.8 mg; 7/7 4.5 mg; 10/7 4.25 mg; 11/4 4.0 mg; 11/25 3.8 mg; 4/24 3.6 mg; 5/27 3.4 mg; 7/8 3.2 mg ... 10/18 2.8 mg; 1/18 2.6 mg; 4/7 2.4 mg; 5/26 2.15mg; 8/18 1.85 mg; 10/7 1.7 mg; 12/1 1.45 mg; 3/2 1.2 mg; 5/4 0.90 mg; 6/1 0.80 mg; 6/22 0.65 mg; 08/03 0.50 mg, 08/10 0.45 mg, 10/05 0.325 mg, 11/23 0.2 mg, 12/14 0.15 mg, 12/21 0.125 mg, 02/28 0.03125 mg, 2/15 0.015625 mg, 2/29/20 0.00 mg - OFF Effexor I am not a medical professional - this is not medical advice. My suggestions are based on personal experience, reading, observation and anecdotal information posted by other sufferers Link to comment
shaz Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thanks for your reply Karma. I am currently at 9.5mgs down from 15 mgs. It has taken me a year to get this far. I have just upped my dose from 9mgs a few weeks back after pooping out. I am still not feeling 100 percent stable. My moods are very dark and I am extremely irritable. My nerves seem to be on edge and the littlest things send me into a screaming frenzy. It is really scary feeling so out of control. Anxiety levels have been high even though nothing seems to be causing it. I also have unbearable social anxiety. Physically I feel ok its the mental stuff I am struggling with. I am not sure where to go from here but I am thinking I will give this dose a few more weeks, keep up the exercise and then consider droping back to 9 mgs (this would be a 5mg drop, right?). 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
shaz Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 I will have a good read through the links you have suggested tonight once the kids are in bed. Thank you for that. I need to get on the computer to do a signature as I can't seem to find it on my phone. Sorry for the sloppy typing , it is difficult on my phone. I will stay in touch 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted July 28, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 28, 2013 Hi Shaz-- It's a good idea to read this forum on a computer instead of on your phone, when you can, because there's a lot of information here and people generally miss important stuff when they try to read it on a phone. Read through the links suggested and also the material on tapering by 10% and on tapering in general. It's a lot of information to absorb, but you can do it gradually--we all did. Good luck, I'm sure I'll be posting here on your thread again once you've familiarized yourself with the basics! --Rhi Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
shaz Posted July 28, 2013 Author Share Posted July 28, 2013 Thanks Rhi. I was meaning to get to it tonight but I still have my little one awake and lively after a late arvo nap. Feeling much more positive and motivated since exercising this arvo hopefully I can start to taper again soon. I am not sure if the pregnancy thing is an issue. My Gp seems to think the benefits of staying on Lexapro outweigh the risk but I was hoping others may have had some experience with this. I would hate to put my child in harms way.... 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted July 28, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 28, 2013 Yes, pregnancy makes it tricky. You want to be off meds, of course, but on the other hand crashing into a wall of intense withdrawal would make it very hard to mother your little ones and probably wouldn't do the baby any good either. My heart goes out to you, it's a tough place to be. Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
shaz Posted July 30, 2013 Author Share Posted July 30, 2013 So I have been tapering my lexapro medication on and off for the last two years. My current schedule is as follows 11.6 mgs ....0.143g 11.0 mgs ....0.136g 10.5 mgs ....0.129g 10.0 mgs ... 0.122g 9.5 mgs ......0.116g 9.0 mgs .....0.110g I have just dropped to 9.mgs last night after reinstating for a month to 9.5 due to crashing. This would be considered 5 percent drops right ? I am so nervous to try any higher as I want this taper to be as smooth as possible. 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Rhiannon Posted July 30, 2013 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted July 30, 2013 Your 0.5 mg drops are approximately 5%. It depends on how precise you want to be, but if you are rounding down and up, it looks like you're cutting pretty close to 5% to me. I don't know how far up or down you want to round. 5% of 9 mgs will be 0.45 mg for the next cut, however you want to round that, up or down. I generally make my cuts more precise, and as you get to lower doses I would recommend you do that--that is to say, instead of rounding 0.525 down to 0.5, round it to 0.52 or 0.53 and find a way to measure that actual amount. When you get to lower doses those variations will affect you more. But it looks like you're in the ballpark of 5% the way you've been doing it. Do you have an Intro topic? If so, probably further conversation on this subject should go there. This Tapering section is for general tapering topics more than for individual advice. We try to keep the individual stuff in each individual's topic thread on the Intro page. Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010. Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea. Feb 15 2010: 300 mg Neurontin 200 Lamictal 10 Celexa 0.65 Xanax and 5 mg Ambien Feb 10 2014: 62 Lamictal 1.1 Celexa 0.135 Xanax 1.8 Valium Feb 10 2015: 50 Lamictal 0.875 Celexa 0.11 Xanax 1.5 Valium Feb 15 2016: 47.5 Lamictal 0.75 Celexa 0.0875 Xanax 1.42 Valium 2/12/20 12 0.045 0.007 1 May 2021 7 0.01 0.0037 1 Feb 2022 6 0!!! 0.00167 0.98 2.5 mg Ambien Oct 2022 4.5 mg Lamictal (off Celexa, off Xanax) 0.95 Valium Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion. Link to comment
shaz Posted September 19, 2013 Author Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi- im just wondering if anyone has experienced tapering off Lexapro while pregnant? I am currently at 8.1 mgs and ready to drop again on Sunday to 7.3mgs. I was originally under the impression that I wasn't on too high a dose (thanks to my Doctor- who wanted me to stay on 20mgs!) Now i am worried It might harm my baby more to taper off. I am only 7 weeks so still in a pretty fragile time...I am doing a 10% taper and plan to stabilize for a minimum of a month. My Dr tried to tell me it would be fine to continue taking them during my pregnancy but I am not convinced! 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted September 19, 2013 Administrator Share Posted September 19, 2013 Hi, shaz. Are you 7 weeks pregnant? 20mgs is a hefty dose of Lexapro. It's stronger than other SSRIs. Good for you for planning your taper in advance. Many women try to go off antidepressants quickly once they become pregnant. We have many papers about the effects of antidepressants on neonates in our Journals forum. I hope other women chime in here with their experiences. How are your withdrawal symptoms? Please update your Intro topic http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4697-shaz-mum-desperate-to-get-off-lexapro-without-my-kids-thinking-im-crazy/ This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Azgirl Posted September 19, 2013 Share Posted September 19, 2013 I was on 20 mg of celexa when I was pregnant, I dropped the lorazepam i was taking at night cold turkey but the GYN and psy BOTH told me there's no conclusive studies blah blah My son was developmentally delayed and displayed autistic behavior, he's grown out of a lot of it but he was underweight and the only thing that would soothe him the first two months was to swing him. I don't know if the celexa is to blame but I don't believe the docs anymore good luck Past: Started on 30 mg of celexa in 2003 with lorazepam for sleep, switched to clonazepam in 2007 Last few years were spent cartwheeling around with various AD cocktails and multiple ER visits Current: 5 mg celexa, .5 mg clonazepam, 1 mg melatonin for sleep Link to comment
omgwtf Posted September 21, 2013 Share Posted September 21, 2013 Hi Shaz, I was on some effexor when I got pregnant and tapered off about 1/2 way through the pregnancy. I just had to go back on a couple months after the birth as I was hit with delayed withdrawal or ppd, or combination. My child is one now and very healthy, thank god. The docs always told me to stay on the drug, except for one, and I went with my gut and that one. But I understood why the others said stay on after because man was I a mess, and to take care of an infant, wow. I mean if a family's lives are at stake, staying on the drug or some of it is sensible. If you're off the drug and you feel suicidal or otherwise capable of damaging yourself or your family, will you likely go back on it or will you be hard to convince to get back on and maybe even risk hurting the family? It's easy to get confused in all that... Good luck making this big decision. 16 yrs ago started zoloft for fatigue & bodily pains went off 4-ish yrs ago suffered major symptoms of mostly waves of anxiety & panic, also some mania & depression approx. 6 mo's later went back on effexor 150, down to 75, went off to have a baby, off for about 6 months no symptoms back on 25, then 50 a month post baby with major postpartum depression & anxiety waves, finally okay on 75 but wondering if I'll be on for the rest of my life Link to comment
sarahewhe Posted September 23, 2013 Share Posted September 23, 2013 Hi Shaz, Gosh, your story is heart-breaking and my thoughts definitely go out to you. I don't have much to say, or add, other than I'm sending my support to you all the way from the US. These drugs really are so hard to get off for any "normal" person, but the fact that you're dealing with a child with cancer and a new pregnancy must really throw a wrench into the taper/withdrawal. Do you take any kind of supplements/vitamins currently? Overall, is your diet pretty solid and are you drinking plenty of water? I have found that a good diet and lots of water is simple but helps a lot. Ever since amping up my fish oil, I haven't had any of the brain zaps I was experiencing upon first tapering, and I'm eating a lot of leafy greens and omega-3 fats, I really do believe those are helping too. MY INTRODUCTIONZoloft history: Oct 2001 - June 2013: on varying dosages of Zoloft, between 100-150 mg (150 mg daily was the latest dosage) June 6 - June 20, 2013: (15 days) 100 mg Zoloft June 21 - June 30, 2013: (10 days) 50 mg Zoloft July 1 - July 5, 2013: (5 days) dropped to 25 mg Zoloft July 6, 2013: first day 0mg Zoloft since October 2001 Zoloft side effects: weight gain, nausea and upset sleep cycle in the beginning, 0 libido, Zoloft Withdrawal side effects: nausea, headaches, extreme dizziness, irritability Lexapro history: July 1, 2013-Sept 18, 2013 = was on 10 mg Lexapro daily (80 days) Sept. 19 - Oct 29, 2013 = 5 mg a day (for 40 days) [sticking with this since I already made the first 50% drop and am dealing with the withdrawal symptoms okay] Oct. 30-Dec. 8, 2013 = 3.75 mg a day (for 40 days) Dec. 9, 2013 - Jan. 7, 2014 = 2.5 mg a day (for 30 days) Jan 8 - Feb. 1, 2014 = 1.25 mg a day (for 25 days) Feb 2 - Feb 16, 2014 = .625 mg a day (for 15 days) Feb 17, 2014 = BE DONE WITH TAKING LEXAPRO FOREVER! Lexapro side effects: extreme brain fog and memory loss, inability to lose weight. Libido is at 0. CONSTANTLY ravenously hungry. I just feel "off." still experience low-grade generalized anxiety most days. Lexapro Withdrawal side effects (so far): brain zaps, headache, some brain fog (though my thought process is starting to clear up and am able to lose weight again), irritability and quick temper, more morning anxiety in the beginning, but that's getting better Link to comment
shaz Posted October 1, 2019 Author Share Posted October 1, 2019 Hi all I have come to reintroduce myself after way too long of accepting that I would be stuck on this nasty drug forever. I have tried to taper off a few times over my 10 years on escitalopram but have been unsuccessful. Just recently I changed generic brands and was hit with a new wave of extreme exhaustion and confusion. Anyway I was at the Docs getting my iron retested when she mentioned it may be the "depression" ie the Lexapro making me tired and unmotivated and suggested I start on Pristiq. This gave me the shock I needed to realise that it was not my supposed "depression" making me feel like **** but the medication that was meant to be treating it!! I joined some Facebook groups on SSRI's and found myself back here, a forum I was a part of way back in 2013! So anyway I am back to give this slow taper thing a red hot go again! My life is way more hectic now with 3 kids and a casual job as a newly graduated nurse so wish me luck. I know imma gonna need it 😏😫 2001 Prescibed 150 mg Effexor XR for mild depression. One year on and started to poop out- suicidal thoughts Told to CT for a few days and start to take Zoloft After suffering horrifying WDs i decided to never take another AD again. (or so I thought!) 2010 Dxd with a panic disorder and PND reluctantly Prescribed 20mgs Lexapro 6 months in began to taper Aug 2010 15mgs Nov 2010 10mgs unable to stabilize- horrible apathy, depression, anxiety April 2011 Reinstate to 15 mgs to do slow taper from here. 3 year old Daughter Dxd with Cancer Stayed put during worst of cancer treatment... Jan 2012 Begin slow taper Feb 2012 14.3 mgs (5%) Mar 2012 13.5 mgs (5%) April 2012 12.9 mgs (10%) June 2012 11.6 mgs (5%) July 2012 10.5 mgs (10%) Sept 2012 10.0 mgs (5%) Nov 2012 9.5 mgs (5%) Mar 2013 9.0 mgs (5%) June 2013 back up to 9.5 mgs Poop out (+ %5) July 2013 9.0 5 days in and so far so good... (5%) Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted October 1, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 1, 2019 6 minutes ago, shaz said: his gave me the shock I needed to realise that it was not my supposed "depression" making me feel like **** but the medication that was meant to be treating it! It's very good (not to mention life-saving) that you made this realization. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of April 1: 6.8mg Taper is 91% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotics, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus manymoretodays Posted October 4, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted October 4, 2019 Hi shaz, Welcome back. I merged your introductions together, with a user name of shaz. Please update your withdrawal history in your signature Keep in mind that since December 2013, signatures were limited to just 12 lines of text. So....you might condense some of your previous signature, and certainly include the more recent drug history. Account Settings Best, Love, Peace, Healing, and Growth, manymoretodays(mmt) Late 2023- gone to emeritus status, inactive, don't @ me, I can check who I've posted on, and I'm not really here like I used to be......thanks. Started with psycho meds/psychiatric care circa 1988. In retrospect, and on contemplation, situational overwhelm. Rounding up to 30 years of medications(30 medication trials, poly-pharmacy maximum was 3 at one time). 5/28/2015-off Adderal salts 2.5mg. (I had been on that since hospital 10/2014) 12/2015---just holding, holding, holding, with trileptal/oxcarb at 75 mg. 1/2 tab at hs. My last psycho med ever! Tapered @ 10% every 4 weeks, sometimes 2 weeks to 2016 Dec 16, medication free!! Longer signature post here, with current supplements. Herb and alcohol free since 5/15/2016. And.....I quit smoking 11/2021. Lapsed. Redo of quit smoking 9/28/2022. Can you say Hallelujah?(took me long enough)💜 None of my posts are intended as medical advice. Please discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical provider. My success story: Blue skies ahead, clear sailing Link to comment
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now