EmergingFromTheVoid: Escitalopram taper

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Hello All,

 

I'm new here and I'm still learning so please bare with me. 

 

I have been on antidepressants for approximately 8 years. I was on a combination of Escitalopram and Wellbutrin.

I was taking up to 30 mg a day of Escitalopram with the Wellbutrin (unsure of dosage) for several years.

About 5 years ago I tapered off the Wellbutrin because of the nasty side effects.

About 3 years ago I tapered down to 20 pm per day of the Escitalopram.

I have been in twice-monthly talk therapy for 3 months and plan to continue for at least another 4 or 5 months, maybe more.

I started to taper down my Escitalopram on October 18th, 2019. I cut my dose by 50%, down to 10 mg per day. I know that it is a drastic taper and that I should do it more gradually, but I have adjusted well so far. I journal daily to keep track of my mood, energy level, etc. I have had a few days, early in this taper from 20 mg to 10 mg per day, where I've had a bad headache, a few hours of nausea and some difficulty sleeping. It should be noted that I am also in surgical menopause, thanks to a very needed total hysterectomy that I had earlier this year.

 

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Updated the title of my post to be more accurate. 

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

I can't tell you what a difference this taper is making in my life. I'm "feeling" again and because I'm in therapy, if I'm struggling with something, my therapist helps me figure it out. She says she's just a sounding board, but she has recommended some really helpful books and resources. I know that for me anyhow, I was hiding behind my medication until I was ready to face what had caused my depression, anxiety, panic attacks, etc. I don't know if I will ever be 100% free of my antidepressant, but I can hope! 🙂

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

I'm curious about how others feel about the taper & therapy route. It's helping me calm my mind, solve issues and emotional problems as they arise, and gives me moral support as I taper. I think it's a fantastic duo.

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

I think that it's it's incredibly important to be in a low-stress, calming atmosphere while tapering, if possible. I'm in a good place mentally, so the taper is going well -- could it be related, I wonder? 

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, EmergingFromTheVoid.

 

We recommend tapering by no more than 10% of current dose every four months.

 

 http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

Your 50% drop was, obviously, more than we recommend.  How are you feeling?  Please be aware that withdrawal symptoms can be delayed.  At the 10mg level, it becomes especially important to taper slowly to avoid withdrawal symptoms.  

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list.

 

Once you've let us know how you're feeling, we can advise you further.  Please do not make any further changes to your dosage.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  Again, welcome.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited November 7, 2019 by Gridley

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Hi Gridley,

 

Thank you for the welcome. 

 

I know that a 10% drop is what you guys and gals recommend. It's also quite possible that my 50% drop from 20 mg to 10 mg was fine for me -- everyone reactions differently, right? 

 

I have had a few days, early in this taper from 20 mg to 10 mg per day, where I've had a bad headache, a few hours of nausea and some difficulty sleeping. It should be noted that I am also in surgical menopause, thanks to a very needed total hysterectomy that I had earlier this year -- I've had some trouble sleeping since my surgery. 

 

No more headaches, no more nausea and I sleep fairly well.

 

I love that I feel more like me. It's like I've been living under a cloud and the sky is beginning to clear! 

[Markolo1980]

I agree that u should stay on this dosage for some time now. As @Gridley says wd symptoms can delay. That’s exactly what happened to me. 
 

regarding being in less stressful situation during tapering sure does help.

 

I hope you have a calm journey.

[Gridley]

52 minutes ago, EmergingFromTheVoid said:

No more headaches, no more nausea and I sleep fairly well.

 

 

I'm glad you're doing well.  I would hold where you are for three months to let your system catch up to the lower dose.  If you're doing well at that point, you could begin a 10% taper.

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

34 minutes ago, Markolo1980 said:

I agree that u should stay on this dosage for some time now. As @Gridley says wd symptoms can delay. That’s exactly what happened to me. 
 

regarding being in less stressful situation during tapering sure does help.

 

I hope you have a calm journey.

 

As much as I'd like to get off of my antidepressant quickly, I'll do the safe thing and hold for 3 months. 

 

Thank you!

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

I was going to wait 3 months, but I've decided, after more research, that I'm going to drop my dose by another 50% starting today, from 10mg to 5mg per day of Escitalopram.

 

I understand and appreciate that this site advises 10% drops and only after long holds, but everyone is different and reacts differently.

 

Situations, medical histories, supplements and mental states all vary, so how my body and mind deals with it all, and the way my body reacts, is unique to me. 

 

I'm not advocating that others do this. It is a calculated risk that I am willing to take. 

 

I'll update as time passes and thanks for your support.

[sunnysideup69]

Hi, EFTV.

Of course everyone is different, and I wish you well, but that's a super fast taper. You've cut by 75 percent in less than a month. As a friendly passer by, and as someone who upped and downed on Citalopram, I wouldn't recommend it. Your brain and CNS won't have had time to adjust to the first 50 per cent yet.

 

I certainly wish I hadn't cut Citalopram by 50 per cent at a time, but I did it, and my CNS is now paying the price. 

Wishing you well,

SSU 

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

19 minutes ago, sunnysideup69 said:

Hi, EFTV.

Of course everyone is different, and I wish you well, but that's a super fast taper. You've cut by 75 percent in less than a month. As a friendly passer by, and as someone who upped and downed on Citalopram, I wouldn't recommend it. Your brain and CNS won't have had time to adjust to the first 50 per cent yet.

 

I certainly wish I hadn't cut Citalopram by 50 per cent at a time, but I did it, and my CNS is now paying the price. 

Wishing you well,

SSU 

 

Hi SSU, 

 

Yes, this is a fast taper, but what many people don't tell you is that lots of people can come off them safely at this rate. Those who have, never visit a site like this because they do well and don't need the help and resources that a site like this offers. That's not to diminish how some, including yourself, have suffered, but to give some guidance to others who are doing a fast taper, instead of just quitting cold turkey (a horrible idea). 

 

So many factors influence how well a person tolerates the changes. If nothing else, and if by chance this doesn't go well, my example may help others understand the process from the start of a fast taper, good or bad. I think that it's important to have fast tapers represented too. 

 

I'll be updating regularly, good or bad. 

 

Thank you for the well wishes. 🙂

[Katy398]

Hi emergingfromthevoid,

Welcome. I’m so pleased that your taper is working for you. I did a fast track taper from lexapro and I left it too long it to reinstate when symptoms appeared. I now have discovered lexapro is twice as strong as other antidepressants. I was on 40mgs it’s only licensed for 20mgs. 

Just bear all this in mind when you do your taper. Also remember you can reinstate by a small dose within 3 months of taking your last dose if you do experience withdrawal symptoms and then taper that lower dose slower. For me I wished I’d reinstated to avoid these horrible symptoms.  For sure we are all different. Be mindful on your journey and follow what your body is telling you, rather than the calendar dates. 

I really hope all goes well for you.

take care 

Kx

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

9 hours ago, Katy398 said:

Hi emergingfromthevoid,

Welcome. I’m so pleased that your taper is working for you. I did a fast track taper from lexapro and I left it too long it to reinstate when symptoms appeared. I now have discovered lexapro is twice as strong as other antidepressants. I was on 40mgs it’s only licensed for 20mgs. 

Just bear all this in mind when you do your taper. Also remember you can reinstate by a small dose within 3 months of taking your last dose if you do experience withdrawal symptoms and then taper that lower dose slower. For me I wished I’d reinstated to avoid these horrible symptoms.  For sure we are all different. Be mindful on your journey and follow what your body is telling you, rather than the calendar dates. 

I really hope all goes well for you.

take care 

Kx

 

Hi Katy398,

 

Thank you for the warm welcome. 🙂

 

I'm sorry to hear that things haven't gone well for you with your Lexapro taper. Wow! 40 mgs a day is a lot! I think that max dose in Canada is 30 mgs a day.

 

So far I've had a few headaches, 2 evenings with some nausea (may have just eaten too much), and I feel a bit more tired than usual. I'm down to 5 mgs per day and other than the symptoms mentioned above, I feel exponentially better than I have in many years. 

 

What kinds of symptoms would require a small increase in dosage to stabilize? I feel like things are going well enough for me that I can continue the 2 week, 50% drop rate, but you're right to recommend that I listen to my body, not the callander dates. I journal every day (a bit annoying) and it helps me track my mood, emotions, any med. reduction symptoms, etc.

 

Some positives to my taper are:

* Reduced by about 80% - anxiety, panic and panic attacks 

* My memory is much better - able to think more clearly, retain information more easily, and I am having some memories emerge from childhood (mostly good ones).

* I sleep less (I was sleeping far too much)

* I don't feel the brain fog

* I feel more "real" and "alive"

* I'm actually able to focus on getting through, and past the issues that made my life so bad that I needed these antidepressants in the first place.

* I'm healing (mentally, psychologically and spiritually)

* I fall asleep much faster and have better quality sleep

 

I must say that being in therapy twice monthly is incredibly helpful. I don't feel like I'm alone during this critical time. It's really important to trust your therapist and it's not always easy to fine one who is "right" for you and your situation (the trauma that you've suffered through).

 

Some reading material that's been really helpful for me:

(I hope it's ok that I've added the links below)

 

* When Panic Attacks: The New, Drug-Free Anxiety Therapy That Can Change Your Life

 

* Feeling Good: The New Mood Therapy

 

* The Feeling Good Handbook: The Groundbreaking Program with Powerful New Techniques and Step-by-Step Exercises to Overcome Depression, Conquer Anxiety, and Enjoy Greater Intimacy

 

I sincerely hope that things improve for you too. 

[mdwstrx]

Hi.  

Great to hear you're doing well!  I'd like to share my story for you to consider as you're making large cuts.

 

I too dropped by large cuts arriving at 2.5 mg. last year with little wd.  Over a year and a half, I went from 20 >15>10>7.5>2.5.  Holding at 2.5 mg. for 3 months.  

The Dr. told me to stop at 2.5 mg. saying it's a routine jump off dosage.  In fact, he said some stop at 5 mg. I stopped at 2.5 mg.  

 

By day 4, I felt panic and  other withdrawal coming on.  Scared, I immediately re-instated the 2.5 mg.  The Dr said go to 5 >7.5>10 mg. as wd worsened.  Found this website and held at 7.5 mg. My nervous system had crashed.  I descended into a 4 month horrific withdrawal.   Symptoms morphed but included all the terrible things others here have gone through.  The worst by far was the akathisia.  Thank Jesus, I emerged from the chaos and have since begun a slow successful-to-date-taper. 

 

Bottom line, There is risk. once the CNS is destabilized, all bets are off.  Hope this helps you to decide the right course of action for yourself.

 

Wishing you a safe and symptom free journey.

Mdwstrx

 

 

 

[Katy398]

5 hours ago, EmergingFromTheVoid said:

What kinds of symptoms would require a small increase in dosage to stabilize?

Oh my word, for you to ask this question things really are going very well for you at the moment!! Congratulations!

Emergingfromthevoid, you will know. If you don’t think you can live with the symptom for years then reinstate. Which symptom is hard to say. 

The morning cortisol rush seems to be very common. If you ever wake with a feeling of worry/anxiety/ fear/sheer panic/ terror for no apparent reason then ask for advice immediately. The latter has been one of my symptoms for 10 months, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. 

Good luck with your journey keep writing notes and listen very closely to your body. It’s actually quite refreshing to hear a smooth story about coming off these scandalous drugs. 

Take care Kx

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

8 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

Hi.  

Great to hear you're doing well!  I'd like to share my story for you to consider as you're making large cuts.

 

I too dropped by large cuts arriving at 2.5 mg. last year with little wd.  Over a year and a half, I went from 20 >15>10>7.5>2.5.  Holding at 2.5 mg. for 3 months.  

The Dr. told me to stop at 2.5 mg. saying it's a routine jump off dosage.  In fact, he said some stop at 5 mg. I stopped at 2.5 mg.  

 

By day 4, I felt panic and  other withdrawal coming on.  Scared, I immediately re-instated the 2.5 mg.  The Dr said go to 5 >7.5>10 mg. as wd worsened.  Found this website and held at 7.5 mg. My nervous system had crashed.  I descended into a 4 month horrific withdrawal.   Symptoms morphed but included all the terrible things others here have gone through.  The worst by far was the akathisia.  Thank Jesus, I emerged from the chaos and have since begun a slow successful-to-date-taper. 

 

Bottom line, There is risk. once the CNS is destabilized, all bets are off.  Hope this helps you to decide the right course of action for yourself.

 

Wishing you a safe and symptom free journey.

Mdwstrx

 

 

 

 

Hi Mdwstrx,

 

Aww, thank you and for sharing your story with me. I'm so glad that you are recovering and doing well. It gives all of us hope. 

 

When I do get to 2.5 mgs per day, and then to 0 mgs per day, I'll be very careful to note any wd symptoms or strange feelings, etc. I am concerned and aware that things can go badly, but with stuff being rather mild so far, I'm hoping that they will keep going like this. I hope against hope that my cns doesn't crash at some point. 

 

Your kindness and well wishes are very much appreciated. 🙂

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

5 hours ago, Katy398 said:

Oh my word, for you to ask this question things really are going very well for you at the moment!! Congratulations!

Emergingfromthevoid, you will know. If you don’t think you can live with the symptom for years then reinstate. Which symptom is hard to say. 

The morning cortisol rush seems to be very common. If you ever wake with a feeling of worry/anxiety/ fear/sheer panic/ terror for no apparent reason then ask for advice immediately. The latter has been one of my symptoms for 10 months, I wouldn’t wish it on anyone. 

Good luck with your journey keep writing notes and listen very closely to your body. It’s actually quite refreshing to hear a smooth story about coming off these scandalous drugs. 

Take care Kx

 

Hi Katy398,

 

Why thank you! 🙂 I'll be keeping closer tabs on myself as my dosage gets lower. I've been trying to carefully track and monitor things since I started my latest taper that began on October 21st, 2019 and so far it's been pretty good. Symptoms have been so mild that I've felt ok with the continued fast taper of 50% drops. 

 

I've never felt that morning cortisol rush but I'll be watching for it now. I'm so sorry that you are dealing with those wd symptoms. Have you been seeing any improvement as the months go by?

 

Thank you for your support -- it means so much to me! 

 

Here's hoping that things continue to go well. *fingers crossed*

[Katy398]

Hi emergingfromthevoid,

look to be honest things have got a bit better in 10 months. I no longer have the uncontrollable anger and rage which was pretty scary. I think the anxiety whilst bad still is not as intense and doesn’t seem to burn in my gut quite so much. There are subtle improvements that I hold onto in order to get through. I don’t know what I would have done had I not had such a supportive family. I am so very grateful for my blessings. 

Take care You are doing so well. 

Kx

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

On 11/16/2019 at 10:14 PM, Katy398 said:

Hi emergingfromthevoid,

look to be honest things have got a bit better in 10 months. I no longer have the uncontrollable anger and rage which was pretty scary. I think the anxiety whilst bad still is not as intense and doesn’t seem to burn in my gut quite so much. There are subtle improvements that I hold onto in order to get through. I don’t know what I would have done had I not had such a supportive family. I am so very grateful for my blessings. 

Take care You are doing so well. 

Kx

 

Hi Katy398,

 

I'm so glad to hear it! That rage and anger is frightening -- my hubby was like that on an antipsychotic medication. He stopped taking those pills within a month because we were scared of him and what he might do. Do you have a calming environment while at home? Is it fairly stress-free? These things help me a lot. I'm so happy that you have the support of your family -- it can make a huge difference. 

 

I have been more tired of late and I lose energy quickly, but I'm also struggling with my asthma (a constant issue for many years) so that is part of my problem. Our neighbor has also started chain-smoking and it's making it difficult for me to breathe. 😔

I have been put on a new inhaler called Breo Ellipta that should help with my breathing but it takes a few weeks to reach full strength. 

 

It's kind of strange but honestly, coming off theses pills, although important (and I'm taking it very seriously), are seemingly the least of my worries. My wd symptoms are minimal. I'm still waiting for the other shoe to drop, but I might just be one of those who don't suffer very much from coming off an antidepressant. I'm not sure, but I'm counting my blessings and wishing you a gentle journey to full recovery. 

[Katy398]

Hi Emergingfromthevoid 

Thanks for your support, it’s really heartwarming. Sorry to hear about your asthma. My word the challenges our lives present us hey. 

I’ve had to remove as much stress as possible from my life. My work have been amazing and have considerably reduced my responsibilities. My wonderful partner runs the house, cooking washing cleaning at the moment. I don’t know what zodiac have done had I not had support.

Remember not everyone goes through this. I truely hope you are one of the lucky ones. Positivity goes a long,  long way. Thanks again for your kind words.

Take care 

best wishes Kx

 

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

On 11/18/2019 at 4:07 AM, Katy398 said:

Hi Emergingfromthevoid 

Thanks for your support, it’s really heartwarming. Sorry to hear about your asthma. My word the challenges our lives present us hey. 

I’ve had to remove as much stress as possible from my life. My work have been amazing and have considerably reduced my responsibilities. My wonderful partner runs the house, cooking washing cleaning at the moment. I don’t know what zodiac have done had I not had support.

Remember not everyone goes through this. I truely hope you are one of the lucky ones. Positivity goes a long,  long way. Thanks again for your kind words.

Take care 

best wishes Kx

 

 

Hi Katy398, 

 

You're so welcome. 🙂 I'm hoping that my new inhaler will do the trick so I can breathe more easily. 

 

I'm glad that things are relaxed, calm and that you have such fantastic love and support at home. Since a few months before I started this latest taper, I've been able to do the dishes each night, and I fold the laundry once a week (we do laundry weekly). My hubby cooks the bigger meals (I make myself eggs & toast, soup, sandwiches, coffee, etc. without issue) and does the rest of the chores. He also does the shopping. I'm trying to not feel like I'm a burden, although I do still feel like one sometimes. I work from home part-time, so I'm keeping semi-busy with that as well.

 

It's so amazing to have you and others to talk to about things -- the support and empathy is part of what helps me, and other no doubt, get through the difficult times.

 

Best wishes to you, Katy. 🙂

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Don't mind me...just going to blabber on for a bit. 😉

 

I've been noticing that I'm more tired and find that I run out of energy more quickly in the last week or so. My lungs are also acting up more than usual (less frequent asthma attacks but more constant shortness of breath) and I wonder if these things have anything to do with my big drops of my antidepressant.

 

It's kind of a chicken and the egg scenario because my next door neighbor (we live in an apt.) has started chain-smoking like a fiend in the last few weeks, so my asthma acts up...which makes me tired and lose energy because I'm not getting enough oxygen. I'm on a new inhaler that will take about 3.5 weeks to reach max dose in my system -- it's for severe asthma and COPD. When I wake up in the morning, I can usually breathe easier, but that might be because our bedroom is farthest from the door to our apt. As the day goes on, and I'm in the livingroom which is right by the door to our apt., my asthma gets worse, I tire quickly and lose energy. Other than the fatigue and low energy, I haven't been noticing any other potential wd symptoms. 

 

Thoughts?

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Also, I wanted to mention my hobbies:

• I watch a fair amount of tv daily - Netflix, Amazon Prime & YouTube
• I play video games daily - Destiny 2, Mass Effect Andromeda & Diablo 3
• I read books (not as often as I should)
• Use social media - work-related for the most part
• Listen to music - I have a few playlists that I listen to frequently with 50 to 75 songs a piece 
• Doing the dishes each night - I know, it's weird, but I find it relaxing and love it when things are neat and tidy

That about wraps it up I think.

 

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

UPDATE: 1 month since I started tapering off Escitalopram 

 

In a month I am down from 20mgs per day to 5mgs per day, using 50% cuts/drops. The only wd symptoms that I have now (which could also be from my bad asthma attacks) are fatigue and losing energy quickly some days. I don't have any pain, brain-zaps, nausea or any of the other multitude of symptoms that I've read about on here -- knock on wood.

 

My breathing isn't very good, and I have shortness of breath quite often. Our next door neighbor has been chain smoking the last few weeks and it's killing me (well, not literally). I've been put on a new inhaler (Breo Ellipta) that takes about 4 weeks to reach full strength, and I have about 3 weeks to go so I'm hopeful that my asthma will finally,  after years of struggling with it, be well-managed. 

 

Because of the change in the asthma medicine, I might hold here for a few weeks. If I feel much better sooner than that, I'll cut by 50% again, down to 2.5mgs per day. 

 

This fast taper, which isn't for everyone, seems to be going quite well so far. Yes, I do understand the risks of tapering by more than 10% each time. I also know that many people hold for weeks or months with each drop/cut.

 

Some positives to my taper are:

 

* Has reduced by about 80% - anxiety, panic and panic attacks 

* My memory is much better - able to think more clearly, retain information more easily, and I am having some memories emerge from childhood (mostly good ones).

* I sleep less (I was sleeping far too much)

* I don't feel the brain fog and confusion 

* I feel more "real" and "alive"

* I'm happier, I smile, laugh and enjoy things much more than I used to

* I'm actually able to focus on getting through, and past the issues that made my life so bad that I needed these antidepressants in the first place.

* I'm healing (mentally, psychologically and spiritually)

* I fall asleep much faster and have better quality sleep

 

I must say that being in therapy twice monthly is also incredibly helpful while coming off my antidepressant.

 

So far, so good. I'm staying positive and hoping that my cns doesn't crash at some point. I'm the stubborn type who only learns by doing, so if this fast taper doesn't go well at some point I have only myself to blame. That said, I'll keep fighting through it because my end goal is to get off the antidepressant, if I can.

 

Thanks for listening. 

[mdwstrx]

Hi EFTV,

On 11/21/2019 at 1:56 AM, EmergingFromTheVoid said:

So far, so good. I'm staying positive and hoping that my cns doesn't crash at some point. I'm the stubborn type who only learns by doing, so if this fast taper doesn't go well at some point I have only myself to blame. That said, I'll keep fighting through it because my end goal is to get off the antidepressant, if I can.

 

Question:  Are your familiar with the Sert Transporter Occupancy studies discussed on this site?

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

3 hours ago, mdwstrx said:

Hi EFTV,

 

Question:  Are your familiar with the Sert Transporter Occupancy studies discussed on this site?

 

Hi mdwstrx,

 

No, I don't think I saw that.

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

I had to stop talking the Breo Ellipta after 7 days (night before last was my final dose) because of the horrible side effects! It has a 24 hour half life and I already feel so much better. I can breathe more easily and that extreme fatigue is gone -- it's a horrible drug, for me anyhow! I'm back on my orange inhaler, twice daily.

 

I'm so glad that it wasn't my CNS crashing, which was my worry.

[mdwstrx]

1 hour ago, EmergingFromTheVoid said:

Hi mdwstrx,

No, I don't think I saw that.

 

Assuming you want to be as educated as you can in your journey off of Escitalopram, a friendly suggestion would

be to either ask a mod about the charts in the studies or research it here on SA before your next 50% drop.

The charts show there is little change with large drops from higher AD dosages but as you approach zero,

big jumps result in big changes in sert occupancy.  It explains how you been lucky so far. 

A bit like Russian Roulette and you add bullets the closer you get to zero.

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

1 hour ago, mdwstrx said:

 

Assuming you want to be as educated as you can in your journey off of Escitalopram, a friendly suggestion would

be to either ask a mod about the charts in the studies or research it here on SA before your next 50% drop.

The charts show there is little change with large drops from higher AD dosages but as you approach zero,

big jumps result in big changes in sert occupancy.  It explains how you been lucky so far. 

A bit like Russian Roulette and you add bullets the closer you get to zero.

 

Hi mdwstrx,

 

Yes, I do want to be as educated as possible. I would love more information. I tried searching the site and found a bit on it. 

 

I also found out, through online research, that 80-90% of serotonin is created in the gut/digestive tract. Fascinating stuff!

 

I certainly don't want to be playing Russian Roulette with my CNS, that said, others have successfully done fast tapers without much in the way of problems. I don't actually see it as luck, it's how my body/mind/cns has responded so far that leads me to believe that staying the course is ok for me. 

[eymen23]

1 hour ago, EmergingFromTheVoid said:

I don't actually see it as luck, it's how my body/mind/cns has responded so far that leads me to believe that staying the course is ok for me. 

Hi EFTV,

 

I’m afraid it doesn’t work quite like the line of thinking in the quote above. What we often see in members here is that those who fast taper or cold turkey have a ‘honey moon’ period in which they feel perfectly well, even better than they did when taking the drug at a higher dose; before experiencing a very rapid and intense uptick in symptoms which can last months/years. 
 

You are right that you may well be one of the more fortunate individuals when it comes to tapering, but there’s no way of knowing that and being certain of it based on your short one month experience so far. You could just as well be one of those individuals that crashes further down the line for all we can tell thus far.

 

As you’re aware, this is a site that educates and encourages harm reduction, and 50% drops in dosage are certainly a deviation from that. If you continue to make dosage reductions in the manner that you are, then naturally the staff here will prioritise other members who are following the approaches we suggest.

 

Edited November 22, 2019 by eymen23

[EmergingFromTheVoid]

Is this what you mean?

 

From https://www.researchgate.net/figure/Relationship-Between-Striatal-Serotonin-Transporter-5-HTT-Occupancy-and-Dose-or-Plasma_fig1_8583114.

 

[Altostrata]

On 11/15/2019 at 10:06 PM, Katy398 said:

Hi emergingfromthevoid,

Welcome. I’m so pleased that your taper is working for you. I did a fast track taper from lexapro and I left it too long it to reinstate when symptoms appeared. I now have discovered lexapro is twice as strong as other antidepressants. I was on 40mgs it’s only licensed for 20mgs. 

Just bear all this in mind when you do your taper. Also remember you can reinstate by a small dose within 3 months of taking your last dose if you do experience withdrawal symptoms and then taper that lower dose slower. For me I wished I’d reinstated to avoid these horrible symptoms.  For sure we are all different. Be mindful on your journey and follow what your body is telling you, rather than the calendar dates. 

I really hope all goes well for you.

take care 

Kx

 

I want to make this very, very clear:  YOU CANNOT COUNT ON REINSTATEMENT TO REVERSE AN ERROR IN JUDGMENT.

 

Reinstatement is not a safety net. It doesn't always work. If it did, our tapering advice would be very different. So don't take risks in tapering under the assumption you can turn back the clock with reinstatement.

 

Plus, the injury of withdrawal symptoms sets you up for problems in the future.

 

We know slow tapering is inconvenient. If there wasn't a need for it, we wouldn't recommend it. If you choose to taper the usual way -- half and then half and half again -- that's the taper that's caused so many people to stay up at all hours searching for this Web site.

[Katy398]

So so sorry Emergingfromthevoid,

I passed on what was posted to me. Obviously your circumstances are different. I’m so sorry. I had already cold turkey ed due to I’ll advice from Psychiatrist. Please think long and hard about your plan. Withdrawal is life threatening.  I am really, really struggling on a daily basis.  I wouldn’t wish these horrific symptoms on anyone. 

Take care of yourself Kx

[Altostrata]

Not to worry, @Katy398. I emphasized the warning because we have had people here who tried to short-cut their tapers under the assumption they could reinstate. It didn't turn out well.