Heath: Lexapro taper plan introduction

[Heath]

Thanks @Erell

[Heath]

hello everyone! Just checking in !  I have been holding for about 6 months because of a little wave and then antibiotics.  The withdrawal symptoms have gone. No energy, sleeping, laying around, obsessive worry thoughts, anxiety, No interest, tense muscles in neck and back, dreams, etc. have gone. Got much better by December and Most of these cleared up around Jan/feb. I think last one to go was no energy. The antibiotics side effects have also pretty much gone. Concentration is much better. Stomach is still getting better every day. Rarely take Prilosec now days.
As for UTI dr cleared me 1 month ago. I feel like it is gone. 
 

as for lexapro side effects- dry eyes, sinuses, and eyes got better until today. 2 hours after taking lexapro I layed down on my back to do some work and I got dizzy , burning pressure all around sinuses. Weird feeling around ears.  I got up and walked sideways. For most of the day if I moved my head quickly I felt this dizziness. I have talked about this in my introduction before. This started the first spring/summer that I was on lexapro . It’s related to sinuses, allergies, and lexapro. Today reminded me to start tapering this poison again.

 

 I have normal life stresses health, family and job. I have a bad , micromanaging, negative boss. There may be a solution to this soon in which I am involved. I feel confident due to upper management seeing how he has treated people for 15 years. I still have my normal low back pain which kinda limits me to this job and not being confident to quit and start over in which might lower the low back pain. But anyway not planning on changing anything rt now. 
 

I take Celebrex and turmeric daily for pain, Prilosec about once a week, Allegra as needed, and lexapro. 
 

I am planning on starting taper really soon with brass monkey slide. Just figuring and planning- thoughts of 1% a week or 2.5 % . Using a little caution due to last wave even though 2.5 % will probably be just fine. I feel like I need to be moving forward. Thoughts of dosages and rounding up or down- try to make it as easy as possible etc. thanks for your comments and advice! 

[Krisseyb]

@Heath Glad to hear from you, and glad you are starting back w/the tapering. I can't remember if you had done the BMS before, it doesn't look like it in your signature? If you haven't....I think you will be pleasantly surprised at how it's such a small decrease in dosage...that hopefully your body won't notice too much.

Hoping that whether you decide the 1% or the 2.5% that it will go well for you!!! 

[Heath]

Hello all  friends !

Little update and need a little encouragement 
After the first 6 weeks of brass monkey slide I am cautiously watching. Over this time I have had a few nights with little loss of sleep, sweating, dreams and stomach issues. Nothing major I guess average 1 on my scale. The stomach issues is a continuing thing .  I actually feel pretty good about the taper. 
 

I’m laying here in bed can’t sleep. I am having issues with a micromanaging, negative, bullying, make himself look good, lying, can never be satisfied  boss. There has been 39 people quit or transfer in 17 years under his supervision. And yes there is a few that needed to go. On every job he tells you to do this. Then next job he says you should have not done what he told you to do on job before. It’s crazy. He complains if you do it by company policy. He even complains you did it wrong if customer is happy. I’ve lost a couple hours a night sleep for 3 days now. I’ve been with this company for many years . I still love what I do. I am proactive and always look for ways to improve. Ive known boss for 22 years and it’s a revolving door new guy comes and boss loves it then as new wears off well you know.  Everyone high up in company knows about him I’ve been communicating with his boss about issues and I thought something was going to change but today I am starting to realize he is just telling me what I want to hear. 
 

I will have to make a decision one day . These thoughts are what keeps me awake, I am try to practice letting thoughts float by but it’s tough. 
thanks

[mdwstrx]

Congrats on your taper so far! I'm also doing a slow taper. You may want to

try Headspace to deal with thoughts keeping you up at night. Their guided

meditations were very helpful for me. See this example that compares

our mind to a bright blue sky and our thoughts to clouds in the sky.  

 

Wishing you success and blue skies!

md

🌞

[Erell]

Well, it will probably sound like a too simplistic advice to work, but it did often work for me when I was working : everytime I had work-thoughts at night, I told myself "The future me will take care of this tomorrow, that's not my problem today and I can't do anything at 2am".

I don't know how to translate it well in English!

 

(Really glad to read you feel good about your taper ☀️)

Edited May 22, 2021 by Erell

[Heath]

@Erell @mdwstrx thanks for advices !!!! 

[Heath]

@Erell @mdwstrxHeadspace works good and namaste works good also! Tried them both this week and it helped! 
obsessive thoughts and worry thoughts come on with withdrawals and I have also discovered that stress causes them too . It’s hard to turn off these thoughts and let them float on by. Practice!  Like you said there is a saying here in the states I can’t remember it but it’s basically the same. There is nothing you can do about at 2 am. Practicing that sleep time is sleep time ! 
 

[Heath]

I do believe this is caused by withdrawals! Very minor but I can feel it. I’m learning more about myself and signs of withdrawals 👍

[mdwstrx]

@Heath Glad to hear! ☺️

Practicing with these tools has given me skills for life.

[Erell]

1 hour ago, Heath said:

I do believe this is caused by withdrawals! Very minor but I can feel it. I’m learning more about myself and signs of withdrawals 👍

I have no doubt it could be WD in a very large part : I never had such intense obsessive thoughts and ruminations before WD, and there are so many people who report this kind of symptoms.

 

 

WD makes it particularly tricky to deal with those thoughts and to manage to step back and move on, but as mdwstrx said, practicing during the most challenging time of our lives will give us skills for life.

Imagine how easier it will be once we'll feel better...we might become Zen Masters ! 😄

 

Sending you my support ☀️

[Heath]

Zen masters we will be 😂😂. It was really tough before I learned what symptoms are withdrawals and which are not.  SA has been a lifesaver!!!! Even though I hate we had to go through this We will be better in many ways after we get through to the end! 👍

[Heath]

Hello everyone!

I got a couple of thoughts to share . Grass allergies are giving me jittery nervousness some. And affecting vision today like a water line in my vision. Ear pressure and sensitivity to sound. Allergies are heightened more since I started lexapro a few years ago. It will pass!

 

went to p dr. Today for my 6 month script. He has known for about 18 months that I am tapering down to reduce side effects. Dry sinus, dry mouth, dry eyes, can’t think, memory etc.  So today I told him I have reduced to 8 mg. Still have these side effects but they have reduced some. I told him I was doing pretty good. He agreed that cipro was a very dangerous antibiotic. That I had taking a few months ago for uti.
 He asked about a missing tooth . I reminded him I had an infected implant 2 years ago and he said he forgot and that I need to keep an eye on all that due to dry mouth. As we talked and he was writing a prescription “ he said that I have to stay on lexapro”. So I get the hint that he thinks that I am tapering to 0 . And he doesn’t want me to. It made me angry a little l mean he just said dry mouth is a problem and then said stay on drug that is causing it. I lost a dental implant because of this poison. 🤷‍♂️ 
 

he doesn’t believe that I’ve been experiencing withdrawals over the past years while he has been playing drug roulette with my nervous system.  I haven’t said the withdrawal word - I am trying to keep that prescription coming. 
 

I know we say or don’t say what we need to get the script. I really want to tell him at some point that I am not tapering when I really am . But I don’t feel to comfortable doing that. My other option is my family dr gp said a few years ago that they would write script for what I need to taper. But I I have had in past bad experiences with other gp drs knowing even less about these drugs. I like having options for this poison because we just can’t stop it . 
 

what are some of things y’all tell your drs or things y’all do to keep prescriptions going ? 
 

thanks

[Rosetta]

Are you feeling some sort of moral duty to be honest or are you concerned that there might be practical consequences if you tapered off while failing to disclose that to the doctor?

[Heath]

@Rosetta  a few things 

I am not a good liar if he ask point blank 

yes I do consider myself a honest person . At same time I will not offer up information that doesn’t need to be said. 
I don’t “sing like a canery “. 

 

I do not want to burn any bridges until I get off this poison 

I do not want to jeopardize going back into the dark place because of not being able to get the prescription.  I had to very carefully select the right wording to get him to give me a script for liquid 

I need this liquid for sure

 

6 months ago he did mention staying on it at 5ml.  
 

thanks

[Erell]

Hello @Heath

 

Well I think I can say that I'm an honest person.

But I lie to doctors since I started my tapers, I tell them what they want to hear, I tell them what I need to tell to get my prescriptions.

 

Do I feel bad about it ? I feel sad, sad to be in a situation where I have to lie, sad to never meet a doctor who would be willing to learn and listen.

But I don't feel like a "bad person" : I don't lie to be mean, I don't lie with evil intentions, I lie or hide the truth to protect myself, that's all.

 

When I came on SA, a moderator called Sassenach told me : "if the system don't help you, then use the system". 

And that's what I do now : as long as I'm vulnerable and, unfortunately, have to protect myself, I'll use doctors' vocabulary and paradigm, because for now that's the best way I can protect my needs.

 

How did I get a liquid prescription ? 

I told my doctor I had a new anxious fear about swalllowing tablets. He didn't question this, in his mind I'm mentally ill.

 

I'm not happy about this, but I know that my most important job for now is to protect my health.

 

Take care ☀️

[Heath]

@Gridley you are definitely right about physical pain during withdrawals ! I’m feeling a little more old injuries during withdrawals especially low back. Not bad but noticeable. I think it’s from muscle tensing because of withdrawals. My wife told me the other day I looked tense. I haven’t put a timeline on these withdrawal symptoms but it seems like about 2 weeks in to a taper. Brass monkey slide seems to be working good. 

[Gridley]

12 hours ago, Heath said:

’m feeling a little more old injuries during withdrawals especially low back.

I definitely experience pre-existing physical issues acting up due to withdrawal.  Also I've seen new physical symptoms crop up due entirely to withdrawal, like back of neck muscular pain that persisted for quite a while and then totally went away.

 

The Brassmonkey slide did very well for me during my Lexapro taper.

Edited June 28, 2021 by Gridley

[Heath]

Yes the neck pain is pretty common from what I read. I’ve had that before starting and withdrawing for long periods of time. Not having that so far on the slide knock on wood !

[Heath]

Hello everyone !  I would just like to talk to my friends today for a minute. No big deal   I’m in a tough spot again with bad boss job decision making. As y’all know I have a very bad toxic boss and I love my job for 30 years. I’ve got a low back disk problem pain for 20 years can’t sit or stand 20 minutes but I am very active. And I have a family. 
I have a choice I can quit and get a job somewhere else or I can transfer to a different division which is same type of work but different not what I’m accustomed to. I’m a mechanic. Or tough through till he is gone.  I do not take this decision lightly.
 

i have experienced bad decisions during withdrawal symptoms. Rt now my withdrawal symptoms are about a 1 on my scale. About 2nd week after start of taper I have some muscle tension. 3rd and 4th with I have dreams . Get up before daylight tiny anxiousness. Like I said these are minimal. so there is a little fear of unknown due to have back pain and a family and making bad decision due to emotions/withdrawals. 
I know sometimes we fear change even though it may be the best thing that ever happened and we say dang I wished I would have done that years ago.  And @Erell last night thinking about I said don’t worry about now my body needs sleep at this time will worry about it tomorrow 👍. Kept telling myself this and went on to sleep! 
 

y’all have a great weekend!
 

[Erell]

Hello dear @Heath

 

I'm sorry I'm quite foggy so have issues to answer correctly in English.

But I wanted to let you know that your friends did read your post, and I'm so happy to read your symptoms are minimal these days ❤

 

Will try to answer more properly another day

[Erell]

Hello, how are you doing dear @Heath since your last post ?

Thinking of you ☀️

[Heath]

@Erell Thanks for checking in! I am doing better as of the end of 2 week hold. I’m starting to get the Wd normal. Things are little tough during the first to fifth week after a drop. Anger, sleep, anxiety, stomach, dizziness, dreams etc. but minimal and end of 6 week fades away. Yes I do not like to make major decisions during taper or wd symptoms. But I have decided to get away from toxic boss even though I love the work I been doing for 30 years,  I’m transferring to another division in which I will be doing same type of work. My wife and I prayed and discussed. This should give me peace at work which will carry over to home. And be a tremendous help in tapering! I know you have been struggling and you are rt the wd fools us into getting off this poison fast but we know that’s not the case. I hope you will be feeling better soon ! 

[Erell]

Hello @Heath !

 

Sounds like the BM slides suit you ! 

That's great you found your rythm in this taper 🙏

 

Well I understand the difficulty to make big decisions during a taper. 

I do hope this change at work will bring more peace in your daily life : it's crazy how much work situations can impact our mental health.

Nobody deserve that, it sounds wise to protect yourself ❤

 

Take good care dear fellow !

[Heath]

Hello everyone! I am getting COVID vaccine in a few days. I’m going through a major job change after 30 years in a few weeks well it’s major to me. And it’s been almost 2 weeks since my last cut. Minor withdrawals like not talking, sensitive , little anger, stomach, comprehension etc. probably a 1 on my 1 to 5 scale. Stress at home. Also gonna have a stress test next week to check my heart.  Lot going on 🤪
feeling a little sensitive to changes at work today - starting to hit home - job change date getting close.  So I will be holding for a while 👍. 💪

[Erell]

Hello @Heath, how are you doing ?

Thinking of you during this work change.

 

Looks like You're doing amazing progress in your taper : so well deserved !

 

Take good care my friend ☀️

[Heath]

Hello all !

 I have run into a stomach fatigue issue and have a few questions. My wife says I have IBS caused by too much bad bacteria caused by antibiotics. I think she is right. I am trying to figure out what to do and what causes what and if my symptoms indicate IBS and caused by what. I have read the IBS section on here. I been reading about this and probiotics. 
 

so I took antibiotics in July last year for uti then again in March 2021. Stomach just hasn’t been right since April. Gas and loose stool. 
 

about 17 days ago on a Sunday I felt off . Tired no energy just laying around. Then Monday at work I noticed a sensitive tongue and I looked in mirror and it had cracks in it. Also my chin and face was itchy.  I felt a discomfort in my left mid section groin area. This continued and on Wednesday I had a pain which I thought was a kidney stone. It was really bad on left side from ribs down to my groin area. Like my stomach was knotted up.  I went home took hot bath. Roll around in bed. This stirred up some anxiety. I called dr and they said to continue with peptobismol and see how it is next day. My daughter got me some peppermint and peptobismol. I took that and pain went from 7 to 2 pretty quick.   Day after felt much better but that afternoon I had one of the worst sinus headaches. Started probiotics.  Stopped Celebrex and Prilosec for 3 days. Felt better next 2 days with exception of occasional pain in left groin area. I ate light and within a week felt better. I gradually reintroduced my normal not so good food like carbs and cokes. Skipped a couple days of probiotics. 
 

so 3 days ago didn’t feel myself,  laying around no energy foggy feeling,etc then little tummy discomfort pain then itchy chin and face then bad headache today. 
 

I’m pretty sure antibiotics created this issue. I’ve read that ssris withdrawals can cause this also. My last drop was a month ago. I am currently reading about Celebrex and Prilosec relation to IBS and bad bacteria. There is some stress around here at the moment. My gut feeling is this is bad bacteria in stomach no pun intended 😀
what I have learned is take probiotics for this. And sodas are really bad for this.  
 

Can bad bacteria cause itchy face, cracked tongue, headaches, fatigue, no energy, etc. ? Any thoughts or advice? @Altostrata @Gridley @Erellor any one or moderators that may have experienced this ?

thanks 

[Heath]

I forgot one other symptom that started 14 days ago is legs and but muscles tensing and releasing. Which went away with other symptoms and is back today. I have felt this before in ssri withdrawals which makes me also think it may be from that

[Heath]

I Also just  remembered that the pharmacy ran out of my liquid lexapro and could not get it so I had to get a different brand from another pharmacy in end of July . Started different brand around august 1st don’t remember exact date. So I don’t know if that could have caused all this?  Sorry for so much information.  just trying to figure this out anyway thanks in advance! 

[Altostrata]

22 hours ago, Heath said:

Can bad bacteria cause itchy face, cracked tongue, headaches, fatigue, no energy, etc. ? Any thoughts or advice? @Altostrata @Gridley @Erellor any one or moderators that may have experienced this ?

thanks 

 

Yes. I'm sorry, we can't offer any advice for that here. You might want to join a SIBO (small intestinal bacterial overgrowth) group on Facebook. Or you might see a gastroenterologist.

 

10 hours ago, Heath said:

I Also just  remembered that the pharmacy ran out of my liquid lexapro and could not get it so I had to get a different brand from another pharmacy in end of July . Started different brand around august 1st don’t remember exact date. So I don’t know if that could have caused all this?  Sorry for so much information.  just trying to figure this out anyway thanks in advance! 

 

What new symptoms did you have after you made this change?

[Heath]

The symptoms I have noticed is itchy face which I also developed when I was on 15 mg of lexapro which I haven’t experienced since. 

and muscles tensing and releasing especially in legs , but and low back which I have experienced in withdrawals before. 
Some anxiety tensed feelings, not talking much, not feeling like doing anything,  bad headache one day and of course the stomach issue. 
These started probably about 2 1/2 weeks after the lexapro brand change. 

today my son ask me what’s wrong he said That I didn’t want to talk much or do anything! 
you know if I sit here and look at the whole picture it seems like withdrawal symptoms? 

thanks

[Altostrata]

Did the itching go away? Is it worse at any particular times of day? What time o'clock do you take escitalopram?

[Heath]

The itchy face has gotten better . I will keep note next time I feel it. I take the lexapro about 7 am in morning. 
 

also I’m waking maybe an hour early some times lately. I’m laying here tensed in back and shoulders I feel like I can’t relax. 
 

Had to get my second Covid vaccine yesterday . 
 

thanks

 

[Heath]

Altostrata

It seems the itchy face is happening around 5 pm and sometimes on up to bedtime. It is not bad but just something I noticed. And it is getting better. 
me and Gridley discussed this issue a few years ago when I was on a higher dose and the itching was a lot worse. We were thinking it was side effects of lexapro ? And come to think of it it was in evening also. 

 

thanks for all information you and others posted on digestive and ibs topics. 
ive been taking probiotics and zinc L carnosine and eating light and relaxing and stomach is getting much better. 
 

with all the other symptoms I had the past 2 months I am pretty sure the stomach issues were from withdrawals. I’ve had stomach issues before in withdrawal but not as bad as this time. Pain being worse with some anxiety and little emotional spiraling it got a little hard to see the whole picture. I finally slowed down and caught it and accepted withdrawals most likely being the cause. 
Thanks Alto 

 

[Heath]

Hello everyone ! I started tapering again after 2 months. Had some minor withdrawals in June and July and stress. Had bad stomach pains with tension, itchy face, cracked tongue, irritability, ibs symptoms and some negative Nero emotional cycle - all in middle of august. Stomach has eased up but still have ibs symptoms,  itchy face and tensing. I’m gonna put withdrawals at top of list for cause! Mostly controlling with diet. Minimizing caffeine, nicotine, and bad carbs. Adding magnesium and relaxation.  Tapered off Prilosec in September will use occasionally only if have too.  Taking Pepcid and zinc Lcarnosine instead. 
 

if I hold for another 4 or 6 months symptoms will most likely resolve. If I do this I see tapering lasting sooooo much longer. These symptoms are bearable. I believe I can manage them. So I choose to continue tapering. 
 

I was able to stay in my job position. They moved toxic boss somewhere else . And new one in that I have worked with before and is much better. So that stress is gone. But newer stresses has come with about 5 new techs. TOXIC boss is gone!!!! 😀

 
I Pray everyone is having a good day !!!

 

 

 

[Altostrata]

Good to hear you're doing better, @Heath

 

2 hours ago, Heath said:

Stomach has eased up but still have ibs symptoms,  itchy face and tensing.

 

It sounds like you might be allergic to something you're eating or putting on your face?