Godsave: Lexapro withdrawal and reinstatement

[Godsave]

That day was ok dear .. but also I was not feeling fully okay . 
now all my mixed emotions symptoms of depression anxiety are there . 
 

my mind is not peaceful yet . 
when does my dosage up work fully . 🙏🏼

[ChessieCat]

It sounds like your outing has triggered a wave, which is a worsening of symptoms.  The Windows and Waves link was provided on Page of your topic.

 

It is best if you use non drug coping techniques to get through the difficult times.  Links to these have been given previously.  I suggest you read back through your topic from the beginning and check out the links which have been given.

 

Also, you have been asked at least twice to create your drug signature.  SA is a very busy forum.  Your drug signature allows the mods to see your drug history at a glance and not have to read back through your posts.  The mods are volunteers and give freely of their time and are experiencing their own withdrawal and/or life issues.  Having to unnecessarily read back through posts wastes our time and can cause us unnecessary frustration.  Your co-operation will be appreciated.  Thank you.

[Godsave]

Hi 

very sorry really I didn’t know if how to create my drug signature. 
will definitely do it and I really thank u v much for advising me and answering my questions inspite of ur own life schedule and I am really thankful. 
 

thank u v much 

🙏🏼

[ChessieCat]

We need details for the last 2 years of ALL drugs, a summary for anything older.  Please keep it simple.  Just drug name, dates and doses.  Thank you.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[Godsave]

Hi @Gridley@Cigale

 

i have been taking lexapro 5 mg since last jan .. until now I am at 5 mg . 
I wanted to try tapering again .. but too scared as previously I got many many dreadful withdrawals.. but now also with that 5 mg i can day that my worse depression is not there but I am not satisfied as still I have trouble concentrating at times in supermarkets and morning I feel so lonely and spaced out for the past two weeks . 
but I wanted some advice from you well wishers if really I can slowly try tapering and is that this 5 mg is a very hefty dose that will harm your nervous system as even when I tried quitting I was v much worried about my memory and still now sometimes I have a trouble remembering things and brain fog . 
 

I just take omega 3 1000 mg for the last two years along with lex 5 mg . 
I go out for regular 6 km brisk walking which helps me immensely.

 

kindly please help me in my journey 🙏🏼

[Gridley]

10 hours ago, Godsave said:

but I wanted some advice from you well wishers if really I can slowly try tapering and is that this 5 mg is a very hefty dose that will harm your nervous system as even when I tried quitting I was v much worried about my memory

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

5mg is not a large dose of Lexapro, but the lower doses are very strong and need to be tapered very carefully and slowly.  If you do decide to taper, our general advice is to taper no faster than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.  You may want to go more slowly.  

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Lexapro.

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

There are several methods for tapering Lexapro, and these are described in the link above.  If prescription liquid Lexapro is available in Singapore, this is a convenient and accurate method for tapering.  If the liquid is available and you decide to taper using the liquid, you should do a gradual crossover from tablet to liquid.  We can describe this further if you choose to switch to liquid.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Godsave]

23 minutes ago, Gridley said:

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

5mg is not a large dose of Lexapro, but the lower doses are very strong and need to be tapered very carefully and slowly.  If you do decide to taper, our general advice is to taper no faster than 10% of your current dose every four weeks.  You may want to go more slowly.  

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

The following link is specifically about tapering Lexapro.

 

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

There are several methods for tapering Lexapro, and these are described in the link above.  If prescription liquid Lexapro is available in Singapore, this is a convenient and accurate method for tapering.  If the liquid is available and you decide to taper using the liquid, you should do a gradual crossover from tablet to liquid.  We can describe this further if you choose to switch to liquid.

 

Thank you so much @Gridley for your valuable suggestions 🙏🏼😊. I appreciate the sincere advice provided by fellow members and definitely it is a life advice 🙏🏼. 
I thank you all once again . 
sure one day I wanna right my success stories too !! 
 

until then definitely I will wait and make very slow tapers . Thank u 🙏🏼 

 

23 minutes ago, Gridley said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Godsave]

@Gridley

wanted to try tapering again 5 mg from today very slowly . But please advise as already the old reinstatement issues have not yet resolved fully .. depression at times and anger issues and also memory fog . 
 

so can I try to taper v slowly ..? What would be yiur advice please guide me in my process everyone 🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼
Thank You 

[ChessieCat]

You have been requested to create your drug signature many times (I think it has been 8 times so this is the 9th time) since you joined SA.  The staff of this website are volunteer peers (we do not get paid) who are assisting a lot of members.

 

Your drug signature allows us to see your drug history at a glance.  It means that we do not spend time reading through your posts to get the information.

 

Before we can make any suggestions we need you to create your drug signature.  Please do not ignore the requests made by the staff.

 

Thank you.

 

How to create your signature.  List your drug name, and follow it with the dates and doses like this:

 

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose;

 

If you haven taken more than one drug please write the information for that too:

 

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose;

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose;

Drug name:  date, dose; date, dose;

 

You can find your signature by clicking on this link and when you have typed your signature remember to click Save, which is below the box:

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

[Altostrata]

@ChessieCat, good point. @Godsave, until you enter your history in your signature, no more answers from the staff.

[Gridley]

12 hours ago, Godsave said:

What would be yiur advice please guide me in my process everyone

I'm taking a break from moderating.  Please complete your signature as requested.  

 

Once you've done your signature, you could then check to see which moderators are active on the site right now to see if they can help you.

[Godsave]

2016 - 2017 lexapro 10 mg 

2018- tried to taper but not according to the correct 10% 

Quit at the end 2018 . 

Medication free - 2019 

couldn’t as severe depression and so 2019 Aug  -for 6 months 

reduced to 5 mg . 

2020- was at 5 mg and 2.5 and also quit a few times . 

Severe depression - 5 mg from August 2020 - 2021 oct - 5 mg . Currently 

[Godsave]

@ChessieCat@Altostrata

 

 

Sorry that I haven’t posted my drug signature all these days as I don’t remember the exact months so properly. 
kindly do accept my mistake . Hope now my drug history is clear . 
thank you 

 

[Altostrata]

All that appears in your signature is NR. Please summarize your history with approximate dates in your signature, before further discussion. Thank you.

[ChessieCat]

6 hours ago, Godsave said:

@ChessieCat

 

Please do not tag me.  Thank you.

[Altostrata]

Thanks for your drug history in your signature, @Godsave 

 

How do you feel, now that you've been taking 5mg for more than a year? How has your symptom pattern changed over the last 6 months?

[Godsave]

Hi alto .. 

thanks for accepting my drug signature 😊. 
Since last August 2020 when I started 5 mg reinstatement, my deep depression pain subsided after 3 to 4 months time with lot of waves .. but still I have mood swings , anger issues and trouble concentrating at times .

but I regularly walk 5 km most of the days and also I am able to do my house work and occasional shopping . 
I can say that lots of irregular cutting has taken a jolt on my nerves and it’s been a year since last august . 
I wanted to try quitting very slowly again . 
kindly advise me my taper schedule . 
currently I am just taking omega 3 since last year . 
thank you very much to all of them who are guiding me in my journey. 
 

regards 

godsave 

[Godsave]

Hi @Altostrata

 

please advice me whether I would be able to slowly taper .. 

 

but currently still I have some symptoms and most symptoms are brain fog and mood swings /anger issues at times and morning feeling Low and unable to concentrate . 
sometimes have hopelessness also 
But I do go for my morning walks regularly. 
 

kindly advice me my taper . 
 

I feel that even when I was  in 2.5 I was somehow feeling better than in 5 mg and now feel like I am stuck up in this dose . 
please advise me if my reinstatement of 5 mg will take more than a year to improve or should I slowly cut down my dose . 
 

personally I am so sick and tired of this drug and wanted to quit it !!!!!! 

 

Pls advise 

thank you 

[Altostrata]

What times o'clock do you take your drugs, with their dosages? Do you feel better or worse after each dose?

 

What are your main symptoms now, that you attribute to withdrawal?

[Godsave]

Hi alto , 

 

I take my doses everyday by morning 10:30 am after my breakfast and housework. 
 

my depression pain has gotten better. 
but I do have brain fog and feeling of down with slow breath in the early morning until it is about 12 am . 
then slowly I have some improvement. 
but my general feeling is that I was feeling better when I was in 2.5 . Like my energy was better . 
but when I panicked and took 5 mg again it is like after a year also .. I can’t say that it is supporting me much !! 
 

still I have trouble concentrating and my thinking is not clear . I can feel that still my brain is hazy . 
 

please advise me if I would also be able to slowly try quitting again and my brain will heal ..🙏🏼
 

I have undergone so so much of turbulence because of this 5 mg withdrawals but still I didn’t have the patience to undergo it for some more time and come out of this evil drug 😢
 

I push myself everyday for my walks and in the late afternoon I do take some rest . 
 

but deep inside me I want to reduce this v v slowly but this time v carefully. 
 

thank you 

[Altostrata]

Yes, 5mg might be too much for you. You might start tapering by reducing 10%, see Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

[Godsave]

Hi alto 

 

thank you so much for your advise 😊👍. 
I will slowly start my taper following strict 10% . 
My heartfelt thanks to you  !! 
 

 

[ChessieCat]

47 minutes ago, Godsave said:

I will slowly start my taper following strict 10% . 

 

Please remember to update your drug signature whenever you make a change so that it remains current and allows the staff to see your drug history at a glance.  Thank you.

 

Leave the 5mg and add the date and the new dose so that we can see when you made the changes.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

[Godsave]

Hi chessiecat 

 

sure I will do that without fail !!! 
thank you so much !! 

[Yesyes123]

On 1/10/2020 at 3:50 AM, Godsave said:

and is there anyone who really quit this hell and leading their life again

 

Hello!

 

I have been through hell because of Escitalopram, and I have healed. You can heal too.

 

I was on it for 6 years and you have been on it for only a year so it's logical you might heal much faster.

 

This is a very common state of mind brought on by psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome.

Please be aware this is not who you truly are, and you will definitely not remain in this mental state forever - with some luck, not even for too long.  

 

Time is the best healer when it comes to problems caused by psychiatric drugs.

Each person reacts differently, so it might not be a good thing to compare your situation to other people's here on the forums.

You might heal much faster than most people.

 

Sending you peace and healing.

[Godsave]

Hi @Yesyes123

Thank u so much for your supporting and kind words .

I have been on lexapro since 2016 . 
on and off .

please refer to my signature.

but I quit completely for a year . Again I took it for my bad luck 

had terrible kindling .rage etc 

but was unbearable and slowly stabilised from Jan 2020 with that 5 mg 

since then I wanted to quit this evil drug. 
praying 🙏🏼 so hard that god should help me to quit this again slowly 

 

But hope you are too young and u can make it more faster and more stronger .

 

What is the current dose you are at @ yes yes 123 ? 
 

how have you been coping 

 

my prayers for you to heal faster 🙏🏼
take care !! 

 

[Godsave]

Hi @ChessieCat

sorry .. it was accidentally pressed and quoted (CC- post with only quotes has been hidden).

 

currently I am taking 5 mg of lexapro still 

and I am continuing it till now .

as of now suddenly for the past 2 weeks I developed dear restlessness and depression .. 

eventhough I am continuing my morning walks 5 km regularly.

hope I over exerted and because of that my nervous system has taken a jerk .

now I wanted to know if it would get normal soon .

please help me and advise me .

definitely I could say that after reinstatement of 5 mg I cannot get the full stabilised  as I was before .

but I am rowing the boat as I need to go to india in May and I want to be stabilised a bit .

please support me all of you 🙏🏼

 

 

Edited April 30, 2022 by ChessieCat
added note

[ChessieCat]

Some members find that doing too much exercise can increase symptoms.

[Godsave]

@ChessieCat

thanks for ur reply .

sure I will not do that hereafter . 
Moreover hope my nerves will stabilise again soon .

 

Members please let me know if others who are in my path .. how are u been doing .

kindly give me positive hope and motivation.

thank you so much !! 

[Ariel]

Hi @Godsave

I'm sorry you are suffering through lexapro withdrawal. It's truly awful, I know. 

The good news is that it does get better. It just takes time. 

 

On 2/13/2022 at 6:42 PM, Yesyes123 said:

I have been through hell because of Escitalopram, and I have healed. You can heal too.

 

I agree with @Yesyes123

 

On 2/13/2022 at 6:42 PM, Yesyes123 said:

This is a very common state of mind brought on by psychiatric drug withdrawal syndrome.

Please be aware this is not who you truly are, and you will definitely not remain in this mental state forever - with some luck, not even for too long.  

 

Time is the best healer when it comes to problems caused by psychiatric drugs.

Each person reacts differently, so it might not be a good thing to compare your situation to other people's here on the forums.

You might heal much faster than most people.

 

Sending you peace and healing.

 

Wherever you're at on your healing journey, keep moving forward step by step, breath by breath. Slow and steady. You will get there.

Take care,
A.

[Godsave]

Thank you so much @Ariel@Yesyes123

Really your positive words  are god sent for me 🙏🏼
 

thank u 

take care 

[Ariel]

@Godsave

Thinking of you and wishing you well...

A.

[Godsave]

@Ariel

thank you so much !! 😊🙏🏼🙏🏼😍

I am doing much better now . But again I am in the same 5 mg still .

haven’t tried to taper yet. 
 

definetely thinking of to star my taper slowly ..f 🤞 

 

how are you ? 
 

take care 

[Ariel]

@Godsave

Hi, it's good to hear you are feeling better! 

 

I'm not a mod, but I'd say don't worry about holding at 5mg. You are doing right by your body offering plenty of time to stabilize after having gone on and off the drugs numerous times in past years. Lexapro is a hard one to quit -- I speak from experience -- and you're doing a great job giving your body a break from all that stress. 

 

One day when you feel ready the mods can help with guidance on how to taper responsibly. 

 

For now just keep taking really good care of yourself and rest, eat well, get gentle exercise, nurture your health in all respects. It will help now and also moving forward. 

 

Good work, Godsave! 

Warm wishes, 

A.

 

[Ariel]

P.S. 

When I write

 

Just now, Ariel said:

don't worry about holding at 5mg.

what I mean is: yes, holding sounds like the right thing to do. 

 

 

[Godsave]

Hi @Ariel

 

felt so happy to receive your reply 😊👍🙏🏼
I wanted to thank you so much for your follow ups and definitely I have undergone so much because of destabilising and now I understood the lessons.. very strongly 

 

my mind was so relaxed by hearing the words that I could hold on at 5 mg until my time . 
yes Ariel I can understand today about that 5 mg what you are saying .

going on with my life .. sure I will follow your advice of healthy food  exercise and rest .

 

thank you so much for your kind support .

 

take care 😊❤️