LunaPiena: introduction - my medication story

[LunaPiena]

My medication story started 17 years ago, when I was 28. I had not been feeling well due to some issues that in hindsight should and could have been easily resolved, but my doctor decided (first visit to him ever after moving to the area!) that it'd be best for me to try SSRI medication. He put me Escitalopram, 10 mg.

I felt better initially,  but soon realized that I was now feeling "too good". Very intense mood swings had been an experience I could remember even from my teenage years. Off to a specialist, who diagnosed Bipolar Disorder. 

Lithium was added, which made me feel like a Zombie. 

I spent the next six years feeling strangely relieved of my depression and mood swings, but now experiencing intense anxiety attacks, and also feelings of derealization. I also noticed feeling more aggressive and disinhibited.

All in all I wanted my own self back, so decided after 6 years to follow the advice of my doctor to just "take one tablet of the Escitalopram on alternative days for 2 weeks then to stop completely ". Horrible advice!! I immediately felt really awful after. I had no energy and was constantly tired. That lasted for almost a year.

I could hardly function at all anymore.

 

I need to take a break now.... will continue this later!  

 

So just to tell you where I am right now: 

 

Since October 2017 I have reduced 

- Escitalopram from 20mg to 7,5 mg

- Quetiapine from 300mg to 200mg. 

 

My goal is to get rid of the Escitalopram altogether, but I'm finding it increasingly harder with each step. But I'm also definitely noticing a lot of positive changes everytime I reduce it. Here are the positive changes: 

More energy, less anxiety, more mental clarity, more emotions getting through, analytical mind is coming back! I know I'm currently moving extremely slowly, that is because of disastrous first attempt at reducing... I really wish I could move faster! 

 

 

[Erell]

Hello LunaPiena,

 

and welcome on SA  

 

Could you please add a signature ? Include drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements in the last 12-24 months. Also include supplements. 

• This is a direct link to your signature:  Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

I understand that you have given the info in you posts above but this will appear below every post you make, and allow other folks to see your history at a glance.

If you have difficulty just inform me and I will  help.

 

8 hours ago, LunaPiena said:

so decided after 6 years to follow the advice of my doctor to just "take one tablet of the Escitalopram on alternative days for 2 weeks then to stop completely ". Horrible advice!!

I'm sorry that you had to discover the hard way that, unfortunately, doctors and psychiatrists don't know how to taper safely those drugs.

I'm glad you found us : thanks to thousands testimonies, we have been able to highlight patterns and techniques that help to taper carefully psychdrugs.

 

8 hours ago, LunaPiena said:

Since October 2017 I have reduced 

- Escitalopram from 20mg to 7,5 mg

- Quetiapine from 300mg to 200mg. 

 

It sounds like you're trying to taper at a slow rate. 

 

Could you give us more details about your tapers ? :

- are you using liquid, tablets ?

- what are the percentages of your drops ?

- at what rate ?

- are you tapering your two drugs at the same time ?

 

8 hours ago, LunaPiena said:

I'm finding it increasingly harder with each step.

 

What symptoms do you notice ?

 

I'm gonna give you some important links to help you understand our recommendations. There is a lot of infos : please take the time to read it and feel free to ask questions.

 

1. On SA we have a a harm reduction approach and recommend a slow taper : 

 

why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

2. It seems that you're tapering two drugs at the same time. You might be interested by this topic : 

 

taking-multiple-psych-drugs-which-drug-to-taper-first/

 

 

3. 

tips-for-tapering-off-escitalopram-lexapro/

 

tips-for-tapering-off-seroquel-quetiapine/

 

 

Again, welcome ☀️

[LunaPiena]

SSRI and surgery

Hello,

 

I have a question about antidepressant- withdrawal and surgery. I'm supposed to have orthopaedic surgery in November. It's only a hallux- valgus correction, so nothing life- threatening. But still obviously every form of general anaesthetic has risks. 

I read somewhere that taking SSRIs could increase the risk of bleeding and complications during surgery. I'm still on 7,5 mg of Escitalopram, and am generally a slow taperer, so obviously I couldn't totally stop the Escitalopram before November. But if I continue to taper now, would it be dangerous to be in withdrawal during surgery? Or would it be best to be on the lowest dose possible? I really don't know...

 

Edited September 18, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title

[LunaPiena]

Hello, sorry, how can I edit my Introduction? 

[ChessieCat]

surgery-and-anesthesia

 

[ChessieCat]

2 hours ago, LunaPiena said:

Hello, sorry, how can I edit my Introduction? 

 

I've sent you a PM to discuss this.