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Libera88 : Escitalopram withdrawal


Libera88

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Hi ! I have just entered in the group, because it is 18 months  I am consuming Escitalopram 20 gr and I am now quitting gradually.

First time I tried quitting was 6 month ago, with no success. After quitting felt very bad and the  doctor suggested to start again taking 20 gr dose daily. Now  I have been reducing Escitalopram since 1 month and things are going  better:

Last month , I reduced to  one daily 10 gr , with no bad simphtoms.

Now I am taking 5 gr daily since one week, but I feel bad: diarrea, nausea and terrible mood/depression . maybe my body is starting feeling the reduction? Any suggestion ?

my doctor plan for me is to take 5 gr per day for one month and then alternate one day 5 gr and one day nothing for another month, until finally stop asuming pills. Do you think this plan is aggressive? Any input?

thank you for any suggestion, 
Libera

 

Edited by Erell
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  • Erell changed the title to Libera88 : Escitalopram withdrawal
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello Libera88, 

 

And welcome on SA.

 

This site is run entirely by volunteer Administrators and Moderators, all have been through or going through withdrawal.

There are no commercial interests or influences  involved.

 

And I'm sorry for what you're going through : unfortunately psychiatrists don't seem to understand how powerful these drugs are and don't recognize withdrawal syndrome.

 

-> could you please create a drug signature ? Please include drugs, dates, discontinuations. Also include supplements. This will help us give you the most accurate advice we can, and allow us to see your history at a glance.
 

 

-> Reducing from 20mg to 10mg is a 50% drop, same for 10mg to 5mg : this is a very (too) fast taper and the reason why you're having symptoms.

If you've only been at 5mg for a week, I would suggest you go back to your previous dose and hold there to stabilise.

 

We recommend no more than 10% drops every four weeks, see : 

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

This might help you understand why it is important to go slow and give enough time to our CNS to heal : 

 

  On 8/30/2011 at 9:28 PM, Rhiannon said:
  On 8/30/2011 at 9:28 PM, Rhiannon said:

"When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long."

 

 

So yes, your doctor's plan sounds very aggressive and we recommend much slower taper. We also recommend to not skip doses to taper : 

never-skip-doses-to-taper

This is a lot of infos, so please take time to read and feel free to ask if you have questions :)

Again, welcome :)

 

 

2006 : 20mg Paxil+Bromazepam. 2008 : cold turkey of both. 2010 : Reinstatement 20mg Paxil + Bromazepam.

2014-June2017 : Switch from Bromazepam to Prazepam, slow taper to 0mg.

2018 to August 2019 : Paxil 20mg taper (3% every 15 days). 22 Aug 2019 updose to 10mg (was at 8.4mg).

25th Sept 2019 To April 2020 : found SA, holding at 10mg Paxil. 

April 2020 : Paxil 10mg to Prozac 7mg bridge. Details topic/21457

 

Current Supplements : magnesium citrate + fish oil

Current medication :

* 7pm Diazepam  : 0.85mg (15 Aug 2022) / 0.95 mg (24 April 2022) / 1mg Diazepam (since 29 Aug 2020)

* 8am Prozac : 6.16mg (25 oct 2022, feel awful, slight updose) / 6.08 mg (9 oct 2022) / 6.24mg (11 July 22) / 6.44mg (22 May 22) / 6.64mg (4 Nov 21) / 6.72mg (8 oct 21) / 6.8 mg (15 Sept 21)6.88mg (14 Aug 21)/ 6.92mg (23 Jun 21)

 

I am not a professional, I don't give medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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Hi Libera88,

 

I would echo what Erell says above. Unfortunately, many doctors don't know how to safely taper their patients, and your doctor's plan of 50% reductions is way too aggressive.  If I were you, I would look to stabilize for a while, and then, if you feel ready, try a very gradual reduction (no more than 10% a month) as Erell suggests. The important thing is to take things slowly and give your nervous system a chance to recover from the rapid taper you have experienced over the last few weeks.

 

All the best,

 

Alpha

Prozac 30 mg for many years.

Short two-week taper to 20 mg followed by 5 day washout period. (January 2017)

Lexapro 10 mg for 25 days. Stopped due to intolerable side-effects, notably palpitations and tinnitus. (February 2017)

Two day washout period before reinstating Prozac at 40 mg. (February 2017)

3 weeks later end up in ER due to severe palpitations and dizziness. (March 2017)

2 weeks of insomnia and intermittent akathisia. (March 2017)

Stabilization of Prozac dosage at 20 mg. (April 2017)

Gradual recovery and eventual return to work. (December 2017)

Reinstatement of Prozac dosage back to 30 mg gradually over 5 years. (February 2024)

 

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