Preciouslife: On lexapro for 16 years

[Preciouslife]

Hello,

I have been on Lexapro (Escitalopram) for 16 years. I became severely depressed during the pandemic so my doctor switched me to Viibryd. The Viibryd caused so many untoward side effects even though it helped my depression. I was switched to another med but decided at that time to stop all SSRIs to get back to my brain’s baseline. I’ve done the research and know that these next few weeks (or months) will be difficult. My husband is supportive and we developed a safety plan. My doctor is supportive and recommended Ashwaghandha to ease the symptoms. Are there any words of advice for me about how long this unpleasant journey might last?  There doesn’t seem to be a lot of research done regarding this topic. I am very wary oh Big Pharma anymore. I am 64 years old and I want to live a long life. 

Edited May 4, 2021 by Gridley

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Preciouslife.

 

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. Please include the dates and dosages for the Lexapro, when you switched to the Vibryd along with the dosage and when you stopped the Vibryd.  Once we have this information we can make suggestions if you wish.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

We are a site for going off psychiatric drugs, but very gradually and gently.  Some people seem to be able to go off them without significant difficulty, while others suffer withdrawal symptoms of varying degrees of severity and length.  It is to help this latter group, and to help members taper, that this site exists.

 

How are you feeling now?  Do you have symptoms that you attribute to withdrawal?

 

There is a good bit of research into withdrawal from antidepressants.  For example, see the following from the U.K. Royal College of Psychiatry (RCP):

 

Stopping antidepressants

 

And here's an article with leaders in the RCP explaining why they wrote that. 

 

Psychiatry’s Top Experts Acknowledge Lasting Harms of Antidepressant Withdrawal

 

These links will give you more information on withdrawal and the healing process.

 

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

When we take psychiatric medications, the CNS (central nervous system) responds by making changes over the months and years we take the drug(s). When the medication is discontinued, the CNS has to undo all the changes it made. Rebuilding the neurotransmitter production and reactivating the receptor and transporter cells takes time -- during that rebuilding process symptoms occur.  

 

These explain the healing process really well.

 

Brain Remodelling 

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. Get supplements that are single ingredient (not mixed with other types of supplements).  

 

Regarding ashwaganda, it is not one of the supplements we recommend.  I was, like you, on Lexapro for 16 years and 6 months ago finished a 4-year taper off 20mg.  I tried ashwaganda and it had a paradoxical effect (made me more anxious rather than calming me).  Others may have had a better experience.  If you do try it, start at a low dose (much lower than recommended) to see how it affects you.  

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.

Edited May 5, 2021 by Gridley

[Preciouslife]

I just messaged my doctor after a miserable day of withdrawal symptoms. Asked to put me back on Escitalopram since I never had any side effects with it and requested to taper dosage by 10% per month until off. Awaiting her response. The feedback you provided may have saved me a lot of grief. Thank you for your timely feedback. I’m enjoying the website and it makes me feel like I have company on this journey. Trying to keep a positive attitude, walking 4 miles a day, doing yoga, eating healthy. I’m ready!

[Gridley]

8 hours ago, Preciouslife said:

Asked to put me back on Escitalopram

This is very important: I need to know the dosage of Lexapro you were on when you stopped and the date you stopped.  Taking your previous dose may be too much.  When you reinstate a drug, it's essential not to reinstate too much because your system has become acclimated to being off the drug.  Your system is very sensitized and if you take too much  it may be too much for your brain and can overwhelm your system, causing you to become more unstable.  Please read:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms. -- at least the first page of the topic

 

[Preciouslife]

I tapered to 10 mg for 3 days, then added Viibryd 10 mg. I understand I will not need a full dosage of Lexapro. Thank you for the info. Still awaiting response from my doctor. I stopped lexapro in February. 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Preciouslife
Add info

[Gridley]

38 minutes ago, Preciouslife said:

I tapered to 10 mg for 3 days, then added Viibryd 10 mg. I understand I will not need a full dosage of Lexapro. Thank you for the info. Still awaiting response from my doctor. I stopped lexapro in February. 

I recommend you reinstate 1mg of Lexapro--no more.  The best way to do this will be to have your doctor prescribe liquid Lexapro.

That sounds like a tiny dose but more can overwhelm your system.  It will take 4 days for the drug to reach full strength in your blood stream and a few more days for it to register in the brain.  If it's not enough it will be simple to increase very slightly using the liquid.  But give it time to work.  Reinstatement is one of those situations where more is not better.

 

Reinstatement works most predictably within 3 months after your last dose though it can work after that point.  It appears you're with the 3 month time frame.

 

For your doctor if necessary and for your information:

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited May 5, 2021 by Gridley

[Preciouslife]

Thank you for this info. Full disclosure, I was an advanced practice psychiatric nurse until I retired 6 years ago. I am ashamed to say that most of this is new info for me. While I did not have prescriptive authority, I bought into the lies. Now I am feeling guilty for possibly misleading others into this nightmare. If there is any way I can make up for the harm that I was complicit to, I will certainly do this. 

[Erell]

4 minutes ago, Preciouslife said:

Thank you for this info. Full disclosure, I was an advanced practice psychiatric nurse until I retired 6 years ago. I am ashamed to say that most of this is new info for me. While I did not have prescriptive authority, I bought into the lies. Now I am feeling guilty for possibly misleading others into this nightmare. If there is any way I can make up for the harm that I was complicit to, I will certainly do this. 

 

We won't blame you here : we all trusted psychiatry at one point, we all discovered the hard way that another paradigm was possible and we all had to learn a lot to unravel our beliefs and psychiatry's myths.

And for all of us it was a shock.

 

Your priority now is to take care of yourself, be careful and read the links Gridley provided, give time to your CNS to repair and stabilise ☀️

 

I'm sure you'll find a lot of infos while navigating this website, and if you want to learn further you might be interested by these threads : 

 

1. recent-interview-with-robert-whitaker-updated-thoughts-since-the-publication-of-his-book-anatomy-of-an-epidemicpublished-2010/

 

2. recommended-books-on-antidepressant-withdrawal/

 

 

Welcome ☺

 

Take care.

 

[mdwstrx]

@Preciouslife

 

Popping in to say hello. We have some things in common, having taken Lexapro (generic Escitalopram in my case). I'm sorry you're

going through this. Many of us bought into the drug companies' false narrative sadly and were shocked to find ourselves without

adequate support from the medical community. I have found that this site, the administrator and all the mods, are invaluable. 

 

md

🌼

 

[Preciouslife]

Thank you for your support. Blessings to you during your journey. 

[Gridley]

@Preciouslife

 

Erell is right.  Don't blame yourself.  The priority now is to get yourself healed.  Here is some information on Robert Whitaker as mentioned by Erell:

 

Anatomy of an Epidemic

 

Here's a video book trailer by the author, Robert Whitaker:

 

Robert Whitaker, author Anatomy of an Epidemic video (11 minutes)

[Preciouslife]

So my doctor gave me a script for 5 mg tabs and recommended 3 a day. I decided to take 5 mg twice a day. I am still having breakthrough withdrawal symptoms when one dose wears off but am going to keep it at this dose for a month. This is so much more difficult than I could ever imagine. My son is in drug rehab for iv heroin addiction and my mother is nearing the end of her life with dementia. I just need to take one day at a time. Just hanging in there by a thread I’m afraid. 😢