NAP1986 Disastrous cross taper from lexapro to viibryd, experiencing a crash, need help

[NAP1986]

Hello Friends!

 

I had been on lexapro since 2016. I believe I got up to the max dose of 20 mg in 2018. I added 5 mg of buspar in 2019. I had been taking hydroxyzine 25 mg and clonidine 0.1 before bedtime for sleep. Around two months ago, I wanted to try to cross taper from Lexapro to Viibryd because of the side effects of weight gain and sexual dysfunction. I worked with my psych NP to do a cross taper over two months. I realize now how foolish this was. I was on clonazepam for 8 years which I did a taper over 3 years for with the use of a compounding pharmacy and have been fortunate to have felt very recovered. My last clonazepam was April 20, 2019. I naively assumed that because the benzo was the controlled substance and the escitalopram was not, that getting off the escitalopram would be easy. How wrong I was. 

 

My plan with my psych NP was to reduce the lexapro by 2.5 mg every 5 days until I was on 12.5 mg lexapro and add 10 mg viibryd. Then, continue on 10 mg viibryd until I got "off" the lexapro after reducing by 2.5 mg every 5 days. After I got off the lexapro, the plan was to increase the viibryd to 20 mg daily. 

 

So here was my plan, that my psych NP felt was reasonable and cautious even (which is laughable now)

 

20 mg lexapro start + 5 mg buspar 

17.5 mg lexapro x 5 days + 5 mg buspar

15 mg lexapro x 5 days, felt great, also stopped the buspar

12.5 mg lexapro x 5 days + 10 mg viibryd

10 mg lexapro x 5 days + 10 mg viibryd

7.5 mg lexapro x 5 days + 10 mg viibryd

5 mg lexapro x 5 days + 10 mg viibryd

2.5 mg lexapro x 5 days + 10 mg viibryd

20 mg viibryd

 

Now after I was on no lexapro and 20 mg viibryd for about 5 days is when I felt a crash. I am honestly surprised I have not felt a crash prior knowing what I know after reading the intro posts. I also am assuming the lexapro is responsible for most of my symptoms as it is so much more potent of an antidepressant and I have been on it for longer, compared to the viibryd for approximately 1 month. I called my psych NP on Sunday who recommended going back a step to 10 mg viibryd and 2.5 mg lexapro. Monday I was a dummy and took 2.5 mg lexapro in the AM and 7.5 mg in the PM, thinking the problem was the viibryd. Today I have taken 10 mg viibryd and 5 mg lexapro.  I've had the typical waves and windows of severe anxiety, dizziness, palpitations, nausea, fatigue, and insomnia. 

 

Now I feel like everything is a mess. I don't know how much to bump up the lexapro before starting a reasonable taper of the 10% per month. I don't know what to do with the viibryd (continue vs discontinue). I assume I should be dosing the lexapro twice per day with its shorter half life, but am not sure. 

 

I would appreciate anyone's thoughts or advice as this is a mess and I am surprised that my psych NP agreed to this and fearful she will not have good advice. 

 

History

2016 start lexapro

2016 (November) start clonazepam taper, decrease by 0.02 mg ever 10 days with help from compounding

2018 go up to lexapro 20 mg

2019 add buspar 5 mg

2019 finish tapering off clonazepam (04/20/19)

2020 no med changes

04/02/2021 start lexapro taper

04/01/2120 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/02/2120 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/03/2120 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/04/2117.5 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/05/2117.5 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/06/2117.5 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/07/2117.5 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/08/2117.5 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/09/2115 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/10/2115 mg lexapro + 5 mg buspar

04/11/2115 mg lexapro

04/12/2115 mg lexapro

04/13/2115 mg lexapro

04/14/2110 mg viibryd, 12.5 mg lexapro

04/15/2110 mg viibryd, 12.5 mg lexapro

04/16/2110 mg viibryd, 12.5 mg lexapro

04/17/2110 mg viibryd, 12.5 mg lexapro

04/18/2110 mg viibryd, 12.5 mg lexapro

04/19/2110 mg viibryd, 10 mg lexapro

04/20/2110 mg viibryd, 10 mg lexapro

04/21/2110 mg viibryd, 10 mg lexapro

04/22/2110 mg viibryd, 10 mg lexapro

04/23/2110 mg viibryd, 10 mg lexapro

04/24/2110 mg viibryd, 7.5 mg lexapro

04/25/2110 mg viibryd, 7.5 mg lexapro

04/26/2110 mg viibryd, 7.5 mg lexapro

04/27/2110 mg viibryd, 7.5 mg lexapro

04/28/2110 mg viibryd, 7.5 mg lexapro

04/29/2110 mg viibryd, 5 mg lexapro

04/30/2110 mg viibryd, 5 mg lexapro

05/01/2110 mg viibryd, 5 mg lexapro

05/02/2110 mg viibryd, 5 mg lexapro

05/03/2110 mg viibryd, 5 mg lexapro

05/04/2110 mg viibryd, 2.5 mg lexapro

05/06/2110 mg viibryd, 2.5 mg lexapro

05/07/2110 mg viibryd, 2.5 mg lexapro

05/08/2110 mg viibryd, 2.5 mg lexapro

05/09/2110 mg viibryd, 2.5 mg lexapro

05/10/2120 mg viibryd

05/11/2120 mg viibryd

05/12/2120 my viibryd

05/13/2120 mg viibryd

05/14/2120 mg viibryd

05/15/2120 mg viibryd + 2.5 mg lexapro

05/16/2110 mg viibryd + 2.5 mg lexapro

05/17/212.5 mg lexapro AM + 7.5 mg lexapro PM

05/18/2110 mg viibryd + 5 mg lexapro

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @NAP1986

 

What drugs are you taking, at what times of day and dosages? To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

 

Please put ALL your drugs in this Interactions Checker and post the report or a link to it in this topic.

 

What were the symptoms of your crash? Did you symptoms change while you were taking Viibryd without Lexapro?

 

On 5/18/2021 at 3:03 PM, NAP1986 said:

05/17/212.5 mg lexapro AM + 7.5 mg lexapro PM

 

Did you take Viibryd on May 17 as well? How did you feel after you took 20mg Lexapro in one day?