ppnelson: Hey everyone - Lexapro girl here :)

[ppnelson]

Hey everyone! I am so glad that I stumbled on this site, i’m excited to be a part of the community  

 

I currently have been on Lexapro since July. Getting on the drug was awful, i had awful side effects. I was only on 5mg for most of my time (i bumped up to 10 for a few weeks, but dropped back down due to increased intrusive thoughts). But overall, the drug made me lose a “spark” for life and i have weird anxiety on it, not like my anxiety before. so i am currently in the process of trying to taper off. 

 

Excited to be here and to meet new people!

[Kiasofia]

Welcome to the community @ppnelson

I understand your wish to get off lexapro and we are here to support you in that process. Are you taking any other drugs than lexapro?

 

So it’s easy for anyone reading your posts to get a quick overview of your situation we ask members to summarize their medication history in a signature following these instructions:

How to List Drug History in Signature

 

Here are some links about tapering to get you started:

Preparing to taper

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

NEVER SKIP DOSES TO TAPER

Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)

 

I found this post helpful to understand how these drugs actually work, why a slow taper is important and why healing can take time:

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

Coming off these drugs can cause many different withdrawal symptoms, often leading to doctors thinking the original condition is returning or that another mental illness has emerged.

What is withdrawal syndrome?

Dr. Joseph Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

When we recover, there are times of feeling OK mixed in with times of feeling bad.  This is called windows and waves.

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

Aside from a high quality fish oil and magnesium, be careful with supplements. Your central nervous system (CNS) has become sensitized from psychiatric drug use and can react unpredictably. Alcohol, caffeine, nicotine and other mind altering substances can make withdrawal worse.

Important topics about tests, supplements, treatments, diet

 

This is your Introductory topic, where you can ask questions and connect with other members.  If you need any advice specific to you and your situation, please ask it here. Otherwise, feel free to join discussions on other threads. To make sure I or someone sees your question, tag them by writing @ and then start typing their username. A drop down menu will appear. Click on their username and it will turn blue.

 

I’m glad you found us, we’re here to support you!

Edited November 28, 2021 by Kiasofia