Becky1989: Lexapro taper (I'm new to this site and only saw an option to post in this area)

[Becky1989]

Hi,

I'm a 33 yo female who has been on Lexapro since age 19. I've tapered from 20 mg to 2.5 mg starting in April of 2022. I've been on 30 mg at some points, but I might have tapered the first 10 quickly a few months before the taper starting at 20.  I've been at 2.5 mg since late September. My sleep duration and quality has been an issue since June. I've switched sleeping medications from belsomra to quviviq.

I'm having SUCH a hard time and having emotional problems that I have never experienced. I've isolated myself and compare myself to others constantly, its very painful. I seem to have attachment issues that feel new but can't be. They just must have been medicated before. I feel down, often anxious, tired, unsettled, ans want to sleep a full night.

 

I want to believe that my brain is healing and that all I have to do is wait. I'm taking fish oil, vit d3 with k2, magnesium. I don't feel like my antidepressant helped a lot, just that everything is a different kind of painful without them. My sister told me she's gotten off her Lexapro 3 times, all with bad outcomes. A friend of mine last night told me the only regret he has from when he stopped his antidepressant is that he waited so long to start taking it again. I don't want what my life is like now, and i don't want to be on a medication that's a dead end road

[Onmyway]

Hi @Becky1989

welcome to SA. You are experiencing withdrawal from tapering lexapro too fast. As you keep holding at 2.5mg - we would recommend at least 6 months - your withdrawal symptoms will abate and you can resume tapering when you feel back close to normal. Vitamin D is activating and unless you are deficient I would recommend that you don't take it. Lexapro is a powerful drug and you have come off from a very large amount of it. The doctor who allowed you to take 30mg should never practice medicine as this drug can be dangerous to your heart in such high doses. 

 

We find that in WD adding or changing psychoactive drugs or substances (pot, alcohol, even some of the supplements that you are taking - vit D, some B vitamins), can cause adverse reactions because our system is hypersensitive. We would recommend not adding any other psych drugs. If you have been taking your sleep medicines consistently, we would recommend not varying your doses from day to day or skipping doses. The supplements you are taking are also psychoactive - ashwagandha, theanine, kava etc. Be careful with those. 

 

Your sleep will improve gradually if you don't make any changes - you can have a look at the sleep thread that I am linking to see if you can find some tips - read through the whole thread - some of the tips are buried in the middle or later. The point is to accept that you may not sleep well for a while and don't let that become an obsession (I am speaking from experience here). Things will get better as you stabilize. 

 

Hang in there, 

OMW

 

 

 

[Heath]

Welcome Becky1989!

no sleep is very common in wd. This is a biggy  . There are many things we can do to help this without drugs. You will find some tips and good information here. 
 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/25270-tips-to-help-sleep-so-many-of-us-have-that-awful-withdrawal-insomnia/

 

[Becky1989]

I've read a lot of information on here and am familiar with the protocols you use. Its been very helpful and I'm so grateful I found this place I realize many of my supplements are contraindicated and it's not without a lot of thought and consideration that I'm taking them. The relief I get from ashwagandha at night is currently something I'm considering worthy of ultimately making my progress slower. This process is tough, and maybe I'm messing up. I can't make progress if I can't survive this. I've started smoking pot before bed and this is hugely helpful for my sleep. I don't think this is ideal (for many reasons) and I also don't see how else I can grt through unless I'm institutionalized until this passes. I have to be able to sleep and hobble through my days. 

I found the comment about my doctor prescribing a dose of Lexapro that's possibly damaging to my heart to be really unhelpful and upsetting. I'm not saying that I shouldn't be aware of this, and I'm glad that I am. But it's possible my heart is ok or that ultimately my heart isn't going to affect the quality of my life. This is absolutely terrifying and there are more positive and supportive ways to reveal the damaging effects of medications. I hope the duality of my sincere appreciation and dissatisfaction can be held. I needed to express this, and it doesn't take away from how helpful this guidance has been.

I am really glad I found this place and thank you for the support. It means so much

[Escitalopram21]

Hello Becky1989!

How are you doing? I am following your thread since i have been on 20 mg of Lexapro too and cold turkeyed last year not knowing about wd. 
i was experiencing horrible symptoms last autumn, trust me; it gets better.

[Becky1989]

Thank you for sharing this! I'm hanging in there. I guess I also wonder at times if this really is withdrawal 

[manymoretodays]

Hi there Becky1989, and welcome aboard,

On 12/26/2022 at 4:48 AM, Becky1989 said:

I guess I also wonder at times if this really is withdrawal 

I think it's a shoe in for being WD(withdrawal).  Yours appears to have been a rapid or fast taper down to 2.5 mg.  I could not even get from 5 mg Lexapro(escitalopram) to 3 mg, without experiencing severe WD.

 

What we generally endorse is what is called a harm reduction protocol for tapering:

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

and then the 10% off is based on each previous dose, not the starting dosage

Tips for tapering off escitalopram(Lexapro)

 

And not trying to upset you any further.  It's just I don't know what you have seen or read here to date.

You can use this page, your page, as a bit of a library of sorts, with things to look at when able.  And also it is the best place to communicate with us, ask questions, give updates......around your specifics.

 

Sounds like it is still pretty rough at times.

Windows?

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

More on supplements and testing:

Important topics about tests, supplements, treatments, and diets

and you'll see a whole bunch of indexed topics in the first post there

 

I'm not quite certain when you reached your present dose of 2.5 mg of Lexapro.  Would you put a date into your signature please, that you reached that dose?  Here's the quick access link to get there from here:  AccountSettings/signature/edits  Be sure and hit the Save button at the bottom when you do that.  And then what was your previous dose before you dropped to 2.5 mg of Lexapro?

 

I found your Quviviq listed:

https://www.drugs.com/dosage/quviviq.html

I'm not too familiar with this one at all, so will be studying myself.

 

Are you in the habit of checking on drugs and also drug interactions?  Most aren't.  And so would you go to Drugs.com again, and check your current drugs and supplements for interactions?

Then please post a link to that report, or copy and paste.

Thank you.

So often we do find conflicting drug(s) being used or ones that do not work well together.

And so it could be important.

 

Depending on that, the date.....and when your symptoms got worse......you might be a  good candidate for an updose of a small amount of Lexapro.

Please have a look at:

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

you would be updosing rather than reinstating, but it might offer some relief to your symptoms

 

What are your current WD(withdrawal) symptoms.  You can take a look at this to see.  Go to the downloadable PDF.

Dr. Glenmullen's withdrawal symptom checklist

 

Some more basics:

 

Brain Remodelling

What is withdrawal syndrome.

 

Again, welcome aboard.    Do tell us more.  Or how we might be helpful.

And sending healing.

 

Love, peace, healing, and growth,

moderator manymoretodays(mmt)

Edited December 27, 2022 by manymoretodays
clarity