Tompee: Need help with taper off Lexapro

[Petunia]

I finally got back to Normal 90% today. all anxiety are almost gone

 

I'm glad to hear you are feeling better after your miserable week, its great that you got through it without taking any other meds, you are well on your way to making a good recovery now.

 

Petu

[Meimeiquest]

Hi Tompee,

 

Welcome! I am a bit irrational about this, so hope others will correct me as needed. I took Zyprexa for over 6 years. It is classified as an antipsychotic (treatment for psychosis) or a major tranquilizer (benzos are minor tranquilizers), We are talking big guns here, with major potential side effects. But, yes, you will sleep...and sleep. But I will grant that 2.5 mg is a low dose. I so regret taking that drug.

 

I believe that any drug that makes you sleep or feel more relaxed will cause insomnia as it is withdrawn. It is probably the most difficult withdrawal symptom. But just accepting that process has helped me.

 

I wish you the best!

 

Meimeiquest

[Altostrata]

Glad to hear the good news, Tompee.

 

Please be prepared for occasional waves as you stabilize....Stay strong, carry on.

[tompee]

it's strange. I feel fine until yesterday

today i'm getting dizzy/light headache and still hearing a ringing in the ear , muscle stiffness from the back of the neck upto the back of the head.

is this possible withdrawal lasting for a month even though i have re-instated ?

[flower]

Oh yes very much so.

[tompee]

Guys I'm not sure is this withdrawal from lexapro 8 days ago or possible relapse, I'm having a intense anxiety worse and worse On the 8th of the lexapro switchs, Even after seroxat kicked in 4 days ago, first I was feeling better but then yesterday and today I have worse severe headache, brain zap, anxiety, heart pounding,,,, what is going on,

[Altostrata]

Sounds like withdrawal.

[tompee]

The doc had to reinstate me to 10 mg because I was constantly nervous...he said just switching won't cause this witdrawal

[Jemima]

Did you reinstate 10 mg. of Lexapro? I'm confused. It seems you've made so many changes to your meds recently that your drug history is no longer up to date. Would you please clarify what you are taking right now?

[tompee]

Seroxat 10 mg now. doctor told me it's been a month already my situation is currently worrisome. must go upto 10 mg to delete all the worrisome away at once because right now. even the drug stabilised me but my worries will continue to get heavier..

[Petunia]

Glad to hear the good news, Tompee.

 

Please be prepared for occasional waves as you stabilize....Stay strong, carry on.

 

 

It sounds like you had a window, when you were feeling 90% normal, and then you got some anxiety and worry back, which is called a wave.

 

Read through this thread which explains it:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

 

I hope someone else will advise you about medication because I think going back onto 10mg of Seroxat might not have been a good decision, I'm also a bit confused.

[Altostrata]

Doctors believe the way to treat adverse psychiatric drug effects is to add more drugs.

 

As you know, Tompee, we believe when the nervous system is sensitized by withdrawal, if you attempt reinstating or remedication, it's best to start at a very, very low dose to see if it helps. If you start at a high dose -- which you have -- you may get adverse effects of excessive activation from the drug.

 

I realize you are getting one type of advice from your doctor and another type here. It is difficult to shake off our cultural beliefs that doctors know best. I want you to be aware that you need to determine if a course of treatment is helping you or making you worse. If making you worse, the sensible thing to do is to REDUCE the dosage, not increase it.

 

If you decide to do this, this topic explains how to titrate Paxil http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/405-tips-for-tapering-off-paxil-paroxetine/

 

Having said that, I don't have any more advice to add.

[tompee]

Oh my god, I have to idea about this wave thing,,, the nervous was so intense and the neck was so tighten, feel like the dose wasn't enough..

[Altostrata]

IT'S MORE LIKELY YOU'RE TAKING TOO MUCH PAXIL AND YOU'RE HAVING AN ADVERSE REACTION TO IT.

[tompee]

Anyone successfully using Prozac in fast tapering off antidepressant ? please advice your method.

i'm on Lexapro 5 mg for only 3 weeks.. i drop down to 2.5 mg ( feeling not so good ).. somebody tell me to add Prozac in..please advise.

[tompee]

eg. 2.5 mg Lexapro everyday and 5mg Prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 2.5 mg lexapro everyday for 2 weeks.

then 1.25 mg lexapro everyday and 2.5 mg prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 1.25 mg lexapro everday for 2 weeks.

then 0.6 mg lexapro everyday and 1.25 mg prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 0.6 mg lexapro everyday for 2 weeks. then off..

anyone familiar with this method. or other similar methods?

[Skyler]

eg. 2.5 mg Lexapro everyday and 5mg Prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 2.5 mg lexapro everyday for 2 weeks.

then 1.25 mg lexapro everyday and 2.5 mg prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 1.25 mg lexapro everday for 2 weeks.

then 0.6 mg lexapro everyday and 1.25 mg prozac every other day for 2 weeks.

then 0.6 mg lexapro everyday for 2 weeks. then off..

anyone familiar with this method. or other similar methods?

 

I have never heard of adding an AD temporarily get off another in the way you suggest.  In addition, dosing every other day will unsettle your nervous system and make you more susceptible to WD symptoms.  Lastly, lexapro and Prozac work differently, so if you dosed with Prozac every day it would not help.  Please do not subject your nervous system to this. And thankfully, I have not heard of an approach like this before.  You might want to read about tapering by 10%.

 

Tompee... The way you are responding to getting off Lexapro is partly conditioned by your past drug experience.  Usually folks can get off ADs without a complete taper if they have been on for less than a month (there are always exceptions), but your history looks involved and this would be a factor.  Why don't you post about this further in your intro thread.  I'm sorry you are having difficulty getting off the Lexapro.

 

Skyler

[Altostrata]

Never alternate dosages of psychiatric drugs. For information about switching to Prozac, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1463-the-prozac-switch-or-bridging-with-prozac/

[tompee]

hi, just to keep updated. i have been fortunately quit all benzo and lexapro by following the book call "antidepressant solution by dr.glen mullen" so here i am at day 16 away from all the meds, however i have been helped by homeopathy practitioner ( natural remedies ) and acupuncture , plus chinese herb for lessen anxiety and sleep aid. i have heard from somepeople that homeopathy can actually cure the anxiety and panic disorder within 2 weeks for some prople who never been on anti depressant before but i was way too late to come to their clinic but it still helped a lot to cover up its withdrawal.

 

however the withdrawal still didnt end as the dr.glen mullen's book show its ending with 14 days period, summary i may still experiencing window and wave. the wave is so intense that i feel like it is a relapse. does anyone has a technique to shorten the wave or to soothing the anxiety during the night by natural way.?

 

i have been told to use valerian root for anxiety. it works not so great for me. its very short acting and i dont know, can it be addicted like benzo. the wave are so heavy but the day time it dies down. i was wondering how you guys deal with sleeping because the anxiety quiet a problem for me or is there anyway for fasten up the recovering.please suggest, any experience are welcome

 

also just want to say that i am really happy that i csn finally stop all the med and thanks many of you guys for supporting. right now things are not so smooth

 

but the whole picture , i can see the improvement

 

Thanks

[Petunia]

Hi Tompee,

 

Thank you for posting an update.  I merged this post with your original thread so its easier to keep track of your progress.

 

Its very good that you have seen some improvement, but I'm sorry you are still having withdrawal symptoms.  You may have tapered too fast, I'm not familiar with the details of the book you mentioned, although I have heard of it.

 

If you update your signature with details of how you tapered, it will be easier to offer suggestions.

 

Valerian didn't work for me either, in fact it made me feel worse.

 

Petu.

[tompee]

signature added. As Dr glen mullen graph shows in his book about all the syndrome that is to be expected and resolved with in 14-20 days after the drop. it actually true. until the last drop which im completely off. the hardest was day 6-9 then everything become better but suddenly it strike me hard on day 14-15 with totally anxiety during the night and heavy tremor.

anyone got any solution ? im totally not reinstating this. i am strong enough to deal with this as long as it takes. what come may come! grrrrt

[Petunia]

It looks like you have been making 50% Lexapro cuts every 3 weeks, then cold turkey off 1.25mg. 

 

We generally recommend 10% cuts every 4 weeks, going much lower than 1.25mg before stopping.  From the experiences of lots of members here, this is what seems to cause the least withdrawal symptoms.  So based on what you have written, I would think you are in fact having withdrawal symptoms.

 

When did you last take a benzo?  How did you withdraw from those?

 

Some people are more sensitive to these medications and have to go slower.  You may be one of these people.

 

But as you do not want to consider reinstating, I wont suggest it.

 

Have a look through this topic which contains lots of information on how to naturally manage withdrawal symptoms, there are no instant cures, but some people find that some things help to reduce some symptoms slightly.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/

 

Perhaps others will have some suggestions.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

 

Petu/

 

 

[tompee]

thanks petu

maybe i will try magnesium tomorrow. really need something to calm my heart down at night. especially at night my anxiety is really a troublesome. any other experience please suggest

[tompee]

i took my last benzo a month ago

quit from a low dose of 5 mg of tranxene.

i have using natural chinese herb for calming effectinstead. not really as good as benzo but it's still natural stuff. i still need benzo sometimes like once in every two week. in case of some night that w/d spike up too hard to sleep

[Altostrata]

Many people do well with fish oil and magnesium supplements, see http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

[tompee]

damn. anxiety was really heavy last night. i have to take tranxene. it's already 3 days of the wave. can this be relapse? what to do

[tompee]

alto, how long is your window and wave? how is your sleeping , does it ever get back to normal without anxiety before sleeping?

[Altostrata]

See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

[tompee]

would weening by 10% skip the window and wave experience?

[Petunia]

From what I have learned from reading these forums it seems that when people taper slowly, even when making a 10% cut, there can be a return of symptoms for a few days until stability is reached, but the symptoms seem easier to tolerate than when tapering too fast or going cold turkey.

 

But of course everyone is different and if your nervous system is already sensitized, its going to take a while to stabilize again when you do reinstate.  That's if its possible to reinstate.

 

I tapered too fast and so I can't tell you about my experience.  Perhaps others will share their experiences of what its like when you do taper properly.

[tompee]

i think i drop quiet quick too

i have been sleeping only 4 hours a day because of anxiety keep waking me up. i used valerian root as a sleep aid every night but still find my self wake up at 4 am

do you experience the same? is it getting better?

[tompee]

alto, i just want to ask one question please. when does the normal sleep pattern return ? after your last drop.

[Altostrata]

Dr. Glenmullen's method is faster than the one we've recommended before in your topic.

 

It will take time for your withdrawal symptoms, including sleep problems, to go away. 4 hours of sleep a night is not too bad for withdrawal syndrome.

 

Yes, that will take some time to heal.See Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

[tompee]

4 hours is where i slept at 2 am - 4 am and body kinda jerk up automatically (tremor) and cant fall to sleep until 6 am and wake around 8 am again. it is pretty miserably , lol

i seen you taking Arginine and magnisium and phosphatidylserine in some post not sure which one works or did help improving your sleeps the most? thank you very much alto

[Altostrata]

Magnesium is something I take very consistently. Please read the topics on arginine and phosphatidylserine in the Symptoms forum and see if you'd like to try them. They affect people differently.

[tompee]

i feel it feel it feel it. magnisium did help calm me down. i still feeling high cortisol or anxiety (i dunno what is that heart keep jumping but i slept thru.

i took vitamin c and magnisium melatonin and slept from 11 pm -4 am then take valerian and i slept 6 am to 10 pm the is 9 hours combination that i havent experienced for month!!! thank you very much!!