Kachna: Lexapro discontinuation syndrome

[Kachna]

Thanks Equanity,

It just started so unexpectedly, and i was not taking this shite for long. I cannot sleep because of this as i am worried to move in the bed to make the swaying /vertigo worse. I do have a problem with my neck as well but it has not caused dizziness. My lordosis is to flat and bending hurts.

I am anxious that something will happen to me as the feeling is horrible.

I am taking vitamine d, magnesium and will come back to fish oil and see. I have never seen the difference with or without fish oil.

Like everyone else i just want it to end. I just woke up and i could not sleep at all.

[Equanimity]

Hi Kachna,

 

I know exactly what you are going through.  It really frightened me too.  One can start imagining all kinds of terrible things.  That is one of the reasons I joined this blog.  Kinda like misery loves company thing.  Knowing that someone else has the same symptoms as me after getting off the same kind of drugs as I did, somehow helps me to know THAT IT WILL GO AWAY AT SOME POINT!

 

The best we both can do is to remain calm because if we tense up and get ourselves crazy afraid, we will just end up causing ourselves extra anxiety and it does interfere with our sleep.  When we don't get the proper sleep, we then get anxious some more.  It is a vicious cycle.  Like a dog chasing it's tail.  

 

We are smarter than dogs, so let's both try to remain calm.  I didn't sleep so great last night, but when I am not able to sleep, I remain in a quiet meditative state instead of getting up and wringing my hands about it.  You know?

 

There are guided meditation videos all over youtube.com  Find some that feel helpful to you and get into the habit of just trying to calm your breath and then it will calm your mind.  Just type in the term, "guided meditation," in the search bar there.

 

I am sending you Love and Light.

[Kachna]

Hi Equanimity , thanks for kind words. I do try meditation , the healing codes as well. Not only do i have this after drug misery i also have back condition, lower back and neck. I know it will go away, but when you cannot sit due to the pain it is annoying.

I hate when anxiety strikes, each wave is different.

I see your history is so " rich" . I keep repeating - it is not my fault, with the time it is a bit easier .. But i still keep thinking- what if i had not taken the drugs...

Today i am swaying all the time.

Sending love and warm wishes

[Equanimity]

Kachna,

 

Don't get the "If Onlies," as I call them.  If only I didn't do that, if only I didn't this and so forth.  How many things in Life can we do that to successfully?  The answer is: None.  We can not change the past, we can only learn from it.  We can grow from this experience.  I know I am.

 

Also, it is NOT your fault.  However, I have gotten past the blame thing.  I have moved on from that only because it does not serve me at all.  We actually end up punishing ourselves twice by harboring any blame or hatred.  "They" don't know we are still angry, it does not effect "them."  It only effects and harms us by holding on to that negative energy.

 

Try to find meaning.  That is what has helped me the most.  I have been reading metaphysical writings since I was nineteen.  There are thousands of talks on youtube that I listen to when my eyes are too tired to read.  I just close my eyes and listen.

 

You will find with the "swaying," that the sensation will eventually change a little.  That will tell you that it is not permanent.  That's how I know, for both of us, it will go away.  I am feeling it less at the moment and for that I am grateful.

 

Hope this helps.

[Kachna]

Hey,

I like the thing with listening and just lying down. Will calm down and maybe pain will not be so annoying. I am now releasing IF and MY FAULT emotions. It is never a one day process.

Finding the meaning- another tricky one. I will find it.

Are you feeling ok today?

Sending love and hugs

[Equanimity]

Hi Kachna,

 

Glad you are releasing the IF and MY FAULT emotions!  Every journey begins with one step.  One day, POOF, they will suddenly be gone.  Since you have the intention to release them, they will go when you are ready.

 

I am feeling better today.  Thank you for asking.  You may be interested in this:  I think taking extra virgin organic coconut oil has helped with the vertigo! I have also been taking krill oil, which is fish oil, but it comes from the antarctic, which makes it cleaner.  It is also more potent, where you take less of it and get the same benefits as you get from regular fish oil.

 

Even though I had some waking up anxiety in the middle of the night and in the morning, I actually slept okay.  When I sleep, the vertigo seems better.  I am not swaying as much.  The "boat" I am on is in calm waters today.

 

I am remaining calm and hoping you do the same.  We WILL get through this!  Glad you are out there.

 

Love and Hugs back to you!!

[Kachna]

Hey, glad you are feeling better. I went to osteopath yesterday, we will see. This swaying is annoying so i am trying to sleep as much as i can. Sometimes it is not possible. As said, lorazepan creates viscious circle. It calms down but gives anxiety.

I am trying to listen to meditations and relaxation music.

We WILL go through this!

Hugs and warm greetings

[Kachna]

Hi Equanimity, how are u feeling.

My swaying drives me crazy. I walk with nordic walkig sticks. And my heart arrythmias got worse.

I took these drugs only for few months and i still cannot compahend that they are so powerful so many weeks after quiting.

Have a great day

[Cookson]

I am now releasing IF and MY FAULT emotions. It is never a one day process. 

Its good you are releasing yourself of these thought patterns, Shoulda, woulda, coulda thinking doesn't serve anyone!

Hang in there!

 

 

[bubble]

hello Kachna and others on this thread!

 

I came to this thread as a fellow victim of Lexapro (you will see my dosage was initialyl 10 mg for 2 years, but at some points I would reduce it to 5 mg without (big) consequences and then in times of stress up the those again. In short, I was on 5 mg for 6 months before going to 2.5 and then completely off after 2 weeks ;((( I reinstated to 5 after 44 days so I'm still suffering but it seems not so badly as you. Sorry for comparing suffering ;((( I hope you know what I mean...

 

I also hope your symptoms are getting better. I had awful vertigo after discontinuing Zoloft (which went away after reinstating...)

 

Will start a 5 day breathing/meditation workshop since it is very beneficial for me as you also advise. Also started krill oil. Seems to be getting popular in Europe.

 

Warm greetings to all,

 

bubble

[Kachna]

Hi Bubble, thanks for your message , how are you getting on?

 

Hi Guys, i have a question, my neck And head muscles are getting crazy. They contract then let go , this is like constant hair pulling and letting go. It started when i was taking lexarpo and lyrica and benzos from time to time, and ia still have these sensations, they get worse when i bend or sit?

Could this still be related to withdrawal. ? Any tips? I still take magnesium 3 times a day.

Many thanks

[Altostrata]

You might want to try acupuncture, chiropractic, or osteopathic treatment for those symptoms.

[Kachna]

Thanks Alto, doing osteopathy, may try acupuncture. Have bad experience with chiros.

Just wanted to know if this is / can be drug/ withdrawal related

[Altostrata]

Yes, withdrawal syndrome often involves different kinds of pain.

[Kachna]

Hiye, i cannot describe it as pain, it is, as i call it - sensation. Pulling hair -releasing kind of thing, like my muscles went crazy. Anyway, thanks Alto. I will continue with osteopath and will try acupuncture.

[Kachna]

Hi Guys, after 8 months of quitting can i still have depersonalization and balance problems? When i walk i sometimes feel like falling, and i fell as id my legs were not mine

[Petunia]

Hi Kachna,

Do you have these symptoms all the time, or do they come and go?

Petu.

[Nikki]

Hi Kachna.....when I get off of a med I have migratory pain.  It feels like the pain from a flu.  I have found that if I wear socks, and use a warm comforter at bedtime the heat somehow makes the pain go away.  It seems to work all the time.

 

I took cipralex a few years back and it took me a long time to get off of it and after I did, I had WD problems that lasted a good 9 months or so.  It is very common.

 

Switzerland is beautiful all year long, but especially now:)

[Needmylifeback]

I just want to second the idea of ice packs! My migraines were caused by being rearended and having a nerve bundle in my spine pinched. I joke that I was addicted to ice!!! I could not go anywhere without it.... And had at least twenty blue gel packs that I rotated non stop all day long.

 

Then the neurologist began throwing all sorts of these categories of drugs at me, on and off again all very quickly!! It was a really horrible few years. And I went thru a divorce simultaneously. Ice was the one thing that helped without giving me any side effects or negative rebounds.

 

Re: your back pain- I was referred for back surgery seven times due to frayed and bulging discs. I was crawling around on my elbows to care for my family bc I could not bear Any weight!! Not even on my knees. I researched the surgery and chose to work out instead. I focused on weight bearing activities and focused on strengthening my core. My back was at it's worst in 1995 when I was pregnant. I worked out steadily until the car accident in 2002 (with limited ability to work out 95-99 while caring for my terminal child). When the dog pulled me down concrete steps and shattered my hip socket.... I kept asking for a report on how my spine looked after my MRI. The nurse kept telling me that's not where I am injured: I KNOW that!! I am the one who told YOU where I am injured . I wanted to know if my working out had helped improve the condition of my discs!!

 

My back is as healthy as a newborn baby's!! Steady continuous working out that focuses on strengthening the muscles surrounding your area of pain, especially the corresponding muscles in the stomach area, will give your spine the relief and support it needs to repair the damage done!!

 

I hope you have as much success in overcoming back pain as I have and while you're working on it, enjoy your ice packs!!

[Kachna]

Petu, it was much much better for a good while. Balance problems - i can blame neck problems here but the rest started after i had an osteopathic manipulation. It was nothing major. Osteopath unblocked a disc that must've been block for many many months. And then i got my period - very painful and needed to take migraine medication few times (zomig) and the back is still painful. I think my nervous system got amlittle upset and put me in some sort of wave , it have been like this for a week.

I feel so cranky and i am afraid to leave the house .... I keep reminding myself that i did not take these drugs for long and these sensations will go away for good at some stage. I just was not instructed to taper properly , like most of people here.

[Kachna]

Nikki, hi

I use a lot of war packs and electric pillow etc , seems to give some relief .

I am more patient with myslef but sometimes still angry with shrink who gave me this shite.

[Petunia]

... but the rest started after i had an osteopathic manipulation. It was nothing major. Osteopath unblocked a disc that must've been block for many many months. And then i got my period - very painful and needed to take migraine medication few times (zomig) and the back is still painful. I think my nervous system got amlittle upset and put me in some sort of wave , it have been like this for a week.... 

 

It does sound like a wave, possibly triggered by these recent events.  At 8 months out, its still possible for your nervous system to be sensitive to stress and medications.

 

Try not to worry, relax a little more if you can and I'm sure it will pass.

[Kachna]

Thanks Petu, that is what i am trying to do. If it is bad, i take half a tablet of lorazepam. And i am teying not to blame mysle fo this .

The osteopath also told me that with my drug history and too much pain, nervous system can play tricks on me.

Thanks again

[Kachna]

Hi guys, another question, can i still have vertigo spells - withdrawal related? I did not have them for more than a month and they came back at night. The whole room was spinning for few seconds. My puls is again higher thAn normal. And i have like tiny nerve shaking sensations in my left arm and leg.

[Petunia]

Its quite common for symptoms to go away for a while and then come back.  I've actually been experiencing some vertigo the past couple of days, like you, I was sitting in bed and the room was spinning around.

 

Nerve shaking and muscle tremors are also common, I went through a long stage of that.  What I found interesting was that I would get it on one side of my body, then a few days later, I would get the same sensations on the other side.  Try not to worry, these symptoms will pass.

[Kachna]

ThAnks Petu, patience is a virtue. in my case it is always left side of my body. I am trying not to worry and keep repeating myself that my experience with antidepresants was relatively short. I know my taper was not the slowest but if i had listened to the shrink i would have done it in 10 days.

Nerve shaking sensations are not as intense as in August for example. I do see the difference . Bur with back and neck pains , when the wave comes - it is just too much

[Kachna]

Petu, hi , as you are lexarpo expert , do you have arrythmia spella? In my case they come and go, and i am still not sure if they are withdrawal related .?

[Kachna]

Arrytmias and heart pounding (4 days)

[Petunia]

 do you have arrythmia spella? In my case they come and go, and i am still not sure if they are withdrawal related .?

 

I personally haven't had many heart symptoms, but they are common in withdrawal from all AD medications, not just Lexapro.  If this is a new symptom for you (4 days), it may just be a wave and will pass.  If it continues and you are concerned, you could get it checked out, just to be on the safe side.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

[Kachna]

I did have it in withdrawal. Had a heart checked in September. I monitor blood pressure and it is ok.

I did not have vertigo fir the last five days and came back at night. I woke up. Opened my eyes and the room was spinning. And of course i am anxious, i am afraid to turn on my bed as it triggers vertigo. And i am not sure now if this is drug related or neck related. Since i am having physio for my neck now.

Last 4 nights after first vertigo spell on Monday i have been taking half of 1 mg of lorazepam for sleep. Now i think that it makes me more anxious. I am tired today as i could not sleep properly

[Kachna]

Alto, guys

Ia have been taking lorazepan every now and then since august with breaks. Trying to have at least two days in a week witout it: it was mostly half of 1mg for sleeping. Very rarely during the day. However last 3 weeks , i have been taking it for sleep - still half a mg . Yesterday i decided i would try to sleep withot it. I could not fall asleep, still cannot , it is 5 am for me. When i am lying down i feel like falling, had a dream about leavng my body , have a fear like sensations in my chest. Is this withdrawal of any kind ? For such low dosis ?

I also had an osteopathic treatment for my neck, not manipulation, more muscles stretching.

Shall i come back on a quarter of a dosis or something ?

My pulse is more or less ok 80-90 and blood pressure was 125/9o yesterday. I feel like shaking inside. Especially left arm and left leg.

Sorry for typing mistakes.

[Kachna]

And heartburn i have as well

[Petunia]

Ia have been taking lorazepan every now and then since august with breaks. Trying to have at least two days in a week witout it: it was mostly half of 1mg for sleeping. Very rarely during the day. However last 3 weeks , i have been taking it for sleep - still half a mg . Yesterday i decided i would try to sleep withot it. I could not fall asleep, still cannot , it is 5 am for me. ........... Is this withdrawal of any kind ? For such low dosis ?

 

 

It sounds like you may have become dependent on Lorazepam for sleeping.  Dependency is not caused by dose but by how often you take it, taking a benzo more often than 2 -3 times a week can easily cause an addiction which then requires tapering.  I think your not being able to sleep now is a withdrawal symptom from Lorazepam.  I'm not sure what to advise, maybe someone else with more experience of this drug may be able to help.

[Kachna]

Thanks Petu a lot . I will wait till someone responds .

I do not know, maybe i am agan in some sort of a wave

Again. I am being treated for chronic pain. And it is done stepmby step. Each change is a shock

For my body. Especially neck area that has been stiff for months.

So after last osteopathic treatment , when muscles eventually let go i am feeling anxious and dizzy and my left arm is shaking inside.

I am waking up anxious.

Still taking lorazepam for sleep. I spoke with my therapist that i will stay on this till neck story stabilizes as i cannot try to kill too many birds with one stone. As it has not worked for me so far .

[Kachna]

Anyone with a benzo helping hAnd? I am getting fear and anxiety artacks at night. I cannot catch my breath... Sits in a chest

[Petunia]

Try posting in the benzo section to get some help with Lorazepam.  Do you get the night time fear and anxiety after you have taken it, or before?

 

Benzo section is here:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/29-members-only-benzo-tapering-discussion/