crosscannan 8 years on Lex 10mg, never able to withstand the mental torture when trying to get off....

[crosscannan]

Got prescribed lexapro when I got sober in 2006.  I wasn't depressed or anxious, but was told it would allow my brain ( which had taken a beating from 15 years of heavy drug and alcohol abuse ) to function more normally, thus making my recovery a little easier.  

I have tried to get off Lex about 6 times in the past 7-8 years and have never lasted more than a couple of weeks bc I go INSANE.  Sobriety has been a blessing to say the least- I am now married with a 6 and 7 year old.  I have been working in the field of addiction since I got sober and hold the highest position at a well known center.  BC of my home and professional life, I cannot take the withdrawal.  I am a danger to myself, my family and colleagues.  Once I give in to the psychotic episodes of the wd, I will chew up a lex and almost instantly feel normal.  

I am a slave to this rx and to big pharma and I want to use my position to one day further expose these life taking whores for the pain they cause.   Thats a story for another day...

I have been of 10mg of Lex ( dosage has always been 10mg ) for a month now and have come further than I ever have before.  I went and saw a doc who has had success with some for getting off AD's and she gave me a host of daily supplements ( no 5-htp though ) such as vitamin b,d and also prescribed me Gabapentin 100mg 2x daily along with Tramadol 50mg PRN.  The Gabapentin is for the zaps and the PRN tramamdol is for when is go looney.  Both actually work well.  The zaps have been minimal and if I suddenly have a rage attack, the tramadol does calm me down once it kicks in.  Almost like a xanax would......

 

I still am struggling though.  One day I am ok and the next day I am a walking time bomb who can through his fist through anything and any given moment over the smallest thing...  

I feel I am loosing my family as they are keeping their distance from me ( as they should) bc I'm so unpredictable.  I do not care to put them or myself through this any longer.  

Glad you guys are here with your real voices and stories.  Much like recovery, it is the like-minded people who get us well and not all the colored bullsh*t medications and docs. 

What do you guys and gals feel I should do?  I have read about reinstatement, so Im guessing that since my dosage was 10mg for all these years, and its only been a month, I should start taking 5mg/day? Of course I will quit the other meds if I'm advised to go this route taking full responsibility for it.

Today I woke up feeling pretty good, but that can change in a nano second.  Please help.  Thank you all and thank you for the best gift of all- hope......

[mammaP]

Hi Crosscannan, first, congratulations on beating the alcohol and for all the work you do to help others.

 

I am actually appalled at the doctor who prescribed drugs that you didn't need, and equally appalled

with the doctor that gave you  gabapentin and tramadol to take along with lexapro. I just put your drugs

into the interactions checker and this is what appeared. I knew straight away that the tramadol and

lexapro are a no-no together but had to check the gabapentin. 

Tramadol is an opiate and highly addictive, although doctors will say that is not so, because that is

what the drug companies tell them! 

 

My guess is that the combo is making things worse.  How long have you been taking the gabapentin

and tramadol?  We need to know how long and at what doses in order to offer the best advice. 

It would also help if you can put that info in your sig line for us. It will appear at the bottom of all your posts

and save us having to go back through the thread.  Here is how to do that.

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Here is the result from the drug interactions checker..Welcome to SA, it's good that you are here .

 

Interactions between your selected drugs

tramadol ↔ escitalopram

Applies to: tramadol, Lexapro (escitalopram)

Talk to your doctor before using traMADol together with escitalopram. Combining these medications can increase the risk of a rare but serious condition called the serotonin syndrome, which may include symptoms such as confusion, hallucination, seizure, extreme changes in blood pressure, increased heart rate, fever, excessive sweating, shivering or shaking, blurred vision, muscle spasm or stiffness, tremor, incoordination, stomach cramp, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. Severe cases may result in coma and even death. You should contact your doctor immediately if you experience these symptoms while taking the medications. Using traMADol with escitalopram may also increase the risk of seizures not related to the serotonin syndrome. The interaction may be more likely if you are elderly, undergoing alcohol or drug withdrawal, have a history of seizures, or have a condition affecting the central nervous system such as a brain tumor or head trauma. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Avoid driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Switch to professional interaction data

gabapentin ↔ tramadol

Applies to: gabapentin, tramadol

Using gabapentin together with traMADol may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience some impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Avoid driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Switch to professional interaction data

gabapentin ↔ escitalopram

Applies to: gabapentin, Lexapro (escitalopram)

Using gabapentin together with escitalopram may increase side effects such as dizziness, drowsiness, and difficulty concentrating. Some people may also experience some impairment in thinking and judgment. You should avoid or limit the use of alcohol while being treated with these medications. Avoid driving or operating hazardous machinery until you know how the medications affect you. It is important to tell your doctor about all other medications you use, including vitamins and herbs. Do not stop using any medications without first talking to your doctor.

Switch to professional interaction data

No other interactions were found between your selected drugs.
Note: this does not necessarily mean no interactions exist. ALWAYS consult with your doctor or pharmacist.

Other drugs that your selected drugs interact with

• gabapentin interacts with more than 200 other drugs.
• tramadol interacts with more than 300 other drugs.
• Lexapro (escitalopram) interacts with more than 500 other drugs.

Google Facebook Twitter Print Email

See also...

• Go to interactions checker
• Print this page
• Email these results to a friend/patient
• Ask questions/find answers in the Drugs.com Community

 

 

Drug Interaction Classification

The classifications below are a guideline only. The relevance of a particular drug interaction to a specific patient is difficult to determine using this tool alone given the large number of variables that may apply.

Major Highly clinically significant. Avoid combinations; the risk of the interaction outweighs the benefit. Moderate Moderately clinically significant. Usually avoid combinations; use it only under special circumstances. Minor Minimally clinically significant. Minimize risk; assess risk and consider an alternative drug, take steps to circumvent the interaction risk and/or institute a monitoring plan.

Do not stop taking any medications without consulting your healthcare provider.

Disclaimer: Every effort has been made to ensure that the information provided by Multum is accurate, up-to-date and complete, but no guarantee is made to that effect. In addition, the drug information contained herein may be time sensitive and should not be utilized as a reference resource beyond the date hereof. This material does not endorse drugs, diagnose patients, or recommend therapy. Multum's information is a reference resource designed as supplement to, and not a substitute for, the expertise, skill, knowledge, and judgement of healthcare practitioners in patient care. The absence of a warning for a given drug or combination thereof in no way should be construed to indicate that the drug or combination is safe, effective, or appropriate for any given patient. Multum Information Services, Inc. does not assume any responsibility for any aspect of healthcare administered with the aid of information Multum provides. Copyright 2000-2014 Multum Information Services, Inc. The information contained herein is not intended to cover all possible uses, directions, precautions, warnings, drug interactions, allergic reactions, or adverse effects. If you have questions about the drugs you 

[Rhiannon]

PLEASE read over the links and information in our tapering section. We recommend no more than a 10% cut (that would be 1 mg max) at a time and then hold that for at least four to six weeks. In your case, with your multiple attempts in the past, you are probably excessively sensitized to cuts and I would recommend cutting no more than half a milligram at once.

 

Most of us find that we don't tolerate supplements well in withdrawal and tapering, particularly B vitamins. Most people do okay with fish oil and magnesium, which are the only ones we recommend. Vitamin D is important if you need it, some people find it too stimulating, others do fine with it.

 

I too am appalled that your doctor put you on other drugs. I have taken gabapentin and tramadol both and they both screw with neurotransmitters just as much as Lexapro does. I had to taper very slowly off the gabapentin but was able to get off of it eventually. 

 

So it sounds like you recently tried to get off the 10 mg Lexapro and then got back on it again?

 

My recommendation would be, first, don't take those new drugs, that's just a whole new can of worms. I can't tell you how many people we get in here who ended up on psych drug "cocktails" this way, and usually ended up not only miserable but often disabled, lost jobs, homes, etc.  I've literally worked with hundreds of people trying to get off psych drugs now and this path is consistently disastrous.

 

Second, stay on your 10 mg Lexapro for a few months now, until you've stabilized from all the ons and offs and ups and downs you've put yourself through. (I did that myself for years, trying to get off but never tapering methodically and slowly, always hitting the wall and having to go back on.)

 

Third, use the time that you're holding your dose and stabilizing to educate yourself; read through the threads on this forum, read everything here about tapering Lexapro, read all the stuff about tapering in general; read Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker; check out the Beyond Meds website and the Mad In America website, if you want, for background about psychiatry and why doctors don't know anything about withdrawal.

 

Learn about how to do a proper, safe, methodical taper. Given your history as you describe it, you absolutely can get off this drug permanently and safely. But it's going to take much longer than you'd like and you'll need to do it slowly and methodically.

 

Oh and PS I am also appalled that they put you on Lexapro to make your brain work "more normally". That's ridiculous and there is no scientific background for that anywhere, whatsoever. All the science indicates that it does the opposite. Incredibly irresponsible. Ridiculous. You could probably sue them.

[Rhiannon]

Oh, and another PS, you didn't say how long you've been taking the gabapentin and tramadol. Don't stop those cold turkey! I don't know as much about tramadol, but somebody else who does will chime in. For sure with the gabapentin, though, do a taper. If you've only been taking it a couple of weeks you can probably tolerate a pretty fast taper with larger cuts, but you'll need to listen to your body on that.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, crosscannan.

 

You are a person who's sensitive to dosage reductions. You'll need to taper gradually and systematically to go off Lexapro. If I were you, I'd go back on 5mg Lexapro, stabilize, and taper from there. Lexapro comes in a liquid for easier titration.

 

See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3079-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-stop-withdrawal-symptoms/

and http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/406-tips-for-tapering-off-lexapro-escitalopram/

 

The idea is to go off so gradually you don't get brain zaps and other withdrawal symptoms, rather than take other drugs to deal with them.

 

As mammaP and Rhi said, that drug cocktail has its own risks. Your doctor means well but she should be more informed about careful tapering. Perhaps you can explain it to her.

 

How long have you been on and how often do you take gabapentin and tramadol?

[crosscannan]

Thank you everybody.  I have not had time yet to put my history on my tag line but will follow instructions this evening.

So the doc I saw told me to take my 10mg of lex every other day for a week and then stop lex all together.  My last dosage of lex was 1 month ago.  Immediately after stopping the lex is when I was instructed to and started taking the gabepenitn 2x daily- 100mg night and 100mg in the morning.  This was to keep the brain zaps at bay ( which helped, but definitely didn't eliminate).  The 50mg of tramadol was prescribed as needed and to be taken when I have one of my nuclear meltdown.  The tramadol defiantly did help calm me down, but I don't like the way that sh*t makes me feel, so try not to take it...  

Today I through the flag after I lost my sh*t over nothing and decided to quit all the meds and start taking lex again at the dosage of 5mg a day until I can adequately inform myself on what to do next.  I am not to concerned about any WD from the gabepentin, I could never tell it was even in my system.  I could be naive, but bc I have detoxed from heroin many times during my youth, I feel this would be a cake walk.  The physical side of WD doesn't bother me, its the mental torture / insanity that scares the sh*t out of me.

Now my wife thinks I am a basket case and my behavior has thrown a wedge between us and she is encouraging me to go see yet another doc bc she thinks Im bipolar.  This of course makes since given my erratic behavior, but I feel in my soul I am a product of medication and REFUSE to go get assessed again and put on what, zyprexa?  Not happening.

I wish she understood more.  My story is a carbon copy of so many others on here and my heart hurts for what all of you and your families have had to endure.   So much misunderstanding....  

Even after taking just 5mg of lex today, i feel better than i have in weeks.  My wife is still scared of me though.  Whenever she tries to talk with me about it, I go nuts and start punching walls.  I am a complete lunatic.  I would never hurt her or my children, but I can absolutely see how scary it must be for her.  The best word to describe me is....FRAGILE.

I am a very loving man who wants nothing more than to get my life back.  I hope this makes sense.....

[mammaP]

That makes perfect sense!  I do think you should be very very careful with tramadol 

if you have had addiction to heroin in the past. It is an opiate painkiller similar to morphine

and ....heroin. I take it for pain and know about it if I miss a dose even though I only take 2 per day.

That is next on my list for tapering.    

 

It's good that the lex has helped, I would stick with the 5mg for at least 6 weeks, or even longer if

you need to.   Gabapentin also needs tapering but because you have only been on it for a month

you may be able to go a bit faster but we don't usually recommend tapering 2 drugs at once. 

 

Magnesium can be calming and along with fish oil are the ones we tend to recommend for withdrawal.

The fish oil definitely helps me with the dizziness and brain zaps. 

 

Maybe your wife could take a look at this site? I can understand why she is scared, it is very frightening when

someone you love becomes angry and aggressive but knowing what it is and that it will pass makes things 

more bearable for everyone. 

[Altostrata]

I'm sorry, crosscannan, that doctor knows nothing about safe withdrawal. Many people here have been similarly misinformed. If I were you, I would not take any more advice about psychiatric drugs from that doctor.

 

Any doctor can prescribe liquid Lexapro, it doesn't have to be a psychiatrist.

 

If I were you, I would not take any more tramadol.

[Nikki]

Ditto.....I am appalled too....you went  thru getting sober to be told to take Lexapro to straighten your brain out...that doctor needs swift kick in the rear.

 

You didn't say you had problems with Lexapro, just that you tried 6-7 times to get off of it.

 

Would you consider going back on Lexapro to stabilize....10mgs. is not a terribly huge dose.  I was on 20mgs.

 

MamaP pointed out the drug interactions.  Lexapro comes in a liquid.  At some point in time after you have given yourself a much needed rest from all of this you may want to purchase the liquid and you can make very tiny drops in dose that way.

[Jemima]

Also, please keep in mind that Lexapro is two to three times as strong as other antidepressants, so a 1 mg. cut is like cutting by 2 or 3 mg. of nearly every other antidepressant out there. A 10 mg. dose is the standard dose that most doctors prescribe, but it's the equivalent of 20-30 mg. of Paxil, Prozac, et cetera.  Your doctor's advice to take a 10 mg. tablet every other day for a week and then quit is downright cruel.  I know, because I did the every-other day "taper" (although at 2.5 mg.). I "tapered"  10 mg. of Lexapro over four months and have spent over two years since then recovering from withdrawal.  (You can read my story by clicking on the link in my signature, below.)

 

I'm glad you found us, and glad that the 5 mg. of Lexapro is working.  If your angry outbursts don't stop in four to five days, you might want to increase the dose a bit. If you're able to get the liquid by then, it will be easier to try some small increments rather than cutting a tablet, which isn't very accurate.

 

Welcome to the forum, crosscannan.

[Altostrata]

If 5mg seems to be working, don't get anxious and jump to 10mg. If 5mg works, it will be less for you to taper.