Ignacio

[Ignacio]

Hello there! I have been reading this site for a few days and I have decided to share my story with you.

 

In october 2010 I started to have quite strong OCD symptoms but they were all bearable. I didnt understand what was happening to me so I felt even more anxious. I told my parents on December that same year. They are very supportive but they didnt quite understand me so I started going to a therapist but he didnt really put much attention.

 

I had my up and downs but finally in February 2012, when I had just given a scholarship, I became depressed as my anxiety had worsed. My parents were aware of my situation and not knowing much about this topic they did the best they could and sent me to se a psyquiatrist who put me in 20 mg of fluoxetine. 

 

I also started seeing a Gestalt therapist which has helped me a lot. I got better until July 2013 when I got really Deppressed and highly misunderstood.

 

Thing went on like this but I gave my first year at University a try. I got better but I was living in a way I couldnt bear anymore and left my degree in March 2014. This was seen as if depression had been the cause. But for me it had more meanings.

 

My parents, frightened and uninformed took me to another psychiatrist who switched my medication to 10 mg of escitalopram and 0.5 occasional clonazepam for sleep the 20th of May 2010. I was quite resistant and havent been taking the 10 mg daily as I felt quite rebelious to the way my problem was seen. A few weeks ago I got informed, read Robert Whitakers book and I now want to try to go off meds in a safer way.

 

Since then Ive been on  2 weeks 5mg Lexapro/ 10mg fluoxetine, then 1 week 10 mg Lexapro, then 1 week 0.5 Lexapro, then nothing for two days, and I am now trying to reinstate but cant find the right dose, 1st day 8 Lexapro, 2nd 7.5 Lexapro 1mg Fluoxetine, 3rd day 3.5mg lexapro/ 1.4mg fluoxetine. I am trying to taper off correctly but I wish you could give me some advice on the correct dose, although I will finally have to find it by myself.

 

I would like to add that I am 20 year old Spanish. Im sorry for my spelling but Im doing the best I can. People and profesionals here are quite traditional and they dont really now a lot about antidepressants ( I have tried to talk about this several times with my psychiatrist) so I may not have many resources.

 

Thank you for reading and for your good intentions.

[bubble]

Hello Ignacio and welcome to SA!

 

I totally understand you when you say that people and professionals are quite traditional. The same here but also not much better in the rest of the world.

 

This site helped me a lot and I'm happy you are here as well. I'm also not a native speaker of English but your English is perfectly OK so don't worry.

 

I read what you wrote carefully. I think you made a small mistake so would just like to check. You wrote that your new psychiatrist put you on Lexapro (and one of the two reasons I'm here) in May 2010 but it seems you meant May 2014 as you wrote in your signature. Am I right?

 

Others will come with more suggestions soon but if this is the case and if you followed that strange regime of playing fire with Lexapro and Prozac for less than 2 months, I would go back to Prozac and forget about Lexapro. People actually come here to be helped to come off Lexapro since it's such a potent drug and one of the methods is bridging it with Prozac to make it easier. So it doesn't make much sense to do the other way round. But I see how your doctor reasoned: he is already on an AD and it's not helping so let us give him something really strong.

 

 I would also totally follow my instincts about solving your distress with the help of the therapy. I was also for many years on Prozac which did nothing for me but I thought it would be worse if I had been without it. My doctor believed new drugs are better so she was shifting me around from one to the other. I recovered through therapy but suffered some of the worst symptoms ever when trying to get off the drugs.

 

Sorry for the digression but I just wanted to show you that you are not alone in this.

 

I'm really not good at suggesting reinstating and I'm just writing so that you know you have been heard. Please wait while more experienced mods give you their opinions.

 

How are you feeling now after all those escapades over the last two months? What is your symptom pattern?

 

Once again a warm welcome.

 

bubble

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Ignacio.

 

If I were you, I'd take 10mg Prozac very consistently for at least a week to see how it works. I would not try to find the ideal mix of Lexapro and Prozac.

 

Let us know how you're doing. Your English is excellent!

[Ignacio]

Hello Ignacio and welcome to SA!

 

I totally understand you when you say that people and professionals are quite traditional. The same here but also not much better in the rest of the world.

 

This site helped me a lot and I'm happy you are here as well. I'm also not a native speaker of English but your English is perfectly OK so don't worry.

 

I read what you wrote carefully. I think you made a small mistake so would just like to check. You wrote that your new psychiatrist put you on Lexapro (and one of the two reasons I'm here) in May 2010 but it seems you meant May 2014 as you wrote in your signature. Am I right?

 

Others will come with more suggestions soon but if this is the case and if you followed that strange regime of playing fire with Lexapro and Prozac for less than 2 months, I would go back to Prozac and forget about Lexapro. People actually come here to be helped to come off Lexapro since it's such a potent drug and one of the methods is bridging it with Prozac to make it easier. So it doesn't make much sense to do the other way round. But I see how your doctor reasoned: he is already on an AD and it's not helping so let us give him something really strong.

 

 I would also totally follow my instincts about solving your distress with the help of the therapy. I was also for many years on Prozac which did nothing for me but I thought it would be worse if I had been without it. My doctor believed new drugs are better so she was shifting me around from one to the other. I recovered through therapy but suffered some of the worst symptoms ever when trying to get off the drugs.

 

Sorry for the digression but I just wanted to show you that you are not alone in this.

 

I'm really not good at suggesting reinstating and I'm just writing so that you know you have been heard. Please wait while more experienced mods give you their opinions.

 

How are you feeling now after all those escapades over the last two months? What is your symptom pattern?

 

Once again a warm welcome.

 

bubble

 

Dear gold star thank you very much for your words and your warm welcome. I appreciate the respect in which you express your opinions and the attention you put in your words. I am especially sensitive to that, due to the experience ive had with the professionals with whom Ive spoken about this, as they usually treat you as they know all and whith no question. The problem is that in Spain to buy psychiatric drugs you have to get an official government recipe from your psyquiatrist, which is the one who prescribed me escitalopram and who is totally ignorant to many of the effects of anti depressants and blindly believes on the positive effects of antidepressants, which makes my issue even harder.

 

The last to months of my live have been complicated, there are times when I can feel my genuine self, full of tenderness and a bit of nostalgia, but my mood is quite inconstant (i think due to the escitalopram) and I sometimes feel quite frustrated and self destructive although this has lowered since I reduced escitalopram, and I esporadically feel depressed. I also feel panic at times but I think it is my body reacting to all this chaos, but it is quite bearable.

 

Thank you again for your good will and free interest. 

[Ignacio]

Welcome, Ignacio.

 

If I were you, I'd take 10mg Prozac very consistently for at least a week to see how it works. I would not try to find the ideal mix of Lexapro and Prozac.

 

Let us know how you're doing. Your English is excellent!

Thank you for your interest altostrata, I forgot to say, as I said before to gold star, and as I will edit in my intro, I am quite sensitive to free advice and I sometimes feel it as a threat or harm. This has to do with the lack of warmth and compassion some professionals had treated me. I sorry for this although I rationally now you are trying to help. 

 

By the time what would really help would be your own thoughts and experiences or maybe giving some more reasons or letting me ask.

 

This sounds a bit arrogant, again I am sorry but it is how Im feeling at the time. I appreciate your interest. But I wanted to tell you how I felt.

 

As I also said before I cannot buy fluoxetine as I need an official recipe. 

 

I would like to understand what has happened the last two months, and how my body has reacted. Why fluoxetine is better than escitalopram?

 

Thank you. I have no hurry for any response. This also sounds arrogant but I have been quite self demanding and I say it with true intentions.

[dalsaan]

Hi Ignacio,

 

Alto probably recommended Prozac because it has a longer half life than Lexapro. The half life basically refers to how long a drug takes to get out of your system.   Generally speaking, the quicker a drug goes out of your system the more severe the withdrawal symptoms.  

 

I would say she recommended taking only Prozac because that allows you to see clearly how your system is responding.   If you reinstate a combination you could have a reaction to one or the other or the combination of the two but you wont be able to work out what's happening - what is helping, what is hindering?  You wont be able to answer these key questions if you are alternating and/or combining.

 

Hope that helps

 

Dalsaan

[Rhiannon]

Also because Prozac is what you took for so many years, so as Bubble says, it makes sense to stay on it. Lexapro has caused many of our members a lot of trouble over the years. So has fluoxetine, but generally it is a bit easier drug to taper off.

 

Please take the time to read through the stories of some of our other members. You will get the sense of the personalities of the different moderators here. Some have a more sympathetic style of writing, some are more "all business" in their style, but everyone here cares deeply about the people who come here. None of us are being paid to do this. We have all suffered badly due to being given bad advice about psychiatric drugs, and we want to help other people avoid the same fate.

 

There is a lot to read here. Unfortunately it's all in English.  We're all volunteers so we can't afford to pay for translation. Your English is excellent, however.

 

Also I recommend taking a look at this paper:http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6036-why-taper-paper-demonstrates-importance-of-gradual-change-in-plasma-concentration/

There are graphs beginning on page 4 that can help you understand why you need to taper slowly, especially at lower doses. As you can see on the graph, when you reduce your dose at the lowest doses, your receptor occupancy drops precipitously.

 

Part of our philosophy here is that you and you alone are the true expert about your body and your experience. Your body is your best advisor and guru. We give you information based on our experience with many people, and the science that is available (there isn't very much good science available on tapering). But of course the decisions are always up to you, and we respect that.

[Ignacio]

Thank youvery much for your ,

I understand, its just that I get a bit sensitive, maybe it is because some bad experiences or people with good will who accidently have harmed me you know...but again your respect and me being the one who decides makes me feel secure. 

but your respect and humanity is due to admire. 

My english comprehension practically bilingual so I will certainly read it. 

 

I,d like to throw out a few questions, and If someone had some time I would appreciate your opinion, or info about them.

 

I dont know the exact dates but after my time on fluoxetine, the 15th April my psych upped my dose to 30 mg of fluoxetine. I do not remember much side effects, I felt a little hiper active but not as bad as with escitalopram. I was in 30 mg for about 3 weeks. Then I started on 10mg fluox/ 5 mg escitalopram as my signature sais, and so on.

 

 

does someone have some similar situation to mine? have I been too much time on escitalopram to go back to fluoxetine? If one day I take 3 mg escitalopram and the next 9 mg will I notice it, is that useful to make a dose in which I can mantain and then start to taper? which symptoms are side effects of the drug and which are withdrawal symptoms? how can i tell the dose that has minimum side effects and minimum withdrawal symptoms? how do you call the time when a doctor uppers your dose, youre not feeling well and sais you have too adjust? is that true?

 

 

I know it is a lot of questions I would just appreciate what you can contribute. 

 

thank you to all who read this. I feel bad this meds are making me worse. and want to handle it. but it is a bit scary doing it on my own, and having, even psyquiatrists so little info. I cant understand why they only talk about ads as they were brilliant, i was never told about this stories. ADs seem very complicated drugs, and they are prescribed as if nothing has happened.

[Altostrata]

Hello, Ignacio.

 

I am the chief administrator of this site and have so little time to spend with each person, I failed to introduce myself properly.

 

Yes, I suggested Prozac because 1) it's the drug you were on longest; 2) escilatopram is much stronger and can be excessively stimulating, a common adverse effect, and 3) Prozac has a much longer half-life and it a little easier to taper than the other antidepressants.

 

Inconsistent dosing may be adding to your symptoms. The nervous system likes stability. That is why I suggested one drug at a consistent dosage.

 

Just about everywhere, one needs a prescription from a physician for Prozac or Lexapro. Doctors are generally happy to put their patients on such drugs, less so to take them off -- so it should not be that difficult to get a prescription for Prozac.

 

If it is absolutely impossible, I suppose one could continue on escilatopram at a consistent dosage that is not activating, then taper off that.

 

Here is background information about tapering http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/300-important-topics-in-the-tapering-forum-and-faq/

 

Here are our topics about tapering each drug:

 

Prozac http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/759-tips-for-tapering-off-prozac-fluoxetine/

 

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

[Ignacio]

thank you very much alto, I´ll try to discuss it to my physician, saying I felt better on prozac, because I bet he doesn´t know anything about withdrawal, I suppose having a phd and a good salary puts you in a state were you dont have to think much about it. Which also scares me to hell. 

 

I feel hopeful that if I cannot make it to fluoxetine I can still try on escitalopram. 

 

I feel pitty about the unawareness of ADs. 

[Altostrata]

What is the tablet dosage of the fluoxetine you're taking now?

[Petunia]

What is the tablet dosage of the fluoxetine you're taking now?

 

20 mg, I dilute it into 200 ml of water and take 14ml

 

(Above reply copied from a response which accidentally got sent to the report section)

[Altostrata]

Ignacio, it seems to me if you wanted to take only fluoxetine, you have the tablets already to do it.

[Ignacio]

I have about 40 tablets left, this allows me to have 2 grams a day and enough cuantity for at least 10 months. But if I take 10 mg I will have no room for error and less time to taper. I m also quite scared escitalopram has adjusted to my body, and as I have taken it for one month Im afraid to make changes in the dosage. My doctor has now Idea about tapering, he even said my nervousness and hiperactivity was not caused by the 10 mg of escitalopram he put me in, which was quite clear. I feel he is not very open to dialogue, so Im also scared to tell him about what I think ( isnt it sad?) but I suppose he is the "authority". And my parents, in which I depend on, trust him, as he is very clear (and closed minded).

 

what do you think? what do you think I should do?

 

yesterday I had a discussion with my parents because I didnt want to continue going to this doctor, his authority scares me to the gut, and takes away all my humanity. But my parents who want the best for me want my problems gone, they ask me for alternatives, but I can´t think of any right now rather than patience. The only times I feel getting better and motivated are when Im left free, and I dont talk about anything, at least as how they think about it. 

[Altostrata]

Most doctors know absolutely nothing about tapering and withdrawal symptoms, and many do not recognize adverse effects of the drugs. It sounds like your new doctor is one of those.

 

Can you find a new doctor with whom you feel more comfortable?

 

In the U.S., any medical doctor can prescribe Prozac or Lexapro.

[Ignacio]

Dear Alto, Ive updated my signature adding more detail. In my limited knowledge I decided last Sunday to stabilize in a certain dose of escitalopram. I know you think fluoxetine is better, but right now confronting my physician frightens me and it is too much for me and my situation,I can not do it right now.In the long term I am going to try to change to a more general doctor to whom I  hope I can describe more or less my situation. 

 

I had 3 really bad days, which I thought were going to be like that for ever, but got better finally. Right know I feel quite sensitive, specially to stressful situations, I only have some difficulty to sleep, but appetite has only improved today, Ive been eating really little and really irregularly, but I suppose it is my body and the stress.

 

I would appreciate any thoughts about my situation, similar experiences or whatever you can add

 

thank you

[Altostrata]

You've been at 3mg Lexapro for how long?

 

It's a good idea to stabilize for quite a while, a month or more, before thinking of making any other changes. Also, be sure to take your Lexapro at the same time each day.

[Ignacio]

I started last sunday so Ive been in 3 mg for 9 days counting today. What made me go for 3 mg was that after 3 days at 0 I found this site and decided to do it correctly, then I took 7 mg for three days but it activated me too much, so I thought maybe I was a bit sensitized and 3 mg would do it. 

Ive been changing doses too much so I will continue like this for a month and a half aprox. Definitely these medicines are scary.

 

Thank you for your response. 

[Ignacio]

Hi! I just wanted to ask were I can find info sbout flu like symptoms. I usually wake up with headaches, swollen face and general congestion. Ive tried using the search button in the symptoms and self care section but no results appear.

if sny one has the time than you,

[Rhiannon]

You might try using Google to search, like "Surviving Antidepressants flu like" or something like that.

 

I can tell you that having flu like symptoms and histamine type symptoms is not uncommon in withdrawal. I believe that ADs are chemically similar to antihistamines or maybe derived from them, something like that. I know lots of people (myself included) have had sinus type symptoms and histamine type symptoms during withdrawal, as well as inflammation and edema at times. It's hard to say, because it's possible to actually catch a cold or flu and be sick, but withdrawal can mimic almost anything.

[bubble]

When I discontinued Lexapro before coming here, my first major symptom was actually a kind of flu and mysterious synuses inflamation which would make the inside of my nostril so swollen I couldn't breathe when lying and therefore couldn't sleep.

 

I went to numerous tests which were all clear and had no idea it could've been withdrawal related until I got here. It was very starnge time to get a flu since it was high summer and it lasted for whole month so now I know it was definitely withdrawal.

[Petunia]

Hi! I just wanted to ask were I can find info sbout flu like symptoms. I usually wake up with headaches, swollen face and general congestion.

 

Here is a post with a link to Dr. Joseph Glenmullens withdrawal symptoms checklist, see the section of medical symptoms which mimic the flu.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2390-dr-joseph-glenmullens-withdrawal-symptom-checklist/

[Ignacio]

thank you all very much for your concern. I haven't posted recently as sometimes I just stay still with fear watching my symptoms, my fear and confusion go up and down, I have no room left for posting. 

 

My headaches, feeling of inflammation, sinusitis and muscle stiffness are definitely due to w/ d. I think after 12 days of 3 mg escitalopram daily my body has stabilized in the lower dose, but is also conscious about the lowered dose.

After a feeling of getting better last week now I feel quite emotionally numb, but it sometimes gets better like right now.

 

Ive had some thoughts about maybe upping a bit my dose maybe to 4 mg. But I don't really now.

 

I appreciate any thoughts or contributions.

 

Thank you for your time and sharing. 

[bubble]

What you are describing is windows and waves pattern of recovery. It shows the reinstatement is working which is great.

 

Please don't change the dose (no upping or reducing). especially not in response to symptoms. You will see they come and go as the CNS is doing the best it can to heal itself. It neds time and stability to do that. That's why it's important to keep the dosing steady: the same dose at the same time for months, as long as it takes for the symptoms to settle.

 

Any change in dosing will further confuse the CNS, cause disturbance and consequently exacerbate symptoms and prolong recovery. That's why sticking with a dose no matter what is so very important. Also, we look for all possible non-drug ways of easing the symptoms which you can find in Symptoms and self-care section.

 

best,

 

bubble

[Ignacio]

thank you very much for your response. I just wanted to clarify I wasnt thinking on changing my dose continuously. I felt maybe going from my previous medications to 3 mg was maybe too much for my CNS, and that a higher dose would be better for me to stabilize and then continue tapering as I have been on many doses and medications recently. And upping my dose would be similar to reinstating. 

 

I don´t want to depend on drugs, they were not helping me and that is why I am coming off them, but I just want to be careful and have the less impact possible.

I´m not looking to up my dose so my symptoms are gone, I was only thinking this would help me to withdraw.

 

thank you again for your support

[Rhiannon]

Hang in there, symptoms will come and go, but I think 3 mg is a good dose for you. Within a few months things should settle down for you. 

[Ignacio]

hey guys, 

its been a long time since my last post. Guess after 9 or 10 days on 3mg Ive been feeling kind of sh*tty. I feel in a chaos of complicated drugs. I am sure escitalopram wasnt making me feel good, it made me really really active, in a way I didn´t want to be. Now I don´t now what to hang on to. I stopped taking escitalopram to make me feel better but this last days haven't been good.

 

Ive already read about the windows and waves pattern. I might just be going through a wave but I dont identify much, every person is different.

 

Today Ive abused sugar, and I've been feeling quite detached and numb. Its as if my brain isn't working.

 

I appreciate your comments but sometimes words aren't enough, I dont want to seem rude, but youve only recommended me things as a member, I felt a bit dismissed, It would make me feel more confident if you told me the explanations, what is going through your head when you read me etc...I read this and  It sounds awfully prepotent, but if not I feel scared. I suppose it is the blind confidence in doctors I have difficulty on believing. 

 

thank you for reading me and allowing me to share my thoughts. 

[Rhiannon]

I can very, very much identify with your feelings of mistrust. I believed the doctors and their "science" and lost 20 years of my life. Now I don't think I will ever trust any doctor again about anything. I know too much now about how the corporations that make drugs and medical devices control the education of doctors, and how doctors believe what they're told by those people more than they believe what their own patients are telling them.

 

For me, when I recommend that you just stay with the 3 mg, it is because you have gone up and down and up and down on doses a lot recently.

 

I have been working on this forum since it opened and on benzo forums before that, for four and a half years, probably about 20 hours a week, so I have seen a lot of people come and go and heard many hundreds of stories. One thing I have seen is that when people wobble doses up and down, or change meds a lot, they seem to just end up getting worse and worse. Usually if they keep doing that the symptoms just balloon out of control eventually and they almost always end up either in the hospital or end up being put on more drugs. When people keep changing their meds, I have never seen that actually help anyone to settle down and feel better.

 

On the other hand, when people just stay on a dose of medication and hold there, they do eventually settle down and feel better. Often this takes many months.

 

So my concern is that you are probably having normal ups and downs of withdrawal, but if you keep reacting to those by changing your dose, you are just going to make yourself worse and worse, because I have seen that happen with so many people in the past.

 

However, I absolutely could be wrong. It's your body and YOU are the expert on your body. It is possible that you would do better on a slightly higher dose.

 

I am saying 3 mg as a dose because that fits with the guidelines that our administrator Alto has arrived at by her long and vast experience working with other people. I have less experience than she does with that so I follow her advice.

 

I do know that people who are in withdrawal are extra sensitive to small changes in dose, and most people take too much, and then on top of withdrawal they are having bad side effects from the drugs. The smaller the dose, the smaller the bad side effects. We try to give very conservative advice here, so the smallest dose that helps at all is the best.

 

If you do choose to go to a slightly higher dose, I would suggest that you make a very small increase, for example go from 3 mg to 3.5 mg at the most, rather than a big change. And then hold the new dose for at least two weeks without changing anything. If you have improvement with the increase and want to increase more, then after two weeks go from 3.5 to 4. Then hold there for three months or so. I say this because it is just what I have seen in working with so many people; this just seems to be the approach that works best.

 

I think from my experience of what I have seen hundreds of people go through, that it's more important now for you to give your brain stability, to stop changing doses around. It seems to be very hard for our nervous systems to adjust to those fluctuating changes.

 

I posted something here about that which also goes into my thinking on the subject further:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/6687-txoilman-reinstate-or-not/?p=93798

 

I hope this answers some of your questions. Again, I absolutely sympathize with your feelings of mistrust.

[Rhiannon]

Oh, and of course you are always in charge of your choices. Everything I say or anybody else here says, these are not a prescription, or instructions, just suggestions based on what we have seen working for other people. You are always the boss, always in charge, and your own body is your best expert and your best guru.

 

I just want to save you some of the suffering that comes from experimenting with your own body to find out what works. It took me 20 years of playing around with meds before I found out that I was doing it wrong. I lost my career, my children's vulnerable childhood years, all chance at happiness during those years, and all the years when I could have been building a healthy happy life; now I am alone and old and facing an old age in poverty. I'm doing okay, but I would like to help spare you those losses.

 

There are no guarantees, but the approach that I advise and that other people here advise is just what we have found seems to work best. 

[Altostrata]

Ignacio, if you want to feel like you have warmer relationships with people in this virtual community, I recommend you "visit" the other Introductions, start exchanges with others in the same situation, and build friendships.

 

We administrators and moderators are trying to help everyone with the information we've learned. Personally, I would like to chat with each person but, to be honest, I don't have time. Sorry for the short answers, I'm doing the best I can to keep as many people as possible from being terribly injured.

[dalsaan]

As Alto indicates, time pressures often limit the capacity we have to provide rationales for the comments we make on people's threads.   I think reading some of the pinned topics helps to explain the framework of understandings and beliefs that underpin the support that we offer.  

[Ignacio]

thank you very much or your responses. Today Im not in the greates conditions but when I read them I found them very respectful, warm and they made me feel confident.

 

I usually dont like to write when Im messed up, Ive been four days kind of moaning of my situation, raking my brain to try to figure out why Im feeling like this in a rational way which usually doesnt lead to any good. I compare myself to when Im good and I get so disappointed, sometimes I loose all hope, I have no good feelings Im kind of pissed of. 

 

While on ADs the last few months I was feeling really restless but sometimes I could get the good part of me out and I would feel myself, only sometimes. That is why I decided to quit. 

 

Its hard to go through this bad waves. 

 

what do you guys think? is there something I could do respecting medication or supplements? its now my third week on 3 mg of Lexapro.

 

thank you for letting me vent. 

[dalsaan]

Hi Ignacio

 

Given you have a very recent history of distabalisation I would be inclined to stick with the same dose and not make changes at this stage.

 

What are your current symptoms? We might be able to offer other suggestions for them

 

I understand your frustration. I spent months and lots of money trying to work out what was happening to me, what underlying condition had surfaced now that I was off antidepressants. All to no avail. It was withdrawal and all I could do was work towards stabilisation and then be careful to maintain that as much as possible through tapering.

 

I feel for you, it's difficult. Many of us have experiences similar to your (but not exact, everyone is unique in this )

 

Dalsaan

[Rhiannon]

This is a difficult stage of the process, I know. You are doing what you need to do (taking the 3 mg, giving yourself time to stabilize) but it's going to be a while yet before you really feel the improvements. That makes it hard to have hope and faith and keep going. I definitely understand.

 

If you read through the section on Symptoms and Self Care there are a lot of ideas there for ways to help cope with symptoms. Perhaps you will find something useful there.

 

Hang on, you are doing the right thing. Give it a good chance. It often takes a couple of months before people really begin to notice consistent improvement.

 

Also, please keep a daily journal of your symptoms, ranking them on a scale of 1 to 5. Also write in your journal anything significant that changes in your life, like stress, or sleep patterns, or eating, or travel, company, whatever.

 

This will make it easier to detect any patterns.

[Ignacio]

hey guys, its been a lot since the las time I wrote, I recently came back from a sailing trip. I can handle my situation, but Im feeling a bit rough/ acid on the inside, I also feel my thoracic nerve is  overwelmed, as if I was scared. I sometimes get overwhelmed by stressful situations. Im living healthy, practicing sports, eating healthy etc... I was just wondering if this could get better

Ive been on 3mg of Lexapro for 34 days.

 

What goes through my head is, as I felt smoother on fluoxetine than escitalopram, fluoxetine is easier to taper and now have the strengh to get fluoxetine as I was afraid to ask my physician for some, should I try to go back on an adecquate dose? I also think it is about time to lower my excitalopram dose as I have been 34 days on it

 

thank you,

 

Ignacio

[Altostrata]

It could be that 10mg Lexapro is too much for you. You might want to try 1mg.

 

Switching drugs again brings in a whole batch of risks. If you can even out on Lexapro, that might be safer.