Ignacio

[Ignacio]

sorry Alto I dont understand you mean 3 mg instead of 10? I am currently on 3 mg for 34 days

[Altostrata]

Sorry, I misread your signature.

 

Yes, you might reduce slightly from 3mg and see if that helps -- no more than .3mg.

[Rhiannon]

Ignacio, I think you need to just stay on that 3 mg of Lexapro and not change anything else for a while. If you were able to go on a sailing trip, you're doing pretty well! But you're still having some trouble and I think you need to give it more time to just let your nervous system settle down, heal and recover.

 

When you're feeling good and not having many symptoms at all, and you find that you can handle stressful (even fun stressful) situations like physical activity and changes in routine without getting worse--THAT is when it will be time to begin to taper slowly off the remaining 3 mg that you are on now.

 

I doubt that changing to fluoxetine would give you improvement at this point. Right now NOT changing things is what is going to give you the best results.

[Ignacio]

hey guys, Im writing again. Its now 37 days on 3mg Lexapro, but the last two weeks Ive been slowly getting worse. Ive been about 6 days with a feeling of scaryness, which does not subside and is not focused on anything. The first days after the taper were ok I had some ups and downs but nothing similar to this. Im really scared, plus I dont havevany support from my psychiatrist who doesnt help a bit and instead we fight ( is finding someone else any good?), and Im tldoing this completely on my own. I cant tell if its me, the meds or the withdrawal. But thevgood thongs I had are dispappearing. Im starting UNI in a month so that can also help but Im completely blocked...

 

thank you for letting me vent, I would appreciate anything you have to say...

[Ignacio]

Hello everyone, 

 

Yesterday I decided to make a timeline to make dates clear about my medication and important events to clarify why I was getting worse on a stable dose of 3mg of Lexapro. I had an idea.

 

• I have only been 8 days on 10mg Lexapro, and after a bit more than a month in 3mg.
• Since Lexapro I haven´t taken fluoxetine, the med I was for 2 years on 20 mg before I switched to Lexapro.yo

I thought the Lex. would make up for the missing fluoxetine. But what if what I´m experiencing is Fluoxetine withdrawal?

 

Can I try taking a bit of fluoxetine to see how it works?  Maybe only about 1 mg. 

 

Has anyone experienced something similar? Can this be this way? 

 

 

I would appreciate any comments, thank you.

[Altostrata]

Ignacio, your guess is as good as any as to whether fluoxetine might be better for you than Lexapro.

 

See http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1463-the-prozac-switch-or-bridging-with-prozac/

[Ignacio]

sorry Alto, I appreciate your concern, I can see you are very busy trying to help everyone, but I dont understand what you mean... 

[Altostrata]

Ignacio, I was responding to this in your post:

....

I thought the Lex. would make up for the missing fluoxetine. But what if what I´m experiencing is Fluoxetine withdrawal?

 

Can I try taking a bit of fluoxetine to see how it works?  Maybe only about 1 mg. 

 

Has anyone experienced something similar? Can this be this way? 

 

 

I would appreciate any comments, thank you.

 

No one can tell if you'd be better off on fluoxetine, or adding a little fluoxetine. The link I gave you gives instructions for switching.

[Ignacio]

How difficult...

The last three and a half days have been horrible. I've been feeling really desperate and hopeless, really really dark. I´ve never been like this.... This last week I've been scared but nothing even similar to this.

can this bee what they call "poop out"? I don´t know what to do, its hell.

[alex]

Hello Ignacio; poopout? yes, it could be.

People before you have been in the same awful position and they have made it.

You don't know how strong you are until you MUST be.

You can pm in spanish if you wish.

 

Hang in there.

[Ignacio]

thank you Alex, so I'll just hang on on 3 mg and wait until I get better?

[Ignacio]

Alto sometimes I forget to say thankyou to you... I dont mean it its just the stress the suffering and the rush! thank you for your time and effort

[Altostrata]

You're welcome, Ignacio.

[Ignacio]

Hi guys, its now 1 month and a half not feeling well, I suppose my body misses the fluoxetine since its now 3 months and a half with out it. 

t

My most prevalent symptom is fear. I sense I have changed with out the meds, and that scares me, plus a not very clear future. But I don´t feel the windows and waves pattern of recovery.

 

I thought about reinstating, but counting I don´t have any medical support and that after 4 months its a real crapshoot Im not really into it. 

 

I recently read something dr. healy said about withdrawal. I got quite scared as he talked about some stress sndrome that was not due to withdrawal but I guess its all pretty much the same.  

 

I guess the ultimate and correct answer is just to wait no? I was obssesing myself with reinstating, trying things like dr healy said (a tricyclic antidepressant, an antihistamine...) but I guess that is just random.

[alex]

Hola Ignacio;are you completely off psy meds?

I don't understand you sigature very well.

[Petunia]

Hi Ignacio,

Are you still taking 3mg of lexapro?  Why did your doctor switch you from Prozac to Lexapro in May?  You have tapered much too fast, it would have been better to stay on Prozac and taper from that.  Switching to Lexapro may have worked, but you should have stayed at 10mg for at least a month before beginning a safe taper by no more than 10% every 4 weeks.

 

It looks to me that you are now in withdrawal, but I can't say if its from prozac or lexapro.

 

If you have been completely off all meds for 3 months, then there is a small possibility that reinstatement of a small amount would help.  How were you feeling on prozac before your doctor switched you?

 

Petu.

[Ignacio]

Hey guys thank you very much...

 

My signature is quite complicated. Basically I took fluoxetine for about two years, I had my ups and downs with it, but in May this year my psychiatrist decided to switch me to Lexapro, because she thought it was better, despite feeling perfectly well on fluoxetine. The switch to lexapro was basically two weeks on 10mg fluox. and 5 mg. Lexapro. The thing is I didn´t feel well on Lexapro, I realized it made me aggressive and hiperactive. I warned my psych but he didn´t care and honestly Lexapro was ruining my life. So after two weeks on 10 mg fluox and 5. lexapro my psych told me to stop fluoxetine and go to 10mg Lexapro, but I just decided to keep on 5 mg of Lexapro and no fluoxetine. I had no Idea about withdrawal. 

 

I know it WOULD have been better but at the time I didn´t know anything about withdrawal, I asked Alto but as I was badly informed, I thought the important thing was to be on a drug and taper down slowly. I didn´t know I could have withdrawal from fluoxetine or that it was important if I switched to go to a similar dose... I just wanted to quit Lexapro as it was affecting me in a bad way.

 

I am now taking 1.9 mg of Lexapro. But I think it doesn´t make a difference on me, maybe it is because it is such a low dose.

[Petunia]

Thank you for explaining that Ignacio, I understand now.  Are you still feeling aggressive and hyperactive on 1.9mg? It might be a low dose, but it still needs to be tapered.

 

In your first post you wrote about having OCD, being depressed, misunderstood and living in a way you couldn't bear, have these issues been sorted out now? From what you wrote, it sounds like the fluoxetine wasn't helping. I think that therapy, and having someone to talk with about your problems would be more helpful than drugs.

[Ignacio]

No, since I went below 5mg no more aggressive issues.

 

 

Since my first breakdown 2 years ago, I started with a therapist. I got to work a lot and gain a lot of self consciousness, the OCD soon disappeared but I had to deal with other genuine things like my sensitiveness and self demanding character. 

I also had a more recent breakdown 6 months ago as I left uni but soon got better. I was really meaningful for me and I discovered beautiful things. (having breakdowns if you dont like whats going on is right and should happen)

 

I think since then all the pieces in my life fit together. If I was depressed it was for a reason and after that I was better. What I cannot understand is me getting worse 1.5 months ago it makes no sense at all... and have gotten worse... 

I really dont know what to do? I should just tough it out?...Im only 19 years old.... my parents are freaking out, my psych doesn´t help....

 

thankyou everyone...

[Altostrata]

Ignacio, my guess is you've gone a little too fast with your taper. I would hold at 1.9mg or 2.0mg for a while to let your nervous system settle down.

[Ignacio]

So after a year on 2.5 mg escitalopram I was fed up from the numbness and decided to quit cold turkey. Imagine the state I was in. I couldn´t feel anything and was completely fed up. I took my last dose on the last days of July 15. the first 20 days without the meds I felt really lost but I didn´t have much to lose. September was fine, I was a bit nervous at times, but there were some days were I could feel like my old self (really honest and conscious of my emotions, interested in gaming and sports again, affectionate with parents and sister...) but 3 days ago in the beggining of october I suddenly felt a bit violent with my friends, Ive had homicidal thoughts and these 3 days have been I nightmare. 

Thinking this could be external im feeling that talking with my parents and finding a therapist who supports me may help.

I wasn´t thinking on reinstating, as Im scared of what my reaction will be. Im going to see how this weeks go and try to decide what to do as I don´t want to decide on a bad day of bad symptoms. 

What are youre views? 

 

I sorry Im scarce maybe even I sound demanding or cold hearted for not writing in so long and now asking for help. 

[Altostrata]

Very sorry to hear this, Ignacio.

 

Cold turkey is a high-risk way to go off psychiatric drugs. 2.5mg Lexapro is roughly equivalent to 7.5mg Celexa or Paxil.

 

As you know, you're experiencing prolonged post-withdrawal syndrome. This may last for many months. See What is withdrawal syndrome? 

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

After 2.5 months, there's a possibility that reinstatement of a very small dose, such as 0.5mg, might help. You'd taper off by tiny amounts later. See
 
About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms
 

If you do not choose to try reinstating, see our Symptoms and Self-care forum  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/8-symptoms-and-self-care/for suggestions about how to cope with symptoms.

 

Many people do better 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/

 

[Petunia]

I wasn´t thinking on reinstating, as Im scared of what my reaction will be. Im going to see how this weeks go and try to decide what to do as I don´t want to decide on a bad day of bad symptoms. 

What are youre views? 

 

Sometimes, the onset of withdrawal can be delayed, see: Delayed onset of withdrawal.

 

Read the links Alto posted above, it will help you decide what to do.

[Ignacio]

I don´t know If to reinstate or not. I´m certain the withdrawal started in September. The first week I think my mood was more up than normal (although not that bad), and these last two weeks have been quite a rollercoaster. I had some minor homicidal thoughts. Then two days my mood upped and I obsessed on going skating. Yesterday I was obsessed with being bipolar and didn´t hang out with my friends... Today I´m more stable, maybe a bit frustrated but I slept well. And Im having some issues with aching and hives.But I know It wasnt long since the withdrawal symptoms started. 

But I think I´ve improved on some things. I´ve stopped getting drunk occasionally on weekends as the last year with my meds after a bad week I´d get a sudden up in the weekends that only lasted a day or two. At least I can stand my family now and the other day I dream´t of being in love. Plus I had like 5 days window were my head was really centered and I got my sexual feelings back. I must add that I never had mood swings prior to taking ADs.

So what should I do?

From what I´ve read reinstateing is not an  easy decision. 

[Altostrata]

That is a decision only you can make.

[Ignacio]

Now after the agitation of this last week, I feel calmer but my heart is like racing and I´m quite paranoid. Has anyone experienced this? I have to add the extra uni stress. I hope this passes. This is a complete rollercoaster and you don´t know what youre going to find on the next turn.

[Altostrata]

Just about everyone on this site experiencing withdrawal syndrome has felt like that.

[Ignacio]

I´m suffering. Tonight was the first time I couldn´t sleep for the whole time. I took 25 mg of magnesium but I didn´t like the feelings. I´m like in attack mode, plus today its 12 in the night and I´m not at all tired. I´m scared. I could fit in many psychiatric labels. Will the lack of sleep make me psychotic or something?

[Altostrata]

Not being able to sleep, exactly as you've described, is a very, very withdrawal symptom.

 

If you choose not to reinstate, you will need to cope with symptoms, which come in waves. You need to stay calm and take care of yourself the best you can. It will take some time before your nervous system settles down.

 

See Important topics about symptoms, including sleep problems

[Ignacio]

thanks Alto, I may take time to respond but I appreciate your talk 

[Ignacio]

this is me right now....    

[Petunia]

  Hang in there Ignacio, its going to get better.

Here is the link to our symptoms and self care section, you may find some useful ideas to help manage symptoms as you recover.  Especially read the topics pinned at the top.

[DaddyCee]

Ignacio... don't try to sleep just try to relax. If sleep comes then let it, if not then don't stress about it. You will end up getting in to a worry cycle about sleep and that will just make you more anxious and unable to sleep.  You will get through this, it is hard but you can do it.

 

Namaste, DC.

[Ignacio]

wednesday and thursday I had lots of panick attacks and just tried to evade my emotions, then friday I was more calm and thought about doing some good things for me like a diary and tried to study, then I went out with my friends and felt really emotional because I hadnt been like that with them in a long time, now I still want to do things and go out but have like some anxiety in the background that I can´t focus on anything!!????    

[Altostrata]

This sounds like some improvement, Ignacio.

 

Why get anxious about the possibility of being anxious? Read Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms , and try one or two to see if they help you stay calm.

[Ignacio]

Thanks alto!