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JaimeShin Lexapro Taper OFF? There is no answer to it. I need help Please...


JaimeShin

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Hi,

 

My OCD and depression started 7 years ago  and I am on Lexapro for 6 years. (after taking lexapro I am 90% fine. 10% I still do little OCD thoughts some day, and some day I feel really depressed. *** Especially when I go vacation to far places. I don't know why :(  My OCD and depression get worse when I go to somewhere far from my house weird.)

 

Anyhow, I have few concerns that nobody can give me clean answers. Even my psychiatrist too.

 

My family doctor says For Depressions, you can taper off the Lexapro if you don't feel depressed for 5 years. That I am fine. But My family Doc says it is better to stay on Lexapro for rest of your life for OCD.

 

Question #1 : I can stay on Lexapro for rest of my life no problem if there is no tolerance. But on google, many people says it pooped out on them. So there is no answer for my situation. I can't stay on it (because it might poop out) vs I can't taper it (because you need to stay on it forever for an OCD?) What is my best choice? any experience on anyone?

 

Question #2 : After 2 years of thinking, I decided to start tapering off maybe. (I decided to try taper one time in my life. it might worth it.). But Tapering method is not very clear. I take 20mg/day and if I want to use pill cutter, How do I exactly cut 1mg or 0.5mg??? because I know I have to taper off with 10% percentage method. Do I have  to measure it with micro scale? Even if I do, is the "concentration of lexapro content" in one pill is equally spreaded out on one pill? (I am worried that outside part of the pill maybe  just coating and inside part has more content in it? Please let me know)

 

Question #3 : Due to the Question #2, I thought about using liquid Lexapro with oral syringe. But, When you pull out the liquid using the syringe, what do you have to do after?   Nobody explains on it. Should I just pushit out directly to my mouth? or Should I push it out to cup of water and mix it and drink whole thing? If I mix with water, even if I drink whole thing the water drop maybe still left  on side or bottom of the cup (like 5 drops or 10 drops on the side of the cup. Should I lick all that? What should I do?)

 

Question #4 : with the 10% percentage tapering method, it will never reach 0. when should I stop taking Lexapro? after 2 decimal? (like 0.0015 mg?)

 

 

Please help me on this !

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welcome Jamieshin,

I'll step up and have a go...

 

1. Great question and great thinking, ...sadly the millions who are taking this stuff have left the docs to do the thinking for them and the outcome is predictable.

These are not forever drugs (imo they are for never drugs) so yes at some point in time tolerance/poopout will occur.

Its well documented however though not mentioned by docs that long term outcomes on these chemicals leads to deteriorating/worsening outcomes. That is a proven fact. So its a great idea to taper off and find some other non drug means of dealing with issues if any.

 

2. A good question.  I actually rang GSK once and asked if there existed uniform distribution of drug and packer they couldnt confirm it. They seemed surprised that someone would want to divide the drug in anything other than a half.

You could try cutting the 5mg into quarters and play with combos of 10mg 5mg and 1.25s

Best to get liquid here is a great link on tapering lex, it would be informative to spend time reading this:

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

 

3. Another great question, ....my understanding is put the amount directly into your mouth from the syringe.

 

4. A very perceptive observation. Yes mathematically speaking we are dealing with a taper to infinity small. However many are tapering to 1mg and some are going lower.

There is a link about this too ..its a matter of listening to your body and deciding..

"At a very small dosage, likely less than 1mg, when reductions no longer cause any withdrawal symptoms, you may want to simply stop." See :

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/

 

My family doctor says For Depressions, you can taper off the Lexapro if you don't feel depressed for 5 years. That I am fine. But My family Doc says it is better to stay on Lexapro for rest of your life for OCD.

This is nonsense. Dont fall for it.

One reason your doc might say such a thing is in his experience he has had difficulty getting people off this drug and so is too lazy to put time into monitoring a safe taper. Another might be he is clueless and misinformed and operating from wrong paradigms and another might be he is getting prescribing commissions and doesnt want a pay cut!

 

All your questions are answered in the threads here so its very informing to spend time reading and then read some more.

 

Hope this is of use ...

Good luck

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello JaimeShin,

 

I'm glad you've found this forum.  It is hard for anybody to make decisions about such complicated things, and you'll find lots of support here.  You mentioned feeling worse when you are away from home.  I am exactly the same, and I'm sure many others are too.  Home is familiar and comforting, and when we have depression or anxiety or OCD coping with noisy/unfamiliar places can just be too hard and overstimulating.  Be gentle on yourself - home may be best for a while until you start to find a stable place within yourself.

 

1.  You do not need to stay on meds your whole life.  There are many ways to manage OCD, and you can start to learn these.  Have a read of http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3882-ocd-obsessive-thoughts-compulsive-behaviors/?hl=guilt for OCD info, and also http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1112-non-drug-techniques-to-cope-with-emotional-symptoms/ for more general coping strategies.

 

I think doctors keep people on meds because they don't know how to safely taper, and they also don't know how to provide people with real help for their real issues (like your OCD).  I agree with NZ11 that your best choice is to start gently tapering.

 

4.  When you get right down to the tiny amounts at the end of your taper, then you can make decisions about when to stop.  NZ11 had good links about that too.  Because each person is different, each person works out what seems to work best for them.  At that time you can ask more questions here and get more ideas. 

 

Read through the links, and come back with any more questions you might have.  You will be able to do this :).

 

KarenB

PS NZ11 posted just as I was writing, so I'm posting this anyway and you get two lots of answers for the price of one :P.

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi JaimeShin, welcome!  I am glad that you found your way to this forum. nz11 answered your questions beautifully, but I have to smile at your questions because my mind works the same way and worries about the same issues regarding how to get the full amount of dosage when making a liquid.  If you were able to get a liquid from the pharmacy, you could cut even smaller by making a dilution of your liquid.  For instance, you could mix one part of the liquid drug with nine parts water and then take whatever proportion necessary to make the next 10% cut.  You just need to be good at math!  Agreed, it just depends on how sensitive you are to the cuts at the lower levels as to where to jump off.  I haven't gotten that far, but looking forward to the day I have to make that decision!

 

You can spend time at MadInAmerica.org learning about the myths that everyone believes about ADs, as well as the harm they do long term.  Or maybe you don't want to go there; it kind of freaked me out and made me feel even more impatient about getting off LOL!

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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Real Thanks to NZ11, KarenB, Squirrelly Girl.

 

I felt like I was alone in this question and I really didnt know what to do. It helped me a lot.

 

When you use liquid type of drug, if you mix it with water like Squirrelly Girl says, every single drop on the cup will not come into my mouth.

 

Some drop might stick inside on wall of the cup. I want to know if I have to lick that or not :(

 

Am I too sensitive? :( 

 

I really don't understand the US pharmacies why they don't make very small dose of lexapro table if they know that we have to taper 10% percentage tapering method.

 

They just don't care about us? or they expect us to figure out all of that ourselves and divide the tablet into very decimal place dosage? (It is not even possible to cut (for ex. if I want exactly 3.27mg) because it will be decimal place if I want 10% gradual cut down.)

 

Until this age, I didn't know they are this irresponsible.

 

So what does US or most doctor expect us to do when tapering (they even surely know we have to gradually cut down and not cold turkey.) They expect us to know all this? and do all the work?

 

This is wow... 

 

Glad that I found this web.

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if they know that we have to taper 10% percentage tapering method.

Thats a big if

 

They dont know this ...and thats the problem. Only patient run support groups know this.

Already you know more than most doctors ...so congratulations. Hey ...ever thought of becoming a doctor ...i think youd make a good one!....

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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I went to tapering section of this website and looked for recommanded doctor in NY.

 

His name was Samoon Ahmed. and I asked him.

 

When I read the antidepressant forum most of people saying that the medication will have poop out point some time. In that case, Why don't I start the tapering when I am in good mood?

 

He said

 

"Are they a doctor? If not please trust the doctor. If the medication is working for you please continue on. And I will do generic test when you come to my office to give you more advise if you can stop or change the med or etc..."

 

He told me some patient is working well with one medication more than 20 years.

 

Are you guys really sure about 100% patient will have poop out effect? because I heard it is case by case. Some people will have poop out and some will not. And Most doctors dont know why.

 

Doctor also told me that "the problem is if you stop the medication and if the symptom relapse, medication might not working for you at second time according to his experience."

 

Due to this facts, I am really scared to either withdrawal or continue on the medication. I can't really decide.

 

Should I really wait until it poops out? Well, it might not poop out on me at all. Even on the medication twice or once a year my OCD gets really worse at some point. But, If I fight and keep taking the LEXAPRO, it became fine at some point. So.. I am thinking to maybe keep going on.

 

What would be my best choice? ( I am scared that if I stopped the medication, what if symptom relapse and I have to take MED again, but it won't work anymore?)

 

Let me know guys~

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Wow you are right Samoon Ahmed is on the list of rec doctors ....

well all i can say is if that truly is what he said and if he truly has left patients on these drugs for 20 years and is happy about that and taking no action to get them off then imo he should be removed from the list.

 

Look its up to you. What do you want? 

 

This is a site for people who want to get off their drugs.

 

This site exists because informed consent doesn't.

 

Has the doctor tried this stuff -probably not.

 

I am really scared to either withdrawal or continue on the medication. I can't really decide.

 

1. Do you live near a library if so then you might like to go there and ask for a book by Peter Breggin called 'Psychiatric drug withdrawal' 2013 . You might like to start on page 66-67.

 

2. This word poopout/tolerance can be for me anyway a bit confusing.

Lets put it this way the long term outcomes are not so wonderful. The prison bars of addiction thicken.  A worsening of emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms. Apathy syndrome can manifest which is generally characterized by an emotional flatness or numbing, increased passivity and lethargy. Then there is memory loss and cognitive decline. Then insomnia may occur gastrointestinal problems dizziness tremors and the increased probability you will suffer akathisia on withdrawal from the drug coming off and from someone who has experienced this i can tell you it is not pleasant. Then fatigue and muscle weakness, panic attacks and nervousness.

Of course the doc would have informed you of these right?

Over 350 side effects [keep in mind these side effects came from just 6 weeks of drug trials yet the drug companies havent bothered and dont care about what results from use beyond 6 weeks ...ok well they might get updated every now and then but its only to try to halt the tide of litigation by unhappy campers!] and over 58 withdrawal symptoms....these wdl symptoms tick every box in the DSM erroneously and convienently summarized by the medical profession by one terribly shameful word 'relapse' !  

 

When these symptoms generally manifest the doctor will up the dose or 'try a little something else' it will be a gateway to incorrect diagnosis and a new career path a 'psychologically and emotionally disabled dump- site for multiple toxic chemicals' ...the result being  a continuing revolving door to the docs office.

 

3. one more book rec is 'anatomy of an epidemic' by R Whitaker.

 

Good luck with the decision making.

 

Personally i would keep away from Samoon Ahmed.

 

I believe Kelly Brogan is in Manhatten NY ...go to Brogan. Shes managed to break away from the tribe.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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  • Administrator

Welcome, JaimeShin.

 

Poopout is very common, but not inevitable. When it occurs, usually doctors try increasing dosage, adding drugs, or switching to another drug.

 

Family doctors are not good sources of information about psychiatric drugs. Dr. Ahmed is correct, once you go off an antidepressant, it may not work for you the same way if you try it again. This is because of nervous system changes while you're on the drug and when you go off. So be very sure you want to go off.

 

(Not much is known about these drugs long-term, even by psychiatrists such as Dr. Ahmed. At least he's made that accurate observation.)

 

If your OCD has been incapacitating, you would do well to start some kind of therapy to learn to manage it before you go off escilatopram.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thanks really guys..

 

Yes I am really sorry to post my concerns here while this site only discuss how to taper off right?

 

Like you says (NZ11), Dr. Peter Breggin seems like very truly caring Doctor. I want to visit him. His office is 3.5 hours from my place. :) Do you know if he accepts new patients?

 

And Who is Dr Kelly Brogan??? She seems like psychiatrist but only caring women? (is that right?)

 

Let me know...

 

Thanks, and REAL thanks guys

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See Recommended doctors, therapists, or clinics

 

Please use search to see our discussions about Dr. Breggin.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

 

And Who is Dr Kelly Brogan??? She seems like psychiatrist but only caring women? (is that right?)

 

Pretty confident Dr. Brogan is not taking new patients male or female at this point so not sure it matters.

 

I don't know if Dr. Breggin is taking patients.  Not sure that you need to travel 3.5 hours to see him.  I might suggest you read some of his work that NZ11 referenced and, perhaps, he does remote consultations?

 

Reach Dr. Breggin and the Empathic Therapy Center through www.breggin.com, by emailing empathictherapy@hotmail.com or by phoning Dr. Breggin's office at 607 272 5328.

 

To reiterate Alto's post, not all patients suffer poop out on the drugs, but most do at some point.  The problem is that you can very easily wind up 20 years down the road needing to try to get off them when the brain has been remolded to live with them for 20 years.  That can be a much more challenging task that doing it after the 6 years you've been on them.  It's a little bit of rolling the dice to be honest.

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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My plan when starting to take the Lexapro was to take it forever if it reduce my symptom. and I was happy.

 

Question 1 : But it sounds like this drug is not that kind of drug to take forever right?

 

Like you said, apace, if it is harder to taper after 20 years, I might have to start now.

 

*** But funny thing is that I never experienced withdrawal symptom when I forgot to take the medication for 3 days. Not now but few years ago, when I felt I was fine, I sometimes forget to take 3 days in a row. (meanging that I took every 3 day or 4th day). Everything was fine Nothing changed. Does that mean I don't need medication?

But one time, I was off for like 3 weeks, and my OCD got really worse.... So, I don't understand my body. ( 3day is fine and 3 weeks is not fine...)

 

Anyhow after that, when I start to take lexapro again, my OCD got really better.

 

 

 

Question 2: And one of the Dr breggin's comment is scary is that, if you take antidepressant, it will make your bio chemical imbalance. I want to know, IF I SAFELY TAPER OFF THE MEDICATION and spend more than 6 months or so... DOES THAT MEAN MY BRAIN IS BACK TO NORMAL STAGE?  IF I WITHDRAWAL THE LEXAPRO, I WANT TO KNOW IF BRAIN WILL COME BACK TO NORMAL STAGE OR STAY AS DAMAGED.

 

I AM SCARED.... :(

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I know it's scary, Jaime.  You're in good company here - we've all had those feelings.  There are so many things to consider so it can feel overwhelming, but if you keep researching I think you'll be able to make a decision you believe is right for you. 

 

One thing that helped me realise I needed to taper is this:  The long-term outcomes for people with depression, anxiety, OCD, or any other mental-health issue is always better for those who never used SSRIs.  The next best group is short-term SSRI users, and the worst long-term outcomes are linked to those with the longest SSRI use.  The studies for this information can be found in Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whittaker.

 

And like Alto said, something you can do right now is start learning to manage OCD in other ways.  DId you read the links I posted?  That will be a positive thing you can do with no risk at all.

 

The reason you noticed a difference after 3 weeks but not 3 days is because it can take time for changes to be registered by your body - and each body is different.  I believe that brains do heal when a gentle tapering path is followed.  There is a lot of reassuring evidence these days (have a look online for neuro-plasticity) that brains can and do heal.  And on this forum we are all working on this understanding.  There are good things you can do to help your brain as it heals, such as fish-oil and magnesium, and a healthy diet.       

 

Take your time Jaime, there is no rush to make any decision, and you are learning such a lot right now.  Just sit with it all for a bit, and listen to your body and instincts.

 

You'll get there,

KarenB

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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Thanks Karen,

 

Who ever is answering my questions is all patients who successfully tapered off their medication? or are they doctor?

 

I am just curious :)

 

I really hope that my brain will get back to normal stage when i taper it off and time goes...~~~~~~~~

 

I am not going to start that soon but, I already got LEXAPRO LIQUID to start the taper process soon.

 

few questions I didnt get answer from anybody or pharmacies : 

 

1. Do I have to refrigerate the liquid lexapro? and Do i have to shake it before I take it into syringe?

 

2. After I got into syringe, I directly push it out to my mouth right? (IF I have to mix with water in a cup, after drinking, Do i have to lick the every single drop remaining inside the sidewall of the cup?)

 

3. How long can I keep the liquid lexapro in room temperature after I open it? (expiration date?)

 

Thanks,

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Yeah Andy  you are right. I think Brogan is not taking anymore patients ...i think i heard in one of the talks she has a 1 year waiting list or something.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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Hello Jaime, I have read your thread and I have a question:

How was your ocd? In my opinion and from my research about ocd when I kind of suffered from it before antidepressants (now my problem is ssri-induced apathy/anhedonia), there are 2 different (with common aspects) things that are called ocd:

 

 1) some people experience over-worries about something, it's the typical "what if (insert something horrendous here) happens?" and then continuously reassure themselves with reasons that prove that that horrendous event is not going to happen. (for example: what if I have cancer)

 

2 ) some people have more like obsession and compulsions about for example tidying things up, cleaning their hands, doing things an even (or odd) number of times, because they feel that something bad will happen if they don't obey their compulsions. 

 

I think the second type is worse than the first type, but of course both of them can be very incapacitating, was your case very severe before ssri?

 

If I were you, I would come off lexapro veeery slowly, so if you feel like your ocd is coming back, or any other withdrawal symptoms, you can just stop the tappering, and you will be on a lower dosage, what means less side effects, less long term effects, and being closer to get unmedicated if you resume the tappering afterwards.

About me ------------------------ College student with a history of anxiety, excessive worrying and health anxiety.

April 2014 - May 2015----------    Prozac 20mg On and Off.  Second time on it I developed apathy, changes in personality, asexuality.

May 2015  -   July 2015-----------------  Tappering off prozac. Still no feelings,anhedonia, apathy, no libido, asexuality.

Current symptoms--------  pssd (asexuality in my case). Anxiety and depression developed some months afer stopping prozac, could have been caused by obsessing and beating myself up too much when I found myself unable to like girls again. The best thing to do with pssd (which in my case is asexuality) is accept it and move on.

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  • Administrator

Jaime, please do NOT ever skip doses of Lexapro.

 

Please read the links we've given you. Your questions are answered there.

 

Please ask your pharmacist about the liquid Lexapro, or read the package insert.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Hi Theon,

 

Q1. For your described symptom, #1 and #2, both of the symptom is very light on me. I can control both of them and both of them does not really bother me alot. (sometimes)

 

The most bugging part of my ocd is sometimes unwanted thought keep popping up on my head. 

 

For Example) "What if this unwanted thought keep popping up on my head and make me cant concentrate on work? OR what if I can't enjoy myself even if I do something I like? (movie, TV etc..)

 

I just dont want some king of ramdom thought (thought is : " this OCD might make me keep think of this OCD and make me cant concentrate something because it popping up om my head") <- thig thought is keep bugging me.

 

The Therapist says "Just dont try to remove the thought, just let me sit there and just do whatever you have to do. It will leave natually"

 

I am trying... But, I guess the problem is not the thought itself. I think the problem is that when the thought comes on my mind, I panic. -> that is why it keep bothers me. I think this LEXAPRO is calming me down so it controlls my OCD so far.

 

 

 

Q2. Does anyone know that if I safely tapers LEXAPRO, and time goes by, IS MY BRAIN GOING TO BE BACK TO NORMAL STAGE? After I listen to Peter Breggin's Youtube, why psychiatric drug is very dangerous, I am scared that my brain is permanently damaged....

I want to know if my brain can come back to normal state if I taper the medication, otherwise I will suffer more if i taper the medication because my brain will stay in damaged state without medication...

 

Please help me.

 

And Altostrata, I will never skip the dose. I will use 10% percentage tapering method. That is your suggestion right?

 

Thanks,

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Yeah Andy  you are right. I think Brogan is not taking anymore patients ...i think i heard in one of the talks she has a 1 year waiting list or something.

 

Not to mention all the dudes on her waiting list who think she's really good looking.  ;)

 

Too much?

 

Sorry.  Just being honest.

 

Andy

 

 

 

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Q2. Does anyone know that if I safely tapers LEXAPRO, and time goes by, IS MY BRAIN GOING TO BE BACK TO NORMAL STAGE? After I listen to Peter Breggin's Youtube, why psychiatric drug is very dangerous, I am scared that my brain is permanently damaged....

I want to know if my brain can come back to normal state if I taper the medication, otherwise I will suffer more if i taper the medication because my brain will stay in damaged state without medication...

 

JaimeShin,

 

Nobody can make you any promises about the healing process.  There are any number of people on this site (whose success stories you can read by searching) who have recovered fully to where they were prior to taking these meds.  In any particular case it is impossible to predict the time or the course of healing that will take place.  My personal belief is that over some period of time (which will differ for all) neuroplastic remodeling of the brain will result in "healing" but that because of the passage of time and the fact that we come out on the other end with a series of new experiences and trauma from the withdrawal we will be different people.  For many who describe it they are BETTER people with a greater appreciation for life and a sense of gratitude they did not have prior to the process.  However, no two people are alike and it would be fool's gold for any of us to predict how it will go for you, over what period of time, with what symptoms, and how you will feel at the "end of the rainbow."

 

Only you can weigh the pros and cons and decide how you want to proceed.

 

We will support you whatever you decide.

 

Best,

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

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Hi Apace,

 

I am just saything that... Is there a one person who tapered the medication recovered the full brain normal stage?

 

If there is an one single person, then it means that it is possible. I just want to know that.

 

If 100 people tried and 100 people suffered even after tapered the med, it means that brain will 100% stay in damaged state.

 

But if it is not the case, that means it is possible that brain can heal itself.

 

I just wanted to know that since no google site tells me the story. I am confident if there are people who tapered the med and lives happy life. (which means brain can heal and go back to normal)

 

 

Thanks,

Link to comment

 

Yeah Andy  you are right. I think Brogan is not taking anymore patients ...i think i heard in one of the talks she has a 1 year waiting list or something.

 

Not to mention all the dudes on her waiting list who think she's really good looking.  ;)

 

Too much?

 

Sorry.  Just being honest.

 

Andy

lol  !!

yeah and she looks so young!!...like just out of highschool !!

 

Well  she has read 'Anatomy..'and has done a 180 degree turnaround such that she does not  prescribe psychotropic drugs period  so  all i can say is she is not just a pretty face,... she has a brain too! So we cant knock that.

 

Furthermore i get a sense that this is a person who cant be bought is of noble motives.and is only interested in the truth.

  appears to be a disciple of Gonzalez. I didnt know anything about this gonzalez guy but after listening to him i an very impressed. He recently passed away ..well was one of a bunch of docs who mysteriously died recently. There may be some truly dark forces out there. I think anyone who speaks against pharma  is very brave. Did you know that in respect of Spitzers fall from grace Healy pointed the finger at GSK ! i digress.

Thought for the day: Lets stand up, and let’s speak out , together. G Olsen

We have until the 14th. Feb 2018. 

URGENT REQUEST Please consider submitting  for the petition on Prescribed Drug Dependence and Withdrawal currently awaiting its third consideration at the Scottish Parliament. You don't even have to be from Scotland. By clicking on the link below you can read some of the previous submissions but be warned many of them are quite harrowing.

http://www.parliament.scot/GettingInvolved/Petitions/PE01651   

Please tell them about your problems taking and withdrawing from antidepressants and/or benzos.

Send by email to petitions@parliament.scot and quote PE01651 in the subject heading. Keep to a maximum of 3 sides of A4 and you can't name for legal reasons any doctor you have consulted. Tell them if you wish to remain anonymous. We need the numbers to help convince the committee members we are not isolated cases. You have until mid February. Thank you

Recovering paxil addict

None of the published articles shed light on what ssri's ... actually do or what their hazards might be. Healy 2013. 

This is so true, with anything you get on these drugs, dependance, tapering, withdrawal symptoms, side effects, just silent. And if there is something mentioned then their is a serious disconnect between what is said and reality! 

  "Every time I read of a multi-person shooting, I always presume that person had just started a SSRI or had just stopped."  Dr Mosher. Me too! 

Over two decades later, the number of antidepressant prescriptions a year is slightly more than the number of people in the Western world. Most (nine out of 10) prescriptions are for patients who faced difficulties on stopping, equating to about a tenth of the population. These patients are often advised to continue treatment because their difficulties indicate they need ongoing treatment, just as a person with diabetes needs insulin. Healy 2015

I believe the ssri era will soon stand as one of the most shameful in the history of medicine. Healy 2015

Let people help people ... in a natural, kind, non-addictive (and non-big pharma) way. J Broadley 2017

 

 

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NZ11, I don't understand your quote. English is my second language. But pretty well speak.

 

Anyhow, Are you saying Kelly Brogan is not recommended doctor you are saying? 

 

 

 

Q2. I am just saything that... Is there a one person who tapered the medication recovered the full brain normal stage?

If there is an one single person, then it means that it is possible. I just want to know that.

If 100 people tried and 100 people suffered even after tapered the med, it means that brain will 100% stay in damaged state.

But if it is not the case, that means it is possible that brain can heal itself.

I just wanted to know that since no google site tells me the story. I am confident if there are people who tapered the med and lives happy life. (which means brain can heal and go back to normal)

 

Can i get answers to this?

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi again, JaimeShin

 

I have a friend who is 16 months out from a fast taper from Lexapro, and about five months ago when I met her, she was in a bad way and had been for that prior year, housebound and terrified.  An amazing transformation occurred at the beginning of October - a real window, where things that previously triggered her into fear didn't anymore!  She is back in a little bit of a wave now, more physical, but so much less severe than before, and still not triggering the fear like before.  Maybe she'll chime in here as she is a member of this forum.

 

I have found a couple of things very helpful, and maybe they would help you, too.

 

1)  Listening to Eckhart Tolle:  I had a lot of negative chatter in my head before and listening to his teachings really caused a shift in me.  When I start having troubling thoughts I can stop it and remind myself I don't HAVE to have them.  If you listen to him you will get what I mean.  There are lots of youtube videos of him.  He is a funny little man with a goofy laugh and I so enjoy him!

 

2)  Emotional Freedom Techniques (tapping).  You can google that and get instructions.  I have used this when having trouble falling asleep, and you could try it when you have troubling, repetitive thoughts.  You might recite to yourself, "Even though I have OCD, I truly and deeply love and accept myself."  Or "Even though I am having this troubling thought, I truly and deeply love and accept myself."  It might seem corny, but I find a few of the tapping points very calming/relaxing!  Uses acupressure points.

 

I hope this helps.  Let us know if you try either and how they affect you.

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

I am just saything that... Is there a one person who tapered the medication recovered the full brain normal stage?

If there is an one single person, then it means that it is possible. I just want to know that.

 

 

Have a read of this - it's great.  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9863-%E2%98%BC-irishwill-2015-extremely-positive-and-long-overdue-update/

and there are more stories here:  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/forum/28-success-stories-recovery-from-withdrawal/

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 Now on 7 micro-beads of Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

JamieShin,

 

Read the success stories. People heal. Search the site and read for yourself.

 

Andy

Sertraline 50mg and Clonazapam .375mg from 2000 -- symptoms of dizziness Spring 2012

increased to .5 Clonazapam and 100mg Sertraline -- no improvement

Benzo microtaper from November 2012 to November 2014 (followed benzo sites "taper benzo first")

Started Sertraline taper in December 2014 cut by 25mg to 75mg; 62.5mg 1/1/15 and 50mg on 2/1/15

Held at 50mg through April 5 to use liquid 
Reduced dosage in 10% or less drops from 50mg to 25mg -- at single tablet of 25mg on 10/5/15

Transitioned to all liquid for accuracy while tapering -- Horrible insomnia -- back to 25mg liquid and held until October 1, 2016

10/16 -- 11/18 tapered very slowly to 10.6mg.  No real improvement and never really stable so updosed to 12.5mg (1/2 a pill) for convenience and long hold.

After 8+ months of holding with no noticeable improvement decided to add .4ml of liquid Prozac (about 1.5mg) to see if that improves the situation

Supplements, Magnesium, D3, Omega 3, curcumin, Valerian, 81mg Aspirin, L-Theanine, Vit. C,

 

Link to comment

Hi Altostrata,

 

Posted 29 October 2015 - 07:27 PM

Jaime, please do NOT ever skip doses of Lexapro.

 

Please read the links we've given you. Your questions are answered there.

 

Please ask your pharmacist about the liquid Lexapro, or read the package insert.

 

So, you want me to use 10% percentage taper method right? I will never skip the dose to taper. I heard for LEXAPRO, it is bad to take every other day of every third day to taper. (due to half life)

 

I will take 10% off from previous dosage using liquid. That is fine right?

 

But, Please anyone know if this site's manual is telling me to directly push out the liquid from the syringe to my mouth? OR do I have to mix with water to drink? OR it does not matter?

 

let me know guys~:)

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi JaimeShin, 

 

I would first practice drawing up a dose and then squirting it back into the bottle; see if a drop remains at the tip after pushing the dose out; if so, then unless you somehow get the last drop, you wouldn't be getting the full dose.  You do not have to get the last remaining liquid from the syringe to get the full dose; the syringe accounts for that in its calibration, but if there is a drop remaining, that would be part of your dose.  I would NOT lick the last drop off because even with rinsing the syringe, you might be adding contaminants back to your source bottle when you draw up the next dose.

 

What you can do is add the dosage to a small glass of water, mix, drink the whole thing, and then fill the glass again, and drink all of that.  Basically you'd be drinking the rinse water so that whatever amount of med you didn't receive would be so trivial as to not matter.  And once you decide on a technique, continue you so that there is consistency over time.  The starting cut is relatively arbitrary in that it won't make much difference if you get 89% or 91% of your previous dose.

 

I hope this helps!

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

Link to comment

Just reading this thread and can confirm that Dr. Kelly Brogan is not taking new patients but i can recommend

Smith Healy G MD
Psychiatrist
Address: 80 University Pl, New York, NY 10003
Phone:(212) 367-7010
 
She works closely with Dr. Brogan.

7 yrs Lexapro 10 mg. Mar/2011 - 1 month taper. Severe W/D. Multiple symptoms.Gallbladder and parathyroid surgery in Aug and Oct. Disability 3 months.  Dec/2011 reinstated 5mg Lex and went back to work. very bad shape.

By Aug/2012 - self tapered to 1.25 mg cutting pills. -very bad shape. Nov/2012  Dr. Hinz neuro-replete. up and down. Aug/2013 at aprox 1.0 mg Lex stopped neuro-replete ~Oct 2013 Found this site  ~ began using compounded Lexapro and have been micro tapering since then and holding as needed.

11/6/2013 -  0.6 mg

2/1/2018 - .135 mg  Now reducing 5-10% per month 

4/1/18 - .1 mg

4/17/18 - changed delivery from compounded individual caps to aliquot. went from .1 mg to .09 aliquot

7/4/2018 - .09 mg Holding due to wave of W/D symptoms

7/22/18 updosed to .1 mg aliquot

9/30/18 - reduced to .0975 aliquot

2/1/19 - updosed to .1 mg aliquot due to instability bad wave W/D

9/12/19 - back to .1 mg individual caps since could not get stable using aliquot

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  • Administrator

Thank you very much, Pokeshaw.

 

Jaime, you seem to be very nervous about tapering Lexapro. Please calmly study Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) and make sure you understand it before you start tapering.

 

If you have a bottle of liquid Lexapro, look at the instructions in the package. If you have any questions, take the insert with you and ask your pharmacist. Ask your pharmacist to show you how to use the oral syringe.

 

I am concerned that you want to continue taking Lexapro to control your OCD but you are afraid of it, too, and you are afraid of going off it. Please calmly consider what you want to do. You are asking the same questions over and over, we can't make you feel comfortable about your decision, you need to make it yourself.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Just reading this thread and can confirm that Dr. Kelly Brogan is not taking new patients but i can recommend

Smith Healy G MD
Psychiatrist
Address: 80 University Pl, New York, NY 10003
Phone:(212) 367-7010
 
She works closely with Dr. Brogan.

 

 

Correction to her name. it is reversed above

should be

 

Dr. Healy Smith

7 yrs Lexapro 10 mg. Mar/2011 - 1 month taper. Severe W/D. Multiple symptoms.Gallbladder and parathyroid surgery in Aug and Oct. Disability 3 months.  Dec/2011 reinstated 5mg Lex and went back to work. very bad shape.

By Aug/2012 - self tapered to 1.25 mg cutting pills. -very bad shape. Nov/2012  Dr. Hinz neuro-replete. up and down. Aug/2013 at aprox 1.0 mg Lex stopped neuro-replete ~Oct 2013 Found this site  ~ began using compounded Lexapro and have been micro tapering since then and holding as needed.

11/6/2013 -  0.6 mg

2/1/2018 - .135 mg  Now reducing 5-10% per month 

4/1/18 - .1 mg

4/17/18 - changed delivery from compounded individual caps to aliquot. went from .1 mg to .09 aliquot

7/4/2018 - .09 mg Holding due to wave of W/D symptoms

7/22/18 updosed to .1 mg aliquot

9/30/18 - reduced to .0975 aliquot

2/1/19 - updosed to .1 mg aliquot due to instability bad wave W/D

9/12/19 - back to .1 mg individual caps since could not get stable using aliquot

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hey Jaimeshin - 

 

Mostly I'm just saying hi!  

 

My strongest thought upon reading your thread is that you need to put support in place before you taper anything.  Dr. Breggin's alarmism is one view in a spectrum of possible views.  What is most important is that you are in charge of your own health, and don't allow the "system" to bully you into something you do not want.  And ensure you are fully informed as you make choices - in that regard you are well along the way.  So many of us blindly trusted what we were told until we were hemmed in and there were fewer choices.  You are in a position to make your own choices.

 

KarenB & SquirrelyGIrls' suggestions about learning to observe your thoughts, let go of your thoughts, are awesome, and they showed you some excellent tips for "OCD" like Tolle (just watching videos of Tolle is very calming) and EFT.  

 

I'm one of the people who doesn't believe in diagnosis.  I do believe in "intrusive thoughts" and "intense desires," but I refuse to call them "OCD."  That's a label, and is limiting.  I am a human being.  So I would recommend, if you do mindfulness exercises, to use the word "thoughts" instead of the diagnosis "OCD." 

 

"I am thinking.  Thoughts are like clouds, they come, they go.  Let them go."

 

I believe it will help you immensely to do what Alto and others here have suggested - and work on your mental and emotional wellbeing before you taper.

 

Practice with the syringe with a full dose to get used to it.  

 

Is there any local help you can get with CBT or DBT?  If not, you might look here:

http://www.dbtselfhelp.com/

 
People do get better - even when they are still tapering, they wouldn't go back - not because of fear, but because they love having their faculties, health, and capacity back.  Even if they still have to take some of the drugs to continue.  It's about taking charge of your own decisions, not letting labels and drug company marketing determine what makes you well.  

 

Have you contacted a different doctor?  Or have you decided to continue with Dr. Ahmed?  

 

Let us know how you are going.

"Easy, easy - just go easy and you'll finish." - Hawaiian Kapuna

 

Holding is hard work, holding is a blessing. Give your brain time to heal before you try again.

 

My suggestions are not medical advice, you are in charge of your own medical choices.

 

A lifetime of being prescribed antidepressants that caused problems (30 years in total). At age 35 flipped to "bipolar," but was not diagnosed for 5 years. Started my journey in Midwest United States. Crossed the Pacific for love and hope; currently living in Australia.   CT Seroquel 25 mg some time in 2013.   Tapered Reboxetine 4 mg Oct 2013 to Sept 2014 = GONE (3 years on Reboxetine).     Tapered Lithium 900 to 475 MG (alternating with the SNRI) Jan 2014 - Nov 2014, tapered Lithium 475 mg Jan 2015 -  Feb 2016 = GONE (10 years  on Lithium).  Many mistakes in dry cutting dosages were made.


The tedious thread (my intro):  JanCarol ☼ Reboxetine first, then Lithium

The happy thread (my success story):  JanCarol - Undiagnosed  Off all bipolar drugs

My own blog:  https://shamanexplorations.com/shamans-blog/

 

 

I have been psych drug FREE since 1 Feb 2016!

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Hey Jaimeshin - 

 

Mostly I'm just saying hi!  

 

My strongest thought upon reading your thread is that you need to put support in place before you taper anything.  Dr. Breggin's alarmism is one view in a spectrum of possible views.  What is most important is that you are in charge of your own health, and don't allow the "system" to bully you into something you do not want.  And ensure you are fully informed as you make choices - in that regard you are well along the way.  So many of us blindly trusted what we were told until we were hemmed in and there were fewer choices.  You are in a position to make your own choices.

 

KarenB & SquirrelyGIrls' suggestions about learning to observe your thoughts, let go of your thoughts, are awesome, and they showed you some excellent tips for "OCD" like Tolle (just watching videos of Tolle is very calming) and EFT.  

 

I'm one of the people who doesn't believe in diagnosis.  I do believe in "intrusive thoughts" and "intense desires," but I refuse to call them "OCD."  That's a label, and is limiting.  I am a human being.  So I would recommend, if you do mindfulness exercises, to use the word "thoughts" instead of the diagnosis "OCD." 

 

"I am thinking.  Thoughts are like clouds, they come, they go.  Let them go."

 

 

JanCarol, thank you for the nod!  You added excellent wisdom and information!

 

I like guided meditations by Tara Brach as well.  Tarabrach.com.  In them she says when the thoughts come up gently notice "thinking thinking" and then return to the breath...So, when I find my mind starting to obsess or stress over something, I tell myself "thinking thinking" and take some deep breaths.  It helps!

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

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