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Isabel

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Its just really hard with all these symptoms. Withdrawal from hydroxzine, not stable on lexapro, Don't know how long these symptoms are here for.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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I guess I'm trying to figure out if what I'm having is withdrawal why can't I just stop the 3.75 if it isn't stable anyway and get into actual withdrawal rather then this pseudo withdrawal reinstatement mess

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

When we start taking a neuroactive medication, any psychiatric medication including Lexapro, our brain and CNS (central nervous system) react and make changes to neurotransmitter chemicals and the cells that send and receive neurotransmitters. When we stop taking the medication or decrease dose, our CNS has to undo changes it made earlier. The content at these two links provide helpful explanations about this:

How your brain responds to psychiatric drugs - aka "Brain remodeling"

Youtube video, 4 minutes: Healing from antidepressants

 

What do you mean when you wrote, "this pseudo withdrawal reinstatement mess"?

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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I don't know if my symptoms are from withdrawal or reinstatement not working.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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If I'm going to have to go through all these symptoms again if I'm in withdrawal why am I even on the med if its not doing anything

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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Any info about reinstating hydroxzine and tapering.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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This is getting complicated and I need advice. I'm waiting on test results to see if I have a kidney infection. If my kidney isn't processing the lexapro and eliminating it can it get toxic and lead to serotonin syndrome?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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Lexapro is metabolized almost entirely by your liver; your kidney function would have a minimal impact on your ability to process and eliminate this medication.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Ok thanks.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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I'm feeling the effects of nearly 4 weeks with her very little sleep. I'm needing some help or I feel things will go downhill fast. I'm sure my cortisol is off, adrenals, hormones, etc..... is a sleep aid ever recommend for such extremes. Again, I'm feeling I need to decrease my 3.75 but I'm not stable yet but I can't wait to try something different to see if anything helps!

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Mentor

hi Isabel,

I am sorry you are going thru this, it's really hard.

sadly no one can tell you how long the symptoms will last and adding more drugs is unlikely to make things better (and usually make things worse, or at the very least, complicate things)

 

for now the best you can do is find non drug coping skills to deal with the symptoms.

 

many of us have insomnia as an issue. It can sometimes help to listen to relaxing music, or a relaxation tape, learn how to meditate, esp. A nice soothing bath, esp with epsom salts, can be helpful

 

I am coming off lexapro too and while I hope that things are different for you ( I was on a much higher dose and for a lot longer!!) I've had insomnia since last Sept/Oct. It's improving but it's been very slow.

 

for some people things turn around fairly quickly, for others, it takes longer.

 

it's best not to have too many expectations on when things will improve, and just try to take each day as it comes. Be assured, thought, that you WILL heal, it mostly just takes some time.

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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Thanks for the advice. Are you completely off? With no sleep, I think my cortisol is elevated especially at night. How does epsom salt work?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Mentor

Thanks for the advice. Are you completely off? With no sleep, I think my cortisol is elevated especially at night. How does epsom salt work?

 I am not off lexapro yet, I am taking 0.22 mgs per day, and will be slowly VERY slowly tapering off at approx 5% per month.

 

 

espom salts are a form of magnesium and magnesium can help a LOT with anxiety and cortisol spikes.

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/8321-epsom-salts-baths-another-way-to-relax-with-magnesium/

 

many of us also take magnesium in tablet, capsule, liquid, powder or even spray on or lotion forms. there's a whole thread about it; it really helps a LOT:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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After each reduction, i notice feeling better for a few days then worse after a week. Is 7 days typical to notice changes or would it be by the next day. Likewise, if I have to increase again , I thought I read it should take away the symptoms

After a day?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

After any dose change it takes about 4 days for the drug to get to a steady state in the blood and a bit longer for it to register in the brain.

 

It is suggested that you hold on a new dose for 2 weeks after decreasing or increasing and keep daily notes on paper of what symptoms improve / worsen / stay the same, unless symptoms become unbearably worse.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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I'm trying to correlate what was recommended for me. Dropping from 5mg to 3.75 is greater than 10%. Why was this recommended? Also I'm trying to make sense of the occupancy % that was provided in the tapering forum. Is there a big drop going from 5 to 4 but not between 4 to 3

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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I cant interpret what the % occupancy is of 5 vs 4 vs 3

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Isobel, welcome to SA. Reinstating at 2.5 was too high after being on 1mg for a year. Doctors rarely understand this and often increase a dose when a smaller dose would be better. I would take 3/4 of a 5mg tablet for 2 weeks, then half for 2 weeks, then 1/4  and see how you feel.  How long have you been taking hydroxine? Does it help at all? 

 

Lexapro is available in liquid which would be better for getting the very low dose. When you have stabilised you can start to taper, even very small doses need tapering, lexapro is a very strong drug and 1mg is more powerful than most people realise. 

 

Thank you for filling in your signature, it is very helpful  :)

 

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

 

Things will settle down again but try and hold off switching, it is possible to stabilise on a small dose, maybe even smaller than1mg if necessary! 

 

The reason that it has been suggested that you reduce by more than 10% is that you were reinstated at what we believe was too high a dose.  You had been on 5mg for about 5 weeks so the brain would have made some adaption to the higher dose.  Please see the quote above which provides the suggestion of how to get back to a lower dose quickly, but hopefully in a "safer" way than jumping from 5mg down to 1.25mg in one go.

 

The dose occupancy information is referred to as a guide (not a rule) to help members understand why it is better to taper.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Thanks for the reply. I'm still not comfortable switching to liquid or even 1/2 and 1/2. From what I understand there is s big drop in occupancy from 1mg to 0. But I'm wondering if I'm cutting pill to what I believe to be 3.75 but may vary in the .10 hundredths is the occupancy affected drastically with this variance?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

The other option is weighing.  Using a digital scale to measure doses

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Hi Isabel,

 

Sleep: I'd like to echo that magnesium may help relax you enough to sleep; once you know if your kidneys are okay (I'm not sure what effect magnesium has on your kidneys but it may be worth checking before taking it), you could try a little (maybe a quarter pill) each day to see how you go. I take mine with a meal and it seems to help.

 

Stabilization: This is so variable from what I can tell. I am not stable yet BUT I am hands down better than I was before I reinstated. Once I reinstated things got better within hours, then of course waves came back but overall things were getting better and better with each week. 

 

Liquid: I tried to transition to liquid and it can be done but you may be sensitive to it, as I was. If you can do it accurately, then you could try as low a percentage liquid and do the rest solid and slowly increase it from there. A moderator could help you work out a realistic pace to do this. I can't think of a more accurate and easy way to divide tiny doses than with liquid. If I could go back in time, I would have reinstated using liquid to make things easier when I get to lower doses in the future. Anyway, I will probably need to transition to liquid in the future but for now I am sticking to solid until I am more stable. 

 

I hope you are doing a little better today.

2012: 2 weeks of paroxetine, I cannot recall the dose. Strong side effects, stopped cold turkey, had intense, horrible withdrawal thereafter

2012 to 2016: Fluoxetine 40mg daily, sometimes 20mg daily, a couple of bad tapers under doctor's advisement, increasingly bad withdrawal symptoms with each major dose change

Oct 2016 to June 2017: 10-month reinstatement of 20mg fluoxetine daily to stabilize. A very difficult period but withdrawal gradually improved

July 2017: At 20mg (100%), started a linear tapering regimen using water titration (20mg fluoxetine into 300ml of water).

June 2019: Currently at 0.200mg (1.00%). I have many symptoms, most I attribute to fluoxetine, some to withdrawal, and the rest to hypothyroidism. Continuing to reduce anyway.

July 2019: Jumped from 0.066mg (0.33%) to 0.000mg (0.00%); I'm now free of the poison.

 

My introduction thread: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/14226-kittygiggles-generic-prozac-fluoxetine-stabilization/

 

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Thanks for the suggestions!

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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So it'll be 2 weeks that I am at 3.75. I'm not sure what to think. I read about others that reinstate and feel better right away, But because I reinstated at too high of a dose I'm still waiting to stabilize. Is it better to hold at this dose and see if I do, or drop to 2.5 as suggested. I'm weary of this big of a drop. Is my brain still wanting to be at 1 mg where I was when I stopped? Or has it adapted to the current dose. I've read others have to stay x 6 weeks at current dose before dropping. Symptoms are ear pain, headache, burning in head feeling.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Thank-you. Yes I have read the posts but at what point do you decide the stabilization isn't happening. I've read so many conflicting things. In one of Alto's posts she said she noticed most people stabilize in four days. I know I haven't stabilized yet so will it be more damaging to go down again from 3.75 to 2.5 or wait this out to see if I stabilize.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Isabel you reinstated at a dose that is too high and your body is not coping very well with it. Also when cutting the tablets you are not getting a consistent dose. You could try to go down to half a tablet now you have been on 3.75 for 2 weeks. Are your tablets scored so the halves would be even? We are only recommending such big cuts because you are reacting to the high dose. 

Hopefully you will start to feel a little better. 

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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What I struggle with is that I wasn't mentally prepared for this battle. I feel thrown into withdrawal not by choice and not look forward to the worst to come. For those that went through years of withdrawal and protracted withdrawal, would you taper the same? I have had a couple windows so now not sure if I should hold at current dose? The awful withdrawal stories make me question if its worth it?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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Advice......? Anyone reinstate lexapro at too high a dose and feel better after a decrease? I'm debating going from 3.75 to 2.50. If this hits me as the wrong thing I don't know what to do. Cant tell dr. No one knows I'm tapering cause no one understands. Can I take something for headache?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Mentor

Advice......? Anyone reinstate lexapro at too high a dose and feel better after a decrease? I'm debating going from 3.75 to 2.50. If this hits me as the wrong thing I don't know what to do. Cant tell dr. No one knows I'm tapering cause no one understands. Can I take something for headache?

hi

I'm sorry you are still struggling. I can't really help you with your question about reinstating at too high a dose and decreasing, as I did the opposite (reinstated low and went up- and am now tapering)

hopefully someone can answer that question for you.

 

as far as the headache, I think taking tylenol or ibuprofen is safe. I take pain meds occasionally (generic celebrex) and am on lexapro and have not noticed any adverse effects from it. celebrex is an NSAID

 

hope you feel better real soon!

 

  • pysch med history: 1974 @ age 18 to Oct 2017 (approx 43 yrs total) 
  •  Drug list: stelazine, haldol, elavil, lithium, zoloft, celexa, lexapro(doses as high as 40mgs), klonopin, ambien, seroquel(high doses), depakote, zyprexa, lamictal- plus brief trials of dozens of other psych meds over the years
  • started lexapro 2002, dose varied from 20mgs to 40mgs. First attempt to get off it was 2007- WD symptoms were mistaken for "relapse". 
  •  2013 too fast taper down to 5mg but WD forced me back to 20mgs
  •  June of 2105, tapered again too rapidly to 2.5mgs by Dec 2015. Found SA, held at 2.5 mgs til May 2016 when I foolishly "jumped off". felt ok until  Sept, then acute WD hit!!  reinstated at 0.3mgs in Oct. 2106
  • Tapered off to zero by  Oct. 2017 Doing very well. 
  • Nov. 2018 feel 95% healed, age 63 
  • Jan. 2020 feel 100% healed, peaceful and content
  • Dec 2023 Loving life! ❤️ with all it's ups and downs ;) 
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Hi Isabel,

 

As a newcomer here I think I can speak for everyone when I say: we all want you to feel better as soon as possible and want you to avoid any more suffering if at all possible! What I've understood about Alto mentioning '4 days' is usually to do with an SSRI reaching a stable level in your blood, which is separate from brain stability. The latter part is what requires more scientific research. From what I can tell, SA (survivingantidepressants.org) is the best place to help you guess how your SSRI withdrawal is affecting you, how to recover, and how long this will take. Sadly though, they are still guesses, albeit educated ones. 

 

Getting to 1mg

If I understand your signature, you managed to taper to 1mg in March 2014, then held that dose until February 2017. If that is the case then my best guess is that yes, your brain really does want to return to 1mg. But you can only do that at a safe pace. By reinstating at 2.5mg in February, your brain had to adapt to a higher dose, then higher again still at 5mg, then following hydroxine, you are now at 3.75mg. Each change does something to the brain, I only wish I knew all the science around this. As bad as all those changes are, they happened over a short period so it follows, hopefully, that you won't need too long to go down to 1mg. However, tapering to 1mg is the safest course of action right now. 2 weeks at 3.75mg may be long enough but before you decide think hard about it some more and hold on until a moderator can get to you!

 

Rating symptoms helps you decide when to change a dose

If you're not doing it already and if you feel you have the motivation, you could list your symptoms and then try to categorize them per drug and whether they are adverse reactions or withdrawal. Then from now on, you can rate them throughout the day, when you remember, or even at the end of the day, out of 10 for severity. This kind of data will be so useful to you in measuring progress and helping you decide whether a drop is too steep or too sudden. 

 

Take note of the ones you feel challenge you the most. We all have ones we feel are unbearable at times otherwise we wouldn't be here! I can tell withdrawal is affecting you badly so it is good to for you to target the symptoms you really cannot handle. Sometimes it is our response to the symptoms that causes the most distress. Really question which ones can be tolerated, so you can then see which ones are just unbearable. When you identify those, try to think about options you can take if they ever become unbearable or happen too often or for too long. Having someone to talk to, a safe place, a favorite activity, reducing obligations, anything you can think of.

 

I did the above and I now have a wealth of data on what I can do with certain symptoms. Although my waves can be awful, seeing the data I've gathered really helps me to keep pushing forward. To refine my coping strategies I search other threads here and other places online for non-drug methods for dealing with symptoms. 

 

What will happen if you decide to drop to 2.5mg?

I wish there was a way to predict this but the science isn't there yet. One thing that may reassure you but it is based on my experience and some of what I've read regarding others' experience: the symptoms you get when withdrawal first hits tend to be the ones you're stuck with for the duration, which diminish as your brain heals. From what I understand, the brain heals with time, whether you are reinstating, stabilizing, or tapering, as long as things are slow and steady, your brain is adapting and therefore healing. 

 

So, if you drop to 2.5mg, you may not be surprised with new symptoms but the ones you have may get worse. If, having listed all the symptoms and you have a plan in place if things get worse, you can make the decision whether you want to take the risk. The good news is that the drop to 2.5mg may be tolerated quite well and some of your symptoms (if they are adverse reactions to your reinstatement and updose) may diminish. 

 

I hope this post was helpful in some way but I am sorry if it wasn't :S I am sorry you are going through this though. When I found out I had withdrawal, I was terrified and had a lot of things to accept. It's awful, it really is, but I am happy to say that today and yesterday have been good days for me: something I never thought possible in the beginning. 

2012: 2 weeks of paroxetine, I cannot recall the dose. Strong side effects, stopped cold turkey, had intense, horrible withdrawal thereafter

2012 to 2016: Fluoxetine 40mg daily, sometimes 20mg daily, a couple of bad tapers under doctor's advisement, increasingly bad withdrawal symptoms with each major dose change

Oct 2016 to June 2017: 10-month reinstatement of 20mg fluoxetine daily to stabilize. A very difficult period but withdrawal gradually improved

July 2017: At 20mg (100%), started a linear tapering regimen using water titration (20mg fluoxetine into 300ml of water).

June 2019: Currently at 0.200mg (1.00%). I have many symptoms, most I attribute to fluoxetine, some to withdrawal, and the rest to hypothyroidism. Continuing to reduce anyway.

July 2019: Jumped from 0.066mg (0.33%) to 0.000mg (0.00%); I'm now free of the poison.

 

My introduction thread: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/14226-kittygiggles-generic-prozac-fluoxetine-stabilization/

 

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Thanks for the replies! I have a lot to think about. Would like more information on what physiologically happens when reinstatement is too high. There's been so many changes in dose I don't know how to know if CNS is adapting to 3.75. How do you know if its adverse reaction or withdrawal?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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So the last few days have noticed tingling in hands. Is this overactive CNS or nerve damage cause of lexapro

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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  • Moderator Emeritus

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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Thank you! There is just so much information it's a lot to take in. Again, I hate to be redundant, But I'm in such uncertainty about reducing from 3.75 to 2.5. If I sleep decent then I feel slightly better so hard to know what to do I just don't want to cause more instability. However I realize reinstatement at too high a dose might be causing the issues in which case would I feel better going down. Thoughts?

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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Can anyone explain the difference between adverse reaction to reinstatement at a high dose or withdrawal? I'm trying to determine if I should cut to 2.5 from 3.75mg to alleviate reaction but will I also be getting withdrawal symptoms? Emotionally ok but feel "shaky" in hands and head has burning and "busy" feeling that's hard to describe. Is this glutamate? I'm not taking my other supplements cause I'm afraid of reaction to those.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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there is sooo much information on this sight it's hard to know what info applies to myself and I'm trying to make the best informed decision. One moderator said to taper 3.75 to 2.50 because of adverse reaction to reinstatement. but on the other hand, everyone tapers slow it seems. Could someone explain, If I have tolerance to the lexapro after being on 1mg for years, or if I'm hypersensitive, Receptors doenregulated.... etc. I don't understand what all of it means! If I continue taking 3.75 to see if I stabilize is this causing more harm. It seems so scary to think I'll be in withdrawal for years.

Lexapro 10 mg February 2009tapered to 5 mg July 2009tapered to 1 mg March 2010went back up to 2.5 mg January 2013tapered to 1.5 mg and stayed till stopping February 2017. 7 days later reinstated 2.5 mg. After 3 weeks went up to 5 mg March 2017 <p>Hydroxine 12 mg March 2017 stopped hydroxine March 26. Reduced lexapro to 3.75 March 30th

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