Joey Posted June 18, 2017 Share Posted June 18, 2017 Can lexapro withdrawl is it common to get agoraphobia and depersonalizatiom and derealization main problems and of coarse severe anxiety ? Need help lost my job cant even go for a walk was on 20mg now at 5 mg in 3.5 months Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted June 18, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 18, 2017 (edited) Welcome Joey! I've moved your post to the Introductions Forum so that more people will see your question. It seems that your dose decreases were too fast for you. I'm very sorry that you didn't get better and more conservative medical advice about tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro, Cipramil, etc.). Most doctors aren't aware of the risks of fast tapering and that their idea of tapering is actual too fast for many people. The road to difficult withdrawal symptoms is paved with good but uninformed intentions. Your symptoms of DP/DR (depersonalization/derealization) are known to occur as withdrawal symptoms. Anxieties and phobias are also known to arise or intensify as a result of withdrawing from psychoactive prescription medications. Some topics relevant to the symptoms you've listed: What is withdrawal syndrome. Derealization and depersonalization Agoraphobia Fear, terror, panic, and anxiety Are you open to the idea of SLOWLY increasing your dose from 5 mg? You may be able to sneak up on a tolerable dose that reduces your symptoms. Once your symptoms have stabilized, we suggest that you hold steady at that dose for 6-8 weeks, then start a gentle taper in which dose is decreased 10% or less once per month. Before you begin tapering -- what you need to know. Why taper by 10% of my dosage?. Tips for tapering off Lexapro (escitalopram) A request:Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly? Any drugs prior to 24 months ago can just be listed with start and stop years. Please use actual dates or approximate dates (mid-June, Late October) rather than relative time frames (last week, 3 months ago) Spell out months, e.g. "October" or "Oct."; 9/1/2016 can be interpreted as Jan. 9, 2016 or Sept. 1, 2016. Please leave out symptoms and diagnoses. A list is easier to understand than one or multiple paragraphs. Link to Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. I hope you'll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I'm sorry that you are in the position that you need the information, but am glad that you found us. Edited June 18, 2017 by scallywag forgot lexapro topic; added. 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 IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Joey Posted June 19, 2017 Author Share Posted June 19, 2017 I cant go back up in dose lost my job no ins in a extremly bad situation taking 5mg for 3 weeks then 2.5 for 10 days but then out of lexapro i was on it 9 months didnt seem to help at all i took it after suffering extreme suboxine withdrawl was out of work 6 months last year cause of symtoms and axiety and agoraphobia were symtoms last year also going threw this HELL all over again i cant BELEIVE IT Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted June 19, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 19, 2017 Were you taking Lexapro or a generic escitalopram? You may be able to get Lexapro at very low cost through the manufacturer's patient assistance program. Forest Pharmaceuticals Patient Assistance Program. An informational site about assistance programs for many medications: Need My Drugs. We need to understand your medication and withdrawal history. Please create a signature that lists the medications, doses and dates of any dose changes, especially those since January 2016. Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. 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 IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Joey Posted June 20, 2017 Author Share Posted June 20, 2017 Thank you a generic that cost over a 100$ easy Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus scallywag Posted June 20, 2017 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted June 20, 2017 (edited) Did you check the links about purchase assistance programs I linked above? If yes, what did you find out? If no, please click the links to find out what assistance is available to you. You may need a few minutes to enter the necessary information to see if the program can assist you. Please take a few minutes to create a posting signature that includes your medication history. Edited June 20, 2017 by scallywag 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 IntroductionOnline spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet Link to comment
Itzakadoozee Posted June 27, 2017 Share Posted June 27, 2017 On 6/17/2017 at 6:32 PM, Joey said: Can lexapro withdrawl is it common to get agoraphobia and depersonalizatiom and derealization main problems and of coarse severe anxiety ? Need help lost my job cant even go for a walk was on 20mg now at 5 mg in 3.5 months Exactly what my main symptoms are from Lexapro withdrawal. 2005-2015 sertaline, 2015 to November 2018 escatalopram. Used liquid titration to drop doses. By 0.5mg at first then drops as small as 0.01mg at end of taper. Jumped of at 0.02mg Link to comment
Joey Posted June 27, 2017 Author Share Posted June 27, 2017 Seriously how long has it been going on for Link to comment
nz11 Posted July 14, 2017 Share Posted July 14, 2017 Joey how you doing. Sorry you have to go through yet another wdl by uninformed consent. It can go on for quite some time. Don't panic it will recede in time. What do you think about doing a drug sig? Glad you found sa nz11 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 Link to comment
DrugfreeProf Posted July 15, 2017 Share Posted July 15, 2017 Joey, I hate to break the bad news but Lexapro is a particularly strong drug that can be quite hard to get off. Rest assured that the WD symptoms that you are experiencing now will eventually fade--but there's no way to tell how long it will take. I therefore strongly urge you to 1) do a drug signature so the mods can help you navigate this tricky situation, and 2) consider VERY carefully the possibility of reinstating a very small amount of Lexapro, so you can eventually taper off of it at a proper, slow pace. So given that you no longer have access to getting the med due to loss of insurance (due to our sick, psychopathic "health care" system in the U.S.), in my opinion it's worth the time and effort to try to get the Lexapro through the program Scallywag mentioned. If at all possible, try to get the liquid formulation, which is much easier to take in tiny doses. Your DP/DR, anxiety, and other terrible symptoms are actually typical of Lexapro withdrawal. You are not alone--keep reading SA, and you will see that's the case. Drugfree Prof Psychologist and Psychotherapist Prozac 20 mg for approx 3 months during 2000, withdrew, no w/d sx Prozac 10 - 30 mg Jan. 2008 - Dec. 2014 Ritalin 30-40 mg Jan. 2008 - Mar. 2015 W/d sx from Prozac started around 3 months after cessation--crying spells, depressed mood, lethargy; resolved in 8 - 12 mos. post cessation Used and continue to use a TON of alternative methods--meditation, mindfulness, nutrition. supplements, exercise, etc. Link to comment
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