Lexapro... withdrawal symptoms arrive with a bang... tapering advice needed

[whirlpool86]

Hey :-)

(Sorry to start another Lexapro thread. I posted it in another thread but somebody suggested to me I should make a new thread about it in order to get responses.)

I need some help.

My story goes:

July 2008 - My first panic attack

December 2008 to February 2009 - One long constant anxiety attack

February 2009 - Started Lexapro 10mg

February 2009 to September 2009 - 10mg Lexapro daily

(During this seven/eight months, my anxiety was more or less non-existent. I felt perfect.)

October 2009 - 5mg Lexapro daily (4 weeks)

October 2009 - Switched to 2.5mg Lexapro daily (4 weeks)

(Began to feel very very mild anxiety. Experienced one panic attack.)

November 2009 - Switched to 2.5mg every other day (2 weeks)

(Anxiety levels increased slightly. I began to regularly feel like I was about to stop breathing. I began again waking up during the night thinking I have stopped breathing. I think I can't breathe most of the time.)

December 2009 - 2.5mg every third day (1 week)

This takes me up to now. Yesterday morning, I began to get very anxious. This lasted all day and got a lot worse. The thoughts going through my head all day were as follows:

"I have someone blocking my throat. I am about to choke and die."
"I have a dangerously high temperature. I must have a fever, and I am about to die."
"I am about to vomit. I must have food poisoning. I am going to faint and die."
"I can't breathe. My windpipe and throat are closing in. I am going to suffocate and die."
"My heart won't stop racing. It is going to get too tired and it will stop and I will die."

The scariest thought I have been having recently is:

"There is no reason to continue living. Why would somebody choose to continue living? I don't understand. The only reason I would choose to continue living is to prevent my family and friends from having to feel the pain of losing me. Otherwise I would be satisfied to just die right now."

This really really scares me sometimes. Other times it doesn't scare me at all. It is just how I feel. I have no wish to kill myself, though.

My physical symptoms over the past two days have been: Diziness, tiredness, heart racing, nausea, skin-crawling.

I HATE the skin-crawling feeling It is constant. It is like there are bugs all over my body just beneath my skin and they are crawling around and scratching. It's horrible.

As you can see, I think I weaned myself off the Lexapro VERY slowly.... How much slower should I be doing it?

The symptoms I have been experiencing over the past two days have made me really scared :-(

I feel so scared and hopeless and helpless and empty and lost. But I don't feel the desire to be found, if you get me... I just want the horribleness to stop.

Did I taper off too quickly? I've heard that I shouldn't do alternate days because "the half-life of lexapro" is short. I don't quite know how I should use this bit of info to change my tapering schedule... How should I be tapering?

[scotty]

Yes, you weaned off fast. You effectively came off Lexapro in two months, skipped days, weaned in large amounts. That's what's getting you now.

We recommend 10% of your previous dose every 4-6 weeks. You can see that this is MUCH slower that what you did.

You could go back on a low dose, stabilize and then wean slowly from there.

[whirlpool86]

Thank you scotty. I have now read some of the sticky threads and I have learned a lot.

Many thanks.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by whirlpool86

Thank you scotty. I have now read some of the sticky threads and I have learned a lot.

Many thanks.

You're welcome!

[Aeroman]

Hi Whirlpool,

Ahhhhh...a new Ex-Lexapro friend Such a nasty drug, isn't it? I assume you have gone through my journal. I forgot to update it last week, whoops! Anyway, get as much information as you can. And YES, taper a lot slower than what you have been doing. Feel free to contact me via private message and/or e-mail. I chat with three folks who were either off or still on Lexapro and it really helps to know we are not alone in this. For the most part, the w/d symptoms are VERY similar to Paxil. Hence, I have found a home here with my PP peeps guiding me through the way and hopefully helping others at the same time.

In a nutshell, it does get better It just takes a LONG time (well, it has for me) and I am still not 100% recovered. I just hit month 21 last week. See ya.

[Songbird]

Go back to the last dose where you felt okay, say 5mg, then wait to stabilise, probably a few weeks. You can then wean your dose more slowly.

[whirlpool86]

Aeroman thanks for that brill message Yes it IS a nasty drug. I'm very grateful that I only started at 10mg (as one of my doctor's prescribed. however, my other GP, who I trust with my life, said she was very surprised that that doctor had started me on 10mg, that I should have been started at 20mg). I will probably PM you soon if that's still okay

Songbird, can you help me figure out a tapering schedule if it's not too much trouble? Going by what you've said and what I've read on these forums, I would think this might be okay:

5.0mg x 4 weeks
4.5mg x 2 weeks
4.0mg x 2 weeks
3.5mg x 2 weeks
3.0mg x 2 weeks
2.5mg x 4 weeks
2.25mg x 2 weeks
2.00mg x 2weeks
1.75mg x 1 week
1.50mg x 1 week
1.25mg x 1 week
1.00mg x 1 week
0.50mg x 2 weeks
0.25mg x 2 weeks
[end]

To be honest, I really have no idea what I'm talking about.

All I know is, I was on 10mg for 8 months and felt great. I then did 5mg for a month and felt great still. Then 2.5mg for a month. Towards the end of this 2.5mg-month, my anxiety increased. I then began 2.5mg every two/three days, and my anxiety sky-rocketed.

Also I've read a lot about the 10% taper, but how am I meant to measure 4.05mg of a lexapro tablet? Does the liquid exist? I'm just very confused....

[scotty]

Lexapro does come in liquid:
From rxlist.com


Lexapro oral solution contains escitalopram oxalate equivalent to 1 mg/mL escitalopram base. It also contains the following inactive ingredients: sorbitol, purified water, citric acid, sodium citrate, malic acid, glycerin, propylene glycol, methylparaben, propylparaben, and natural peppermint flavor.

000456-2101-08 NDC number. LEXAPRO SOLUTION BOT 8 FLO (FOREST PHARMACEUTICALS INC)

[whirlpool86]

thanks scotty. is that only available in certain countries? do you know where i can buy it? i don't think it's for sale in Ireland.

[scotty]

Originally Posted by whirlpool86

thanks scotty. is that only available in certain countries? do you know where i can buy it? i don't think it's for sale in Ireland.

It may only be in the states, but with the NDC number you could call around and see if anyone can order it.

[whirlpool86]

Is it available in the states without prescription?

[scotty]

Nope....all ssri's are prescription

[Songbird]

Originally Posted by whirlpool86

she was very surprised that that doctor had started me on 10mg, that I should have been started at 20mg

Sounds like she is confused between Celexa and Lexapro, which is twice as strong. 20mg is a 'normal' dose for Celexa and Paxil, for Lexapro it would be 10mg. A 20mg dose of Lexapro would be like 40mg Paxil, that is quite a high dose.

For the 10% dose drops, it doesn't have to be exactly 10%, that is just the maximum drop recommended, some people do 8% or 5% drops. You can use 'rounder'-looking numbers if you want.

Here is a thread about getting tablets made into a liquid:

http://www.paxilprogress.org/forums/...ad.php?t=43586

If the liquid is not a feasible option for you, you can cut pills and use a digital scale to weigh pill pieces. I did that for a while, too.

[Songbird]

Your taper schedule doesn't look too bad, it would be much too fast for most people, but if you've only been on for 8 months, with no prior AD use, you may be able to go faster than what we normally recommend. You should wait at least 3 weeks after a drop because w/d symptoms can show up even in week 3. I wouldn't get too set on a schedule at this stage, instead listen to your body and adjust accordingly.

[whirlpool86]

Thanks, SB.

Unfortunately I'm in Ireland, and I can't find any compounding pharmacies when I googled it.

I will just use the weighing-scales option.

Cheers.

[Songbird]

I've just had a quick search around and found this guy, looks like he does make up stuff to order:

http://www.quinnspharmacy.ie/about_us.html

[whirlpool86]

Originally Posted by Songbird

I've just had a quick search around and found this guy, looks like he does make up stuff to order:

http://www.quinnspharmacy.ie/about_us.html

OMG!!!! That is SOOO weird! That exact pharmacy is in my town!!!! I'm actually shocked!!! What a coincidence!!! We're on different sides of the world lol!!! That's so funny!!

And also, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!

[Songbird]

Wow, that's amazing!!

[whirlpool86]

I've calmed down now lol. Thanks so much for doing a search! That was incredibly kind and helpful of you! :-)

I'm gonna go there in the morning. It's literally five minutes walk from where I am now!

[whirlpool86]

I have just worked out the doses I need to reduce by if I am starting at 5mg and if I am to reduce it by a maximum of 10% each time.

But I don't know how many weeks I should spend on each dose. I have been on the lexapro for just over ten months now. So how long should I spend tapering off?

[Songbird]

I've seen it recommended here not to spend longer tapering off than you were on the drug for, however you also have to see what works for you, and adjust according to that. It's better to go too slow than too fast.