894 replies to this topic

[fishinghat]

Thanks Gail, you are exactly correct and that means with a dose change it takes the blood levels 7 1/2 days to stabilize. That must be why it took a few days to effect you IUN.

[invalidusername]

It could well be that it kicked in around Friday, and the stress exhaustion masked it.

 

Sorry for my woeful post earlier this evening. I need to see the 10mg drop through and stay there for a bit. The 15mg had its problems - I did the right thing. Staying there would have only caused more problems.

[fishinghat]

I noticed your comment about the Suntheanine causing sleepiness. Have you tried a 100 mg dose during the day. It may be low enough to get some help without the drowsiness. Also, one thing I have noticed is that the Lion's Mane Mushroom not only took care of my benzo withdrawal symptoms but there was absolutely no drowsiness. I ordered some more so as soon as it comes in I will go up to 1500 mg/day and see if I can increase my weaning of the benzo.

[invalidusername]

I have started to take the suntheanine with breakfast, which usually occurs an hour or so after I wake, rather than on an empty stomach as soon as I wake. I have only started this since yesterday, so jury is still out on the potential benefit this might have. 

 

I wanted to take another dose today following the anxiety arising from the Lexapro drop, but again, worried it might cause more fatigue. 

 

Interestingly enough, the wife who is also doing the same (taking theanine and dropped 5mg Lexapro) has had no zaps, no dizziness and no "false" anxiety. She started the same day. Granted she didn't have the stress of the theft I did, but have to say I am a bit jealous of her sailing through this far!!

[invalidusername]

If the anxiety keeps up tomorrow, I think I need to at least try doubling the dose of the suntheanine... otherwise, why did I buy it!!

 

Please keep me posted on the lion's mane progress. 

[fishinghat]

will do

[invalidusername]

Woken up and whole room is spinning. I tried to get myself to the bathroom and fell. I have never known dizziness quite this bad. Two hours on in bed and nothing changed, even after taking the Lexapro. I nearly caved and took the 15mg, but I didn't. Oddly enough I have not had any zaps this morning.

 

Why has this 5mg drop had such an impact? I know I have been strong in the past, but this time I am honestly struggling. What are my options? Any idea of timeline for this drop?

[fishinghat]

The only thing that comes to mind is that you have changed so many things in the last few months you may need to just wait it out. I would hate to adjust anything or add something new on top of this. I just don't know what to say.

[invalidusername]

Yes. You are right. My head will be a right mess still. I am just tired of always having side effects of drugs. Still no zaps, but anxiety is quite nasty. I will take another theanine later to see what occurs.

 

This has led me to consider l-tryptophan... the "original" anti depressant before the big pharmas got their oar in. It is well documented and very well tolerated.

 

https://www.ncbi.nlm...pubmed/11022398

 

Despite concerns over serotonin syndrome, it can be used with a single anti depressant in lower doses, so 10mg Lexapro should be fine. I don't intend on staying on it, just to become drug-free. If I can use it to side-step some of these withdrawal symptoms that would be of great benefit. It worries me that if the 15 to 10 can have this much of an impact after only 12 weeks... what the 5 to 0 will be. But as you say Hat, I am most likely an isolated case given everything else that has passed through my system at the same time.

 

But any thoughts on the l-tryptophan would be good?

[fishinghat]

Have you used it before? It can be helpful and you are right in that it must be used in a very small dose with a ssri/snri. There is also 5htp as well. On one hand I want you to feel better but on another hand I hate to add another drug to the mix. You have been using L-theanine for a while so I hope it will be enough to take the edge off.

[invalidusername]

I've not used it before - and I've been reading up about both 5-htp and l-tryptophan, and whilst it would appear on the surface to not make much odds as one being the precursor to the other, there have been more favorable reports of the latter. 

 

I'm not jumping into anything right now, as I will stay on 10 lexapro for a while to settle, but I don't want to leave the last haul too long as it will need to be a slow withdrawal. Regardless of the fact that I have only been on the lex for 3 months, I have been on some flavour of antidepressant for 14 years... and THAT... needs a slow ween I am sure you will agree. I just feel better having a plan ahead of me.

[fishinghat]

"I love it when a plan comes together"

[invalidusername]

Right on BA Fishinghat...

 

I pity the fool... who takes cymbalta

[invalidusername]

Update today being a reduction in the dizziness and zaps, I would say by around 50-60%. Where that has left off, I have restlessness all over. Mood has also dropped simply as a result of "had enough". Nothing new, but a week of a whole host of horrible side-effects will bring this on. No wonder I am obsessing with finding new ways to cure.

 

I know I had a very stressful trigger with the car, and dropping the lexapro dose, but I am sick and tired of these things going on and on. Before this it was the continued shakes, before that the lexapro start up, the pregabalin before that... 

 

I need stability.

[fishinghat]

During periods of restlessness have you tried stretching? About 20 minutes of leg and arm stretches usually helps me.

[invalidusername]

Yes. I do stretches. Helps a little but i should get up and walk it off. I am working now and it has subsided. Despite distraction my depression has hit worse. Combination of withdrawal and being utterly fed up.

[invalidusername]

5 hours on and the depression is just not lifting. It has been such a long time since day-to-day activities would not relieve depression. Zaps are down to one every 2 hours or so, dizziness is tolerable and anxiety was short lived between 4-6pm. But this low mood is just staying put.

 

Following an evening of reading, it is my thinking that when I have taken the equivalent of the current 10mg Lexapro, I was cross-tapering, so there was something else there to counteract the low serotonin level. Obviously the lexapro can only work with the serotonin my brain is producing, so as it has relied entirely on the SSRI mechanism from 13 years of Citalopram, this might be tougher than first thought.

 

Hence my looking into tryptophan (or 5HTP). If the additional material is there to allow for extra serotonin to be produced, then it would permit my brain to balance out sooner, rather than trying to make more serotonin out of nothing.

 

I know I have been overthinking, but this does make sense from reading several papers over the last 48 hours.

 

Probably one for Hat to comment on, but welcome for all to discuss!

[fishinghat]

Yes, that makes sense. If the brain zaps are decreasing that is a positive sign that the Lexapro withdrawal is progressing.

[invalidusername]

Agreed - the withdrawal is for sure progressing - it is just the emotional aftermath. I can only hope that the depression is just another symptom to pass much like the rest of them.

[KathyInFL]

IUN, have you considered that this latest episode might be unrelated to withdrawal? Maybe a bug or a slight flu? I didn't read all the latest posts, so sorry if this was already asked.

[invalidusername]

Kathy - for sure not the flu.

 

I have just woken with really bad zaps and dizziness AGAIN. This along with horrible anxiety out of nowhere. 

 

I use this work lightly, but it is becoming unbearable. 

[gail]

Hello Scrat,

I had the same idea as Kathy, sometimes wrong somewhere.

Brain zaps, Tylenol cold and flu gets rid of that. You may try it and relax at the same time.

Fisherman, or Scrat,what's the name of the med you take to prevent nausea when you go at sea?

Here, it's Gravol, it helps a lot with anxiety.dizziness. But knowing Sir Scrat, he may be allergic to Dimenhydrinate.

I agree that anxiety must be taken care for. A benzo that acts immediately like lorazepam, tapering is easy when you go slow.

Thoughts???from you two Einsteins?

[invalidusername]

This really is withdrawal - that I am sure of.

 

The issue is that Lexapro at 15mg gave me really bad shakes for weeks - and they have subsided since going down to 10mg, but I really cannot take this level of dizziness and zaps. It is pointless going back to 15mg as I will only get the shakes again and have to go through the withdrawal again. 

 

I am considering a switch back to Citalopram for some stablility - although I can not be guaranteed of that either I guess having been of it for 2 months. But at the moment my depression and anxiety are too much and getting worse with every moment of this withdrawal.

[fishinghat]

Tylenol cold and flu, Dramamine (also known as Gravol) and omega 3 all help with the brain zaps.

[KathyInFL]

But at the moment my depression and anxiety are too much and getting worse with every moment of this withdrawal.

 

I'm so sorry you are feeling poorly.       I wish there was something we could do to help. 

[invalidusername]

Thank you Kathy. I've managed to get myself downstairs and outside for half hour to get some sun, now back inside with a cup of tea.

 

It has to subside at some point, but what with all the pills that have gone round my head, you do reach a point. I just keep telling myself this will be the last point - the last lot of withdrawal/side effects that I need to conquer. 

 

With you all around and the grace of God - the day will come.

[gail]

Yes, the day will come when we'll be dancing like fools from happiness!

Tuxedos, long gowns, g-string for Einstein, pyjamas for me(sexy ones, of course).

We will parade all over England (not to be recognized),we will have the best tea in town, Scrat bring the one that starts with K. We will have the specialite de la Maison with the best wine.

Then we go back in Scrats limousine and camp out in his backyard. The day will come...

[KathyInFL]

Okay... I need to ask after reading this board for so long.... who is Einstein? Who is Scrat?    

[invalidusername]

Siddage (Gail)... that is just beautiful... even Einstein's get up. I was visualising this as I read it. Made me feel very fluffy inside and calmed me. Thank you!

[invalidusername]

Kathy...

 

Einstein = Fishinghat or myself (the context usually dictates which, unless pluralised in which case it is both of us)

Scrat = Me (hence the picture of Scrat)

Sid = Gail (hence the picture of Sid)

 

Gail and myself have our own language whereby words have the -age appendage (hey! that word has it by default!!).

 

So you may see some Scratage's, Gailage's, lovage... and so on.

 

We know what we mean