Beware, there may be 100 posts from me over the next couple days. I'm bouncing off the walls and feel like I'm on another planet!

Question: For any of you who have taken A/D's in the SSRI category (Paxil, Celexa, Lexapro, Zoloft), have you weaned off them and if so, did you experience really icky side effects??

I've been on and off Celexa several times, and did have some mild withdrawal symptoms each time.

This time I decided it's time I come off the Lexapro for a while. I'm past the DV, I'm starting a new job in 2 weeks that I'm actually looking forward to, the days are staying lighter longer--it just seemed a good time. I don't want to be dependent on medication to control my anxiety issues forever.

So I weaned down from 20mg to 10mg a month or two ago. No big deal there.

Then last Friday I took the last 10mg I had in my bottle. I didn't feel like refilling the prescription and doing the 10mg every other day, so just stopped taking them at that point.

I do know that 10mg Lexapro is equal to 20mg Celexa, so I probably should have gone down to 5mg and then quit.

But I've been off since the weekend and every day I feel a little freakier than I did the day before. (No suicidal thoughts or anything!)

Today I told half my coworkers I was convinced I have a brain tumor (or maybe MS) because my fingers are tingling and "zapping", my head aches, my cheeks and lips tingle, I have zero concentration, my chest feels heavy when I breathe, I jumble my words and substitute my letters into mixed up words when I type, and I'm tired beyond belief!!! My head feels like it weighs 100 pounds!

I'm sure I shouldn't be driving--I slammed on my breaks behind someone today because my reaction time is that of an 80-yr-old.

Did any of you ever feel this weird coming off AD's? And if so, when did it peak and get better?

I have a few Xanax that I keep for emergencies but I only take them when absolutely necessary. I've had to take two this week because the anxiety/nervousness was so bad I felt like my head was going to pop off.

Lesson learned about Lexapro, I guess. I didn't have any bad side effects while on it. But it seems a LOT harder to get back off from than Celexa was.

(edited because I can't type at all right now!)

LL

<small>[ February 03, 2005, 11:38 PM: Message edited by: lordslady ]</small>

LL, those are classic withdrawal symptoms.

Are you weaning off with the help of your doctor. Because if you're not, don't do it without professional help.

I decided I was all better and weaned myself off Paxil very carefully and I was ok until the next depressive episode hit. And, boy, did it hit!

I'm now on permanent cipramil and my doctor said with my history (clinical depression since I was 16) I should keep taking them indefinitely.

That's the whole thing with ADs. You start feeling really good, you think you don't need them because you're feeling really good and so it goes on.

Jen

</font><blockquote><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><hr /><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial"> Are you weaning off with the help of your doctor. Because if you're not, don't do it without professional help. </font><hr /></blockquote><font size="2" face="Verdana, Arial">Uh...um....no, not really...

I just don't like having to take a pill every day of my life.

I take A/D's partly for depression (and definitely, going through this last year was freakin' depressing!!), but mostly for generalized anxiety. There are other meds like buspar specifically for that, but they made me feel funny, and they really didn't work well for me.

That first time I quit Celexa was with my Dr's help. After that, I've sort of just picked a time and used the same methodology I used the first time with the wean-down.

But until now, I've always been on Celexa.

On one hand, I maybe should stay on A/D's indefinitely. My mother now takes Paxil all the time. And I have had a couple major depressive episodes where all I can say is that I was in the worst "pit" that I can ever imagine, and I couldn't ever imagine feeling normal again. I was convinced everyone hated me, including God. It was horrid!

But the second crash was brought on by my XH's affair and my stopping eating and sleeping. Though I still get weepy when I think of him and it's rather depressing to think I may spend the rest of my life alone now, I really feel I'm at a point where I want to get off the meds for a while.

And I've become fairly good at recognizing the feeling of "impending doom" and getting my fanny back to the doctor for a new prescription. The only downfall of that--I do have to wait the 2-3 weeks for it to take effect.

So question: If my symptoms are the classic withdrawal symptoms, how long will I feel like I'm existing on some alternate plane?

LL

You'll feel weird until you get yourself stabilised on the ADs again.

My doctor gave me a really good pamphlet about depression. She also hugged me <img border="0" title="" alt="[Eek!]" src="images/icons/shocked.gif" /> and said the sooner people realise that this an illness the better.

LL, I don't know if you know I'm an FWW (an R (recovered) FW) and I hope it doesn't make a difference to how you feel about my advice.

I've followed your story right from the beginning and you have come a LONG way, baby!

Jen

<small>[ February 04, 2005, 01:01 AM: Message edited by: KiwiJ. ]</small>

i was on zoloft for about 3 months then i just stoped taking them ,, i dont seem to have any side effects ,,, also has any one heard that they use zoloft to help stop smoking

If Zoloft is the same as Zyban (I think that's right without checking on the net) that's mainly what it's used for here (in New Zealand).

Jen

Jen,

Yes, I do know you were a FWW and it affects your advice to me NOT ONE BIT. I respect what you say. I think you are very helpful on here.

I'll give thought to renewing my Lexapro scrip tomorrow and maybe at least taking a little while longer to wean off.

Something I don't think you know about me, because it didn't come up much on GQII and I don't have it in my sig line, because it was many years ago and not a part of the current issues that lead to my DV and it's something I don't like to think about or talk about because I'm very, very, very sorry....

I was a FWW too. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Frown]" src="images/icons/frown.gif" />

On the grand scale of affairs, it didn't quite equal the 2 lengthy "in-my-face" ordeals my XH put me through, but in reality infidelity is infidelity. Was E/A with one-time P/A 15 years ago with a friend/ex-coworker, then dummy me didn't know about N/C so remained off & on friends and during a simultaneous crash in my marriage and the death of his father, turned to each other and had another one-time P/A 8 years ago. That was the wake up--when I realized all I stood to lose for my stupidy. Prayed for forgiveness. Still struggle with forgiving myself. But I am NOT that person anymore! I stayed married and faithful from then on, through my DV, and to this day.

And I know you're a new person, too.

LL

Yes, LL, I did know that. I told you I'd followed your story right from the beginning. <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Definitely you should do all this AD stuff with your doctor's help.

Jen

Jen,

Part of my drug hang-up with A/D's may well be that perception that anxiety and/or depression is all in my head, and that I should be strong enough to control it, or if I have any faith at all and am trusting God, I shouldn't need mental meds.

My dr. has had the whole talk with me about brain chemistry and all. It's a hard perception to get past for myself, I guess.

LL

I am not a doctor, nor do I play one on TV, so this is NOT medical advice!

I was on 10mg Lexapro per day. I weaned myself off of them, slowly... slowly... 2 every 3 days, then 1/2 every day... it took a month, and when I was down to 1/3 per day, I stopped. I still had funny withdrawl symptoms. Kind of like electric charges in my brain or something... Wierd, but not too uncomfortable.

In my opinion, you shouldn't just stop from 10mg. per day. Please see your doctor!

Lordslady,

The first time, I used Celexa (20mg) for 8 months before I started weaning it off. I weaned it off very slowly over a period of 2 months (with my doctor’s help). However, I still experienced some withdrawal symptoms during that time – mostly anxiousness and moodiness. For 5 months off the medication I felt okay, but then the depression returned and the doctor put me back on Celexa (30 mg).

Now I’m using Celexa (30 mg) chronically and indefinitely since I also have a history of depression, OCD and anxiety on both sides of my family.

I think you wean of the medicine too quickly. To go from 10 mg to cold turkey is no good. I agree with the others – see your doctor! <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" />

Blessings,
Suzet

Hi LL,

I am just coming off of Effexor myself (not sure if this falls into the same drug category as Lexapro. But it has an "x" in it <img border="0" title="" alt="[Smile]" src="images/icons/smile.gif" /> )

I was on a relatively low dose. My doctor told me to go 1 every 2 days for three weeks, see how I felt, and then stop. He said to wait three weeks after I stopped to really gauge how I was handling it; you mentioned that it takes 2-3 weeks for you to start feeling its effects when you start - I think the same period of time at least would make sense on the other end.

The first weaning was fine, but when I totally quit I went wonky for almost a week. Kinda dizzy all the time; my head would turn but my eyes would take a second or two to follow. I also felt slightly more anxious (but part of that was the emotional manifestation of the physical symptoms).

This week I'm feeling much better. I have been trying to focus on getting extra sleep, getting exercise and eating right (does a doughnut every morning count?). I also tried to cut myself some slack, knowing that I wasn't quite in my "right mind." I'm kinda surprised how well I'm doing emotionally - it's a boost, given that I worried that the well-being was just the drugs talking.

My brother came off Paxil last year. He was on a higher dose and a longer period of time. He said he had a month of nastiness, but after that it was okay.

I'd say check in with your doctor. The more gradually you do something like this, the "easier" it is, I suspect.

Hugs to you! (And congrats on the new job!)

Gris