3weeks on escitalopram
Posted , 2 users are following.
HI All, just found this site and must say just 1/2 hour of reading posts can honestly say i feel a little bit better already, was diagnosed with anxiety about 18 months ago and prescribed bromazapam, was not told they were addictive so when i found out i went to doctors to ask him if i could come off them, he prescribed Escitalopram at5 mg a day and said if i felt i needed the bromazapam i could take it, anyway i decided not to and suffered the most horrendous withdrawal symptoms for about 10days, they seem to have subsided somewhat now, but i'm still very much suffering from anxiety, forgot to say i've been on them 19 days now and am feeling like crap every morning, feeling sick when i eat and a sensation of constriction around my sternum area, aching around my neck and shoulder, and occasional rapid heartbeat, had numerous tests on my heart and all fine, good to hear it will get better but at the moment it seems a long way off, i just don't get the good days i did when i was on the bromazapam.
0 likes, 3 replies
karen60759 john11895
Posted
hi John, welcome to the group 😃
firstly i think its admirable that you came off your benzo, but IMO they only become addictive if you abuse them and take more and more - that doesn't sound like it was the case for you as your doctor was happy for you to take them, as im assuming you were on a consistent daily dose - which is fine! chronic clinical anxiety is a terrible affliction - just like diabetes or epilepsy, and benzos are an effective treatment for the conditon - so if it helped you then i would consider going back on them - as long as you never increase your daily dose. There is a big difference between dependency and addiction to put into context- people with diabetes are not addicted to insulin but are dependant on it. with regards to escitalopram - this is also a drug that causes dependency, so is in fact fairly similar to bezos though the difference is its much less likely to be abused. The symptoms you have described are all typical start up side effects so try not to worry too much they will pass, but its worth noting many doctors prescribe benzos to help with these, as they can be taken together - which many of us on here do or have done in the past. You may also need to increase to see any effect as 10mg is the lowest possible theraputic dose for most people - but this be done slowly - give each dose increase at least 6 weeks before judging the effectiveness, so if you did eventually go up to 15mgs it could take 4-5 months to settle and start to work - so patience is key. im on 15mgs now for a week and its taken 3 months to get to this stage, im better overall than i was but still very up and down - but im going through menopause so this has a lot to do with that - which is something im guessing you dint have to worry about! but i also take 0.5 or 1mg of a benzo to help - and this is always enough for me so i do consider myself addicted - i need to function and i have come to the conclusion i need medication and i have no shame in that, hope that helps
john11895 karen60759
Posted
Hi Karen, thanks for your reply, you're right about me not abusing them as i was only on 1.5mg twice a day for 18 months, apart from the addictive element i think they had stopped being very effective and didn't want to keep upping the dose, over the last ten years i have lost my mum and dad(although they both lived to a good age 90 and 87 respectively) then my beloved dog 4years ago, but then as from 3 years ago i have lost six of my best friends, two within a month, this seemed to kick it all off, had numerous tests on my heart as i was getting very rapid heart beats, all came back ok, was then diagnosed with chronic bronchitis because i was getting breathless that now my doctor has doubts about as my chest is clear,can walk round a golf course for four hours, and do 40 mins on my treadmill with no problems, i'm 71 by the way, am very tempted at times to take a bromazapam when things are getting me down but would really like to stay off them, i know this forum is going to help as it's great to be able to talk to other sufferers and not only to people who haven't got a clue what i am going through. thanks again.
john11895
Posted
Hi, have now been on escitalopram for 4 and a half weeks and although i am feeling better can someone tell me if it's normal or not for an anxiety attack to come on out of the blue, let me explain what's happening, i wake up feeling a little crappy slight headache and feeling a little tight in the chest, lay for a while tell myself all is ok and it passes, get up feeling ok, take my medications and feel fine for an hour or so, no worrying thoughts and think i'm going to have a good day, then out of nowhere i start to have pains in my shoulders, feeling nauseous, breathlessness and lightheaded, it's not too bad while i'm doing things but gets worse when i sit down for a break, then by mid afternoon i start to feel normal again, can anyone relate to this.