1. Community
  2. Brain and nerves
  3. Escitalopram

difficult journey. started lexapro recently.

Posted , 6 users are following.

greg57941
greg57941

so hard to type this because my hands are trembling a lot today.

i started taking Lexapro 18 days ago. i was previously on Prozac for 3 years and weaned myself off from 40mgs over a 9 month period. either i weaned too fast or i have an imbalance that will always need medication. my mental health steadily declined after stopping prozac and 4 months later i had a meltdown from hell that resulted in 24/7 anxiety and depression i never had before. the doc put me back on prozac at 10mg and i was fine and feeling better for a week until we upped the dose to 20mg. my world then collapsed in panic and crawling out of my skin all day/night. i did not want to live so i reached out and was admitted to the mental hospital. they stopped the prozac i had been on for 14 days by then and started me on 10mg lexapro and gabapentin as needed to calm me down. i can't take benzos because i have a history of rapid tolerance and crippling withdrawals. during my 12 days at the hospital i gradually improved and got my appetite back. i lost so much weight from this. i felt crappy the first 4 days on lexapro but it got better and i was just functional enough to be released. 

i have way more anxiety and some depression now that i'm in the outside world. i'm waiting for the Lexapro to save me. i've seriously read hundreds of forum posts looking for hope and they help. some days are better than others. i tried to manage my anxiety without the gabapentin today and it was a major flop. i just feel so little hope that i will survive and overcome this. i know it's supposed to get better with time and it's so hard to believe while i'm going through hell. i may need to increase my Lexapro once the side effects ease up a bit. anxiety is bad in the mornings and usually lets up a bit by 5pm. depression is random. 18 days is not much considering my brain was basically "shattered" when i started the lexapro. i hate this process and the worry it won't get better. i guess i'm better since i'm not rechecking myself into the hospital, but i'm not better by much. 

i have this horrible symptom of any noise startling me and my back and arms feel like they are burning when i get anxious. i just plain feel a discomfort sometimes like every part of my body vibrates with anxiety. feels so gross!

thanks for listening. any words of encouragement would be so appreciated. 

0 likes, 36 replies

36 Replies

Prev
  • dave51726
    dave51726 greg57941

    Posted

    I learned the hard way that gabapentin has withdrawal effects, big time. I have been on gabapentin for 3 years, usually about 600-800mg at least 3x a day. I ran out of gaba, so I wasn’t on it for 2 days. I woke up in the AM on day 3 and was having a full blown panic attack and I have never, in my 53 years on this Earth, had one. The only way I did not call 911 is that I realized I had a gabapentin refill left at CVS. I called and Uber and flew to that CVS. An hour after taking the gabapentin, my monstrous anxiety and panic disappeared. Go figure, I’ve been a drug rep for 20 years and never in my life, would I have thought it causes horrid anxiety and panic attacks.
    • greg57941
      greg57941 dave51726

      Posted

      thanks for bringing this up, Dave. in the hospital my dose was 300mg 4x/day. it was also my discharge dose and i kept that schedule for another week because i really needed it during the Lexapro startup phase. but being a benzo/ssri withdrawal veteran, i am weary of any drug so i researched gabapentin. sure enough many people (mostly long-term users at high doses) report severe withdrawls. i'm not about to take chances myself being so susceptible to withdrawals. so i reduced it to 3x a day and then tried to hang without it the next day but my anxiety was still too great to manage without. yesterday i took it 2x and handled it well. it's 4pm and i haven't taken it at all today because i feel well enough without. i'm pretty sure i'll take 1 pre-emptive dose soon since i'm still early into my treatment on Lexapro and i don't want to shock my system going to zero abruptly.  i've been considering emailing my pdoc and having him change the script to 100mg pills. 300mg provides too much sedation as my anxiety diminishes. plus it makes me really gassy! let me tell you the kicker...i was promised by my psychiatrist and nurse in the hospital that gabapentin has no withdrawals, addiction, nor can patients develop tolerance to it. B.S.

    • greg57941
      greg57941 dave51726

      Posted

      just emailed the doc requesting 200mgs and since they don't have 200mg pill, i can take a 100mg if i need too smile i don't expect to use it much longer. 

    • greg57941
      greg57941

      Posted

      feeling super nauseated and light-headed since taking gaba 6 hours ago. hopefully after taking it for just 3 weeks i won't have serious withdrawals. i don't want to touch the stuff starting tomorrow. funny that i took it 4x a day before with no prob and a single dose today feels like crap. go figure. i think i'm far enough on Lex to handle any remaining anxiety. will find out tomorrow...

    • dave51726
      dave51726 greg57941

      Posted

      I believe it that your medical staff told you no withdrawals. I sold the drug for damn sake and had no clue it could cause withdrawal, addiction or drug tolerance. That’s awesome you’re getting off it. I want to but it also diminishes any of my adderall side effects. I know, I sound like a pathetic addict.
    • dave51726
      dave51726 greg57941

      Posted

      No, I think the Lexapro is making you light headed and nauseous. Those are 2 common hurdles with Lex, now both of those will subside. Maybe take a wee bit more gabapentin, at least for the first 6 to 8 weeks of Lexapro and the. Taper off? Just sayin..
    • greg57941
      greg57941 dave51726

      Posted

      thanks i'll consider it. going to see how i get along today without gaba first and i'm still waiting for my doc to approve the lower dose. i guess i could empty some of the contents out of the capsules i have if need be. 

    • greg57941
      greg57941 dave51726

      Posted

      you don't sound addicted. you need what you need for your health. 😊

    • dave51726
      dave51726 greg57941

      Posted

      Thanks GREG, that’s nice. I agree with that, it really improves my mental quality of life. Today was day 31 on Lexapro 20mg and I haven’t had such a fun, happy day in years. I hope this continues, I swear by Lexapro now, I really do. I’m switching from taking it at night to noon time. I’m trying different times during the day, just to see..
    • greg57941
      greg57941 dave51726

      Posted

      i am so glad to hear this news from you. i like it when nice guys finish first. please keep me posted. did you join the Facebook group?today is my 3 weeks on 10mg. most of yesterday was awesome. today is crap with depression and anxiety since i woke up. i decided to stick with gaba during this crucial phase just by dropping the dose to 200 and reducing later as symptoms allow. 
    • dave51726
      dave51726 greg57941

      Posted

      I have to join that Facebook page. I hesitate Because I gravitate to my exes Facebook page, she lives with someone now, I’m gonna join right now. I say take as much Gaba as needed for the first 4 to 6 weeks, there is nothing wrong with that. You’re getting there, three weeks in. After the fourth week, I hope you really see the benefits of Lexapro, like I did. Going to bed, talk to you later.
Back to top
Prev

Report or request deletion

Thanks for your help!

We want the community to be a useful resource for our users but it is important to remember that the community are not moderated or reviewed by doctors and so you should not rely on opinions or advice given by other users in respect of any healthcare matters. Always speak to your doctor before acting and in cases of emergency seek appropriate medical assistance immediately. Use of the community is subject to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy and steps will be taken to remove posts identified as being in breach of those terms.