Thinking starting escitalopram

Was on both AD for 2 months the OCD seems to be a results of taking the sertraline didn'T Have it before so bit nervous taking anything else. Stopped the duloxetine was awful only took it 4 days so hopefully no withdrawal made me feel dizzy nauseous couldnt sleep

OK, if you have been on and off AD's at 2 months each... and then a third, you will be developing a kindling effect potentially. Ideally you need to get everything out of your system.

Taking an AD for 2 months can still shown signs of withdrawal a year later. People will dispute this, but on my forum, we have seen this many many times.

Never underestimate how powerful these drugs can be - and Lexapro/Escital is very potent. For some it is a life saver, for others it does nothing. The issue you have is that your brain will be all over the place with receptors being blocked and then re-grown, and blocked... if you start another AD now, you will have to wait a lot longer than 2 months to see if it works.

I hate how doctors just hand this stuff out like candy. You can't just stop and start these things. If it is anxiety and OCD, it might be worth considering something along the lines of gabapentin, klonopin or similar. Anxiety and OCD should not just have an SSRI or SNRI thrown at it by default. I would seriously consider what you primary or p-doc has put you through, find someone who knows what they are talking about, and start again.

I'm here if you need more advice.

Matt

They won't give you benzos here. Doctor caused all this making me go cold turkey off zopiclone, it caused all of this was fine before I stopped. I'm quite sensitive to meds can't take anything too strong. Had symptoms for over year can take up to 2 years to completely recover. Was OK on citalopram only swapped because affected hair was sertraline that gave me OCD? Might try liw dose escitalopram as got no life at moment can't really do anything. Taking nothing hasn't worked tried that for 8 months.

Benzos can quickly become addictive and I respect that they are not given out so easily - but why then AD's can be given out freely is beyond me. They are just as dangerous.

Remember that your Escitalopram should be half of the Citalopram dose... or lower to start with. There is a lot of talk that it doesn't do much past 10mg for anxiety, but I think each case needs to be judged on its own. No two brains are the same after all!

My recovery was a mix of homeopathic treatment, a very good therapist, the work of Claire Weekes (highly recommended) and a few plant-based supplements.

Are you on any meds now? had heard you need lower dose escitalopram. Have tried everything will try and find a therapist and try low dose escitalopram. Just need to do something as got no life at moment after year slowly getting worse worth trying the escitalopram. Apparently 18-12 months is normal before recovery takes places. Agree with you don't think benzos any worse than anti depressants in some ways. Can be just hard to come off. Had i been allowed to have some diazapam to help with withdrawal would been OK now.

I am only on 30mg Citalopram - no other anxiety meds or benzo. I need to start my weening of these, but I will be honest in saying I am very scared!! I have been a good 5 months into recovery and want it to stay that way, but I know I need to take the plunge.

By all means try the low dose Escitalopram, but as I said, you WILL need to give it a good few weeks - don't give in after 8 weeks unless it is absolutely necessary.

I also agree with you that benzos do have their place for sure, but they need to be moderated. They should not be given out as a long term solution. Anything approaching 3 months continual use and addiction is right around the corner. Occasional use is fine, and this is what I was on during my recovery. There were only the odd week here and there where I saw continual use of 2+ doses a day.

I had a packet diazapam when husband had heart attack just took as and when stopped no problems. They hand out AD like smarties don't warn people they can be just difficult to stop and leave them on them years. Doctors got me on sleeping pills but got no help trying to stop they have lot to answer for. Have got appt with therapist Monday so hoping be more help than psych. I think if you taper gradually should be fine being made go cold turkey caused my problems. The escitalopram seems bit more refined than cit so figure worth a try.

Good news about the therapist - keep us posted.

Yes, my withdrawal will be over 18 months using liquid citalopram so I can get 1mg dose drops.

You post that 'Taking nothing hasn't worked'.

I have tried that as well. After I left hospital I did not take anything for months in the hope that I would regain my mental health naturally. After a long time, absolutely nothing had changed and I continued living under a black cloud, or a 'fried brain' if you will. Whatever helps, then take it. A natural recovery is a near impossible task for some reason, so anything is better than nothing in this case.

Good luck lemanna, and stay blessed!

Cant afford keep seeing psych, not really sure about him he put me on 30mg then 60mg after 3 days made me feel dreadful. Virtually impossible get help on NHS all got offered was CBT was useless

Hi Lemanna, maybe go to nearest hospital and tell them you need some help. Hopefully they can find you someone that you can afford or work with your income.I am a nurse at a hospital in my commmunity and I think they may be able to help you or give you guidence as to who can.Keep me posted.God Bless.

Thank you for your kind words Pam.

...and lemanna - you are in the UK! I thought so as you called the meds by their "English" names... duloxetine rather than Cymbalta and Escitaolpram rather than Lexapro. I am also in the UK and know how much of a problem the NHS is with mental health. They managed to hospitalise me on a couple of occasions. They are less than useless.

The psych is an idiot. 3 days to a 60mg dose of Duloxetine is stupid after stop/starting. It can be a good drug for anxiety as it controls norepinephrine (hence the "N" in SNRI) which is the precursor to cortisol and adrenaline; the chemicals responsible for your physical feelings of panic.

CBT can be very useful, but it depends on the therapist. I went through 4 to find the right one, and she is awesome. It is worth finding the right one, and much better for your money than a psych as I know just how much a private one costs over here.

Yes in UK would fought harder to stay on zopiclone had know would ruin my life coming off it. Was on it 12 years made go cold turkey when GP retired. Psych rang last night trying push me to take high doses of meds but cant tolerate them. Already tried 3 dif therapists trying 1 more recommended by psych. The OCD is recent thing triggered by adverse reaction to the sertraline I think. I was OK on the citalopram so might try low dose of escitalopram to see. NHS therapist was useless , gp was useless didnt warn me swapping meds would mess you up. Can't do anything much don't go out house very much got no lufe. Which meds are you on. Retired so can't afford much more private therapy but NHS is useless send me to a group thing full of drug addicts and alcholics not relevant to me at all.

Thanks Pam but medical profession won't acknowledge withdrawal can cause long term problems. Would just label me unbalanced and try pump me full of high dose of drugs. Will try and find a therapist that might helpas Matt suggested. Friend's son was suicidal but told wasn't bad enough to get help on NHS. Hospitals being cleared because of corona virus. Given up on getting any help from NHS, after all a GP told me would have no trouble stopping zopiclone and it was just placebo effect.

NHS did exactly the same with me, but I refused as it was not relevant, so they discharged me as they wouldn't give me 1 to 1. I was in a bad place back then.

Z-drugs are a nightmare. And no wonder you are in a state if you CT'd after 12 years. They have a very bad withdrawal.

Just for your record, I was on Citalopram for 10 years before I went through a series of 5 others only to end up back on Citalopram. I tried Escitalopram and got serious stomach issues. But again, that is not to say what will happen with you.

I have got some citalopram left I am thinking I will start back on low dose say maybe 5mg as it seems will take a while to work then gradually increase. Makes a change for someone to understand how awful z drug withdrawal can be. I was OK on the citalopram it just affected my hair, but GP never told me swopping meds would mess you up. The OCD is off the scale so can't get any worse. Have got an appointment with new therapist Monday have feeling the psych will just try put me on something strong. Only going see him once more might still go just see if I can get some benzos just to help short term. Which others did you try?

My first episode was PTSD after a near fatal car accident, and was 18 months to recover. The doctor told me to keep on citalopram as a "maintenance" dose of 20mg. After another 10 years of this dose, my father got Parkinson's after the same maintenance dose but on Prozac, so I wanted off. He told me to withdraw over 2 weeks! That was the start of my second episode.

Over the course of the following 18 months I was put on sertraline, escitalopram, duloxetine, venlafaxine, and one other.. I forget. All screwed me up one way or another.

Sounds familiar psychologist thinks mine could be PTSD husband had cardiac arrest 4 years ago nearly died and had years dealing with toxic mother said can cause OCD type symptoms. Dont think psych know what he's talking about the duloxetine was lethat much too high a dose tried to label me as having had GAD for years was fine before stopping zop. Doctors seem clueless just hoping therapist helps plus the citalopram hoping eventuall will sort damage from the zops.

I'm thinking will start on 5mg citalopram then gradually increase to 10mg as can't take more than 20 because of my age do you think that is best approach? OCD is really hyper at moment but think high dose of duloxetine really screwed me up. Can you remember how long took you to start improving. Do feel they are just experimenting on us lot of time. I can't eat much don't know if that's depression.

The problem is that no-one, no doctor, no psy, no-one can tell the best AD for you. All they go on is statistics, but statistics does not help when it is an issue governed by a case-by-case and subjective basis. Yes, I went full circle back to Citalopram, whether it was that which worked, or was it the homeopathy, or was it the therapy?

After 18 months of being the proverbial guinea pig for the NHS, I just wanted to feel better. All the physical symptoms were giving me anxiety and depression, so my thought was, I'll go back to Citalopram because my body is used to that. Even if it doesn't work, I will at least be physically better - so that is what I did... and I slowly became physically better.

My advice to you my dear, is to also stop being a guinea pig as it will ruin you. If citalopram worked before, go back, get stable, and work from there. Escitalopram is an alternative, but just because Citalopram worked DOES NOT mean Escitalopram will work.... but then again it would. Again subjectivity rules here.

My symptoms are mainly anxiety and intrusive thoughts and since taking sertraline OCD? Agree with you re guinea pig, not going back to the psych as that''what I'll be with him. Just had bill £330 for assesment that did nothing. Seemed OK on cit it affected my hair but apart from that OK? Does seem be more gentle than escitalopram and it is recommended for OCD? Mine caused by zop withdrawal but has triggered OCD so if find right therapist hopefully will help as wacking me on high dose meds isn't answer. Can you remember how long in before you noticed bit improvemen know it does take while. Think after all messing around starting low is best option.

There are a number of cases where rebound anxiety and OCD have occurred as a result of withdrawal. I think you might as well flush your money down the toilet with this psch. Stop now.

It took a good 4 months before I could really feel something positive happening that I knew wasn't a flash in the pan moment.

But a year on after stopping Duloxetine, I am still having issues relating to the withdrawal. I wouldn't go near that for love nor money.

That's interesting, keep thinking it must be withdrawal makes me think I'm not going mad! Not going to see psych again he just seemed to want to "label" me with something just ignored fact could be withdrawal. Can believe it with the Duloxetine, only took it for 4 days made me feel totally spaced out, couldn't sleep, felt sick whole time , he said SSRI's werent correct meds when they"re actually recommended for OCD. I'll stick with the citalopram see how I go and gradually increase to 10mg. Hopefully if my brain ever recovers will then be able to do a proper taper off eventually!

Yes - I can believe that about Duloxetine. Seen similar things many times....

Just out of interest what homeopathic stuff were you on? I havr trued some supplements but made symptoms worse. Cant believe psych put me on highest dose Duloxetine probably made things worse!

She has never told me what she puts me on!! And I respect that.

I went to her after the Escitalopram gave me head fog and stomach issues that were persisting during the switch back to Citalopram.

I was not holding out much at all, but it certainly worked for me. I was at a point that I felt I had nothing to loose!

Didnt realise you went to a homeopath. Think is most effective when you believe it works. Hoping if find a decent therapist will help. Feeling rubbish at moment but think thats starting citalopram again went off bit after couple weeks last time so fingers crossed.

Can't say that I agree there lemanna as I was very skeptical when I started my "remedies" with the homeopath. I didn't expect anything to come from it... but alas, it did!

That's what I had heard good it helped you as you say if trying several things sometimes right combination works. I'm at giving up nothing will help stage at moment. Now worrying won't get my on line food delivery as people behaving crazily and emptying the supermarkets !!!!

Don't mention it! I am getting sick of all this "cv" talk. That coupled with the fact that I fractured a rib fixing my car on Friday, I have really had enough!!

Hope your rib soon improves. Found a brilliant psychotherapist but now only be doing sessions via skype which find bit impersonal will see how it goes. Am back on citalopram so hoping will kick quite stressy but only 4 days in.This CV stuff driving me nuts, cant get any on line food, husband been round 5 supermarkets today trying stock up. Do wonder if something else going on as majority people seem have mild symptoms.

Thank you lemanna.

I've had a terrible day and had to cancel all work. The whole cv thing has just hit me like a ton of bricks. My weakness is being out of control and this is it realised on just about every level. I have been in bed all day freaking out. This hasn't happened for about a year so naturally I am concerned over what it will do to my progress. I really struggled in the supermarket last night, people pushing and shoving over empty shelves. It is just too much...

Doesn't take much to push you off course when you suffer with anxiety. Don't beat yourself up think lot people feel stressed over it. Seems like world gone mad, all this panic buying is crazy. I'm feeling pretty stressed seem remember first couple weeks when started cit before racked up things just hoping will eventually help.. Sure it's just a blip due to the crazy situation and you'll be back on course. Some of advice is nuts telling people over 70 stay at home for 12 weeks!

How are you doing today? I've been on 3/4 of 10mg tablet for about week thinking going up to a full tablet just feel with everything going on maybe need the whole tablet, do you think would be OK? Hope you are OK think lot people without anxiety normally are stressed so sure you aren't alone.

Yes, I think after a week it is long enough to step up to the 10mg.

I've had another bad day with the coronavirus freaking me out. I don't like all this lack of control. It is causing me a lot of fear...

How are you doing? Is it normal have heightened symptoms first couple weeks when you take meds. Just get despairing that I will ever recover all this corona stuff doesnt help need bit of hope. Cant get into skype to get anither appt with therapist as web in meltdowm

I am in a state of havoc with this whole corona virus stuff - I just want it to end already. The NHS are useless and this just shows the world what sort of a joke it is that we need to keep people indoors for 3 months because the health service can't cope with it nor afford the testing facilities that other countries can.

But yes, the first couple of weeks you should for sire expect the usual suspects in terms of symptoms...

Anything troubling just let me know