• The Dark Side 💕 Welcome Guest 💕
    Posting Rules Bluelight Rules
    Notable Threads Urgent Hotlines
    Bereavement Mindfulness
    Suicide Support Anger Management
  • TDS Moderators: AlphaMethylPhenyl | paranoid android

Mental Health Lexapro (cipralex/escitalopram) Taper. Need Taper Advice, Please :)

velmwend

velmwend

Bluelighter
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
806
Hi

I'm about to embark on another anti-depressant taper. This time I'm tapering off 10mg Lexapro.

I'll cut to the point: I'd like your advice/knowledge/wisdom on alternative supplements, drugs, anything, to prop me up while I'm tapering?

I've got some maca root, phenibut, picamillon and 5htp, but is there anything else that might give me a hug or two during the next few weeks?

Many thanks in advance <3
 
Hi Jerry. Yep, I am. I taper once a year, to see how I'm feeling. I've been doing this tapering once a year for over 8 years. I always end up back on them, but it's always worth it check where my head is :)

Thing is: this time I want to succeed, and would love to find as many aids to help me :)
 
Been 6 days on half my normal dose. 10mg down to 5mg. Felt no withdrawals. Actually felt more awake, generally more relaxed and happier.

Sleep has returned to normal for the fist time in a year, so I can conclude that lexapro gave me the insomnia. pftt.

Stomach doesn't feel as sore as it normally does, so I can conclude that lexapro was contributing to my gastro probs.

I'm taking 5mg on alternate days as from Thursday, for one week, then stopping altogether.

Currently taking 500mg maca root in the morning, 100mg picamilon late afternoon, and 100mg 5htp 8pm.
 
How long have you been on the lexapro? I have always been of the understanding that the longer you have been on the med, the longer the taper.

If you have been on it for any amount of months or years, it doesn't seem like your doc is giving you enough time to taper properly. How long will you stay clean before your doc starts you on a new medication regimen?
 
Jerry Atrick said:
How long have you been on the lexapro? I have always been of the understanding that the longer you have been on the med, the longer the taper.

If you have been on it for any amount of months or years, it doesn't seem like your doc is giving you enough time to taper properly. How long will you stay clean before your doc starts you on a new medication regimen?
Click to expand...

I normally start a new med every year, when the last one begins to poop out. Lexapro has been kind to me - kinder than most other meds. So, to answer your question, I've been taking 10mg lexapro for a year.

But I intend to remain off anti-depressants. I've always got a stash, in case I lose it and need to start again. Anti-depressants act on me really quickly - I'm talking 3 days and I can be back in a nice place, so I'm not worried.

I just need to get back to feeling motivated and wide-eyed. As much as anti-depressants have helped me they've also instilled that 'don't give a fuck' attitude, and I'm tired of feeling emotionally indifferent, if you know what I mean :)

Edit: had first real wobble during the night. Woke up at 2am feeling black. Managed to drift back to sleep but had nasty, dark dreams of soldiers shooting civilians in the face. Woke up feeling a little flat this morning, but I've been taking a two day break from maca these past few days. Started maca regime again this morning so hopefully it will help :)
 
Last edited:
velmwend said:
I normally start a new med every year, when the last one begins to poop out. Lexapro has been kind to me - kinder than most other meds. So, to answer your question, I've been taking 10mg lexapro for a year.

But I intend to remain off anti-depressants. I've always got a stash, in case I lose it and need to start again. Anti-depressants act on me really quickly - I'm talking 3 days and I can be back in a nice place, so I'm not worried.

I just need to get back to feeling motivated and wide-eyed. As much as anti-depressants have helped me they've also instilled that 'don't give a fuck' attitude, and I'm tired of feeling emotionally indifferent, if you know what I mean :)

Edit: had first real wobble during the night. Woke up at 2am feeling black. Managed to drift back to sleep but had nasty, dark dreams of soldiers shooting civilians in the face. Woke up feeling a little flat this morning, but I've been taking a two day break from maca these past few days. Started maca regime again this morning so hopefully it will help :)
Click to expand...

I hate to sound like a malcontent but you are asking for advice. If you have been on lexapro for a year, I still don't think 2 weeks is long enough to taper completely off. Granted I'm not a doctor and I am basing my opinion off research that I read years ago. However, if you were doing a slower taper then you may not have experienced the wobble you had the other night. ymmv.

And I can't speak for the herbal supplements. As far as I know, many of the supplements are not approved by the FDA to do what you say they should do. If you believe they help then they prolly do. I just don't know anything about them.
 
Jerry Atrick said:
I hate to sound like a malcontent but you are asking for advice. If you have been on lexapro for a year, I still don't think 2 weeks is long enough to taper completely off. Granted I'm not a doctor and I am basing my opinion off research that I read years ago. However, if you were doing a slower taper then you may not have experienced the wobble you had the other night. ymmv.

And I can't speak for the herbal supplements. As far as I know, many of the supplements are not approved by the FDA to do what you say they should do. If you believe they help then they prolly do. I just don't know anything about them.
Click to expand...

Thanks, Jerry Atrick. I'm staying at 5mg for a little while longer. Experiencing a mix of good and bad effects at the moment, but it's looking promising =D
 
Second day on 2.5mg. Quite smooth so far. Still suffering the occasional black thoughts but managing to control/disperse the thoughts.

Learning how to think properly to control depression is of great importance to me.

So far so good. I'll probably remain on 2.5mg for another 10 days then stop altogether. It's always there for me if I find it too much.

The maca root 5:1 gelatinized has been a god send. So has picamilon, etizolam, and phenibut for end of week treats :)
 
4th day on 2.5mg and it feels like it's been 4 weeks. Feel poop. Having stressy dreams, waking up in the small hours feeling black. Got a constant headache and feel like curling up and hiding.

The maca is keeping me energized and engaged though. And I have my 1 day phenibut treat, plus some etiz if I really need it. I'm having a take-out curry and some wine tonight, which is keeping me perky.

It's been a couch day today. 6 more days at 2.5mg and I'll do a head check and proceed. :)
 
Last edited:
7th day on 2.5mg and I'm about stable enough to stop now. That's it! This time in about 48 hours the last remnants of escitalopram should be out of my system, then it's a two week monitor period to see how I feel.

=D
 
First day free of Lexapro. I'm relieved. I added Ashwagandha to my little aid stack today, too, to help.

That's it now, I hope to stay free of anti-depressants for as long as is possible for me. :)

Maca root has helped me a lot - I'd recommend to it anyone considering tapering from anti-depressants. :)

I'll update again in 3 months. At that point I may or may not be back on anti-depressants :)
 
Cheers, good for you. BTW, I've not had any withdrawal syndrome from any AD's save effexor and paxil, and I've been on them all.
 
Brain zaps have only just started. When I move my head left or right it feels like my mind casts an action trail behind me, lol.
 
velmwend said:
Brain zaps have only just started. When I move my head left or right it feels like my mind casts an action trail behind me, lol.
Click to expand...

They're going to get worse, but I'm hoping that for your sake they don't! Brain zaps are utterly horrid :(

I screwed up and took DXM a number of times again, and now I'm suffering all over again. Are you taking malic acid and magnesium? I don't have any malic acid (only what I can get from tomatoes), but I do have plenty of magnesium. I could take more DXM to lessen the zaps, but I don't want to drag this out any further than necessary.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top