cipralex withdrawal....any advice/experience?!

[fightlikeagirl]

Hiya
I'm reaching out in sheer desperation!
I was prescribed cipralex (escitalopram) four years ago as I was suffering severe panic attacks and anxiety.
I have suffered panic attacks and phobias for years, and went to a therapist who said I was actually too anxious to be given CBT at the time, so he gave me cipralex which was gradually raised from 5mg to 20mg
I have been on cipralex since then (2008) and recently decided I wanted to stop. It's not that the panics have gone, in fact they're as bad if noy worse than they were, but I felt that I wanted to know how I really felt without any chemicals in my body for a while
Well!!! Going from 20mg to 10mg wasn't too bad, and from 10mg to 5mg was bearable, but since going from 5mg to zero (admittedly, i came off them pretty quickly considering everything) I am in total hell and torment.
I didn't realise, and wasn't told, how slowly to come off them
It's been about 3 weeks now and the symptoms, mentally and physically, have been absolutely terrible
I have suffered migraine type headaches, nausea, vomiting, black outs, severe electric shocks in my head which i can only describe as sort of "zaps", terribly bad anxiety and awful panic attacks to the point where i'm almost housebuund, a feeling of unsteadyness, like being on a boat, shaky arms and legs, and the other day for about 4 days my skmin was so itchy and felt raw and burning, like having nettle rash all over
I feel a bit better for a day and then go back to feeling absolutely disgusting
I am really saying all this to ask if others have had similar experiences, and to ask for any advice/support etc as it's making me litearlly go insane.
I have also had serious suicidal and self harm rhoughts, which i've never really had, I've felt awful before, but never before have I actually wanted it all to just end. It's not that I want to die, it's that I want to stop feeling like this!
I also am tired all the time, but can only sleep for a few hours at a time and awake early and can't go back to sleep
Please please pleaase someone tell me they've felt the same way and come out the other end ok?? I need to hear it today!
also wondering, any idea how long these symptoms could last???
Sorry for the ranting and rambling, i'm just so desperate, depressed and sick - literally - of it ruining my life
If I had had any idea what it would be like coming off these meds, I seriously would have reconsidered ever going on them in the first place...ah well, too late now!
Any comments, advice, anything massively appreciated
Many thanks and hope to hear from you soon
xx

[Iggy131313]

Sounds to me like discontinuation syndrome as is horrible, its similar to my experience with the start up effects of citalopram. Have you spoken to your gp? have you condidered going back onto 5 ml and working down more slowly?

As you have been on the meds for so long your chemicals and brain are in shock and trying to ajust. Do you have any diazepam?

I understand how wretched you feel and empathise completely with the suicidal thoughts simply because you dont want to feel how your feeling, thats whhy I recommend the diaz, if you feel the same tomorrow I think you should go to a and e and tell them whats going on and take proffesional advice about how to come off these slowly, Im sure things would level out but dont suffer unnecesssarily, get some help and some drugs to ease the pain you are feeling.

You can also get the drug in liquid form so you could take 2.5mg for a while and then less, speak to someone tomorrow, please dont suffer this way, and google discontinuation syndrome, it may help explain whats happening to you at the moment.

but do something about it asap, no one should have to feel this way. x

[reglois]

Hi sounds like me and I came off very slowly, took three months and down to 1/4 per day for three weeks; It will get better, I have just come out the otherside after going through hell, the hardest thing I have ever done, and am still feeling rather odd but the severe syptoms seem to have gone and I fell more like myself tonight, terrible stomach ache still from the internal shaking and vomiting. Still don't consider myself that safe driving as I lack concentration and am still having memory lapses but overall I am happy with the progress I have made in the last weeks. I did fail after a couple of days and went back on for a week at 1/4 tab as I was so very aggresive, not this time though !. Congratulations on trying kick these tablets, no one tells you what helll you will go through getting off and I think it takes courage, commitment and will power and any one that breaks out should be damn proud of themselves

[Jmac]

just a quick note for others who might be reading this thread...

it's not necessarily this awful coming off of ssri meds. lots of folks do it without any issues. don't let this or similar threads scare you away from helping yourself get better. read and take it as additional knowledge and education but please know that it's not a given.

[swgrl09]

thanks jmac, i am a little nervous just starting out on this drug but want desperately to feel better so am willing to give it a go .. i've tried therapy alone for years now and still struggling. sometimes need a reminder that it isn't always bad.

[Jmac]

I had minor to moderate side effects starting cipralex but also had the benefit of loreazepam to keep the anxiety down while getting used to cipralex. Worked wonders and here I am a year later on 10mg per day and feeling really great. Very little anxiety to speak of and as a bonus, most of phobias are starting to melt away as well. It feels really great after many, many years of up and down anxiety.

Hang in there and keep in touch. It does get better!

[JazPBS]

Just starting coming off Cipralex myself, went from 10mg to 5mg, stayed on 5mg for about 6 weeks then stopped taking at the start of the month as per GPs instructions.

Hearing some horrible things about coming off from looking around the internet, but fingers crossed so far I haven't experienced anything too bad so far except for the crazy dizzy feelings, hoping that it will pass soon as the fact of experiencing the dizziness is making me anxious again, it's definitely a vicious circle!