Re: Coming off Escitalopram after 5 years
Originally Posted by
Colin44
The thought of alcohol makes me sick so I've stopped it completely
Good idea anyway. While alcohol is the most (self)prescribed anti-anxiety 'med' it actually causes the same deleterious brain changes which manifest anxiety and/or depression as high stress hormone levels.
Head pangs are different from the last time.
5mg is a sub therapeutic dose for most so it likely had only minimal impact on the brain the first time. Withdrawal effects (also initial side-effects) tend to be different each time too.
Its almost like an adrenaline rush for about 5-10 seconds in my head and chest several times a day
Anxiety is up and down but manageable
Struggle to get to sleep initially but ok once I'm sleeping
A few crazy mood swings which seem to be calming down, easily annoyed at times
These are all fairly typical side-effects. You seem to be coping well and they will probably diminish soon, but talk to your GP if you run into problems as there are ways of easing some.
I most definitely needed to stop, I became to numb and dumbed down for far too long.
Not all ADs will, or should, cause this so I suggest to try another one should you ever need to go back onto them again. Even citalopram which shares the same active drug can produce different side-effects.
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The opinions expressed above are based on my observations and, where applicable, interpretation of cited data and are general in nature. Consult your physician before acting on anything stated.