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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JenStar on January 27, 2006, at 16:19:42
hi guys,
I'm feeling really horrible this past week. I've been tapering down on my Lexapro (from 20-10 mg/day) and everything sucks.I have the worst stomach pains and diarrhea (withdrawal efx? Stomach flu?), my head aches, my EYE hurts (what is up with that -- am I going blind?), my body hurts, I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I'm starting to feel anxious again.
I asked my husband if he thought my diarrhea meant that I had stomach cancer or bowel cancer, and that my eye pain meant that I have some kind of blinding disease. He got this very weary look on his face (this "OH, no, here we go again,") kind of look, but was able to keep his voice steady and calm as he explained that I don't have cancer. (But how does he know?)
I hate being on the medicine, I hate coming off of it, and I hate being anxious. Why does my body have an anxiety issue?
aaarrrggghhh. I just feel so - crappy. So very, very crappy.
JenStar
Posted by gardenergirl on January 27, 2006, at 20:49:23
In reply to I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by JenStar on January 27, 2006, at 16:19:42
Sorry you're going through that. It sounds like withdrawal. I've heard similar stories of coming off Lexapro for some.
Try some ginger tea for the nausea? Immodium for the diarrhea?
Hoping you feel better soon...
gg
Posted by dancingstar on January 29, 2006, at 15:28:24
In reply to I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by JenStar on January 27, 2006, at 16:19:42
Hey JenStar,
So sorry you're feely cruddy! Just so you have a frame of reference, I honestly thought I had colitis when I stopped taking Effexor...for 16 months!!
My new doctors gave me some gastrointestinal supplement, and it went away in two months, completely. Hopefully, yours will get better more quickly, but it is likely that the problem is from withdrawal. Try to hang in there. That part didn't do any permanent damage. It's just very painful.
You will feel like you have the flu for a while, and that part ends for some people kind of quickly.
I don't know for sure if this will work for anyone else or not, but in my own case, I wish I had known that there was the possibility of getting natural seratonin supplementation long ago, but it has to be from doctors, or it should be, at least, because you want your blood levels to be monitored.
In any case, your symptoms are pretty normal, and I hope you feel better sometime very soon.
Posted by benbetter on January 29, 2006, at 16:17:27
In reply to Re: I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by dancingstar on January 29, 2006, at 15:28:24
Are you still hanging on? This stuff isnt funny or pretty but I think once you get through the brush there is soft grass ahead.
Benbetter
Posted by JenStar on January 29, 2006, at 22:06:12
In reply to Re: I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by benbetter on January 29, 2006, at 16:17:27
Posted by LinnieLoo55 on January 30, 2006, at 12:44:47
In reply to I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by JenStar on January 27, 2006, at 16:19:42
> hi guys,
> I'm feeling really horrible this past week. I've been tapering down on my Lexapro (from 20-10 mg/day) and everything sucks.
>
> I have the worst stomach pains and diarrhea (withdrawal efx? Stomach flu?), my head aches, my EYE hurts (what is up with that -- am I going blind?), my body hurts, I'm tired, I'm cranky, and I'm starting to feel anxious again.
>
> I asked my husband if he thought my diarrhea meant that I had stomach cancer or bowel cancer, and that my eye pain meant that I have some kind of blinding disease. He got this very weary look on his face (this "OH, no, here we go again,") kind of look, but was able to keep his voice steady and calm as he explained that I don't have cancer. (But how does he know?)
>
> I hate being on the medicine, I hate coming off of it, and I hate being anxious. Why does my body have an anxiety issue?
>
> aaarrrggghhh. I just feel so - crappy. So very, very crappy.
>
> JenStarHi, don't just drop from 20mg to 10mg. You need to split one of the pills to make it like you were taking 15mg, do that a few days, then drop to 10mg etc etc. Are you coming off of this medication?
>
Posted by dancingstar on February 4, 2006, at 13:10:24
In reply to Re: I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by LinnieLoo55 on January 30, 2006, at 12:44:47
I think that the most important thing people can do with this stuff is to stop as slowly as is humanly possible...especially with Effexor...which if you are reading this, Ben, we didn't do. (If I were a betting woman, I'm thinking you'll be saying the same thing, next year at this time :-))
Posted by JenStar on February 6, 2006, at 10:38:46
In reply to Re: I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by LinnieLoo55 on January 30, 2006, at 12:44:47
I probably should have gone to 15 mg instead of going from 20 --> 10, but now I seem to have stabilized at 10. Although, "stable" is different from how I felt at 20. I guess I feel more excitable, if that makes sense. My heart pounds harder, I have a harder time falling asleep, my dreams are more vivid, I feel like the membrane that separates me from *anxiety* is much thinner now, and more fragile. I feel like anxiety is nipping at my heels. But at the same time I feel excited and proud that I'm able to survive at a lower dose, and I'm hopeful that the anxiety feeling will ebb as my body gets re-used to a lower dose.
I tell you, though, it was sure rough going from 20 to 10mg. I hope the journey from 10 down to zero goes more smoothly. I plan to take that trip a lot slower!
thanks for your concern, I really do appreciate it. Sometimes it feels very lonely when people don't respond to posts, and I thank you all for taking the effort to do it. :)
JenStar
Posted by deniseuk190466 on August 22, 2006, at 1:55:21
In reply to I'm feeling horrible :(, posted by JenStar on January 27, 2006, at 16:19:42
Jenstar,
Just wondering how you're feeling now, better I hope?
Thanks....Denise
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