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Doc wants me on Lexapro...


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My doc swears by a treatment of Lexapro to ween people off of benzos. My mother used to be on three Xanax a day, and now she says she's down to one a day thanks to the Lexapro. We see the same doc and he wants me to get on this same regiment but I am afraid of adding another pill into the mix, especially and SSRI. The thing I saw my mom go through battles and wanting off the Xanax, and I saw gradual marked improvement of her symptoms once she started Lexapro.

 

The thing is I think she was always a sufferer of depression, not so much anxiety, where as I have GAD and panic disorders and less of a history with depression. The doc wrote me the script and said whenever I want to get off of the clonazepam that the answer is right there, in Lexapro.

 

The County shrink I saw last week also suggested an SSRI, primarily Lexapro as a solution too. I found that interesting, as she said she has had success rates with it.

 

I am just so wary of it. I've been hesitant. Has anyone in here tried Lexapro? I am not even ready to taper yet, I just got back on my feet from a really bad CT that left me impaired for nearly two weeks. I just want to stabilize and be back to baseline on the clonazepam before I even think about tapering.

 

Please, anyone have any thoughts about this? Any and all advice would help.

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Many people feel that already being on an A/D while withdrawing is helpful, others have tried to go on while in withdrawal and it can sometimes lead to unpleasant results because our central nervous systems are so sensitized at this time. 

 

I was on Lexepro when I quit Klonopin cold turkey and can tell you at least for me it wasn't a magic bullet, I still hurt.  I honestly can't figure out why a Dr would think that using an A/D would be a solution to what we feel, the actions of both drugs are so different.  From reading thousands of posts on this forum, I've never found anyone say an A/D was a solution, it can be an aid but that's about it.

 

If you decide to take it, you'll need to taper it if you want to go off of it. 

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Many people feel that already being on an A/D while withdrawing is helpful, others have tried to go on while in withdrawal and it can sometimes lead to unpleasant results because our central nervous systems are so sensitized at this time. 

 

I was on Lexepro when I quit Klonopin cold turkey and can tell you at least for me it wasn't a magic bullet, I still hurt.  I honestly can't figure out why a Dr would think that using an A/D would be a solution to what we feel, the actions of both drugs are so different.  From reading thousands of posts on this forum, I've never found anyone say an A/D was a solution, it can be an aid but that's about it.

 

If you decide to take it, you'll need to taper it if you want to go off of it.

 

Thanks Pam, appreciate the advice. If I were to get on lexapro I definitely wouldn’t do it while tapering. I would take both regularly until the lexapro started working and then after a while start tapering very slowly.

 

In your opinion, while it wasn’t a magic bullet, did it at least aid in the making symptoms more tolerable than had you not been on lexapro? That’s really all I’m looking for, is an aid.

 

It was a miracle enough to see my mother go from a total wreck on just Xanax to taking lexapro and only taking one Xanax a day vs the three she had to take before.

 

The doc thinks it will aid in my dependence on benzos and would help taper me off slowly, and then slowly taper off the lexapro. This process would probably take a while.

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I can't answer your question because I don't know how I would have felt had I not been on it, it may have helped with the depression since that's its job, I don't know.  The thing is, I don't suffer from depression, I went on the drug because of a family tragedy and was too lazy to go off of it until well after my cold turkey.  Are you depressed?  I hate to see anyone go on a drug to get off of another drug. 

 

But if you feel it helped your mom and your Dr is suggesting it and you're open to it then you may want to go on it, just understand that no two journey's are alike and what works for one may not work for another.  I don't mean to be a downer, it's just that I've seen so many people try other drugs to help them through this and when it doesn't work, they're stuck on another drug.  :(

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I can't answer your question because I don't know how I would have felt had I not been on it, it may have helped with the depression since that's its job, I don't know.  The thing is, I don't suffer from depression, I went on the drug because of a family tragedy and was too lazy to go off of it until well after my cold turkey.  Are you depressed?  I hate to see anyone go on a drug to get off of another drug. 

 

But if you feel it helped your mom and your Dr is suggesting it and you're open to it then you may want to go on it, just understand that no two journey's are alike and what works for one may not work for another.  I don't mean to be a downer, it's just that I've seen so many people try other drugs to help them through this and when it doesn't work, they're stuck on another drug.  :(

 

Lexapro is supposed to treat depression and GAD. I'm not depressed, at least I don't think so, but I still feel lingering anxiety sometimes even after I take my clonazepam. The idea the doc had was to put me on lexapro, and while it works, ween me off of needing the clonazepam less. At least that is his theory. Supposedly the Ashton Manual suggests an AD might be a helpful.

 

I am open to the idea but what you've hinted is keeping me hesitant. That once I take an AD, I am stuck on it for better or worse. I don't know if I am ready for that kind of risk.

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Yes, the Ashton manual does say A/D's can be useful and I'm not anti A/D, I just don't think it has much effect on the truly awful symptoms of benzo withdrawal.  That said, I like that your Dr is working with you and wants to taper you, do you know how quickly he'd like to do it, you know we suggest 5-10% every week or two, dependent on your symptoms.

 

And as for being stuck on an A/D, you won't be if you don't want to, you can always taper from it and we'll help you, plus there is another forum called Surviving Antidepressants available to you.

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Yes, the Ashton manual does say A/D's can be useful and I'm not anti A/D, I just don't think it has much effect on the truly awful symptoms of benzo withdrawal.  That said, I like that your Dr is working with you and wants to taper you, do you know how quickly he'd like to do it, you know we suggest 5-10% every week or two, dependent on your symptoms.

 

And as for being stuck on an A/D, you won't be if you don't want to, you can always taper from it and we'll help you, plus there is another forum called Surviving Antidepressants available to you.

 

Thanks Pam, all of this is just so nerve wracking to consider. I don't think my doc gave me a timeline but I myself am trying to move as slowly as possible. I have a pretty good doc who doesn't want me on these pills for long and he says he has had success with this combo of lexapro + benzo.

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I know its nerve wracking but if your Dr is familiar with benzo withdrawal and has had success then you're very lucky, I'm glad.  :)
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I know its nerve wracking but if your Dr is familiar with benzo withdrawal and has had success then you're very lucky, I'm glad.  :)

 

Yes, but he's not a specialist. Right now, I am going to be combing the city for substance abuse specialists, doctors, psychs, therapists who know this stuff in and out, and know how to get people off of this.

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I wouldn't put your faith in finding a true specialist, they often have their own idea about the best way to do this and won't listen to their patients true needs when it comes to slowing the pace.  Too often from what I've seen around here, ego gets in the way and not what's best for the patient.  We're all different, no two people, no two tapers and no two experiences are alike so if you can find someone who will listen to you and what you're telling them, then that's the best person to help you through this.
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I wouldn't put your faith in finding a true specialist, they often have their own idea about the best way to do this and won't listen to their patients true needs when it comes to slowing the pace.  Too often from what I've seen around here, ego gets in the way and not what's best for the patient.  We're all different, no two people, no two tapers and no two experiences are alike so if you can find someone who will listen to you and what you're telling them, then that's the best person to help you through this.

 

Wow, it seems as though this journey is going to be long and arduous. I think I am already battling inter-dose withdrawal, sometimes my dosage with help me halfway and then I start to feel lingering nagging anxiety. But it's also diet. I really do have to stay away from lots of bread. I felt like total crap after having a veggie sandwich on big baguette. Someone told me to eat healthy but watch out for certain foods that might detoxify the body of my klonopin.

I've just never thought I'd have to micromanage every bit of my life now. It's a blessing in that I will get healthier but also a curse going at it trial and error day by day.

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