I started taking pain pills, muscle relaxers, anti-inflammitories, and then anti-depressants. All of this went on for about 4 years from chronic neck pain and a failed neck surgery then a follow-up surgery to correct the problem. I have been on everything from Celebrex to Methodone. Lexapro for about a year. I took oxycotin for 3 weeks and had to stop it made me feel so terrible. I was on Methadone for 3 weeks and it made me nausious all of the time. I thought getting off the oxy was going to kill me. after 2 weeks the Dr. put me on Welbrutin XR. I took one and it took a week to get over it. I settled for Vicodin and Valium. after the 2nd surgery i was taking 8 of the 10 x 500 a day.
I am happy to say i am now off of all of it. I have been off of the Vicodin for 6 weeks and stopped taking lexapro almost 3 weeks ago. I still feel like crap though. I am excersising and feel strong, just feel bad most of the time.
Can anyone tell me how long it will take my body to get back some normallacy?
I got a bad cold a week ago and that might be some of it.
Jim
I don't know anything about Lexapro.
Welcome to the broad !
I don't know anything about Lexapro.
Welcome to the broad !
Hey Jim,
Welcome to the board. I was on Lexapro for a year and then I quit. I didn't get any withdrawals from it. I never heard of anyone getting wd's from quitting lexapro. Maybe you are still wding from the pain medication?
Love,
Liz
Welcome to the board. I was on Lexapro for a year and then I quit. I didn't get any withdrawals from it. I never heard of anyone getting wd's from quitting lexapro. Maybe you are still wding from the pain medication?
Love,
Liz
Thank you for the response. Lexapro is an anti-depressant which I took for about a year.
I just pray for strength a lot and I have a very understanding and strong wife to help me as well.
I think most of my issue is my body just getting back to making it's own endorphines or whatever that is.
I just pray for strength a lot and I have a very understanding and strong wife to help me as well.
I think most of my issue is my body just getting back to making it's own endorphines or whatever that is.
I believe you are right about the w/d's from the pain meds. I guess my body still has to adjust even though it has been 6 weeks.
I also just quit taking valium but i was down to 2.5 mgs a day for several weeks. I was on that stuff for 3 years.
Jim
I also just quit taking valium but i was down to 2.5 mgs a day for several weeks. I was on that stuff for 3 years.
Jim
Liz,
Were you by any chance taking any other meds when you got off of the Lexapro?
Were you by any chance taking any other meds when you got off of the Lexapro?
Hey Jim. welcome to the board. things she be gettin better for u shortly. i think i should be able to shed a ittle insight on some of your issues, but first i have to ask th obvious: Unless im gettin it wrong, everything u mention has been legitimately prescribed by i Dr. Have u talkws ro him/her about ur issues.
As far as lexipro, like other antidepressants, if u've been on them for a bit, it is not reommended that u stop cold, because of the nature of the drug. Quitting quickly can have possibbly intense effects on ur mood as well as ur thinking pattern. Thats my understanding, but im not a dr or a shrink or anythin. U can get quality detailed info from the PDR or even a pharmacist. But withdrawls in the sense of an opiate wd are not something that should happen if u quit lexapro.
As far as lexipro, like other antidepressants, if u've been on them for a bit, it is not reommended that u stop cold, because of the nature of the drug. Quitting quickly can have possibbly intense effects on ur mood as well as ur thinking pattern. Thats my understanding, but im not a dr or a shrink or anythin. U can get quality detailed info from the PDR or even a pharmacist. But withdrawls in the sense of an opiate wd are not something that should happen if u quit lexapro.
Hey Jim,
Well I switched from that to a different anti depressant. So maybe that helped me, I don't know. I didn't feel anything from it.
Love,
Liz
Well I switched from that to a different anti depressant. So maybe that helped me, I don't know. I didn't feel anything from it.
Love,
Liz
Hi Jim,
Were you prone to depression before all your neck injury and your course of treatment on various pain meds? If not, then I think you're probably right about this being a lingering effect of quitting the opiates and valium. Those are pretty strong narcotics and you were on them for a while. It alters the brain chemistry, and it can take a bit of time to return to your baseline. But congratulations on getting off all of it -- that shows a tremendous amount of determination. M.
Were you prone to depression before all your neck injury and your course of treatment on various pain meds? If not, then I think you're probably right about this being a lingering effect of quitting the opiates and valium. Those are pretty strong narcotics and you were on them for a while. It alters the brain chemistry, and it can take a bit of time to return to your baseline. But congratulations on getting off all of it -- that shows a tremendous amount of determination. M.
Jim;
I expect you already know this but for those who don't here's a pretty good short answer for what you say-
Lexapro is an antidpressant of the SSRI type (Selective Serotonin ReUptake Inhibitor) much like Prozac (the first) and Zolfolt (the second SSRI).
This class of medication is not physiologlically addicting (meaning no defined withdrawal syndrome like alcohol, opiates, etc), but when immediate cessation ocurrs after longer-term use (3 mos or longer) withdrawal symptoms can ocurr. These include mostly psychological symtoms such as depression, agitation, inability to concentrate, insomnia, etc..
What I think you are referring to is mostly a physiological problem, like general tiredness, overall feeling of malise, just plain not feeling good physically.
If that is in fact the case; while I don't know how long you took opiates daily, or your age and prior physcial state, but it (your symptoms) is likely from the continued after-effects of opiate "stoppage." It takes a loong time for some people's endocrine, circulatory, cerebral and other physical attributes to resume
functioning normally. I know, I went through it. It sucks, bigtime. Some professionals I know have told me that it can take up to half the length of time your were addicted-to fully get back to so called normal, particularly for people who were addicted hard for less than five years, worse the older you are, of course. Perhaps because I fell into this category, I researched a little and found that belief has been echoed by many others in the field.
Exercise is probably the best prescription here, along w/ diet, as you have already been following. Just keep at it. I personally viewed it as like recovering from Malaria, I just had to make a daily, concentrated, and most importantly, incremental, effort to recover my physical health. It beat my other option, of "treating" my physical discomfort, knowing it would only get worse.
I expect you already know this but for those who don't here's a pretty good short answer for what you say-
Lexapro is an antidpressant of the SSRI type (Selective Serotonin ReUptake Inhibitor) much like Prozac (the first) and Zolfolt (the second SSRI).
This class of medication is not physiologlically addicting (meaning no defined withdrawal syndrome like alcohol, opiates, etc), but when immediate cessation ocurrs after longer-term use (3 mos or longer) withdrawal symptoms can ocurr. These include mostly psychological symtoms such as depression, agitation, inability to concentrate, insomnia, etc..
What I think you are referring to is mostly a physiological problem, like general tiredness, overall feeling of malise, just plain not feeling good physically.
If that is in fact the case; while I don't know how long you took opiates daily, or your age and prior physcial state, but it (your symptoms) is likely from the continued after-effects of opiate "stoppage." It takes a loong time for some people's endocrine, circulatory, cerebral and other physical attributes to resume
functioning normally. I know, I went through it. It sucks, bigtime. Some professionals I know have told me that it can take up to half the length of time your were addicted-to fully get back to so called normal, particularly for people who were addicted hard for less than five years, worse the older you are, of course. Perhaps because I fell into this category, I researched a little and found that belief has been echoed by many others in the field.
Exercise is probably the best prescription here, along w/ diet, as you have already been following. Just keep at it. I personally viewed it as like recovering from Malaria, I just had to make a daily, concentrated, and most importantly, incremental, effort to recover my physical health. It beat my other option, of "treating" my physical discomfort, knowing it would only get worse.
Hello,
I have been on and off of anti-depressants for about 10 years, and I have tried prozac, paxil, lexapro, welbutrin and a couple combined together. I would quit and have withdrawals like when I would close my eyes, it felt like someone smacked me in the head, but it did not last too long about a week and a day or so.
Best of luck,
uno
I have been on and off of anti-depressants for about 10 years, and I have tried prozac, paxil, lexapro, welbutrin and a couple combined together. I would quit and have withdrawals like when I would close my eyes, it felt like someone smacked me in the head, but it did not last too long about a week and a day or so.
Best of luck,
uno
I don't know what it is whether it is the pain pills which i stopped 7 weeks ago, the lexapro which i stopped 3 weeks ago or the valium which i stopped a little over a week ago. I am feeling lightheaded and my skin hurts on my forehead. I am getting chills, still. I don't feel weak but i am not sleeping very good at all.
I am 56 years old and i imagine that has something to do withit
I guess i just need prayers and keep my faith that this too shall pass.
The bad thing about this whole ordeal is i am still in pain with my neck but i also have faith that too will pass with excersise.
I am 56 years old and i imagine that has something to do withit
I guess i just need prayers and keep my faith that this too shall pass.
The bad thing about this whole ordeal is i am still in pain with my neck but i also have faith that too will pass with excersise.
