waves vs. relapse vs. life happens

September 27, 2026··

Posted in:Lexapro (Escitalopram)Support Symptoms & Self-Care

I am currently in the middle of a 3-day long (so far) wave. Maybe. The thing is, I just don't know. I have read the articles on withdrawal vs. relapse and I really don't know what is true for me. These past 3 days have been really, really hard. My anxiety is constant. Probably at a level 6 or higher. Sleep is rough. Electric surges when I try to rest during the day. My brain feels like mush when my anxiety is this high. I can't think or process anything. Not even a grocery list. My appetite is poor. Today, my father in law commented on me losing weight. I'm not trying to. I'm having intrusive thoughts. Those scare me. I have a new psychiatric nurse practitioner. I saw her on Monday last week. She is allowing me to taper but she prescribed me Guanfacine and said that it would help calm down my nervous system, help my blood pressure, and help me sleep. She said it would help me taper the Escitalopram and wouldn't need any tapering once I was done with with the Esc taper. I took it one night and it made me feel "off". I can't explain it other than that. It didn't help me sleep. And I also looked it up on here and that also scared me about taking it--including advice to taper it due to rebound hypertension. Sigh. I'm very sensitive to these drugs. I haven't tried it again. The thing is, we are going through some really hard times as a family. So there's life and life brings hard stuff. And I don't know if I'm just relapsing because maybe my brain "needs" the SSRI. Or maybe it's just a sucky wave from withdrawal? I don't know. I think the intrusive thoughts are the part that really make me nervous about relapse. How do I know if I just need to switch meds? At what point to I call my new provider and say I can't continue with the taper and discuss other options?

4 Replies

Masha4d ago

LighthousePaxil · holding

You have a lot going on. Good strength!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

Leminaseri3d ago

WelcomerZoloft · holding

"And I don't know if I'm just relapsing because maybe my brain "needs" the SSRI." — @Klou

Im thinking so often about this lately. No matter what this so-called experts tell us. If we arrive very low doses of our medication, our original condition might come back. My grandma took Zoloft for 40 years. She cold turkeyed and reinstated the drug 5-6 times. Every time when she hopped back on her Zoloft, her symptoms got a lot better. According to those so called “experts” would she have to have kindling. I don’t believe that such a thing as “kindling” exists as it is explained in these communities. Just remembered. My mother dropped and changed psych meds so many times. Today she can at least enjoy her life.

Zoloft — 6,52 — 5 years and 9 months — holding | without clinician

Ani3d ago

NavigatorZoloft · active

Hello @Klou, for me it tends to get all mixed together as well. I think part of the withdrawal is making real worries and difficulties even worse. It might help to write down symptoms to make connections between reductions and symptoms, include physical symptoms as well if you notice any, electrical surges sound neurological to me. It can also help to slow down the taper or hold the dose for longer, if it gets better with time, it was probably withdrawal. There is no need to go fast especially if times are challenging anyway right now.

Zoloft — current 2.8 mg — 6 years — actively tapering - tapered from 50 mg

anne noni moss3d ago

WelcomerPaxil · holding

I agree that slow is best. Especially during life's brutal times. I know people who take these meds happily. No side effects and it helps them feel good. I am not one of those people. I have terrible side effects-debilitating in fact. I also feel emotionally blunted, can't relax or cry. Getting off is a must for me. Everyone is different and we are here to support you wherever you are. Questions are good. I am grateful for this space to share how these meds have harmed me. Not many places can go to get support for that!!

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

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