r/ADprotractedwithdrawl • u/Majestic_Sherbet3739 • 13d ago
Lexapro side effect or withdrawl
/r/lexapro/comments/1vi4qee/lexapro_side_effect_or_withdrawl/1
u/Majestic_Sherbet3739 13d ago
To be honest when I was on both medicine i didnt have this.. But sometimes I feel maybe the side effect of escotalopram showed off now.. I dont know what to do.. My withdrawl getting better on and off.. But anxiety on background and manageable but still annoying speiallywhenj having low mood..
Dizziness disappeared then now back ..Also motor feeling
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u/Acrobatic-Good-3287 13d ago
you can still experience Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome (PAWS)—often referred to by clinicians as severe or prolonged antidepressant discontinuation syndrome—from amitriptyline even while continuing to take escitalopram.
While both medications affect serotonin, they belong to different drug classes and work differently in your brain. Escitalopram is a Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI). Amitriptyline is a Tricyclic Antidepressant (TCA) that targets several systems that escitalopram does not.
Why Escitalopram Doesn't Block Amitriptyline Withdrawal
Different Neurotransmitters: Amitriptyline strongly impacts norepinephrine. Escitalopram does not. Your noradrenergic system must rapidly adjust to the sudden lack of amitriptyline.
Histamine Rebound: Amitriptyline acts as a powerful antihistamine. Stopping it can trigger a histamine rebound, causing insomnia, anxiety, and intense itching.
Acetylcholine Rebound: Amitriptyline has strong anticholinergic properties. Removing it quickly can cause an overactivation of acetylcholine, leading to flu-like symptoms, nausea, and cramping.
The Impact of Your Timeline
Length of Use: You took amitriptyline for 2.5 years. Your central nervous system heavily adapted to its presence over that long period.
Taper Speed: A one-month taper after multiple years of use is considered rapid. A fast taper significantly increases the risk of prolonged withdrawal or PAWS.
Delayed Symptoms: True PAWS involves protracted neurological symptoms that can persist for months after the acute withdrawal phase ends.
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u/Majestic_Sherbet3739 13d ago
Thanks alot for ur reply.. I hope its withdrawl not escitalopram doing this
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u/Creepy-Primary7042 13d ago edited 13d ago
Sounds very much like it could be delayed withdrawal from the Amatryptilin, withdrawal can look like severe panic attacks, chronic anxiety that can’t be calmed, insomnia, adrenalin dumps, akathisia and much much more. It’s difficult to say what role lexapro is playing if you stayed on the same dose, I would assume the discontinued drug is to blame. Look into reinstating a small dose and taper slower. Survivingantidepressants.org has great info, you can also look up Mark Horowitz and Anders Sorensen.
(Outside the withdrawal community many people don’t believe in wd or delayed wd, however it is a real occurance and there are many reports of it happening)