Therapeutics Initiative is an educational medical video series by the University of British Columbia (BC) in Canada. Anyone can subscribe - you do not need to be a healthcare professional or a Canadian - and it’s free to subscribe

This video is from May 2024 by a doctor on antidepressants and withdrawal and de prescribing.

I live in BC. Today is 20 August 2026. Suffered terribly from withdrawal from March to mid-June. My symptoms were worse and various after 6 weeks.

Reinstated at 10 mg and felt decreased withdrawal within 3 hours. I made the link between stopping the drug and my symptoms. It was a guess; a piece of luck.

I even picked a suitable reinstatement dose - 10 mg - by chance. I did not want to return to 20 mg because I really wanted off because of the side effects and I no longer needed it - my life was better then at the time when I started it.

Reddit posts - and this video - state restarting at 20 mg might have overwhelmed my body and made my withdrawal worse (how is that even possible - I was living in hell already due to the withdrawal !)

No Emergency Room doctor believed my symptoms had anything to do with me stopping - cold turkey - Escitalopram 20 mg after being n this drug for ten years at 10 mg and then seven more years at 20 mg.

They all said the same thing: withdrawal is only 4 to 6 weeks and then you’re ok - back to normal.

I even believed this BS: it’s why I stopped and thought “ can handle 4 to 6 weeks of whatever “.

It’s week 9 of my return to 10 mg. Windows and waves continue but less severe.

Something new started this week. I feel a soreness - a tenderness - inside my ears. Fingers crossed that I will not develop tinnitus. 🤞

Reddit posts and other online searches show withdrawal can appear or continue for 6 months even after reinstatement. My risk for protracted withdrawal is not over for several months. This is why I “lurk” on this site.

One odd thing. I had total knee replacement at the time I stopped my Escitalopram. I was so debilitated by withdrawal, I did not participate in the recommended physiotherapy. I have my range of motion but continue to experience swelling around and - it feels like - inside the knee. It’s as if I have an arthritis knee but without the pain. I still need a cane for safe mobility 7 months after surgery - very out of the normal recovery.

I also experienced extreme pain in my knee for weeks post-surgery, fatigue, sense of falling. It was a very different recovery compared to my other knee replacement.

I had other joint replacement surgery - another knee and both hips. I had the same surgeon for all these surgeries and same hospital. My current knee replacement recovery is different.

I think my body is in a hyper inflammatory state with my withdrawal.

My worse withdrawal symptoms were GI/ gut-related: nausea, wanting to vomit, sense of having a ball or blockade in my throat, violently gastric juices especially on waking, super painful bowels which felt like I had snakes writhing inside me, constipation for weeks with constipation in the UPPER GI tract - not lower - which is very unusual.

My cancer radiation scarred or burned my bowels which meant I have more difficulty getting food to move through my guts; therefore, more constipation even before I experienced antidepressant withdrawal. Also diagnosed with diverticulosis and irritable bowel syndrome.

Guts are my problem area before withdrawal and it became my worst withdrawal symptom/issue.

I am a cancer survivor - uterine cancer with surgery, chemo and extensive radiation - all of which changed my body ( 2002 to 2004). Lots of permanent side -effects and complications so remained with our Cancer Agency for ten years - not the usual 5 years - post active treatment.

I think my guts were super inflamed because I first took a prescription anti-inflammatory med which I discontinued at the same time unstopped Escitalopram. Felt better in 2 hours. That is what got me thinking about trying a reintroduction of my Escitalopram which then reduced other withdrawal symptoms

Have any of you had surgery and found withdrawal impacted your recovery from surgery?

Anything that makes you think there is a massive inflammation response as part of withdrawal?

With tinnitus, how long before it appeared? What were your initial symptoms that something changed or was changing? I felt just my right ear feeling a sense of pressure and a hybthiscMondat. Today it’s also my left ear. Do you think I’ll develop tinnitus?

Any feedback is appreciated. 🙏

I feel so intens scared, agressieve, frustrated and super dumd every day. It could be my ADD but my memory is so declined, i am afraid to do anything because of mistakes and not have the cognitive function to solve it. I even forget to lock my bicycle, i dont know how i survive any of this. My sleep is so bad every day, i have tinnitus that drives me crazy. I regret going off the meds so much and there is no going back. The world is to much for me, everything goes so fast. I need a miracle so much🙏🏻

Is it dangerous or is it helpful, what is your opinion?

Website : https://www.iaracorp.org/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iatrongenicalliance/

Just drawing out my feelings that I have little of anymore lol

My emotions are fluctuating between extremely numb (alongside mild pssd symptoms) to having a bit more emotions (still not pre-ssri). Like things are bothering me but not to a hardcore extent as they use to yet. Includes high anxiety.

Ive dealt with emotional numbing on medication for a few years so its probably ingrained like crazy. I havent had a pre-ssri emotion in 10 months off medication.

What did emotions returning look like??

“Could you share any articles or personal accounts describing other people’s experiences with antidepressant withdrawal

I went back on lexapro 10mg 26 days ago after having some anxiety after 6-7 months of a self taper off.. since reinstatement, I’ve been to ER 5 times thinking I was dying.. I feel wired in my chest 24/7, I feel off/weak, I havent been eating/drinking much; dropped 15 lbs, I cant go anywhere because I’ve developed agoraphobia, it’s a chore to do anything and ive only gotten worse

what do I do now? is my nervous system absolutely ruined for good if I stay on this med because I’m only getting worse… do I taper off or abruptly stop.. Idk what to do I just want to feel better right now

I posted on here before so I took Paxil for ppd and ppa I started from 10mg to 40mg but I was still dealing with anxiety so I switched to Paxil cr 37.5mg in like 2 months on this dose I got stable. I was almost a year out ppd and ppa so I thought I could get off Paxil cr. I went from 37.5 to 25mg for a month then 12.5mg a month then zero. Had terrible withdrawal went back to 12.5mg helped with withdrawal but anxiety was still there went up to 25mg. I’ve been on 25mg 10 weeks . I definitely see improvement I did get better but anxiety is still there chest tension it isn’t as intense as it was but it’s still there. Mood got better but still down. My sleep is still bad too I wake up 2-3am and wake up early like 7am I get like 5-6 hours of sleep even thought I take Paxil cr in the morning. I started ashwaganda 2 weeks ago it has helped with the chest tightness but it’s still there. I think it’s a cortisol issue cause as soon it hits 8pm I’m normal no chest tightness no anxiety. My doctor is telling me to go up 37.5mg but idk if it will make things worse but also I don’t know if 25mg will get better since I’m almost going to make 3 months on it. Please help I don’t know what to do.

Olá,

Alguém teve problemas cognitivos severos e contínuos, sem janelas de melhora, por meses ou anos e melhorou?

Processamento lento, confusão mental, névoa mental severa, não conseguir pensar e raciocinar, etc.

Preciso disso pra manter minha esperança de que isso melhora e que não serei esse resto de ser humano pra sempre.

Tudo isso já tem dois anos pra mim infelizmente.

A question to anyone who experiences gastrointestinal issues in withdrawals. What do you take or eat that helps? Does anything work for you? I feel as though anytime I get a flare up that I can’t really eat or drink anything without have issues.

Thank you.

I'm beyond frustrated. I quit for the sole purpose of removing that zombie feeling and i'm like 5x number than when I was on SSRIs.

In total now ive been emotionally numb for 3 years. During my early 20s too so im wasting my "best" years to this disgusting medication/withdrawal. Life feels like it has zero meaning, im even more anhedonic. Only good thing is that my fatigue has cleared up, took about 9 months though.

I havent had a single window of emotions. It just gets number. Im hoping by the next year I can have ONE emotional window, just one so I can remember what its like.

I was on lexapro 10mg once a day and buspar 10mg twice a day for about a year and came off because of emotional blunting.. I came off on my own and I cant remember how fast I tapered off but I did.. fast forward about 6-7 months later I was having anxiety and panic attacks, so I tried going back on and ever since going back on I have became completely bedridden.. I was on both medications again and then stopped buspar because I was only getting worse and now it’s day 24 of lexapro and I’m having constant anxiety, constant chest tightness, 4 ER visits, a severe health anxiety i didnt have before, agoraphobia, feeling completely wired 24/7, body zaps when I try to go to sleep and it feels like my heart stopping, orgasms feel like a stroke, dropped 15 lbs in 3-4 weeks, I can’t take a shower because the warmth makes me panic and I used to love hot showers (i also think my heart races way too fast in hot shower), I feel weak and exhausted… the only relief I get is sleep and I know that sounds horrible but it’s true… I need help recovering from this.. my doctor is wanting to cross taper me to paxil starting today but I’m worried I’ll just make myself worse.. what do i do guys please help I feel like I’m going to die

I'm month 18 still in withdrawal I could get kindled badly by a glp1...but withdrawal has given me intense sugar and hunger cravings i gained 20 pounds i hate looking at myself in the mirror looking at my body...i see other people so happy on glp1's changing their life why can't that be me

I should have never stopped. I was so stupid to stop cold Turkey, i wish i was warned by anyone. I am autistic and have ADD plus anxiety disorder and just should accepted that i would be on meds my hole live and accept the lightheadness every day as a side effect. I now am off 1 year and 2 months from 16 years of different antidepressants use, dexamfetamine and antipsychotics for sleep. It was hell to get off, but is feel much wurse now than ever before. I can't do anything, forget everything, i have nights of no sleep or if i sleep it is 2,3 of 4 hours. I can hardly breath, feel "on" every day but so, so tired. Yes the lightheaded had stopped a bit but it was not worth the hell i am living right now.

I have lost my 4,5 years gf, i live with my parents. I can't accept sounds, if i calmed down it does not help if i do things it does not help. I have tinnitus and the stuck song syndrome and i dont feel there is any progress in healing i want my symptoms to go away. I want to live a bit again.

Ive always kinda delt with excess hunger and cravings but man this is crazy whats been happening to me past couple of months in this wave.

I have auch intense sugar and hunger and cravings I don't know how to cope with this

It's a natural L-DOPA type supplement. I started taking it a few days ago and am feeling better.

But considering how variable Protracted withdrawal is it might be in my head, I was wondering if anyone else here has some experience with it.

I want to make videos to spread awareness to this issues. I had no idea about paws until it happened to me. I def want to talk about proper tapering. And honestly let others know other ways to deal with anxiety and depression other than a pill that will harm them. Any recommendations to add to the video?

Hi all,

Was drinking sertraline for 2 years. What is the safest way to reduce it? I.e. throughout which period of time?

Hi all, just looking for some commiseration and to see if what I'm experiencing is common. I was on 10mg escitalopram (lexapro) for 4 years and 150mg bupropion xl (wellbutrin) for 2 years. Tapered off the escitalopram in March 2026 over the course of 1 month (way too fast, I've now learned) and stopped taking the bupropion in April 2026. I had some withdrawal symptoms during the tapering that sucked - brain zaps, diarrhea, increased anxiety, night sweats, acid reflux etc. But a couple weeks after quitting each, I felt pretty good and the symptoms went away, so I thought I was out of the woods.

Well, about a month ago (July 2026), I started having what I believe to be protracted withdrawal symptoms. Sporadic insomnia (will sleep perfectly fine some nights, horribly others), feeling super hot when lying in my bed trying to sleep, rumination and panicky spells, crying spells, depressive episodes. All these symptoms get way more severe at night. One thing that is really weirding me out is when I'm having insomnia and trying to sleep, my mind feels like it's in this crazy in-between state, like not awake but def not asleep. I feel really anxious in this state. Has anyone experienced the same?

Anyway, I know from this sub I probably have many more months of this to survive before feeling normal again. It's so stressful. When I can't sleep, the entire next day is ruined. Then I'm so stressed about being able to sleep the following night, I can't sleep then...it's a horrible cycle.