Hello all,

Luckily was told about AR recently. Here's my journey so far:

I believe stopping Serzone CT in 2000 caused my CNS to become way too sensitive and why I'm having trouble trying to taper off Lexapro. It caused a 4-month long period of intense, constant anxiety and crying.

The only relief I had was sleep. My NP was MIA after she said she couldn't deal with my problem because a patient of hers just committed... (you know).

I was prescribed clonazepam (.5mg 2x/day) 4 months after CT and imipramine (I tapered off imipramine after about a year).

I believe the 4 month period of chronic, constant anxiety created anxiety PTSD IMHO, and thereafter my brain was on alert for anything that could be a threat. Even small things would create high anxiety.

The Covid epidemic re-created constant anxiety and levels of 8-10/10, even with 2x/day clonazepam. I took extra clonaz. a few times a month (not wanting to but I needed relief).

I was prescribed escitalopram in May 2020 to help with anxiety. It took a year of small increases to get to 20mg. It helped! The PTSD anxiety was quelled most of the time, not always.

After Covid was no longer a big threat, I worked to heal the anxiety PTSD. I started tapering off Escitalopram Feb. 2024. I did a static 1.25mg cut every month or few months without any problems until I got to 6.25mg. I now know I should have done hyperbolic (hindsight is 20/20) .

The 1.25mg cut from 7.5 to 6.25 on 4/8/25 was 16.7% - too much. Intense anxiety and crying arose 2 weeks after the cut, not right away. So I did the following, not knowing anything about tapering:

5/10/25 - Increased to 8.75

5/12/25 - Decreased to 7.50

6/18/25 - Increased to 8.75

7/3/25 - Increased to 10.0

8/6/25 - Increased to 11.25 (cutting, not liquid), which is where I'm at today.

I've been at 11.25mg since August 2025 and things were progressing positively. Waves were becoming shorter and windows longer.

Then I made a MISTAKE. On 3/25, I took 5mg too much of Escitalopram. I went back to my regular dose the next day. I've been in a 6-weeks long high anxiety wave since 3/25, with sporadic 6 separate days of calmness spread throughout. It's nothing like I experienced back in August 2025. It's WORSE. I'm afraid I've messed up and don't know how to fix this. Waiting it out doesn't seem possible because the anxiety is so so so bad. I've tried breathwork and other types of relaxation, but not sure if they're really helping. I try to have gentle physical movement throughout the day. I reduced my clonazepam to a total of .375mg/day in 2023, and have taken extra .50mg clonaz. 3 times since 3/25.

I don't understand why the anxiety is so intense and so long-lasting since the March mistake. It's wasn't this intense when I cut down to 6.25mg to quickly.

That is where I am today. Thank you for reading.

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawl syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

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I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

 

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

I'm sorry to hear that your mistake has caused a setback that has lasted a while now. Try not to beat yourself up, it's easily done and I've seen others do similar by accident.

I think all you really can do is give it more time. I know it's very difficult, but your body has demonstrated the ability to settle down and begin to stabilise after quite a number of dose changes that were too large and my hope would be that it will do so again soon.

I don't think that further drug changes will help at this stage, they are quite likely to just make it worse- you're likely quite sensitive to any more of that in this state, and from what I've seen in my fairly long time in various support groups (including this one) is that once someone is in a sensitive state, the last thing they need is more change.

Other members or team members here might add their thoughts too though.

Can I ask, where did you hear about this site?

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

Hey @BlueHope

Im sorry to hear you have had such tough time. I agree with @Luke once the nervous system is made sensitive, as yours is, all these additional drugs make things worse often, the dose changes you made last year would have caused further sensitivity to your nervous system, as you have seen, giving it time with a consitent dose settles this down. Unfortunately your system is now even more sensitive, so your accidental updose has rocked the boat once more. Time is the healer again here, I know things feel more difficult this time, that isn't unusual. Hypersensitivity and kindling

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

I would not add in any more drugs or dose changes at this stage, they are like adding fuel to the fire. Don't take anymore of the benzo then you have been doing regularly. You have been on it a long time now, it is unlikley you gain much from taking it due to tolerance you will have built up, but coming off it may cause Benzo WD. Due to its short half life I would split the current dose in half, and take one half AM and one half PM, it is possible you will get interdose WD otherwise which won't help things. Make this move slowly by taking one half an hour apart from the other each day until you have both at convenient times. It will need to be tapered of when you are ready just like the AD.

Have a good look at our support topics area for more help, but distraction and acceptance are very important skills to gain in this journey.

Acceptance is key - Why does acceptance feel impossible?

Being a human, and dealing with emotions in WD

@BlueHopeWelcome Try not to get caught up in the intensity of the symptoms and the whys and wherefores of how you got here ,it all adds to it . Try to stay present and not overthink things just deal with things minute by minute . Also we know that what is happening isn't necessarily from a recent event it could be catch up from previous times. Whatever its from its happening so you just need to weather the storm as best you can not sure if you take magnesium or have Epsom salt baths . Try to eat as healthy as you can and avoid unnecessary stress . I promise you will get through this as many others have it will settle just hang in there

Edited May 9May 9 by Beehive

On 5/8/2026 at 3:14 PM, Luke said:

Can I ask, where did you hear about this site?

 

I joined SA a few months before they stopped allowing new members or new posts. Someone in that forum mentioned this one was created to help people like myself.

Thank you @Luke , @Chippy , and @Beehive for your words of encouragement.

I'm wondering if the mistake I made of taking an extra 25mg of escitalopram for one day could cause such debilitating anxiety? It is so much worse than when I went from 7.5mg to 5.25mg. It's the worst withdrawal I've been through ever.

BTW-I don't drink or smoke, and I try to eat healthy but it's extremely difficult to do so when in such a debilitating wave.

I've been steady on .375mg clonazepam for 3 years, and I agree it's not doing much, if anything, at this point due to tolerance. I take it twice a day -- .25mg am and .125mg pm because I can't cut the pills evenly to split .375mg into 2 doses. So far so good with that. I've no plans to change this while dealing with this mess of tapering off Escitalopram.

Sometimes, the anxiety is so intolerable and I worry about the increased cortisol my body has produced while this constant anxiety lingers (this time for 6 weeks). I've tried breathwork to no avail, gentle body movement.

What do you mean by distraction? I must push myself to get to the grocery store when waves are as bad as this, and am aware the entire time of how horrible I'm feeling. Everything is just so hard to do - cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, watching TV, and even getting into the car is a huge deal. I wish I had better coping mechanisms for this anxiety.

Again, thanks for reading. I really appreciate the feedback you all have given.

1 hour ago, BlueHope said:

What do you mean by distraction? I must push myself to get to the grocery store when waves are as bad as this, and am aware the entire time of how horrible I'm feeling. Everything is just so hard to do - cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, watching TV, and even getting into the car is a huge deal. I wish I had better coping mechanisms for this anxiety.

Hi @BlueHope Distraction is a set of techniques you use to take your mind off the anxious thought cycle. A way of thinking about what you're experiencing is to envision two brains; your "normal" non-anxious one and the anxious one. The anxious one can only control you by keeping you in constant fear and dread. It triggers the primitive "flight or fight" instinct in us, which is very powerful because its what's protected us for thousands of years. The anxious mind is very selfish and needs 100% of your attention all the time. Therefore, it plays "what if" games with your normal mind, like "What if I never stabilize or get worse".

Distraction robs the anxious mind of its power by letting you focus on something other than your fear. It can be as simple as sitting at your window and looking outside, then naming five things and describing them in detail in your mind, or even writing the description down. When your mind comes back to fear, gently return to the description, without judging the intrusive thoughts. The object is to take you our of your head. Lots of people just want to hide in their rooms, which is the worst thing you can do because its leaves you alone with your ruminations.

There are a lot of coping tools. Here's a link from the Coping Techniques forum with some references. Whatever you choose, you have to stick with it; it takes practice and commitment, but it really pays off. You can recover!

12 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I'm wondering if the mistake I made of taking an extra 25mg of escitalopram for one day could cause such debilitating anxiety?

I think so.

The hope would be that it settles over time. It can unfortunately take longer than 6-7 weeks.

12 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I'm wondering if the mistake I made of taking an extra 25mg of escitalopram for one day could cause such debilitating anxiety? It is so much worse than when I went from 7.5mg to 5.25mg. It's the worst withdrawal I've been through ever.

Certainly this can cause the anxiety. Can you confirm, did you take 25mg extra or 5mg as your intro post said? Either way the outcome is the same.

12 hours ago, BlueHope said:

BTW-I don't drink or smoke, and I try to eat healthy but it's extremely difficult to do so when in such a debilitating wave.

This is good, I understand about the food, it can only make things better for you fueling your body well though so do your best! 😃

12 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I've been steady on .375mg clonazepam for 3 years, and I agree it's not doing much, if anything, at this point due to tolerance. I take it twice a day -- .25mg am and .125mg pm because I can't cut the pills evenly to split .375mg into 2 doses. So far so good with that. I've no plans to change this while dealing with this mess of tapering off Escitalopram.

That seems ok to me, the fact you have split your dose is enough I suspect. Just for reference you can use a set of Micro scales to cut and weigh tablets should you need to in the future. I agree, leave it as is though for the minute.

13 hours ago, BlueHope said:

What do you mean by distraction? I must push myself to get to the grocery store when waves are as bad as this, and am aware the entire time of how horrible I'm feeling. Everything is just so hard to do - cooking, cleaning, laundry, shopping, watching TV, and even getting into the car is a huge deal. I wish I had better coping mechanisms for this anxiety.

Distraction is litteraly what it sounds like, things to keep your mind off how your feel and make the time pass so you heal and stablise. I have found building a routine is the best way, the same distraction tasks each day help pass the time, without having to think too much about it.

Take a look in the Symptoms and Coping Skills section for more help with this. Acceptance really is key. Spend some time looking into it, it helps loads I find.

On 5/10/2026 at 3:58 PM, mstimc60 said:

There are a lot of coping tools. Here's a link from the Coping Techniques forum with some references. Whatever you choose, you have to stick with it; it takes practice and commitment, but it really pays off. You can recover!

Thank you for this link. I'll check it out. I've had therapy for years and years and it seems this type of anxiety (caused from withdrawals) doesn't change for me through breathwork, or when I engage myself at a grocery store, or TV show, or driving with the radio on, etc. It's just so, so horrible to feel constantly. Thanks again for the link!

1 minute ago, BlueHope said:

Thank you for this link. I'll check it out. I've had therapy for years and years and it seems this type of anxiety (caused from withdrawals) doesn't change for me through breathwork, or when I engage myself at a grocery store, or TV show, or driving with the radio on, etc. It's just so, so horrible to feel constantly. Thanks again for the link!

The nice thing about CBT is that its really a toolbox of different techniques you can use; is one thing doesn't work, you can try something else. But I agree, anxiety driven by WD is very difficult to manage.

On 5/11/2026 at 3:34 AM, Chippy said:

Can you confirm, did you take 25mg extra or 5mg as your intro post said?

Just for reference you can use a set of Micro scales to cut and weigh tablets should you need to in the future. I agree, leave it as is though for the minute.

I have found building a routine is the best way, the same distraction tasks each day help pass the time, without having to think too much about it.

Take a look in the Symptoms and Coping Skills section for more help with this. Acceptance really is key. Spend some time looking into it, it helps loads I find.

I took 5mg extra not 25mg. I tried to edit my reply to fix this but couldn't. Thanks for noticing my mistake.

It's crazy to me that a one day mistake could cause all hell to break loose, but I guess you're right (it can).

I have a bit of a routine day every day. I'm not working and have "house" routines and "shopping" routines. I can understand how having things to do will get the day to pass easier even if the withdrawals stay the same.

I'll look into the Symptoms and Coping Skills section, thank you. It's so so difficult to accept that I'm going through this when I become so anxious I can't think straight. I also get big-time short term memory loss, some derealization, etc etc. I know my symptoms could be worse. It's all relative I guess.

4 minutes ago, mstimc60 said:

The nice thing about CBT is that its really a toolbox of different techniques you can use; is one thing doesn't work, you can try something else. But I agree, anxiety driven by WD is very difficult to manage.

So true. It's like the techniques via CBT are meant to fit a round hold, and the anxiety I deal with is a square hole. 🙃

11 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I took 5mg extra not 25mg. I tried to edit my reply to fix this but couldn't. Thanks for noticing my mistake.

It's crazy to me that a one day mistake could cause all hell to break loose, but I guess you're right (it can).

Thanks for clarifying, I guessed this was the case, yes once the nervous system is irritated, even small things can make you feel poorly, certainly incorrect dosing can do this. It does happen quite a bit and people always settle down eventually.

11 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I have a bit of a routine day every day. I'm not working and have "house" routines and "shopping" routines. I can understand how having things to do will get the day to pass easier even if the withdrawals stay the same.

Yeah, it just gives the brain something else to focus on, if you think about it, you only suffer with pain, mainly because you recognise it, not recognising it is hard, and I don't think you can turn it off completely, but with practice you can turn the volume down signicantly. Distraction is certainly the most reachable technique for most I think. Acceptance is more advanced, some can't find it, but for those who can it works well. Tool Box is a good way to think of these things. Not everything is a nail!

11 hours ago, BlueHope said:

I know my symptoms could be worse. It's all relative I guess.

Suffering is suffering, we shouldn't rate it. Your suffering is just as valid as others on here! You shouldn't have to be going through this!

11 hours ago, BlueHope said:

and years and it seems this type of anxiety (caused from withdrawals) doesn't change for me through

Have a read: Being a human, and dealing with emotions in WD

17 hours ago, BlueHope said:

So true. It's like the techniques via CBT are meant to fit a round hold, and the anxiety I deal with is a square hole. 🙃

Coping will still work regardless of how your anxiety manifests. Its a matter of finding what works for you.