56 minutes ago, Glimmery said:

Thanks again for your words. @Some0n3

happy to be able to give some support!

56 minutes ago, Glimmery said:

Sometimes writing feels to much. Do you know these days?

yeah i get what you mean. write when youre able to and dont force yourself if you feel like you cant!

On 9/11/2026 at 12:32 PM, Glimmery said:

Hi all,

I am new to this forum.

First I want to say thank you for creating this place and

Hello to all the people sharing their good and bad moments of tapering.

As you can see in my signature, I tapered of celexa for quiet a long while.........

since 2025, in autumn I managed the step to 0mg......still having WD symptoms

Thought I would be fine, but no....... thatś why I finally made the move to join.

I have brain fog, more or less........ I am still waiting for recovery,

thatś why I will go on with more detailed descriptions gradually.

Story will be continued soon......

Best regards

Glimmery

hi glimmery,

sorry to hear what youre going through.

When I first tried stopping lexapro my symptoms were so bad so I reinstated.

But I still had brain fog, fatigue, muscle soreness, and headaches for months.

Now, it was 10 years ago so my memory may be foggy, but I am sure that massaging/stretching my scalp, neck and surrounding muscles greatly improved all the symptoms from a 3/10 to basically zero within days.

I can't say whether this will work for you or not, but I am curious. And it seems it is probably low risk of making things worse/ high reward if it works.

11 hours ago, peterson said:

hi glimmery,

sorry to hear what youre going through.

When I first tried stopping lexapro my symptoms were so bad so I reinstated.

But I still had brain fog, fatigue, muscle soreness, and headaches for months.

Now, it was 10 years ago so my memory may be foggy, but I am sure that massaging/stretching my scalp, neck and surrounding muscles greatly improved all the symptoms from a 3/10 to basically zero within days.

I can't say whether this will work for you or not, but I am curious. And it seems it is probably low risk of making things worse/ high reward if it works.

Hi peterson:),

thank you very much for writing and trying to help me.... we have similarities with stopping and RI and symptoms long lasting after that.... I sometimes massage my face, because it gets really red and swollen. It helps, but after an hour or so the effect is gone, unfortunately.

Messaging the brain fog away sounds interesting. I could give it a try as well. Do you use a special technique? How often do you massage? Every day also when the symptoms are gone?

Do you know anything that could help with a swollen body and face? (expat massaging and flushing out) It looks like edema, but I think it is not a real edema, it is from the WD. Best thing for me so far was the sauna, but after a day the WD edema comes back. Also my body feels very heavy with this and e.g. going for a walk hurts. Did you experience something like that as well?

Hope you doing well

Dear people in this forum I would like to share this with you:

"Maturity: knowing where you're crazy, trying to warn others of the fact and striving to keep yourself under control."

&

"Feeling lost, crazy and desperate belongs to a good life as much as optimism, certainty and reason."

Alain de Botton

Alain de Botton made me laugh twice today in this interview:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eTbA81qNYt4

it is a video of an interview about relationships, but many things can be transferred to a lot of difficult situations, ( especially from minute 59:00 timestamp in the video ) like the WD is for most many of us one of their hardest situations

13 hours ago, Glimmery said:

Hi peterson:),

thank you very much for writing and trying to help me.... we have similarities with stopping and RI and symptoms long lasting after that.... I sometimes massage my face, because it gets really red and swollen. It helps, but after an hour or so the effect is gone, unfortunately.

Messaging the brain fog away sounds interesting. I could give it a try as well. Do you use a special technique? How often do you massage? Every day also when the symptoms are gone?

Do you know anything that could help with a swollen body and face? (expat massaging and flushing out) It looks like edema, but I think it is not a real edema, it is from the WD. Best thing for me so far was the sauna, but after a day the WD edema comes back. Also my body feels very heavy with this and e.g. going for a walk hurts. Did you experience something like that as well?

Hope you doing well

hey,

I can't say for swelling, nor going for a walk hurting, that never happened to me... and again it was 10 years ago so I can't be certain how exactly I massaged. But if I was going to do it again I would be thorough across the whole head and neck areas- I think the areas around the temple/jaw I massaged, then I would stretch my neck to each side, then forward in several directions to get the backs and side of the neck (there's many muscles you can hit with different angles), with light pressure from my hands to stretch deeper >30 seconds. Then also running my thumbs vertically along my neck and where any muscles connect to my scalp, especially like an inch behind the ears. and I'm pretty sure I did it pretty consistently as needed since it gave me relief I kept at it!

And if it works for you at all it may be worth looking up some in depth YouTube videos or even going to a massage therapist.

I know I personally hold a lot of tension in my jaw and neck. So this could also be why it helped me.

hope this helps

21 hours ago, peterson said:

hey,

I can't say for swelling, nor going for a walk hurting, that never happened to me... and again it was 10 years ago so I can't be certain how exactly I massaged. But if I was going to do it again I would be thorough across the whole head and neck areas- I think the areas around the temple/jaw I massaged, then I would stretch my neck to each side, then forward in several directions to get the backs and side of the neck (there's many muscles you can hit with different angles), with light pressure from my hands to stretch deeper >30 seconds. Then also running my thumbs vertically along my neck and where any muscles connect to my scalp, especially like an inch behind the ears. and I'm pretty sure I did it pretty consistently as needed since it gave me relief I kept at it!

And if it works for you at all it may be worth looking up some in depth YouTube videos or even going to a massage therapist.

I know I personally hold a lot of tension in my jaw and neck. So this could also be why it helped me.

hope this helps

@peterson Thank you for checking in again. A friend of mine gave me a voucher for a special massage. I went there and afterwards I was worse and stiffer than before. Her style of massaging was way to hard, like a hammer. So after three days I had to scrap together my money. I went another massage therapist and after the shortest massage available ( that was all I could pay) it got better.

So as I can't afford a professional massage, I have to try the youtube videos.....

The swelling and redness got worse today. Also the skin in my face feels thick.

I am desperate for help.

Can anybody relate to that? Any ideas? Please post here or contact me if you do so.

So cold water helps me a little with those red, hot flushes (but only for a short while afterwards), as well as after sun cream.

These flushes are combined with having an increased temperature most of the time and a painful burning and I got them 24/7 since about a year. In the past days the flushes became worse. I already went to a dermatologist and have an appointment at the dermatologist coming up next week again.

Also (of course, of course) I did research and this is what I found:

"Flushing (skin redness): celexa / citalopram belongs to the group of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Serotonin influences vasodilation. At the beginning of treatment or during dose changes, sudden redness and a feeling of heat in the face can occur (so-called flushing), which resemble rosacea." (due to Google AI)

A reported case of diffuse photopigmentation after celexa/citalopram intake.:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/11804072/

Also people say that they got red flushes after using lexapro/ escitalopram: https://www.reddit.com/r/lexapro/comments/sn4nz3/does_lexapro_cause_hot_flashes_never_felt_that/

Put the link about lexapro here because "celexa / citalopram and lexapro / escitalopram are the same molecule, but they can form two different three-dimensional structures that are mirror images of one another." (https://www.webmd.com/depression/celexa-vs-lexapro)

I still need help with that symptom. Any suggestions? Anybody has or had this or heard of this?

@SarahMc @Chippy @LostinCanada What are you suggesting?

@Glimmery since this can be a side effect from the drug, that means it must manipulate something that causes this in the body. It sounds like at this point, your body is working on repair in this specific spot. Like a Rubik's cube...when one area gets aligned, another goes out of whack.

It sounds like the adrenal glands are being affected.

I don't know if any of this helps but....

I looked up rosacea to see what causes it because it sounds similar. There is even a gut connection with rosacea... possibly linked with SIBO.

Search:

Systemic Connections

While rosacea is a skin condition, researchers increasingly view it as a systemic issue tied to other bodily systems:

ScienceDirect.com

+1

Gut: Linked to gastrointestinal conditions like small intestinal bacterial overgrowth (SIBO) and inflammatory bowel disease through the gut-skin axis.

Nervous and Immune Systems: Involves vascular dysregulation and overactive immune responses in skin tissues.

National Institutes of Health (NIH) | (.gov)

+2

Another search:

Yes, rosacea can cause painful burning or stinging sensations and can lead to a literal thickening of the skin.Pain and SensationBurning and Stinging: Affected areas often feel hot, tender, or sore, especially when applying skincare products.Tightness and Itching: The skin can feel dry, tight, or rough, leading to discomfort.Eye Pain: If rosacea affects the eyes (ocular rosacea), it can cause a painful, gritty, or dry feeling.Skin ThickeningPhyma Development: Over time, a less common type of rosacea called phymatous rosacea causes excess tissue to form.Enlarged Nose: This thickening most frequently happens on the nose—a condition known as rhinophyma—making the skin coarse, bumpy, and swollen.Enlarged Pores: The texture becomes rough, pores look much larger, and oil glands overgrow.

Hello dear @LostinCanada ,

thank you very much for replying. Your words are a calming right now and a crumb of comfort. I also stumbled across the similarities to rosazcea. I never had something like this and hope this is not real rosacea. Because Med induced is curable. I am not a dermatologist, but to me it looks a bit different from what I saw. Anyways I have this appointment at the dermatologist coming up next week.

As the whole body and its parts are connected, it is so weird what this medication can do to us. WD and PAWs are so weird.......and surprising how different, new symptoms come up at different stages. This symptom is new and did not appear at the quicker tapers. The gut connection you mentioned is interesting, as I suspected this connection earlier on. The red flashes just appeared after having a cold (assumed corona, but could not get a pcr test) and getting mediocre food from a restaurant with a slimy owner. At that time I was almost done with the micro taper and since jumping off celexa the redness more or less stayed. That's the way it goes I guess....... The comparison with the Rubik's cube just describes it very well. I have to remember that one, as symptoms fluctuate. Coming off ADs is a great mess. Quoting Angie Peacock, a wildfire.

Symptoms can be seen as a sign of healing. This helped me and I want to share it with you guys:

Edited September 17Sep 17 by Glimmery

After all

I was not feeling good the last days and weeks. I am in a wave. I used to feel better. I have seen better times while tapering and after reaching zero mg, but as soon as stressors come along the symptoms return and get worse. At the moment I have much stress.Yesterday I have not been outside. Did not think a wave that big would hit me again. Anyways I just want to focus on the stuff I am still able doing. Even if it just small things, like watching a video. Or looking around and ruminate. I don’t want to be preoccupied with my symptoms. I ve been there and done that. Especially in 2020 when I did not know it was protracted withdrawal. Symptoms fluctuate after all.

2 hours ago, Glimmery said:

After all

I was not feeling good the last days and weeks. I am in a wave. I used to feel better. I have seen better times while tapering and after reaching zero mg, but as soon as stressors come along the symptoms return and get worse. At the moment I have much stress.Yesterday I have not been outside. Did not think a wave that big would hit me again. Anyways I just want to focus on the stuff I am still able doing. Even if it just small things, like watching a video. Or looking around and ruminate. I don’t want to be preoccupied with my symptoms. I ve been there and done that. Especially in 2020 when I did not know it was protracted withdrawal. Symptoms fluctuate after all.

Im sorry youre back in a wave, I feel your pain. We all do ❤️

I always see progress after a wave and have seen others be the same, so I think its healing, like our brain is testing things before all systems go if that makes sense lol.

Stress is such a toxic thing for our CNS at the best of times never mind while its raw and healing. I remember when the slightest thing like my dog whining would hurtle me into sheer panic.

You've got this 💯 it'll pass ❤️

@Glimmery I am sorry you are in a wave. I can't advise you what would help with your skin related symptoms.

For me I think generally WD symptoms heal over time, we all try little things to make life easier as heal and try to cope as best we can whilst things improve. I am actually a big fan of not trying to do things to help, I think more often then not these things make the situation worse. For example in your case you can go and see a professional for their help, however the chances they will take into account the WD/injury that is causing all this is unlikley IMO, they might, either way all they can do is offer you some cream or ointment or something to try to ease it, this in itself may just make things worse, it might not, we just don't know. What I would do it be very careful about what you try (if you try anything) and do your research about the product, ask here too. We have to learn to not be of the old mindset that everything has a cure/instant fix, we have learned the hard way that this is not the case. Wish I could be of more practical help. Time is the biggest thing. I agree completely symptoms are just a sign of you healing. x

On 9/18/2026 at 3:31 AM, cherrysquid said:

Im sorry youre back in a wave, I feel your pain. We all do ❤️

I always see progress after a wave and have seen others be the same, so I think its healing, like our brain is testing things before all systems go if that makes sense lol.

Stress is such a toxic thing for our CNS at the best of times never mind while its raw and healing. I remember when the slightest thing like my dog whining would hurtle me into sheer panic.

You've got this 💯 it'll pass ❤️

Thank you so much ❤️ I really needed to hear that. It’s so easy to forget the progress when you’re suddenly thrown back into a wave.

I’m trying to remind myself that it’s just another part of healing and that I’ve come through these waves before. You seem to have experienced similar things in WD with the panic about usual things. Your dog is the proof, WD can even make dogs whine.

Healing isn’t always a straight line, but I hope your symptoms and the smptoms of all the people in this forum are improving day by day.

On 9/18/2026 at 9:42 AM, Chippy said:

@Glimmery I am sorry you are in a wave. I can't advise you what would help with your skin related symptoms.

For me I think generally WD symptoms heal over time, we all try little things to make life easier as heal and try to cope as best we can whilst things improve. I am actually a big fan of not trying to do things to help, I think more often then not these things make the situation worse. For example in your case you can go and see a professional for their help, however the chances they will take into account the WD/injury that is causing all this is unlikley IMO, they might, either way all they can do is offer you some cream or ointment or something to try to ease it, this in itself may just make things worse, it might not, we just don't know. What I would do it be very careful about what you try (if you try anything) and do your research about the product, ask here too. We have to learn to not be of the old mindset that everything has a cure/instant fix, we have learned the hard way that this is not the case. Wish I could be of more practical help. Time is the biggest thing. I agree completely symptoms are just a sign of you healing. x

Chippy, thanks for dropping by and replying :)). I agree, WD symptoms disappear over time. As well as they tend to swop during the healing process When a new symptom comes up or a symptom gets worse, it feels frighting and it is challenging to stay patient.

Questions are arising and one has to find a way to deal with the new or worsened symptoms. I will see what I will do after seeking the dermatologist, as you are right, we have to be careful with anything we try and I will definitely double check and ask before starting a new treatment for the skinsymptom.

Until I will find anything else or time does the healing I will continue applying cold water. So far cold water and after sun helped the best. Sometimes it is the simple stuff that helps best.

I hope you are doing well.

18 hours ago, Glimmery said:

Chippy, thanks for dropping by and replying :)).

Pleasure :)

18 hours ago, Glimmery said:

I will continue applying cold water.

The most natural thing of all!

18 hours ago, Glimmery said:

Sometimes it is the simple stuff that helps best.

My mantra for life

18 hours ago, Glimmery said:

I hope you are doing well.

Plodding along as ever xx

On 9/22/2026 at 8:57 AM, Chippy said:

My mantra for life

That’s a beautiful mantra, simple and grounded

Still it is so hard trusting what feels genuine, letting life unfold without forcing it, especially when you are forced to do stuff in this situation.

Sorry I don't want to rant, I just don't know what to do about the freeze mode right now. Normally I can let it pass, but now I really need to organize and do things that can not wait to long. Every thing that is urgent is a burden.

18 minutes ago, Glimmery said:

Every thing that is urgent is a burden.

So true ❤️

@Saar8srl Nice to see you here ❤️😄

Just now, Glimmery said:

@ Nice to see you here ❤️😄

Same lovely

38 minutes ago, Saar8srl said:

Same lovely

Just stumbled on this threads from @mstimc60 in the symptoms & coping strategies corner and thought they might be helpful for you ❤️

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/408-the-solution-is-in-you/#comment-21592

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/406-name-your-dragon-but-dont-invite-it-to-stay/#comment-16456

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/506-do-we-hang-onto-anxiety/#comment-21246

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/topic/441-cbt-and-erp-resources/#comment-16761

Edited September 23Sep 23 by Glimmery

11 minutes ago, Glimmery said:

stumbled on this threads from @mstimc60 in the symptoms & coping strategies corner and thought they might be helpful for you

Thank you love

4 minutes ago, Saar8srl said:

Thank you love

You are welcome. As always sending lots of love

20 hours ago, Glimmery said:

Still it is so hard trusting what feels genuine, letting life unfold without forcing it, especially when you are forced to do stuff in this situation.

Sorry I don't want to rant, I just don't know what to do about the freeze mode right now. Normally I can let it pass, but now I really need to organize and do things that can not wait to long. Every thing that is urgent is a burden.

It can be so hard I know. Best to only do what you can. IF it is genuinely urgent (the wd brain and society will tell you everything is!) than of course deal with it, anything else that is too much, just let it go. Easier said that done, however I think you have to stop and give yourself permission to let go. Peace is what the nervous system needs :) x