Lexipro had basically killed me

[ToshiD]

This shouldn’t have happened but it did.

Do anyone know if anything can be done for the following.

I am absolutely desperate for help. Have you ever heard of this? I’m in a very bad way.

I had an immediate adverse reaction to an SSRI and it won’t go away. It’s literally destroying my brain and body. If I showed any signs of getting better, I wouldn’t even be reaching out. It’s destroyed my health and life.

Doctors here say it’s all in my head and just want to give me antipsychotic medication’s and they don’t help at all. Zero help.

The problem is this happened over a year and a half ago and symptoms just get worse each day. I stopped the drug immediately.

In my case, it’s an adverse reaction that won’t go away, due to an adverse reaction to pharmaceutical escitalopram, my best guess, but what do I know, so far either the SLC6A4 (not making SERT to reuptake serotonin} or HTR2A gene (5-HT2A receptor knock out) is not making its proteins. Or the reuptake pump is not working. They have been shut off. Those are the symptoms. Who really knows though, just guessing, going on the brutal symptoms. All I know for sure is my life is a living nightmare.

Back story is, I took 20mg of escitalopram pills quite a while back and ever since then I have been sick and my health is now declining fast. Pretty sure it’s killing me. I had no history of using this type of medication. I never had a depressed day in my life.

More backstory is, went to walk in clinic because I was having some family worries and wasn’t sleeping like I usually do. So he prescribed me the escitalopram and said I would worry less and sleep better at night. I just trusted him took his word for it. He never took any medical history. Did any kind of exam, didn’t even give me the name of the drug or any warnings that go with it.

I used to be so fit and active, walk 5kms daily and workout / exercise and eat healthy, bike, ski & skate and I can’t do any of that now. No alcohol or smoking. Was in perfect health, literally, no issues to complain about. I l lived for my family and was number 1 at my job and now I can’t do any of that.

Doctors here don’t know at all what to do. It seems like my serotonin system is not working properly anymore. Like SLC6A4 / SERT isn’t functional or HTR2A receptor gene has been knocked out. Supposed to be impossible, I know but something went seriously wrong. It’s not serotonin syndrome because this happened over a year ago and I stopped the drug immediately as symptoms were almost immediate. All I know for sure is my body is no longer in homeostasis, feels completely unnatural now and my days are mostly spent in bed sick and in agony.

I know this sounds impossible and not supposed to happen, but I swear to you it’s all true. I might have been susceptible because when I was a teenager I did some weird drug (supposed to be LSD but I don’t think it was) that changed something in my brain and personality and I never touched a drug again after that. Physically I had no problems. But the way my brain felt and personality was different and I just coped with it.

Went to the ER about 6 days after consuming escitalopram because I thought the drug would have cleared my system and any side effects would have gone but they didn’t. Doctors said it was very unlikely and, surprise, probably stress. Problem is symptoms all started with drug ingestion and have never gone away, not even for a minute just added more and grow worse in intensity. Not a coincidence.

Went to the ER again about 30 days later and they said it’s just stress and just sent me home with Ativan. I am suffering really badly, clinical symptoms seem to point to serotonin system not functioning properly (just a guess) and I don’t know how much more my body and mind can take.

Can you test or provide treatments for this? Or do you know anyone else that might be able to help me?

Here are the main symptoms:

-sleep is destroyed, only get about 4-5 hours restless sleep (did level1 sleep study and spend over 80% in stages 1& 2 level sleep, only 7 percent deep sleep). Started immediately.

-throat randomly swallows on its own. Started next day.

-I know everyone is tired but my energy is gone, nothing left. Started immediately.

-Brian issues, get these attacks where I can’t concentrate or function and feels like complete agony. I get so sick and I am completely useless during these. And they last long and longer, pretty much all day now These symptoms were initially fleeting. It’s really brutal now and too painful and debilitating. Sinuses close up when this happens and I become very weak. Also terrible headache and breathing changes. My whole brain and body feel terrible.

-have lost 40 pounds of muscle. 20 in the first month, doctors had no explanation for. Can’t afford to lose, wasn’t overweight. Can’t keep weight on.

-my testicles turned bright red immediately, don't hurt, been on antibiotics and still are and my testosterone dropped to almost nothing, low end of range. Cortisol out of range, high.

-zero libido, used to be fine.

-change in mood

-When I press my head down to my chest I get electricity running down my legs.

-joints hurt initially, mostly wrists and hips but this is mostly gone now. Could be because I am too ill to be active

-whole life I fall asleep on my back with hands crossed on chest, now if i do this my hands fall asleep every time, this happened immediately after drug consumption and will not go away. Same thing with feet if I cross them.

-Used to have unbelievable / excellent control HA1c control, not bragging, just did with the continuous sensor, in the 5-6 range mostly. Not I have to take at least 3 x 4 times as much insulin to get not nearly as good control. This happened immediately after the drug.

-white thick coating on tongue with new grooves started immediately

-muscles always twitching somewhere, started immediately

-Can’t regulate temperature frequent chills or freezing colds or at times very hot

-Extreme change in colour and frequency (much less bowel movements)

-urine is totally different cloudy and awe full smell, weak stream, foamy a lot and can barley go. At start of symptoms couldn’t stop urinating went all the time for extremely long time and was strong and clear, like I was trying to get rid of something.

-developed cough about 4 months in with mucus, not infection. Sometimes now has blood in it. Had X-ray, said hyperinflated lungs. Nonsmoker, never around bad air.

- Ultrasound and CT on liver said lesion on liver, focal stenosis or fatty maybe. But I am not overweight and don’t drink.

-lots of spells of nausea mostly in head

-penis leaks 24-7 started about 5 months in

-change in appetite

-can’t nap or feel sick (brain and body attack) when I wake up and I feel sick when I wake up every morning, this started about 9 months ago. This is brutal.

Those are the main ones and a can’t get an actual diagnosis from any doctor for any of it or an underlying cause.

I never had any of these above issues before the escitalopram, I was in fine physical health.

I’m looking for actual help, not stuff to get debates over

Thank you

Toshi

[blackcat64013]

Hi ToshiD,This sounds terrible 😕

I have hope that a visit to a specialist physician can start to work on changing things up for you. These guys look at all body systems together rather than being a specialist in one e.g. heart.

Psychiatrists may have more experience in adverse drug reactions so maybe a medication review will help.

Out of left field, how about contacting your national drug approval agency or Lexapro?🤔 🐈‍⬛️

[CedarwoodRoad]

Look into Mast Cell Activation Syndrome, and also dysautonomia (and not just the POTS version; Dysautonomia International has some great information at their website). I can't swear you have either one of these syndromes, but it's worth looking into. I think both the Mast Cell Society and Dysautonomia International have lists of doctors. They're tricky to find on your own.

I hope you find some answers soon. It's so hard when life and our health takes such a downward turn and we feel like there's no hope.

[jikreamer in reply to CedarwoodRoad]

Perhaps a psychiatrist would have some answers for you. They are very well versed on the effects of psychiatric meds and may have some answers for you. Good luck going forward. I'm going to say a prayer for you right now.

[Ginger7]

That sounds awful! Stress can affect your body in SO many different ways, it's unbelievable.Unless you're literally dying, emergency room doctors will just send you away without any help. Go to a regular internal medicine doctor, where you can sit down and discuss your symptoms. You should get a lot more help there than from an emergency room.

[debrajo1]

I have taken escitalopram for 4 years and have had no side effects whatsoever with it. I started on 20mg but I now take 10mg. I had taken Zoloft for 30 years but it finally wore out on me and I had to find another antidepressant and after several trial and errors my psychiatrist and I found escitalopram worked! Sorry you are having all these problems with it, but each person has a different body chemistry I guess. My cousin could not take it either. Perhaps another antidepressant will work better for you. I hope so.

[worthytobeloved]

OMG, it sounds horrendous what you are going through, and how awful that you aren't getting any help from doctors. My only advice is to try alternative therapy practitioners (such as naturopaths), - that's if you can afford it. And (this might sound silly) but go to a church or somewhere like that and ask for prayers. Certainly, speaking to a counsellor should also help.I do wish you all the best, and hope things improve. Good luck!