6 weeks Benzo Free. Now Escitalopram

[[Ri...]]

Hi benzo friends
I have been off clonazepam now for a little over six weeks. My symptoms are still quite difficult, but I feel stable and I can still still work.

Looking for advice on when I should go down from escitalopram 20 mg to 15 mg? Once I get to 10 mg I’m going to switch to liquid.
Any advice on whether I have waited long enough from my benzo taper?

[[Cr...]]

How long have you been on your AD? If you have been on for several years you may want to consider waiting awhile.

There is a chance that you could be one of the lucky ones with a speedy benzo recovery with very few waves. However if your benzo withdrawal symptoms start to resurface from time to time over the next year or so you may have trouble differentiating what is from your AD taper and what is a Benzo WD wave.

In the end I suppose it wouldn't matter the source of those symptoms but there is a chance your withdrawal and taper symptoms may overlap.

That said I have witnessed members that have tapered benzos and ADs at the same time. There was one I recall that did what you did, benzo first and then Escitalopram. Look up member 'princezz' and go through her posts. I believe she also did liquid tapering when she got to lower doses.

[[Ri...]]

Thank you so much Crono. I have been on the Escitalopram for 16 months. 
I am thinking of slowly getting down to 10mg and then holding there for awhile? 
My main symptom is and has always been chest pain. It’s sometimes almost unbearable. 

[[Al...]]

@[Ri...] This might be something you could also discuss on the Surviving Antidepressants website as they specialize in tapering ADs. 20 to 15 mg is a big jump (25%), so I would be very careful, especially as you are only 6 weeks off the benzo.

 https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/

[[Ri...]]

Thank you Alpha

I really appreciate your reply. I belong to a Lexapro support group that recommends tapering by 10%. With the receptor occupancy not being much different I was thinking of going to 15mg. But I like the even more slow and steady approach especially with how difficult the withdrawal from clonazepam has been.

Thank you again