WARNING re: Escitalopram Tapering
WARNING: Tapering antidepressants such as escitalopram too abruptly can cause severe withdrawal symptoms. Lexapro has been cited for intense suicidal thoughts and self-harm. Please seek medical help before starting or stopping this drug.1
Is it possible to find relief from symptoms without prescription drugs?
Sometimes a person receives an initial “boost” when starting escitalopram treatment, but over time finds their symptoms have intensified instead of improved. This is not an uncommon outcome for antidepressants and could be puzzling as to why this has occurred. You may be interested in learning what other approaches could be considered for relief. Today, many roads lead to improvements in health, some of which were not as readily available as they are today. Escitalopram tapering could be a strategic option prior to beginning other treatments, as well as softening the taper process itself.4-6
A woman taking escitalopram may want to consider getting off escitalopram if she has concerns about planning to become pregnant.1 Talk to your doctor if possible before becoming pregnant to discuss the best options forward.
The drug label information tells us that escitalopram is not approved in pediatric patients due to the increased suicidality (twice that of placebo) noted in trials.1 However, large clinical trials out of Sweden showed that a concerning percentage of adults also experience this unwanted side effect.7
Antidepressant medications tend to have an effect on cognitive functioning,1 which may rule out driving an automobile or performing other types of activities that require alertness and uncompromised motor skills. Treatment for stopping antidepressant medication safely could help a person regain the ability to do these types of tasks once again, especially important where the ability to operate machinery or drive is essential for one’s job. Symptoms such as impaired cognitive ability may make the task of trying to quit escitalopram on your own particularly difficult. However, with proper guidance and compassionate oversight and care the process can be made tolerable.
Alternatives to Treatment with Escitalopram
For some, a prescription of escitalopram may have been recommended after a loss of a spouse or other tragic loss or traumatic type event. However, a person may seek to resolve such devastating issues with an appropriate type of cognitive/talk therapy or through other holistic means. Emotional blunting, i.e., numbing of emotional responses, and cognitive impairment are quite commonly reported during a course of treatment with antidepressants. Escitalopram tapering may help in this situation and may help make your chosen form of counseling or talk therapy more effective as a result.
A person may have read the FDA “Black Box” warning on the label after starting on escitalopram and now just doesn’t feel comfortable with the potential risks of this medication.2 These are just some reasons to consider an escitalopram tapering program, which can open the door to effective alternative treatment for troubling symptoms.
Biophysical/Social/Spiritual Links to Depression
Depression is categorized in psychiatric and medical practice and in much of today’s literature as an illness. Based on the long history of the medical model of treatment, many in the mental health field view depression, as in other illnesses, through the “medical-model lens.” For example, a patient has an infection. So, the patient is prescribed medicine (antibiotics) to get rid of the infection. That is the medical model for treatment. Another common example is where a patient exhibits the required number of positive responses to certain questions (criteria) for a diagnosis of depression and then is prescribed some medicine (like Lexapro or similar) to get rid of it.
However, some mental health practitioners regard the diagnostic criteria and the term depression itself as casting too wide a net, and feel that depression might be more accurately and practically understood within other overlapping contexts. These might include examining social, biophysical, or spiritual factors or some combination of these. A priest or spiritual guide who ministers to the suffering of a person might view depression in the context of spiritual unease. They might lean toward spiritual help in the form of counseling, perhaps discussing and correcting negative behaviors, meditation, prayer, seeking happiness through good acts, repairing rifts in relationships, and the like. A naturopath might lean towards blood testing for vitamin deficiencies, allergies, or mineral imbalances and correcting these. There are many forms of help besides a prescription of escitalopram, and most work well in combination. Commonly, one might even enhance the other(s).
Alternatives to Medication as the Only Treatment
However, where a patient has been diagnosed as having depression framed solely as a “mental illness,” without other extenuating examination or inquiry, the idea of giving the patient medicine to get rid of it still tends to serve as the first-line (or only line) of treatment. That is the medical model discussed earlier. However, a lot of good research has been done but perhaps disregarded, which shows many factors could possibly help resolve such issues without requiring antidepressant medications like Lexapro. For example, let us consider these:
- In Britain, Dr. J.C. Watt reported his findings that through blood testing, he found toxemia directly correlated to acute, chronic, or returning episodes of depression, especially after a flu attack where the intestines were left susceptible to absorption of dangerous toxins. He found a low-protein diet was effective as a treatment.3
- Research has shown the connections between certain medical conditions such as a deficiency in vitamin B12, Vitamin D, low intake of omega-3 fatty acids, lack of exposure to sunlight, and many others as potentially causative factors regarding depression. Hence, their treatment could be both effective and non-drug-based.4-6,8,9
There are many more examples that can be found with a little time spent researching. How often have patients been prescribed Lexapro or Prozac, etc., within the context of the medical model mentioned above? And how many were given any preliminary testing for nutritional deficiencies or to discover any of the other possible physical/environmental causes and contributors to depression? 5
Since we now know that nutrition plays such a fundamental role in mental health, we are astounded at the lack of interest in the medical community in nutrition-based treatments for “psychiatric” symptoms. Statistics show that the majority of patients receive prescription drug treatment immediately, and almost none were ever offered non-drug-based options. An informed person may choose to get off escitalopram under competent medical care and utilize investigative methods to find and resolve the root cause(s) of their depression.
Searching for and Correcting Root Causes for Depression
Perhaps you or your loved one has been searching for answers concerning unwanted symptoms. Would you prefer other treatments besides numbing unwanted feelings with harsh drugs? Perhaps tapering escitalopram safely and gently would be an option to consider. We can help. Getting off escitalopram does not have to be uncomfortable or scary when done in a well-staffed and compassionate inpatient program such as the Alternative to Meds program. The bonus for our clients is that, as well as stopping escitalopram or other antidepressant medications gently and safely, one can also receive expert help in discovering the root causes and contributing factors for depression and other symptoms. This may be especially welcomed where diagnostic testing methods such as the ones mentioned above may not ever have been used in your treatment.
Find Out More About the Alternative to Meds Escitalopram Tapering Treatment Program
Trying to quit escitalopram on your own might seem too daunting a task. At Alternative to Meds Center, the individual program for each client is designed by experienced and expert medical staff who understand how to get off prescription drugs safely and without intense withdrawals. Each program is tailored so that the individual gets a chance to not only complete their escitalopram tapering but can spend the time necessary to test for and correct other things that need correcting.
The Alternative to Meds Center approach consists of science-based, holistic protocols (e.g., metabolic testing, removal of neurotoxins, rehabilitation of neurotransmitters, orthomolecular medicine, and many more) that support detoxification, rebuilding, and recovery so that you can begin to manifest the life you desire.
We invite you to contact Alternative to Meds Center for much more information on escitalopram tapering and the program steps that allow our clients to reach their health goals naturally, without the need to rely solely on prescription meds for relief.
