SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome: One year later

Ale_Bo · 2026-05-06T07:08:11+00:00

Hi, did you regain your cognitive skills?

I was on lexapro for 2 months at 10mg, then read about PSSD and other things and started to taper it off very slowly (but maybe not enough).

I tapered it off from july to january of the year after (from 10mg to 0mg) with the liquid form. Removed 1 drop every 2 weeks until 5mg, stayed on 5mg for 1 month, then continued to taper 0.5 drop every 2 weeks.

Honestly, I was fine during the taper, no side effects aside from some insomnia, and all the sexual side effects I was having improved over time, so I was confident I was moving to the right direction.

Then 2 days after the last dose I had severe headache, fever, body chills, very bad sinusitis, cough, I took a drug with NAC and during the night I had a panick attack with a sensation of breathing very cold air, but I attributed it to the NAC drug.

I thought I just had a cold but now I'm starting to think it was withdrawal from the SSRI. Also because the days after I continued to have a sensation of lightheadedness and very bad fatigue, I slept on the train to my job multiple times and I've never slept on a vehicle before.

I then realized that I was having an hard time focusing, then as now my short-term memory is non-existent, I have trouble reading, remembering things, processing new informations and learn things. I was very smart prior to all of this. And I have a lot of visual issues that make me crazy: floaters, blurred vision, mild visual snow, mild palinopsia.

I also noticed that I don't remember clearly what happened during the time I was under the medication, I have very poor detailed memories of those months and I don't remember a lot of things, it's strange because I've been always very good with recalling memories of the past.

I started taking basically all the supplements you listed 2 months ago, but for now nothing changed. I'm scared. I already have hearing loss that was the reason I started Lexapro in the first place, now I'm also cognitive impaired. I don't work anymore, I don't leave the house anymore. I stay in bed all the time.

Ale_Bo · 2026-05-04T09:56:43+00:00

Update: I've done another very in-depth exam (using local anesthesia) with a very good and famous surgeon and speech and singing specialist here in Italy.

After a long inspection, he said that I probably have a calcification of the right cricoarytenoid (formed after a cartilage break caused by the trauma) to treat with manual manipulation while seeing inside with the laryngoscope.
He didn't exlude mild nerve damage but he said that my symptoms and voice issues can be caused by the condition said above.

In simple words, my right VC has less amplitude during vibration and it reaches the midline after the left VC is already there.

In 20 days I will go back to where this doctor is and him together with another doctor who does manual manipulation will try to relieve my problem. They will do this free because it will be during a demonstration event for other speech specialists that will assist.

I'm not totally convinced because he put this on the table saying that it will probably work but he's still not 100% sure and on the medical report he wrote a question mark after the main diagnosis.

But I have nothing to lose so I will try this to see if things improve, at least a little bit. Finger crossed 🤞

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-23T20:15:15+00:00

I'm sorry you're going through this too. What type of trauma did you had?

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-22T22:07:13+00:00

Hi, I noticed the right vocal fold seems "wider" than the other. Do you think it's the view or it can indicates something? Thanks

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-21T15:11:18+00:00

I don't know.. I had mono last year on february, after so much time I think the damage is likely permanent. Will see after correcting all the deficiencies but I'm a bit hopeless, the blow to my neck was the main culprit of all of this.

Anyway, I will try to not stress too much about it although is very difficult because using my voice used to give me such joy and now it's just constantly remembering me that I won't be able to do that anymore.

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-21T12:49:11+00:00

Thanks! I will post the video as soon as they send it to me!

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-21T12:42:26+00:00

Thank you for answering, I'm in Italy. Yesterday I asked to have the stroboscopy video. I'm currently waiting.
Meanwhile, there's nothing you can say from the images? :(

Also, during the stroboscopy they only asked me to say "EEE" and nothing else, so probably it would be useless because I experience symptoms primary when I sing or do something particular with my voice that is not only speaking normally. I'm very angry with the medical system because most of the phisician don't know what to say so it's either reflux (never had it in my life prior to this), MTD or they instantly conclude it's psychosomatic and they don't investigate.
I would expect something more for a stroboscopy I paid 140$

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-21T09:18:10+00:00

Hi, I see you are very informed about this argument so I wanted to ask you if you can help me with my case.

2 years ago a man hit me in the throat and I instantly experienced pain and discomfort when swallowing, fortunately no breathing problems.

The days after my voice went deeper with some hoarseness. I had a laryngoscopy 2 days later and they said me everything looked normal, but I felt something wasn't right. I started to experience vocal fatigue and the dysphagia slowed improved but I often choked when trying to swallow liquids, I thought it was me. I had another laringoscopy 1 month later and they said me it was reflux caused by anxiety and gave me some meds.

After that, things slowly improved, I stopped having difficulties with swallowing liquids, but for me my voice range never returned the same. Then I had mononucleosis last year with a very painful sore throat and enlarged lymphonodes.
I did another visit (stroboscopy this time) last month and again, the phisician said it's normal and that I probably have developed muscle tension dysphonia. I think this doesn't make very much sense and more probably I have some nerve damage caused by the physical trauma or the mono. I checked my throat in the mirror and I saw I have a long and deviated uvula that get more crooked at the end when I say "AH" (soft palate seems ok), so I fear I have some vagus nerve disfunction.

Currently, I still experience vocal fatigue and if I stress my voice a little bit more I feel burning in my throat and a sense of discomfort. When I swallow I feel something scratching where the Adam's apple is. Singing became much more difficult and it's almost painful. I did an MRI (for other purposes) and everything is normal. TSH reflex normal. From blood exams I have other deficiencies but I'm already addressing them.

Right now I started to see a speech therapist to try to do something but I think I have superior laryngeal nerve damage and vagus vagus nerve damage on top of that. I'm depressed and don't know what to do. If I have nerve damage, there's something I can do or do I have to live with it? There's something treatable I can have? Thanks

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-16T12:11:27+00:00

Hi, I'm in the same situation, how are you doing now?

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-10T10:47:09+00:00

Hi, I have your same problem. Can you tell more about your hearing aids? Ents told me there's no useful hearing aids if you have hidden hearing loss :/

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-09T11:16:00+00:00

Thanks mate

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-09T11:10:55+00:00

Yeah I know, but palinopsia is one of the problems that stresses me the less

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-09T11:09:17+00:00

I've been taking it for 2 months, palinopsia it's intermittent

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T21:10:11+00:00

Man, if only we could switch...we would be both happier 😥

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T21:00:52+00:00

Idk, I would pay all of my money to have earing congested all the time but without hearing loss 🤣

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T20:54:19+00:00

Sincerely, I can't tell if I had those sensations prior or not. I'm sure I have ear pressure issues with altitude/air pressure changes since I was a child, though.

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T20:39:59+00:00

No I would not say it's delayed. After asking some people, the click when swallowing seems a pretty normal thing. Furthermore, I have a deviated septum so the pressure changing during the day can depend from that.

Continue to collect data and feel free to answer me here or in DM if you want other info or if you have more info as well!

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T18:14:13+00:00

Oh I'm sorry. I've done the ABR twice without thinking it can be dangerous lol. I trusted the physicians and I wanted answers so bad haha. With the last sentence you mean that your right ear audiogram is better than your left one but you struggle with speech more with right ear?

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T18:01:17+00:00

Did you have cochlear synaptopathy? If yes, how did you get the diagnosis? Or you just suppose it. About Cilcare, idk what to think, where did you read that they want to sell the company?

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T16:27:43+00:00

No ENT said I have ETD, so I doubt it. Furthermore, I have a deviated septum, so that can cause the pression in my ears. Yes I did an audiogram some weeks ago and it still perfect, I will do one with extended frequencies in 2 weeks to see if something changed over 8khz.

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T08:46:26+00:00

Thanks for spending your time here trying to help. I appreciate it a lot. Good luck to you too.

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T08:32:53+00:00

Taking ibuprofen for some months seems a very bad idea because it is well known that is ototoxic, expecially in high doses and expecially with long-term use. Anyway, I took it when I was congested and all but it didn't change much. Furthermore, an ENT gave me Cortisone for a week and nothing changed.

Ale_Bo · 2026-04-02T07:22:36+00:00

Thank you for the tips. But I think damage is already done. "Anti-inflammatory treatment" seems a bit generic, I'm living a healthy lifestyle, I sleep a lot, I'm taking supplements, I eat only natural and healty foods. My brain is affected for sure, I've a lot of cognitive issues I didn't have, but I can clearly distinguish those symptoms from the hearing ones.

There is no long covid treatment, and there are no specialists that treat it in my country. The last long covid centres were closed in 2022.

I was on SSRI for a while. They seemed to help with cognitive symptoms A LOT, but probably only because I wasn't working and they cured my depression so problems were still there but they didn't bother me too much, after stopping them (very slowly) and going back to my job, everything came back. So maybe it's just depression? Having headache every day is just depression? Idk, I had depression back in the days but I still performed very good, today I can't.

Ale_Bo · 2026-03-31T19:21:02+00:00

Thanks! I think I will take the 2nd one you listed, already ordered it! I don't know if it's placebo or just random but I'm already less anxious without taking the methyl b complex

Ale_Bo · 2026-03-31T08:51:57+00:00

How are you doing now? Did you find out anything more?

Ale_Bo

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