Hi, @angrae - welcome to Mayo Clinic Connect. I'm sorry to hear the escitalopram (Lexapro) has been horrible for you with feeling wired, anxious and not able to sleep. That sounds very rough. Since both going onto a new mental health-related medication and tapering off can be quite a process — sometimes a quite bumpy journey — I'd encourage you to speak with your doctor and potentially also a pharmacist about what you are encountering. In my experience with antidepressants, for instance, I found it can take up to a few months to completely acclimate to a new medication.

When I started taking bupropion (Wellbutrin) several years ago, for instance, it was at least a couple of months (or more) of adjustment, and I wanted to get off of it after a month or so, as I was feeling too wired and not like myself. Fortunately, a pharmacist advised me to just hold on a couple more months and try and ride it out. I did that, and it ended up being a very good medication for me.

As far as dealing with tapering off of lorazepam (Ativan) using CBD oil to deal with the side effects, I'd like to introduce you to some other members who have talked about this medication and also those who have talked about CBD oil, like @gailb, @cdcc, @jloo @guener @natmill @susanfantini and @mbabkk. Hoping they can offer some thoughts about your taper off of lorazepam (Ativan), your challenges with escitalopram (Lexapro) and CBD oil.

@angrae, over the long-term, what are the main symptoms you are looking to manage, mental health-wise?