lexapro withdrawal

ikona32 · Newbie Joined: 31 Jul 2007 Posts: 1

I have been on Lexapro for about 6 months. As directed by my doctor, I am currently weaning off of this medication and have felt no side effects. I was on 10 mg and am now down to 5 mg. I next plan on going down to 2.5 mg once a day and then down to 2.5 mg every other day before completely being off of them. I was on Zoloft years ago and this was also the way I weaned off of the medication...with no side effects!
For those stopping cold turkey...I think that is ridiculous. When you started taking this medication, you should have been told (or read yourself) about needing to wean off these meds. Lexapro works wonders for what it is made to do, but you MUST follow the recommendations for getting off of them. It is just like any other medication - you follow the "rules" for taking it.
My recommendation is for people to wean off slowly (not just one week cut in half, next week cut in half again). I would suggest a few weeks at each dose level, making sure you feel okay at each step before cutting down again. And most of all don't bash Lexapro as a medication just because you are feeling side effects of stopping cold turkey! Follow the recommendations!

Guest · Guest

I was on 10 mg of lexapro for about 7 months and it was great. Stopped my minor anxiety and no weight gain. My doctor DID tell me I would need to be weined off it and we could make a plan when I was ready, but i recently just tried to stop cold turkey and I am having some with draws like dizziness and nausea. It isn't completely bad but i think Ill try to stop in small doses. I feel bad for those of you having horrible with draws and if your doctor tells you there are no with draws see another doctor!!! My doctor was real with me and didn't lie about it.

shanemac · Newbie Joined: 12 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

I notice a lot of people talking about the shock sensation, thank god. This is exactly what has been happening me. It is the only major symptom I am getting. I tapered off xanax at the same time, and I was lead to believe that the withdrawals off xanax were gonna be much worse, but I gotta say I got no symptoms at all off the xanax. These electric shocks are doing my head in, I wonder how long it will last.

jelt · Newbie Joined: 13 Oct 2007 Posts: 1

I found out that I am pregnant and was taking Lexapro. I decided to taper myself off of the medication because I know it is not the best idea to stay on it while pregnant. I've been off completely for 4 days and I am having shock feelings in my head and occassionally in my left arm/hand. I'm also having twitching in my left eye. These symptoms started within 24 hours of stopping the Lexapro. This really sucks and I don't ever want to take Lexapro again!! I'm already tired and nauseated from the pregnancy I don't need these additional weird feelings from the Lexapro withdrawls! I hope this is helpful to anyone who is on Lexapro and are thinking about getting pregnant. I would advise stopping Lexapro before getting pregnant.

bmoe04 · Newbie Joined: 18 Dec 2007 Posts: 2

I stopped taking lexapro 16 days ago and the side effects are almost completely gone and it feels so good to be myself again! It was rough though until yesterday. I stopped cold turkey because I had tried before and couldn't stop, so I went back on lexapro, but this time I was determined and I planned to take time off work if needed. The first week was fine, a little moody, but nothing serious, on day 13, I got really sick and felt like I had a bad case of the flu. Really achy, terrible headache that lasted for 2 days, dizziness, weakness, upset stomach, to name a few. I went to my doctor and he said it wasn't the flu and told me to take advil or tylenol for aches. I stayed in bed for 2 days then started feling better. Already noticing lots more energy, my old personality is coming back and I realize that I have more purposeful days and have a better memory. wish i wouldn't have wasted 2 years taking lexapro. never again. excersise really helped me. i now run as much as possible. good luck

Guest · Guest

I have taken Lexapro 10mg for 18 months. It has helped my depression. I decided to stop taking it as things have improved for me, plus I have gained 30 lbs and recently began having terrible joint/muscle pain in my knees and legs. My doctor told me that Lexapro doesn't require tapering when discontinuing, but recommended that I cut back to 5 mg for one week, than stop. I have been totally off of it for 4 days now and I am very dizzy and the brain sparks are continuous. I am determined to never take this medication again. Doctors are not truthful. Does anyone know how long the side effects will last?

wholenewhealth · Newbie Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 3

I was on Lexapro for about 2 1/2 years and it was good for me. While on it, my life was able to be great in every way. I went on it because I needed help easing up on my 'super intense reactions to things' which put too much stress on relationships....all relationships. I believe I was able to 'learn' another way of being from experiencing the 'easy going attitude' I had while on 10 mg. Oh I was certainly a joy to be around.....everything just rolled off my back like water from a duck.....you would have loved me. (I did gain 20 pounds while on it......but heck, I didn't care.....I was 'chillin' all the time..... and the sexual side effects subsided after about 6 months or so). I am now determined to live life without it......I just can't justify living life on drugs for my situation and I really want to clean my body out and take in some natural bliss for a change. I tapered off by first going down to 10mg one day, 5 mg the next, 10 the next and 5 the next.......continued for a few weeks.....then leveled off at 5 for awhile.....making sure everything was fine before taking it down again.......then to 5 mg one day and .25 the next, then 5 and .25 for awhile........then .25 for awhile.......and now nothing. Everything was totally fine until I stopped completely. I am still experiencing light brain zaps and have had Many bouts of suicidal thoughts over the past two weeks (weird now that I see how many others have had this). Let's just say that I feel like I am looking at life from the underside of an old stinkin' smelly crappy shoe that isn't even good enough for the dumpster. There's no duck here......or the ducks now made of super absorbent cotton and might start spewing green vomit any time now. I know this will pass. I will give it 3 months before I consider it taking too long. Will post here my progress.

wholenewhealth · Newbie Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 3

I forgot to mention that I have received some help from some subliminal sleep tapes from Dr. Teri Mahaney. I bought the one called 'be mentally and emotionally well' and play it every night as I go to sleep...it says for 21-30 nights ($20 I think). I made the mistake of forgetting a couple of nights and I'm not sure if that was when I had the worst suicidal thoughts.....probably wasn't the best idea to go off before the holiday time also. She's at changeyourmind.com. I feel better today and brain zaps aren't as bad. (it's been around 2 weeks since I went completely off).

TMF001 · Newbie Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 2

I myself am an Internal Medicine physician who has been on lexapro for 3 years. Physicians do not receive reimbursement from drug companies for prescribing a medication. We try new medications because we have read the literature and believe it will help our patients. Lexapro is similar to celexa, but studies showed it was supposed to have less side effects than celexa... this is likely the reason for why many physicians prescribe it.

I myself have been on many other SSRI's including paxil, prozac, wellbutrin, and celexa. I have experienced withdrawl side effects from paxil (which was very severe- I felt that I was on an emotional roller coaster; crying for 30 minutes then happy for 30 minutes, dizzy, and nauseated). I also had severe withdrawl symptoms from celexa and lexapro, including those little electric jolts, a very strange dizziness feeling, intermittent tingling in my hands, and moodiness. I ALWAYS taper my medication and never stop cold-turkey, but these symptoms still developed. So I have just learned to taper over a matter of several weeks rather than within one week.

When I was withdrawing from celexa my symptoms were so severe my primary care doctor sent me to a neurologist, who did an MRI. Everything was fine, and within hours of restarting a low dose of celexa my symptoms resolved. This was years ago, and many PCP's just don't have enough experience with the withdrawl side effects of these medications. I myself, and one of them. Sometimes you have to learn through personal experience.

As for celexa in pregancy, I am currently pregnant and am still on lexapro. I have read all the studies and although there is an increased risk of pulmonary hypertension of the newborn and possible cardiac risks, the risks are still exceedingly low/rare. From speaking with my colleages and psychiatrists, the babies they have seen from mothers who were on SSRI's were healthy. I intend to continue lexapro throughout my pregnancy. I hope I was able to give you some perspective from someone who is both a physician (who prescribes lexapro) and a patient.

Smile

wholenewhealth · Newbie Joined: 27 Dec 2007 Posts: 3

O.K............it's been about a month since my last post and I put a note on my calendar to get back and report my progress. Things are better definitely. My mood swings seem to have stopped.....as well as the brain zaps etc. I think I am over the 'suicidal thoughts' stage also. It's much better when I get my '30 minutes' of fast walking in during the day, and I do feel better after my 'mental and emotionally well' sleep tape I mentioned in previous post.

I also want to say that by being on Lexapro I did learn a 'new way of responding' to the world. I did learn to 'chill out' about certain things and in certain situations that used to give me great anxiety. I guess I should say that it wasn't a 'learning' exactly.........more of my body/system 'learning' a new core level response. Another way to put it is that since I actually 'experienced' myself responding in so many situations over the years I was on Lexapro in a (best way to say it is 'chilled out way'), I know can just emulate that response........or remind myself "you know how to do that in a relaxed way".....so just do it like that.

If there's anything else helpful that comes up I'll post it here. Good luck everyone.

lexapro withdrawal

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