lexapro withdrawal

salvatore · Newbie Joined: 12 Apr 2005 Posts: 18

I was using Lexapro for years. Everything was ok until I forgot to take the medication for few days. I felt really weird, my face was red and loud noises were very painful, not to mention the bright light. I was really worried about all of this and I talked to my doctor. He explained me that I have experienced withdrawal symptoms. Can I get more info about these symptoms?

beryl · Silver Member Joined: 19 Apr 2001 Posts: 278

Lexapro withdrawal symptoms can occur at any dosage and they can begin within eight hours of a missed dose. Sometimes they can last from one to eight weeks. Your doctor was right when he told you that you were experiencing withdrawal symptoms. These symptoms occur when the usage of the drug is stopped abruptly. Some of the most common withdrawal symptoms are sweating, fever, abdominal discomfort, suicidal thoughts, anxiety, headaches, insomnia, nausea, vomiting etc. One very disturbing antidepressant withdrawal symptom is hallucinations. Hallucinations can make the sufferer feel as if they are going crazy, unlike other physical and emotional effects of lexapro withdrawal symptoms. What happens is that patients unwittingly become hooked on a drug that your doctor, by prescribing it, told you was ok. Also, weight gain and sexual dysfunction are very common side-effects of Lexapro. The best advice for you is to take Lexapro regularly, and talk to your doctor about switching to another drug.

eckerl · Newbie Joined: 16 Nov 2006 Posts: 1

I was on Lexapro for 7 months but after gaining 29 pounds and feeling depressed about my clothes not fitting I recently weaned off the medication. I have been off completely for two weeks. I suffer from eye twitching, itching all over my body, fatigue, depression, moodiness and headache. I am so glad to have made the decision to wean off- I would never suggest going off cold turkey. It is a great thing when you are off the deep end as I was after dealing with three deaths in the family in a 9 month span, a teenager who ran away and ended up in foster care, a boss who sexually harrassed his staff and clients (who I tried to report) and the potential loss of my job because of standing up to his antics....if anyone needed meds it was me. SO I do think Lexapro is good when you need it- for me it worked after three days and I was saved from being hospitalized. But now I am past the hard times and feel I can deal with the fallout on my own- it is the itching and twitching and sorrow that is hard to deal with. I think it is a little better each day. I hear it can take up to three months to get it out of your system and back to normal again, if there is such a thing as normal.

Guest · Guest

i went on lexapro because of my mother passing, then i tryed to come off and just cryed ALOT, then i told myself it was to soon. at times i feel like im losing my mind and no one get what im feeling. i Know im not crazy just dont know what to do know that ive been on this thing for a year. im scared of the withdrawls but im more scared of staying on the meds. can anyone understand or help?

guchuj05 · Newbie Joined: 05 Dec 2006 Posts: 1

You can look at this website for info on how to reduce drug amounts slowly:
theroadback.org[/url]

I took 10 months to reduce my 2 medications. My problem is that now 6 months later I'm experiencing withdrawal symptoms (sensitivity to sound & distracting noise in my head like when I taking Wellbutrin several years ago). I was wondering if anyone else had any experience with this & what they did about the withdrawal effects.

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RMB · Newbie Joined: 14 Dec 2006 Posts: 4

I have been on Lexapro for 3 years now and have not gained any weight at all. From what I have heard Lexapro is one of the anti-depressants that is least likely to make you gain weight. I have researched this very well because I am a recovered anorexic therefore weight gain is not an option for me.

Guest · Guest

I noticed some withdrawal for about 1-2 weeks.. now they are completely gone... i mainly had what felt like shocks in my head and some dizziness.

Guest · Guest

Rye · Newbie Joined: 01 Jan 2007 Posts: 1

I was on Lexapro for a little over two years and just found out that I am pregnant. Before I became pregnant I tried to get my doctor to help me stop taking the medication and she insisted that I stay on it. Whenever I tried to stop taking it myself I would withdraw really bad and would tell my doctor about it and she said that you can not withdraw from it. Pretty much every doctor I have talked to has tried to convince me that I can't withdraw from it. I think it was a huge mistake to ever take Lexapro to begin with. The hardest part for me is when I found out I was pregnant I called the doctor and she said that Lexapro is dangerous in pregnancy so I just had to stop taking the medication immediately. I researched Lexapro and its effects on the baby and it can cause major heart problems which is really scary. I would have to say the worst symptom I feel is the strange feeling in my head and the tiny electric volts. I guess at this point no doctor will help me and I just have been suffering through these horrible symptoms. I would NEVER reccommend Lexapro to anyone. Sad

Has anyone gotten any useful information from their doctor on avoiding withdrawl?

Guest · Guest

Doctors aren't the ones to ask because the pharmacy companies are paying them to give us this drug with little or no information on their part. They could care less what it could do all they want to know is what it's for and how much money they get for every prescription they write.

Have not one of you every asked, why when they are drugs that have been on the market for over 20 or 30 years doctors choose to give us the medicine with the least amount of testing.

Money.

It's about money people an that's why now I only demand the oldest drugs or one's with extensive testing.

lexapro withdrawal

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