Lexapro withdrawal help

HI healthygrl

I gained my weight very slowly. I had always been thin and it wasnt until people started to pointing it out to me that I gained weight. Of all of my research. The only way to quit lexapro is to do it slowly. It can be done from what I am told. There really is no replacement for it. I tried the generic and started to flip out, brain zaps, crying, nervous it just came out of the blue. Never skip a day of lexapro while weaning off. I am on week six and I still only take half a pill on wedensdays this week I will go to a second day with half a pill. I am having side affects and Im only on ten milligrams. I am having some god awful dizziness but it passes. irritability....just dont skip and keep weaning yourself off it. Im a little down today but nothing I cant handle. I dont beleive there is a holisitc generic for Lexapro.

I currently take 5mg lexapro/day which is minimal.
I was on 20 mg/day and tried going cold turkey and experienced similar results as you did.
I began seeing a psychologist and I hoped to be totally lexapro free forever, bc I don't like taking medication. I've been doing well on 5 mg/day and consider mysewlf ao lucky bc the psychologist I see isn't the "tell me ur unresolved issues from childhood" type... But he practices cognitive behavior therapy (cbt) which has changed my life and thinking for the better.

Short answer: consider seeing a psychologist that practices cbt and accept that there is nothing wrong with taking lexapro if it helps you feel better.

I am going on week 4 of tapering off.  I went from 10 mg for 10 years, to 5 mg/2weeks, and am on 2.5 starting the 4th week. Doing great! High doses of B12, Omega 3 and limiting caffeine or all together cutting it out. No brain zaps yet. I've had them in the past trying to cut cold turkey so I know what they feel like. I am feeling a ton better by cutting down. i am no robot any longer. I am happy again. Weird, huh? Lexapro is bad stuff. I think it is meant for the extremely bad cases of anxiety/depression...which I have neither. i just got "hooked" and couldnt get off.  This time its working:) Good luck to all of you trying to get off.  I will update again in 2 weeks. -Melissa

try 10mg every other day for a 2 weeks and then 5mg every other day for another 2 weeks. Should be fine!

try 10mg every other day for a week and then 5mg every other day for a week.

Thanks, Allicat:

NO there is nothing wrong with taking lexapro. I worked like a gem for me. But my insurance wont pay the copay anymore so its another 122.00 dollars I just cant afford. Plus Im on other meds for heart disease so my medication bill is large now. I am looking for a therapist in my area. I hope I can find someone who will work with me.

Hi Suki,
I believe that no matter how long we wean ourselves down the same side effects are going to happen. Sounds like you know about that! I applaud you for taking the next step. It is going to require determination, inner strength, & if you believe in faith a lot of that! I find that every day is different & some days are excellent!
I quit smoking 8 years ago & it was the hardest thing I have ever done after smoking for 24 years. I will NEVER go back & that is how I feel about these pills. I will keep fighting this & I will win. You can do the same.
I am now having really loud ringing in my ears & have contacted a Dr who I hope can help with this. All we can do is take one baby step at a time. Brain zaps are still here but not as frequent.
The crying you mention is hard. I am doing the same. Out of no where I will cry & cry like I lost my best friend. I have found for me that if I don't fight it & just cry it out I feel so much better after it is all over with. Now the crying is less but I can still cry easily. I think that is part of my personality.
Please let me know how you are. It really helps me to chat online with someone who understands.
Take care.

I did it. I quit. I feel oddly like I've been going through a strange secret ceremony that I can't tell anyone else about. So thank you so much for your input and any small advice you can offer. This is my first and hopefully last experience with an ssri. I've come to believe I'm too sensitive for this kind of drug; certainly no shame in taking it out for a test drive but the trade offs are just not good for me. I "sort" of know what I'm in for since I've been reading/studying posts for about 2 yrs now; while I've been trying to taper . Ta Da! It's that day. Yesterday I officially packed up my bottle of liquid lexipro (which i have lately been calling 'the crack') and said Thanks for all of your Help...bYe! and put it away. I admit that I feel nervous: like I'm well prepped but waiting silently for a tsunami to hit. It helps to hear that no matter how long we try to taper side effects will still come. My last few days I'd reduced down to .5 and started feeling foolish about how long this process has taken and wondering if it's just fear of the unknown that keeps me...struggling? to just stop. I guess I wished my doctors would tell me when (one said take it forever and the other one wanted to give me prozac and I declined both offers). When I reread my own experience I find it so weird that I'm talking about a "normal" prescription; as if i'm facing the dread of a day without heroin or something. But seriously this is just not easy. SO. Day One with no lexipro: It's 2 Am and I'm up with a bad stomach pain and heartburn [i have celiac and don't eat gluten but i feel like i've eaten an entire pepperoni pizza). My eyes are burning as if I've been in smoke. So far, emotionally I'm about the same as I've been all week...tearing up like I've been cutting onions; seriously counting my blessings and yet still feeling a need to cry. Such an awkward contrast to the cushion of numbness I've lived inside of for the past 4 years. Anyways: I ate carefully, went to be early and slept for 2 hours; then woke up having a creepy dream in the midst of a full body hot flash. Journal time: Tight neck and jaws...painful pressure building between my shoulder blades. My skin is itchy and my hands feel stiff and swollen as i type. Mild headache and a huge lump in my throat. Ah Vell....heeeere we go! I do have a back up bottle of xanax just in case. For now I'm going to try to ride this out on my surfboard as best I can..hopefully I'll feel better by Christmas day. Thanks for listening :]

suki, are you slowly going off or cutting out straight away? I work in a hospital and have seen patients come into the ER for convulsions and had to be admitted to the ICU for observation for a few days because of extremely hard withdrawal effects by going off cold turkey. They shake uncontrollably and have seizure like symptoms. It is a scary sight. Eventually, the doctor ends up putting them back on it (or something similar). I have gone for a maximum of 3 weeks cold turkey and started to get that feeling, so I went back on it. I have been weaning for a few weeks (maybe 4 now) and and down from 10mg to 2.5. I have had none of those feelings I have had in the past. I think its the only way to get off. Even a therapist can't help you if you seizing. Good luck. -Melissa

The only problem with SSRI's is that too many people are prescribed it that don't REALLY need it. Kind of like the ADHD symdrome, where a hyper kid in this era is prescribed drugs just to give it...back 30 yrs ago it wasn't given and the kids turned out just fine (my brother is living proof), he was just a hyper kid!:) The family care docs who prescribe this medication are not therapists, and they do not monitor (unless you are one of the lucky ones) their patients during the drug addiction. They just prescribe and forget. I was lost for many years, as are alot of people. I was sad one day and my family care said I needed anti anxiety meds. Of course I thought they would make me "Happy", so I took them... for 10 years. I took them only because I didn't know how to get off. And yes, my monthly "fee" for this robot drug is $135.00... Lexapro is evil, but not if you really NEED it and you can get a doctor to monitor you.

Hi. Sometimes a nutritionalist can help you find the right combo of diet and vitamins to take. Natural food stores have a lot of good stuff. Research, research, research. I have been on Omega 3- 1400mg, mega Vitamin B-12 at least 5000mg/day, GNC womens multi vitamin (energy), lots of water, lots of herbal teas, cutting out coffee. I have also changed shifts (hours) at my job.

I began this process 2 years ago starting from 5.0 lowering slowly...to 2.5....(in pill form) and stayed at that level for a year. Then I got an Rx for the liquid form; and have been incrementally tapering from 2.5 down to 1.0 ..and.....Finally to .05 for the past few weeks. I think I'm in the safe range (bearing with my usual uncomfortable list of symptoms). From what I read I know it's possible I could be in for a bumpy ride for a time; but I'm done being afraid of that. I'm really looking forward to a future with more energy again..after I get over this insomnia stage. :]

Hey Suki!
I am here with you & I won't leave. I am glad I found you too. Shall I say a soul mate of Lexapro? Ok...so yes, the first few days I had itchy skin, but that didn't last long. Although I remember itching when I got nervous prior to Lexapro. haha! The tight neck is still with me. this Monday was week 8 & it has subsided a little. I used icy hot to help with that & it seem to work. I haven't resorted to putting icy hot on my jaw (just kidding) but yes my jaw stays tight too. I have been trying to do some face exercises to help with that. For the upset tummy which I kept for about 7 weeks I did a lot of deep breathing exercises to get through it. The nausea would come in waves. Also I keep a bottle of Tums by my bed & take three every night regardless of how I feel & it has been helping me get though the night. Yes, I have a bottle of pain pills I have for my back & in worst cases I would take two to get me through a rough spot. Believe me I kicked cigarettes & alcoholism 8 years ago & this is comparable to heroin. I am not laughing at all. This medicine should have never been approved or they should have only prescribed to people who never wanted to get off of it. Ok...I have been crying this morning a little too but as you said (& Mary Poppins) chin up spit spot. I am on my way to work. Let me know how you days go. Oh also I wanted to let you that I exercised for 20 minutes yesterday, not long but exercise produces serotonin which can only help us. Oh & I also learned stay away from sugar & caffeine. I am trying to give up my coffee. But they say these can make our symptoms worse. Chat soon! I will be praying for you!!!

wOw. it is so good to talk to someone about this [who doesn't stare blankly at me like I'm exaggerating...when in FACT...I'm usually barely alluding to how miserable I've actually been, since it all truly sounds weird. Not so sure I'd believe it if it wasn't me]. Today's News: I woke up Feeling.sort of..."normal". Is that what this is? .....So last night I took two advil and an acid reducer and braced myself...wa Lah...I slept! bumpy sleep...but no raging ear ringing/insomnia.So far today I can report that most of my symptoms are better than yesterday. I do have some back pain. I am still overheating, tense jaws, and a slight headache. wooHoo, Not too bad! Seriously:, I feel encouraged. I admit I still chase down my breakfast (omega 3's, multiVites, Cal+D, acidophilus, w/ Extra B complex) with a strong Cup o Joe. So I am impressed with your resolve to kick the caffeine...I am petting mine as we speak. Yep..with pure cane sugar. Sorry, I'm not perfect. Btw: 6 months ago I stopped taking Tramadol (which is the pain med I was taking instead of vicodin post surgery; didnt want to develop a vicodin addiction! so i took the "lessor" pain killer). Yet ANOTHER EVIL drug. Pure hell to stop. So much easier to just keep taking it! Ugh! DONE. Still love my coffee though...From an old episode of What About Earl: "don't judge me!" One last thought: after taking a 4 year break from crying I'm finding it's pretty great to put my pride aside, give in and cry really hard in a hot shower. Sort of like singing in the shower...arias! My own private opera! ha ha :] I hope you feel better today...I will be praying for you, too.

Btw: For those who find relief in taking these meds I do not mean any harm. It's true that one way to choose to handle this challenge: is to just keep taking the drrugs forever. Tramadol was hard for me to quit because it made me feel artificially 'happier"! Little miss Sunshine. Too bad it also kills your libido. Not a good trade off for me. It has NASTY side effects similar to lexipro when you do Opt to quit. SO. I think we all have our own journey and are unique in our own experience. My assumption is that if someone is on this list (called Lexipro Withdrawal Help) it most likely means we're all trying to achieve the same goal: to just feel better. Thought I'd add this note just in case my sense of humor might be taken the wrong way. It happens. It's my number one method of survival when things aren't easy. best wishes, everyone....*cheese*