Lexapro withdrawal help

I've been having problems months later after going off of Lexapro. I was wondering if you have figured it out. Do you feel any better?

I read nearly all of the posts in this thread a few weeks ago when deciding whether to stop taking Lexipro and it was so helpful that I wanted to come back and report my experience with withdrawal so far.  First of all, my decision to stop was mostly due to weight gain (irritating that my Dr. insisted it doesn't cause it - it does and it kept my metabolism, as well as my libido, on lockdown.)  I was only on it for a couple of months, and I did benefit from the experience of not having such reactive moods, not getting angry or hurt so easily and so violently - it was smooth sailing, and I enjoyed the physical sort of inner rivulets of well-being...but was at the same time aware that they were kind of separate from my core, somehow artificial.  It was only a vague sense of artificiality, but I didn't like it and that added to my decision to quit.  I was prescribed 10 mg but generally only took 1/2 a pill.  I cut down to 2.5 on most days for a couple of weeks...when I tried then to skip days, by the second one I was in fights with my boyfriend and perseverating on his past wrongs, real or perceived.  So a couple of times I grabbed a pill and the mood would evaporate in no time flat.  That's when I went searching online for what supplements could help with withdrawal and found a few answers here....being into overkill, I went to a healthfood store and bought every single brain-related supplement I could find: Same-e, L-theanine, dmae, gaba, 5htp, tyrosine and took lots every day.  BTW I never have experienced any brain zaps, for whatever reason.  The moodiness is better, but not perfect...then I found pregnenalone the other day and that is a GREAT mood booster, it seems.  Right now I'm taking one of those, 800 mg Same-e and a couple or more of everything else a day.  There are long periods during the days where my mood is great, though I'm still more vulnerable to slides than on Lex.  I don't care...I can't be in a chemical prison. I'll figure this out - trying yogic breathing techniques, changing thoughts, EFT - all of it.  I'm pretty certain I can find a level of emotional balance and stress resilience I can live with if I make it a priority to find and keep it. Good luck to everyone.  PS here's a good EFT affirmation for dealing with difficult people I find helpful "Even tho she is totally difficult (insert stronger language as needed), I still choose peace.  Peace :)

I recently weaned off Lexapro a week ago.  I am of course having many side effects, but one I am curious to know if anyone else is experiencing this:  I have a burning and itching sensation around my ears and following my jawline.  It is like having hives but there are no bumps or red streaks.  Anyone else experiencing this with the withdrawal of Lexapro?

I started lexapro when i went away to college five years ago, and stopped cold turkey about a month ago. I started with 5 then 10, 20, and up to 40. The last two years i wasnt very consistant with the times i took my pills and i would miss days periodically. About a month ago i stopped lexapro cold turkey My "after lexapro" experience started badly but ended positive, or at least so far. About a week after stopping lexapro i was dizzy, when i would move my eyes it felt like my brain needed a second to catch up and it would give me migranes. I went through about a three week period where i was nauceous at night and throwing up.  Now, and for the past week or so i have had close to no withdrawl symptoms, and i feel so much BETTER. I feel more upbeat, more myself. I personally feel like lexapro was limiting my ability to have real reactions to situations, good or bad.  Coupled with the stop of lexapro, i started to do some soul searching and learned a lot of valuable and helpful tips that i hope will help someone else the way its helped me. I started with a simple bing search of soul searching which opened doors to other topis such as finding yourself, building self considence...things that i wanted to find in myself rather than a addictive antidepressant with endless side effects. Reading these articles gives you insight and opens ur mind to ways to heal yourself, mentally physically and emotionally. I also started journaling. Writing your thoughts down makes ur thoughts tangiable. U can see them right in front of you, theyre real. Because u can see ur thoughts, u have a better ability to analyze, come up with logical solutions. It also relieves and clenses ur mind and soul. I dont think of things over and over and analyzing ... I put it on paper and let it go. Give the brain space for positive thinking.  I am also attempting to change my way of thinking.  Ur conscious affects ur subconscious, which is like a storage room for all the thoughts your not thinking of at that moment . It sends you messages which r emotions about situations. To change your subconscious... U have to change ur way of thinking. Nothing will change overnight but if u put effort into positive thoughts, affirmations, even meditation, yoga, ... Ur subconsvious will begin to send back positive feed back and emotions. Im not at all recommending stopping any medication cold turkey without consulting with a doctor, but i hope this post shows a light at end end of the tunnel for lexapro users. Lexapro, or any antidepressant does not have to be ur crutch. 

the brain zaps took about  2 months to stop but they did stop

how did you get on after your withdrawal

The brain zaps would happen to me if I missed one dose (20mg).  Ever since I started smoking a little pot before bed, the brain zaps stopped and I could miss 2 doses or maybe more and not get zappy.

I've just started a few days ago cutting intake in half.  So far I haven't had any of the flu like symptoms or really anything much as described above.  A little bit of anxious 1 time but it's normal when I see this person... :P

I'm actually more hungry and more happy just smoking a little pot, and I sleep best I've ever slept if I take a couple hits at night.  My psyc said it was really bad to take Lexapro and Marijuana at the same time, but I think it's just bad to take Lexapro...

About Me:  29 years old, took Lexapro (20mg) and Klonopin (1-4mg daily) for about 4 years.  Prescribed it because I had severe agorophobia and panic attacks almost hourly, at least 1 major one a week.  Could barely leave the house.  With cognitive behavioral theory I've overcome everything and believe its time to get off the drugs.  There's nothing I haven't been able to do because of my diseases thanks to CBT.  Maybe stick to weed on occasion because I see or have felt NO negative affects from what I believe to be a great medicine from what I once thought was for dumb stoners.  If you ever want pepped up, read a weed message board, such nice people!

For me the cold turkey route never worked out. There were to many times I could not live with the withdrawl symptoms that can be worse then the anxiety's that caused you to start using lexapro. Tapering is the way to go and what works for me is 5mg  cut every two weeks, it worked for me. 20mg/2 weeks, 15mg/2 weeks, and so on. After I went from 5 to 0 though I experienced a little more then usual withdrawls and my dr. suggested me taking 5mg every 2 days. It has worked and was the easiest way for me to get off..........and I have tried several ways. No dire withdrawl symptoms or zapping jumpy nerves however you probably will have a crappy stomach and light anxiety.  Hope it helps

I am in the process of getting off of Lexapro for the same reasons that you stated. I have gone to a certified natural health professional and she recommed that I take a natural herb called Licorce Root. It helps with anxiety. I take 2 at each meal and before bed. It has really helped. I was always leary of going to a herbal specailist, but I can tell you she has helped me with my anxiety, acid refluc and digestive issues with the natural products she has recommended.

I have to chime in on this subject. Thank GOD for this information. Here is my quick story of this medication. I have been on Lexapro for about 6 years. 2 years back, I got the word to switch to a generic (Paxil form) which was a huge mistake. That stuff was bad. I felt so anxious and couldn't see half the time from light blindness. About a year ago, I got back on Lexapro 10mg. I was taking 20mg before the whole paxil mistake. So 3 weeks ago, I began to have nausea daily. I figured it was my nerves. Saturday night I took my last Lexapro. I actually forgot to take it Sunday, and monday night I said to myself lets stop taking this. Day 2 or Monday I started those wonderful brain zaps which were medium to heavy. Day 3 or Wednesday the Brain zaps got pretty bad around 4pm and lasted until midnight. Day 4 or yesterday the brain zaps were moderate to medium at the same times but I haven't had any signs of anything else. I have General Anxiety and so far I am not to nervious. So its now day 5 and the brain zaps are like Day 2 and I have a slight bit of nausea. It may be my early dinner. I haven't had any sleeping problems, but I do take ambien at night so that isn't an issue. I have noticed only one bad night last night with a bit of anger, but nothing I couldn't control.

I understand wanting to get off this medication. It can make you feel somewhat better to not depend on a medication like this to function. However, I know how hard it is to function without help. If you are managing fine while taking it, then only consider stopping if you can handle the challenges. I didn't taper off like I should have, and I know that my dad took it a few years back, and he tapered of very slowly. The brain zaps didn't stop for him for over 2 weeks.

Lastly, I do still notice that sometimes when I stare at light, it takes awhile to go away. Like light blindness. I close my eyes for 2 minutes and it helps. I also turned all the "screens" laptop and ipad ect down. That helps. I am going to continue to take omega 3 which I stopped a few months back. Some mentions here say that could help. I will call the doctor after day 8 if this shows signs of getting worse. I feel though it should get better. It seems to be trending up to feeling better.

I have been on SSRI's and Benzodiazepines for 10 years and they have ruined that part of my life. Debilitating me to the point  I could not work or function, these meds have cost me untold money in searching for doctors to cope with what I now know were side effects and chronic withdrawal symptoms(after a time, your body gets used to your dosage and asks for more by sending withdrawal symptoms. If you do not take more the symptoms become chronic like mine) All through, I had major withdrawal symptoms, brain zaps, dizziness, fatigue, lowered pulse, difficulty breathing, etc. Now that I am coming off, I have the same symptoms while on, only greater and my depression is LEAVING. These drugs can be great short term fixes at low doses, but any doctor who says you need them for life has no clue what they are talking about. I don't think they should be used for more than a few months. The reason I was kept on them for so long was because I had withdrawal symptoms that the doctors didn't recognize as withdrawal.  The doctors kept trying to fix the symptoms of being on the medicines with more medicine. Wean off these things as soon as you can and find other solutions (therapy, natural meds, whatever). Doctors treat them like candy and they are life ruiners. 

Other things you might experience: increased heart rate,depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts, difficulty waking up, vivid dreams, feellings of heaviness, poor short-term memory, fuzzy thinking, asphasia, and more.

Wow, this has been so helpful and reassuring to read! When packing my stuff up to come home from college, I forgot about my lexapro because it was packed away somewhere.  It's been about 2 weeks since coming home, and I've felt incredibly off.  I swing back and forth between eating a lot and not eating at all, I have horrible mood swings - sometimes back down into a depression, severe anxiety, I either can't sleep (it's 4:40am now) or sleep all day, I had flu-like symptoms for about a week (including fever, chills...), and I just sometimes feel sick or off.  When I realized that this was all from stopping my medication cold turkey, I felt so much better knowing that there was nothing wrong with me! I was starting to worry! Thank you!

I've been on Lexapro 10 mg for five years.  I stopped after 3 years for about 6 months but then went back on it.  The withdrawal didn't seem as bad the first time, but I weaned off of it over a period of about 3 weeks.  I took my usual dosage every other day for about 5 days, then I stopped taking it until the symptoms would get intolerable, then I would take half of my dose.  I wouldn't take any again until the symptoms were intolerable, then I took half of the dose again.  Each time I could go a few more days before I had to take any.  Eventually I just didn't feel the need to take it.  

I quit Lexapro 10mg cold turkey.  And, WOOOOOOWWWWWW!  Not good. 
I was suicidal after about 3 days of stopping.  Getting these MASSIVE Brain Zaps! 
Zap! Zap! Zap!  I'm never taking SSRI drugs again. 
When I was on the Lexapro, doctor also gave me some other drugs to counter the side effects - like an anti epileptic drug and also, diazepam.
I started to forget why I even started to take the Lexapro. 
So, what is helping me cope is beer, talking to people about the problem and sleep when I feel like it.

Hello, I have been on lexapro for 10 years now. I'm in the process of slowly weaning myself off of lexapro. This process is extremely frustrating! Were you successful in weaning yourself off? If so, how do you feel? Do you feel normal? I hope you respond. Everything I read on here tells me this could be a futile process.
Thanks! Sammi

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