Lexapro withdrawal help

I am so glad I found this website as I too feel like I am going insane from weaning off of Lexapro. I am on my sixth week and this is the worst ever. Week one thru five were difficult dealing with the brain zaps but now the brain zaps have increased as they are not just one at a time but a series of three or four together. I went from 20mg to 10mg to 5mg now I am at 2.5mg. I actually cry out just to deal with them or curse! The dizziness is bad but the nausea is awful & I have actually vomited. I work really hard not to as I hate vomiting but it attacks me in my sleep when I let my guard down. Sleep...there is another issue some nights its ok & others I am up all night. I am crying all the time & my spouse is working so hard to be supportive but it is consuming. I could kick the Dr in the shin & then some for not telling me how serious the withdrawal side effects are. I am determined to kick this as I have gained 80lbs since being on this med for five years & also became very disconnected with everyone. It was like I was a robot. Lets keep writing each other as this is the only lifeline I have right now including my faith as I need others who understand.

HELP! I want to come off Lexapro as I think I have soft bipolar not depression. Has anyone else had this misdiagnosis?

Lexapro is meant for anti anxiety and should be for short term relief. I was (am on it) for 10 years. I was a robot for years. No emotion, no cares. It has taken a toll on my family and social life. Besides the ever increase in price and wrangling through the insurance c**p, I have come to the point where I want my life back. I was on 10mg up until 2 weeks ago. I cut my pill in half and took 5 mg for 2 weeks. I am now on 2.5 mg. I already feel like a new person! So far no dizziness, no zaps, no confusion. I've been taking 2500mcg of vitamin b12 sublingual, a multivitamin from gnc, and 1400mg of omega 3 fish oil. I also drink the zip fizz powder with water. I have more energy than I have had in a long time, I have emotion and actually smile and laugh more. I got the zip fizz from Sam's club as well as the b12 and omega 3. You can't OD on b12 as it is a natural vitamin and water soluable. I have also almost entirely eliminated coffee. There is caffeine in the zip fizz, but it from guarana seed extract, grape seed extract, green tea, Dona red coffee fruit, ginger root, and American ginseng. It also has other good stuff in it . The type of b12 to look for is methylcobalamin. I have tried to quit cold turkey in the past and never succeeded because of the awful side effects. This time , going slowly it's working:) Plus, I'll be saving $132.00 /month!

Hi,

 

I've read through a lot of this thread, and can totally empathise with some of the posters. I've been on Lexapro 20mg for about 8 years now and recently decided to come off it. A lot of factors in my life have changed that were causing me to suffer panic attacks and mild depression. The medication worked fine for me and I lived with the fairly minor, as I saw them, side affects. But like a lot of others here, I'm finding it tough withdrawing from this medication. I've been slowly reducing from 20Mg down to 15g..which I did with no side affects over about a month or so, then from 15mg to 10mg I started getting a lot of withdrawal symptoms. I stayed on 10Mg for about 3 months until the withdrawals subsided and I started to feel a lot better.Knowing that it was temporary I've moved down recently to 5Mg and immediately started to feel the withdrawal affects again. I've read a lot about the brain zaps...and I'm not sure I've ever felt these, or if I have I wouldn't describe them as zaps. The main issues I have are edginess, anxiety and what I can only describe as a horrible tension in my arms and legs and bad tingling in my head..it gets so bad sometimes that I feel like scratching really hard. Stretching sometimes helps...which leads me to think that something like yoga might help. I'm not on any other similar medication, the only other pill I take is for heartburn, I have the Helicobacter bug. I am going to persevere with the withdrawal, as like another poster said, I want to get my life back and feel like the real me again. It is nice to feel strong emotions again. Anyway, that's my story, hope you don't mind me sharing.Robbie

i just ran out of lexapro and dont have money to get more. so i dont have any more and my withdraw symptoms are terrible. do you know of any ways to ease the sickness?

HI Brittany:
Im sorry that happened to you. My insurance wont pay for it anymore and I am fuqed!!! I am trying to wean myself off of it and its not easy. Last night I did purchase lexapro 122 dollars can you belive these companies can just kick you offi of it. There is a generic I have tried it and had a bad reaction. Thats the only way try to find something else cheaper. I want off of Lexapro. It was a gem to me it really worked but I cant pay that anymore. Please keep in touch.

I have just decided to stop taking my lexipro cold turkey today. I have only been on it for a month and a half but the past week has been a total nightmare. The withdraw symptoms some of you are describing are the same symptoms i have been feeling after starting lexipro. I am more depressed, have zero energy, when i stand up i am experiencing extreme light headedness and dizziness, so much so my entire vision goes black for 5 seconds. I recently pulled a muscle in my back and was prescribed muscle relaxers and at first was unsure which one was doing it. After not taking my lexipro today I realize it was definitely the lexipro. I just hope stopping the medicine was the right decision and it will be an easy transition. Good luck to you all.

Kitty You should never stop all at once. You have to wean off slowly. Before I found this sight I thought I was going crazy. Im trying to wean myself off of it now. Yesterday I couldnt stop blinking OMG....I looked like I was going to short circuit...I have brain shock dizziness every withdrawal its hard. I cant afford the 122 dollars a month for it.

Wow, I am sorry about what your having to go through. I am so thankful to find this thread cause I swear I thought I was going mad. Yesterday was wonderful since I didn't take the lexipro and I haven't experienced any withdraw symptoms yet, then again today is only day 2. I completely understand where ur coming from, but the the side effects I was experiencing after taking the lexipro freaked me out enough that Im terrified take it at all. Thanks for the support.

OK, so since my last post I've decided to listen to your advice and tapper off. I started getting dizzy, nauseous and itchy. I was on 10  mg and cut it in half to 5. How long should I continue the tapering off process since I was only on it for a month and a half?

Hi WaterLily 1971,
I suggest if your Dr won't listen to you then find another. That is how my whole problem started with the Dr keeping me on Lexapro for longer than needed. I do know that Lexapro my increase your symptoms especially if you ever try to wean off of them. Please consider finding a new Dr.

My daughter started on 10 mg while going through a divorce and within a week cut her pills in half. She had jitters, headaches, restless legs, full body tingling and itching, nausea and dizziness. She decided it was poison and quit cold turkey after about 7 weeks...and then suffered flu-like symptoms and a rolling migraine that lasted about a month. That was it for her. I was given a 10 mg Rx 4 years ago after a full hysterectomy. WIthin a few weeks I tapered to 5 mg (stayed at that dose for a year and then cut my pills into 2.5 quarters). I switched to the liquid form and have been miserably tapering for a year now. From what I'm reading the longer you're on it the slower you need to taper. Tonite...I took my .5 ml dose and I really don't want to take any more tomorrow! I seem to have every bad symptom on the list...drumroll...trying to find the guts to just quit... forever.

Hi Suki,
I hear ya. This website has been a lifesaver for me, keep it up you can do it! I tapered off for 8 weeks from 20, 10, 5, 2.5mg & I was on Lexapro for 7/8 years. Way too long. What I want to prepare you for is I have been off the demon pill for two weeks & the brain zaps are not daily. They seem to be every other day but when they come the attack three & four at a time. I also have had tinnitus for several years & with the withdrawal of Lexapro the ringing in my ears is so loud it is disturbing.
I believe you can do it! I did & even though I am still fighting I know I can win.
Stand strong!

This is going to be my second attempt at weaning off 10mg of Lexapro.  The first time was last year.  I weaned REALLLYY slowly and did not experience brain zaps or much else.  I thought it was going well...too well.  ABout 2 months after quitting completely, I was a mess.  Crying, deep depression, anxiety and OCD all back with a vengence.  I tried St John's Wort, L-Thynine with no success.  I went back on Lexapro because I was unbearable to my husband and 10 yr old son.  I don't want to be "angry mom."  Any suggestions about what to try in lieu of lexapro?  SAM-e?  I gained 10 LBS on Lexapro and I've never had a weight issue.  I'm a runner, weight lifter, etc. Also have constant tinnitus.  Help!! 

Thank you! This is the first time I've talked to anyone besides my husband. How long did you stay at 2.5? At this level...when did you finally just stop? A year ago I was down to 2.5 and saw my surgical specialist [who suggested I "marry 10 mg for life...Why not? take it forever, she said...it will simply smooth you out"] She announced: "at less than 5 mg you are taking nothing...either up your dosage or just quit". She was SO WRONG. Dizziness, headache, night sweats, neck pain, TMJ. Insomnia/then strange lucid dreaming. Loss of sex drive and sense of humor; slow dying of motivation to do anything at all. sense of humor. Feeling: just nothing...numb. Random jabbing sensations throughout my body. Brain zapping. Short term memory loss. I got a new doc who wrote my rx in liquid form to tapering below 2.0: Another year has gone by and I'm patiently staying under 1 mg...and am now having daily severe, tight low back pain with spasms..and intense stabbing under my shoulder blades. I've never had a back problem in my life! For the past few weeks: mood swings with random swells of crying (which is very weird after having no ability to cry for the past 3.5 years).It's exasperating. I do hatha yoga and pilates. I take all of the suggested supplements and follow a gluten free diet. I finally decided to try to talk with this support group since (from what I read every evening) I know If I quit I am facing MORE lingering side effects and I'm worried!!! There you have it. I worry. I am a perfectionist. I try to do everything just right (is that what got me into this whole mess?) It's like being sea sick..and begin stuck on the boat! Anyways. Last night: .5 ml liquid lexapro. Insomnia followed. I finally fell asleep for 2 hours and woke up in a pool of sweat with sore jaws from grinding my teeth. Tonight: for better or worse I'm going to stop. I probably won't be feeling very well this next week but ...hmmm....can't say I've felt "good" for quite a long time. So here goes.....chin up.....thank you for listening.