Welcome Lexapro withdrawal-ees!
If you've stumbled upon this blog because you are experiencing withdrawal symptoms after cutting-out Lexapro, hang in there. It takes awhile but I believe you WILL feel better.
Other than living with depression, I am currently withdrawal symptom-FREE. I weaned off of the medication VERY slowly, only to be slammed with the worst and most long-lasting withdrawal symptoms after my last dose. Read "a summary" below for everything in a nutshell.
Rx for YOU:
It's going to take a few weeks before you get over this. Seriously consider making some big changes during this time to help ease the process. You can go back to being your old self later. For now, you need to prioritize your health.
1. Get enough sleep. Always a good rule of thumb. Consider yourself sick. When you're sick, you need to sleep and stay hydrated.
2. DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL. Your symptoms will be enhanced if you booze it up. This is part of the change you need to make for your health.
3. Take Omega-3 fish oil capsules. Good for your brain.
4. Take some Advil. May or may not take the edge off for you.
5. Drink lots of water. Again, it's basic health here.
6. Avoid caffeine. Seriously, you don't need caffeine stimulating your wiry brain any more than it's being stimulated right now. Plus, it dehydrates you.
7. Eat healthful whole foods. Elementary health.
8. Take a Xanax. This should be done under a doctor's supervision. Xanax is highly addictive. Do not take it more than 2 days in a row.
I'd love to hear how you are doing! I wish you all the best.
-L.
48 comments:
Thank you for writing about your experiences. I weaned off Effexor XR 10 years ago - the worst experience of my life. I'm beginning to wean off 10mg of Lexapro now.
Your blog posts have been very helpful. Thanks again.
Was on a dose of 20mg a day for 3 years. Just did two weeks on 10 a day and am now down to 5 a day.
Rotten nausea,headache, over sensitive eyes and ears. Slight sniffle. Insomnia. Impatient and more easily angered.
Libido coming back!
Am prepared for more of the same and determined to stick it out.
Thanks for your blog. Very helpful.
Funny, I also started a blog when I began to taper off the Lexapro. Thank you so much for your posts. It's such a hard and difficult process, and even more difficult when people I know respond with "Oh, weird, I never had any problems when I went off my meds." I've been on 20mg solid for AT LEAST 3 years, probably closer to 4 or even 5 - I've lost track. I tapered off and took my last 5mg over a week ago. It's been hell. I think I'm over most of the emotional withdrawal symptoms, but the physical side effects are still difficult to deal with, especially working retail.
So glad people that are experiencing this are sharing - speaking to others about it is so helpful and important. Good luck to everyone and whoever you are, thank you for writing this blog. I wish there was a way we could email back and forth, but I can't seem to figure out how to locate an email.
xo
I am down to 10mg from 40mg. I tried before to quit but had seizures. I am trying again.
Thank you so much for creating a blog of your experiences. I have been going through some strange stuff. I took lexapro for 4 years and slowly lowered the dose over the years to just 1 pill a day, then half a pill. However, I feel that I should have decreased it to 1/4 as well. A few weeks ago I took my last half pill of lexapro. It's been a roller-coaster ride to say the least. I have been feeling in a dream-state, randomly have panic attacks, constantly falling into a state of fear and thought of death. Not suicidal thoughts, but rather fearing that any minute could be my last. I have been on all sorts of websites, hoping this will end. I don't know if it's withdrawal symptoms or simply my depression hitting again. What do you think? I fear that my whole life will be spent this way, feeling distant and afraid, and I'm only 19! Please help!!!!
It takes several weeks to get over the withdrawal symptoms, and they are truly awful. I hope you feel better soon. Take good care of yourself while you are going through this. If your panic attacks continue, you should probably talk to your doctor. Or find another doctor for another opinion. It's possible that you may really need to be on Lexapro or may need to switch to something else... Do you remember why you were put on Lexapro in the first place? Why are you trying to get off? Remember I am not a doctor. With this blog I wanted to share my withdrawal symptoms and what I did to alleviate them. I do not advocate going off of drugs if you really need them, so think carefully and honestly about the answers to the questions above. Hope you find some relief soon. If you'd like to email me, use leetieblogger at y! All the best. -L.
Thank you for all of your experiential input. It is all good advice. We have all had very similar experiences and have gained some great wisdom worth passing along. Here is mine if anyone is interested.
Use the information you get to assist you withdrawl making it it as tolerating as possible-it will never be 'easy'. Tweek for your own chemical reactions of withdrawal. All of the anti-depressants are potent. Compare the stength of yours to another. Understand that each of these anti depressants target 1 or more different pathways in the brain. Lexpro I believe targets 3. Paxil is 7 or more. Meaning all of these mood and energy areas are being affected by the meds. The more pathways they target the harder it will be to wean off. Because lexapro is a strong medicine that targets three pathways and is equivilent in strength to twice as much as the paxil you should NOT mwean down more than 1 mg at a time. Sometimes with sensitive systems as my own .50 is all you will be able to tolerate. Though you are tempted to get off of these asap-take your time until after each reduction you DO feel strong enough to tolerated another dose, as with each reduction the withdrawal effects DO get more difficult. Take the TRIPLE fish oil suppliments, but buuild them up in your brain for at least a few months before you begin to reduce. Do not try to diet and lose weight while you are reducing-this is not the time to traumatize your system any more than needed. Check your thyroid function BEFORE you reduce and also your adrenals because yes they will be stressed and if they are not functioning optimally your system will fail. REST when needed, and take frequent breaks from brain work tasks :) I went through hell and back with the withdrawals for paxil three time and nearly died on the third time. I did have to go on lexapro to build my brain cell back up but I persisted on only 10 which I am presently weaning gradually from with better success.
Good luck to you all.
Leetie mentioned something about remembering why you went on the medicine to begin with. Yes this is important, especially when you are trying to get off of them. If you have not identified or resolved the time that brought your doctor to place you on this medicine then when you wean off and begin to feel more like yourself you will be faced with that same issue again and will have to deal with it in your withdrawal state-not good because you will not be handling things rationally all the time due to your mood swings and irritability, and this could cause a relapse. Keep this in mind and remember all of theses mood issues are the withdrawal effects and not always you. Rejoice in the true you that shows its face now and then and let go of the other moods if you can. Also be sure to let others know what you are doing in regards to the reducing so they can understand if you have any irrational behaviors and try to be more understanding along with recognizing anything that might need a doctor's attentions. Support during this time is crucial. Keep in mind you will hear lots of negative remarks about going off of these and doctors or friends telling you need to go back on them at the regular dose. I will say this about going back on a higher dose: if you are having a really difficult time after a few days go back to the LAST dose that you were taking and stay on that for a couple more weeks then try reducing at a smaller reduction then before. Your brain neurons needs at least two weeks to heal before each reduction so do not rush them.
Just checking to see how anonymous is doing. When I went off of the paxil I experienced those same things so I want to make sure you are still okay. Please leave a comment and let us know how you are.
Thank you to you all for your comments and advice. I stopped taking a daily 10mg dose of Lexapro about a week ago after weaning myself off over 12 days. I realise now this was a bit too quick but I'm reluctant to go back on it. I am having the brain zaps, I'm very emotional (tv ads make me cry - how sad is that), I'm tired, short-tempered, constantly hungry but also suffer from indigestion, can't face lollies or chocolate (no bad thing), or alcohol (ditto), and have terrible motion sickness - cannot sit in a car unless I'm driving. There's more but my memory is so bad I can't remember what. Looking forward to feeling normal again or even something close to it.
Here is my story in a nutshell.
Several years ago, I took Effexor, but because of a butt hole doctor that wouldn't refill my prescription because I missed an appointment and didn't have the $75.00 to pay for it. I went off COLD TURKEY! I was curled up in a ball on the kitchen floor a few days later, when my hubby found me there and put me to bed. It was awful. I found a new doctor that put me on Lexapro. Started I think at 5 mg then increased to 10mg. A year ago I didn’t feel like it was working and we tried increasing to 20mg. That wasn’t it, and it gave me some of the withdrawal symptoms as well as I thought I would seriously hurt someone.
My doctor is switching me from Lexapro and Vyvance (thought I had depression/ADHD) to Lamictal.
So here is what is going on with me: I went from 10mg for 3-4 years to 5mg then to ZERO.
10 to 5 was not so bad. Just a little nausea and weird eye sensations.
Zero has been pure hell!!
I am trucking along now for I think is a week. I can't recall, How sad is that? I wake up and fell okay and then I get out of bed and it starts.
For the Lamictal: I am on week 3 and will start week 4 on Tuesday. My thoughts aren't as racey and I feel as though I could do something but I feel like hammered dog poo when I do move around so I don't. Sleep helps it seems, but maybe that is because I don't seem to notice it if I am asleep. =o)
At night when laying there trying to sleep because I feel DEAD tired, my body feels as though it has pressure built up inside it (especially in arms and legs) when I am trying to sleep. I generally have to get up and walk around to relieve the pressure. I guess this is the restless leg feeling people talk about. I took a Xanax and it helped some with that, but I think it was because it made me sleep.
Nausea takes on a whole new meaning all brought on my blinking!! First couple days I would eat and it would make me feel better for about 10 minutes then a knot would form in my stomach and my mouth would water like I am going to be sick and my brain felt as though it was moving when the rest of my head wasn’t and it was only because I would blink.
Benedryl does seem to help some. I am going to add the Omega-3 tomorrow.
I It really is an awful feeling that is somewhat hard to describe to loved ones. I feel bad for my family and I "go off" on them on a regular basis. I really am beginning to think I am crazy! I just want it to be over!
I can say with utmost certainty, I will never ever take another SSRI again!!
I see my doc again on August 2nd. I will be discussing this with her. Thank you for your site, I have found more information here than anywhere else.
I want to thank you so much for writing this blog. I am only 23 but I have been on Lexapro 20mg for almost 7 years. I have gone off it twice (for short periods of time) only to get back on it. This time I am determined to get off and STAY OFF! Thank you for letting me know I am not alone in my struggles with this horrible drug.
I've been on 10mg of Lexapro for 7 years. I tried weaning myself off last summer but had a horrible time. Life sucked! Everything was bad, everything was wrong, and I cried at the drop of a hat. Needless to say, I got right back on. But now, a year later, I'm thinking about getting off it again. After reading all of these comments I feel that I'm not alone and I love it! I'm going to wean myself off very very (did I mention very?) slowly. I just want to know what I'm like without Lexapro. If I have a true chemical imbalance then maybe I should get back on again. I need to be sure and I won't unless I try.
Is anyone back on because they realized the withdrawal symptoms didn't go away and that they had to take it because of an imbalance?
Thanks! And good luck to those trying to be free of it.
Hi there. Here is an update on my own progress from earlier posts. I am still weaning off of the lexapro. So far without any serious side effect. the most common ones are only slight irritability, headaches and fatigue. I am presently on 4 mgs. I have weaned only .50 mgs at a time in ten day at the least increments. Sometimes I go a bit longer if I feel it needs it. I am not rushing the process though I would like to at times. I have been on triple fish oil daily for two years and am taking b6, b12-not b complex because it caused too much anxiety with the energy producing b's. I also take inositol, choline, and a multi vitamin. I have researched extensively and had much support from my natural path , but it has taken me two years to get to this point. I may not be the person I was on the anti depressant as I wean, but I am finding myself again. Plus I have found I was able to do some other things I didn't think I could do before due to the anti-anxiety effect. Now I just tell myself I can still do it. it may just cause a bit of anxiety that will go away if I do not receive it into my thoughts. More advice to you all is to research. Learn how your anti depressant works in your brain. Learn the pathways it takes over so you know what it has done to your brain and the support you will need for your brain to heal properly during withdrawing. I can not impress enough on you all-prepare your system for the withdrawal by buliding up your brain health at least a few months before hand and keep on the suppliments that work! It is going to reak havoc on you if you do not. Be patient with yourself too. Good luck.
Hey there I am down to 5.9mg of lexapro!!! I have been doing 10percent tapers and the withdraws are easier to handle. Check out paxilprogress.org it is a forum for people trying to get off all types of antidepressants. Lots of success stories there and great advice.
Also my blog http://survivinglexapro.blogspot.com/
I stopped Lexapro cold turkey about 2 or 3 weeks ago. I've been taking 20 mg for the last 5 years. Headaches, nausea, body aches, sleeping a lot, irritable, crying a lot, over thinking things, irrational thoughts. Basically feel like I've been hit by a truck. Not mention that I feel like I'm losing my mind! I stopped taking it because my doctor wouldn't authorize a refill without me seeing her. I can't take this anymore, I made an appointment but can't get in for another 2 days. Do I just go back on it or tough it out?
JC -
I was also on the same dosage for 4-5 years, as was a friend of mine that just stopped. The withdrawals were a nightmare for the both of us, and we tapered off. You've already gone so long without it, I would hate for you to have to start back over from square one. Maybe you could talk to your doctor about how to safely get off of it? Instead of going back to 20mg, maybe you could take 5mg and taper off from that? It really is a horrible drug. The first month off you'll have bad physical withdrawals, and then after those subside, you'll experience some emotional withdrawals. After that, you should be ok. You may experience some emotional swings a month or two after the entire process is complete. Best of luck.
Rebowski,
Thanks for your input. This withdrawal is very similar to an opiate withdrawal.... which is very shocking to me because I have gone through that as well. My doctor has mentioned prescribing me Buspar before. Does anyone have any experience with that? Or I could just take Xanax and Klonopin as needed.
Hi. How is JC doing? Did you go back on the lexapro. Where are you with your withdrawal symptoms. Update: I am presently at the 3.20 mg. I have the flu-yes the real thng- so it is hard to tell what is withdrawal or flu. I do feel edgy this evening though and as I have had to with each withdrawl I may take a tiny dose of the clonazapan I keep for this period until it passes. Keep posting you struggles so we can keep you encouraged.
Just want to chime in with my experience here. I took my last does (5mg) six days ago after very gradually tapering off. I think the combination of tapering and diligent Omega3 use has really helped the side effects, which are definitely present but manageable. The brain zaps are mild enough to just be a minor nuisance, and although I'm more irritable and foggy than usual, it's not as bad as I imagined it would be. I've been on 20mg a day for two years and am very dedicated to getting off this med. I'm hoping that in another week or so I'll be back to normal, although I suppose it could still be a few more weeks.
@James
I tried before to go off from 5mg and I ended up with horrible withdrawal and seizures (I do have epilepsy)
First I was on Zoloft and then Lexapro for a total of 15 years. Ow!
With Lexapro you will feel it the third day of not taking the last pill. I am so glad it is not that bad for you!!!
The more I hear about people getting off of antidepressants especially Lexapro and not suffer, well that just give some hope and also makes me happy.
I made it through he edginess. Doing well again. I can't encourage the inositol and choline enough along with the B's that most target your issues.
Dear Fellow Lexapro Withdrawers:
I am currently tapering off of Lexapro, and I am so very grateful to have found this blog and all of your posts. I have been on 20 mgs of lexapro for 11 years. I've tried at at least two different points to get off of it and felt absolutely miserable. Looking back now, I can clearly see that I was not ready to go off of them nor was I going about it in a healthy way.
This time I decided to seek professional advice from a naturopath to help with the tapering process. (My experience with traditional medical practitioners--family doctors and psychiatrists--left me feeling as if the traditional western medical industry does not really have a clue about these things, especially how to successfully get off of them.) The naturopath did a series of blood and urine tests to assess my metabolic levels, and based on these results, put me on a range of supplements (e.g. amino acids, minerals) and helped me establish a nutritional plan (including, cutting refined sugars, eating lots of veggies and protein). It has been very expensive, but I am feeling very ready and able to successfully get off Lexapro.
Starting last Thursday, I went from 20mgs to 15 mgs and definitely felt some withdrawal symptoms (e.g. irritability, difficulty focusing, facial ticks, headaches, speech impairment) for two days and then many of them went away, and I was feeling much much better. There were still some symptoms but not nearly as intense. In fact, I felt more energetic than I had in a long while. It made me excited to experience who I really am without the lexapro. I meet with my naturopath on Friday to assess how I am doing, and when the next taper will be. I will definitely be keeping up on this blog as I go through this process. Reading your experiences is absolutely essential for my recovery process. Thank you and keep posting.
Robert
Today is October 5th, 2011. I did not take my Lexapro- I have missed it here and there for several days in a row without issues... but today I missed it on purpose. Thank you for this blog. I have asked to be added as a follower.
Willow
Hello,
after one year of success with cipralex (lexapro in europe), my doctor and i set the end of this wear to slowly descontinue it. i made a schedule. from september to december i would reduce 25% each month.
on september i felt great.
now, in october for the last days, i'm starting to feel very tired, i'm thinking of taking some small doses of xanax in the night to rest better.
also i've read somewhere that this should be reduced 10% each time, so i think i'l reduce in smaller doses next weeks..
good luck to all.
Detoxing from 40mg lexapro for eight years i think. Now at 5mg decreasing in 5mg in a process that took me nine months. The adjustment this time is very bad. To counter i am taking
Folic acid 1200mg
Bee pollen
Omega3 fish oil
B6
Every morning.
Will decrease in lower increments now after few weeks.
5 to 2.5 then half of 2.5
Sorry for bad writing brain a little fuzzy
Thanks
Sorry also
Calcium magnesium
Thanks
I am very glad to find this site. After countless years I am going off lexapro. Thanks to some changes in my life and EEG Neurofeedback, I have been able to go off of five drugs successfuly: effexor, ambien, ativan, imiprimine, and ritalin. All I had left was the 10 mg of lexapro. I reduced to5 mg, no problem. I discontinued. I think it was about three weeks ago. I quickly became fatigued, then moved into constant irritibility, then into full-on rage with husband and children. When I saw that start, I started researching. I am now taking 2000 mg at night of l-tryptophan, and am sleeping just fine. This is supposed to help our brains produce serotonin. I have also added 1000 mg of l-tyrosine, which is supposed to help with dopamine production. I have been dragging myself around a mile walk each morning, which helps somewhat. I am still habing that thing people have written about, some call it brain zaps I think, which, to me, feels like an odd peripheral vision thing. I am not laughing much. Today I had a major attack of grief about our cat, who died six months ago! I will keep you posted as, I hope, things improve.
Thanks all for posting. Elizabeth, I am currently taking tryptophan with magnesium every might before bed and it's been very helpful. It's best to take it with a snack that has no protein.
I'm holding steady at 15 mgs (down from 20)and feeling great. All of side effects are gone, and I am feeling ready to taper down to the next level. I'm waiting, though, until I meet with my naturopath to get direction from him.
I've noticed that some people have mentioned taking dosages like 5.9. I'm curious to know how people are getting such precise dosages. I've been using a pill cutter but i always seem to end up w uneven amounts.
I use a jeweler's scale that cost under 30.00 and gelcaps that I found through amazon.com. I weigh my pill and then take 10 percent off the total weight every 4 week. The http://www.paxilprogress.org forum has an excel sheet that does the math for you.
I crush the pill and then weigh out what the weight is supposed to be for that milligram total. I put that powder in the gel cap and make 4 weeks of the doses at a sitting. Some people "file" the pill down until it reaches the right weight and they prefer it that way.
So now I am at 4.3mg (weight 0.055) next taper I will take 10 percent off of that weight and so on.
Robert, apparently you can lexapro in liquid form. I am down at 5mg from 40 for ten years. It took me 9 months. It is a tough process, i think for some reason this last decrease is the worst, but there are moments when you feel symptom free and truly happy. Best of luck to you. Keep strong.
Withdrawl will include
Paranoia
irritability
Rage
Fatigue
Suicidal thoughts
Morbid fascinations
Crying
Sadness
Zapping
Sudden faintness
Memory loss
Anxiety attacks which will can cause you to think you are dying.
Not all at once. But one day you feel fine then poof you get hit. Keep telling yourself this is just the chemical, it is not me really.
I finally found the one herb that could significantly help with the withdrawal. It begins with an m and is green. Drink lots of water. Poof! Everything is better. At least 70 percent.
It's now been six and a half weeks since my last dose of Lexapro. Once the brain zaps went away, after a few weeks, I was doing great. But the last couple of weeks I have been highly irritable, depressed, a little paranoid and very low energy. It's hard to tell if this is part of the withdrawl, or I'm just returning to a depressed state, indicating that going back on anti-depressants might be the way to go. Being on lexapro was way better than the current state of things. I'll wait another month, at least, before considing taking meds again, but this is rougher than I thought it would be. How did others do 6-8 weeks out from their last dose?
I was 20mg of lexapro for about 5 years after some panic attacks and mild OCD.
The last 2 years I was tired all of the time, regardless of how much sleep I was got (which was at least 8 hours).
I took 10mg for about 3 days and finally said EFF IT and stop. It is rough...no doubt.
• brain wooziness (multi-vitamin helps)
• mild diarrhea (always a good time)
I feel that the brain wooziness is lessened when I'm focused on doing something - work, working out (lightly), etc. When I first lie down to sleep, I feel like I can hear/feel every neuron in my brain firing. Scary and interesting all at the same time.
Getting enough rest is key. I feel so much more awake during the day after a few days of being off of it. I do get occasional hot / cold flashes but, it's better than being tired 24/7.
Libido still isn't back completely but...I'm ready for that to happen.
This blog has been super helpful. Thanks for sharing your journey!
What i want to know is how do you go to work when you can't move cause you have that "horrible" can't describe feeling in your head! And know one around you understands. I wake up fine then by lunch I need to lie down so my head feels normal as if it's not buzzing! It's really effecting work I've been for half a day in 2 weeks. Just want to feel normal again
Dear Eddy,
I would suggest seeing a naturopathic doctor and getting on some supplements to help with your transitioning. I've gone from 20 mgs to 10 mgs and have only had minor side effects. (I tried going off of Lexapro a few years ago and had horrendous side effects). My naturopath has me on the following:
1. a multivitamin
2. tryptophan
3. vitamin b complex
4. lysine
5. magnesium
6. omega 3
7. glycine
8. glutamine
They are expensive but really help. I'd at least suggest a good multivitamin, omega 3s, and tryptophan at the very least.
I'm meeting with my naturopath within the next couple of weeks to talk about making the next taper from 10 mgs. I've been holding steady at 10 for about a month now and feeling pretty close to 100%.
I am 64 years old and have been on Lexapro for 5 or more years. I quit cold turkey the 3rd week in October 2011. I was busy in my bakery business until a couple of weeks ago and didn't have many problems. But this week I have had terrible dizziness, fatigue and feeling rotten. I wonder if it is the Lexapro withdrawal. I haven't had any other problems and I didn't realize how powerful this medicine is. I have never taken more than 10mg.
Well here we all are fighting this withdrawal syndrome. I am now @2.80mgs. I use the liquid form. The withdrawal is different for all of us. Some have a few of the side effects some have many, and believe it or not I have heard that some have none!! I do not get the brain zaps but do get headaches non stop. I am thinking that it is related to a sinus infection and have found that sinus headaches are actually part of the with drawing side effect. I am trying to focus on treating the side effects and not dwelling on where they are coming from. They all do eventually pass after our body has had time to process the reduction of medicine and restore itself. The question is not will it restore, but how long will it take? We each need to take into account how our body personally functions. Some of us are very healthy aside from the lexapo medicine we take. If we are weaning off ever so gradually-no more than the 10 percent, and waiting out the side effects patiently while getting proper rest, gentle exercise, and proper nutrition we will have few issues. Others who are either trying to rush the process, or have other drugs they are trying to get off or are just taking while they withdraw from the lexapro, will most likely have a rougher time. I myself want to be done with this medicine and some of the hormones I need to take while I withdraw-BUT I need to be patient with the process. We all need to keep in mind that we did not get into the state of withdrawal from one pill-but from months or years of using them, and it will take longer to get off of them. As I mentioned above I am down to 2.80mgs. It has taken me over a year to get from the 10 mgs. to this phase. I personally have not done it through regular 14 days reducing. Some of my waiting periods are 10 days and some are even 30 days in between reducing another 10 percent. My goal is to feel better off of the medicine rather than worse; so I have objectives along the way of understanding the side effects of the withdrawals and treating them properly with the healthiest support that I can while my brain heals and learns to function without that dose of medicine. Remember-it is your brain that has been medicated and the medicine goes through your liver to be processed. Depending on your livers ability to process all of your nutrients you may have a more difficult time with these withdrawal stages and side effects. This medicine has replaced your brain's 'natural' ability to make and use the brain chemicals needed for a healthy mind. As you reduce, your brain neurons need to wake up-sometimes like a bear- and relearn how to make and utilize its chemicals. This can take at least 10/14 days to even a month or more in between each withdrawal. Maybe it would be wise to give your brain some time to restore and get healthy through the holidays of Christmas and New Years so you can have a Merrier Season. Something to think about. Remember this is also the time of year for S.A.D. Waiting for more sunshine might be wise to for some. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Hi all, I've recently dropped from 10 mgs to 7.5 mgs (after tapering from 20 to 15 to 12.5 to 10 over 3 1/2 months), and I am experiencing few physiological side effects (a little brain fuzziness) but I am experiencing some emotional side effects. I seem to be getting super emotional about stuff that I normally don't. I feel like I might break down and cry at the smallest of things. Has anyone else experienced this as you ve been tapering?
Hi Robert. IF you are anything like me you may have been scrolling through here each day looking for an answer. 1-you may be withdrawing too fast. try the 10 percent or five percent drop. Read up on the what to do's from this blog sight. You will definitely get emotional. You may have to stop where you are for the rest of the winter do to lack of sunshine helping your moods. I have reached 2.40 and am battling anxiety and the feeling of crying along with blah just get the day over feelings. I also see a naturalpath who help to support my system during this. I did take a clonazapan tonight-25 mg. because I am now dealing the intrusive thoughts from areas that were an issue for me even before I went on the med's. Hope this helps some.
Hi all, I just found this site and I hope someone can help me. Is it possible to have lexapro withdrawal after taking only one pill? I only took a 5 mg pill one Time and then I stopped because it almost made me pass out the next day. This was a week ago. Maybe two days after stopping the pill, I started having muscle weakness And my muscles are still not back to normal. I am also feeling terribly dizzy. My hands and arms are tingling so I started ibuprofen and that helps but I feel so out of it. I also feel a little vertigo and facial twitching. Is this ever going to stop, or do I have permanent brain damage now? I am really scared.I am going to get some fish oil in hopes that it will help. Thanks for any input.
Hi Claudia. Though I would suspect that something else has caused your symptoms, it may be best to talk to your doctor. Hope you are feeling better.
I read Karin's comment and wanted to tell her that I had been on Lexapro for years. I tried to wean myself off a couple of times but the withdrawal symptoms( dizziness and anxiety) made me go back on them. I recently decided that I too wanted to see "who I was" without the lexapro. I've been off of it for about 2 weeks this time (I cut my pills in half for a few weeks before I stopped taking them completely) and for some reason my withdrawal wasn't too bad this time around. So far so good. I am finding that I laugh a lot more and my libido is returning. I realize that my downs be lower, but the benefit is my ups will be higher. I am loving the new me. I have had mood swings (raising two very moody teenagers doesn't help) but I am learning to cope naturally. I love sites like this so that we know we're not alone and hearing others stories can give us hope.
I thought I would post an update for all those that have withdrawal symptoms. I went to see a neurologist. She said that there is nothing wrong with me and my symptoms must be due to anxiety and stress. I'm Sorry but I think that's a whole bunch of BS. I was dizzy for about a week and a half of taking one pill of Lexapro. I started taking Zumba classes and stepped up my exercise. All dizziness was gone two weeks after taking Lexapro. THE worst experience ever. I will never take it again. I have been taking two Zumba classes per week and once per week I work out with a personal trainer. I feel fantastic now. Stay away from drugs. You can do it with diet and exercise. Oh and talk therapy helps too.
Hi everybody i took Lexapro 20mg for about 6 months and then started to tapper off first 10 mg for about 3 months then 5 mg for about 6 weeks than 3 weeks 2,5 mg and then another 2.5 every other day for another 3 weeks. At first everything seemed fine but after around 7weeks I started with a nervous stomack and not sleeping and then full force anxiety and overwhelming nervousness, all of a sudden i felt better for about 36 hours and then again everything came back with full force, i'm not going back please g-d it will go away! Thanks for the blog and hope everybody gets better soon
I was on 20 mg of lexapro for 2 year . Started tapering off the drug, down to 2.5 mg after 3 months of tapering and having migraines daily, vertigo, anxiety, veryemotional and fatigued. Wondering how long it will take to finally feel better! Its been 3 months!
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