[Slim_Teut92]

quote:Originally posted by Eric L

Kristiackers I will tell you my story. I was on lexapro for a little over a year for GAD (generalized anxiety disorder)until recently. While I was taking it Lexapro worked great.

A month ago I decided I wanted to get off of it, and just try something natural like st. johns wort. This is where my anger begins. I read the directions on the lexapro, and it says do not immediately stop taking medicine. I go on line, and find that you are supposed to taper off of it. So over a period of about 2 1/2 weeks I taper my dose, and on April 26th of this year I completely quit taking it.

Everything seemed fine until about a week later I start to develop this twitch on my lower left lip that will not go away. I think nothing of it, but a month or so later the twitch is still there. When I eat, or move my bottom lip back towards my mouth as if to bite it the twitch is triggered. I dont mean just a little twitch either. Its like a 4-5 second spasam that I can clearly see in the mirror.

I want to also mention real quick that the past two weeks I have had tingling sensations in my hands and feet off and on.


I did a bunch of reasearch on what could be causing this twitching. I was immediately suspicios of going off the lexapro having something to do with it. After a bit of searching I have concluded that I have Tardive dyskinesia (orofacial dyskinesia in particular) due to using the lexapro. Do a google on ssri and tardive dyskinesia and you will see.

I went to see my general practitioner who originally prescribed it to me, and he punches up the withdrawal symptoms on his pda, and says "I dont see this listed in the top 15 side effects of withdrawal" I also had symptoms of tingling feet and hands that comes and goes. He told me to come back in 3-4 weeks if the twitch and tingling have not stopped, and he will refer me to a nuorologist. He thinks my symptoms resemble MS more than Lexapro withdrawal. So great now I am freaking out do I have MS?

I guess I will have to wait to see if these symptoms go away. Can anyone who has gone off lexapro relate to any of these symptoms? The muscle twitching, mainly the lip one, is very disturbing. I have eye twitching and everywhere else every now and then.

To anyone taking this I would say be careful. Just because something works good while you are on it doesn't mean its not messing up your brain. Who wants to be on something that in order to get off you get brain damage. Sorry if this seems like a huge rant. I am just very frustraed and a bit scared right now. i want to know why my body is doing this. It has been a little over a month, and I just want these symptoms to go away.