[Citykittie]

Has anyone gone all the way through the withdrawal? How long did it take? After being off almost a month. And the anger building up in me till I was kicking peoples cars who parked to close to me. crying. mad. crying at work. slamming my door into peoples cars to cause door dings. keying peoples cars. OK, I am 32, a professional female who volunteers with orphans and at an animal shelter.

This is the 2nd time I have attempted to get off Lexapro and the second time these insane results have happened. The first I preferred to flip off other drivers instead of kicking their cars in my heels.

I gave in. I refilled the prescription. I am going to go down to 2.5 a day then every other day then every 3 days.

I have NO doctor help on this. I am inbetween them right now. And I started weening in July 2004 and it is now Sept 2005. So this was NO quick stop.

The only thing I can think to try different is that before I went to 2.5 and after a month just quit. This time I think I will start doing 2.5 every 48 hours then after a month 2.5 every 72 hours. Then try again.

I wonder in about 50 years when they look back at all of us they just through drugs at. I wonder what medical history will say? We will probally be called "Generation Pill"

But back to my original question has anyone gone though the withdrawal and come out? How long did it take?

[auntybiotic]

Citykittie,

I am curious what was your withdrawl schedule the past year and a half. How long were you on lexapro and at what milligram?
Can you share your withdrawal schedule and what withdrawals you experienced at the tapering from higher levels.
We are tapering from 20 Mg that have been on for two year . Took seven months to go from 20 Mg to 12 Mg.

Symptoms of withdrawal have been anger, nightmares, anxiety, restless legs, weight gain, mania. How about you?

Thanks so much for the info.
aunty

[Citykittie]

Hi Aunty, My number one withdrawal sympton is anger and uncontrolled crying outbursts. I can get mad so quick my heart feels like it is going to explode and I actually feel veins in my neck stick out.

Here is my tapering schedule. I NEVER felt a withdrawal symptom till I went off completly. Never once when I dropped from a certain miligram to another did I feel any problems. Just at the zero mark.

I was at 30mg for atleast 18 months when I decided to taper. I had been on Lexapro all together for atleast 3 years and Celexa for 2 years before that. So in all 5 years.

It took me about 4 months to go down from 30 to 10mg. 5mg a month. I'd 2.5 at a time.

So it was like
2 weeks at 27.5
2 weeks at 25
2 weeks at 22.5

I never felt any symptoms from those 2.5mg drops or I would have slowed down. Over a very very stressful 5 months I just stayed at 10mg. Then started back up and over 2 months kept dropping by 2.5 every 2 weeks and finally quit.

I figured after being at 30mg and getting to 2.5 with NO symptoms. How could 2.5 be afffecting my body!!?? So I quit and in the next few weeks I felt anger like I had never known. After thinking I was going crazy, I finally said I will try a Lexapro pill just to see if it makes me feel better. And within myabe 2 days all my anger was gone.

So for MAY - Aug 7th this year I just stayed at 5mg. I had to get a new doctor who I now think is a moron. Why? Because I went in saying I had been considering suicide. I was so lonely. And she starts messing with my meds. At the time I just wanted an answer. Now I realize she was an idiot. She told me I was on too much meds. And that 5mg of Lexapro should not have that much of an effect on me.

She said she wanted me to just quit it and "see what happens". I wanted it to work. I thought maybe the whole "anger thing" before was just a coincedence. I also told her that another med I was on, I knew I was totally addicted to. I took 1mg in AM and 1mg in PM. My body shook if I missed a dose. So for some odd reason she tells me to start taking it 4 times a day at a smaller dose. (.5mg 4 times a day) All I know is I can't keep up with the 4 times a day. And I feel like my body just wants it 24/7 now. I feel more irradicitic than ever.

Anyway. So today I broke down. I knew I had a refill at the pharmacy for Lexapro. I went there. And like a shaking drug addict took a 10mg pill before I left the drive-thru.

Tommorrow I plan to take 5mg then back to 2.5 - then this is my plan.
For the remainder of Sept - 2.5 a day.
For Oct - 2.5 every other day.
For Nov - 2.5 every third day.
For Dec - 2.5 every 4th day.
And I can only pray by then I'll be able to stay off completley.

It is soooooo hard to find a Pdoc where I am at. This lady has a set plan. And, she only wants to treat people her plan works for. She doesn't look at your life and schedule and look for what will work for you.

I am oncall and I travel. I fly red eyes. I was supposed to go to Baton Rouge on Friday and was called and told "no you are going to El Salvador instead."

This counsleor still wants me to set aside 3 thirty minute worry sessions a day. And they must be scheduled. When I told her it wasn't working she argued and told me no-ones job could be that unplanned.

She also wants me to set aside 3 fifteen minute breathing sessions a day. Along with rubber bands, a mantra and teaching my mind to run on logic not emotions. She has me devoting close to 3 hours a day. I am sorry but who has time for this? When you are seeing a Pdoc it is because you have problems. If I had 3 hours a day to do this **** I might have time to fix my own life. She wouldn't even agree to one 30 minute session a day.

So now I have to find a new doc. I hate this process.

[auntybiotic]

Citykittie,
Thanks for the schedule of tapering. All I can figure out is that the other medications that you are on has helped aleviate the withdrawal during tapering. Is the other med Ativan or Xanax that you need to take twice a day or you shake? Sometimes the benzo's will mask the withdrawals during reducing meds. When you are off the Lexapro do you want to also try to get off the other medications?

Three hours a day, that's a part time job, who would have time for that. Good Luck with your new schedule. From people that I have spoken to that works for some with the skipping more days in between but many have to slowly taper each day or they experience withdrawals immediately.

It's impossible to find a PCP that even is aware of SSRI withdrawal, they are so brainwashed by the drug companies into thinking Lexapro is SAFE!!!

Keep us informed and Good Luck.

[speechy]

Hey there city~
I have pretty much gone through the withdrawls now. You can look back through the pages at my entries to see how I did...but I basically had quit cold-turkey and had to go back on the drugs to taper off. However, I have not have any of the drug for over 2 weeks now, and the ONLY withdrawl I will get is a little dizzyness if I sleep too much. I cant even be 100% sure that the dizzyness is even from the withdrawl...but I am pretty sure it is, based on the past few months of tapering.
But your extream anger worries me! I too became angry and frustrated easily, but nothing like you have been experiencing. There might be the possibility that there is more than the withdrawls from lex going on...other meds effecting you. I feel for you, and I hope things get better. Please keep us posted, and let us know if thereis anything we can do!

[Citykittie]

Thanks Speechy and Aunty - Yes Aunty my other pill is a benzo. You seem to know alot. It's klonopin. I hope to get off that too. but one at a time. Also Speechy about my anger. Yesterday I took a 10mg Lexapro at 5pm. I slept alot last night, felt nauseauted, up till 4am. Tonight I took 5mg pill. I have not felt one bit of anger. No crying. I was actually laughing at the icecream shop with hubby doing fake kung fu moves.

It scares me to death that a pill can change me that much. I only took 10mg just to get it back in my body. Plus I was shaking too bad to break in half.

It's good to have people to talk too.

[marhjhf]

This is the 10th day off Lexapro.
I had been taking 10mg a little over a year with We1lbutrin (100mg). Before Lexapro, I was prescribed Paxil @ 20mg for over 12 months and prior to that...Zoloft. I believe that was 100mg too but I may be in error. All meds were prescibed by my Nurse Practitioner thru an internal medicine practice. In my previous note, I mentioned that the NP said I could take 10mg of Lexapro every other day for a week and then stop. I started feeling dizzy when I bent my head down during the time I was tapering. After I stopped, I was still vertigo-ish but I then started feeling the flu-like fever symptoms 4 days after I stopped. It included a constant dull headache with bodyaches, primarily, along my back, queasy stomach, and fever chills at night. 7 days after stopping the fever has pretty much gone away and I've been taking acetometaphin to deal with the head and the aches.
At this point, I am handling the discomforts ok but I don't know if these will taper and be replaced by other types. I haven't had the "brain shocks" and hopefully won't at all.
I have been sleeping a little better as I am awaking with what seems to be more energy. I am noticing that I am now crying again at tear-jerk movies - I was pretty surprised at this development. I actually found a couple of other movies on DVD and fast forwarded to the scenes I knew would test me and sure enough...I couldn't help myself. While on Lexapro, these reactions to movies were pretty much flattened.
Right now I am sitting with a mild headache and with the mild body pain and hope that the emotional changes I've gone through do not escalate.

[warden]

I'll toss on my experience.

Been using Lexa for 15mo, 10mg first half, reduced to 5mg by self later. It was economics that started me in withdrawal, but it's 5 days in and I'm willing to just give leaving it altogether a shot. I'd probably recommend just cutting doses to 5mg and then running as many days as you can till you need another 2.5mg. I did 5mg every other day, but in reading the thread, hindsight makes me wishes I had just saved a couple for smoothing out the ride.

As for normal withdrawal however, it's no fun. And it's not imagined, to refer to jonnyskeptic. I mean, I see the logic, but I started lexapro for social anxiety, and the side effects have been substantially deviated from that.

-The brain shocks? Totally annoying. But as long as you move gently (ie not spazishly), they're not bad.
-brain fog. It's like I'm playing Quake or some other online game w/ 1sec of lag. As long as my path is reliable I'm fine...
-Irratability. Now, sure I took Lexa for social reasons but wow... I can now move to tear off someone's head with lightning reflexes. It's a bit shocking my Oreillyesque "SHUT UP SHUT UP SHUT UP" mode can start to rear it's head. I like this the least, I hate medicine making me a social freak.
-Sluggishness. I went to an indoor climbing wall yesterday and it was embarassing. It wasn't like I was too weak for my muscles to handle the work... they just didn't feel the energy to do so.

However I think it's improving from day 4. Marijuana really, really helps w/ immediate brain fog (yes, I feel much clearer on weed. Oh the irony). Exercise is good too, I'm hoping for some good bike riding, anything cardio really.

Good luck everyone, this doesn't really seem utile to me but all we have is our own experiences.

[FatherDave]

"I am told that STAGE 2 follows that comes with feelings of hopelessness and bone crushing depression. (this even happens in those that have taken the Lexapro for pain and were never previously depressed)"

That's a direct quote from the Auntie Biotic person. Notice the "I am told." What a helpful person she is, who never even went through all of this. Stop asking advice from people who have no clue what they are talking about and speak to a medical professional, like a DOCTOR, instead of taking plum extract or essence of dandelion some other kind of ******************** recommended by a housewife who knows nothing about anything. It makes me sick to see people who answer others posts like they know what's going on, when in fact they clean houses for a living.

GO TALK TO YOUR DOCTOR, and if you feel the need to reply to messages that have nothing to do with you, then maybe you should see a different kind of doctor.

People like this woman make me sick.

[auntybiotic]

Dave,

I am not a housewife but have been employed in the medical profession for 28 years. I am personally seeing the withdrawals on a daily basis because I am taking care of a family member who is tapering off of Lexapro.

I have spoken to about a hundred persons that are or have tapered off of Lexapro, Paxil, Effexor and Zoloft. Many post here to relate their experiences to possibly help others understand some SSRI withdrawal symptoms. Thre are 21 pages of persons that posted and most have found the posts informative and a means of relating their experiences.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion regarding SSRI withdrawal. Many posters do have doctors overeseeing their tapering. Most read these posts for support and to share their experiences with others. It would be great if more doctors understood how hard it is to just stop taking a SSRI antidepressant.

[donmartin]

OK...first of all, I wonder why FatherDave is in this posting area if he is just looking for a fight.

This is in response to many - I was on Lexapro for 3 years, at 20mg. Started tapering to 10mg about 4 months ago. Went to 5mg about 2 months ago, then 2.5mg for about 2 weeks...then stopped. That was four weeks ago.

The first week was hell...dizziness, vertigo, nausea, extreme emotional swings, insomnia, brain shocks. I was virtually bedridden for 3 days, and thankful for my supportive family. Week 2 was better, but the dizziness and vertigo remained strong. No more brain shocks, which I was glad of because they are terrifying. I could function, but would get tired quickly. Struggled occassionally with nausea. Week 3 was about the same, with diminishing vertigo and dizziness. Mood swings leveled off, with occassional bouts of mania that were fun and creative. I was a very creative person before lexapro, actually made a living at theater, song writing, performing. That nearly died during that horrid drug's rule of my life. But it is coming back.

Towards the beginning of my 4th week, it stopped. No more dizziness, no more vertigo...no more withdrawal symptoms. And today, no more lexapro.

There is hope. Hang strong during the withdrawal. It will get better and eventually be over. I was a zombie during lexapro...lost passion, sexual energy faded, gained weight (which is a side effect of lexapro usage) and actually experienced depression (which is another side effect of an anti-depressant, which points to how insane this medication is)! Today, I feel more alive than I have in 3 years.

As for FatherDave...a response: my doctor prescribed lexapro to me three years ago, never reviewed the side effects, never warned me when the FDA issued a warning about the drug in March, 2004; never monitored my usage or regulated my dosage. Doctors - I believe - can often be slaves to a pharmaceutical industry that is generating billions of dollars at the expense of peoples lives and happiness. Many doctors get kickbacks from companies based on the amount of prescriptions written for certain drugs. My doctor betrayed my trust by allowing me to take a medication virtually unsupervised - a medication that is only now being revealed to be as dangerous or more dangerous than the illness it is reputed to treat.

BE YOUR OWN PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN!! And God Speed to all who desire to get off this hellish drug, lexapro.

[speechy]

Father Dave~
People like you make me sick. In the wake of all the havic that has been happening in this country the past week (not to mention he rest of the world's problems), to think you come and basically attack a woman who is genuinely trying to help others.

Yes, she is not a doctor. And no one here has to trust anything that she says. But she did start this thread that heas helped others, such as me, and I appreciate all that she done for all of us.

And yes...the only people who REALLY know what the withdrawls feel like are people that go through it. and guess what? Most doc's DONT go through it. So dos's will ONLY KNOW WHAT THEY HAVE BEEN TOLD. Neither has Carol (aunty), but she has done more research than the rest of us, to help her daughter.

No one here knows everything. We just say what we experience or what we hear.

So "Father", if you really want to help others, then go help the people that really need it, like homeless, the Katrina victims...people that come here APPRECITAE the advice and help, and those with knowlege know that none of us are doctors, we just want to help and share.

[crazygal]

Hi all
Please don't feed the trolls.

[LexaproNO]

I was prescribed Lexapro by my GP who sees women only. In my early 50's, I was experiencing the onset of menopause, and was feeling moody. I did feel fewer mood swings. HOWEVER, over time, I began to realize the drug had taken the edge off everything for me - my work, relationships. I just let things that should have been dealt with slide. My work suffered and I gained a LOT of weight - I previously was relatively fit , and now I'm hauling around an extra 35+ pounds. Every visit to the doctor, I would mention my problem with my rising weight, and she's just say to try to exercise, or that modifying my diet a little might do the trick. She seemed to think my metabolism was slowing naturallly due to age/menopause. Never said that the Lexapro could be a factor. I'm not sure she was very well-versed in the drug or its side effects, as it was pretty new when she prescribed it. I was on 10 mg per day for 3 years, and stopped cold turkey 8 days ago. I just felt that my life was going by and I wasn't taking control. My man told me my weight was getting to be a real turn-off, and I wasn't working nearly hard enough to earn a living. The side effects haven't been too bad - I feel dizzy when I move quickly, and find I need less sleep each night than I have in the last 3 years. I start to cry sometimes at home, but I can hold it together in public. I'm trying to drink a lot of water and to take a walk every day, and I'm honestly trying to take stock of the things I've messed up while I wasn't paying attention and wasn't bothered by much. I'm sure there are people who have been helped tremendously by Lexapro and drugs of this class, but I feel it was a poor solution for me. I will be VERY careful in the future and will research thoroughly before even filling any prescription.

[marhjhf]

15 days withdrawing from Lexapro 10mg.
No more fever. Just dizziness, intermittent bouts with nausea, not as much of an appetite. I still have 100 mg of Bupropion going thru me. I am finding that I'm more anxious and that it doesn't take too much to get irritated. After visiting a psychiatrist to determine the next 3 months of treatment, I will be maintaing the 100 mg of Bupropion while I'm going thru these withdrawal issues.

[cherubino49]

LexaproNO-I can certainly empathize with what you're going through. I just went off lexapro about 1 1/2-2 months ago. I too gained about 35 pounds on the drug and got the same reply (diet & exercise). I've been eating like a dietician and exercising like crazy and haven't lost a pound. I think the drug is just taking it's dear sweet time getting out of my system. Auntybiotic suggested Omega 3 fish oil to help and I'm giving that a shot. I did some reading and found that Omega 3 is also supposed to help your mood in addition to boosting your cardiovascular health. Yippee! A 2-in-1 bonus!

The thing we've all got to remember is that even though lexapro has affected us negatively (withdrawl symptoms, weight-gain, etc...) getting off of it isn't the end of the battle. For those of us taking it for our moods, we now have to find a way to manage them in a healthy way by finding a better medication, seeking counseling, or persuing homeopathic treatments. We're all in this together and I appreciate all of your experiences and suggestions.

Even someone like FatherDave has something to teach us...while his comments may have been hurtful, he is correct in his poorly-stated intimation that there is a lot of false information out there and we have to be careful what we take to heart. What I take away from his post is a test of my own patience to not lash out at him even though I personally felt like my "safe haven" of this group had been invaded. Thank you FatherDave for your input, but in the future, please try not to come across so defensively in what is supposed to be a supportive and nuturing enviroment.

[courtney_girl]

Oh My Goodness, I have never been so fat and hungry!
You might remember me from earlier posts...
I have now been off Lexapro since august 12th (fully off... started weaning July 4th)
Has anyone else been really hungry and putting on weight since they have been off Lex? I feel like im constantly hunrgy or eating. its so bad! i used to be a nice weight..... until i started lexapro! (i gained weight on Lex aswell... one of the many reasons why i wanted to get off it)
does anyone know if these hunger feelings will go away, ever?
i have tried to eat pretty heatlthy and going to gym, but havent lost ANY weight [V]
the good news is, i feel "normal" emotionally now.... i have been a tad emotional lately... but my partners grandfather just died, and i am pre-menstral at the moment... so that could be why.
no matter how sad i may get, ill never go back on lexapro!

[LexaproNO]

Courtney_Girl, I am starting, but dread the work it will take to get down 3 sizes! Keep up the exercise and healthy eating. I have been reading up on metabolism and concentrating on eating foods with a low glycemic index, and I am beginning to think I won't have any time to be depressed, paying attention to all this!! I weighed and measured myself this morning (UUUUUUGGGGGHHHH!!!), and next Monday morning I will see how I did. I realize that the Lexapro is still working itself out of my system, so I'm not setting any unrealistic goals -- just SOME improvement will be fine this week. I am working on walking and weight lifting. I am also scheduling a couple of non-food related fun things to look forward to this week. Keep at it! I'm glad this forum is here so we can share.

[anxiouslywaiting]

quote:Originally posted by johnnyskeptic

Don't you think it is possible that your "withdrawal" symptons - the anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, etc., are simply your basic personality / mental health disorders that lexapro was treating/masking? Once you are off the medication, those disorders are back! This is not withdrawal after a period of three plus weeks, since the drug is out of your system.

I have taken 10mg/daily for about 10 months, and am qutting cold turkey as of yesterday. I will report back in a week to let you know my thoughts ...

[anxiouslywaiting]

I was put on Lexapro 10 mg 1 1/2 years ago for anxiety and panic attacks. I was also put on Zyprexa 2.5 mg for sleeping. I gained 40 lbs in one year, lost all interest in life in general, and was pretty much a walking zombie.

Today has been exactly 6 weeks since I quit the Zyprexa and Lexapro and it has been a very difficult 6 weeks. The first 3 weeks I was completely dibilated and bed ridden. Dizzy, shocks, vomiting, diarrhea, fever, shaking uncontrollaby, crying all the time! By week 4 I started to feel a little better, but guess what came creeping back??? The anxiety attacks. Except this time it was 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. I wake up every morning with this crushing feeling in my chest and it stays with me all day. My resting heart rate is 92 - 98 bpm, even though I've been back at the gym everyday for the past 2 weeks. I'm seeing a therapist weekly and taking lots of vitamins (including an herbal supplement called Anxietol 7), but nothing seems to be helping. Has anyone else experienced this and does anyone know if it will go away? I'm not too hopeful at this point, as I think I am done with the withdrawals. I really don't want to go back on the meds, but this is no way to live either. Constant anxiety is running my life!

quote:Originally posted by johnnyskeptic

Don't you think it is possible that your "withdrawal" symptons - the anxiety, panic attacks, dizziness, etc., are simply your basic personality / mental health disorders that lexapro was treating/masking? Once you are off the medication, those disorders are back! This is not withdrawal after a period of three plus weeks, since the drug is out of your system.

I have taken 10mg/daily for about 10 months, and am qutting cold turkey as of yesterday. I will report back in a week to let you know my thoughts ...

[JC1979]

[V]

It's now my third week going off of lexapro. My doctor had me take 1/2 doses everyday for 2 weeks, then 1/2 dose every other day for two weeks. I'm now on my every other day dose.
I don't know what's going on...besides the fact that I broke off my engagement, and it probably wasn't a good time to go off the drug, I'm still glad I'm doing it.
The problem is just that I'm so incredibly sad. I had one day last week where I cried for literally five hrs straight. My eyes looked like puff balls. I lost five lbs in a week, and I'm small to begin with.
I really want to do this though. I want to deal with my emotions and my stress, and my problems the same way as everyone else, with exercise, eating and sleeping right, good hobbies, and outside love and support.
Has anyone else been sad? I just want to quit crying. I'm surprised I haven't gone into shock from fluid loss...seriously.
I don't know how to make it better. I don't know how to feel okay, and I know I made the wrong decision about my fiance. I want him back, but I don't want him to have some headcase for a girlfriend, so I keep pushing him away.
I feel like a ghost. I'm here, but not really.

[anxiousbabe]

quote:Originally posted by cherubino49

LexaproNO-I can certainly empathize with what you're going through. I just went off lexapro about 1 1/2-2 months ago. I too gained about 35 pounds on the drug and got the same reply (diet & exercise). I've been eating like a dietician and exercising like crazy and haven't lost a pound. I think the drug is just taking it's dear sweet time getting out of my system. Auntybiotic suggested Omega 3 fish oil to help and I'm giving that a shot. I did some reading and found that Omega 3 is also supposed to help your mood in addition to boosting your cardiovascular health. Yippee! A 2-in-1 bonus!

The thing we've all got to remember is that even though lexapro has affected us negatively (withdrawl symptoms, weight-gain, etc...) getting off of it isn't the end of the battle. For those of us taking it for our moods, we now have to find a way to manage them in a healthy way by finding a better medication, seeking counseling, or persuing homeopathic treatments. We're all in this together and I appreciate all of your experiences and suggestions.

Even someone like FatherDave has something to teach us...while his comments may have been hurtful, he is correct in his poorly-stated intimation that there is a lot of false information out there and we have to be careful what we take to heart. What I take away from his post is a test of my own patience to not lash out at him even though I personally felt like my "safe haven" of this group had been invaded. Thank you FatherDave for your input, but in the future, please try not to come across so defensively in what is supposed to be a supportive and nuturing enviroment.

[anxiousbabe]

Hello everyone,

I am new to this forum and just would like to start by saying that I am so glad I am not the only one who feels the withdrawel effects from the lexapro. I have been suffering from from panic/anxiety since I was 17 now 34. I always took xanax here and there for a panic attack and it always worked wonderful, but suddenly my anxiety got worse about 2 years ago and I told my doctor so she suggested Lexapro. I was so afraid to take it. (Mediphobic) I put it in my cabinet for about 2 months until I started experiencing those panic attacks which made me paranoid about shopping alone and having to leave my carriage in the grocery store in fear of passing out etc... I am sure anyone who suffers from this knows all too well exactly what I am talking about.

Anyway I started taking the lexapro and felt great the first 6 to 8 months however the scale started escalating by the month and before you know it I was 32 pounds heavier. The first 10 to 15 pounds I could have dealt with, but anything above and beyond that was unacceptable on my 5'4" frame. Then the faint headache behind my eyes started and I lost all ambition to do the things I was once so particular about like filing my important paperwork and just everyday things in general. Then I felt like I had the early onset of alzheimers. I can't remember a thing. This is not the way I want to live my life with 3 children and husband.

However this is my third attempt getting off the lexapro and I am sticking to it. The first two times I tried to get off in the last 5 months were not too bad, but just that the anxiety started to creep up a little and I didn't want to deal with it so I went back on, but now this is it. I went to a homeopathic doctor today and she performed some accupuncture and gave me some natural meds so I am going to give that a shot. Not to mention that I have been eating so healthy and working out at the gym 5 times a week and the scale still hasn't moved.

My next question is does anyone know if once you are off if the weight starts tapering off. That would be very helpful to know. Sorry for a long drawn out story, but it always helps me to read someone elses story and see how it all started and the steps they took to get where they are. This is my sixth day of weaning and so far I just feel really hungry for some strange reason and a little hyper at night, but I am sure there is more to come.

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated.

[martha wilson]

quote:Originally posted by shocker

I've been lowering my lexapro dosages from 30mg to 0 by 5mg per week. I've been experiencing shocking sensation to my head and then to my arms and feet with dizziness to. Iwas wondering if anyone else who is lowering their dosage is experiencing the shocking sensation to their head. Could this be the dizziness everyone is describing?

[:0]

[martha wilson]

quote:Originally posted by momma2threebabes

What do you mean shocking sensation? What does it feel like?
I'm getting dizzy, REALLY dizzy, and my heart palpatations are startling me everytime I get one. It's awful. I get a dizzy spell out of the middle of nowhere.

[martha wilson]

I have just gotten off lexapro (weaned off) and the doctor told me to try Wellbutin and I am now having withdrawals I quess. I took the Wee for 4 days and did not like the way it made me feel. The nurse said quit. Idid and now having dizziness and shocking sensation in my lower head to upper middle neck. I have tingling feelings all over. Not bad enough to lay down but bad enough to not want to go and do anything beacuse of lack of energy and sweaing and worried I may get weak. that sound like

quote:Originally posted by shocker

I've been lowering my lexapro dosages from 30mg to 0 by 5mg per week. I've been experiencing shocking sensation to my head and then to my arms and feet with dizziness to. Iwas wondering if anyone else who is lowering their dosage is experiencing the shocking sensation to their head. Could this be the dizziness everyone is describing?

[LexaproNO]

Wow! To anxiousbabe - you say you have lost all ambition, and I know what you mean. I was a major earner, with the responsibilities and mortgage and bills that go along with it, and slowly I morphed into a person who did a few things a day in my own business, then proceeded to make dinner AND NOT WORRY ABOUT IT! I am weaning off the Lexapro, and having to face a not pretty situation where I need to get work fast. But it feels good to feel ANYTHING.
I also have empathy with jc1979 who broke up with her fiance, knows it was a mistake, but doesn't want to get back into the relationship as a (my wording, not yours) basket case without the Lexapro mess figured out. I tossed out my live-in and the love of my life, and he and I are talking now, but he is bewildered and wary. I love him more for asking questions and looking on the Internet trying to make any sense of this.
And to marthawilson, the shocking everybody is talking about was a mystery to me for a little while, but about 5 days after I quit (I'm almost at 2 weeks), I started to feel a strange sensation of looking at something, and like in a cartoon, jerk my head back -- like someone would if they saw something incongruous, like a like a bird curling up on your lawn for a nap with the cat. I know this is a bit of a strange example, but my concentration and sharpness aren't back!
Hang in there everybody, you are doing a tough thing.

[bumblebeetuna]

This is my first time posting here. I must say that it has been a great resource to me in hearing the experiences of others. I've been reading these posts for about a month and finally decided to Vent.

Well, here's my story. I've been on Lex for about 15 months. I originally started to take it for Depression and occasional Panic Attacks and got some samples from my GP Doc. In the first hour I took it seemed to make life seem a little better. No major side affects which was great. The first few months I was taking it I was going to a Psych office and seeing the Nurse Practitioner (NP). I saw the Psychiatrist once but I guess I wasn't considered a difficult case. I also saw Counselor for the Anx/Dep and after 2 months of therapy he said that he found nothing wrong with me.

So about every 3 months I would go back to the NP and she would ask how are things and I would say "Life is great" get a refill for 3 months and reschedule another appt. Just like anything in life it's a pattern and you get comfortable with it and don't think about it.

About a month ago my prescription ran out and the pharmacy was unable to get a refill for 2 days due to the weekend. Well, it was on the second day without it where I started feeling lethargic and would get the dizzy spells. I got a refill and took the pill and things were back to normal. At this point I realized how much of a hold these Meds had on me and my Brain. I decided it was time to stop and talked to the NP and outlined a tapering off schedule. Here is how I'm doing it:
10mg - Original Dose for 15 Months
Week 1 - 7.5mg
Week 2 - 5mg
Week 3 - 2.5mg
Week 4 - 2.5mg every other day
Week 5 - 2.5mg every third day
Week 6 - STOP

I just began Week 4 and will occasionally get these symptoms:
Dizziness (vertigo), chills & hot flashes, trouble falling asleep (restlessness), mania, and vivid dreams. Well, the dreams have always been there so no surprise. No feeling of sadness like I would have thought. I feel more focused now and want to jump this hurdle and move on with my Normal life.

The symptoms would be there the first few weeks once or twice a day but now they are more frequent. Nothing that I can't handle more of a nuisance. I work and get a lot of things done and once I get home I tend to gel for an hour or 2 then I'm alert. Time for bed..

It's something that I feel that I have to and can do. I will get over the symptoms in due time. We all have our addictions and this is one that I would like to kick. I think that you have to have a positive attitude before committing to quit or you may just end up falling into the same old loop.

Oh yeah, The weight gain is something that I have experienced. 20-25lbs. I think it has something to do with the cravings.

Here is something I found from another person that has gone through the Withdrawals and I think he makes a point. Just my opinion.

(What people don't get is that SSRIs don’t make you feel happy – at all. Prozac, known by some as a “happy pill,” is anything but.
What you do get is a lessened emotional response to things. Rather than making you really happy, SSRIs tend to work by preventing you from feeling really bad. However, at the same time, they can put a lower ceiling on your positive emotions as well. It’s almost as though your positive and negative emotions are attached to unusually short bungee cords, preventing them from ever getting completely out of control. The idea is that you should be able to get a handle on the problems in your life while taking the SSRI, get over the larger humps, get off the drug, and move on.)

I hope that I'm not boring anyone and that this helps anyone who hopes to conquer Lexapro..

[dundha]

quote:Originally posted by maryjono

Thanks to all of you who've shared your experiences. It's helped me realize I am not having a stroke....

I was on 10mg of Lexapro for 8 months. Due to all the side effects mentioned on this forum, I decided to wean off. My dr. suggested taking 5mg every day for a week; 5mg every other day for one week; then stop altogether. I followed her instructions, ending about 2 weeks ago. Since then, I've been experiencing weird sensations in my brain and in my vision as well as dizziness. I was beginning to think I was having mini strokes. I've never heard of brain 'shivers' and now know that's what been happening.
I agree with those of you who say Lexapro is not a good drug to be on or wean off. Although, there are times that warrant being on for a short time until we work through our emotional hurts that put us on in the first place. I hope the best for you in your endeavor to be emotionally whole, without Lexapro

[MelodyGal]

I've been taking Lexapro (10 mg) for about two years, and I wanted to quit because of weight gain. I have been reducing my dosage for at least three months. When I was down to 1/4 pill 4 times a week (10 mg a week compared to 70 mg a week), I figured I could quit completely. I had insomnia for about three days as well as loads of energy for the same time period. I have also been mildly dizzy and very hungry for sugary foods. I have been off the pill completely for one week and am still dizzy. My moods are fine. I would recommend a very slow withdrawal. The effects of withdrawal improve daily. Good luck. MelodyGal