Lexapro Withdrawal

Craigre · #**571** 10-11-2005, 09:45 PM

oceangrl,

I have read that the last step in the taper is the biggest step(even if its a smaller dose). Everyone is different but I think you will be withdrawal free after about 2 weeks. It really helps if you aren't constantly looking for withdrawal symptoms. If you anticipate them then they will probably last longer. Just try to go with the flow. If you feel head rushes without anticipating it then you know you are still adjusting but if you are trying really hard to see the slightest symptoms then you will probably end up making them last longer.

I am no expert but I bet you will gradually get better by 2 weeks. Good luck. It can get rough at times.

auntybiotic · #**572** 10-11-2005, 09:59 PM

Craigre,

Glad that you are OK.I hate ER rooms.

Ocean Girl,

If you look over the posts there are many nutritional supplements to take..............magnesium or anxiety

Vitamin and Mineral for healing

Draminine for the dizziness and naseau

Benadryl for the sleeplessness.

Omega 3 for weight loss anddepression.

oceangrl · #**573** 10-11-2005, 10:36 PM

Thanks for the advice I really appreciate it! It's definitely a strange feeling but I find an afternoon nap helps a lot. I think maybe exercising more might help as well. I hope you feel better too! One thing about surviving this is I feel I can stand anything! I just hope I'll graduate college when all is said and done haha

dimples21 · #**574** 10-12-2005, 12:03 PM

[xx(]

Just wanted to reply to everything i just read. I have been on lexapro 10mg for about 2 years. I did gain wait but stayed on lexapro because it did help me with my anxiety and depression, also my mood swings. I have fought my anxiety, mood swings,etc. for probably 15 years now. I had a death in my family that just took me over the edge. I knew i needed help. Lexapro has been a savior to me for past 2 years. But i have felt lately that i can cope now and have tried not taking pill for past 5 days. OMG, i looked this sight up to see if anyone was feeling like me. I'm having all the withdrawel symptoms as everyone else, except no one has mentioned running a temperature. I have been running a temperature of 99 to 100.9 for past 3 days. Has anyone ran a temperature too.[xx(]

bodyelectric · #**575** 10-12-2005, 12:20 PM

Yeah, I had fevers for about a week, but not non-stop. They came and went. Usually they were worst at night. Pretty normal.

Miss Lee · #**576** 10-12-2005, 02:00 PM

Yeah, I had a temp. , too. Really low grade (as is yours).

I didn't get enough sleep last night and I feel slightly buzzy. I swear that my doc siad the cleaner you live, the better you feel. It is so true. Acupuncture is going REALLY WELL. I wish I could marry that guy and keep him in my pocket!

Miss Lee

auntybiotic · #**577** 10-12-2005, 06:42 PM

Welcome Ocean Girl and Dimples 21,

Hope we can offer you some support on your road to getting off Lexapro.

Body Electric,
How was the vacation/Business trip?

Ms. Lee,

Do I detect a crush on the man that's doing the acupuncture? No wonder you feel so GREAT after an apppointment (smile).

My daughter is having bad stomach stabbing pains and I only reduced her Lexapro by .4 of a Mg. She is so sensitive to a reduction in this ****. She has gone from 20 Mg to 11.2 Mg.

Miss Lee · #**578** 10-12-2005, 07:09 PM

Aunty-

No real crush but I do love his trade. (smile) That in itself has lead me to seek an acupuncturist as a best friend.

ALL-
Welcome, newbies. Hang in there. I am on the 7th week of being off Lexapro and doing OK. I haven't had any real pronounced withdrawal symtoms in the last few days (except for the buzziness). QUESTION: Anyone out there that are fully recovered, how long did it take you to feel NORMAL? Because I am feeling less effects, but still feel off. I think it also has to do with the trauma f the event. I still fear not being able to take anything if I ever get really bad, which is nutso because I am ALLERGIC!!! and don't want to take anything. My brain is still not right. I swear that this drug made me dumber. I forget everything!

Aunty-
I feel for you. I am in my late twenties and this was extremely traumatic for me. I could imagine being a teen. I asked my acupuncturist about TMJ and he says that he treats it in his office. FUTURE NOTE. Also how is home schooling? I am a teacher, so I also understand how hard it can be to get a child (who is sick and cranky) to do work!

Hang in there all.

Scotty · #**579** 10-12-2005, 10:03 PM

Hi,

Couldn't find a discussion for Celexa but since it is related to lexapro, thought I would put it here.

I only took two doses of Celexa and have had a VERY bad reaction to it. The first 5 days my panic and anxiety increased dramatically and I only slept like 3 hours in the 5 days. I can barely eat, I am extremely aggitated, have this feeling like I'm tripping on acid or something and a whoosing in my head. It's been ten days now and I only feel a little better.

Last night I went to the ER and had a mental breakdown right there. They hooked me up to monitors, checked my heart, told me everything looked OK and gave me some valium to help me sleep.

Well, I got about 6 hours sleep last night and felt a little better today. Tonight I feel like I'm back at square one. Terrible wooshing in my head and tripping feeling. I don't know how much more of this I can take. How could two pills do this to me? I haven't been to work all week and am not sure I could even work under these horrible conditions.

Please tell this will get better. I don't want to live like this anymore. Thanks for listening.

Scott

oceangrl · #**580** 10-12-2005, 10:32 PM

hey Scotty- I actually had a similar reaction to lexapro when I began taking it.. I literally felt like I was on acid or something (not that I would know what thats like) but I remember being in Sam's Club and felt like I was in some trippy dream! When I increased my dose to 10mg my condition got a lot worse and instead of having anxiety I noticed I was just minserably depressed and could not concentrate whatsoever. Also and terrible hot sweats, headaches and electric tingling in my upper body. For about 2 weeks it slowly got better but I took myself off of it prematurely and that didn't help either! ..went back on.. and eventually started feeling better (but I lowered the dosage back to 5mg.) Your body just has to adjust to the medication, especially if you're sensitive, like me. I'm highly affected by medication and alcohol. You'll eventually get to a point where you will feel good enough to forget you're on antidepressants. I'm at that stage now ..and tappered off. It's been a week since I've had any drug in my system. I still get strange buzzy/lightheadedness but I have had a little more energy and since being off of it.

I have to admit I laugh a little inside, especially when I'm walking on campus.. completely sober, but feeling buzzed. Who needs beer when you have a "sober buzz" haha[

]... hang in there!

Scotty · #**581** 10-12-2005, 10:48 PM

Oceangrl,

Hey, thanks for the reply. I haven't, and won't take anymore of that ****. Just the two pills. But the guy at the ER said it was out of my system by now. I said, my ass! I don't normally feel like I've had 15 cups of coffee. I mean, I'm normally anxious, but not this bad!

I actually just took a sauna bath with epsom salts. It's the only thing that seems to help my head feel a little better. I also take .25 mg of lorazepam just to keep me under control when my symptoms are the worst. The trippiness is better now but the top of my head feels leaden. I gotta go back to work tomorrow. I'm just afraid I'm gonna lose it right there at work at that'll be the end of my 3 years with this company.

I know it's going to get better, I just hate feeling this way. I've actually told myself to sit back and enjoy the buzz, but then I think what if it never ends? I'll go mad for sure! I'm a basket case [B)]

Any suggestions to decrease the hypersensitivity?
Thanks.

oceangrl · #**582** 10-13-2005, 12:40 AM

Scotty-

Don't feel bad I totally understand how hard it is to function when you feel this way. I literally broke down this summer.. only had a week left of summer classes but had to go home and make up my last two tests. Anxiety was literally driving me crazy and I just needed a break! I was having heart palpatations.. the whole bit. This lead me to believe I was going to end up a faliure and never find a job ..esp. one that would encompass stress. The best advice I can give you is give yourself frequent breaks. Accomplish one task at a time, do things slowly, make yourself notes (I would forget things and couldn't process huge amounts of info at one time.. i.e. I couldn't study for the life of me!) Take deep breaths, and I found warm tea comforting. The biggest thing is don't worry about everything.. we're all human, nobody is perfect, do the best job you can. If you have to.. tell your boss you're not feeling the best..explain if you have to. I used to be a perfectionist but I have a new outlook now.. try your hardest but not to the point where your health is compromised. I also found being around loved ones helped. My poor mother had to hear me complain about anxiety and headaches all summer! Bless her heart. But it helps to talk. You'll feel better soon I promise. [^]

Miss Lee · #**583** 10-13-2005, 11:22 AM

Scotty-

I had a similar reaction to Lexapro and Of course STOPPED taking it. 3% of the population cannot tolaerate SSRI's. Welcome to the club. The meds are stuck in you liver. (Easiest way to put it.) I had withdrawal effects for 7 weeks and counting. GO TO ACUPUNCUTRE! Tell them you need a liver detox. Once your liver processes all the poison you will feel better. Also they address anxiety issues. I nmean eastern medicine has been around a lot longer than western. Also go back and read all the posts that say what VItamins to be on. You will survive. I did and I am almost functioning at normal. The beginning stinks.

donnakk · #**584** 10-13-2005, 01:10 PM

hi. couldnt find any thing about cymbalta but i recently stopped taking it and i feel really bad. i feel like my body is so out of wack. i cant see straight i am dizzy all day and nautious. i cant eat cause i feel like i am going to puke it right back up. i cant sleep. i feel like i am spinning. it is really hard to work and feel as if you are spinning around and actually concentrate. i am going crazy. i dont know what to do. i am so upset and even more depressed now. what do i do

Craigre · #**585** 10-13-2005, 06:14 PM

Today is my 3rd day of not taking lexapro. So far I am doing well but I am fearing a delayed reaction. From what I have read it sounds like it can take a week before feeling initial withdrawals. Hopefully I am lucky and don't get any from only being on it for 4 days.

Right now my scalp feels very slightly tingly and I have a very minor headache. Every once in a while I will feel a little off balance too. My appetite isn't fully back but at least I am not feeling extreemly nauseus anymore. I still don't have any motivation but I don't feel slowed anymore.

While i was taking lexapro I felt like i was 99 years old and I reacted to everything very slowly. I think the slowness had something to do with my sex drive because that is coming back too. When I was on lexapro I might as well have been nuetered. I didn't feel any desire for anything sexual. I don't think I would have been unable to perform but it would definitely take alot more effort to get going.

- donnakk
That sounds like how I felt when I stopped taking Zoloft cold turkey. I know Zoloft is not Cymbalta but I felt those feelings for about a week so I understand what you are going through. Good luck and be strong.

auntybiotic · #**586** 10-13-2005, 06:29 PM

Donna,

If you just quit cold turkey and have been on the medication longer then six weeks, you may have to reinstate at a lower dose to avoid disabling withdrawals. What dose were you on and for how long?

Did you have many side effects while taking it. Why are you stopping, feeling better, didn't like how it made me feel etc.

The call is up to you and your doctor but the damage from cold turkeying can be long lasting for many.

Going back on at a lower dose and slowly tapering would be the easiest on your system.

If you are getting severe naseau, dizziness, the elecrtic zaps in the head and extremeties and severe mood rages......these are all signs of withdrawal. You will still have them with slow tapering but they last about 10 days and then you will stabilize until your next taper.

The SSRI's are worse then heroin...................and it's legal!!!

Scotty · #**587** 10-13-2005, 09:27 PM

Oceangrl and Miss Lee,

Thanks for the understanding, kind words, info and encouragement. Talking to someone who's been through it and survived to be normal again gives me a lot of hope. I did go to work today but had to take my lorazepam to make it through the day (way too many stimulating things and people at work to handle just yet). Everyone at work was very understanding and supportive. One guy in my area even said he went through a similar nightmare with zoloft and just to hold on and it would pass in a couple of weeks. I still feel some agitation but my spaciness and head dullness feels quite a bit better this evening. My appetite has even returned a little bit. Now if I can just a good eight hours sleep. It's been two weeks since I've had a normal nights sleep. [xx(]

God bless everyone on this forum. I am praying for all of us who have had bad experiences and for our full recovery.

Who knows? Tomorrow may be the best day yet

Miss Lee · #**588** 10-14-2005, 03:06 PM

Scotty-

Knowledge is power. This forum was and is the only thing that made me feel that I wasn't losing it for good. I understand about the overstimulation. I am still dealing with that even 7weeks out! Today at work was this huge conference and about 300 people talking all at once. I just kept getting up and going to the bathroom (for my frazzled nerves sake!)

Be careful with that Lorazapan. It is highly addictice and also causes its own little withdrawal symptoms. Cute, huh???

Take care, I must go back to the conference.

Miss Lee

Scotty · #**589** 10-14-2005, 09:01 PM

Miss Lee,

I went back to read your experience and am sure we face a very similar reaction. I already knew I was a very slow metabolizer of this stuff from taking prozac. I had to take the liquid prozac 5-10 drops only and that was enough for me to have a thareputic dose but stopped because I didn't like the buzzed feeling. Celexa is soooo much stronger. I feel like such an idiot for putting that poison into my system.

Well, after feeling a lot better last night, I had a relapse at work today and experienced a lot of depersonalization. That is the scariest thing for me. Agitation I can take, but the out of my mind feeling makes me want to go nuts. Had to take .25mg of lorazepam to drag my head back to reality. I felt absolutely awful by days end.

I read the forums about the necessity to see an acupunturist and found one in my area. I told them I needed help right away and they said to come on in and they would stay late to help me. I just got back and my head feels about 80% better! Wow! I shook the guys hand and told him God bless him. I almost feel normal right now. He said I should go home and sleep since I was so sleep deprived and have a follow-up visit on Monday. He also gave me some Chinese herbs 'AN SHEN BU XIN PIAN' should the anxiety/aggitation return and said no more lorazepam. He said the treatment should last a good couple of days though so I am very hopeful as of now.

Anybody suffering please get to an acupunturist now! They are miracle workers. Well, I'm gonna take a bath now and try to get some sleep. Good luck to all and God bless.

Scott

mbsnyder1102 · #**590** 10-14-2005, 09:56 PM

Hello. I was on Prozac for about a year and it stopped working, So, my doc put me on Lexapro. I was on this for about two months and my temper was so short I would get mad and blow up at every little thing, so she said to stop all together. I am having bad withdrawals and in the course of these two meds gained 40 pounds, and cant get it off. Any suggestions for withdrawals and weight loss? Thanks, and good luck to everyone!

Mary Beth Snyder

mbsnyder1102 · #**591** 10-14-2005, 09:57 PM

Hello. I was on Prozac for about a year and it stopped working, So, my doc put me on Lexapro. I was on this for about two months and my temper was so short I would get mad and blow up at every little thing, so she said to stop all together. I am having bad withdrawals and in the course of these two meds gained 40 pounds, and cant get it off. Any suggestions for withdrawals and weight loss? Thanks, and good luck to everyone!

Mary Beth Snyder

auntybiotic · #**592** 10-15-2005, 09:30 AM

MBsnyder,
Welcome. Withdrawals and weight gain from Lexapro is horrible. If you read thru some of the posts you can see many suggestions on supplements and vitamins.

Even though you are stopping the Lexapro that you have only been on a short time..you will also feel the effcts of also not having the effects of the Prozac as both medications reuptake serrotonin.

You may even get the zaps which feel like a electrical surge going thru your body.

I am sure others will post with their experiences.

anxiousbabe · #**593** 10-15-2005, 09:13 PM

Hello everyone,

I haven't posted in a few days....computer was in the shop.

Well I am off Lexapro for 3 wks now and needless to say I am totally discusted because I haven't lost a pound of the lexapro weight. I am feeling like I can't stand to put clothes on lately and just want to be in my pajamas and workout clothes and not the ones I use to wear 32 pounds ago. I have been eating right and this week I am prementrual so I said the heck with it and ate 3 pieces of halloween candy along with a piece of apple crisp that I made.

I just wish I would see some results. I am feeling much better as far as my anxiety not returning and my brain zaps are gone for the most part so I thought I would see some of this weight go too. I was cleaning out some drawers yesterday and found an old weight watcher card from a year and a half ago before lexapro and I weighed 130 pound and I thought to myself "oh my God" what I wouldn't give to weigh that right now and be in a size 7 instead of a size 12. Imagine I was going to weight watchers then....what must I say about myself now.

I am sorry for the venting, but I live in Connecticut and it has been raining here for eight days so that along with my body has really got me feeling like **** today.

Welcome to all of the new comers and aunty I always look forward to a word of advice from you. Where has body e been? I thought he was on his way home the other day. How is your daughter doing now with her recent decrease? Your last post said she was not reacting too well from it - she is in my thoughts as everyone on here is. I hope tomorrow will be a better day for all of us. Keep on posting! It keeps us strong and lets us all know that we are not alone in this medication nightmare.

Be well,
Florence[:X]

auntybiotic · #**594** 10-15-2005, 10:01 PM

Anxious Babe,

My daughter is doing better. It has been about a months since the taper so I tapered again yesterday by .02 Mg. My daughter has lost 7 pounds of Lexapro weight while tapering by taking the Omega fish oil and the primal defense. She still eats cookies and even has some butterfinger candy bar. She is thrilled with the bloating having gotten so much better. The Primal Defense is great for yeast issues as well as bloating.

Anxious, are you taking both supplements?

I am glad you are otherwise feeling better. In researching I found out why the lexapro withdrawalers and those that have stopped have good days then are relapsed by a few bad days and then months later will have a reoccurence of withdrawals symptoms. It has to do with the Lexapro being stored in the bile in the liver., as we exercise the bile excretes the lexapro and causes the symptoms sometimes months later.

That is why acupuncture is so helpful, it clears the bile from the liver as it cleanses the system and therefore the lexapro is not stored in the liver9in the bile which is recirculated) to be released at future times when unexpected.

I have a huge project to help my daughter with for school so I will not be offering too much helpful advice for the next few days. Body, where are you, your my backup!

anxiousbabe · #**595** 10-15-2005, 10:13 PM

Aunty,

I am taking the omega fish oil and the multi vitamin that my natural doc gave me. What else should I take? What is that primal defense you talk about? I take two caps of the fish oil, but maybe I should take more. The bottle says to take 2 caps with every meal, but I was scared to take too much. I am so glad to hear that your daughter has taken off some of the lex weight. How much did she gain from the Lex?

Any other advice is appreciated.

deleted · #**596** 10-15-2005, 10:29 PM

I think I may be the devilâs advocate here[}

], but I feel I must throw in my two cents.

I am not disagreeing with anyone about withdrawal symptoms. Lexapro does have withdrawal symptoms! And I, too, do not understand why a doctor would prescribe Lexapro to an adolescent for TMJ! Iâd find another doctor!

Iâve been on over 10 anti-depressants over the last 20 years due to PTSD. Most of them were SSRIs (Zoloft, Paxil, Prozac), but there were others. However, I only took one med at a time. One of the SSRIs was Lexapro. I was on Lexapro twice.

The first time I took Lexapro I had my first week, where I slept five hours a night[|)] (prior to this I was an insomniac and was lucky if I slept at all) and did not have nightmares. It was the first anti-depressant Iâd ever experienced where it did not feel like I lost my âsoulâ or was stuffed with cotton as I felt with other anti-depressants. But alas, there was an issue with my insurance and couldnât get my prescription refilled.

I went through a withdrawal period of about two weeks, starting after the third missed dose of 20mg nightly. It felt like my brain was in one place, and my body was in another. Every once in a while it felt like my mind and body snapped back together, and then theyâd float away from each other again. This dissipated in about a week to nine days. I had a headache off and on for about a week after that. Then I was back to my old self before the Lexapro.

To be honest â this was the mildest antidepressant withdrawal Iâve ever experienced â especially compared to Prozac and the MAOIs.

Even after my withdrawal and missed doses for two months, I went back to Lexapro. I now sleep the average 8 hours a night, and havenât had a nightmare in over a year.

I am quite sick of doctors giving antidepressants as a cure-all pill. It doesnât work that way â especially for something like TMJ or normal adolescent mood swings, either. For some of us, who really need/ed âsomething,â whether arising from trauma or otherwise â the benefits outweigh the risks, and this is coming from someone whoâs tasted a lot of bitter antidepressants in her day.

auntybiotic · #**597** 10-16-2005, 07:12 PM

It was my understanding that the Leapro was a mild effective anti anxiety. Her dentist had her on valium at bedtime as her jaw was dislocating from grinding her teeth. Her orthodontist would not start braces until we resolved the tooth grinding issue as he said braces would make her more unstable as he began moving teeth.

We immediately changed doctors and filed a lawsuit against her primary care physician for failing to warn us of the dangers and addictiveness of lexapro. Seems he was not aware of them either.

Craigre · #**598** 10-16-2005, 11:27 PM

In my opinion that is definitely malpractice. Lexapro should not have been prescribed for aunty's daughter's situation. Unfortunately, it sounds like the doctors all agree that there are no side effects, dangers, and withdrawals from lexapro even though there is clear evidence from many people showing otherwise. They stand behind the (obviously false) clinical tests that conclude that lexapro is the best ssri as far as side effects and withdrawals are concerned.

In aunty's case there is always the possibility that the doctor didn't know about the "real" side effects and withdrawals because the clinical trials show otherwise. I would almost want to sue the people that did the clinical trials or the make of lexapro for false advertizemet or something.

I think the strongest point in aunty's case is that the prescription was prescribed for TMJ! SSRIs, including Lexapro, are for depression / anxiety.

I am mad just thinking about it

...........................................

Today is my 5th or 6th day of not taking Lexapro. My head feels pressurized and warm and my muscles feel kind of crampy and tense. I don't feel as good as I did yesterday but its not nearly as bad as when I was taking the lexapro. I don't think I took enough to get addicted so I feel very lucky for that.

Tomorrow I see my pdoc again. I think he might prescribe zoloft or wellbutrin but I don't know. I am a little bit nervous because I don't want to have side effects again. I can only take so much!

I am thinking about changing pdocs. Its almost impossible to get ahold of my doc if i have a problem and then if i need an appointment, for whatever reason (prescription change), the soonest appointment that I can get is about 2 weeks away. When I actually get there the doctor its like "here try this new drug and see how it goes". There isn't alot of talking involved. In fact I feel rushed because the waiting room is always packed with people coming and going. Does anyone else feel like that?

Are there any SSRIs that you would recommend? I almost feel like I can beat this without drugs but sometimes I feel like I need them as a helper for a while.

Miss Lee · #**599** 10-17-2005, 11:35 AM

Hi all-

Well I had the absolute worst experience on Friday. I had to go to a new Doc to get some testing done and she was terrible! She didn't believe me that I was going through withdrawal and told me that it might be that I developed anxiety (just out of the blue) or that I could be Bi-polar (ha, ha) What a freakin' idiot. So I wrote a letter to her boss and vented. If someone is that f-ing clueless about mental health, they should NOT be prescribing SSRI's. Needless to say I am in the market for a great nautropath.

BODY OR AUNTY-
My brain still doesn't feel right. My thoughts are still off and the waves of anxiety are so frustrating. Sometime i just break down, I can't be strong all the time. WILL THIS GO AWAY???

Scotty-
I am so glad you found a good acupuncturist! I to have been swearing by mine. I am now on week 8 and find that if I eat food that tick off my liver (fats, spicy food, onion, garlic) my symptoms get worse. Just a side note!

MISS LEE

bodyelectric · #**600** 10-17-2005, 02:04 PM

Refresh my memory...how long has it been?

My brain's not 100% yet either, but it has been getting better and better. I still have the occasional brain zap, but nothing bad. I'm doing better than I ever have. I took SSRIs to prop me up while doing the talking cure, and the talking cure seems to have worked wonders.

If your anxiety/depression continues to decrease, take it as a good sign. No doubt you'll have flare-ups, but are they less frequent than before? Your brain took a major hit -- frontal lobes and pineal gland especially. It will take time to compensate. And no one is strong all the time. It's okay to be human.


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