[polly pocket]

My almost 12 year old son has been on Lexapro 20MG for almost 3 years for anxiety and depression. He also has been taking Focalin XR 10 MG for almost 1 year for ADHD. This past May, he also tried to commit suicide. His psychiatrist then put him on Depakote ER 250 MG. I am happy to say that he was able to stop taking Depakote after 3 months! His doctor told me to have him go cold turkey with the Depakote. I disagreed and I was able to successfully get him off of Depakote.

Later this week, we are going for a med check and my son wants to stop taking Lexapro. His anxiety and depression symptoms have decreased dramatically, due to situational changes. Within the past 2 years, we have moved cross country, my husband's 2 job losses, attended 4 different schools and 2 foster children living with us for 6 months in 2006.

I am expecting that the doctor will want to get him off of Lexapro too quickly. I have been reading previous posts and I do not understand how you are able to decrease the dosage the way that has been described.

Thank you for listening to my story and I appreciate any advice that you can give to me.

Polly

[SL500]

Hi...I have previously posted here and haven't for a little while. So I was previously taking 12.5 mg of lexapro and .25 ok klonzapan. Over the summer, I went from 12.5 to 7.5 of lexapro withing a month or so (give or take). I had reinstated to my original dose of 12.5 and was on that for about 5 weeks (this past friday was 5 weeks). I have never felt 100% on lexapro and feel that it is not making me any better. I've decided that I want to get off of everything. My doc originally wanted me to get off of the klonzapan first, however, I have decided I want to get off of the lexapro first as I feel this is what is making me more anxious and depressed and feeling out of it. I actually just got engaged over the weekend which is really exciting - however when you feel like ********************, it kind of numbs you down a little. I am going to taper slowly - 10% tapers. I started on friday and tapered down 10%. How long do you think I should I stay on this dose for???

[tavee]

Whatever U Do, Do Not Have Ure Son Cold Turkey From Lexapro.
Auntybiotic Who Started This Group And Forum Can Tell U Her Story With Her 17yr Old Daughter Who Has Been Tapering For A Long Time And Still Has Withdrawls.

I Am Also A "product" Of Tapering. I Was On 10 Mg For 4 Years And Started Tapering October 2006 By 5-10% Every 2 Weeks. It Took Me One Full Year To Get Off This Med, And I Am Happy To Say That I Am Doing Fine.

Please Do Not Listen To Ure Doctor If He Tells U To Have Ure Son Stop The Med In Less Than A Year. I Guarantee The Child Will Suffer Tremendously.

If U Have Any Question Please Write And Post To Auntybiotic With Ure Questions.
She Is In A Similar Situation And She Is The One Who Put This Forum Together And Got Me Off This Drug Safely.

Take Care

Ps We Are Here To Help U.MOST LIKELY U WILL HAVE TO SWITCH TO LIQUID LEX IF URE DOCTOR CAN PRESCRIBE IT AND TAPER OR ELSE AUNTY CAN EXPLAIN ANOTHER WAY TO TAPER WITH THE TABLETS.

* This Info Is From Personal Experience. I Am Not A Doctor.

Tavee

[polly pocket]

Tavee-

How did you taper off the Lexapro? I am glad that you are feeling good. I am so happy that I found this message board.

Thank you for your response-

Polly

[Ohwell]

Yes tomorrow is the big C.Center day....I hate that place, spent 6 months (once a week) going to chemo there. Horrid memories. May God Bless me tomorrow!

I am feeling better today, even my throat seems to have gone down a bit.

To those who are just getting off Lex. Please taper SLOW. DOn't rush off, just taper your doses for as long as you need to feel normal. Like Aunty says, we've changed our brain's chemistry and it takes TIME for our brains to re-adjust to no Lex. Hindsite, I would have tapered much slowler. I went from 10 mg to 0mg in 3 weeks, and have been sick for 2 months now...ohwell.

[Ohwell]

THere is info. all over these pages on how to taper, I am no expert, but they mean... if you are currently taking 10 mg a day of Lex. you would taper for 3-4 weeks at 9 mg. a day. (By shaving a sliver off the pill, or by requesting liquid Lex. from your dr. or pharmacy.) Then once you've done that go to 8 mg. a day for 3-4 weeks, again by shaving off more of the pill...its easier to get the correct does from the liquid lexapro than it is to shave the pills. This is just a quick response to help you, please read the more detailed pages, aunty is the expert and has more precise info.
Good Luck and GO SLOWLY, for your brains sake! The withdrawals off Lex. can last a long time and the person will feel miserable. oh well.

[Blanca Maria]

It really is unbelievable to me that doctors don't mention anything about side effects when prescribing this drug. I am glad however that I am going through this. Now I know never to put any of my children on heavy drugs. It has taken me 31/2 hours to get ready today (that's just taking a shower and drying my hair). I just keep walking around in circles. To anyone with children taking ( or going off Lexapro) Please take your time doing it. this is the worst feeling ever. Another thing, When I spoke with my doctor he said 20 mg. was a very low dosage, now you're telling me that's not true? Is he trying to push Lexapro on his patients or is he that ignorant???

[Goodlife]

Hi all,
I noticed this thread a couple days ago. Read almost the whole thing. It helped me a little bit maybe-- scared me some too. I went cold turkey off lexapro 9 days ago. I'm 35.

Here's my story: I had been having fairly small anxiety attacks for a long period. After complaining about it to my doctor, he tried to put me on various meds for years-- buspar, wellbutrin, etc. In each of those cases, I asked him, is this one of those medicines you have to wean off of? And he'd say yes, and that'd be it, I wouldn't take the med.

About a year and a half ago, he tried again, this time with Lexapro. I asked him the same question-- is this a wean drug? He told me no, it's not. That it's just a mild seratonin regulator, and taking the pill would be like eating a couple chocolate bars a day.

Well, at this time my anxiety attacks were ramping up, so I figured I'd try the pill. Lexapro, 10mg/day.

I'll say this about Lexapro-- it works. I haven't had an anxiety attack in all that time. Now, I'm not a good person for taking pills. To say I missed some doses is probably putting it mildly. In fact, probably on average I missed at least half my doses, sometimes going as long as 2-3 weeks without a pill. Nonetheless, I did put on about 20 lbs fairly quickly with Lexapro. It was frustrating, because I've always been just this side of overweight, and always dieted. In this case, I just couldn't keep from gaining those 20 lbs. It was a bit amazing.

Early on, this didn't cause a problem. But as time went on, I noticed that when I went off the pill, I'd get unsual symptoms, which I attributed to stress. I'd get funny feelings in my head (brain zaps, at least, they match the description of that completely), slight dizziness, ringing in my ears. All these things (except the zaps, which I'd never had before) seemed fairly cut and dry anxiety symptoms to me, so I'd say to myself, oh, better get back on the pill, see, the anxiety is creeping back in.

All because my doctor told me "no side effects, and no need to wean."

Well, about two months ago I went through a couple hardships in my life, and started taking the pill a little more accurately. I was taking it every day. During this time, my body seemed to really freak out. I'd be tired all the time, my lower legs would ache so much that it was hard for me to actually lay down-- I'd have to shake them continuously. Curiously, I didn't connect this to the drug. To make things worse, I run a small video game business, and I hadn't been able to put out a game since going on the pill. I just felt no urge to.

About 9 days ago, my prescription ran out. And I said to myself, apropos of nothing, I think I'll go off the pill for a while, see if I can control the anxiety. I still hadn't connected any of the misery I was having with the pill.

So, I took my last pill on Friday, Oct 20th.

I had no problems whatsoever until Wednesday, Oct 24th, but then they started to come down pretty hard.

I started with the brain zaps. Started mild-- turn my head too quickly or look to the side too quickly, and I'd feel a quick unpleasant sensation, like an electric shock, right down the middle of my head. So I figured, hm, okay, I have some stress. If I hadn't run out of pills, I probably would have popped one at this point and gone back on for a bit. I had no pilsl tho.

On Thursday, things really started to pick up. The brain zaps became very frequent-- it seemed like any time I moved my eyes I'd get a zap. My head was also fogging up... I felt like I was getting a sinus infection. Curiously, my teeth also started to hurt. It really seemed like I was coming down with something-- so much so that I started taking Cold-eeze.

Friday is when it really hit hard. I was groggy all day. I'd normally feel like this while having a super anxiety attack, except I had the added bonus of the brain zaps. A little shocked at how I felt, I dropped by the lexapro page, and then, to my horror, I saw that this WAS a drug you had to wean off of. I felt sick with dismay. Furthermore, my mood was ridiculous. I'd get mad at my wife for walking in the room the wrong way, or for putting pauses in her sentence.

I know how a junkie feels now. If I had a pill in the house, I would take it. When I get bad enough, I'd do anything.

Saturday, I was a little better, and a little worse. I didn't feel groggy all day long, but had two or three specific spells of feeling bad. But the bad spells were very bad. My irritatiblity seemed to have backed off, at least, but I certainly felt mildly panicky all day.

Sunday, it seemed like I was getting a little better still. I had one bad spell, and I still had the brain zaps, but they seemed to be lessening. I even felt a little cheerful. However, a strange high-pitched noise started to sound in my ears. It seemed like it was always there, but I could ignore it if I was doing something. When I was having one of my bad spells, the zaps would be more frequent, and the high-pitched whining was louder. The high-pitched whining also doesn't seem to be exactly in my ears-- it seems to be in the middle of my head really.

Today, so far I have been a little worse. The high pitched whine is more prominent. The zaps are somewhat lessened-- I can move my eyes from side to side at times without feeling them at all. But the whining is almost always there-- I have some terror that it is a long, drawn out brain zap, since the whine seems to hit a crescendo when a zap happens.

That's where I am now. Someone give me some hope. I feel great fear that I've "broken" something in my head. I've always been one of those creative, artistic moody types, and now I fear I might have a permanent need for this drug.

Will things really get better after two weeks? I know a lot of people say that, but I see a lot of people on this board who say months later they're still feeling it.

I wonder if I should ride it out at this point, or if I should go back on the drug-- maybe at 5mg, and wean myself off it. I am dubious about contacting my doctor because he already told me there were no side effects, and I didn't have to wean.

If I really thought things would get better after this Friday, I'd just hold out, but these symptoms seem to be going up and down so much that it doesn't seem very cut and dry that it will. I could handle a week more of this-- more than that, I don't think I could, without going a bit crazy. I'd go back on the pill and try to wean.

But I don't WANT to go back on the pill, because since going off it:

1) I don't want to nap any more
2) My bizarre leg cramps just... vanished. I can relax again, without feeling the need to twitch my legs
3) My carb cravings, which I had even said to my wife were a little weird, have gone away. I'm back to wanting more meat and better stuff.

Just wanted to share my story. What a horrible thing this drug is.

[tavee]

If U Can Switch To Liquid That Would Be Easier But Some Doctors Wont Do That.

The Other Option Is To Use The Method With Cranberry. Do Not Sliver Ure Tablet. That Is The Wrong Way To Do That Especially With Ure 12 Yr Old.this Is Not An Accurate Way.
If U Need Further Info Please Post To Aunty.

I Switched To Liquid In October Of 2006 And Went From 10ml For A Week, Then 9 For A Week, Then 8 For A Week. I Did That Up To 7ml, And Then I Was Tapering About 5% Every 2 Weeks. So The Next Dose Was Like 6.8ml. You Have To Figure Out The % With The Calculator. And Then So On And So Forth. You Have To Stabilize On Each Taper Before U Go Down. Sometimes People Have To Stay On The Dose For 3 Weeks And Then Go Down. It Is A Very Slow Process And U Will Not Experience Any Severe Withdrawals.

I Have Been Off It Completely For 10 Days Now And I Am Fine.it Took Me 1 Whole Year Exactly To Get Off It Safely. My Last Dose Was Like .02ml.

Tavee

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by Goodlife

Hi all,
I noticed this thread a couple days ago. Read almost the whole thing. It helped me a little bit maybe-- scared me some too. I went cold turkey off lexapro 9 days ago. I'm 35.

Here's my story: I had been having fairly small anxiety attacks for a long period. After complaining about it to my doctor, he tried to put me on various meds for years-- buspar, wellbutrin, etc. In each of those cases, I asked him, is this one of those medicines you have to wean off of? And he'd say yes, and that'd be it, I wouldn't take the med.

About a year and a half ago, he tried again, this time with Lexapro. I asked him the same question-- is this a wean drug? He told me no, it's not. That it's just a mild seratonin regulator, and taking the pill would be like eating a couple chocolate bars a day.

Well, at this time my anxiety attacks were ramping up, so I figured I'd try the pill. Lexapro, 10mg/day.

I'll say this about Lexapro-- it works. I haven't had an anxiety attack in all that time. Now, I'm not a good person for taking pills. To say I missed some doses is probably putting it mildly. In fact, probably on average I missed at least half my doses, sometimes going as long as 2-3 weeks without a pill. Nonetheless, I did put on about 20 lbs fairly quickly with Lexapro. It was frustrating, because I've always been just this side of overweight, and always dieted. In this case, I just couldn't keep from gaining those 20 lbs. It was a bit amazing.

Early on, this didn't cause a problem. But as time went on, I noticed that when I went off the pill, I'd get unsual symptoms, which I attributed to stress. I'd get funny feelings in my head (brain zaps, at least, they match the description of that completely), slight dizziness, ringing in my ears. All these things (except the zaps, which I'd never had before) seemed fairly cut and dry anxiety symptoms to me, so I'd say to myself, oh, better get back on the pill, see, the anxiety is creeping back in.

All because my doctor told me "no side effects, and no need to wean."

Well, about two months ago I went through a couple hardships in my life, and started taking the pill a little more accurately. I was taking it every day. During this time, my body seemed to really freak out. I'd be tired all the time, my lower legs would ache so much that it was hard for me to actually lay down-- I'd have to shake them continuously. Curiously, I didn't connect this to the drug. To make things worse, I run a small video game business, and I hadn't been able to put out a game since going on the pill. I just felt no urge to.

About 9 days ago, my prescription ran out. And I said to myself, apropos of nothing, I think I'll go off the pill for a while, see if I can control the anxiety. I still hadn't connected any of the misery I was having with the pill.

So, I took my last pill on Friday, Oct 20th.

I had no problems whatsoever until Wednesday, Oct 24th, but then they started to come down pretty hard.

I started with the brain zaps. Started mild-- turn my head too quickly or look to the side too quickly, and I'd feel a quick unpleasant sensation, like an electric shock, right down the middle of my head. So I figured, hm, okay, I have some stress. If I hadn't run out of pills, I probably would have popped one at this point and gone back on for a bit. I had no pilsl tho.

On Thursday, things really started to pick up. The brain zaps became very frequent-- it seemed like any time I moved my eyes I'd get a zap. My head was also fogging up... I felt like I was getting a sinus infection. Curiously, my teeth also started to hurt. It really seemed like I was coming down with something-- so much so that I started taking Cold-eeze.

Friday is when it really hit hard. I was groggy all day. I'd normally feel like this while having a super anxiety attack, except I had the added bonus of the brain zaps. A little shocked at how I felt, I dropped by the lexapro page, and then, to my horror, I saw that this WAS a drug you had to wean off of. I felt sick with dismay. Furthermore, my mood was ridiculous. I'd get mad at my wife for walking in the room the wrong way, or for putting pauses in her sentence.

I know how a junkie feels now. If I had a pill in the house, I would take it. When I get bad enough, I'd do anything.

Saturday, I was a little better, and a little worse. I didn't feel groggy all day long, but had two or three specific spells of feeling bad. But the bad spells were very bad. My irritatiblity seemed to have backed off, at least, but I certainly felt mildly panicky all day.

Sunday, it seemed like I was getting a little better still. I had one bad spell, and I still had the brain zaps, but they seemed to be lessening. I even felt a little cheerful. However, a strange high-pitched noise started to sound in my ears. It seemed like it was always there, but I could ignore it if I was doing something. When I was having one of my bad spells, the zaps would be more frequent, and the high-pitched whining was louder. The high-pitched whining also doesn't seem to be exactly in my ears-- it seems to be in the middle of my head really.

Today, so far I have been a little worse. The high pitched whine is more prominent. The zaps are somewhat lessened-- I can move my eyes from side to side at times without feeling them at all. But the whining is almost always there-- I have some terror that it is a long, drawn out brain zap, since the whine seems to hit a crescendo when a zap happens.

That's where I am now. Someone give me some hope. I feel great fear that I've "broken" something in my head. I've always been one of those creative, artistic moody types, and now I fear I might have a permanent need for this drug.

Will things really get better after two weeks? I know a lot of people say that, but I see a lot of people on this board who say months later they're still feeling it.

I wonder if I should ride it out at this point, or if I should go back on the drug-- maybe at 5mg, and wean myself off it. I am dubious about contacting my doctor because he already told me there were no side effects, and I didn't have to wean.

If I really thought things would get better after this Friday, I'd just hold out, but these symptoms seem to be going up and down so much that it doesn't seem very cut and dry that it will. I could handle a week more of this-- more than that, I don't think I could, without going a bit crazy. I'd go back on the pill and try to wean.

But I don't WANT to go back on the pill, because since going off it:

1) I don't want to nap any more
2) My bizarre leg cramps just... vanished. I can relax again, without feeling the need to twitch my legs
3) My carb cravings, which I had even said to my wife were a little weird, have gone away. I'm back to wanting more meat and better stuff.

Just wanted to share my story. What a horrible thing this drug is.

Hi,

As i stated in earlier posts to others, your brain chemistry has also been chemically altered by lexapro. The symptoms will wax and wane for about 18 months. sometime they may even make you bedridden. It will not get better in weeks or months.

You can wait it out for the next few weeks and see how you do, you will have six weeks to reinstate and wean off properly...............after that period.........nothing can be done but live with the symptoms.

You must clearly know from the symptoms you are having that things are not right with your brain chemistry...neurotransmitters are misfiring causing the zaps. The ONLY way to correct this and prevent possible damage is to reinstate the lexapro and taper by 2 to 10 % every 2 to 3 weeks. Your brain has become chemically altered by lexapro and it can take 12 to 18 months to correct itself from a fast taper or cold turkey.

I am not a doctor, so please use caution before following internet advice.

[Sunsetter]

so my family doc prescribed lexapro to help me sleep and to help with the depression i mentioned when i asked for a referral to a psychiatrist (she instead referred me to a psychologist, who i am seeing tomorrow).

She gave me an rx for 10mg of lexapro, and i dutifully took one that same thursday night. I woke up friday with a racing heart, agitation (felt like i needed to shake my arms & walk around quickly), anxiety (I burst into tears trying to eat breakfast), and nausea.... basically felt like i was flipping out of my head.

i called in sick & called the doc, only to be told she was out till monday. I decided NOT to take anymore pills till i could talk to my doc, and called in sick on monday, too. .... only to be told that it's "NOT POSSIBLE" for me to be having a reaction to the lexapro bc it takes 2 weeks to be absorbed into the system on a daily dose.

Sooo.. i'm assuming she thinks i induced the anxiety myself, even though i know i've "only" been depressed and not anxious.

Any advice? I told her i'm not taking any more lexapro and she wants to try something else, but is willing to wait until i get my first session with the psychologist.

thank you for your help....

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by Sunsetter

so my family doc prescribed lexapro to help me sleep and to help with the depression i mentioned when i asked for a referral to a psychiatrist (she instead referred me to a psychologist, who i am seeing tomorrow).

She gave me an rx for 10mg of lexapro, and i dutifully took one that same thursday night. I woke up friday with a racing heart, agitation (felt like i needed to shake my arms & walk around quickly), anxiety (I burst into tears trying to eat breakfast), and nausea.... basically felt like i was flipping out of my head.

i called in sick & called the doc, only to be told she was out till monday. I decided NOT to take anymore pills till i could talk to my doc, and called in sick on monday, too. .... only to be told that it's "NOT POSSIBLE" for me to be having a reaction to the lexapro bc it takes 2 weeks to be absorbed into the system on a daily dose.

Sooo.. i'm assuming she thinks i induced the anxiety myself, even though i know i've "only" been depressed and not anxious.

Any advice? I told her i'm not taking any more lexapro and she wants to try something else, but is willing to wait until i get my first session with the psychologist.

thank you for your help....

I would consider your bad reaction to lexapro a blessing, saved your life in a sense by alerting you not to take the SSRI poisons.

If I were you............. I WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING RX for depression, it will only make you worse in the long run and mess with your brain chemistry.

You must be a slow metabolizer thru the P 450 Cytochrome system, that is why you had a instant reaction to the lexapro. SSRI's can cause YOU specifically, serotonin syndrome and be deadly. Take your reaction as a blessing and learn not to take any SSRI or similiar medication.

Take Omega 3 and Inisitol for your depression. Read this thread and you will have reasons NOT TO BE DEPRESSED, as you saved yourself from this plight that all here are experiencing. After reading reactions to SSRI your depressed feelings will be a cakewalk compared to the withdrawals.

I am not a doctor, I have knowledge of lexapro withdrawls and doctors do not.

[Hairyarmadillo]

Originally Posted by Julia77

I hope you'll read this. I am a healthy 29-year old female who had been on 2.5 mg of Lex for 7 months and then decided to taper my own way since I didn't know any better. In the beginning I felt 'zaps', nausea, sleeplessness, just to mention a few. But because my pain and sickness tolerance threshold is obviously high, I didn't suffer much. But I didn't know it was the tip of an iceberg... when months 4 hits you WILL regret , I promise you. I am saying this because you are already going through stage 1, and once you're over you will naively think it's all over. But month four it's when almost all the physical symptoms subside and the emotional part starts. I personally am depressed ( I wasn't before Lex, lol), so this is a new issue to deal with, have crying spells, angry for no good reason, have extreme heart palps which sometimes make me think about driving to an emergency room, disoriented in the morning and very, very tired. I also get euphoric at times... I don't mean to scare you, I am just sharing my story.
You might think as I and my GP thought that this is initial illness creeping up back, but that is not it. It feels at times as if a lamp is turned on in your head and you just feel normal for some time, but then - baaaaam, another something hits you on the head.
I am naturally a very calm and placid person who exercises and eats healthy. I hope to get back to myself one day.

I am writing all this to warn you to learn from other people's misery. All those symptoms can go on and off for 12-18 months... you still can reinstate your dose and taper slowly.. 5-10% at a taper is what your brain can handle.

If you want people to help you taper, please let us know on this forum. There are lots of people who can help you do so.Also, are you taking any supplements?

Well said! I do believe there are rare individuals who don't have issues when they stop taking these meds but there are too many that DO have problems to ignore. I thought I had made it through withdrawal of Lexapro and was hit month 4 with the worst depression and anxiety I had ever experienced. I thought something was wrong with me and went back on the meds. I didn't do the best slow taper but, after tapering much slower the second time around, I m nearing 7 months off without the terrible effects I experienced the first time. I am not 100% but this time I will make it. I advise everyone to consider these many voices of experience on this forum. We have been there, done that and want to spare others needless suffering.

[Blanca Maria]

I actually spoke with my pharmacist today( I now trust him more than I do my doctor). Today is my 4th. day off Lexapro and I feel like I am high and it is not a good feeling. Anyway, he said to just try to ride this out and start taking a vitamin B complex (which I started today). He said I should start feeling better in about a week or two. If not he suggested I go to a different doctor since the doctor that pescribed Lexapro to me still insists this drug is weight "neutral" and not addictive.

[salomome]

Despite feeling down about the lack of ease of symptoms I was getting from exercise, I woke up early and ran 3 miles before work today. It really helped. Today was the best day yet. Just this evening the zaps are returning, but the nausea has eased considerably. I don't feel any loss of appetite at all, and even while naseous I am eating a lot. I never gained weight from this drug though.

While browsing another website I came across an extensive list of symptoms from Lexapro withdrawal. Just about everything can be named as one, according to that list.

It's been almost 10 days now cold turkey. I hope it's stopping. I feel so much better now, and once these symptoms are finally gone I believe I'll be so happy to be normal and drug free that I won't get depressed again for a long time.

[Sunsetter]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

I would consider your bad reaction to lexapro a blessing, saved your life in a sense by alerting you not to take the SSRI poisons.

If I were you............. I WOULD NOT TAKE ANYTHING RX for depression, it will only make you worse in the long run and mess with your brain chemistry.

You must be a slow metabolizer thru the P 450 Cytochrome system, that is why you had a instant reaction to the lexapro. SSRI's can cause YOU specifically, serotonin syndrome and be deadly. Take your reaction as a blessing and learn not to take any SSRI or similiar medication.

Take Omega 3 and Inisitol for your depression. Read this thread and you will have reasons NOT TO BE DEPRESSED, as you saved yourself from this plight that all here are experiencing. After reading reactions to SSRI your depressed feelings will be a cakewalk compared to the withdrawals.

I am not a doctor, I have knowledge of lexapro withdrawls and doctors do not.

Aunty, thank you for your quick response. I'm glad I found this forum and someone to tell me that I'm not crazy for having a reaction to a pill that I'm "not supposed" to react to for at least 2 weeks.

I trusted my doc and was very sad and embarrassed when she said the Lexapro couldn't have done all those things to me. I actually cried once I got off the phone with her. Why don't prescribing docs know about being a "slow metabolizer"???? Bleah. It's a sign of my depression that I actually perked up at the idea of a deadly reaction, but I know I'm not crazy enough yet to try going through that again.

I'm not going to touch the Lexapro again, though with my depression I was desparate enough I was considering trying again at a lower dose as my doc suggested....but after reading a bunch of these posts, I'm afraid of weaning & tapering, esp after my 1st reaction.... I do hope to get pregnant within the next 2 years.

I appreciate your advice on the omega-3...and I've never heard of inisitol...can i get as a supplement?

Thank you all for your time and advice.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by SL500

Hi...I have previously posted here and haven't for a little while. So I was previously taking 12.5 mg of lexapro and .25 ok klonzapan. Over the summer, I went from 12.5 to 7.5 of lexapro withing a month or so (give or take). I had reinstated to my original dose of 12.5 and was on that for about 5 weeks (this past friday was 5 weeks). I have never felt 100% on lexapro and feel that it is not making me any better. I've decided that I want to get off of everything. My doc originally wanted me to get off of the klonzapan first, however, I have decided I want to get off of the lexapro first as I feel this is what is making me more anxious and depressed and feeling out of it. I actually just got engaged over the weekend which is really exciting - however when you feel like ********************, it kind of numbs you down a little. I am going to taper slowly - 10% tapers. I started on friday and tapered down 10%. How long do you think I should I stay on this dose for???

You should stay on that dose for about three weeks or until you feel no more withdrawls.

[Julia77]

Aunty:

Do you mean Inositol? Can you also comment who should take it and if it could be mixed with Lex.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by Sunsetter

Aunty, thank you for your quick response. I'm glad I found this forum and someone to tell me that I'm not crazy for having a reaction to a pill that I'm "not supposed" to react to for at least 2 weeks.

I trusted my doc and was very sad and embarrassed when she said the Lexapro couldn't have done all those things to me. I actually cried once I got off the phone with her. Why don't prescribing docs know about being a "slow metabolizer"???? Bleah. It's a sign of my depression that I actually perked up at the idea of a deadly reaction, but I know I'm not crazy enough yet to try going through that again.

I'm not going to touch the Lexapro again, though with my depression I was desparate enough I was considering trying again at a lower dose as my doc suggested....but after reading a bunch of these posts, I'm afraid of weaning & tapering, esp after my 1st reaction.... I do hope to get pregnant within the next 2 years.

I appreciate your advice on the omega-3...and I've never heard of inisitol...can i get as a supplement?

Thank you all for your time and advice.

If you purchase the OMega 3 Fish Oil get the Carson's Brand, no contamination from mercury as in many others. Also the Carson's do not leave a fishy aftertaste.

Article on inositol and depression. 18 grams daily has been shown to counteract depression. Good Luck.
http://www.healthbulletin.org/depres...epression2.htm

I am not a doctor so please research any advice given on the internet.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by Julia77

Aunty:

Do you mean Inositol? Can you also comment who should take it and if it could be mixed with Lex.

Yes, Typo error. Inositol. It can be taken with lexapro and will help panic attacks, anxiety and depression. It cannot be taken with Lithium!!!!

I posted a article above. I also posted several articles months back if you want to search thru my posts.

Inositol
Inositol has been found to be a safe and effective alternative to SSRIs with minimal side effects in people with mild to moderate depression. A naturally occurring isomer of glucose, inositol is part of the vitamin B family and is commonly found in the part of fiber known as phytic acid. When you consume phytic acid, the bacteria in your intestines work to retrieve the inositol. Natural sources of inositol include nuts, seeds, whole grains and citrus fruits.

Individuals with depression are often found to have low levels of inositol in their system, By increasing ones levels of inositol, mild to moderate symptoms of depression are relieved. In a double-blind clinical trial, patients received either 12grams of inositol or a placebo for 28 days. At the end of the study, researchers noted that participants who received inositol had a marked improvement in their symptoms compared to the placebo group. However, unlike SSRIs, there were no changes in the individuals’ liver, kidney or hematological function. Although inositol has few side effects associated with it, it is not recommended as treatment for depression in women who are pregnant as it can cause uterine contractions in pregnant women.

Name -
Generic name Inositol
Family vitamins (B-complex)
Indications Helpful for Depression, Panic Disorder, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Attention Deficit Disorder.

How does it work? Inositol is required for proper formation of cell membranes. It affects nerve transmission and helps in transporting fats within the body. Depressed people were observed to have lower-than-normal levels of inositol in their spinal fluid. In addition, inositol participates in the action of serotonin, a neurotransmitter whose levels in the brain are known to be a factor in depression and anxiety. Preliminary studies in human and animal models suggest that inositol is more useful than placebo for Depression, Panic Disorder, Alzheimer's disease, OCD, Attention Deficit Disorder, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating. In fact, studies show that inositol is at least as effective as commonly used serotonin selective reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs).

Natural sources: Beans, cantaloupe, nuts, citrus fruit, wheat and wheat bran contain phytic acid, which releases inositol when acted upon by the bacteria of the digestive system. Note that the typical american diet provides an estimated 1,000 mg inositol daily, while studies demonstrated the efficiency of 18g (18,000 mg) inositol.




aunty

[auntybiotic]

As with B vitamins, not everyone taking Lexapro can tolerate them......so start slowly if you are thinking of supplementing and judge how you feel.

[Hairyarmadillo]

Originally Posted by Blanca Maria

I actually spoke with my pharmacist today( I now trust him more than I do my doctor). Today is my 4th. day off Lexapro and I feel like I am high and it is not a good feeling. Anyway, he said to just try to ride this out and start taking a vitamin B complex (which I started today). He said I should start feeling better in about a week or two. If not he suggested I go to a different doctor since the doctor that pescribed Lexapro to me still insists this drug is weight "neutral" and not addictive.

I tried the B complex and it didn't work for me-made me more jittery after a week. Try the Omega 3 and take it daily. That high feeling is the pits! Noni juice will help with that as well as any depersonalization you may experience. It isn't yummy but you only have to drink a small bit a day. It really pays off.

[Hates_SSRI's]

I have been trying to come off Lexapro for 6 months now. I had gotten down to 1/4 of a 10mg tablet every other day and my Dr. suggested that I start Wellbutrin XL, hum add another pill? So I did. I ended up going back to 5MG/day of Lex and now I am on 1/2 a Celexa a day. I read the Celexa was a lesser version of Lex so I figured that might help taper too. In order to taper anymore I am going on the liquid, not sure which they will give me yet Lex or Celexa.

I can go for 72 hours before the zaps start in but I hate them so much I am trying to avoid that point. I tried taking 5-HTP but that made me sick to my stomach. I think I will try the Omega 3 and see if that helps. I plan with the liquid to start a 1mg a week decrease and see how that goes. I can't stand this stuff!

I went on it post-partum/mid-divorce and really wish I had done my research before taking it, I could just beat myself for it now. I have NEVER had a depression problem and really was just feeling tired from the new baby and divorce and should have never taken this junk in the first place.

If you haven't started, DON'T! I stopped the Wellbutrin XL cold turkey today, wish me luck!

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Hairyarmadillo

I tried the B complex and it didn't work for me-made me more jittery after a week. Try the Omega 3 and take it daily. That high feeling is the pits! Noni juice will help with that as well as any depersonalization you may experience. It isn't yummy but you only have to drink a small bit a day. It really pays off.

Noni Juice. What is the starting dose? Does it really help with the high feeling?

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

As with B vitamins, not everyone taking Lexapro can tolerate them......so start slowly if you are thinking of supplementing and judge how you feel.

I know this is gonna sound dumb, but I have to ask this: maybe I should just quit the med? I am on 0,08 mg so far, and as you mentioned ( and my 'gut' feeling is the same) that I am having withdrawals from my previous quick taper. Plus, if FDA allows the fluctuations of 15 % there is a high chance I might be worsening my withdrawals by fluctuating the dose every day.

.1 mg ( one hundredth of 10 mg) is the dose most people stop at. Maybe I should do the same?

[Ohwell]

I'm in a panic, my liver enzymes went up again, been off for 2 months now, do you think it is a withdrawal? I have to have a ct scan done in a few days. I'm sooooo scared my cancer may be returning.....anyone else have high liver enzymes during withdrawal. My enzymes were going up, and thats part of the reason I got off Lex. I'm thinking my liver just couldn't take the Lex. Sure hope I'm right! Anyone????? May God bless us.
oh well.

[Ohwell]

Aunty, do you know much about high liver enzymes caused by Lex. withdrawal? Sure would like some comfort here! Dear God, I pray thats all it is. Please if anyone els has had this withdrawal please respond!
My enzymes went up 20 pts. since the last time tested. They have been rising for about a year. I hope its because my body couldn't get rid of the LEx. I also have fatty liver. I've been off for 2 months now. Was having a good day till this news. Just want to be well and in good health! oh well.

[teachnc]

Has anyone taken cymbalta? I have been off lex for @3 months. Waiting to loose this excess weight.