[jane1987]

well my mom conD me into takeing lexapro i took 8MGs AND O MY GODD I WISH I WOULD HAVE DIED THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN WONDERFUL but nope i lived it made me go crazey so bad i got a really bad case of RLS(restless leg syndrome) and i tide a pare of nylons around my thight and almost cut it off my mom came in the bathroom and blood all over the tub,walls,floor,rug was soaked and for once in 20hours i started to feel better(bloodlose=dizzy=nomore RLS) o ya i have cut my leg open with a steak knife i just sawed away thats how nuts i was i just wanted to sleep!
so 27 stiches and 5 staples later-LEXAPRO SUX!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AND I LEARNED THAT ANTIDEPRESSANTS SUK TOO NEVER AGAIN EVER.---------------------JANE;€

[Goodlife]

Hi all,
I'm on day 16 of cold turkey, and wanted to check in.

For the most part, the debilitating side effects are gone. I can function more or less normally. My brain zaps are pretty much 100% gone, unless I try to provoke one by looking far out the corner of my eye while turning my head in that direction.

My primary withdrawal symptoms has been a sensation of ringing in my head. I still have that, though it's not nearly as piercing now. It is also sometimes gone completely. This symptom seems to be closely tied to how tense or relaxed I am.

As near as I can tell, virtually all the withdrawal symptoms (in me, at least) are tied to tight muscles in my face and head. The ringing that I hear is the same sound you hear if you open your jaw as wide as you can for a long time. When I can relax these muscles, my symptoms mostly go away.

At that point, i'm not sure if I'm actually experiencing withdrawal, or if I'm just learning to cope with stress again. Or if the stress of the real withdrawal set a chain reaction of stress going in me. Either way, I am at times 100% symptom free.

My worst times are when laying down, so I'm still not sleeping too well.

In my experience, chewing anything makes things go a lot better. Also, in my case, exercise makes everything a lot worse!

So there is hope! It does get better! I still have an occasional weak moment where I want to go ahead and get my prescription filled and take a dose-- but from what I hear, people who taper get the withdrawals too, unless they taper over 6 mo's or more.

Well, take care all. I'll pray for you!

[desp4help]

Thanks Ohwell I had pretty good weekend only a few shocks/zaps
hardly any dizziness hopefully on the upswing going into week 2 not taking anything
started taking the Omenga fish oil maybe this is helping did attend 2 parties and made it thru I hope you had a good one as well. I also think when I go back to work there will be less stress in my marriage and symptoms will go away .. I applied for a Criminal Assistant at a local court then interviewed me on the spot hopefully that is a good sign I will let you know

[desp4help]

Me too!! I was given this medicine so readily after I lost my job (laid off) after 16 yrs
at 20 mg then was upped 10 more mg last year when my Mom died of heart attack age 62 during first round of chemo.... so was taking 30 and after finding this website learned that dosage was outrageous I was sooooo mad b/c prior to all this I never believed intaking anything hopefully we can all get thru this together I am going on beg of week 3still dizzy and get shocks but not nearly as bad

[Ohwell]

I am taking 2 omega3 fish oils a day (carlsons)
2 milk thistle (175mg)
1 Synthroid (hypothrodism) 88

Considering adding Magnesium Malate (how much)?
Lecithin (How much)?

My liver enzymes are high, ct scan is next week
should I add the 2 new things or hold off?

Been off for 2 months now, still very tired.
Took 10mg. Lex. for 1.6 years given by my Cancer doctor...
Been cancer free (I hope) for 1.8 years...
Hoping to change the Synthroid to Armour Thryoid asap...

Your thoughts? Thanks so much! ohwell.

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Ohwell

I am taking 2 omega3 fish oils a day (carlsons)
2 milk thistle (175mg)
1 Synthroid (hypothrodism) 88

Considering adding Magnesium Malate (how much)?
Lecithin (How much)?

My liver enzymes are high, ct scan is next week
should I add the 2 new things or hold off?

Been off for 2 months now, still very tired.
Took 10mg. Lex. for 1.6 years given by my Cancer doctor...
Been cancer free (I hope) for 1.8 years...
Hoping to change the Synthroid to Armour Thryoid asap...

Your thoughts? Thanks so much! ohwell.

I take 200 mg Magnesium twice a day, and if feeling anxious 200 mg every 3 hours. I think I've read it here on the forum somewhere and stick to it.

BTW I am feeling better finally!!!!!!!!! not 100% but more or less myself and feel like I am heading to better times!!!!!!! I am not sure I should be that joyful but I'm definitely, definitely better.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by Ohwell

I am taking 2 omega3 fish oils a day (carlsons)
2 milk thistle (175mg)
1 Synthroid (hypothrodism) 88

Considering adding Magnesium Malate (how much)?
Lecithin (How much)?

My liver enzymes are high, ct scan is next week
should I add the 2 new things or hold off?

Been off for 2 months now, still very tired.
Took 10mg. Lex. for 1.6 years given by my Cancer doctor...
Been cancer free (I hope) for 1.8 years...
Hoping to change the Synthroid to Armour Thryoid asap...

Your thoughts? Thanks so much! ohwell.

Definately try and change the synthroid to amour thryoid, add the magnesium malate according to directions on bottle to start and see how you feel, it will help relax you and ease anxiety.

The lecithin can be added if you have noticed any type of movement disorder such as jerks or muscle spasms. if not hold off on it for now. Glad you are feeling better but don;t be upset of the symptoms reappear.

Let me know how you do, you may notice depersonalization, feeling like you are not connected to what is going on or to your own body, if so, Naoni juice works great.
What you are doing in the way of supplements is right on.

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

[Ohwell]

Thats great your feeling better! If I may ask, what do you take daily in terms of supplements? How long have you been off Lex? Thanks. oh well.

[Ohwell]

Thanks....I don't have any movement stuff going on. Only had one area that was ever bothered by zaps, my right big toe? But that has gone now. I will add the magnesium malate asap. I have an app. with my thryoid specialist in a few weeks and will try to get her to switch to armour.

Just want to be HEALTHY! Hope your daughter is doing well. What is she down to now with Lex? Sure wish I would have tapered, Just didn't know.
ohwell.

[clarehamish]

Well its a month now since i started to taper from 2.5mg. I got to this dose with relative ease then went cold turkey. I had to start taking again as i was getting terribel brain attacks!!

Just thought i would let you all know how i am doing. I asked gp to prescribe liquid. I initially started on 5 drops = 2.5 mg and i am now down to 3 drops - 1.5mg. I feel great no brain zaps or sweating. sex drive has come back +++ and i have lost weight too!! Will be going down to 2 drops next week. This is definetly the way to go x

Sleeping has also improved too. hope everyone manages to get off this and i pray that when i finally stop i will be ok x clare

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by clarehamish

Well its a month now since i started to taper from 2.5mg. I got to this dose with relative ease then went cold turkey. I had to start taking again as i was getting terribel brain attacks!!

Just thought i would let you all know how i am doing. I asked gp to prescribe liquid. I initially started on 5 drops = 2.5 mg and i am now down to 3 drops - 1.5mg. I feel great no brain zaps or sweating. sex drive has come back +++ and i have lost weight too!! Will be going down to 2 drops next week. This is definetly the way to go x

Sleeping has also improved too. hope everyone manages to get off this and i pray that when i finally stop i will be ok x clare

Hi I am glad you found your way of tapering and sounds like you are doing it right. I am having a hard time tapering off 2.5 mg but it seems as if it's getting there. I had no idea liquids could be described, so I crushed my 2.5 mg dose and tapered from there. It fluctuated and dose and gave me terrible withdrawals, which are subsiding now.

Hope you will continue this way.

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Ohwell

Thats great your feeling better! If I may ask, what do you take daily in terms of supplements? How long have you been off Lex? Thanks. oh well.

I take Carlson's Fish oil 5 capsules a day.
Magnesium Citrate 2X200 mg a day. Coral Calcium 2 capsules a day. B complex and a good natural multivitamin. Fresh air seems to help me a lot in terms of withdrawals.
I am not off yet. I am tapering and am very low, but still feel withdrawals mostly because of the way I tapered in the beginning.

[sweats24/7]

Quit lexapro cold turkey after forgeting a few days. I was all right for the first 4 then felt dizzy weak and crazy so took a pill. no chang occured so I said forget it. Decided I would keep not takeing it. Its been another 5 and Im dizzy have cold sweating night and day.I only took lexapro for four months probably why no shocks or brain resets. Still this is very hard for me because the systemic affects increase my anxiety. My doctor said this would go away in a few days or I could just start takeing it again and that would eleveate the symptoms. But I dont want it in my system. My girlfriend is glad to have me back if you know what I mean as am I. Also he recomended going on prozac because of the built in taper. What should I do I really need a friend in this,because everyone I tell thinks I'm just having anxiety from not being on meds. I have had Anxiety my whole life but Never coldsweats or dizzzyness from it.

[Danx]

I've not been here in a while, but that's a good thing. I usually only come here when I'm feeling bad. So I've not been feeling bad in a while. I've been sticking to my 18mg for a few weeks and now down to 16mg and not doing too bad.

I never want to experience the withdrawls I had ever again so I am cutting it down ever so slowly. I've also cut out all caffeine and sugars, so that's helped a lot with the anxiety.

Lexapro is evil. EVIL...

[bashey333]

Hey all! I am a 21 year old male from Oklahoma. My story began in May of this year. I was on Zoloft initially, started it in August of 2005. I went to the doctor with chest pains and thought I was about to die. I got all positive results and went to see my family doctor and he gave me a depression quiz and I aced it of course because I had no idea what was going on with my body and the doctors just kept telling me I was fine, I couldn't breathe, I wasn't fine! I had a horrible depression episode in November that year and I was told to swith to lexapro since I had gained 30 and my doctor told me my depression was getting worse, and of course I just believed him. I then got depressed again at the same time frame into the Lexapro 10 mg regimen. It was then I thought something was weird. So I looked online and found that people usually got better or worse by 2-4 months onto the drug. I decided to just keep moving on thinking that lexapro is what was making me the way I was, scared of everything and extremely apathetic. I was also on xanax during these times. First thing I decided to do was get off of the xanax since I was able to breathe well again. I then decided that since I had gained 200 pounds back that I had just lost during two hard years of work, in only 1 1/2 years, I should get off of lexapro! My doctor agreed that i was doing better and a psychiatrist he sent me to said the same thing. They told me to ween off of it like this: 5mg every day for a week, then 5 mg every other day for a week then get off. I got off and by June I felt great! I had a zest for life again, and I wanted to get a job and a girlfriend and start my life! I was the best man at my brothers wedding on 7-7-07 and I lost about 28 pounds from sweating! I then felt extremely sad for the next four days after the wedding, and I didn't blame the lexapro for it, I thought I was just sad because my brother got married. Looking back now I don't believe that was the case, because exactly one month later I started having trouble breathing and I couldn't sleep and I thought I was going to do something horrible like kill somebody or myself or rape somebody if I looked at a girl and then I thought I had a flu so I started taking tussin and I could then feel my heart pumping everywhere in my body! I was steadfast about not going back to the lexapro, so I started researching diseases that I thought I might have. Then I researched herbal remedies for those disorders and I started taking magnesium 2 tablets a day. On the same day I was going to start taking those I saw a breathing exercise on a website and did that before I went to bed and felt immediate relief, then I took the magnesium and I felt like I was so calm my heart wasn't beating! I have just kept on researching the internet about disorders and herbs and stress relief tips, then I stumbled upon this message board and it is a God send! Everybody on here sounds the same, except for a few unlucky ones that have seizures, which I feel awful for. I can't believe that there are no doctors or psychiatrists that have ever found any of the information we all know! I wish there would be a national 30 minute segment about people's stories about antidepressants on Good Morning America or the Today show, but I don't see that ever happening! I have been off of lexapro for a few days more than 5 months now! I wish it was 18 months from now, I want to take cold medicine again and eat chocolate and peanut butter and watch crime shows with my mom and if I really do have high blood pressure and it is not the lexapro withdrawal causing it, then I would like to get on a medicine for that, because I can't get on anything that affects my CNS until these withdrawals are over, and I hope I don't have a stroke before then!I have had extreme hardships through these past 3 years. My brother and Dad don't believe the lexapro is still in my system and every time I turn around my mom, who is on Zoloft, has a show on with murder or extreme violence of some sort on it. Nobody gets what is going on, and I have no friends and my doctor and psychiatrist would think I am going crazy if I told them about everything going on in the past few months! I hope you guys on here will accept me and we can share stories and heal together! I need support just like the rest of you!

[Ohwell]

Sorry you have had such a hard time. Its sad when you are so young and already messed up with these drugs. I hope you are taking some good supplements and taking good care of yourself. The violence doesn't help heal, in my opinion. May God bless you. Ohwell.

[Ohwell]

Dry Mouth
Thirsty alot
No appitite
Weight Gain
Apathey
Spacey feeling
High Chlosterol
Expensive
No sex drive
Tired
Lazy
Did I ever need it? (had cancer, wasn't depressed)...


Withdrawals since stopping almost cold turkey 2 months ago (10mg)1.6 years

Dizzyness (esp. at first)
Headaches
Sweating (bad at first)
Fever like feelings
Hot face
Hot flashes and chills
Flu feeling
Sore neck
sore glands
mouth sores
dry eyes
Tiredness
Anxiety
Crying spells (only 2)
No appitite
loose bowels
Fast heartbeat
Throat issues

As of 2 months off all have healed except...tiredness, sore glands, throat irritation/fullness. Appitite is coming back, but hunger signals are not strong
ohwell.

[Ohwell]

Forgot to list internal tremmors/weird shakey feeling during the first few weeks of coming off Lex.

Also weird dreams while on and coming off. (mostly gone now)

hope this helps someone else who thinks there dying...ohwell.

[Ohwell]

Insominia....forgot that one......

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by bashey333

Hey all! I am a 21 year old male from Oklahoma. My story began in May of this year. I was on Zoloft initially, started it in August of 2005. I went to the doctor with chest pains and thought I was about to die. I got all positive results and went to see my family doctor and he gave me a depression quiz and I aced it of course because I had no idea what was going on with my body and the doctors just kept telling me I was fine, I couldn't breathe, I wasn't fine! I had a horrible depression episode in November that year and I was told to swith to lexapro since I had gained 30 and my doctor told me my depression was getting worse, and of course I just believed him. I then got depressed again at the same time frame into the Lexapro 10 mg regimen. It was then I thought something was weird. So I looked online and found that people usually got better or worse by 2-4 months onto the drug. I decided to just keep moving on thinking that lexapro is what was making me the way I was, scared of everything and extremely apathetic. I was also on xanax during these times. First thing I decided to do was get off of the xanax since I was able to breathe well again. I then decided that since I had gained 200 pounds back that I had just lost during two hard years of work, in only 1 1/2 years, I should get off of lexapro! My doctor agreed that i was doing better and a psychiatrist he sent me to said the same thing. They told me to ween off of it like this: 5mg every day for a week, then 5 mg every other day for a week then get off. I got off and by June I felt great! I had a zest for life again, and I wanted to get a job and a girlfriend and start my life! I was the best man at my brothers wedding on 7-7-07 and I lost about 28 pounds from sweating! I then felt extremely sad for the next four days after the wedding, and I didn't blame the lexapro for it, I thought I was just sad because my brother got married. Looking back now I don't believe that was the case, because exactly one month later I started having trouble breathing and I couldn't sleep and I thought I was going to do something horrible like kill somebody or myself or rape somebody if I looked at a girl and then I thought I had a flu so I started taking tussin and I could then feel my heart pumping everywhere in my body! I was steadfast about not going back to the lexapro, so I started researching diseases that I thought I might have. Then I researched herbal remedies for those disorders and I started taking magnesium 2 tablets a day. On the same day I was going to start taking those I saw a breathing exercise on a website and did that before I went to bed and felt immediate relief, then I took the magnesium and I felt like I was so calm my heart wasn't beating! I have just kept on researching the internet about disorders and herbs and stress relief tips, then I stumbled upon this message board and it is a God send! Everybody on here sounds the same, except for a few unlucky ones that have seizures, which I feel awful for. I can't believe that there are no doctors or psychiatrists that have ever found any of the information we all know! I wish there would be a national 30 minute segment about people's stories about antidepressants on Good Morning America or the Today show, but I don't see that ever happening! I have been off of lexapro for a few days more than 5 months now! I wish it was 18 months from now, I want to take cold medicine again and eat chocolate and peanut butter and watch crime shows with my mom and if I really do have high blood pressure and it is not the lexapro withdrawal causing it, then I would like to get on a medicine for that, because I can't get on anything that affects my CNS until these withdrawals are over, and I hope I don't have a stroke before then!I have had extreme hardships through these past 3 years. My brother and Dad don't believe the lexapro is still in my system and every time I turn around my mom, who is on Zoloft, has a show on with murder or extreme violence of some sort on it. Nobody gets what is going on, and I have no friends and my doctor and psychiatrist would think I am going crazy if I told them about everything going on in the past few months! I hope you guys on here will accept me and we can share stories and heal together! I need support just like the rest of you!

Hi! Welcome and it's great you are doing better. Stay away from anti-anxiety herbal remedies at least 1 year after you got off Lex completely.
Do NOT take any Sam-e or St. John's wort now.
Do you take Fish Oil? Get Carlson's Brand to make sure you get the purest.

BTW, what kind of cold medicine are you talking about? I know you are supposed to avoid some but not sure which ones.

[LexRegret]

Day 8 of cold turkey. I called in sick yesterday...just worried I couldn't fake "normal" in front of my co-workers. It did give me a good day with my wife and young girls. I also FINALLY came clean and told my wife I quit taking Lex and what I'd been going through. I guess I didn't tell her before because I was hoping this would be a non-event.

Today...I made it at work. But I felt so dizzy and out of it. My symptoms thus far (in order of severity):

-DIZZINESS (ALL DAY...EVERY DAY)
-Fatigue
-Returning depression (occasionally severe)
-Those "zaps" in my face (that's so weird)
-Restless legs

BUT, I did have a good moment tonight. I can't really explain it, but for a moment I felt sort of back to myself. I'm hoping for more of those.

Sounds like I might be one of the "luckier" ones thus far. My prayers go out to everyone getting off this stuff. This site has been a great source of information and sharing, not to mention a great outlet for me.

[alonenomore]

Any body know the difference between Lexapro and Effexor?

[AwareAbleVision]

There is a way to get your metabolism back after these uptake drugs. It will take patience and discipline.

What most people do not know is that the base of all these anti-depressant drugs is :Angel Dust". It is also used in date-rape drugs. Now mind you, the doctors and pharmacologists will tacitly deny it. That is why these drugs "tranquilize" your mind. Look into the ingredients of these DRUGS! These mental health agencies are literally and purposely poisoning us.

Here is a link to help you with a method that will help you get off these drugs safely:
http://www.theroadback.org/index.htm

Also, join with others while going through this program as a support.
Eat more raw, organic veggies,
drink mostly distilled water...
no sugar, no store bought breads.
Lower your carbos to 20 grams a day,
choose a hobby that is creative ,
start your own garden.

Be gentle with yourself, be kind with yourself and only choose people to be around you who are loving and supportive. Last or first....pray, meditate and love yourself.

[auntybiotic]

Originally Posted by LexRegret

Day 8 of cold turkey. I called in sick yesterday...just worried I couldn't fake "normal" in front of my co-workers. It did give me a good day with my wife and young girls. I also FINALLY came clean and told my wife I quit taking Lex and what I'd been going through. I guess I didn't tell her before because I was hoping this would be a non-event.

Today...I made it at work. But I felt so dizzy and out of it. My symptoms thus far (in order of severity):

-DIZZINESS (ALL DAY...EVERY DAY)
-Fatigue
-Returning depression (occasionally severe)
-Those "zaps" in my face (that's so weird)
-Restless legs

BUT, I did have a good moment tonight. I can't really explain it, but for a moment I felt sort of back to myself. I'm hoping for more of those.

Sounds like I might be one of the "luckier" ones thus far. My prayers go out to everyone getting off this stuff. This site has been a great source of information and sharing, not to mention a great outlet for me.

That is such a clever screen name.

Glad you are getting thru. Are you taking any supplements?
Dramamine (non drowsey formula) will take away the dizziness so that you can function at work.
Carsons Brand Omega 3 Fiish oil (up to 4 a day) will combat the depression, but do NOT take any after 5 PM.

You may also want to start drinking about 2 ounces of noni juice a day to prevent "depersonalization" which is the WORST of all withdrawals!!! make sure the brand you use has no preservatives. To get the best effect, place a few drops of the juice under your tongue thruout the day for maxium absorption.

Lecithin taken (as directed on bottle) will help with the zaps and movement disorder (restless legs)

also magaseium malate (start with directions on bottle) then you can double if needed )
This will help also with restless legs and any anxiety or sleeplessness you may experience.

A good quality Vitamin and mineral supplement will help your body heal.

I am not a doctor so please research all advice given to you on the internet.

Good Luck

[desp4help]

Hi it's beena few days thought I would check in
my dizzyness almost all gone except for at nite ...no energy and still
feelings of helplessness guess it does not help matters that I still don't have a job and the waiting is killing me I can't tell if I feel so worthless b/c of lex withdrawal or just my life situation right now ... no job and just passed anniversary of my Mom's death (age62) and holidays are coming I know I am rambling but I just felt like I needed someone to talk to I called my doc and he said to give it more time I was on for a 1.5 years do you think the LEX is still in my system I'm not really sure what the half life means also is being cold a side effect of wthdrawl ????

[traycee]

hi there-
I am newly off lexapro 14 days I weaned 1 mg ever 7-14 day until I came off. I am also on clonazepam which is supposed to help me sleep. I take 1.5mg at night only and has worked until recently. I cannot sleep more than 1-2 hours a night....seriously. I even took my original 1.5 mg last night and in the middle of the night took another.25. I want off everything. What can be causing this insomnia? I was put on all this in june after losing a baby and almost dying ..anding up with a transfusion. can anyone help me....I am desperate and I have a doc that just wants to continue to medicate me...please help

[Ohwell]

So sorry about your situation. To grieve is normal. Don't medicate yourself. In my opinion (I'm not a doctor), the insominia is a withdrawal from the Lex. I had it too. It lasted (for me) about a month. Was very hard to go through. I took 1 benedral about an hour before bed to get through it. Also drank "sleepie time" tea (from walmart). Keep your room very dark and quiet and no violent tv before bed. I also try not to take any naps during the day. Also try to get a bit of exercise every day to tire your body. Many on this forum also swear by a bit of sunshine every day. You didn't say how long you were on lex. or what dose. If you were on for longer and a high dose your brain chemistry is certainly altered. Many on this forum say it takes 3-18 months to heal from this drug. Depending on your taper....the slower taper the better most do....We care about you here, and many of us have suffered through. The insominia will pass. Take care of yourself and read some pervious posts from this forum. ohwell.

also, some on this forum say the benedral can make some symptoms worse, for me it was worth it to sleep. ohwell.

[SL500]

So I am sllloooowwwllyy withdrawing from lexapro. I have now gone down to 10mgs and have been waking in the morning with these weird feelings in my chest and arms...kinda cold/tingles - anxiety I am assuming....has anyone felt like this withdrawing??? I am going to get it checked out next week but I just wanted to know if anyone has experienced this?? It is very debilitating and lasts all day.....

Also, I have read on the posts not to take omega 3 after 5pm...why is this???

Thanks,
SL

[Ohwell]

Been wondering about you. So sorry about your moms passing. You were on Lex. about the same amt. of time as me. Did you cold turkey? can't remember....I "tapered" for 3 weeks off 10mg. (2 months off for me)....
Take this time off from your job as a blessing and heal! I have a wonderful husband supporting me though, so its easy for me to say that......(also have my 3 kids to care for).... When we are sick we begin to feel depressed. Who is happy when they are sick? Give yourself a break! May God bless you. ohwell.

[Ohwell]

OH yes, the Lex. in my opinion is still causing a storm in your system. Aunty says it is protein bound and can hang around quite a while. ohwell.