[mims]

Originally Posted by neveradullmoment

Holy pooper scooper, you folks know exactally what I am feeling and the last ten posts from members have been repeated by others time and time again ,not seeing and cant figure it out when It is tying your shoes,dont feel lonley.It is Simply amazing isnt it.Dont know how many hundreds here at this site,a thread well over a million hits and there is no withdrawls to Lex.Yippi yi ya.
Am i looseing it.Well it is 2 wks from being 12 months off ssri.Every day is just a smidgen better and more and more feel GEEERATE as Old Tony the Tiger would say.
Still have times with the energy and thinking things but thought I would chime in and spreed such great cheer.

Mims,yes I have had sight issues and that is getting better also.
Last night and today that damn Buss ran over me backed up and I am still feeling like road kill.

Hang in there ALL.

Well, here's another strange thing: I thought I had read through most of the entire thread, but somehow I missed most of the comments about vision difficulties similar to what I was experiencing, and also some of my other complaints like tremors. oh, well - I'm sorry to make you repeat yourselves from previous posts, but I guess that's part of the spaciness and attention problems most of us have experienced, so I'm sure you'll forgive me!

As I type this, I'm reminded of another crazy problem - I feel like I have had dyslexia since being on Lexapro -- never had it before -- especially when I type, the letters come out scrambled, and I have to correct. I've been worried about Alzheimers, too, due to my forgetfulness and difficulty with word recall, but I am now blaming that on the Lexapro and the withdrawal.

My tremors/vibrations, headaches, paresthesias, vision problems, ear noises, head noises, numbness, etc. seem to be improving gradually since I have been completely off lexapro over 3 weeks now. Still have tremors, but the past few nights have been much better, (vibrations have been milder, like the "volume" has been turned down), and other symptoms are less frequent. I've read here that symptoms can return weeks or months later - I hope I'm not in for a bad surprise later on.

I think my vision problems were not only from withdrawal, but possibly also from the drug itself while I was using it.

Here's some potentially helpful information I would like to pass along. I have been having acupuncture, and even though I went into it with a very skeptical attitude, I think that it may be helping. It's hard to say for certain because I started acupuncture during the taper process, and my symptoms varied alot from day to day, anyway. But here's what I think acupuncture has done for me: I have been sleeping at night!!!!! I've also been taking magnesium malate, calcium, and multivitamins, when I remember to take them, so it's possible that has helped my sleep also. Maybe it's the acupuncture, maybe the supplements, or both. I'm hesitant to make any recommendations here, since I'm not out of the woods yet, but if anyone is considering either of those options, it might be worth a try.

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

Noni Juice will take away the not wanting to be around people feeling. The disonnected feeling. It has worked time after time. You may want to consider trying it.

aunty

Thanks, I am going to look for it today, along with the Passion Flower!!!!

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by neveradullmoment

Holy pooper scooper, you folks know exactally what I am feeling and the last ten posts from members have been repeated by others time and time again ,not seeing and cant figure it out when It is tying your shoes,dont feel lonley.It is Simply amazing isnt it.Dont know how many hundreds here at this site,a thread well over a million hits and there is no withdrawls to Lex.Yippi yi ya.
Am i looseing it.Well it is 2 wks from being 12 months off ssri.Every day is just a smidgen better and more and more feel GEEERATE as Old Tony the Tiger would say.
Still have times with the energy and thinking things but thought I would chime in and spreed such great cheer.

Mims,yes I have had sight issues and that is getting better also.
Last night and today that damn Buss ran over me backed up and I am still feeling like road kill.

Hang in there ALL.

Oh heck yeah, please spread some cheer!!! You are 6 months ahead of me, I am about to complete 6 months of finishing my last pill of Lexapro. You felt the restlessness, anxiety, and depression as well? If so, it has gone away?

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by erinkj

Hey, I know you are having a very difficult time and, I also know that you don't realy want to add anything to what you already take but, Passion flower WILL absolutely help with the anxiety and edginess. It will also help you sleep better at night and I know you have had trouble with sleep. The passion flower comes standardized as capsules or you can buy drops. It cost about $6.00 a bottle. My pharmacist even re-searched it thouroghly for me just so that I could be sure. (I was doubting my own judgement at the time) All 3 pharmacisits who work at my pharmacy concluded that it was safe and beneficial for me to take....I think you should give it a try...All you have to loose is $6.00. The Noni juice Aunty reccomends also works very well, besides it taste great and is very good for you, chock full of vitamins and nutrients...You can even get the Noni at wal-mart and neither one will interact with your BP meds...You are still taking med's for blood pressure right?...Just my oppinion....Peace....Erin

Thanks Erin!!!!!!!!!!! Yeah, I am going to give it a try, both the Noni Juice and Passion Flower. It feels so horrendous, I want it to subside so bad. I went to the beach yesterday (I live in So. Cal.) and I felt very edgy there...isnt that weird!??? Of all places!

Yep, still on BP meds and I hope to get some removed due to weight loss and such. My pulmonologist placed me on Allegra a few weeks back. I took my first pill yesterday and it made me SLIGHTLY dizzy, no big deal. I guess I am afraid to take anything that will jack with my brain. That Hydrocodone I took last week (pain med) really did a number on me.

So Noni Juice and Passion Flower, got it....thanks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll let you all know how it goes.

[neveradullmoment]

Aeroman,
You felt the restlessness, anxiety, and depression as well? If so, it has gone away?

Those issues are still bouncing around.I am going in for a yearly Doctor visit a couple wks.I am going to press them as to what the H...Gives.
Have the normal bloodwork and request some over and above blood analyasis
My biggest concern is low or no energy witch sets up the 3 stoogies mentioned.The Funk mode strikes at times but less and less.Yesterday was a FUNK day.I slept most of today and feeling better.I do know something is holding me back.Maybe it is the doormat syndrome.Feeling like people just walk all over ya.hehe

Later

[auntybiotic]

Withdrawal from lexapro can usually happen between 8 hours of a missed dose and can be felt definately by the third day of missing doses or cold turkeying or tapering more then 10% they often includes a spontaneously experience of a "flu-like" syndrome, feeling "crummy", tired, achy, etc..
In addition to the flu-like symptoms: anxiety, dizziness, fatigue, headache, migraine-like feelings, nerves jangling when moving eyes, continuous indigestion, neck and back pain, psychotic features such as visual and/or audial hallucinations/illusions, insomnia, nausea, restlessness, "electrical shock" like phenomena/electrical surges or shocks through the head and/or body, hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, sound, colours & stressors, tremors, tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experience, depressive thoughts, suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, extreme anger, severe agitation, extreme irritability, "over-reacting", ringing in ears and throbbing in head, vomiting, paranoia, aggressive behaviour, rollercoaster emotions rapidly following up on eachother, out of character behaviour, severe malaise, general dysphoria, derealization, panic attacks.


Here is a link to a book on SSRI withdrawals. Everything in this book relates to Lexapro although it was written about Paxil......... A MUST READ for newcomers.
http://www.paxilprogress.org/pdf/Pax...Guide-2005.pdf

[Nocturnal]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

Withdrawal from lexapro can usually happen between 8 hours of a missed dose and can be felt definately by the third day of missing doses or cold turkeying or tapering more then 10% they often includes a spontaneously experience of a "flu-like" syndrome, feeling "crummy", tired, achy, etc..
In addition to the flu-like symptoms: anxiety, dizziness, fatigue, headache, migraine-like feelings, nerves jangling when moving eyes, continuous indigestion, neck and back pain, psychotic features such as visual and/or audial hallucinations/illusions, insomnia, nausea, restlessness, "electrical shock" like phenomena/electrical surges or shocks through the head and/or body, hyper-sensitivity of the nervous system to light, sound, colours & stressors, tremors, tinnitus and a vertiginous-like experience, depressive thoughts, suicidal thoughts, homicidal thoughts, extreme anger, severe agitation, extreme irritability, "over-reacting", ringing in ears and throbbing in head, vomiting, paranoia, aggressive behaviour, rollercoaster emotions rapidly following up on eachother, out of character behaviour, severe malaise, general dysphoria, derealization, panic attacks.


Here is a link to a book on SSRI withdrawals. Everything in this book relates to Lexapro although it was written about Paxil......... A MUST READ for newcomers.
http://www.paxilprogress.org/pdf/Pax...Guide-2005.pdf

Hi, aunty.

I have gone back on 5mg of Lexapro.

I started to experience the same exact symptoms that put me on Lexapro. I initially went on Lexapro due to OCD.

It returned this past weekend rearing its ugly head.

It's unfortunate but I feel that I am suited for a long-term patient of Lexapro.

My doctor told me himself, you have to weigh your options, is the side effects worth getting off the drug or not?

I have concluded that even though the side effects may affect my life, I am better on the drug than off.

Perhaps one day, maybe I will try to get off of the drug again. But until that time, I will be a patient of Lexapro and I will be better off with it.

I may scare some of you who are reading this right now but know that I am TRULY one of those people who NEED the Lexapro. There are many of you who have gone on this for feeling sad or blue, and you truly probably do not need Lexapro.

Just know there is a difference. This drug has truly helped me get through 5+ years so -- it's helped me combat my OCD.

Good luck to the rest of you and God bless!

[perkyblue]

Hi to all,
It's been awhile since i last posted. I've had a real rough time. I havn't been able to sleeep and noticed my muscles keep tightening up which has left me weak and very shaky, low energy, still havent been able to work, cry alot. have been praying alot, but my faith is pretty weak, though i am working on that because all things are possible with god. anyway, i had a nerve conduction study done on my legs,and blood test for lime, aldolace,cpk and b 12 all ok, just stress. anyway talked to my herbalist/wholistic healer. she just returned from a conferene in washingtion. seen a dr. amen. he does what is called spects on brains and can tell you what part of your brain is effected by meds and diff diseases. his website is amenclinics.com. look it up for info. anyway, he says people with depression and anxiety need higher doses of fish oils than normal, and recommends other supplements depending on your situation. my herb gal also said that ssris drain the adrenal glands, and they need help. so i am going to see her tomorrow and take a questionare and see what might help. i know this is rambling and maybe doesnt make alot of sense just sharing what i learned.keep positive thoughts, and keep praying. god bless to all. hope feeling better is just around the corner.

[Julia77]

Hi, I am almost completing month 7 of my super careful taper of 2.5 mg of Lexapro. It took me 7 months to taper off 2.5 mg and I am now close to month 7 being drug free. What can I say - slow taper only makes it bearable to navigate your way through withdrawals. None of us gets well on the drugs. Recovery only starts when you are off the drugs and lasts for many months. Ok, months 6 and 7 have been a complete roller-coaster of Fear and Emotions. Elevators and subways have become a true challenge, ( have never been), but there is a big Emotion center thing for me ... I have recollected and wept over almost every negative emotion that I have suffered in my life. I don't know how and where it's coming from, did any of you folks face something that was close to that? It has been big and intensive. I have come to see and understand where my problems stem from, and I literally saw ( spontaneously and in dreams) pictures of my childhood, my parents relationship, and how and when I was scared and anxious.

But - I am getting off topic - it's getting better! I feel like a heavy pressure is being lifted off my chest, breathing and vision are improving. Recovery does take long time, please, please don't doubt that.

[neveradullmoment]

I came across this site and find that it has been very uplifting and it deals with alot of the reasons we may have been or maybe still on SSRI"

www.livingthetruth.com

Be Safe and maybe see ya there.

[mims]

Originally Posted by Julia77

Hi, I am almost completing month 7 of my super careful taper of 2.5 mg of Lexapro. It took me 7 months to taper off 2.5 mg and I am now close to month 7 being drug free. What can I say - slow taper only makes it bearable to navigate your way through withdrawals. None of us gets well on the drugs. Recovery only starts when you are off the drugs and lasts for many months. Ok, months 6 and 7 have been a complete roller-coaster of Fear and Emotions. Elevators and subways have become a true challenge, ( have never been), but there is a big Emotion center thing for me ... I have recollected and wept over almost every negative emotion that I have suffered in my life. I don't know how and where it's coming from, did any of you folks face something that was close to that? It has been big and intensive. I have come to see and understand where my problems stem from, and I literally saw ( spontaneously and in dreams) pictures of my childhood, my parents relationship, and how and when I was scared and anxious.

But - I am getting off topic - it's getting better! I feel like a heavy pressure is being lifted off my chest, breathing and vision are improving. Recovery does take long time, please, please don't doubt that.

Thanks for the encouraging report, Julia. I, too, have had breathing and vision problems. I looked back through your posts and could not find exactly what your breathing and vision symptoms were, but I'm so glad to hear that you're getting better. The breathing problems I have had are: sensation of warm air passing through my chest on inhaling, like I can feel the air brushing against my air passages. Only on one side. That has improved now that I have been one month off lex.- before that, I did not know if this was a Lexapro problem, or something else like asthma. Also, I frequently have had a sudden sharp intake of air like a gasp ,or sometimes a noisy exhale, like "spitting" or blowing air, while I am asleep at night, and it wakes me from sleep.

Vision problems have been: vision is not as sharp, maybe eyes are dry causing worse vision through contact lenses. Eyes don't focus well together, causing tension and headache. Flashes of light. shimmering vision in semi-dark rooms. circles of light that move back and forth when I move my eyes in a dark or semi-dark room. Also, while withdrawing from the drug, there were shadowy translucent dark spots in my visual field on awakening in a semi- dark room.

I'm posting these things because it might be helpful to other people with similar concerns, and also wondering what your vision problems have been with lexapro. I'd be interested in knowing the experiences of other people who want to share their eye problems! It's such a relief to feel like maybe these problems were Lexapro related, and will hopefully go away in time. It's already improved alot.

I wish I had found this message board before spending a fortune on doctor visits and medical tests.!!!!! Although I truly don't regret having my eyes checked out, and anyone having light flashes should definitely see an ophthalmologist immediately. But I could have saved myself alot of anxiety if I had known this was probably caused by the drug.

I haven't experienced the flood of emotion yet, but I'm only one month off of this drug, and did not take it continuously over many years as some of you have. The only emotions I have felt since being on Lex ( and then off Lex) this year have been fear, worry, and feeling of frustration/ short temper. Alot of worry. But I seem to have had most of the physical complaints that everyone else has experienced.

It's very helpful to hear from those people who have improvements to report!!! Gives us hope for the future.

[Aeroman]

Today marks my 6th month being off lexapro. My last pill was on Feb 27, 2008 and after the following weeks, I dealt with the physical symptoms. Towards the end of Month 3, the emotional symptoms hit me and got worst over the weeks. July and August were the worst months as I dealt with restlessness, intense anxiety, and severe depression. I got the dizziness come back as well but has subsided some.

Yesterday, I had a GOOD day!!!!! I believe it is one of those windows folks talk about here. I just felt this relief for some reason. I had the urge to do stuff, talk to people, that kind of thing.

Sleep has been an issue - I have early morning awakening. I am taking Valerian Root (4 days) to see if it can help me knock out. I feel wired at night but I eventually sleep because I have dreams.

I too have breathing issues - I have asthma but it seems it was made worst after getting off Lexapro. I use Advair and rarely use Albuterol. I was given Singulair and Allegra but I ditched both of them - they make me really dizzy and it wasnt helping the breathing.

My vision has been different too but not too noticeable - I figured it was lexapro w/d.


Glad things are looking up to you Julia!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Nocturnal]

By any chance does anyone here still keep in touch with Tavee? She went on a very slow taper, roughly one year. In two months it will be one year since she stopped taking Lexapro. I'm wondering how she's doing. Obviously pretty good since she hasn't been here to report any problems or anything like that.

I'm hoping to hear from her as she gives us all hope that it can be done slowly and if done slowly it can be easier on the withdrawal symptoms.

[mims]

It's too bad you had to go back to the Lexapro after tapering down so far, but, really if you are getting by with 5 mg instead of what you were taking before, that is encouraging. It has to be better for your body than 20 mg. Hope it works out for you to stay on 5 mg or less as time goes by.

Getting completely off Lexapro doesn't necessarily have to be everybody's goal. Getting to the lowest dose that is effective if you need it is still something to be happy about.

Good luck.

[Nocturnal]

Originally Posted by mims

It's too bad you had to go back to the Lexapro after tapering down so far, but, really if you are getting by with 5 mg instead of what you were taking before, that is encouraging. It has to be better for your body than 20 mg. Hope it works out for you to stay on 5 mg or less as time goes by.

Getting completely off Lexapro doesn't necessarily have to be everybody's goal. Getting to the lowest dose that is effective if you need it is still something to be happy about.

Good luck.

Yes. Well, I am armed with some techniques I've used to combat my OCD. I've come this far, I'm going to give it a try once more. We'll see. I do have an appt. with my pdoc on Friday.

I am just so disappointed. I did not have any brain zaps or anything. We'll see. If Tavee could do it, and she obviously has otherwise she would be here, I can do it and I think everyone else can do it... via a slow taper.

[COHiker]

Originally Posted by erinkj

Here is some info on the serotonin/ Gut (Enteric nervouse system) connections. This info is more IBS specific but, much of this appliea to ANY and ALL Gut ailments and their serotonin influence...I posted this all in the same order that the re-search abstracts provided it.....More tp come later....Don't get cross-eyed reading it. Mary, you may want to print this off for refference as this applies to your IBS problems....Peace...Erin

WOW!!! I will respond when I get my chin off the floor
CO Hiker

[Let's do something about it]

So tomorrow makes 2 weeks completely of lexapro! I feel amazing! There is still a little vertigo but not much. Nothing on the scale it used to be. I keep seeing people that have been off for months, and still experiencing side affects. As I have been detoxing off Lexapro, there are some people around me at work that are taking SSRI's and don't want to come off theirs. They feel they need it. For the people that have been off for months and still epxeriencing symptoms did you taper slowly? I have noticed for the people who did taper slowly that the side affects are minimal and usually go away.. Anyways, just thought I would shed some light for the people interested in gettin off Lexapro. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! It will be rough, but just think of how much better you will feel when it's over. I feel great now, Im starting to feel like the me I used to know in high school which I loved. I will repost in about a week. Good luck to all!

[hope for the best]

Just checking back in to update my daughter's progress after a slow taper. She has been off Lex for over six weeks now and is doing really well. She was on Lex several months then did a slow taper for several months going down about every 2 weeks until her lowest dose was .25 mg (¼ of 1 mg.). Her withdrawal during taper was minor, some vivid dreams and a few bouts of dizziness during her last few drops. She has had no withdrawal problems since stopping.

Before and during her taper she took supplements, primarily Omega 3 fish oil, magnesium, lecithin, vit C, sometimes choline and inositol. She used DanActive (yogurt drink), sometimes whey protein and sometimes passion flower or chamomile tea.

I will add that she also worked with a therapist and saw her pdoc regularly. She also was treated with antibiotics for possible Lymes. All in all I'd say she seems to be about 95+% back to where she was before all her problems began. We'll never know if Lex helped or hindered her progress but she's very happy to be off of it.

Anyone considering stopping, please think about doing a slow slow taper. It may seem daunting to draw it out but the way we saw it, why put yourself through any additional trauma by having withdrawal issues?

[Aeroman]

Originally Posted by Let's do something about it

So tomorrow makes 2 weeks completely of lexapro! I feel amazing! There is still a little vertigo but not much. Nothing on the scale it used to be. I keep seeing people that have been off for months, and still experiencing side affects. As I have been detoxing off Lexapro, there are some people around me at work that are taking SSRI's and don't want to come off theirs. They feel they need it. For the people that have been off for months and still epxeriencing symptoms did you taper slowly? I have noticed for the people who did taper slowly that the side affects are minimal and usually go away.. Anyways, just thought I would shed some light for the people interested in gettin off Lexapro. DON'T GIVE UP HOPE! It will be rough, but just think of how much better you will feel when it's over. I feel great now, Im starting to feel like the me I used to know in high school which I loved. I will repost in about a week. Good luck to all!

Hey, congrats on feeling good!!!!

I just completed 6 months off Lexapro, yesterday. No, I did not taper slowly, thanks to my doc. He told me that one month taper off 10mg is what I am suppose to do. I felt the physical stuff you described right after I stopped. I felt GREAT 1-2 months off of it but when the end of Month 3 rolled around, oh geez, it was not good. Right around the end of May, I noticed I wasnt my happy self. I started to put my hobbies to the side (one of my indicators), apathy started to set in place along with depression. July enters and I am in intense anxiety. I had never felt so sensitive to triggers around me and I would panic. End of July, restlessness kicked in, which I never really had before either. All in the while, I was losing weight - I didnt want to touch food. August sucked too and was as bad as July. A couple of days ago, Tuesday, I felt, "good". I dunno, its kinda hard to describe but I started to think about what I wanted to do this weekend, flip through my scale models catalog, go up and talk to people, etc. I then realized something was happening!!!! I got a window of a "good" day!!!! Yesterday morning was about the same except I had a setback but the day got better as it moved along.

My sleep is still messed up (early morning awakening) but I would rather have that for now versus the intense restlessness, dizziness, irritability, and disconnection I have had with my world.

I take the passion flower capsules (3 a day), 2 Noni capsules, 1-2 teaspoons of Carlson's Fish Oil, and 1 - 25mg Valerian root for sleep (not sure if it helps).

I hope I continue to keep these good days and improve from this point forward. I hope you dont get the Phase II, emotional hell that many of us get around Month 4. I believe that a slow taper would help prevent those horrible things from happening in Month 3 or 4 but no one is really immune to w/d, slow or fast taper.

[becominghealthy]

Hi. This is my first post. Today is also the first time I've read through this thread which has been very helpful in understanding what others are going through while withdrawing from Lexapro. Maybe my comments will now help others also. Here's a quick list of the current symptoms I'm experiencing after 3 years of being prescribed 10 mgs, then 1 year using 20 miligrams to date including a most recent short stint of double that, i.e. 40 mgs for a week before going cold turkey ONLY 9 days ago. I decided to quit since I considered 40 mg troubling and extreme considering my age (40s) and physical shape (runner):

• anxious
• irritability
• low tolerance to stressors at home and work
• the need to walk away from difficult situations
• outbursts of anger
• irrationality
• sensitive/sad/sorrowful
• tearful
• hopelessness/not suicidal though
• dizziness/spinning
• headaches
• jabbing pain deep in head
• phyical soreness in hands, feet, legs and arms after minimal physical exertion
• sinus congestion
• sore throat
• feeling of extreme pressure in head
• noisy ears
• sloshing noises in ears when moving eyes from left to right as if a windy
• chest pressure when anxious
• feeling of being hot
• sleep sweats/wetness upon awakening
• random insomnia
• disturbing or extreme dreams (break-ins, physical attacks, crime, nuclear attack)

Note: Almost all of the above symptoms are becoming less and less pronounced day by day. The main symptoms still prominent are dizziness, pressure in head, noisy ears/sloshing noises in ears due to eye movement, feeling hot, sleep sweats, disturbing dreams. I know those also will diminish and finally go away based on the lessening of all other symptoms and the fact that I'm actively running again. The withdrawal has been very difficult and if I would have sought medical advice, I would not have gone cold turkey. I now recommend tapering off the drug over time. I would think that a good diet, sound sleep, physical exercise are eliminating even more extreme symptoms after doing 20 mg for so long, especially with a week of 40 mg before quitting.

At this point, I'm waiting on the day when I wake up and feel what I remember as normal. I'll try to keep posting with symptoms. Best Wishes.
Becominghealthy

Originally Posted by minky

Hello! I am just a week off of Lexapro after a couple of years of different medicines for depression, a sort of winding down from 20 to 10 to 5 over several months. Although I feel I should of stuck with the 5 mg dosage a little longer, yet have no desire to put another bit of that drug into my body. Just poison. I am being hit rather hard with the withdrawal symptoms. So glad this forum is here as I was so unsure what was happening. I actually have had chronic vertigo in the past, been almost 5 years since I had an episode so I was thrown for a loop and left wondering why it had come back last week along with my period which tends to be on the painful side. And it was so different from past episodes, especially with the ongoing nausua and snappyness. This forum has helped me get a grasp on what is going on. I am feeling so many things at once, some joy amongst lots of being on edge and tears. The relationship I was in just ended this weekend, mostly because it just wasn't right, but some of it was because of the last few weeks of me freaking out about things left and right. I feel rather abandoned by him and frustrated with my state of being. I just wish this wasn't happening, or that he could see it as what it is, withdrawal from lexapro, but emotions are involved. Depression has caused some trainwrecks in my life, I have learned some interesting things about people, my depression exposed friend's strengths as well as other's selfishness. As I had a previous boyfriend get angry at me for not being able to explain why I was sad. Thank goodness that came up at the beginning of the relationship and I was able to rid myself of such negativity. Although it did make me a bit cautious about getting close to new people, afraid that they might runaway from my overemotional being. Nonetheless I trudged on and made it to the point where I felt better and more stable and hence I stopped the lexapro. My doctor told me that I might feel depressed again, but that was the main thing to worry about. I thought no problem I understand my depression now. Yet putting dizzyness, nausea and irritability and weight gain and then having the feeling that you have no control overthings into the mix makes for a tough battle. I just keep reminding myself that things will be okay and that these symptoms will go away as well as find support here, especially in hearing similar experiences and varying viewpoints.

Perhaps I missed the answer in this forum, but I nonetheless wonder how long the withdrawal symptoms will last. Does anybody have an estimate or a figure for this? I imagine that there is no solid answer and that it all depends on how long the drugs were in the system as well as the person's own chemistry. It is just amazing how these tiny pills can create such an impact. I always felt that the pill was doing something, although often felt like it was more capping my feelings and dampening things, then making progress or rather healing my imbalance. It seems in the absence of the drug in my body I can really truly see the results, which are frightening. I feel that scientists and doctors are still simply playing around with formulas, knowledgeable yes in some areas yet don't have a firm grasp on how powerful the mind and is chemistry is.

MJ

[Painfulback]

I have been on Lexapro for about 2 years. I love it. There are no side effects and i feel great. Balanced and calm. I would recommend leaving her on it. Its not worth being off it i dont think in your case. I did stop taking it one day and quit for a month or so because i felt so good from it. I take it for GAD and moderate to severe depression. I would see another doctor because those withdrawl symptoms dont seem right. Lexapro is a non addictive and safe drug. Taking more will not make u feel any different than a normal dose so its not like my xanax that goes up in does every about 3 months.its a good med choice and the latest in treating mental conditions

[mims]

Originally Posted by becominghealthy

Hi. This is my first post. Today is also the first time I've read through this thread which has been very helpful in understanding what others are going through while withdrawing from Lexapro. Maybe my comments will now help others also. Here's a quick list of the current symptoms I'm experiencing after 3 years of being prescribed 10 mgs, then 1 year using 20 miligrams to date including a most recent short stint of double that, i.e. 40 mgs for a week before going cold turkey ONLY 9 days ago. I decided to quit since I considered 40 mg troubling and extreme considering my age (40s) and physical shape (runner):

• anxious
• irritability
• low tolerance to stressors at home and work
• the need to walk away from difficult situations
• outbursts of anger
• irrationality
• sensitive/sad/sorrowful
• tearful
• hopelessness/not suicidal though
• dizziness/spinning
• headaches
• jabbing pain deep in head
• phyical soreness in hands, feet, legs and arms after minimal physical exertion
• sinus congestion
• sore throat
• feeling of extreme pressure in head
• noisy ears
• sloshing noises in ears when moving eyes from left to right as if a windy
• chest pressure when anxious
• feeling of being hot
• sleep sweats/wetness upon awakening
• random insomnia
• disturbing or extreme dreams (break-ins, physical attacks, crime, nuclear attack)

Note: Almost all of the above symptoms are becoming less and less pronounced day by day. The main symptoms still prominent are dizziness, pressure in head, noisy ears/sloshing noises in ears due to eye movement, feeling hot, sleep sweats, disturbing dreams. I know those also will diminish and finally go away based on the lessening of all other symptoms and the fact that I'm actively running again. The withdrawal has been very difficult and if I would have sought medical advice, I would not have gone cold turkey. I now recommend tapering off the drug over time. I would think that a good diet, sound sleep, physical exercise are eliminating even more extreme symptoms after doing 20 mg for so long, especially with a week of 40 mg before quitting.

At this point, I'm waiting on the day when I wake up and feel what I remember as normal. I'll try to keep posting with symptoms. Best Wishes.
Becominghealthy

I'm not a physician or other medical practitioner, but here's the reason I think it's unwise to suddenly stop this medication instead of tapering, even if you are willing to tolerate the side effects of sudden withdrawal. When I suddenly stopped taking this med, I was unware of the problems withdrawal could cause. When I had that rushing feeling of pressure in my head, and brain zaps, I wondered if I was going to have a stroke. I started taking my blood pressure regularly, and found that it was almost always elevated during this period of time, sometimes as high as 160/90. When I began to think that Lexapro withdrawal was the cause of my health problems, I went back on the meds, and within a couple of days, began to fell better. My blood pressure immediately returned to normal!! I had never had any problem with elevated pressure until I went through those withdrawal problems. My blood pressure remained normal throughout the tapering process. I have every reason to believe that the temporary spikes in blood pressure were caused by the Lex withdrawal.

It seems potentially dangerous to do anything that raises your blood pressure like that. I don't know if this is a common withdrawal symptom, but I would certainly recommend that anyone who wants to suddenly stop taking this med, or taper very quickly, should do so under a doctor's care, and purchase a good automatic blood pressure cuff so that you can monitor your pressure.

There's no point in risking a stroke just to get off this medicine a little faster.That's just my personal opinion based on my own experience, which admittedly may not be typical. I haven't noticed other complaints on this message board about high blood pressure as a side effect of withdrawal, but some people (those who are younger than I) might not have thought about checking their pressure.

From 10 mg, I dropped pretty quickly to 5, then 2.5, then from about 1.75 to nothing. This was over a period of about 4 months. Not quite as slowly as some other people on this site, but probably worked OK for me since I was not a long-term user of Lexapro. I'm still having some tremors/vibrations, and occasional buzzing noises, etc, one month after the last pill, but all my symptoms are at a much lower level and/or less frequent now than before. I'm starting to feel very encouraged.

[neveradullmoment]

Becominghealthy,
Great list I could not describe the sysmptoms better.Might be 1 or 2 ya missed.hehe still way to many to deal with if one doesn't have to.
Do Taper slowly if your even thinking about quiting the SSRI.
I did not know of this site when I stopped.I just know I needed to stop.
The days are much clearer now me 1yr later and Hopefully your on the way with the Tapered withdrawl.
If I read correctly you may want to try the 10mgs to bounce from and level out after the 30 and 40 you discontinued.I am not a Dr. I can tell you that you havn't even seen the train coming yet if you remain cold turkey.Do yourself a favor and Think about it.

[ShouldBeAShrink]

So I went to the doc and now he wants me to go from 10mg of Lex to 20mg! AHH! I don't want to. I feel OK. I still get panicky at times and that's why he wants me to up to doseage. And he wants me to try ativan since I didn't like the oxazepam. I feel like screaming at him and saying "HEY I AM 23 AND I HAVE BEEN ON KLONOPIN SINCE I WAS 13!! I WANT KLONOPIN THAT I KNOW WILL HELP ME!!!" but nooo, he wants me on something that has a shorter 1/2 life. So needless to say I need to go fill this prescription and he wrote the 20mg of Lex and the ativan on the same one so I have to get both filled. I still had 3 refills of the 10mg on my bottle. He told me I can just take two pills. I think I am just going to take the ativan and cut the pills in 1/2 for the lex because I don't want to fluctuate with the Lex and I still have issues with my stomach. I feel like I am hungry and get that hunger-nauseated feeling and when I start to feel nauseated, I don't eat unless I know 100% that I am hungry. Even now at 11:52pm my stomach is churning and I haven't gained any weight like I did with the Paxil. Is my food metabolizing faster on this? I need a weight gaining program. At least I haven't lost any but I still need to gain more.

Sorry if it seems like I was rambling, I needed to vent too!

[Nocturnal]

Does anyone know a correalation between withdrawals and having what seems to be the flu?

I reinstated my 5mg dose this past Monday. Waited out Tuesday and then took one 5mg on Wednesday. I have consecutively taken it for Thursday and Friday.

I had been off Lexapro for roughly 9 days.

Would this flu like symptoms that I am having: fever, chills, just general feeling like complete and utter ********************, have to do with withdrawing? If so, why wouldn't the 3-5 days of 5mg do anything to help with this?

[crazzykat785]

Hi everyone,

I'm an 18 yr old female,
I have been tappering off lexapro for the last week, yesterday and today i decided not to have any at all, i've gone cold turkey because it scares me.

Someone tell me, will the depersonalization effect go away! i sometims freak out and feel like i'm dreaming, and i get a rapid heart beat and some trouble breating, but this is mainly at night.

I can't see a doctor for another 3 days and i'm scared they're just going to think i'm crazy!

What do i do??

[mims]

Originally Posted by Nocturnal

Does anyone know a correalation between withdrawals and having what seems to be the flu?

I reinstated my 5mg dose this past Monday. Waited out Tuesday and then took one 5mg on Wednesday. I have consecutively taken it for Thursday and Friday.

I had been off Lexapro for roughly 9 days.

Would this flu like symptoms that I am having: fever, chills, just general feeling like complete and utter ********************, have to do with withdrawing? If so, why wouldn't the 3-5 days of 5mg do anything to help with this?

I had the flu after getting off lexapro, and didn't make the "connection" until after I recovered. After several days of chills, exhaustion, muscle aches, etc, I finally did get a cough, also. As a matter of fact, I was convinced that my health symptoms were caused by a flu virus that left me with some kind of neurological damage. Later, I remembered that it was probably the previous week that I had stopped the Lexapro.

So maybe I had withdrawal AND the flu. I think it's hard to tell the difference, since flu -like symptoms are experienced by some people on withdrawal, but you could certainly have a virus AND withdrawal at the same time. (Are you a really unlucky person? ) I'm not sure about the fever - I never did take my temperature when I had the flu, but I did have really bad chills like you would have with a fever.

However, mine happened during flu season, and we are not really in a flu season the end of August. So, see a doctor if you don't feel better soon. Might be a good idea to ask a doctor anyway. Flu symptoms in the summer months can be an indication of tick fever, or so I'm told.

[mims]

Originally Posted by crazzykat785

Hi everyone,

I'm an 18 yr old female,
I have been tappering off lexapro for the last week, yesterday and today i decided not to have any at all, i've gone cold turkey because it scares me.

Someone tell me, will the depersonalization effect go away! i sometims freak out and feel like i'm dreaming, and i get a rapid heart beat and some trouble breating, but this is mainly at night.

I can't see a doctor for another 3 days and i'm scared they're just going to think i'm crazy!

What do i do??

If you were doing OK on the lexapro, (not having any serious side effects from the drug itself), maybe you should consider going back on it and then tapering more slowly. If you read through these posts from other people on this message board, you'll see that a very slow taper produces fewer withdrawal effects.

When you say "it scares me" , I wonder if there's a side effect of the Lexapro that scares you, or is it the idea of being on antidepressants long-term that scares you? If it's a scary side effect, that's a medical problem that needs medical attention. If it's just the idea of being afraid of taking drugs, that's certainly a legitimate concern, but a slow taper under a doctor's care would be the answer.

Also, is the rapid heartbeat and breathing problem bad enough that you feel you should seek medical care sooner than 3 days?

I have a friend who actually had to go the emergency room due to a really bad reaction to an antidepressant (not Lexapro). I'm not suggesting that you might have such an emergency, but just don't worry too much about anybody thinking you're crazy!

I made the mistake of suddenly dropping Lexapro, then I had to go back on it and do a slow taper in order to reduce the withdrawal effects.

[Julia77]

Hello folks,



I have to do Sonohysterography next week and the doc prescribed to take 2 advils before that. I have been avoiding all medications altogether for 7 months and am hesitant about it. Are advils likely to mess up and exacerbate my withdrawals or will I be fine?

[Julia77]

Originally Posted by Painfulback

I have been on Lexapro for about 2 years. I love it. There are no side effects and i feel great. Balanced and calm. I would recommend leaving her on it. Its not worth being off it i dont think in your case. I did stop taking it one day and quit for a month or so because i felt so good from it. I take it for GAD and moderate to severe depression. I would see another doctor because those withdrawl symptoms dont seem right. Lexapro is a non addictive and safe drug. Taking more will not make u feel any different than a normal dose so its not like my xanax that goes up in does every about 3 months.its a good med choice and the latest in treating mental conditions

I am very happy for you for now. Well, if you are a real person, and not a pharmaceutical company rep, you probably should be warned about long-term effects of those drugs. 2 years is not a long term, and should you decide to stay on them longer, beware about so-called tolerance state. This happens when your body gets used to the drug, and the drug starts to produce the same side-effects which they were supposed to treat. This is when the doctors start to scratch their heads and say,'You need another drug to help this one work better.' Thís is exactly how most of us end up being on drugs combo and still feeling cre*py.

The answer is to get off and start to feel better, since none of us feel good on the drugs, and those who say they do just forgot what it is to feel good ( I am talking mostly about myself here

I am not saying we don't need those drugs. Well some of us probably do in real life-threatening emergency cases, for short-term therapy, warned about the possible necessity to withdraw for the longest time.

all the best to you.