[mims]

paxilprogress.org has an online withdrawal guide that tells what to expect in withdrawal. The withdrawal experience with paxil is essentially the same as lexapro. Go to paxilprogress.org and click on "free e-book" near the top of the page.

[Pugcrazy]

Hey mims and to all the new names I have not seen before. For me things have been going good. October 17th will be 5 months off lexapro. I got back from Disney world on september 27 and must say I had a great time. The weather was just perfect. The sun was out everyday and I have to say that does a lot for ones mood. It's always sad to come home and face reality but next year will be here before I know it. I was a more tired there than usual but I can't complain about anything else. The magnesium glycinate has just be wonderful. I did not have one problem with sleep there at all. If you recall that was my biggest fear, to not be able to sleep. I was very busy getting back into the swing of things and have been meaning to check in but onething leads to another and I kept putting this on the back burner. So as for withdrawals, my bones especially my hips have been sore but that is it for phyisical symptoms. I still get tired but no where near as bad as before. I have to say though and it kind of scares me is since last week I have been feeling kind of depressed and crabby. No anger like in the beginning just down and crabby. I guess this is to be expected at the 5 month mark. Mims I could use some of your words of encouragement. You all here all the only ones who really understand what is going on. Mims thanks for wondering where I was. I was gone but never far away. I always am checking up. How about dan and aeroman? Has anyone heard from them. I know dan was having a heck of a bad time before I left. Hope he is ok. Talk to you all soon.
Wishing I was still in Disney.........
Pug

[sayyadina]

Thanks mims.

Do mild headaches and dry mouth, no matter how much water you drink, go along with being off the Lexapro?

[Pugcrazy]

Still have occasional headaches and dry mouth will eventually get better. I used to have horrible sinus headaches but those headaches have diminished greatly since being off the lexapro.I would get sinus headaches sometimes 3 times a week and now I get them maybe once a month.
Pug

[nattyann]

Hi all,
I have weaned from 10 mg to 3.75 on liquid lexapro over a year period. It has been rough to say the least.
I have started on The Road Back essential protein several wks ago. Even though I am only taking 1/2 tsp, it has made the symptoms flare up in a major way. The worst symptom is throat closing off as I attempt to fall asleep. This goes on and on for hours. I am lucky to sleep 2-3 hours a night.

I had a sleep study and used a cpap machine for about a month. I had to stop using it as I had a horrible strange reaction with breathing irregularity issues. Of course the doctors do not understand.

I guess I will stop the essential protein and see if that helps.
Does anyone else have falling asleep problems?
If it's not the jerking awake suddenly because of gasping for air, then I have extreme dizzyness while falling asleep.
I can not take benedryl or any such thing as that makes me much worse.
Thank you ......

Tired in Indiana

[John Weelsen]

Originally Posted by jasmine22

Hi everyone,

I'm new here and stumbled upon this forum when google-ing side effects of Lexapro withdrawal.

I was initially prescribed Lexapro 2 years ago for anxiety and depression at doses between 10mg - 20mg (at different times I needed different doses if that makes sense).

Had terrible side effects at 20mg so have been at 10mg for the majority of those 2 years. Decided 1 month ago to withdrawal from Lexapro as I have been on some sort of SSRI for quite some time - around 6 years (Aropax, amongst other meds like Xanax, Valium, etc). My depression and anxiety has improved greatly as I have gotten older and I feel its time to see what I'm like without them.

In the past month I have tapered from 10mg to 5mg to 2.5mg and I am on day 4 or 5 of nothing now. Looking through these forums I now know this is cold turkey!! I am having awful side effects - buzzing, vertigo, dizziness, nightmares, panic attacks, paranoia, nausea, hot and cold flushes, headache, shakiness, weakness/fatigue, brain zaps, stomach cramps, food cravings and then periods of hating even the thought of food, when I do eat it is salty fatty food! etc etc.

I am feeling absolutely horrible. Have called in sick for work tomorrow (which i feel awful about) and my boyfriend is taking me to the doctor where I will get another script for Lexapro and go back on at either 5mg or 10mg and wean myself SLOWLY from this horrible drug.

Have been reading this forum and the advice is wean 10% of the dose every 2 weeks, is this correct?

Can anyone else please give me any advice that may be useful?

Thanks everyone!

I think 10% it's a very fast... 80% - 60% - 40% - 20%-5%(each reduce dosage after 2-3 days)... after 15 days you can see results...
(forgot) More SLEEPs... not very fat food... more drinks...

[mims]

nattyann,

This is one of my worst problems, just as you described it, and it has also been reported by other people on this site and other SSRI withdrawal sites. Many of my withdrawal-related symptoms happen when falling asleep.
I have been off lexapro over one year.

I started vitamin D3 and 100mg Magnesium glycinate about a month ago, and my breathing got much better, I'm pretty sure it was the mag glycinate that helped, but I have had a flare-up the past couple of days with the return of breathing problems for one night. Then last night I was OK again with breathing, but still didn't sleep well. I also take some other supplements at times.

I doubt the protein is causing this for you, but it's certainly worth quitting for a while and see what happens. Please let us know if you find any thing that is helpful. Sleeping on my side helps some, even though my throat still closes, just not as completely.

It's really discouraging that this happened to you even though you weaned carefully. I'm sorry -- it's a terrible problem to have.

I have learned that sleep apnea can affect your vision also, and that is one of my worst problems. Is your vision affected? Mine is blurry and there is glare around bright lights. What are your other symptoms?

[Pugcrazy]

Hey mims guess what last night was my first night since we started the mag glycinate last month that I had a hard time sleeping. I was up til 5 am but I guess those nights are still going to occur. I paid bills and ya know how things are when money is very tight especially after going to Disney. So i may have been awake doing some night time worrying. Well the Dow jones went above 10000 yesterday I guess that is a good sign. I am going to try my hardest not to nap today so I will be extra tired tonight. I want to put up some Halloween decorations today. I am late this year and it's bugging the kids. LOL talk to you all soon. Again it feels good to write on this forum.

[mims]

Hi, pug

It's good to hear from you -- your posts always have such a cheerful tone.
So glad you had fun at Disney and were able to sleep.

I think we just have to accept the fact that there may be periods of depression from time to time after coming off lexapro or other SSRIs. It's certainly well- documented on this site and others, by other people who have gone through this, especially around the 5 to 6 months mark. It won't last forever. And keep in mind it's normal to feel down and crabby sometimes.

I'm past the one-year mark (almost 15 months now!), and still have some pretty bad waves of feeling down, along with other physical symptoms that come and go. I think it is taking me longer to get past this because the physical symptoms disturb my sleep, and because I'm older, past menopause. I'm just grateful that I found this site and other SSRI withdrawal sites like paxilprogress that document these "wave" patterns, so that I know it's probably not a true "depression", and will get better in time. Knowing that it's part of the post-withdrawal/ recovery process helps to keep me drug-free --
free from SSRI drugs.

Dan posts on the paxilprogress site, and I read posts on that site sometimes. He seems to be doing pretty well, but still feeling anger and frustration about having to deal with this as a young man who'd rather be enjoying college life. Aeroman posts there, too, he is posting less frequently and appears to be getting better gradually as far as I can tell.

[mims]

pug, I had a worse night last night, also. maybe it's a moon phase, ha-ha!
I woke at 2:30 and never went back to sleep. I have been getting less exercise and more stress the past couple of days, so I think it's just my sensitive nervous system having trouble with that. Also think being under bright fluorescent lights for a long time may be a trigger for me.

Lying awake worrying (about financial and other issues) put me on lexapro in the first place. Oh, how I wish I'd found another way to deal with insomnia.

[ray34iyf]

Hey guys,

Just wanted to give an update and ask advice.

It's been nearly 10 weeks since reinstating 10mg of Lexapro... and I still feel like ********.

Rerealization has gone away since I've stopped heaving working out, fatigue has gotten a bit better, but overall I'm still having shakiness inside, anxiety, head symptoms, and depressive episodes with overall lack of motivation and low mood.


What should I so at this point? Decrease my dose to 9mg and see how I feel?

I'm getting really fed up.

Thanks

Dan

[sayyadina]

I was wondering if part of Lexapro withdrawal can include fainting. I went off in June, and I fainted today. Have no history of fainting or any other medical condition except some allergies & mild asthma which doesn't bother me much, and I'm 25. Had an EKG done earlier this year which was totally normal. I do have a tendency towards having low blood pressure, especially when I'm sick, but it usually doesn't cause issues, unless I get too hot.

I got really cold, sweaty & dizzy, and then I passed out. Wasn't out for very long. I did have a sinus headache yesterday and into today. I do have an appointment w/ my doctor tomorrow.

[nattyann]

Thanks Mims for letting me know you understand about the throat closing ordeal. I also have to sleep on my side and as upright as possible.
I can never figure out why one night is somewhat better than another.
I do take mag glycinate but will probably try the D3. I have read good things about it.

To the member who asked about fainting. I went through several months of fainting episodes after weaning off lexapro for only 3 weeks. Of course I finally realized I needed to reinstate and do a very slow taper after much research. I'm glad you have already reinstated. I would imagine you won't suffer with this any more.
I truly thank God for the web. Countless doctors had no clue what was wrong.

Last night I went off the essential protein and slept much better. I may try it again in a few days at a lower dosage. I am convinced that raising glutathione levels is very important.

Mims , do you use any natural supplements to help with sleep?
I use tart cherry concentrate but am thinking of trying passion flower. Any experience with it?

You asked what things have helped me with the thoat closing....
I know that without a doubt, acupuncture has helped. My holistic doctor does it and concentrates on the nervous system and breathing points.
I go every week sometimes every other week. I do better when I get it weekly. If you do this make sure you get an extremely experienced practitioner. It is worth the money.
Nattyann

[Pugcrazy]

Nattyann
Both mims and I have had some luck with magnesium glycinate. Glycinate is much more gentle than any of the other types. This and time has been it for sleep. It's been 5 months for me and sleep is just getting better. Did have a bad night last night but for the most part sleep is getting better. Do some research on the mag glycinate before you try anything. I am in no way an expert on supplements. Hope your sleep improves soon.
Pug

[nattyann]

Mims,

I forgot to answer you about the vision issues.
YES! I have been alarmed about vision changes but again the optometrist can find nothing wrong.
I had no idea the apnea had anything to do with vision.
The biggest problems for me are what I call snowy vision most noticable at night. When the lights are dim in the room, everything looks like l am looking through white fog. Also when I wake in the morning it takes a while for my vision to become clear. Also I have a lot of wispy. shadowy, floaters that cloud my vision. My eyes get tired and blurry very easily.

I have severe tmj and 3rd stage arthritis in my jaw joints thanks to the jaw clenching at night over the past four years. I never had tmj in my life until the lexapro. One of the worst side effects for me overall has been the involuntary jaw clenching while sleeping. I would wake up every morning with an aching face and jaw. I also believe the intense vertigo I have had is due to the jaw joint pressing on nerves around the inner ear.
I assumed that my vision problems were due to the tight muscles in my cheeks and around my eyes .....related to the tmj.
Would you mind explaining to me how apnea effects vision?

By the way, I found a doctor who has written most of the textbooks on tmj. He speaks all over the world on tmj. He believes in very conservative splints...not the irreversible kinds. He also said that our jaw joint is the only joint in our body that reproduces new bone. So even though one may have severe damage to the joint, it can heal.
We are fearfully and wonderfully made.
His words brought me back from a pit of despair... so I share this in hopes it helps one of you.
Nattyann

[mims]

Originally Posted by ray34iyf

Hey guys,

Just wanted to give an update and ask advice.

It's been nearly 10 weeks since reinstating 10mg of Lexapro... and I still feel like ********.

Rerealization has gone away since I've stopped heaving working out, fatigue has gotten a bit better, but overall I'm still having shakiness inside, anxiety, head symptoms, and depressive episodes with overall lack of motivation and low mood.


What should I so at this point? Decrease my dose to 9mg and see how I feel?

I'm getting really fed up.

Thanks

Dan

Dan, So sorry you're still not feeling well. Dropping your dosage seems perfectly reasonable to me, I can't imagine that there would be any benefit to continuing at your current dosage if you are not improving or stabilizing.

I wish there were some actual studies that we could rely on in making these decisions, or that our doctors had more knowledge of what to do in these difficult situations with SSRIs. I feel like we are all "flying blind" and having to figure out on our own how to make adjustments with some very potent drugs.

I can't see any harm in decreasing your dosage by 10%. How is your cognitive function, Dan? You were recently considering dropping out of school for the semester. If you are going to decrease your dosage, maybe you should do it when you don't have any big exams coming up soon in the next 2 weeks, and then again maybe at Christmas break, which would give you several weeks to recover. Even so, based on everything I've read, it seems that most people can make drops on lexapro without much trouble until they get to about the 5 mg level. I went straight from 10 to 5 without noticing any difference, but I still wouldn't recommend that to anyone else.

You know this is not the advice of a medical person -- ultimately, it's a decision you have to make for yourself, but I think you might feel better after dropping a little. My advice to everybody is always: try to spend some time outdoors - it helps me.


Good luck, Dan

[mims]

I began to wonder about the connection between apnea and vision disorders because there are so many people complaining about both after using SSRIs.

Mimmie2008 who has posted on this site has both sleep apnea and difficulty with near focus. I googled 'sleep apnea and vision' and found that sleep apnea can cause vision problems, then asked my sleep clinic doctor and he said yes, there is a relationship. I did read on one site that apnea can cause elevated intra-ocular pressure and that anyone with sleep apnea should have their eye pressure checked.

If you have only seen an optometrist, you should also get a check-up with an ophthalmologist and have your eyes dilated so your optic nerve and retina can be examined. I have done all that and still no answers even though my IOP is slightly high, doc says it doesn't need to be treated since there's no nerve damage.

I've also experienced snowy vision, it has improved some, and floaters seem to be common in SSRI users. I've had shimmery peripheral vision (improved)and still have poor vision in low light, cloudy days.

Besides raising intraocular pressure, I suspect apnea could affects vision due to oxygen deprivation when you quit breathing, which might affect circulation of oxygen to the eyes. Also, I can feel pressure in my head whenever my throat blocks, and that could be a factor - maybe there's pressure on the optic nerve or back of the eye. Just my theories, but, hey ---I'm beginning to feel like I know more than my doctors about all this crazy stuff we're dealing with.

How old are you, nattyann? I'm 56.

I also have tmj, and have had it for years -- maybe it came from the time I took paxil years ago. Did you get a splint for your tmj? I had no idea the bone could regenerate. I hope our brains can, as well!

I tried tart cherry juice, but don't use it regularly. Might give the concentrate a try. The only thing I take for sleep is the mag glycinate, and I usually take soya lecithin in the evening. I also take epsom salt baths at night -- 2 cups in the bathwater several times a week - magnesium from the salt is absorbed through skin and is relaxing. I have not tried valerian, but others on this site have reported that it is helpful. I'm hesitant to take anything that might make me too sleepy, because the sleep doctor told me tranquilizers should not be used, might cause muscles to relax too much and make apnea worse. so I try to avoid anything that might be very tranquilizing.

I've been having acupuncture also which I believe is responsible for some of my improvement along with the magnesium. but I did notice a pretty big improvement (in throat blockage) the very first time I took the mag.

I'm hoping that time will be the healer for the sleep apnea as well as other problems caused by lexapro. And I, too, thank God for the internet and for all the people who have posted here. It helps keep me somewhat sane, knowing I'm not alone in this struggle.

[sayyadina]

mims, I think your theory about the connection between sleep apnea & vision problems sounds good. After all, the eyes are connected to the brain pretty directly and oxygen deprivation kills brain cells.

I've tried valerian which didn't always work so well for me. Another herb that's good to help sleep and with anxiety is passion flower or passiflora. Though you should not take any herb without consulting a doctor or herbalist.

Turns out I have really inflamed sinuses due to allergies and some fluid in my left ear, which is why I feel so crummy and why I fainted.

Seem to be doing pretty well otherwise. Been off the Lexapro completely for 5-6 months.

[mims]

Hope you feel better sayyadina. I meant to say passion flower in my previous post! Instead of valerian. Someone who used to post here really liked passion flower for sleep. I haven't tried it.

I also have tiny cataract formation on both eyes, which might be affecting my vision slightly , but that does not explain all my vision troubles.

[nattyann]

Pug,
Thank you for the tip on mag glycinate. I have been using it and also believe it has been the greatest help for sleep. I wonder if upping the dose would help even more. Sleep has been the worst ordeal for me. I appreciate your kind words.
Mims, I'm close behind you at the wonderful age of 51. Life is a gift even through the struggles. As you age you realize how precious and fast it all goes.
I will arrange to see an opthamologist. Have you had contact with others who have shown improvement after stopping the lexapro? Or do you think our vision problems and apnea are here to stay? I almost hate to ask.....
I have the shimmery peripheral vision also!!!

I am sorry you have tmj. It has been a terrible ordeal for me. The clinic I go to HATE ssri's and the new osteoporosis medicines, as they can be very damaging to the jaw.

I tried a splint once for several months and stopped due to worsened vertigo.
It was a simple bite splint, not a repositioning one. The doctor I saw was very glad I did not follow other dentist's advice and let them reposition my jaw and then have to do all new crowns etc,
That whole deal would have cost $20,000 to $30,000. He said there is absolutely no research that proves that those type of splints change the actual jaw joint. They are great for padding the pockets of lots of dentists.

The clinic I go to has me learning biofeedback. I bought a small handheld biofeedback machine and practice 1/2 hour daily. It has made a big difference in muscle tension in my face and jaw. It is also very good for the nervous system! It teaches the nervous system how to relax.
I just started it several months ago. I'm not as proficient as I hope to be yet.

A lot of tips for tmj on the web say to keep your lips closed, teeth apart, and tongue behind your upper teeth. I used to practice this all the time.
However, The doctor I am working with now says this is poor advice. He says it is best to let your mouth fall open with your tongue on the bottom of your palate. Ask yourself-- what would my jaw be doing if I were unconscious or asleep.
Yes, it looks ridiculous to go around with your mouth hanging open, but if you are in a flare up, it's very helpful to relax those muscles as much as possible.

Now that I am down to 3.75 of lexapro ,the jaw clenching is better. So I am hoping that this only continues to improve as I reduce.
I'm glad I decided to start posting. You all are great.
Nattyann

[pboy]

Originally Posted by mims

Hope you feel better sayyadina. I meant to say passion flower in my previous post! Instead of valerian. Someone who used to post here really liked passion flower for sleep. I haven't tried it.

I ordered some of this off Amazon but not received it yet. Would be interesting to hear if anyone else tries it with any success.

While I'm still on Lex I actually manage to sleep but I only stay in the 'dream phase' of sleep, anyone else experience this?

[pboy]

Originally Posted by sayyadina

Seem to be doing pretty well otherwise. Been off the Lexapro completely for 5-6 months.

That's great to hear! Did you go through the 3rd/4th month emotional hit?

[mims]

I can only hope that it's reversible. I'll have to say that I'm very concerned about that. My falling-asleep apnea seems to be better than it was a few months ago, so that's encouraging. But of course i don't know what's happening while I'm asleep. My doctor said that being past menopause was a risk factor for sleep apnea -- apparently estrogen and other hormones have a protective effect. It does seem that younger people seem to recover faster from SSRI withdrawal effects, but that's just my observation from what I've read on this site. There could be other factors involved that makes it seem that way.

I think the fact that we have some days and nights that are better than others means that there must be a possibility that things can get better.

Some people who have posted here and some on paxilprogress.org have had vision problems that improved over time. If mine stays like it is now, I can live with it. I just hope it doesn't get any worse.

I've noticed that I have a lot of tension in my face when I wake up during the night.

My sleep doctor said I'm don't really fit the sleep apnea typical profile, because I'm only a little overweight, but he still recommended losing some to see if it would help. I did find some articles online in medical journals linking SSRIs to sleep apnea.

[sayyadina]

Originally Posted by pboy

That's great to hear! Did you go through the 3rd/4th month emotional hit?

A little. That also coincided with me being alone for over 2 weeks, since my dad went away to Ireland for vacation/business. I'm doing much better emotionally at this point.

This is where I get all my herbs http://www.avenabotanicals.com/. Its also all organic and they're local. Pretty much all the natural food stores here carry their stuff, though you can order online.

Still dealing with this inner ear/sinus thing. I feel pretty good when I'm in bed, but if I do too much I get dizzy.

[carolyn222]

Originally Posted by auntybiotic

Does anyone have any experience from withdrawaing from Lexapro 20 Mg for one and a half years?? My daughter is having a tough time tapering off lexapro.
She is getting sweats, anxiety, moodieness and manic like actions.

Let me know if anyone has sucessfully weaned off a SSRI and what happened along the way.
Thanks

Hi auntybiotic,

I began to show signs of resistance after taking only 3mg Lexapro for nearly one year. The symptoms you describe for your daughter sound about right, though a little more severe than I had. My doctor replaced the Lexapro with Seroquel, an anti-psychotic, even though I am not bi-polar. This med helps reduce the panic/anxiety esp. at night (if taken at bedtime). Regarding SSRIs, I am off them for now because I began to experience SSRI Toxicity (dubbed Seratonin Syndrome), which can make you very sick. I have since then been prescribed Wellbutrin and Selexa. The Wellbutrin simply brought back my SSRI reactions. The Selexa made me throw up. So basically I have been off the SSRIs now for about 4 months. Anxiety and Panic D/O's are a problem as well as sleep. I am learning to 'be with the depression', which I would rather do than suffer from the SSRI side effects or toxicities. I am in need of some sleep and that is getting to be a bigger and bigger problem.

Sad to say, but I am beginning to realize that I (along with many folks with our disorders) have to accept that I will be subject to ever changing pharmacopoeia from my doctor/s, because no med or med combination is perfect. We find something, it works for a while, then we have to change when it stops working. And suffer the side affects and withdrawals.

I am also relying on Yoga and Meditation (the latter is esp. difficult for those of us with panic, anxiety and PTSD). If you can give a lot of time to it (like an hour or more every day) it can be helpful.

I wish you the best in finding something that works for your daughter.

[vestabula]

Week three of Lexapro withdrawal. I am still having disturbing head sensations..zapping and a swishing sound in my ears when I move or blink. Now I have a horrific headache that responds to nothing I take. My doc wants me to start taking it again...just to git rid of the symptoms. I have permanent vision problems from this horrible drug and I cannot take any more SSRI's. (so says the eye doctor) I know there is nothing anyone can say or do. I just hope I can duke it out and it passes. As others have said....I'll take the anxiety any day over this. I just can't believe my doctor says withdrawals are very rare...and if you do have them they only last a few days.

Donna

[mims]

Originally Posted by vestabula

Week three of Lexapro withdrawal. I am still having disturbing head sensations..zapping and a swishing sound in my ears when I move or blink. Now I have a horrific headache that responds to nothing I take. My doc wants me to start taking it again...just to git rid of the symptoms. I have permanent vision problems from this horrible drug and I cannot take any more SSRI's. (so says the eye doctor) I know there is nothing anyone can say or do. I just hope I can duke it out and it passes. As others have said....I'll take the anxiety any day over this. I just can't believe my doctor says withdrawals are very rare...and if you do have them they only last a few days.

Donna

Donna, what did the eye doctor say about your vision problems? and did he say it is permanent? I'm interested in hearing about other people's lexapro- related vision problems since I'm having those also. Are you having blurry vision?

I had zaps and headaches - that improved for me within a couple of months.
I know that sounds like forever, but it will gradually get better. If your headaches are mostly at night or on awakening in the morning, try sleeping in a more upright position. Many nights I got up and moved to a chair due to headaches. Headaches became less frequent as the months passed. I've only had 2 bad ones in the past 6 months, and a few mild ones.

Thanks for sharing any info about the vision problems.

[vestabula]

I noticed blurred vision within days of starting Lexapro (2 years ago) and finally went to get my eye glass prescription changed. It is blurred mainly when I read or try to use the computer..and it happens within seconds of looking at print. If I read..I have to wait at least a half hour if I want to drive. Anyway, since my glasses were less then six months old when I went to the eye doctor, he asked me if I was any prescriptions...I told him Lexapro. He stopped the exam and told me to come back a YEAR after I had weaned off as these drugs do damage to some muscle that regulates focus. He also said it can do something to the retina of the eye. That is when I decided to wean off completely (over a four month period) as I am a writer by profession and this drug has destroyed my ability to complete a paragraph. My headaches feel like a tension/sinus combo along with severe eyestrain. They NEVER go away. Maybe they are from my brains banging into my skull...or at least that's what it feels like...LOL!

When I stated that my vision damage was permanent, I meant that the doc said it would never go back to the way it was before I started this drug. I think he meant that I will just need a stronger prescription but it's useless to do the changes now as he didn't know how much damage has been done until the withdrawals are completely gone.

So sorry you are going through this too. I think your vision will stabilize once this stuff is completely out of your system.

Donna

[mims]

Donna,

I am about 15 months off lexapro, and still having blurred vision. I guess it's not going to get any better at this point, even though I was hoping. My doctor has tried to go ahead and increase my prescription, and I have been struggling along with my old prescription in hopes that I would have improvement and not get locked into a steeper prescription. I developed some spots on my retina - I wonder if that was connected to lexapro also, the retina doc says they are in an area where they shouldn't affect my vision, outer edges of retina, but I'm worried that more may pop up in other places.

I am really angry that this drug has caused this kind of problem. My doctors seem unaware. Since your eye doc seems to be aware of this as a side effect of lexapro, I wonder if he would be willing to report it or submit an article to a medical journal to inform other doctors.

mimmie2008 who posts here has the near-vision problems also. Mine is distance. I wonder if our muscles get "stiff" and just get locked into a certain position.

This is just infuriating and very frustrating and has affected all aspects of my life.

I wonder if there is some kind of inflammation or swelling in the brain that could be causing some of this, but I had an MRI early on to rule out MS, and if there was extreme swelling it should have shown up. I have wondered if the drugs caused high intracranial pressure, which some other drugs are known to cause (like accutane), since some of the symptoms are similar-- vision disorders, tinnitus, headache are symptoms of that. Scary thought.
I don't mean to frighten anyone by suggesting that.

I hope you feel better soon. Thanks for responding to my question.

[mims]

I have just read that sleep apnea, which I do have since quitting lexapro, can cause elevated intracranial pressure, but since my headaches have gone away, I have to assume that is not a likely diagnosis in my case, since unrelenting headaches are one of the main symptoms of that disorder.

I don't mean to suggest that you might have that - it is supposed to be diagnosed by having your doctor look into your eye. I'm sure your eye doc would have seen it if you have it. There is some type of distortion in the eye that is apparent, even without dilating the eye. I have seen several eye doctors and nobody has noticed any such thing, but I still worry..