[auntybiotic]

Jonny,

I agree with wigging out, if you cannot offer support then why post.

You are just quitting Lexapro, lets see after two weeks if your attitude changes. I am betting it will if you are a "for real person and not a troll". You are not even speaking from experience as you have never even went thru the lexapro withdrawals. How can you argue with 14 pages of real people that are all experiencing the same withdrawals from lexapro.It is poison.

We all have enough on our plates and are here helping one another to get thru this Lexapro ordeal, we do not need a critical person doubting every word that we say. Are you sure you don't work for Forest Labs? Are they paying you to make their horrible medication not look so bad?

aunty

[speechy]

Mr. Skeptic....

I was on lexapro only to offset side effects from another medication I was taking for colitis (anxiety). I stopped that medication, and then stopped lex cold turkey. Thats when I started to get the brain zaps and dizzyness. I never had any other withdrawls, except maybe moodiness, but that could just be hormones. So i never had anything "come back". Because I didn't have it to begin with.

ANY medication effects your body. Even asprin. These meds are man made, synthetic. not natural for our bodies, so sometimes adverse effects can happen.

You know what? This is a site for people to come together and support each other, for a common reason. if you don't share it, then don't come here.

[crazygal]

can i just ask people not to get caught up in johnnysceptics posts. we are giving each other support here. if he needs support then he will get it. if not i don't want to listen to him belittling the experience we are all going through. this will by my last post on the subject.

[johnnyskeptic]

first of all, i hope everyone that is experiencing what they think to be symptoms of withdrawal soon feel better. and i certainly don't want to rain on anyone's parade or not offer support. on the contrary, i think that it IS supportive to offer a different perspective and opinion - if everyone agrees 100% than there is no dialogue and progess to reach any type of conclusion or consensus is impossible. i am certainly no expert on this topic, only what i hear from my doctor (which i also treat with healthy skepticism) and what i have read on my own.

second of all, i agree with the sentiments on this board that it is likely best NOT to take lexapro, hence i am quitting. i found the medication to help me, somewhat, with my feelings of anxiety, but i also think that the drug "deadened" my personality and feelings about most things, including my sex drive, so i think it is time to see how i react to situations without the medication. so trust me, i am on your side.

however, IF your symptoms are NOT being caused by lexapro withdrawal, then you owe it to yourself to accept different viewpoints in an effort to make yourselves healthy and feel better. Its Sunday night, and I have not taken my 10mg dose in 4 days, and cannot report any side effects. Today I did have somewhat of a minor headache, but that could have been from spending the day with my girlfriend's family! Will provide updates later.

And again, I apologize for having a different take, but I hope you can welcome varying viewpoints.

[robsinfo]

Hey Everyone,
I haven't been on the board lately and will be away for a while. I had submitted some info that I don't see posted, so I will repeat it. I have found that anyone can log on to www.fda.gov and find a veriaty of foroums. The most important to us is a reporting center for problems with meds. As the Docs won't and the manufacturers won't, we need to. The lobbists have all of them "in thier pocket" (I speak from experience relevent to banking and government). Imagine the FDA approving Lexapro after a 14 day trial period. It is insulting. I hope everyone hammers the web site, "the squeaky wheel...", as that will be the most accurate information regarding long and short term affects. It was approved in 2002 so many of us have more than 1,000 days of study material to share. Oh, the reason I want to contact the attorny is due to the suitcase being dropped on my head, not the Lexapro. I am tired of picking up the tab, physically & economically, for the "wrongs" that I have suffered due to others mistakes. The pilot made me get off the plane with an ambulance but never paid the bill! That's just the start of this problem. I would give anything to have it not have happened. Money will never bring me back to who I was but it can help my children, the case can possibly change regs. regarding overhead luggage (which the staff aren't allowed to remove due to the liability, dropping is a frequent problem according to many attendants I've spoken with), and just maybe other people will be saved from the misory I now call life.So, please visit the FDA site, it is very helpful, and hang in there everyone. You are all a blessing to me.
Always,
Robbie

[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

[auntybiotic]

Robbie,

Missed your posts. Thanks for the info on the link, I will visit it today. I am not sure what happened with your heel. I knew the bag dropped on it but did it break a bone? Are you able to walk? Didn't the airline have insurance. Scary that if any passenger does something to harm another, it's not covered. Good luck and I will miss your presence.

[auntybiotic]

Minky,

Thanks for Posting. How long were you on the 20 Mg? How long were you on any kind of SSRI overall, Prozac. Zoloft, Paxil etc??

Did you notice on the Lexapro any side effects? Fatigue, jaw clenching, moodiness if late or missed a dose?

You say you tapered off over several months. How did you taper, by 5 Mg every month?? Did you motice any symptoms of withdrawal going from 20 to 15? If so what. How about from 15 to 10, if so what?

From 10 to 5?? Or did you only notice after stopping Lexapro? You say it has been a week. Have you had any of the Lexapro withdrawal nightmares?

Stomach cramping, naseau, dizziness, brain zaps, sinus congestion, moodiness, inability to sleep more then a few hours, restless legs, anxiety, and SO many that taper quiickly (more then 10% at a time) get the depersonalization, a sense that one has no personality or is viewing everything from a distance? Many experience shocks when moving their eyes left to right.

Lexapro depletes many nutrients from our bodies and of course disrupts our bodies natural serotonin regulatulators by causing the serotonin to be reuptaked, soaked in the synapses longer.

The brain needs time to slowly heal and get use to functioning without the chemicals interefering with the natural process. A very slow taper of 5 to 10% every three to four weeks allows the brain to get readjusted but there are still withdrawals.

I followed someone very closely that tapered as you may have. He went from 15Mg to 10Mg to 5Mg to 0 with three weeks inbetween each taper. He had NO symptoms until 5 to 0 MG. His worst symptom was the depersonalization, it lasted 5 months. He did have the dizziness, moddiness etc, but he described the most difficult to function with, was the depersonalization. It did go completely away in 5 months!!

I spoke to another woman that cold turkeyed off of 20 Mg of SSRI. She had to move in with her parents and give up custody of her two children to her ex husband she was so ill. She also had the depersonalization with the zaps and she had a spot in front of her eyes, the size of an eraser, that would not go away.

She said that no matter where she looked there was a black/empty spot before her eyes.

After a year she is almost back to normal. The spot is gone and she has regained custody of her children. So the speed of tapering or quitting the SSRi's can influence how long the symptoms may last.

Many here really had no huge problems so everyone is different.


I started this post in an effort to help my daughter. Since starting this post and joining various forums, I have spoken to about two hundred people that are withdrawaling from Lexapro or who have cold turkeyed. It's amazing that SO many have similiar experiences.

Please visit often because by doing so you not only are getting support but you are also ofering support by others reading your posts.

If you are not already taking a GOOD liquid multivitamin with minerals, this may help in your recovery. Omega 3 Fish Oil by Carsons have helped many. Magnesium Citrate is great for anxiety may say.

Good Luck, rest assured that this nightmare will end, it just takes time.

aunt y

[AYH]

I have been weaning myself off lexapro as well as wellbutrin. I have periods where I cannot remember things that have happened. I just lost my grandmother 2 weeks ago - I was extremely close to her -and I have not felt anything, sorrow, anger....nothing. This drug is evil. I wish I would of known about the side effects. Let's not even talk about weight gain! If I wasn't depressed before I sure am now! I even gained weight in places I never did before.

Anyway, I cut my 20 mg pills in half and took 1 every other day for 1 week. Today I started 1/4 of the pill and I will take that for 1 week and then nothing!

Side effects? Besides anxiety, insomnia, irritability, & numbness, every joint in my arms and hands are painful. I am talking extreme pain. My solution? Aleve and a glass (or 2) of wine a night. It seems to help a little.

Angie

[minky]

Aunt Y,

I was steadily on 20mg of Lexapro since April or March of '04. Prior to that I was on Lexapro 10mg then switched to a test drug, then off that and back to Lexapro, then they ran out samples so I went on Zoloft for a month then back to Lexapro which was increased to 20mg. I began taking medications for my depression in September of '03. So a little less than two years of taking Lexapro on and off.

I experienced a variety of the side effects, usually more intensely when the dosage was switched. Like nausea, sweating, some tiredness, yet being wired later, followed by waking in the middle of the night. I never missed a dose, except the time when they ran out of samples and I did not experience a single withdrawal symptom over that 7 day period.

I decreased from 20mg to 10 mg about June of this year, then down to 5 mg about three weeks ago. I finally stopped taking lexapro about 10 days ago.

When I look back over the last few months I would say I was beginning to experience some of the withdrawal symptoms as I tapered down on my lexapro dosages. Mostly irritability and moodiness, which at the time I thought was due to hormones and missing my acupuncture appointments. But now realized my moodiness was a bit more intense and erratic. I also have been waking in the middle of night about two to three times at almost the exact same times. That began about 2-3 months ago, which I had not associated with my decrease in lexapro, but I am now wondering if it is the direct cause of the interruptions in my sleep.

What I have been experiencing over the last few days have been intense although at times hard to separate from my period and other life situations. As I had more cramps then usual, but my cramps are rather painful to begin with, sometimes keeping me in bed. I have definitely been overwhelmed with emotions, crying at anything, snapping at anything. Breaking up with my boyfriend has not helped much. The nausea and dizziness is the worst, as I just want it to stop and it just keeps with me. I have yet to experience the brain zap that others have mentioned. My memory is not what it usually is, as I seem to lose things and can't recall if I showered yesterday and other banal rituals of life, which is rather troublesome to me as I have not been one to misplace things or forget what is going on. Then there is my voracious appetite, which is a stark contrast to being on Lexapro which suppressed my desire to eat. There are moments of tingliness in my body and feeling outside of myself (although that doesn't describe it exactly, more like moments of no control and feeling so much at once). Nonetheless it is all rather frightening and just have to keep things in check, that my brain needs to reset itself, get back to it's own rhythm.

I have been taking flax seed oil as well as lots of B vitamins and other supplements. I will definitely get some Omega 3 Oil and SAM-E as it seems to have helped others.

Thanks for your support! I will make sure to correspond and check in with this site as it is an oasis in this confusing time of my life.

Minky

[invisible777]

I have been on 20 mg Lexapro for 9 weeks and I want to go off of it. A neurologist thought I needed the seratonin and she said it would help my headaches. I had the brain zapping that a lot of you are talking about before even starting the medicine. The drug has stopped the brain zapping and headaches but fatigue has taken over.

I wanted to stop cold turkey, but after reading all of these posts, I am going to cut the 20 mg in half for a week and then go on 5 mg for a week and then stop. I hate taking medicine and really don't know why I agreed to take it.

It is interesting to read all of these posts about stopping Lexapro, and I'm wondering why it causes all of these side affects? My first week on Lexapro was horrible. I felt like I had the flu the entire week. I'm wondering why this symtpom comes back when you cut back on the dose? I guess I'll find out how it will affect me. I just took 10 mg Lexapro tonight, 1/2 of what I normally take. I will report back soon and let you all know how it is affecting me.

Cya later.

[auntybiotic]

Minky,

Sounds like Lexapro withdrawal. It may get worse before it gets better. Especially the depersonalization, from whatI am told.Keep up posted.

Invisable,

After nine weeks only, your withdrawal should go easy, it is 3 months or more that the brain gets compromised.Taper abd be aware but I don't think it will be too bad. Lucky you are getting off so soon.

[JayRay1116]

Finding this forum has been great. I've been tapering off for the last 3 weeks or so (was on 10mg for about 8 months) and am totally off as of this week. It's somewhat comforting and disturbing at the same time that my withdrawal symptoms of dizziness, joint pain, restless legs, etc. are shared by others.

Aunty, I'm going to find some lecithin to see if that reduces some of the restless leg issues. I'm already taking Omega 3 fish oil for cholesterol, so that will hopefully help.

I hope this dizziness goes away soon - it's not debilitating, just annoying. The fact that my short-term memory is improving is encouraging, just wish my "pissy"-ness wouldn't have come back. Need to start yoga or something...

[auntybiotic]

Hi,

Newsweek just did a article on Antidepressant Withdrawal. They state that you can taper ny 25 to 50% for a few weeksand then its done! HA!!

I wrote a very long letter describing my experiences with tapering by 5 to10% and how after 8 months I have only tapeered from 20 to 12 due to the severe withdrawals.

Can all that have time please relate your withdrawal experiences to Newsweek. I have asked that they do a followup article with REAL withdrawal experiences from SSRI antidepressants from REAL victims of these drugs.

Thanks, your name does not need to be included if you want to protect it for privacy issues.

The email address at NEWSWEEK is

letters@msnbo.com

GeneralComments@feedback.msnbc.com

[johnnyskeptic]

Ok, its day 6 from when I quit lexapro (10 mg daily for almost a year) cold turkey, with no tapering. I have had very mild headaches in the afternoons, but these went away easily with advil.

Obviously there are some mental / mood withdrawal symptons, like the minor headaches I have dealt with, due to the medical changes in your brain for the week or so after you quit. However, there do not appear to be any physical symptons at all, since this drug does not appear to be phyiscally addictive. I am not saying that you folks do not suffer as you claim, but I am guessing it (i) is not from lexapro if it is physical, or (ii) that it is entirely mental. You really need to be stronger, have some self control.

[Ashana]

So i have stopped taking Lexapro more than a month now. I have no side effects anymore. I had very minor side effects to start with, but not anymore. It does feel good to be off meds when you have been taking them for so long. I took Lexapro for anxiety and I still have anxiety. I would like to, now that i'm off meds, to focus more on the psychological aspects of trying to subdue my anxiety.

[minky]

Hi Johnny

As you may know there are many school of thoughts on depression and anxiety, the causes and the treatment. People turn to these medicines, like lexapro, paxil, zoloft, etc to combat, counteract or reset (however you want to see it) a chemical imbalance in the brain. The drugs are interacting with a very complex system, our minds and their chemical structure. Unfortunately the drugs do not simply interact with the one isolated part of the brain that is imbalanced, like the serotonin levels, but often with the whole system. When you take a drug over a period of time your body/your mind can get use to its existence. When you take that drug away your entire body, nervous system and all will tend to react to its absence. And as we are all individuals and are chemistry is not identical each person's reaction will vary from no withdrawal symptoms to severe. However I cannot say that what I am experiencing is just "entirely mental." My body is completely reacting to an absence of a chemical called lexapro that was absorbed into my system over several years. The dizziness, the nausua, the numbness, the moodiness are all real symptoms. I am strong, this forum makes me strong and gives me an understanding of what is going on with my body.

This is a good link, with no slant or hidden agenda, that helps explain the role of SSRIs and the brain, as well as goes over addiction and withdrawal:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Selecti...take_inhibitor

Minky

quote:Originally posted by johnnyskeptic

Ok, its day 6 from when I quit lexapro (10 mg daily for almost a year) cold turkey, with no tapering. I have had very mild headaches in the afternoons, but these went away easily with advil.

Obviously there are some mental / mood withdrawal symptons, like the minor headaches I have dealt with, due to the medical changes in your brain for the week or so after you quit. However, there do not appear to be any physical symptons at all, since this drug does not appear to be phyiscally addictive. I am not saying that you folks do not suffer as you claim, but I am guessing it (i) is not from lexapro if it is physical, or (ii) that it is entirely mental. You really need to be stronger, have some self control.

[Fawn]

I have been taking Lexapro for about 2 years. I stopped cold turkey a week ago(went away and forgot my meds) I am dizzy, can't sleep and very angry. Anyone know how much longer this will go on? I am determined to be free of this stuff.

[minky]

Johnny,

I hope you are taking into consideration that you were on lexapro a much shorter period than many folks on this forum, as well as have been taking what my therapist would call a low dosage. This probably explains your situation, although I am just putting things into perspective and not saying your experience is of any less value. You should just be relieved that you are not experiencing much withdrawal.

Minky

[minky]

Hi Fawn,
I can't sleep so I thought I would respond, although I feel that Aunty Biotic has a wealth of information on this. You might consider taking a small dose of the lexapro, tapering off instead of just cold turkey, seems that people have faired a bit better that way. I am sure you probably would rather not go back on the drug, but it may ease some of the problems, so your body won't go into such shock. The omega-3 has been helping me, as well as Bach's flower essence Cherry Plum, especially for moments when I feel more edgy, wanting to cry or scream for no reason, just a wave of emotion. There is no definite answer for how long it will go on, seems to vary from person to person. Well, do keep posting and reading, this forum has helped put things into perspective for me.

Minky

[auntybiotic]

Fawn,

If you have been on Lexapro for 2 yaers, even at a 5mg dose, you are really opening yourself up to possibly "throwing a wrench" onto the neurotransmitters in yur brain by stopping cold turkey.

Imagine standing on a rug and then having someone pull it out from under you. That's what is happening in a sense. Your brain has come to function with the chemicals in Lexapro, Check with your doctor, To make it easier, you may want to reinstate until you are back to normal and then taper by no more then 5 to 10% of the current dose. This will slowly allow your brain a chance to adapt to functioning without the lexapro.

I have talked to many that have cold turkeyed and thought they were different and I would say MOST have residual long term side effects from just stopping. I do not want to scare you, just open your eyes to how serious Lexapro withdrawal is. If you get the ZAPS, this is actually misfiring of the neurotransmitters in the brain. There are many serotonin receptors in the gut, hence the naseau and cramping.

We all want off of this Lexapro poison TODAY, but sometimes one must look at the long term picture in order to evaluate what is the worst of the two evils. With all of the research I have done as well as the many ex lexapro users I have spoken to, I would lean towards continue to slowly taper the lexapro in order to ease the brain into becoming balanced without man made chemicals and the brain a chance to start reproducing it's natural chemicals that lexapro interefered with.


Minky.
I am so glad some of the suggestions have helped you. Besides the Bach Cerry Plum, you may also want to look into Bach White Chestnut,
This helps anxiety, mania and obbessive thoughts and actions if you may be getting those. The directions, as noted on the bottle are 4 drops 4 times a day. Your health food store can order this, or the Vitamin Shoppe or it is available online. Magnesium Cutrate is also very good for anxiety. You can Google "Magnesium anxiety". Lexapro also is known to deplete the body of magnesium.
Johnny,
It takes 7 to 14 days for the effects of Lexapro withdrawal to become obvious. If by the 21st day you can repeat your last post. consider yourself blessed. Even if you are one of the lucky ones with withdrawal, this is not the response that the majority of lexapro withdrawalers are experiencing. Open up your heart and maybe be of some support to those that are having a rought time with their lexapro withdrawal, play if forward. I always remeber "what good one does for others always comes back to the doer".
aunt y

[johnnyskeptic]

i agree that is a very helpful link.

and also, i definitely think my temper has gotten worse in the last week - little things make me very irritated and i get angry very easy.

not sure if that is related to the withdrawal/discontinuation, but wanted to throw that in.

and lastly, i totally support your viewpoints and think this is a very valuable source of information. the only reason i posted some contrary views is because someone searching on google (like I did) for "lexapro" and "withdrawal" will find many sites like this where it seems everyone suffers very severe reactions when quitting lexapro. But these reactions, while likely legitmate, do not seem to be the majority for folks who discontinue lexapro. The medical journals (which can be biased as well of course) tend to think most folks symptoms (headaches, dizziness, irritability - check, check, check) go away after a few weeks. So if you come accross this site and this message board, and you want to quit lexapro but you are scared of the withdrawal, just know that not everyone will suffer the severe reactions. And I think most here would agree that, even if you do suffer withdrawal reactions, you are better off quitting the medication - at least for a while to see how you react drug-free.

[speechy]

I just wanted to say that when I went off Lex, I wasn't expecting any adverse reactions. It took like 8-9 days before I became dizzy, and had the zaps. I am the type of person who thinks everything is in my head. If I feel nausia, (damn, I always spell it wrong)I first always think its in my head. If it continues, then I usually blame it on my inflamitory bowel disease. my point: i dont blame much on the lexapro. but i do blame the ZAPS, because those are the ONLY feelings that i had NEVER felt before.

And I am sorry to say that I woke up in the middle of the night with the zaps, and horrible dizzyness. I had to take 5mg. I meant to take 2.5, but I was half asleep and SO miserable, and I had to get sleep so that I could go to work today!

So hang in there everyone

[crazygal]

I have had to go back to taking 5mg of lexapro. I couldn't stand the dizzyness and the nausea anymore. the doctor suggested taking a couple more doses just so he could determine if the nausea was in fact from the lexapro withdrawal. I agreed to this this because I want to make him and my partner realize what I already know. That the withdrawal from lexapro is making me feel so unwell. I had things to do this weekend and needed to take some anyway just to feel a bit better. I have to call the doctor on monday to let him know how I am getting on. I will keep you posted as to what happens next. Before this I hadn't had any lex for about five weeks. i didn't really want to start taking it again but i was so fed up feeling unwell. I am only taking it to try and alleviate some of the withdrawal effects and if this works i will then begin tapering of it very slowly. I think I came off it too quickly to begin with. Ihad been taking 30mg and went off it completely in 3 days. I did this because I wasn't feeling any side effects when I started reducing so I stopped taking them altogether. I didn't realize that the withdrawal would only kick in after a week or more. at the moment i am unhappy to be taking them again but happy that the general feelings of unwellness have gone away.
Take care
Nora

[auntybiotic]

Nora,
Sorry that you had to reinstate but YES it is withdrawals. Depending on how quickly your liver metabplizes the Lexapro thru the Cytochrome P 450 System.it actually could remain in ones blood serum for months before the withdrawals kick in. Most it happens after 7 to 14 days.

Now from other I have correspondedw ith, if you were on 30 and stopped quickly, 5 Mg may NOT stabilize you. You may need to go back to 15 Mg and then start your taper using the liquid and tapering by no more then 5 to 10%.

Many also have vivid nightmares, anxiety, sleeplessness and feelings of "nice ladyiness" and "feeling extremely pissed off at everyone". Once you are totally off and have gotten thru the above STAGE 1 of Lexapro withdrawal. I am told that STAGE 2 follows that comes with feelings of hopelessness and bone crushing depression. (this even happens in those that have taken the Lexapro for pain and were never previously depressed) This stage does pass but while experiencing it, many run back t the medication of a SSRI because it is so profound.

Good Luck, you will start to feel better, usually 2 days after reinstating, but in your case, you may need to speak to your doctor because 5 MG may not be enough to alleviate the withdrawals.

Keep us imformed.
Aunn y

With the naseau did you get any stomach cramping

[auntybiotic]

In reading my above post I had written "B****iness or very annoyed".The moderator of the Forum changed it to "nice ladiness" which does not make any sense to me.They were not my words so I guess a moderator does change things.I wanted to claify what I was actually trying to say.

[crazygal]

Hi aunty
I took 10 mg yesterday (which was what the doctor suggested) I still feel a bit of nausea. The one thing I have noticed since last night is a feeling of deep sadness and hopelessness. I can feel myself sinking back into depression which I hadn't felt before going back on the meds. I hate being back on them but I will continue to take them until Monday when I can contact the doc again. I want to do this to prove to him that it is the effects of withdrawal. doctors don't seem to have a clue about half the medication they are dishing out.

PS about the moderators. a lot of public boards have a tool which automatically changes certain words which might be offensive. I reckon if you typed it the word b**** that it would automatically have changed to lady. Hence the word ladyiness was what came up on the board. I'm glad you pointed out the change. I was wondering what 'ladyiness' meant :-).
Regards Nora

[Nuss]

I have found this forum to be extremely helpful. After taking 20mgs of Lexapro for a year I decided that I've had enough of feeling horrible. It has been 5 days since I cut my dose in half. I have had many of the symptoms described by others, headaches, dizziness, minor irritability, nausea and brain zaps. However, the withdrawal is nothing compared to the side effects that I was experiencing. I actually believe that the medication was working in reverse. It is amazing how in 5 days my energy level has increased and my thinking is much clearer. I feel like a new person. I know that I have a long way to go in the weaning process but I am really happy that I have decided to get of this stuff. When I first started Lexapro, it did help me, however over the months I noticed that my symptoms were actually worse than they were before starting Lexapro. I really appreciate the insite that this forum has given me and I look forward to the support as I venture down the path to get off Lexapro.
Thanks for sharing your stories and advice!!

[aly]

i am so glad i found this site. i have been cold turkery off the 10 mg lex for almost two weeks. i had reduced myself from the 20 mgs because i just felt too medicated. i had to go back on to 5 mg for a couple of days because the dizziness and vertigo were just too bad. now i refuse to go back on at all, in fear of having to start this all over again. the dizziness is much better now, but im having terrible nasueau, where i want to be sick with everything i eat. severe leg pain, to where i cant sleep at night because they ache so bad. horrible time falling asleep. and constant headaches/borderline migranes. also feel extremely weepy, sensitive, and irritable.

i read that alot of people have taken time off work, but im a college student that works with mental health patients in a very understaffed program. so how can i cope with these symptons while at work.

as for the weight i put on 5-10 pounds in the 7 months i was on lex. i have also been very active, but the weight remains the same. i find it esp. hard to go to the gym right now due to how i feel. any suggestions?

[auntybiotic]

Magnesium Citrate can help with the leg cramping, Carlson's Liquid Fish Oil will help with the Depression that will set in at STAGE 2 of the withdrawal which will occur in about two months after your last dose. That stage is emotional, the first stage of withdrawal is mostly physical.

Liquid Vitamins and Minerals are best to help the body heal from damage caused by these drugs. You may also get a sense of depersonalization after stopping Lexapro..........there are health recommendations for this also...........let us know.
Please check with your doctor to ensure that you can take supplements.