[orbust]

Ever consider not taking any of this ********************? Reading through these descriptions of withdraw symptoms and side effects of these anti-anxiety and anti-depressants is alarming. 9 out of ten people who were treated with animal therapy (as in simply playing with animals), rigorous exorcise, and counseling showed LONG TERM positive results over 300 times as often as those treated by drugs alone.

Life is tough people, sack up and deal with it. Drugs are not the answer to life's problems. How many heart attacks, murders, suicides, serious sleep disorders, increased anxiety at time of withdrawal, moodiness, pain, etc, etc, etc, is worth chasing the dream that drugs are the answer to life's problems.

Get up off the couch and get outside, find activities, make friends, get exorcise, get your body in shape and your mind will follow. Take a class or two to stimulate your brain. Just stop listening to drug companies telling you they have the answer in a pill, they don't and more often than not have gone to great lengths to cover up the serious side effects you will encounter.

For those of you who say I don't understand, I do. I was put on some of the very first anti anxiety/depressants to combat what was described to me as serious ADD when I was young. I had nausea, dizziness, detachment from my friends, and went through hell when I stopped taking them.

The makers of Lexapro are being sued by about ten different entities right now over side effects of its products. Take responsibility for yourself and stop asking drug companies to provide you with secret elixirs to make you feel happy and comfortable. The truth is that life is not always happy or comfortable. Life is hard, not just for you, but for everyone.

[hykingswife]

I feel for us all as I also have my own story. However, I feel a need to remind us ALL of a very important perspective. Yes, our bodies are under fire or purhaps slightly tweaked or even changed forever and yes ,we are all acutely aware of this in ourselves and that there are many of us going through this BUT and this is a big important but, there is nothing wronge with taking a break from concentrating on what is happening TO us but rather keeping in mind what is in our control to make happen FOR us. Example, I find myself so focused on the fact that I have been under fire with this lexapro junk that I forget little things like "I really do need to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day" Seems small and trivial, I know but we must take care of ourselves. I am in a "victims of violent rape" forum (yes, it's that blunt) and one of the mottoes is "Save yourself or you will not be saved." Nobody is going to appoligize to us for introducing us to the drug that was supposed to take all of our troubles away. We aren't even going to get a "oh, thats too bad" The only thing we can do now is support eachother in each of our endeavors to save ourselves. Remember to take care of your bodies. This will only benefit our way of thinking. Get up! Take that shower! Do your hair. Put a little make up on and put a load in the wash. The rest will come, for you did not stay in bed. You did not lay down and stay down. One day at a time. One task at a time. One victory at a time. Time really does heal all wounds but not if we lay down and bleed to death. The only way to beat it is to out live it. Corny post,I know but food for thought to anyone thats hungry. Love, Thykingswife

[mickelvine]

I am one of the person who have severly suffered from lexapro.I suffered from symptoms like Headache,Insomnia,Diarrhea,Fatigue .I got weakened and stopped using that.
http://www.mydepressionmedication.co...ntidepressants

[jgranchi]

I wish my doctor never had me go on Lexapro for anxiety. I got off it cause I had no sex drive and I thought maybe it was causing me to be forgetful/absent minded. Please, someone tell me does the dizzyness stop? So far it has been a week and not better. My doctor is suprised since I was only on a low dose (10 mg).

[Red Chief]

I started Lexapro nearly a year ago. I had just weaned off Celexa 40 mg that I had been taking for almost 6 years. Just as I had weaned off the first time with no problem, I began to feel I had "a motor running inside". I had, I thought, many symptoms of ADHD with attention deficit and distractabillity, things I have many supports in place to deal with. My doctor thought going back on antidepressants would help, especially as I was also going through menopause, and Celexa helped ease those symptoms. Anyway, the new prescription was for Lexapro, a derivative. It was supposed to avoid the sexual disinterest associated with Celexa. It didn't. Anyway, I am now weaning off Lexapro and am getting the light-headedness I read about in this forum and experienced when I had "forgotten" pills for a couple of days. Hopefully, within the next week, I'll be drug-free.

[Jennifer W.]

Thank goodness someone to help me through this time of withdrawl.
I have been on Lexapro 10mg for 5 1/2 yrs. for post traumatic stress.
It has helped with the anxiety & mind racing BUT... I have tried to wean off
Lexapro at least 5 times since I started it and end up back to square one everytime!!
The dizziness is unbelievable and it goes on for days. Even when I miss a dose, I have always taken in the evenings, I start to feel the withdrawl symptoms. Of course I also get very short tempered and irritable, kind of like PMS. I have not gained any weight but have not been able to loose the 10-12lbs. I have been trying to get off since I was only 9months post-partum when
I got on Lexapro 10mg.
Anyway I want to be off this medication!! I have healed from the PTSD but
I need to know that the diziness will not last or to know how long the diziness may last.
Thanks for your input.

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by Red Chief

I started Lexapro nearly a year ago. I had just weaned off Celexa 40 mg that I had been taking for almost 6 years. Just as I had weaned off the first time with no problem, I began to feel I had "a motor running inside". I had, I thought, many symptoms of ADHD with attention deficit and distractabillity, things I have many supports in place to deal with. My doctor thought going back on antidepressants would help, especially as I was also going through menopause, and Celexa helped ease those symptoms. Anyway, the new prescription was for Lexapro, a derivative. It was supposed to avoid the sexual disinterest associated with Celexa. It didn't. Anyway, I am now weaning off Lexapro and am getting the light-headedness I read about in this forum and experienced when I had "forgotten" pills for a couple of days. Hopefully, within the next week, I'll be drug-free.

Doctor's are soo misinformed...If you had sexual disinterest with celexa then it will only be worse with lexapro. Celexa is the pre-curser or parent drug to lexapro. The big difference between them is that lexapro is stronger, more selective and more potent. Anyone who has difficulties whith celexa should NOT take lexapro...it is far more potent, doctor's are so uneducated about these med's. They think that because a med is a newer, supposed improved version of an older one that it is therefor safer and better....WRONG! My advice to you is to switch back to celexa (if you only recently switched) and then gradually taper off the antidepressant. Check out the lexapro withdrawl thread started by auntybiotic and you will find ALOT of info on how to taper off correctly and what supplements can help you with the process...Good luck to you. If you have any questions feel free to ask....Erin

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by Jennifer W.

Thank goodness someone to help me through this time of withdrawl.
I have been on Lexapro 10mg for 5 1/2 yrs. for post traumatic stress.
It has helped with the anxiety & mind racing BUT... I have tried to wean off
Lexapro at least 5 times since I started it and end up back to square one everytime!!
The dizziness is unbelievable and it goes on for days. Even when I miss a dose, I have always taken in the evenings, I start to feel the withdrawl symptoms. Of course I also get very short tempered and irritable, kind of like PMS. I have not gained any weight but have not been able to loose the 10-12lbs. I have been trying to get off since I was only 9months post-partum when
I got on Lexapro 10mg.
Anyway I want to be off this medication!! I have healed from the PTSD but
I need to know that the diziness will not last or to know how long the diziness may last.
Thanks for your input.

Go to the lexapro withdrawl thread started by auntybiotic. We can help you with the weaning/tapering process. It will take some time and patience but, you can do it successfully. You are likely tappering too quickly and dropping your doses to much per reduction. There are many supplements that you should take that can help ease side effects from discontinuing lexapro. The people who post on that thread are all experienced in this process and offer a great deal of support. Good luck....Erin

[aristalana]

I was diagnosed with anxiety/depression about three years ago and was put on Lexapro 10mg for about a year. I had problems with anxiety and depression before hand. Tried zoloft and it made me so drowsy all the time that I couldn't work or study. I ended up on lexapro without too many side effects except the withdrawal symptoms of brain zaps. I also noticed when I was on the lexapro I developed a nervous tick in my left should/arm which would bother me a bit when I was trying to sleep.

Now I have been off for two years!! I slowly weened myself off. Only... this past year I noticed when I feel stressed but am in an environment where I'm not able to move around, my nervous tick comes back. And more disturbing I have experienced a couple of "brain zaps" -- the first episode since going through withdrawal two years ago! I thought maybe it was brought on by a detox tea I was drinking, but I still seem to be experiencing them although much more mildly and intermittent.

I've been trying to comb through the forum but there's a lot. I want to know if anyone else has experienced withdrawal effects after such a long period of being off the medication.

[lexiejax]

I have been on Lexapro (10 mg) a dayfor 5 months and have started to wean. I have never been on a antidepressant before and can not wait to get this stuff out of my system. I have gained 15 lbs and can not get it to budge. I work out 5 days a week and do cardio. I am looking for a weaning schedule and would like to know how long it takes to see the metabolism stable back out??

[amberdawn4]

I was on 10 of Lexapro for 3 1/2 years, and am weaning 1/8 every 10 days. But I've had diarrhea for four days, now--has anyone else had this? How long does it last? For the entire weaning process? It certainly doesn't help my anxiety.

[dehemmin]

In my late 20s I was exercising every day, had a fantastic, high paying job, had great family support and had no history of any abuse of any sort.

So why did I leave work one day and try to kill myself?

Several years of severe depression and multiple suicide attempts ensued. Nothing seemed to help. I saw multiple psychiatrists and psychologists and underwent various treatments...virtually every SSRI, a couple of the MAOIs, light therapy, exercise, Electroconvulsive therapy, diet changes, sleep deprivation, and cognitive behavioral therapy were some of them.

The one thing that finally worked and has kept me stable for several years is a mix of talk therapy, Lexapro, and abilify. I am a happy, functioning human being thanks to Lexapro, Abilify, and my psychologist.

Finding the right treatment for depression is unique to every person. Different medications work differently on each person. The important thing is to give the medication a few weeks before you give up on it. The side effects often wear off after a few weeks if you can tolerate them that long.

And for those of you that seem to think depressed people should just go exercise...well, it is clear that you don't understand depression and treatments and how they vary in different people. What works for you may not work for someone else.

[durrettriv]

[I have been taking Lexapro for 4 years. I was put on this medication for anxiety. I was taking 10mg a day. I weaned my self to 5 mg a day for 2 weeks. I took half a pill for 2 weeks. Now, it has been 4 days since I have not taken my Lexapro. The side affects I have noticed is mood swings, dizziness and being tired. I go walking on a daily basis to help me out. I noticed this helps out tremendously!! I will keep in touch to let you all know the out come.

[dancinsunshine]

So, I have been on Lexapro for almost three years now. I started taking it after hurrican Katrina's devestation here in New Orleans for anxiety and depression. Well, I realize now that most of that could very well have been intensified by the alcohol & drugs I was playing with at the time. Long story short I don't use drugs or alcohol anymore, and I want off this ********************!! I am 5'2 and weigh around 130lbs. This is more than i've EVER weighed in my entire life!! I steadily gained weight through the last few years while my Dr. kept increasing the Lexapro. I have weaned from 30 mg to 20 mg in the last two weeks and now I'm trying to decide when to knock it down to 10mg?? Should i do it slowly or just give it a shot? I am very indecisive, but the weight is killing me. I have had the side effects of brain zaps,insomnia, RESTLESS LEG SYNDROMEE(THAT DRIVES ME INSANE),irritability, etc., but i just want off of it so bad that i feel like i really want to just deal with it! The one thing that scares the hell outta me is all this talk about suicide! I haven't had any thoughts, but i'm worried that may happen if i decrease quickly. Any advice?? Can anyone tell me when they were able to start noticing any weight loss or metabolism returning to normal??Any advice i could get from ya'll would be helpful!

[erinkj]

SLOW DOWN! you are tapering too fast! This is my humble opinion however, I have been down that road and it is not fun. You reduced your dose down to 20mg over the last 2wks? if so, then your withdrawl symptoms may begin to get worse very soon. 10 mg is a HUGE drop in dose. I understand all to well about wanting to stop taking lexapro, I have been tapering down since November 2007. It is not a quick process and requires ALOT of patience. (You may be fortunate enough to be one of the very few people who can quit lex with ease) but, after reading the symptoms you are having from the drop in dose, I doubt this will be easy for you. I am NOT trying to scare you but rather, caution you about the problems with fast tapers. Weight gain is VERY common with SSRI use. As you reduce your dose the weight may begin to come off. Fast for some and slow for others. If you check the lexapro withdrawl thread started by Auntybiotic, you will find the proper taper scheduales and recomended supplements to help your brain heal as you come off lexapro. Many of the supplements recomended also help with weight loss so, they work double duty to help. If I can help you in any way, please let me know....Good luck....Erin

[dancinsunshine]

thanks Erin..like i was saying I have read some of the threads, but can u explain to me the liquids and more particular's? I am taking 20mgs now, that is one pill. I am going to stay here for a while because I have been having this indigestion feeling that's not so comfortable in my stomach. I also have the whooshing in my ears. Don't worry my plan to cut again is out the window. I am too scared. I am taking omega-3,vitamin E, and CLA to try to help lose the weight. To be honest with u I don't know if i need an antidepressant or not so i will never know unless i try. I will take ur advice on a very slow taper. I don't want to feel crazy. I am just very mad and frustrated and i feel like a freakin guinea pig and i hate it. I just want my body to be pure and clean from all this ********************!! Please keep me in mind and i will keep u in my prayers too. I'm glad to know i'm not doing this alone.

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by dancinsunshine

thanks Erin..like i was saying I have read some of the threads, but can u explain to me the liquids and more particular's? I am taking 20mgs now, that is one pill. I am going to stay here for a while because I have been having this indigestion feeling that's not so comfortable in my stomach. I also have the whooshing in my ears. Don't worry my plan to cut again is out the window. I am too scared. I am taking omega-3,vitamin E, and CLA to try to help lose the weight. To be honest with u I don't know if i need an antidepressant or not so i will never know unless i try. I will take ur advice on a very slow taper. I don't want to feel crazy. I am just very mad and frustrated and i feel like a freakin guinea pig and i hate it. I just want my body to be pure and clean from all this ********************!! Please keep me in mind and i will keep u in my prayers too. I'm glad to know i'm not doing this alone.

Hello. I saw that you posted on the other thread and, I reccomend that you continue to do so; at least for support! At times the other thread can get "chit chatty" as we offer our support and friendship to each other. The 10 mgs you reduced is rather large but, if the symptoms from that drop continue to get worse or become unbearable please, keep in mind that you can re-instate to the 30mg dose or even to 25mg until the symptoms ease and you are feelin more stable. Then, you can begin to taper more SLOWLY! I know that seems like a step backward but, sometimes we don't have a choice unless we want to go "nuts". If at any time you have to raise your lex dose back up, please don't beat yourself up about it; most of us have had to do that. I have had to do it twice! I will be tapering a VERY long time as I have been on SSRI's for 11 years. The general rule is that you must taper at least one month for every year that you have been on SSRI's. Keep in mind:that is a generalization, some must taper longer and some can do this faster. Your body will let you know if you are dropping your dose by to much or to quickly. There are other considerations as well, such as: what you were put on lexapro to treat, panic, anxiety, deppression, etc...these are important things to consider as going off of the lexapro can make you feel as if you are having a relapse of the original condition being treated; it is not, it is withdrawl or discontinuation syndrome. (which ever you prefer). Disregard your physician, psychiatrist or whoever treats you, telling you that "withdrawl" does not exist or any other such rubish! Numbers don't lie and there are hundreds if not thousands of people who are having the same "withdrawl symptoms". If you ask your dr if he/she has ever taken these meds to know anything about them first hand, the answer is likely to be no. I do not personaly know ANYONE who has been able to stop taking an SSRI med by tapering the ridiculous way that the doctors reccomend....EVERYONE who posts on the other thread have all had similar experiences with doctors and psychs so, you are not alone there either. Lexapro is available in liquid form but, you may not need to switch to that. Liquids are reccomended mostly for when you get down to low doses or for ease of measuring reductions, as the lowest dose of lex available is in pill form of 5mgs. Example:trying to measure 2.5 mg from cutting pills is not exact and is difficult. Also a few reccomendations on supplements, I personaly take these and swear they help with symptoms. Many of these supp's will also help with the weight. Oh, the weight gain is likely do to reaised cortisol levels in your body, that is common with lexapro and promotes weight gain. (more about that if you ask)
fish oils, magnesium, calcium, lecethin and a good quality multi-vitamin to start. There are others that will help with specific symptoms to, if you need that just ask. I think I have covered most of your questions in this post, if not; just ask . Good luck to you, keep me posted and I will help any way that I can...Peace...Erin

[NPDDad]

My dad was diagnosed with Narcissistic Personality Disorder suffering from rage and anxiety over things he cannot control. Doc prescribes Lexapro, coupled with Rivotril. Though he calmed down considerably, he suddenly had extreme hallucinations. Seeing figures, hearing voices, being at different places...every single night while taking this drug! Then one day, he couldn't take it anymore so he stopped cold turkey. 6 days into that, he suddenly had a hallucination episode again--no different from the Exorcist! Adopting a strange voice, getting violent and he claims he couldn't remember any of these things. He has been suffering terribly from Insomnia and brains zaps. I feel pity and fear when I'm around him. He has not gotten better and I don't see any advantage whether you're on or off it. My question is: is this drug supposed to help at all? And strangely, not much info can be found on how long the withdrawal symptoms will last? if you know anything, please post a reply. Were tormented ceaselessly

[dancinsunshine]

Hey Erin & thanks for ur response. I feel like i'm not alone in this..pheew. I read that u take magnesium??I heard it was good unless u have insomnia and or anxiety. Is this true. I am taking the omega-3, and Vitamin E. Should i add it to the mix?? On the way home from work today i felt VERY anxious and sick to my stomach. I know this is a side effect and i will live, but i can't wait til it's over. I am definately not moving down 10mg at a time next cut, but I probabley will do 5mg after I feel comfortable at 20mg for quite a while. The headaches and side effects are just too intense to budge from this dosage. I saw my Dr. today and i'm convinced that they don't know ********************. I told him this was hell and he said i needed a higher dosage if i'm feeling anxiety that means i should be on it and tried to add Wellbutrin XR to the cocktail. Well, u can imagine i visualized slamming his head against the wall..scary right, but i am pissed off!! It's been 9 days and i just started REALLY feeling the withdrawl yesterday. I wonder how long it will be before my brain "heals." Poor brain! I am so angry with the Dr's and drug companies. It's really sick. Thanks for listening. My head is killing me so I'm gonna go lay down.

[dancinsunshine]

Hello! I don't know much about this forum as I just joined, but I want you to know that you and ur family especially ur Dad are in my prayers. I typed in "lexapro withdrawl" under search and it brought me to another "thread" which i have been communicating on. The support here is good and there are lots of experiences shared and knowledge. Good luck to you.

[ginnyh69]

Hi,
Have you thought of using natural anxiety meds to help wean off and sleep?

[ginnyh69]

Originally Posted by Red Chief

I started Lexapro nearly a year ago. I had just weaned off Celexa 40 mg that I had been taking for almost 6 years. Just as I had weaned off the first time with no problem, I began to feel I had "a motor running inside". I had, I thought, many symptoms of ADHD with attention deficit and distractabillity, things I have many supports in place to deal with. My doctor thought going back on antidepressants would help, especially as I was also going through menopause, and Celexa helped ease those symptoms. Anyway, the new prescription was for Lexapro, a derivative. It was supposed to avoid the sexual disinterest associated with Celexa. It didn't. Anyway, I am now weaning off Lexapro and am getting the light-headedness I read about in this forum and experienced when I had "forgotten" pills for a couple of days. Hopefully, within the next week, I'll be drug-free.

Hi,
Can you go from lexapro to celexa?
I have been on Lexapro for 16 days.
Regards
Ginnyh69

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by ginnyh69

Hi,
Can you go from lexapro to celexa?
I have been on Lexapro for 16 days.
Regards
Ginnyh69

YES! you can switch. Celexa is the parent drug of lexapro but, it is not quite as potent or selective although it is similar. Dosing is different to, roughly double that of lex. Example: if you are on 10 mg of lexapro, you would need to take 20 mg of celexa. I have switched between these two meds a few times in recent years. Currently I am on 30 mg celexa which is equivilant to 15 mg lexapro...Peace...Erin

[dancinsunshine]

Hello Erin! I just have a quick question. Is it Lexapro u are weaning from or Celexa?? Are u trying to get off of both or just lexapro? I am just curious. I want to be completely off of it all, but if I ever needed an antidepressant later in life I know for sure i wouldn't go back to Lex and i don't think i'd want celexa either if they are related! What's ur experience??

[dancinsunshine]

Originally Posted by erinkj

Also a few reccomendations on supplements, I personaly take these and swear they help with symptoms. Many of these supp's will also help with the weight. Oh, the weight gain is likely do to reaised cortisol levels in your body, that is common with lexapro and promotes weight gain. (more about that if you ask)
fish oils, magnesium, calcium, lecethin and a good quality multi-vitamin to start. There are others that will help with specific symptoms to, if you need that just ask. I think I have covered most of your questions in this post, if not; just ask . Good luck to you, keep me posted and I will help any way that I can...Peace...Erin

Wow! I agree with the supplements helping. Now i don't know for sure, but i didn't take the 3000mg of omega-3 this a.m. because of the stomach issue the past few days and i swear i felt more anxiety today! Is that possible or am i in my head way too much?! That happens sometimes with me!!!

Also, can u share more about the weight stuff and what i can do to get rid of it!! Jeeeez i work out,eat healthy, high protein low carb, blah blah blah and have NEVER in my life had a hard time losing weight. heeeeeeeeeeelp!!
luvs

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by dancinsunshine

Hello Erin! I just have a quick question. Is it Lexapro u are weaning from or Celexa?? Are u trying to get off of both or just lexapro? I am just curious. I want to be completely off of it all, but if I ever needed an antidepressant later in life I know for sure i wouldn't go back to Lex and i don't think i'd want celexa either if they are related! What's ur experience??

I have switched back and forth between lexapro and celexa a few times over the past few years. This was due to expence and insurance issues. For awhile, I had no insurance and could not afford paying $72.00 per month for the lexapro (there was no generic at that time) so, my pharmacist recomended celexa which was available in generic (citalopram) for only $16.00 per month. Once I again had insurance my doctor had me switch back to lexapro. He had hoped I would have fewer sexual side effects and less fatigue ( I had complained about this to him). The only thing that changed when I switched back to lex was that it caused a few peptic ulcers and horrible acid reflux...that required more medications and medical proceedures to fix. So, I started doing my research about a year ago and decided that I wanted off of SSRI meds ( I have been on SSRI for 11 years...paxil for 6 yrs and have tried the others as well) I had thought that I should be seeing a psychiatrist to moniter my taper and progress to get off SSRI's....BIG MISTAKE....He interviewed me and decided that I had RLS and had me stop lex cold turkey and switch to requip...BAD,BAD,BAD! that was aweful so, he put me back on lexapro, 10 mgs which was half my original dose of 20mgs. Then had me take 5 mgs for a week, then stop. Well, I was convinced that I was going completely insaine from all of the withdrawl symptoms. The psychiatrist told me "It is all in your head" "these drugs do not cause those symptoms" etc....That is when I found this forum....last October....I managed 4 and a half weeks off of SSRI before I had to re-instate or get locked up in a nut house! I re-instated to only 10mgs of lex and within 2 days the ulcers had flared up and the reflux was unbearable. I remembered that I did not have those problems with celexa so, I switched back to it....It has taken a few dosage increases over the past several months to stableize but, now I am beggining to taper again, only the right way this time. Currently I am on 30mgs celexa which is equal to 15 mgs lexapro. For the many years that I took one or the other of these meds my effective dose on lex was 20mgs and 40mgs on celexa so, my current dose is progress for me. I have never taken more than one SSRI med at a time although, dr has switched me directly from one med to another med many times...Thats the story...Peace and hugs..Erin
I was put on SSRI's for panic/anxiety disorder in January of 1997. I have had some depression in recent years but, I firmly believe it is because of the medication.

[dancinsunshine]

Thanks for the quick response. It is really nice to talk to u. I feel like u really understand this med talk..most people don't! Well, I was put on Lexapro after the storm(Hurricane Katrina) when I lost everything.I was very depressed and anxiety was terrible, but most of that was probably due to PTSD or alcohol & drugs. I was pretty out of control. I was told that i wouldn't have to be on them forever, and that it wasnt addictive. Well, i have got some news for those assholes..this is one hundred times more addictive than ANY other drug(illegal) that i've ever tried including alcohol!! I have NEVER experienced withdrawl symptoms of ANY sort from anything other than this LEXAPRO!!!! I absolutely get enraged when i start to think about it and i feel that this stuff definately helped me, but there may have been some other alternative. For instance, I did not know about all these holistic alternatives..supplements and such. I don't want to dwell on the past though..just the fact that i am on 20mgs now and i am ready to start tapering again very soon. My Dr. said there was no need for the liquid lex which pissed me off because he also said when i break the pill that it doesnt have to be exact..from what i hear that is not true. I guess it is all trial and error ...guinea pig style!! I am gonna try to go down a few mgs after finals on Tues and hopefully i can live with myself and my boyfriend can too!! Hope u are doing well. Hey and good job on ur progress ur are really an inspiration and help to me. Ur advice and experience helps out alot!

[erinkj]

Originally Posted by dancinsunshine

Thanks for the quick response. It is really nice to talk to u. I feel like u really understand this med talk..most people don't! Well, I was put on Lexapro after the storm(Hurricane Katrina) when I lost everything.I was very depressed and anxiety was terrible, but most of that was probably due to PTSD or alcohol & drugs. I was pretty out of control. I was told that i wouldn't have to be on them forever, and that it wasnt addictive. Well, i have got some news for those assholes..this is one hundred times more addictive than ANY other drug(illegal) that i've ever tried including alcohol!! I have NEVER experienced withdrawl symptoms of ANY sort from anything other than this LEXAPRO!!!! I absolutely get enraged when i start to think about it and i feel that this stuff definately helped me, but there may have been some other alternative. For instance, I did not know about all these holistic alternatives..supplements and such. I don't want to dwell on the past though..just the fact that i am on 20mgs now and i am ready to start tapering again very soon. My Dr. said there was no need for the liquid lex which pissed me off because he also said when i break the pill that it doesnt have to be exact..from what i hear that is not true. I guess it is all trial and error ...guinea pig style!! I am gonna try to go down a few mgs after finals on Tues and hopefully i can live with myself and my boyfriend can too!! Hope u are doing well. Hey and good job on ur progress ur are really an inspiration and help to me. Ur advice and experience helps out alot!

I understand completely how you feel dear. I had spent SO much time over the years since being diagnosed with panic disorder,doing re-search on the disorder itself, that I never realy focused on alternatives to antidepressants. I had learned about ALL the medications used to treat them, how and why they were supposed to work and then later, the possible side effects and how to cope with them yet, I had never realy looked into NOT taking an SSRI. I had been under the false assumption that I would NEED to be on an SSRI for life. Every time I skipped doses or thought "I don't need these pills" and tried to stop taking them, I would start to have panic attacks again and all the other symptoms; which only "reinforced" the idea that I "needed" the meds. I was led to believe that those symptoms were a relapse of the panic disorder. WRONG! When I began to research "SSRI discontinuation", I was totaly floored! I felt SOO betrayed, like, how could doctor's not know about this? I was angry to say the least. Actually, the idea to look into withdrawl came to me as a result of a class I was taking. At the time I had a class on substance abuse which, of course centered around "mind altering drugs", SSRI medications were included in the textbook under this category; I was SHOCKED! I spent some time talking to my professor about the "mind altering" part of the SSRI's and it was a rude wake-up call. I felt like I had been punched in the gut! That was 2 years ago, and this is where I am today; working toward living antidepressant free. There have ALWAYS been alternatives to antidepressants, for hundreds of years people have relied on natural remedies. The problem is that medical science had not been re-searching that angle, at least, not in depth and the knowledge of the natural alternatives were culturaly centered. Think chinese medicine, etc! The good news is, that mainstream mecial practices are changing and medical science is shifting toward herbal and nutritional research. The shift has been subtle so far but, it is changing. As more and more people are becoming aware of the risks impossed by antidepressant use and the public is railing against "big pharma" we are seeing a "call to action" for alternatives. In the meantime it sucks feeling like a guinea pig but, change is comming! Hang in there, it is a slow process but, you will heal. Oh, I am addicted to cigarettes and coffee...ICK...hard habits to break for sure and, ironicly, both habits only make the panic and SSRI withdrawl symptoms worse...Stupid, I know and self defeating...None of us is perfect my dear, that is all part of being human! Keep in touch and good luck on your finals, mine were tuesday and I am glad they are over . Peace and hugs...Erin

[Lorimc]

My 12 Yr. old son has been on Lexapro 10mg., for 1 yr. and 9 months. He's was originally put on it for moderate depression . It has been working fine. It is the long term ( no one knows) effects that I am concerned about. He's a child. Anyway I ask one doctor about taking him off slowly and he said to just give him 5mg. for 2 weeks then stop and he'll be fine. No side effects. Well I've been reading alot and knew he was full of himself so I made my own tapering schedule. It will take 10 weeks but with the most minimal side effects. I'm dropping him down 2.5mg every 2 weeks and then 2.5mg. every other day for 2 weeks , then 2.5mg. every 4th day. And I got a prescription for Vertigo. We are on day 3 and Vertigo has set in but the medicne keeps it in check. I myself am a recovering addict and have been through heroine withdrawals years ago "cold turkey" several times and I could not stand the thought of my child having to go through any thing like that. I wish I would have never put him on this stuff in the first place. But 10 weeks and it'll be O.K.. I showed his Pediatrician the schedule and he said it was great. Maybe someone else can use it. Lori Mc.
7.5mg- 2 weeks
5mg.- 2 weeks
2.5mg. - 2 weeks
2.5mg. - every other day for 2 weeks
2.5mg. -every 4th day for 2 weeks

[hope for the best]

Originally Posted by Lorimc

My 12 Yr. old son has been on Lexapro 10mg., for 1 yr. and 9 months. He's was originally put on it for moderate depression . It has been working fine. It is the long term ( no one knows) effects that I am concerned about. He's a child. Anyway I ask one doctor about taking him off slowly and he said to just give him 5mg. for 2 weeks then stop and he'll be fine. No side effects. Well I've been reading alot and knew he was full of himself so I made my own tapering schedule. It will take 10 weeks but with the most minimal side effects. I'm dropping him down 2.5mg every 2 weeks and then 2.5mg. every other day for 2 weeks , then 2.5mg. every 4th day. And I got a prescription for Vertigo. We are on day 3 and Vertigo has set in but the medicne keeps it in check. I myself am a recovering addict and have been through heroine withdrawals years ago "cold turkey" several times and I could not stand the thought of my child having to go through any thing like that. I wish I would have never put him on this stuff in the first place. But 10 weeks and it'll be O.K.. I showed his Pediatrician the schedule and he said it was great. Maybe someone else can use it. Lori Mc.
7.5mg- 2 weeks
5mg.- 2 weeks
2.5mg. - 2 weeks
2.5mg. - every other day for 2 weeks
2.5mg. -every 4th day for 2 weeks

I'm helping my daughter taper off also but you might want to see the other thread in Featured Conditions started by auntibiotic. Many people there would say you are dropping down too fast. They suggest no more than 10% at a time and to stablize at each taper before going down again (however long that takes 2-3 weeks is suggested) and often more like 5%.

My daughter did go from 10mg to 7.5 for two weeks then to 5mg for a month without any withdrawal problems however if she had she would have gone back up and tapered slower. She is now going at .5 (½mg) at a time to try to avoid problems later on. I know it means stretching it out but it might be a smoother ride. Just a thought.