I've been having severe withdrawal symptoms after my doctor made me ween off of Lexapro recently. These symptoms are severe restless leg syndrome all throughout the day, being jittery, uneasiness, and being overall restless. I'm also sleeping a lot less, waking up during the night, and I've been smoking a lot more, and I mean a lot. Has anyone else experienced these types of withdrawal symptoms from Lexapro?
Lexapro withdrawal symptoms?
Question posted by sfsyed on 10 Aug 2006
The information on this page reflects personal experiences shared by our community members. It is not reviewed for medical accuracy and should not replace professional medical advice.
116 Answers Page 2
Lorimc
5 May 2008
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
erinkj
2 May 2008
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 :rolleyes:. Peace and hugs... Erin
dancinsunshine
2 May 2008
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!:p
erinkj
2 May 2008
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.
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
2 May 2008
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:D!!
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
dancinsunshine
2 May 2008
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??
erinkj
2 May 2008
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
ginnyh69
1 May 2008
Can you go from lexapro to celexa? I have been on Lexapro for 16 days.
ginnyh69
1 May 2008
Have you thought of using natural anxiety meds to help wean off and sleep?
dancinsunshine
30 April 2008
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.
:o
dancinsunshine
29 April 2008
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.
NPDDad
29 April 2008
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 :(
erinkj
28 April 2008
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". :rolleyes: 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
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
dancinsunshine
28 April 2008
:eek::p
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
27 April 2008
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
Related topics
Further information
- Lexapro uses and safety info
- Lexapro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lexapro (detailed)
Similar questions
Search for questions
Still looking for answers? Try searching for what you seek or ask your own question.