Help!
Help!
Help!
Help!
I took Lexapro 10mg for 2 days and had to stop it because I was having suicidal thoughts, not eating or drinking, horrible dreams, very tense, everything I thought about gave me a panic attack. I was only taking it to prevent panic attacks. I have never been depressed. I stopped the Lexapro 9 days ago and I am feeling better everyday but I am still anxious, my head is really cloudy and I am having horrible dreams that give me anxiety. I also find myself clenching my jaw, which I have never done. I find myself happy one minute and a little down the next, that has never happened to me either. I didn't eat or sleep for 5 days. I wish I could just feel normal again. Even with the low dosage and length of time I did take the Lexapro I keep hearing it could still take 2-4 weeks. Has anyone ever had this happen to them? I was way better off with panic attacks every once in a while. Please help!!
How long does it take for Lexapro to be totally out of your system and feel normal again?
Question posted by samjoshaddi on 2 Dec 2015
Last updated on 28 October 2024
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.
93 Answers Page 3
Commenting on this med - Not all patients receiving this drug have bad reactions or it would not be so widely prescribed and used. A few years ago I went from 20 to 10 to 5 then stopped thinking I was well and did not need it. 2 weeks later I could not even get out of bed. I gave it a month. Then Realized Lexapro was really helping with what I thought was anxiety but apparently was also depression. Therapy did not help as serotonin imbalances cannot be helped by therapy and insurance wanted group therapy which was a waste of time and money. SO I guess my thought is 2-3 days of lexapro would not have caused the symptoms described in the original post..perhaps it was anxiety over taking a new med for mental health that caused symptoms... our brains are incredible. I am back on 10 and doing well.
Hey Samjo! I’m here to try and help. I was exactly where you are. Trust me when I say this. lexapro is poison. You were smart to stop. I took it for the recommended 6 weeks it said to allow and it made me feel 100x worse. It gave me depression that I never had. I only took it for anxiety and it was a nightmare. I stopped on the first day of the 6th week. The #1 thing towards recovery I found is therapy. Make sure you find a great therapist you trust. And talk, talk, talk it out. Until you feel better, very small doses of Ativan is what helped me. After a couple of weeks I stopped that as well.
Best of luck to you. Know that you made the right decision in stopping lexapro. With therapy you’ll feel better soon. I’m about 6 months in and I’m almost back to my old self. Take care.
I stopped taking lexapro week ago. I was on it since 2016 10mg. I started weaning off of it slowly. I started from 5mgs to 2mgs. To bites. I've been off a week. I do get shaky and my brain is foggy. But now I'm trying to ween off xanax too. It's hard to ween off anything . Even sugar cause your body goes into shock for a while. Keep up what your doing. Let's hope we both survive. You can do it
I have been reading this thread for the past 45 minutes or so, and it is such a life saver! I took Zoloft once and it was amazing, but I could not seem to get back on it again without side effects. I tried Celexa after that and had horrible diarrhea. Then it was Lexapro. My doctor prescribed 10mg a day, but I have also always been sensitive to medication (and I have a 3 year old to take care of), so I cut it in half and tried one 5mg pill at 1030am the first day.
By lunch time I realized that I could not finish my meal. I had this background nausea, indigestion, whatever you want to call it. That night I had insomnia for the first time ever, and my heartburn showed up with a vengeance. The next morning I stressed about whether or not to take a second pill but I chose not to. I could barely eat or drink without feeling sick. I felt hot and cold, anxious, cried half the day away. That night I only managed maybe 3 broken hours of sleep.
Day 3 off the meds improved a little.. I was able to eat more, but had a fever, and flushing. I felt like I had the flu and was miserable. That night I was finally able to sleep. I am on day 4 post pill now, and am struggling to find info on when I will at least get to my "baseline" again. I am so thankful for this thread. My doctor would probably think that I am crazy too. I am still experiencing a little nausea, shivers, anxiety, and some other things.
I am literally counting down the days until it is supposed to be out of my system. It's so good to know that I am not alone, and there is hope. Hang in there! <3
Hi
At first it does cause mental issues
It’s normal
Then a week or two you should find improvement
I went through it myself
I now take tramadol
That works best
I recently had some health anxiety and went to my GP. After several blood tests that came back normal, he suggested I try Lexapro 10mg to calm my anxiety. After two days of 10mg once per day ( i would take them before bed) i had to stop do to the high levels of anxiety i experienced during the day and the awful stomach aches and nausea that accompanied it. I couldnt eat for a few days even after I stopped the medication. I found this thread comforting in that I just wanted to return to normal pre med state.. I did worry i did something permanent to my mind ( not the case). Being a hypochondriac is something that i would say contributed to magnifying my experience but all in all the few days it took to recover were not pleasant. I took my last pill on a tuesday night, and didnt feel back to normal till about Saturday . I attribute this to the long half life of this drug. I think getting the does below 2.5mg is when your body starts to return to normal.
Anyone having similar experiences as I did consult your doctor but know that you will return to your premed state in due time. What really helped in the end were liquid antacids (taken friday night of that week) and zantac . My nerves and anxiety go right to my stomach, so this helped calm my stomach and once i got my appetite back my mood significantly improved. Hope this helps anyone out there having a similar experience.
Only took Lexapro two days at 5 mg. Didn’t like it made me anxious etc so stopped taking it. Now I get muscle twitches when I drift to sleep. So cannot sleep at all! Been going on for two weeks after coming off Lex. Anyone have this?? All docs say it my imagination, but come on ! I have slept well my whole life until coming off this stuff. Anyone with suggestions or how long it took you to feel well after only a couple of doses? Really scared,,,
Hi Willandnell & Mydocisanass,
I saw your post and wanted to reply, and I've also wanted to follow up for others. I know exactly how you are feeling and scared you might never be the same. I was there not too long ago myself and can assure you it will take some time but you will feel okay again. There is no set time since everyone is different, and it can be fast or take it's good old time. But from what I found is that it comes down to how you help and better yourself since just like me, you took Lexapro for a reason in the first place. I hope I can help you a little and for anyone else going through a similar situation.
I took 10MG for 3 days and felt horrible in so many ways while on it and for a while afterwards. I had almost every side effect (some side effects not even listed) and a few of them were downright horrendous. The scariest part was that many of the worst side effects lingered for a good while after I already stopped taking it (I still have a few here and there). My sleep is still not back to normal but every week it gets a little better. I originally could only sleep an hour or two after I first stopped taking it, but every week gets better. I originally took Lexapro for Anxiety and Panic Attacks and it made things 100x worse for me and not only exacerbated my Anxiety but gave me issues I did not have prior to taking it. I thought I was losing my mind and that I would never be the same. At least my doctor agreed with me that the Lexapro did not agree with me as I have read plenty of doctors say otherwise when patients reported issues. I would have 1 semi-decent day and have some hope, and then the next day I was right back to where I started. I truly regretted I ever took it in the first place, but you can't turn back time and only move forward. Hands down the scariest experience of my life.
It's been a little over a month since I last took it and I cannot say I am 100% back to myself. But every week I am doing much better. I was hoping that once the Lexapro was out of my system (going off of the half life) I would magically go back to how I was and that was a big mistake, and when that day came it put a damper on my recovery. But if there is anything positive that came out of this it is that learned so much in the last month that I will not only go back to how I was prior to taking it, but I will become a stronger person in the end. And I will detail this at the end.
Simply put Lexapro floods your brain with serotonin. How I look at it is the reason it takes a few weeks for Lexapro to start working (as your brain adjusts to the new levels of serotonin) is the same reason why it takes a long time to feel better after you stop taking it. Your brain gets thrown out of whack and it takes time to rebalance itself. Your brain is the most complex and amazing organ in your body and is constantly changing, adapting, etc., so just because you stopped taking it doesn't mean you will go back to how you were beforehand. But this is NOT a bad thing since remember... you took Lexapro for a reason. When I originally realized this and also realized I control the outcome it motivated me and paved the way to feeling better. You can literally change your brain for the better!
I did therapy up until last week which really helped put things in perspective (My therapist said to call him if I need him again, and most people will need a lot more than just 3 weeks). I stopped drinking alcohol prior to the Lexapro and have not had any since. I stopped "Googling" for reassurance since I've read and also found it makes things worse; It's the same reason why you won't find a lot of replies from people who feel better since they move on and try to forget about the whole thing to begin with (the only reason I am replying is because I forgot I was still subscribed to this thread and got an email lol). I stopped dwelling on the past and began living one day at a time. I started meditating ( look up headspace, its an awesome App). I began working out regularly which really helps a ton. I started to eat better. And I began working on the source of my original anxiety which started this in the first place, and I realized what the triggers are to not let it get out of hand. Long story short is if you take care of yourself it will pay off physically and mentally. I let myself and things go for a while and it came back to bite me in the ass big time. So I learned a big lesson in life which I know will help me lead a much better & brighter future. And I will never put
I know my experience won't help everyone since everyone is different, and some people have conditions that genuinely need medication. But I do know there are similar people in my boat and that changing yourself for the better is all you need to do. And I will never put anything like Lexapro in my body again!
Thank you so much for your help! If ANYone else has positive outcome stories please share them.
If I get out of this, hopefully I will soon, I vow to come back on here and talk about it to give others that are scared like I am some hope. Thanks again for replying, you have given me some hope.
No problem at all and really glad I could help! I know how you feel since I was there myself not long ago. And It’s not a matter of if you will get out of this it’s just a matter of when. You will feel better I promise and it will just take some time. So don’t lose hope and just take it one day at a time and you will notice every week is better than the last. Another thing I forgot to mention in my last post which is super important is sticking to a routine. Try to do the same things at the same time everyday( I know life gets in the way sometimes and it’s not always possible) but as long as you try your best it will help a lot. And just remind yourself it will take some time and the more you help yourself, try to relax and take it easy, take care of yourself, the faster you will feel better.
Hi Willandnell, I know this comment is super old but I was just wondering if you ever got back to normal? I’m having the exact same muscle twitching from lexapro and can’t sleep. It’s been 10 days and I’m worried it’s permanent, to the point that I’ve considered taking my life. I’m just curious if it ever went away for you?
I have been taking Lexapro 2.5 mg every night for last 6 years. Only thing I realized, I am little bit more social, have a little of those negative thoughts and sleep well. But on the negative side, I also feel like I am a little forgetful, have a little bit less optimistic view about my financial future. Kind of a gave up feeling. More bored. Don't have that go getter's attitude. I feel I am more mellow, kind of like a retired old men. I don't argue with my wife much. Always relaxed. Don't like to take challenges. It hurts me financially.
Glad to read all this. I have been on Lexapro for a couple of years. TERRIBLE insomnia and didn't really help with anxiety. So I went from one drug, to adding ambien, to adding ativan... where does it stop?? I recently went to dr re insomnia and she wanted to INCREASE Lexapro and stop ativan!!! Do these docs even listen? Even the reported side effects from studies lists insomnia as 15% of patients. I am going to bring myself down to 5mg and gradually add HTP5. as with prior post, I also gained quite a bit of weight
I took Lexapro for 2 days also. I couldn't think straight, clenching my jaw, heart was racing, extreme nausea and vomiting. I want to feel normal again. Never again will I take this kind of junk and put it in my system. I lost my husband and was depressed and then they just added to my problems.
Hello, so glad I came across this post. I took Lexapro/escitalopram for three days just 5mg. I was feeling everything yall described. Just plus extreme vertigo. I stopped taking it two days ago and I am barely functioning. My only withdraw side effects are this vertigo feeling and a little more anxiety than usual. Did anyone else experience this? I thought since I had only been taking it for a little bit it would have already been out of my system. Glad to hear it takes a while because I just thought I was going crazy and the hypochondria was getting the best of me. I can't wait for this stuff to be done. I'll take my monthly panic attack over this any day.
I would like to see if anyone is still active here. I had a bad reaction like most of you to the Lexapro and I took it for a month. My doctor dismissed any of the side effects and said it was me and not the medicine. Just wanted to see any updates on how anyone is feeling and how long it took to feel better? My most hated symptoms is the the heavy chest and neck pain
Hello Amanda. I would not dismiss your side effects. Unfortunately my opinion is that doctors treat patients like charts and everybody should fit into one mold. Not everyone does clearly that’s why you’ve read all these things about the side effects people of had from Lexapro. Me myself I only took Lexapro 10 mg for two days and I can tell you right now it took all of the month to get it completely out of my system . Because of that situation I refuse to take any other medications. Never dismiss how you feel.
Man I hope it doesn’t take that long
Hi everyone, I don't normally respond to comments but when I read all these comments about this med I felt I had to. Obviously everybody reacts differently to different meds however this particular one made me feel utterly horrendous! Firstly, my GP prescribed me 20mg straight off which I thought seemed high seeing as I was new to the medication. After some investigation I went back to the doctors and he admitted he had made a mistake and I should be on 10mg initially. I took 10mg for the first 2 days. Even after the first day I was feeling odd. My face was tingling, my skin was burning, my pupils were huge, my head felt as though it was going to explode, my mind felt as though it had gone, I was staring at the walls, I was confused, extremely agitated and had terrible insomnia. I was aware my symptoms could get worse before they got better but certainly wasn't expecting to feel this bad.
After 2 days I went down to 5mg but the side effects were getting worse so decided to stop them after 6 days. I've been off them for 3.5 days now and am sleeping again will leave it another 10 days before I even consider trying another medication. It's good to know I'm not the only one who felt these horrible side effects. Stay strong and take care all. Paul
I took .5 mg for a week. I’ve been off for 8 days. I think I’m doing better but it’s really hard to tell. I was also switched back from Losartan to valsartan for blood pressure. Valsartan worked for me before the recall so I went back. Dr. Is telling me the combination of Losartan and Lexapro caused my problems. I hope she’s right and this stops soon. I can’t work. This is horrible. I wish you the best.
Hey how are you feeling? I took 5mg 1 day and then 2.5 for a week. Today is my third day off and I have had some pretty dark thoughts/panic... have convinced myself that it triggered something in me that I will never be able to let go of
I’m still in bed most of the day. However, I think I feel a little better today. I really believe I’ve had an allergic reaction to Lexapro. I read it works great for some people but I will learn to manage without meds. I seriously thought I was dying. I’ve never physically felt that bad. I’m hoping I’m getting better. How are you doing? What are your physical symptoms?
Some days are great and some days bring me way back down. I feel like things have gotten a little better every day but again out of nowhere on day 10-11 I was hit by a wave. Intense depression/anxiety that makes me feel physical ill. Tension headaches, sleeplessness, bad dreams, dry mouth/cramps, negative/existential thoughts that I can't kick at all. I've had my bad nights before lexapro but I never remember not being able to sleep something off or not being able distract myself. I really hope this ends. The way it comes and goes has me really confused.
Hi NeilSC2,
I just wanted to see how you are feeling now since it’s been a few weeks. I took Lexapro 10MG for 3 days and have been off of it for about 10/11 days. I’ve felt almost the same way you describe and am just hoping it gets better.
Hi Neilsc2,
I'm wondering the same as Jj. I took 10mg for 8 days and have felt like I'm losing my mind ever since. My anxiety wasn't that bad before and idk if I was actually even depressed (I think my anxiety was causing a lot of my feelings and I didn't realize it until I got some perspective), the lexapro had me in the ER for a panic attack on day 5. The first 4 days I felt fine, but it was all down hill after that. Serious chest pain, anxiety off the charts, waking from sleep every couple hours in full panic. Even ambien didn't help me sleep, I powered through it like it was a tic tac. I've been off lexapro for 13 days and I'm still having the dark existential thoughts that definitely were not there before the lexapro, as well as some anxiety around sleeping when sleep was never an issue for me. When I read that you were worried the lexapro had done something permanent to you, I could not have related more.
I've worried the same thing for over 2 weeks now. Some days are better on the whole, but most days I go back and forth between feeling ok and feeling like a mess. I'm hoping things are going much better for you now, since you're further along in the process. Please update us if you can!
I started lexapro dec 28th on 5 mg. On Jan 3rd it was increased to 10 mg. I experienced insomnia, clenching my jaw, couldn't catch my breath. I have a fear of death and that is what my panic attack was. Even had a nightmare of death. Scared the crap out of me. Went to the er 3 times and they suggested antidepressants. I've never felt depressed only anxiety. I went to the pharmacy today (jan 12th) and she said stop taking it. I've talked to my dr yesterday about getting off it. Today I only took xanax, no lexapro. My anxiety has been minimal today but wondering how long it should be before I notice its completely out of my system
When was the last time you took it? Lexapro has a half life of 30 hours! So it takes what seems like forever to get out of your system! I took only one 10mg dose and it took 10 days until I felt back to “normal.” Lexapro is a terrible drug. Had I known of these side effects before, I never would’ve tried it!
Gonna second that. I took a single 10mg pill of Lexapro snd it took about a solid week before I felt fairly normal. Been 9 days and I cant say I feel it's TOTALLY out my system, but every day seems to get a little better.
I went to see my doc on Wednesday and she actually got mad at me for only taking the one dose. She kept insisting I stick it out, and when I refused, she got visibly frustrated and told me I'm a textbook case of a difficult patient.
Last one I took was Friday night. My dr wants to try me on buspar for anxiety. Side effects are less than lexapro and seem more manageable
Related topics
lexapro, depression, anxiety, generalized anxiety disorder, system
Further information
- Lexapro uses and safety info
- Lexapro prescribing info & package insert (for Health Professionals)
- Side effects of Lexapro (detailed)
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