coming off lexapro

irishbucka

hey folks. i have been on lexapro 10 mgs since 2008 but i felt i could come off them. so i went to my gp 2 months ago and she reduced it to 5 mgs to see how i go and hopefully come off them completley. the frsrt 6 weeks went well but the last 2 weeks have been a struggle. been feeling a bit anxious and my fuse has shortened. im going back on monday to gp to see if she thinks i should go back on 10mgs.

my question to ye is has anybody ever managed to come off lexapro and if they did , did they go threw this type of phase and just rode it out?:rolleyes:

Forest Demon

I came off 20mg. Was tough for a couple of weeks. I was irrational, angry and irritable and was going to go back on it. Took about 4 weeks before I felt myself again and I am glad I stuck with it. If you have made your mind to come off it them stick with it. It will settle down.

The way I thought about it was that I was going to come off it at some stage so now was as good a time as any. The anger is the hardest but you just have to remember that whatever is making you angry is not the real issue. Its the withdrawal.

irishbucka

thanks forest demon. i think your right. you cant stay on it forever and my wife thinks its a step backwards too so i will talk with my doc and hopefully ride it out. i knew the first 4 weeks were too good to be true.
cheers again

TheChizler

Switched from 20 to a different medication, there was about 2 weeks where I was feeling withdrawal symptoms, dizziness and nausea. Cleared up well though.

irishbucka

im still on the 5mg but im grand now so hopefully will be off them totally soon enough;)
what did ya switch to chissler if you dont mind me asking

girlonfire

I came off Lexapro recently enough. I found it very tough and considered staying on it, just to alleviate the withdrawal symptoms. I felt terrible for a while - very anxious, depressed, irritable, headaches, etc. I'm really glad I stuck with it though as it has all settled down again and i'm feeling much better.
Take your time OP and good luck :-)

irishbucka

cheers girlonfire. i feel great now but i did have a rough week awhile back when i originally posted. im going to the doc next week to try and come off the 5mg, im not sure how you do it? do you take one every 2nd day or do you just stop the 5mgs.
i know i will get some more withdrawel symtoms but once thats over with im finished

girlonfire

In my case, I reduced further to 2.5mg and I started taking that every other day for a fortnight or so before stopping them completely. However, I'm not suggesting you do the same, as everyone is different. Your GP will advise you when you go to see him/her no doubt. I know it's hard when dealing with the withdrawal symptoms, but it definitely gets easier. In my case, once that passed, I felt fresher and more clear headed than I have done in a long time. Fair play for sticking with it. I know it's not easy!

irishbucka

yeah i will see what the doc says next week. thanks for advice and poisitive comments

TheChizler

I went every second day with the 20 for a few days before switching to 25 valdoxan. Seems to work better!

dmcm_90

hi i have been on 15mg of lexapro for anxiety for 2 years now and going on the 3rd. my doc is talking about taking me off them but i wont to know how successful have people been coming off. what are the withdrawals like

Hersheys

dmcm_90 wrote: »

hi i have been on 15mg of lexapro for anxiety for 2 years now and going on the 3rd. my doc is talking about taking me off them but i wont to know how successful have people been coming off. what are the withdrawals like

I came off lexapro 15 mg also. It took ~ 6 weeks of weaning down. I'm not gonna lie, it wasn't easy. But it was doable. The first few days are grand then withdrawal sets in. But it does get easier.

Good luck.

Lisad375

I'm on my second week of quitting lexapro, I've been on them four years and over the past year I've gone from 20mg to 5mg every 3rd day this week (it was every second day last week) the withdrawals are testing me tho! I'm so angry and in bad form all the time dizzy and nauseous all day, I really want to succeed it's so hard tho!!

LegacyUser

Sorry I'm very late to the party. I have been on Lexapro for the guts of two years. I went from 20mg to 10 to 5mg. I've been off them a week and this is my second attempt. The first time I had strong withdrawals and in all honesty I was prepared for the withdrawals. My advice to anyone coming off them is EDUCATE yourself. I had no idea the withdrawal symptoms the first time I tried until I had a random conversation with my sister and told her about the dizziness and lightheadedness I was feeling. This time around I was prepared.

So far the dizziness has come back with a bang. It's so bad I can't drive my car. The nightmares have kicked in now. I experienced vivid nightmares before I went on Lexapro so I'm praying this is a withdrawal and not a permanent fixture. I've also experienced forgetfulness, I can't have a conversation with my husband because I'll be mid way through a sentence stop talking and completely forget what I was saying.

I'm still very positive, I want to come off them and I think it's very important to be completely comfortable and secure with your decision. Alot of people on here have kept going through the withdrawals and have come out the other side. I'm hoping that will be me in a few weeks. I'm just praying I don't get these brain zaps they sound horrific.

Lastly, if there is anyone reading this who hasn't started taking Lexapro but is considering it again I would educate yourself on the drug. My doctor handed me that in a blink of an eye and up'd my dosage without a second thought. I'm not saying my doctor was wrong but I do wish I was given a bit more information before I took it. But all in all Lexapro has been a big help to me hence why I feel positive about coming off it.

I hope everyone who is thinking of taking it and thinking of coming off them, does so safely.

Good luck to everyone.