Lexapro Withdrawal Unwanted Side Effects

Comments Submitted Says:

Wed, July 22, 2009

I have been taking Lexapro 10mg once a day for about a year. I have had many unwanted side effects which according to my doctor there are very few side effects from Lexapro. He says it is a clean drug. Wrong. It did nothing to help me and I want off. My doctor refused to give me anti-anxiety meds to help with the withdrawals from Lexapro because once again, there are no withdrawals from Lexapro. Why do doctors lie about this. Why do pharmaceutical companies lie about this? I have read so much about people just losing it while trying to stop taking Lexapro. I have not taken it in about ten days after weaning off for about two months from 10mg to 2 mg a day. My nerves are a wreck, I am extremely irratable, and have slight headaches. This is a horrible drug with many long lasting withdrawal symptoms. The makers of Lexapro, Forrest Pharmaceutical, should be ashamed of themselves. Do not lie to so many people just to increase the market strength of your company.

1

Verwon Says:
Wed, July 22, 2009

Leaxpro contains the active ingredient Escitalopram, this an SSRI antidepressant.

First off, ALL drugs carry the risk of side effects, regardless of what your doctor tells you. Some people tolerate drugs very well and experience few side effects, while other may get slammed with all of them. For your doctor to try and say there aren't any is just not realistic.

Some common side effects of Leaxapro can include: nausea, headache, dry mouth, drowsiness and diarrhea.

Secondly, our bodies can become dependent on ANYTHING we ingest regularly, be it a morning cup of coffee or orange juice or a medication and if you suddently stop using it, you will experience withdrawal effects. They will not be as serious as they would if you were an addict that was abusing a drug, but nonetheless, they will occur.

You can also experience rebound effects, such as worsening anxiety and depression for awhile, as your body tries to readjust to no longer having this chemical.

You can read more about this medication here:

https://rxchat.com/wiki/Lexapro/

Did you have any questions?

Was this helpful? 7

2

John Says:
Thu, July 23, 2009

Thank you sir. Your info is very helpful and really sheds some light on my feelings. It makes perfect sense that any chemical that you put in your body will have side effects, whether noticable or not. Also, when you stop taking any chemical, that your body will go through an adjustment phase. Just needed confirmation that I am not imagining all of this.

Thanks again for your reply.

Was this helpful? 2

3

ash2586 Says:
Tue, September 29, 2009

Verwon,
I do not mean to sound rude, but you really have no idea what you are talking about. You have obviously not been through withdrawal, thus you have no understanding that SSRI withdrawal is not like withdrawing from caffine. Do a simple Google search with the name of any antidepressant followed by the word withdrawal and see if you find any commonalities. Antidepressant withdrawal can often be as debilitating as withdrawal from illegal drugs AND can often last much longer (several years in some cases). Check out www.paxilprogress.org if you don't believe me. Pharmaceutical companies have fed lies to the medical community and used their big dollars to continue to sell SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome as something that is mild and transient. In reality, withdrawal from these potent and addictive substances is far more common and often more severe than Big Pharma would have you believe.

John - You are not imagining anything. Please do not buy into the return of your original symptoms bs fed to you by people that have no idea how you are feeling and are quoting misguided, biased pharmaceutical literature. Do a Google search and you will find that there are thousands of people on various websites and forums that have experienced what you are experiencing and can help you. Please remember that withdrawal is very serious and may be an entirely different animal than your original symptoms. Be safe, ask for help, seek multiple opinions if needed, and do your research. I wish you well!
May the truth reveal itself!!

Was this helpful? 25

4

holly Says:
Sat, February 27, 2010

my husband has been taking this lexapro drug now for 3 years and was trying to wein off it. however they also added a drug called clonazepam for the reduction of the lexapro. well my husband got down to a 10 mg of lexapro and the 5mg of clonazepam. well now he refuses to take either one of these drugs and i am nervous. he is dispalying odd behavior as well as very sick like you hear about with junkies...this lexapro is an addiction beyone belief.and its legal go figure. please any advise would help. (just not the advice to restart taking the meds.)

Was this helpful? 6

5

John Says:
Sun, February 28, 2010

Holly, I wish I had a solution to help. I have gone through withdrawal from lexapro as well as xanex and suboxone. None of these is easy because it is as if the body has forgotten how to function without these chemicals. I have read a lot of what others say and the only thing that seems to be a constant is that during the withdrawal phase it is important to force certain things. Most importantly is water and nutrition. The body needs to stay hidrated when going through the stress of withdrawal. Water helps to flush out any chemicals in the body. It doesn't make the torture any less tollerable, but it does speed the process up. Also, do research on natural remedies. There are lots of herbs and such that will provide some relief. I have read quite a bit about L-tyrosine and it's benefits. The worst part (by far) of withdrawal to me is the depression. I can handle the brain zaps (neurological), muscle aches, fatigue, naseu etc. The depression is the one that cripples me. The only thing that helps is to excercise, eat healthy, and let time pass. The only other thing that has been any relief to me is prayer. Hang in there and do some research on those natural remedies.

Was this helpful? 24

6

Evie Says:
Fri, August 20, 2010

My daughter was given Lexapro during rehab stay for 6 months . She had an addiction to pain killers from a surgery and then went through a divorce..we are trying to back her off this horrible drug on our own as her Dr. said he thought she should stay on it!! Help! She is irritable, extremely sleepy, tired and has vivid dreams. We are giving her `1/2 of a 10 mg and not wanting to stop with this withdrawing but doing it on your own is not right and scary. Any advice out there?

Was this helpful? 10

7

Randa Says:
Sun, September 5, 2010

I am frustrated about Lexapro all the way around. I have been taking it for over a year and recently just decided to quit taking it and here is why. I have had thoughts of hanging myself for most of the time I was on it. Well, I just kept telling myself, Man, I must be super duper depressed if I can have thoughts like that while on an antidepressant! So on and on I have gone hoping it would get better. My DVR list was getting long and I wanted to clear off as much as I could and I started watching shows I had DVRd a while back. One of the shows I was skimming through grabbed my attention. It was a father of a boy who had been taking meds and had hung himself. Immediately, I thought, Well, it was probably Lexapro. Guess what? It was. The show was supposed to be about how antidepressants up the thoughts of suicide in young people...I am 43! What about that?? While I am no joy to be around right now due to some withdrawal, at least I don't want to hang myself anymore. I have been extremely irritable and moody. I can't wait for these symptoms to pass.

Was this helpful? 16

8

Sammie A Says:
Fri, January 7, 2011

I have been on Lexapro for 2 + years and am on day five without it. Hooray! I tried to stop taking it about 6 months ago unsuccessfully because I felt terrible dizziness, sickness, headaches, feeling disconnected, tired, irritable, heart palpations and racing and just feeling horrible. I was on 10 mg for 2 years.

I went in and told my doctor (who also claimed this was such a good "clean" drug) to tell him I was sleeping all the time, tired all the time, had nightmares, night sweats, and weight gain (30 lbs) since being on Lexapro. His response was to increase my dose to 20mg, as stupid as that sounds. I about fell off my chair when he recommended that.

I tried 20 mg for only one day and went back to 10 mg because the 20 mg caused me to feel manic and "high". I really disliked the feeling.

I toyed with the mg levels on my own going from 5 mg for awhile then I back to my doctor to tell him that 20 mg was horrible and I wanted to try just 5mg which he allowed. I used 5mg for a couple months and used 10 mg occasionally when I needed it for work.

Then when I went on vacation recently I decided to just use 5 mg per day for 5 days. Then, on Monday of this week, I stopped altogether. My first day off it was torture. It has slowly improved each day. Today I officially flushed my bottle down the drain so I didn't have the temptation of taking one to take the "edge" off. I don't want to go backwards.

The withdrawals symptoms and side effects were never discussed with me by my doctor. He should have warned me and fully advised me of both. His failure to do so really is malpractice in my opinion.

Now that I'm off it for 5 days, I feel like I have the flu still but I don't. Mornings are better than evenings. I fall asleep on the couch at about 7pm each night and have just been trying to eat as much food as I can and drink as much water as I can. Both seem to help. I still feel fatigued and dizzy and disconnected. I am praying it will pass completely soon.

After another week has passed, I will post an update to let you know how I'm faring and whether it's going better.

Was this helpful? 33

9

Shey Says:
Tue, February 8, 2011

I recenetly quit taking Lexapro and the only thing that has helped me is 5HTP. I am having really bad anxiety, but if I take this it goes away. 5HTP is an amino acid that turns into seratonin. You can take this for depression and anxiety as an alternative to SSRI's. I learned all my information from a really good book called The Mood Cure, by Julia Ross. It is extremely informative and shows you how to treat your moods and addictions naturally.

Was this helpful? 4

10

Dana Says:
Sun, May 8, 2011

Hi, I'm freaked out. I've been taking Lexapro for 2 years. This isn't the first anti depressant that I've taken however it seemed to work the best for me in a long time....at first. I have had a substantial amount of bad things happen since I've started taking it such as foreclosure, a 5 year relationship dissolve, parents house burned down, laid off and finally lost my health insurance.
During all this I've been laid off twice. I have slept more than I have ever in my whole entire life. I have also gained about 50 lbs in the tummy of course and sometimes are so raged out of no where. I have been told I should be on meds by my dr as I have type A depression and anxiety......Well after finally looking up the side effects to Lexapro I'm shocked...I shouldn't be shame on me for not looking prior to taking it and just trusting my dr.
I thought half the stuff that was happening was the result of whats going on in my life. Though staying in bed or not being able to sleep for days at a time isn't like me. Not to mention I gained 50 lbs in over two years and have these crazy cravings for carbs and sweets I mean it takes of my body....interesting I read somewhere that is common.
Not to mention I've never felt so depressed and although I haven't experienced voices as other have I have the constant brain zaps which are growing more and more intense as I go into week 2 of not taking 20 mg a day.
I can't see the dr anymore because I owe so much money but its not fair to just put someone like me on meds and never talk to them again its whole different animal in that aspect.
Help does anyone have advise? Should I just go to the ER? I have the brain zaps, flu like symptoms, crazy vivid dreams, I sleep either alot or not at all, and I can't concentrate to save my life.
Anybody? Help if you were me what would you do?

Was this helpful? 3

11

Dana Says:
Sun, May 8, 2011

Hi Shey,

Thanks for your post, I'm going to get that book. I see your the most recent post on lexapro withdrawls and side effects.

I just wanted to ask you are you feeling better now that it has been a couple months or do you still feel the side effects?

Any other advise you could offer me?
Thanks!

Was this helpful? 0

12

Julia Says:
Fri, July 15, 2011

How horrible. I have never had thoughts of hanging myself until I went onto Lexapro. I have been off of it for a 13 days now and the constant suicidal thoughts have left me altogether.
I have the "brain zaps", nausea, stomach cramps and spaced out feeling. The sweating is awful as are the hot flashes. My appetite has changed...I am not CRAVING food as I was on the drug. (a good thing)
Good luck to all who are going though this. It's not easy but I have read that it's going to take a couple months and I am going to stick it out...I hope you do too. J.

Was this helpful? 7

13

Samantha Says:
Tue, July 26, 2011

Been off lexapro for over a month now and i am extremely depressed, to the depth of my soul. I read that this is part of it. I will keep thinking and doing positive things. It has to get better. This is the worst. I still feel the brain zapping every now and then, however it is much, much fainter and much less frequent. I will never take these types of meds ever again.

Was this helpful? 5

14

diane Says:
Fri, September 30, 2011

Lexapro is the worst drug ever. It worked great for a while and then found myself vitamin d deficient and lay in bed for months. Not sleeping but just laying there with no energy to get out of the bed. I gained 14 pounds, my life is out of control and I couldn't find the energy to even try to do anything. My doctor said that this drug would not cause vitamin d deficiency and it doesn't make you tired. I also never have a period when I'm on it. I have stopped four different times and my period would return. My doctor told me that talking doesn't work. Only medication can cure whatever your problems are. He runs a factory mill. I have waited two hours to see him and he then he doesn't talk just asks how the meds are doing and gives me another prescription. I decided to ween off of it. Since then, my life has been a nightmare. The brain Zaps, I act like a monster. I have no patience with my husband, children or other people. I want to just scream at whoever I see if they do something wrong. I've been off for two months. How much longer can this last? I also spent so much money on things that I'll be forever in debt. Oh, did I mention the muscle twitches all night long, restless leg, depression, anxiety, eating anything I can find, sadness, crying constantly over nothing! I'm calling the makers of this drug today. This is very sad for so many people are being put on this drug and have no idea that if you try to come off, it can ruin your life. I just keep praying I will go back to being healthy, happier and the nice person, I once was. Of course, I know that you can become dependent on anything but I wish I had known that if I had, I would known how bad the side effects would be, but when your doctor is telling you this drug is going to chance your life, you want to believe it.

Was this helpful? 8

15

Birdiepj Says:
Fri, September 30, 2011

You need to go search online and look at lexapro withdrawal... You are exibiting classic stage 1 withdrawal symptoms... It only gets worse. You need vitamins and fish oil and vitamin B. You may also benefit from noni juice. I went through the exact same thing... There is one poster "aunty" she has done incredible research! Go and read! All of you should! It's great support! I was on there too! Good luck!

Was this helpful? 7

16

diane Says:
Fri, September 30, 2011

Thans. I'll check those things out!

Was this helpful? 0

17

Birdiepj Says:
Fri, September 30, 2011

The web site I was talking about is called drugs-dot-com (not the real name, but if you type it in the way you would for a web site then it should take you there) in the forum for lexapro withdrawal.... There is so much information that could help you Along with this website too.

Was this helpful? 3

18

diane Says:
Fri, September 30, 2011

Thanks so much for taking the time to give me this information. It is a big help to have something to look at!

Was this helpful? 0

19

Leo the Yardie Chick Says:
Thu, May 24, 2012

Thanks for mentioning that! My prescription ran out on the 21st, and I don't have the first cent to revisit my doctor until June. I was freaking out that I'd have the same dizzy, out-of-body feelings like I did the last time I went days between pills, but now I have hope!

I'm already on Vitamin B Complex with the Lexapro, Vitamin C, and fish oils. I'm going to try the Noni juice and, above all, keep hydrated. I'm also going to try and be more active exercise-wise. I'm sure it won't be roses for the first few days, but I'll deal with it if it means I'll be off those drugs for good.

Was this helpful? 2

20

Birdiepj Says:
Thu, May 24, 2012

Good luck! I have been off the meds since last september and i have no side effects anymore.... I was thinking today how great it is to not be "zapping" anymore!

Was this helpful? 10

Page:1