Lexapro Withdrawal Unwanted Side Effects (Page 10)

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.

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hi stitch, many thanks, today is the 2.5 month of dropping down to 10mg from 20mg, i am suffering from very bad Nausea feeling and no appetite at all, I went to see doctor 3 days before he gave me a medicine called Nexium(20mg), I took once and I felt more uncomfortable and indigestive, this morning I woke up and vomitt... So today my anxiety is worse and stomach is worse, too. It's been 2.5 month, what is really going on with me? Will that getting better if i keep waiting? Is it still the symptoms that I dropped Lexapro to 10mg?

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Hi Rain, I'm very sorry its still going on. The average doctor wont know this but ya its for sure the Lexapro. It can take awhile to stabilize from dropping 20-10. Its a bit tricky cause you got started off at 20 mg. Usually the only way to reduce symptoms is either to reinstate a small dose if your completely off the med or bump it back up to where you feel good. For you, you felt bad on 20mg so I would think the only thing would be to stabilize on 10mg. I know how frustrating it is. I was led into hell by my doctors before I found this site and figured out what was going on.

Your situation is slightly tricky because you haven't stabilized on any dosage yet. I had massive stomach disturbances for 10 months and its still dragging out. But my doctor had me almost CT off 30mg of Lexapro. Nice guy he was, clueless a-----!!

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I'm so Sorry Becs I misread your post. Dropping 20-10 is too much of a drop. It will cause exactly those symptoms you are describing. I advise only 10% cuts per month. So from 20mg your next cut would be 18mg to reduce awful withdrawal symptoms. But you are already at 10mg so If you are having a horrible time you will need to go up to 15mg or back to 20mg to reduce symptoms and then once stable taper at a 10% cut.

Please forgive me if I repeat any questions or answers. I type to lots of people on my little phone. But please you can't skip doses like that. That will only add to the withdrawal symptoms.

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Hi Rain, so ya it can take alot more than 3 months to stabilize from 20-10 mg. I think you will stabilize in the next few months on 10mg. Definitely dont take more because you felt awful at 20mg. Its just a yo-yo effect going on with you. Going up to 20 then back to 10 is gonna cause alot of problems. I wish doctors were more educated about the drugs they prescribe. You just need to ride it out until it stabilizes. Honestly I went from 30 20mg for 2 months then 20 - 15 for 2 weeks than 10 for a week than 5 to 0 in another week. My stomach was destroyed for 10 months!! And its still lingering but healing all the time. I did 50 different evaluations and saw 5 different doctors. All of them didn't realize that Lexapro could cause this. Its mind boggling to me now. Remember this. 98% of your serotonin is in your gut! So adding way too much like 20mg from 10mg is gonna be a shock and then taking it away at a cut of 10mg is also awful. Lexapro is too strong to do this. But im very confident you will stabilize at 10mg. It just may take a bit longer.

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Hi Stitch, sorry to hear that your stomach is upset too! After have one tablet of Nexium I started feeling extreme nausea and I have to stop it because I guess it has opposite effect to my stomach. I went to my local GP doctor because of my stomach couldn't digest well and what he said is I have acid reflux so he gave me the Nexium for reducing the acid. But I think maybe our stomach acid level is lower than normal so if switched off the production of acid, we may have more nausea feeling and indigestive.

Also I rang my doctor last night to tell him about my awful feeling, he said he is thinking to give me some add-on medicines to improve my anxiety feeling, do you suggest me to take that? Thanks!

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Its okay I have lots of road under my belt being 17 months off. I think I am getting hit really hard one more time before I start to feel good again. Nexium could mess with your digestion. Your right we have too little stomach acid. But your system is actually really sensitive because of the med change so any change to your system might be disruptive. If the nexium helped I would say stay on it until you stabilize but obviously if it makes you worse than no point in that. Your in what the veterans call a wave right now. Anti anxiety meds are very addictive and have they're own Withdrawal but might help. My suggestion would be to try a magnesium bath or foot soak daily or Ltheanine a calming amino acid picked up at the health food store. Another option is Kava which can have a same effect as anxiety meds without the withdrawal. But if you would rather try the anxiety meds than I would suggest the lowest possible dose and not to take it daily. Tolerance is built up very fast . But if you did have to take it daily. I would say lowest dose possible so when u want off it you can taper easier. One thing that works for my gut. Is buying raw ginger and chewing on a very small piece. Let me know what you decide to try

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Im assuming the med your doctor will prescribe is a Benzo. If you decide to take this route keep a journal and track your symptoms.

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Many thanks stitch! I will go there and have a look!

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Hey Evie, I recommend CBT, I find withdrawal easier when I know why I feel like I do. Im concerned that your daughter isn't making the choice to come off it herself. It can be a horrible drug, but saved me when I was put on it. I find Phycology actually helpped me deal with/work out/understand my issues more than the drug. However it put me in a better state to cope and allow for the feeling of non anxious/depressed so that I could improve more with my mental health.
Also if I am wrong and it's what your daughter wants and is ready, u can get it in liquid form which makes it easier then cutting tabs.

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Hi Stitch,
Are you still feeling unbalanced( when you walk you feel like you are about to fall).
These things we go through is really sad.
We have to pray to God and have faith in him for us to feel better.
The worst part of my withdrawal is feeling unbalance when I walk, and the fatigue feeling. I get tired when I do stuff. My knees ache alot and feel numb and restless.
I have been Lexapro free for 6 1/2 months and these feelings are awful

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LEXAPRO IS the best SSRI there is, if you take it right , start on 5mg and make your goal 10mg anything after that is side effects , and Lexapro has plenty , YOU ALWAYS feel worse before you get better, this is my second tome on leapro and at 10mg its just starting to work after 7 weeks , side effects for 7 weeks migraine 24-7 Lexapro flu ,. that is flu caused by the med. suicidal thoughts, ect ect but if you are really ill you stick them out and all comes good in the end , the only other good ssri is ZOLOFT . I HAVE TOOK MEDS FOR 40 YEARS. IF YOU HAVENT THE GUTS TO STICK THE TRAILS DONT TAKE THEM SIMPLE

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30 - 40 MG LEXAPRO IS STUPID ITs ALL SIde EFFECTS PAST 10M , 40 mg is like taking 120mg citalopram that's how strong Lexapro is, IN England 10mg is you limit after your 65 year old like me, nothing past 10mg

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Hi Tasha! I am very weak still. I feel like I am still in acute withdrawal. My knees are very weak and I constantly feel like I will fall down. I am a very strong guy. I did power lifting, Sports etc... But now I can't do anything except a 10-15min walk. Opening a Jar is a workout lol. I still feel like Im in a twilight zone, shocked this happened and shocked how many people doctors are harming.

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Hey Stitch,

Sometimes I just need someone to talk to so I know I am not in this alone. {edited for privacy}. I know the struggles Stitch, every time you are scared to walk because of the feeling you are going to fall over. Sighhhhh

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Lexapro is a brilliant drug helping many to get through the days. It took me about 3 weeks to adjust to it and by week 4 I felt human and week 5 I wondered if this is how ordinary people feel every day. (Ie great and normal and calm).
Now it is 2 plus years later and I want to experience life without the weight gain and fatigue that were my side effects of this otherwise great medication. I went a week on 5 mg from 10 mg and now am starting the 2.5 mg. I don't mind the occasional dizziness or the difficulty now falling asleep but worry my crippling anxiety will return. I am eating regularly and doing breathing exercises and focusing on my half full glass. I just want my own self back drug free but can't bad mouth this drug (yet) because it saved my life. Everything is a trade off.

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If you start to get crippling symptoms its withdrawal not your old conditions coming back. That is likely due to your taper. 10mg- 5mg drop is big. Lexapro is double and up to 10x stronger than other SSRI's. 10% taper per month is recommended to reduce those nasty side effects. Good luck. The drug has helped people but trying to get off it is extremely difficult.

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I was on the generic for lexapro for almost 2 months I was lightheaded from day 1 all day everyday .. I originally was put on 20 mg a week later was dropped to 10 mg another week later was dropped again to 5 mg and I believe two weeks after that I was taking 5 mg one day and 10 the next I did that for about a week, then I decided my lightheadedness was not getting any better , I decided to come off of it , they put me back on 5 mg every other day, then every 2 then every 3 then i have been off of it since 2/2 I have experienced palpitations ( about 2 weeks of them )I have had a 24 hour holter monitor on , 2 ekgs they came back good I am having a stress test / echo tomorrow . The palpitations are not as bad now as they were after I got the results my heart was fine .. Then I experienced pain/numbness in my leg for about a week and chest pain , again had a second opinion from another heart Doctor he assured me I am fine...those symptoms went away , now I'm having ringing in my ears ( been for almost a week) it's driving me nuts!! And still am lightheaded .. Any suggestions? Ever since I had my first panic attack I've thought the worse .. I think it's the meds have not fully left my system .. Because I was not lightheaded before the meds ... Any advice ??

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I am anxious and irritable. Part of why I started lexapro. This is 3rd week and on 2.5 mg. definitely less tired but no weight loss yet and concerned abt the high anxiety.

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I have been on 10 mg of Lexapro for approx 8 yrs now. Recently I spoke to my Dr about going onto another antidepressant as Lexapro has not helped my anxiety/depression. He told me to take 5 mg for a week, then have 4 days break and then start on my new medication. He gave me some tablets to help me sleep, they put me to sleep, but I keep waking up every few hrs. so sleeping is frustrating, l also feel short tempered at times. And very depressed. l know these are side effects of coming of Lexapro so knowing that helps. Each day it gets easier. I haven't put on any extra weight or have sugar cravings, just a slight brain zap now and again, but my motivation is down. The insomnia is the worst. I know it will be worth it in the end so I'm pleased when each day passes. I feel like my light has gone out, but l won't let these feeling beat me. My light will shine again hopefully on the new anti depressants. Fingers crossed, and to all of us who are withdrawing l congratulate.

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I tapered from 10 mg to 5 to 2.5 and now none these past 2 days. I have a muffled head feeling and some dizziness that I guess is still medication withdrawal. Hanging in.

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