Lexapro Withdrawal Unwanted Side Effects (Page 11) (Top voted first)

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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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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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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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 am experiencing HORRIBLE effects after a slow taper. I have been SO close to starting again to make it go away. I needed it, but read all the horror stories about going off it ( making my first week on a cake walk in comparison) and figured it was worth it. I am in MISERY.

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Joan I am so sorry. Even a slow taper can result in extreme withdraw symptoms all un related and 100x different than the reason you went on the medications. Most experts in the field say to taper 10% per month or longer. How did you taper?

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Hi guys... Im glenn i have been with lexapro for over a year now. Ive suffer from terrible anxiety and panic attacks before and lexapro helped me cope up and manage my "visitor" (anxiety and panic). I consulted my doctor and told him i want to stop my medication (i still have attacks of anxiety and panic at times but im confident that i can get through it even without medication). We started last march from 10 to 5 mcg in a month until it became 5mcg every other day. Now its may and told him i want off the meds.

Im telling you its a challenge. It has been months ago since i had my visitor and the visits now are "mad". My confidence in managing my anxiety has come down from 100 to 5% , there are times that i want the meds back. It has been 7 days since i last took lexapro and i am constanly weak, im dizzy all day ... My hands and feet are numb at times... And the brain zap comes and go's... I have sudden heart palpitation and i feel like im about to faint always. I have a 5 yo & 8 mo old daugther and they often escalate my symptoms.

Just last night i was out of town for a business meetings and i canceled all 4 meetings because i fear i might faint or the attacks might come. I sat infront of the mirror and told myself that it is a "phase" if i really want to be free of this meds i need to feel all of this. I got into the room of my hotel and the flare from the tv is just annoyingly painful.

Like i have said, i want to stop so i am facing this head on. You guys are not alone , i know i am not... Those threads that says they survived the withdrawals kept me hanging on. Its no walk in a park yes but i am aiming for the bigger price. I wish everybody well. Thanks for reading this. (I appreciate some encouraging shout outs and replies). Thanks again.

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I need to taper more slowly apparently. I originally was going to, as suggested (reduce by 10%) had it all mapped out, but cutting the pills was difficult, so I opted for a 10, to 7.5, to 5, 3.5 ish, 2.5 , and since I didn't obtain liquid and all other versions of do it yourself dissolving methods seemed chancy I opted to have 2.5 be my last dose size. I gave about 3 weeks between each dose increment. Smooth sailing until I stopped. I guess I should try alternating days, then every few, then off. (or get liquid)

Anyway....I caved two days ago and took 5MG as it was debilitating and I had too many things I could not perform, (not the least of which was my daily interactions with EVERYTHING, EVERYBODY and MYSELF!) and I am going to try again when it is a time I can better afford to be incapacitated...

Crazy thing...and I figured as much but was determined to stick with it, I feel IMMEDIATELY relieved of my symptoms. I did get a slight back of my top/head headache (similar to starting) but ALL my other symptoms went away. I was able to play my clarinet in pit orchestra well and cook, clean, and feel like a HUMAN! My neck pain came back, which was the only thing that I was relieved of during my brain zaps, nausea, depersonalization, hostility, crying spells, fatigue, abdominal distress, flatulence, vivid dreams, etc...hell 16 days. So....for now I am resuming my starter dose as I have too much to accomplish right now and I just couldn't handle it at all feeling so awful. That doesn't even describe it. My husband also smashed his foot, broke it and has quite an injury, and can not do normal tasks right now. So us both being down for the count, plus my moods, it was NOT a good time to put it mildly. We disintegrated and had an argument, first in years! I will check back in again. I want to be free of the med, or I would never have tried to stop, but it just was not working out this time. It is really scary, but also a relief, that it is so powerful that in one dose I am feeling 'normal' and able to DO THINGS and THINK CALMLY again. I know it was not a resumption of my anxiety or depression symptoms, it was WORSE! It is very powerful. So I may also look into switching to Celexa, then going off, as I hear that no withdraws are had when that drug is stopped. As they are so similar this seems odd, but I know a few people that swear it is true. Maybe for me? Let you all know what I do! Thanks for responding.

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Hi Guys,

It has been 11 months off Lexapro and I am telling you I'm still having withdrawal symptoms.
Is any one having funny feelings in the head since they came off.
Hi Stitch have all you symptoms disappear.
Please guys hang in there, the body is reacting this way for you to feel you want the drugs.

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No Tasha they haven't disappeared yet. I was on too much 30mg so it maybe that's why it's taking so long. Symptoms have improved but still dizzy, weak and agitated.

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Stitch do you have funny feeling in your head (tension). do you still feel unbalance when you walk

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Yes i am off balance alot with weakness in my legs. I do also get tension headaches

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Stitch its a pity we have to go through this stuff.

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Ya it's been something else. 20 months total. Just an awful experience. Makes this seem like it might take another year or two to resolve. It's insane how this crap is prescribed to people.

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I had to resume. I truly don't know when I will try again. Probably when I feel annoyed with the sluggishness, weight gain, and other side effects again. But for now, mentally I needed to. I am able to function better, get along with everyone, MOST of all myself! I hate that it is this dilemma, but it is. Has anyone done a 10% reduction every month down to nothing with success?

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I tapered from 10, to 7.5, to 5, to 3.5, 2.5, then off. Three weeks each taper. Fine till 7 days after stopping. So...I think getting the liquid to do the last 5mg way way slow, but 1mg per month and then every other day, then every three, then four, then off is the way to go. OR ask to switch to Celexa , which I hear from family and friends is NOT HARD to withdraw from. For now I am gun shy to stop. On 5mg. I was on 5mg for 7 months last May 2015 through December 2015. Then upped to 10mg ( which was my Dr.'s original dosage rx. But 5mg worked so well for up till then I stuck with it. ) It also works great now. But I do want eventually to try and go off it. I think switching to Celexa will be my best bet.

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