Lexapro Withdrawal Unwanted Side Effects (Page 4) (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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Hi, I found this forum while trying to find out about the withdrawal symptoms from lexapro. I too have all the symptoms you all described. Ive been taking lexapro for 8 months until o.mentiomed to my doctor about how much weight I had gained while on it. He suggested that I get off of it. I will give you some background on why I was taking it in the first place. I had taken effexor years ago and got off of it when I no longer felt I needed it. Last summer I began feeling a little depressed and thought i would mention it to my family doctor. I told him that I had taken effexor years ago and he asked me what mg it was. I said I thought it was 75 but I wasnt sure. He wrote me out a prescription for 75mg effexor and off I went. I didnt know that would be the end of my life as I knew it. I went home took the pill and about 2 hours later was in the emergency room for what I thought for sure was a heart attack. They said I was having a panic attack. For someone who had never had an anxiety issue I didnt understand what that was. It continued for weeks non stop. I constantly felt so dizzy I couldn't lift my head without felling like I was going to throw up. I would get a rush that would feel like all the blood was leaving my body leaving me with a tingling sensation all over my body. I couldn't eat or sleep all I could do was think I was dying. I finally got to a psychiatrist and he put me on lexapro and zanax. I had all these symptoms unless I took the zanax because the lexapro made it worse. By now I had developed a pill phobia from what had happend. So I didnt want to take anything. I eventually got to the point where the lexapro helped with the panic attacks and no longer took the zanax. I felt pretty good or at least I didnt need to run ro the emergency room every week because ofthe attacks. I now am going off of it and I too feel all the same things you all described. I'm so dizzy I cant hardly move, tingling all over, exhausted, loss of coordination, off balance, night sweats, crazy dreams and so over emotional! So your not alone! I feel it too.

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I was only on 10mg and went from 5 mg to 2.5 mg then off of it in 2 weeks. It was probably to fast but I've read that people who take a long time decreasing their dosage can have the same withdrawl symptoms as people who go off cold turkey. I've been off of it for 8 days and still feel really dizzy. It seems to get worse when I move my head a lot or I'm really tired. Sometimes I feel ok and I get started doing something and it will get really bad again. I feel extremely exhausted just doing little things also. The brain zaps seem to happen if I move my head to fast or my eyes , like it takes my brain a minute to catch up. As for now I'm just trying to take it easy. People say you should exercise but I don't know how the heck you do that with all the dizziness!

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I can really sympathise. Doctors often minimize symptoms and are not aware of the horrific effects of abrupt withdrawal. My husband stopped it 2 weeks ago and he has been unbearably negative, agitated, in a rage state most of the time (though fortunately he is not a violent person) He is incapable of saying anything positive, and talks constantly about the woes of his work and the world.He is really not rational most of the time, but he has no insight into that. I am nearly going insane, but I can see that he really cant help it. This sight has helped me not feel so alone, so thanks all.

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I felt moody at times and irritable. I felt a bit more anxious since my mind just kept on thinking so many random thoughts. Some times good ones and some times sad and anxious ones.
Now that I am at 10mg and I am going on two weeks I have been less restless and my mind is not running with thoughts like I was on 20mg. But it has been tough tapering off. Really hard. feeling a bit better. Been exercising and doing hot yoga to remove all the toxins from my body.
Hope this helps. if not asking again or feel to ask me more questions.

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I would also like to comment that this page has been wonderful, thank you EVERYONE for posting. I no longer feel alone!

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I am wanting to get off and your posts have given me the encouragement. I tried to wean off a few times, but I just go back as it seems like the withdrawal symptoms are horrid. As long as I can get rest, I am okay, but I started having trouble sleeping and gave in. I plan on starting a year-long weaning program adjusting my dosage by 1/4 and slowly progress downwards.

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I have been trying to wean off Lexapro for almost 8 months. I had been on 10 mg. for almost 8 years! First attempt failed..went back on it for a couple of months and tried again. Went from a few weeks of weaning to a few months this time. Yes, slower is better! Have been off for only three days. Remaining strong, positive and praying for this to be the time I can succeed! Shame on doctors and the manufacturers of this drug for not making their patients aware of how horrible the withdrawal of this drug really is!!!

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awful withdrawal symptoms from lexapro...have been taking prozac, then zoloft then lexapro for the past 20 yrs for Afib...docs said it was caused by an anxiety disorder...hospitalized several times in cardiac unit for Afib, never given a rhythm med until just recently (Multaq) & was told it interacts w/ the lexapro & had to stop cold turkey...flu like symptoms, chills, fever, tremors, insides shaking, easy to anger, irritability, bad night mares, chronic fatigue, difficulty sleeping and the list goes on...have been off it about a month now and some symptoms are easing a bit...don't know which is from the anxiety from not taking it and which is from the withdrawal...i am not doing well interacting with people, especially my friends...i feel like no one understands me...

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If you are wanting to go off you don't need to do it cold turkey. Research how to taper the medicine. It will GREATLY reduce your withdrawal symptoms. I had a very sensitive reaction to tapering so I reduced my dosage in very small increments and was able to stop completely after a 4 month period of decreasing dosages. Hang in there. It is possible to do. I did have migraines and the associated symptoms you mentioned and they are indeed uncomfortable, but for me it was worth it in the end.

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I am off Lexapro for 3 days. Been on it since after a heart operation, and experienceing some depression as a side affect of the operation. Was taking 20mg then down to 10mg. I am a mess! So dizzy that I can hardly stand up, weird sweating, night sweats, eating like a pig, so depressed, even worse than when I wasn't on it. Mad as hell at everybody and everything. Very exhausted and I just want to scream bloody murder. My family thinks I am crazy and I think that I may be. Just want to get in my car and drive off until I can't drive anymore. When will this end? I just want to die. I cannot believe that I allowed my doctor to put me on this horrible drug.

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Hi Richard, I'm in the same boat. I was taking lexapro 10mg daily for about 18 months. Went off it cold turkey and I'm a mess. It's been one week. Did it get better for you? I'm trying to stick it out but I am psychotic at the moment. Crying all the time, cranky with everyone, headaches and nausea.

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You are tapering incorrectly. Everytime you stop it and start it back and then stop it, it is like stopping cold turkey. You have to taper Lexapro by taking it EVERYDAY, but at a lower dose. You should taper 10% a month. This might involve having to supplement with liquid Lexapro. And, even then, you may still have a serious depression hit you. This is a HORRIBLE HORRIBLE drug. I am hoping there will soon be a big legal suit against the company. It has been horrible for my daughter, who was never depressed and never had bad anxiety, you can read my earlier post (it is long). Good luck to you.

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I've been suffering from massive symptoms since stopping Lexapro 17 months ago. I was on 30mg and My a**hole doctor had my last 20 mg tapered in 3 weeks. It took 7 months to figure it out what was going on. I was adamantly told by my doctor that Lexapro doesn't cause withdrawal for more than a week. A good psychologist told me that reinstating the drug could make me worse. This was also supported by users who have experience with the poisonous medication. There are lots of recovery stories and it can take anywhere from 3 months - 6 yrs to fully recover. These meds should be banned. Its the perfect crime. Users get hooked and cant get off. But if they get off massive withdrawal symptoms appear, however doctors say its your condition coming back and need to go back on. The problem lies when your new withdrawal symptoms are completely different than the original reason for going on. In this case your doctor has you evaluated for every disease known to man while you suffer from withdrawal symptoms. It can get even worse when you become poly drugged to treat your withdrawal symptoms. I avoided this but only barely. Good luck to everyone. Time is the only thing that heals.

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So when everyone is weaning off, we are all getting withdrawals just from taking a lower dosage? When I started these pills the dr informed me that to get off them you have to lower the dosage for as long as you were depressed or on them i think?

I've only been on lexapro for the last 6 months. I was given 20mg and had awful side effects such as; head spins, nausea, sleeping 10-16 hours straight few times a week and feeling fuzzy. They settled down after 3 weeks and when I returned to my dr I mentioned the side effects and he said that is normal and temporary. So I've missed a day here or there and I have felt fine. Less sick if anything. In the past month and a half on a few occasions missed 3 days... (I'm very forgetful). Circumstances have changed and I feel like my old self again as if I might not need the lexapro anymore. I spoke to my dr who noticed a remarkable improvement and told me to drop to 10mg saying that cuz im small and releasing my own happy chemicals 20mg may be too strong.

SO this is my 3rd week on 10mg so half of what I was on. I feel awful health wise. Mentally I feel happy and I haven't cried more then the usual. But physically I've started feeling sick simular to when I started them. I have unintentionally forgot it the last 5 days and I an feeling even worse. I've had the following things that have concerned me above my other feelings:

-My cheeks feel like they are on fire as well as my jaw hurting near my ears.
-Ear aches
-Feet souls have been very achey
-Hearing s*** that's not there and ppk need to repeat things to me
-Mild head ache that feels like pressure right in the centre front of my head
-Can't concentrate
-Loss of appetite
-Breathing is difficult to control as in if I'm doing something I stop breathing and don't realise until I blow my held breath out harshly
-Head spins
-consistently getting that overwhelming wave you feel when you're just about to drop off to sleep
-Sometimes that is followed by me blacking out.
-My eyes are suddenly sensitive to light to the point I can't keep them open
-Double/blurred vision
-Strong sense of smell
-Last night at work I felt I needed to pee and when I did only a lil came out 20 mins later I urgently needed to go and couldn't but it had leaked in my undies. I skulled 4 bottles of water and 2 hours later I went.
-I had a dizzy spell this morn and cant remember what happened just woke up an hour later on the lounge
-Brain zaps
-Tingles up my arms and legs.....

Please post back if anyone else is experiencing any of this so I know if it's really lexapro or not?

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No problem Rain. Ya the 10mg to 20mg is too powerful of a jump. It overloads the system and your body struggles to adapt. That increases the heart rate anxiety and all those other symptoms. You should stabilize on the 10mg so don't worry. But if you ever quit the drug than taper 10% per month, any faster is very difficult

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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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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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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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