Lexapro Withdrawal Unwanted Side Effects (Page 8)
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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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I walked in the house last night after doing yard work, received a smell of dinner and threw up. Everything upset my stomach, by the way, I am 52 and so not pregnant!

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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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Hi, my name is Linda and it's been 7 weeks off Lexapro and I feel horrible. Mentally I am fine, lately nausea is the worst and I am so tired. How do you feel now since you're a few months ahead of me. Thanks

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Lemon Balm really does help. It is a great anti-anxiety tea. According to the research I done after reading about it on the website "Food Matters." Three cups of a tea a day. and chamomile at night for sleep. It worked for me.

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I was on Lexapro for almost 6 months, 10 mg. After reading all the horror stories of withdrawal symptoms, I was anxious to get off this medication. I know other people are too, but don't be in such a hurry. I cut my 10 mg pill to 3/4 of a pill for 8 weeks. My plan was 4 weeks, but I felt I needed the extra time. Now I am down to 1/2 pill a day, which is 5 mg. I am on week 3 and will continue until week 8. This may take a few months, but so far, my withdrawal symptoms are nothing like I am hearing on this forum. I am having a little anxiety now, but I just ignore it and keep myself busy. Depression is always hard, but you have to force yourself to move. My advice is to go very slow, especially the people who have been on this med for years. Don't just cut your dose in half. Cut it by a 1/4 and stay on that dose for at least 8 weeks. Your body is used to the higher dose and cutting it in 1/2 it's going to react strongly. I have had very mild dizziness once in a while, some anxiety, headaches, heartburn, but not where I am in extreme distress. I can handle it. If you wean down to half your dose and you have to stay on that for 6 months, then do so.

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I've been on ssri's for 5 years, Lexapro in particular for 3 years. Have been weaning off of Lexapro for a month now from 30 mg, down to 10mg. Unfortunately like most people I have been experiencing horrific withdrawls. Headaches, nausea, depression, night sweats, brain zaps, lack of concentration (forget my words mid sentence) and have a constant battle against anxiety&panic attacks. I started gaining weight (I'm assuming from Lexapro) and it was losing it's efficacy, I still had anxiety& panic attacks so I no longer want to depend on it if it's not going to help. I'm terrified of what's going to happen when I stop taking it completely but I won't give up. I am extremely depressed, don't want to leave my bed. I'm seeing my doctor on Thursday and going to suggest small dose of wellbutrin to help with depression and eventually
Will wean off that, which I think will be easier than weaning off Lexapro. My advice, take fish oil, b12, multi vitamin, take walks/physical activity, also melatonin is a natural sleep aid, l-theanine is to help relax you as well as valerian root and lemon balm.

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I am miserable! I have been on Lexapro for almost 12 years and want off! I hate the way I feel. I have been weaning off this drug since January. I am finally off it, but miserable. Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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I am miserble! I have been on Lexapro for almost 12 years and want off! I hate the way I feel. I have been weaning off this drug since January. I am finally off it, but miserable. Please, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.

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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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My daughter did battle with psychiatrist while she was hospitalized for a corporate burnout experience. She lost the battle with him, and ended up on Lexapro after several others attempts from his trials and errors of prescription meds.

After release from hospital, and 6 months later, she asked him to work with her to get off the meds. He stated she would have to be on them for a year. Well, bottom line, she received a certified letter from him stating she was non-compliant and she would have to seek medical advice elsewhere. She tried to schedule a followup appt with him, and was declined! He gave her 30 days to find a psychiatrist who will provide her with refilling her prescription! We are looking into gaining a psychiatrist who is willing to help her off the prescription.
All I can say here is, as her mother, I am quite upset, and my thoughts about conventional medicine and pharmaceuticals has once again been affirmed, and I have picked up the banner, and will beat the drum on this outrageous violation!!!!! Here is one professional who has spent 25 years doing the same. Dr Ann Blake Tracy on the dangers of all SSRI drugs.

youtube.com/watch?v=rDTg14SxtzU
drugawareness.org

If you know of a psychiatrist who truly takes a holistic approach to his practice, and they are in Chicagoland, please speak up! Kindest Regards... Thank you.

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I do notice that when I get tired the dizziness and zaps seem to be worse. I've read of other people going to neurologists and everything comes back fine. I think it's probably just the withdrawals. The hand shaking could be some of the anxiety that comes along with the withdrawl too. I don't know if any of you on here have anxiety like I do but I got a book called hope and help for your nerves and it really helped understand it a lot better. I would recommend it.

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Does anybody know if any of these withdrawals are dangerous? I am taking my daughter to a neurologist but couldn't get an appointment until April 21st. After taking Lexapro only a month, and now being off it for a month, I would think the withdrawals would be over. Her hands still shake and if she exercises or gets tired, she still gets "zaps". It does seem like the restless arm symptoms are lessening.

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I hope it gets better for you. Its been 2 weeks off of it for me and it seems the nausea is getting better but still have the brain zaps severe headache and fatigue . It seems the brain zaps are worse when I get really tired. I started taking the magnesium tablets and omega 3 fish oil along with a multivitamin. It seems like it helps a bit. Oh I still get the all of a sudden anxiety too. My doctor gave me a prescription for xanax. He said it would help with the withdrawal symptoms but I wont take it because I think its ridiculous to replace one with another.

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I am a bit the opposite...I am not depressed, but my brain keeps zapping at such speeds I am barely able to deal with it...#hatelexipro

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I've read that it just depends on the person as far as how long it takes to get back to normal. The anxiety is definitely as symptom of withdrawl. I've seen in some articles people saying their skin crawls too with the withdrawals. So maybe that's what shes feeling. I was only in it 8 months and im on day 9 without it. I still feel really bad. Hopefully she gets better soon.

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My teenage daughter was put on Lexapro for moderate/severe depression after a doctor had her fill out a form that took about five minutes and then talked to her for another ten minutes. After only a week, she was shaking uncontrollably and experiencing dizziness. After a month, I watched a documentary about Lexapro and found out that some people just can't metabolize the drug. They are the ones who have psychotic breaks and harm themselves or others. I got her weaned off the Lexapro, but she is still shaking. She has terrible anxiety (which she never had before) and can't stand to be touched. It has been a week and a half since she stopped the Lexapro and I am hoping since she was only on it for a month that her withdrawals will be gone soon. Has anyone else experienced similar withdrawals after being on Lexapro such a short amount of time? How long until she feels "normal" again?

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She's probably talking about Dramamine. I have a prescription for something like it but it didn't help me at all.

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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 am on week six of 3/4 of a 10 mg pill. I was going to taper down to 1/2 a 10 mg pill after 4 weeks, but even though I feel much better, I can still feel my anxiety, so I will give it a little more time before I taper down to 1/2 of a 10 mg pill. Even though I'm anxious to get off this medication, I feel taking my time is making my withdrawal symptoms a lot easier. My body is now used to 3/4 of a pill. Doing this slowly I found I only had very noticeable withdrawal symptoms for a 2 week period, and they were not that bad. I could still function and go to work. I don't know how anyone can do this cold turkey, but I would not recommend it.

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Peter Rabbit Mom, can you please tell us what motion sickness med you took? I'm glad you feel better!

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