Lexapro For Anxiety On Benzo Withdrawal
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I am on a valium taper for withdrawal of Klonopin which I took for over 20 years. I am one year off of the Klonopin I am down to 5 mg of valium and almost finished with the taper. Although I am better, I still have anxiety, angry outbursts, "brain fog," insomnia.. The dr. had me on Wellbutrin for mood swings. The Wellbutrin seemed to cause my anxiety to be worse and cause my hypomania to return. (I was dx with bipolar II many years ago and that was why I was on Klonopin) . Both my dr. and therapist have suggested I am NOT BIPOLAR. Have a MOOD DISORDER. Until the benzo withdrawal I had several years of stability while bipolar. My question is this: In spite of withdrawal symptoms (which are far less after one year of tapering off of Klonopin), I am basically depressed and the dr. approved my request for Lexapro as an antidepressant instead of the Wellbutrin. I have had Lexapro in the past with good response. Is LEXAPRO AS DANGEROUS AS KLONOPIN ??? I NEVER want to take anything in the BENZO category again. I want to be sure Lexapro is a SAFE medication to take??? (I have been prescribed a low dose of Lexapro.) Thank you

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My advice would be not to start taking Lexapro. A doctor prescribed this for me for anxiety and panic disorder instead of diazepam. By day three I could not get out of bed, couldn't eat at all, was sweating pints to the point that I was not passing hardly any urine. Each day got worse, buzzing all through my body like electric shocks, sleeping constantly, nausea and then a head pain like someone was drilling it. I consulted a pharmacist who suggested halving the already half dose as my body may tolerate that much. Two days later I stopped taking the poison altogether and a couple of weeks later I feel almost human again. Never again will I take an SSRI.

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I TAKE 10MG LEXAPRO AND 6MG ATIVAN A DAY . No way I am detoxing my Benzo It will take years od misery I am not going through that when the Benzos are working fine I go to sleep at night , and feel cool after 40 years why give up to feel like crap. IF YOU HAVE CHRONIC ANXIERTY YOU WILL FINISH UP ON ANOTHER BENZO ANYWAY BELIEVE ME , Lexapro is for depression it has an anxiety agent in it but that's not strong enough to nuke anxiety . every 1 stops the benzo when its working????? why do you like being ill SO YOU GET TOLLERANT so what its better than a nervous wreck

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Hang in there. You would do better to stay off antidepressants and benzodiazepines. They are the cause of your symptoms. There is a website called recovery road. It is by a therapist who wrote a book about her withdrawal experience. I have found it to be very helpful. Also read The Mood Cure by Julia Ross.

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Bipolar IS a mood disorder. Lexapro is not addictive like benzos are. Wellbutrin does not stabilize mood. It is ONLY for relieving depression and smoking cessation.

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Get off of Lexapro while you can! Do not put yourself through such misery unless you plan to be on it the rest of your life, even when it loses it's efficacy. Read about Lexapro withdrawls (which I'm currently struggling with) and I hope you will change your mind. Goodluck

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Hello, Janice! How are you doing? Great job on the taper!

Lexapro contains the active ingredient Escitalopram, which is an SSRI antidepressant, so no it is nothing like the benzos, it's not even distantly related to them.

Learn more Lexapro details here.

Its side effects may include nausea, dizziness, dry mouth and weight changes.

Is there anything else I can help with?

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