Everyone is different and reacts differently. A mood calendar can help you track how you feel as you taper. Keeping track of your daily moods can help you talk to your doctor if you have any withdrawal symptoms, and can help you determine if your depression is returning.
Maintain a healthy diet, exercise regularly, and reduce stress as much as possible. This can not only help reduce your risk for taper symptoms, but can also help reduce your risk for depression in the future.
For example, a review of 25 studies found that exercise can help people manage their depression. Moderate to vigorous exercise was particularly helpful. Tapering can cause a lot of emotions. One analysis showed that only 20 percent of people taking antidepressants also undergo psychotherapy.
However, a meta-analysis of studies on antidepressants and psychotherapy found evidence that undergoing talk therapy during and after tapering off antidepressants can be helpful in preventing a relapse or recurrence. Whether or not you have withdrawal symptoms during your taper, you might want to add talk therapy to your treatment. Finishing the entire process is important. Remember that your doctor is there to help the entire time.
It also depends on the type of medication. All medications take a certain amount of time to leave your body since they build up over time. If you do feel withdrawal symptoms, they often start when the drug is about 90 percent out of your body. The table below shows the amount of time it will take common antidepressants to leave your body.
Some ways to tell the difference include:. Tapering off your medication can help you avoid both physical and mental side effects. Remember to take it slow. Tapering takes time. The most important thing to do is to talk to your doctor about the best way to wean off your antidepressant.
They can help you determine how fast you can taper and help you manage your symptoms. Switching antidepressants needs to be done carefully and with the help of your doctor. This article will help you understand how the process of….
Lexapro and Zoloft are two of the many drugs available for depression, anxiety, and other conditions. In short-term studies, antidepressants increased the risk of suicidality in children, adolescents, and young adults when compared to placebo. Short-term studies did not show an increase in the risk of suicidality with antidepressants compared to placebo in adults beyond age Adults age 65 and older taking antidepressants have a decreased risk of suicidality.
Patients, their families, and caregivers should be alert to the emergence of anxiety, restlessness, irritability, aggressiveness and insomnia. All patients being treated with antidepressants for any indication should watch for and notify their health care provider for worsening symptoms, suicidality and unusual changes in behavior, especially during the first few months of treatment.
Last Updated: January This information is being provided as a community outreach effort of the College of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists. This information is for educational and informational purposes only and is not medical advice.
This information contains a summary of important points and is not an exhaustive review of information about the medication. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified medical professional with any questions you may have regarding medications or medical conditions. Never delay seeking professional medical advice or disregard medical professional advice as a result of any information provided herein.
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I am undecided on w hat to do:. Stop and put up with the after effects, 2. Go see my doctor and get his advice or 3. I am actually feeling better now in many ways, although a little less stable emotionally…. I was on 20mg of lexapro then switching down to 10mg I felt terrible very dizzy, brain fog, and sad. I am now taking 10 mg every other day. What should I taper down to next? I am withdrawing from Lexapro.
Been on it for 5 years now and I quit cold turkey 20mg and I have had bad vertigo, loss of appetite, heartburn , vomiting, and stomach upset problems resulting in diarrhea, I feel sick as a dog.
Antidepressants are no joke. Hi, 15 years on Lexapro is a very long time. I assume you want to go off the medication because you feel better? If so, I think it is worth it getting off but you should probably take your time.
I went off 5mg but it took me 4 weeks and i still have some withdrawal symptoms. Week 2: 15 20 15 Week 3: 15 20 15 15 20 15 15…etc. Keep 5 mg for a few month before you reduce to 0 in the same rhythm. I hoe this helps. Good Luck! I took lexapro for many years and unsuccessfully tried to go off several times. Upon retirement I was determined to go off of it.
I took 10 mg daily. Then reduced to half pill for two weeks. That worked for me. The only thing I experience still is i cry very easily. Doctors who try to get you off of it quickly have no idea how horrible the side effects are.
I was on Lexapro for almost a year when I started to notice this flat, no emotion me. Went to dr and asked to get off it and put on something else. I was told to reduce from the 20mg to 10mg for 3 days then reduce to 5mg for another 3 days then stop and start the new meds. Because I started feeling better right away I decided not to take the new meds. I just want to be off psychotropic meds so I can be myself again. Feeling irritable, fatigue, sweating and the brain zaps are awful.
I just want to be done with drugs. I can identify with all the comments in here. I literally stopped it cold turkey without knowing it was gonna affect me this bad. So I dont recommend stopping it cold turkey. Stay off it.. You just keep the cycle going.. It will get better but takes time.. I will never go back on it..
I was on 20mg weaned to 15mg for a week 10,for a week 5 for a week and then stopped worse thing I ever did the withdrawal symptoms were so bad head zaps ear rings,shake, dizziness felt like I was on a boat and a complete emotional wreak I ended up at a detox center I got back on the 5mg for about 2 weeks then 2. See my comment above June But I only did t he first of my comments took 10 mg every other day for a week, but then just quit taking any at all I am now this date feeling some of the same side effects of withdrawals , nervous, dizzy, you name it.
I have an appointment with my doctor first week of August but he is the same one that suggested me just to quit after the first two weeks of quitting the first time. That is a long time too feel like crap. I agree with Jessica on a semi-long term approach on withdrawing. I think I will try this approach she has chosen. Seems like we are all in this together! Thank you all for your comments. I have been on 10mg of Lexapro for a year and a half. I started weaning off 2 weeks ago.
The only issues I had at first was a dull headache, easily crying and kinda tired. Today has been the worst. I feel that static feeling in my head which started yesterday.
I feel off balance, chilly, nauseated, and overall just worn out. I found that CBD does help with my side effects. I also started working with a personal trainer once a week to help keep me excising and busy. The side effects I had when I was starting this medication were way worse.
I tried skipping days but after 24 hours of a dose I started feeling the brain zaps and by the next day I was a mess. So at this point I did some fancy work: Using a food mortar and pestle I crushed a pill into powder, mixed it with some crushed vitamin powder, and with a very sensitive scale was able to weigh the mixture, and divide it to weigh out what I needed, making effective 3.
This is a very time consuming and delicate procedure that requires some pretty expensive equipment and a lot of experience with math and measurement techniques. This dose was a lot easier to handle, needing to take it daily still. Then I got my doctor to give me 5 mg pills, so it was easier to go to 2. I still get electrical sensations in my head and a little disoriented.
So now I have to go back to crushing pills, diluting them, and weighing out very small doses on an analytical balance. Of course I hope that at some point I will not be getting the physical withdrawal symptoms and can just stop. But the point is this is insanely difficult even for someone who can basically do their own pharmaceutical compounding in their house.
The physicians clearly have no idea what people go through when withdrawing. Well, I was so emotionally charged again that I literally felt like slapping someone my neighbor again and others. My son said I was like a crazy woman.
It was the worse experience with weaning off drugs ever. Paxil was hard but this was worse. My neurologist wants to have an appointment with me about Lexapro in 4 weeks and I have laughingly said he is going to send me to a detox program. Yes, docs prescribe meds without telling you side effects or worse, withdrawal effects. I would never have settled for Lexapro as I was coming off Paxil if my doctor, a psychiatrist, had told me how bad it would be to stop this horrible drug.
This is my 6th day on 0mg. No appetite, and anxiety has been going through the roof. Anybody whos gone through similar, just please tell me how better its gotten for you. It feels awful. Anything would help.
Hi there: You have tapered too fast. Unfortunately psychiatrists and doctors are unaware of this. Please reinstate and taper 10 percent a month. You should use at least a year for tapering. Check surviving antidepressants for how. I was actually on it for only 4 months, which is what my psychiatrist said is the reason as to why I was tapered on only about a week.
Do you still think this is fast? There is a Facebook Group on Lexapro Withdrawal that is excellent — the administrators are very experienced and give you very specific information on a slow taper. Based on their advice, I am making my own liquid and tapering in very small quantities.
Good luck! Doc suggested a week of half dose then stop after 4 years at 10mg. I thought that was too quick and tapered for a fortnight.
I have been on Lexapro for two years or so. Helped with my anxiety but about 6 months ago got into a relationship and was unaware of the sexual side effects of Lexapro. My Primary care said, oh you are on Lexapro, your screwed. I have been completely off for about 10 days and wow.
I am so irritable, the brain flashy things are constant all day long. I feel like running for the hills. I am just going to tough it out though.
I keep trying to remember I am grumpy because of the withdrawals and apologize every time I say something nasty.
After stopping lexapro my body began to have a numbness Tingling sensation all over even my lower part of my face and Tongue.. I have been on 10mg for a year and had cut back to 5 and then nothing.. I was taking 5 mg Lexapro for 5 years. I weaned myself off in June. But probably not gradually enough. The withdrawal symptons have not eased at all. My anxiety is back, which i was expecting. Like my brain is misaligned. You know the feeling you get when you return home from vacation…that odd feeling you have for a day or 2 until you get back to your routine?
And I feel disconnected from my body and my life. Do antidepressants permanently damage or change the brain and how it functions? Have you tried specific vitamins to help your feeling off? Try B Complex. I have done tons of digging to treat anxiety naturally and B complex keep appearing. I recently starting taking it in order to wean off 10mg LEX. I took lexapro once after changing from Welbutrin. Called my dr the next day and was told to discontinue.
Been feeling pretty terrible since but trying to remain hopeful. Wish I never took this drug. I just want to feel like my old self again. Any time I move my head too fast I get dizzy and my tongue feels tingly and numb. My doctor has me tapering down over 14 weeks! Adult weight gain stable until Dr started me on Escitalopram 40 mg. Never gained weight with Citalopram my previous med taken for 10 years. Instead of 2x 20 mg tablets daily I took one and a half 3 days per week, other days full dose.
After 6 months I reduced further to one n half tabs per day. End of this month will Reduce to 20 mg 1 tablet per day. Then for 2 months half tablet per day. Aiming to be totally off Escitalopram by Christmas. So this is a Long, steady tritation down completed over a year.
I have felt it was time to ease off the dosage. I started on 10mg which was increased to 20mg about 10 months ago. I hope this is only temporary until my body gets used to the lower dose. I was on 10 mg for one year I recently went off it with my doctors support. I went to 5 mg for 10 days and then 5 mg every other day for a week.
Had runs for a few days, trouble sleeping and have hot flashes and sweats at night. I feel really down and feel like isolating. Hang in there it will get better just be gentle with yourself. Reach out to friends and ask for support. You did it correctly half dose for weeks then half dose every other day for weeks. Good job!! When I started taking a 10mg dose of this medication I got really sick. At one point I had to go cold turkey on it as advised by my doctor because I had to take a very strong dose of antibiotics.
A few months into taking it I noticed my period pain was worse and some months it was excruciating. I started to ween myself off this medication after feeling like an emotional wreck and having thoughts of self harm every day for 2 months. It was really scary.
I will never take this medication ever again. I have been using lexapro for a while but went several months without taking it. I then started up lexapro at 20 mg for three days and then got ringing in my ear so i stopped taking it completely. Is it possible I coul be experiencing withdrawal symptoms due to the ringing? Charlie i get ringing all the time! I recently found out I was pregnant and after reading about effects on unborn babies, i made the decision to stop.
It has only been 5 days, and i feel awful. Crying constantly, no focus, brain zaps, exhausted, irritable, prone to rage….
I have been on Lexapro for a year now. It has been difficult getting off 10mg a day. A few times I tried going cold turkey and by the third day I was a mess. I was very dizzy even when sitting down and drinking plenty of water. My headaches became more intense. The brain fog became real. I have been wanting to either transition to a new drug or get off them completely. While it helps me with anxiety, depression and panic attacks it also negatively impacts my sex life with my husband.
I never desire sex anymore and cannot get aroused or get anything close to an orgasm. I wish I can have the benefits of feeling level headed while also enjoying intimacy. Going to visit my doctor again to see what other options I have. What can I use as a natural seratonin supplement? I did a very slow taper per my doc recommendation and am now a week completely off and crying at every little thing!
That was tough. Also so many body aches this time. Just managing to keep it together! Experiencing withdrawal for the first time right now. Typing on my phone to make this comment is barely manageable.
I experience vertigo and some nausea regularly because of other medical problems but I could tell immediately that this was no my usual.
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