I agree, for me it is essential, and the only thing I really need.
The dose is important. I need 100mg. I recently got an inferior brand, and it seems I need two of those, even though they are also claimed to be 100mg.

Hi everyone. First post to the forum here.

A few years ago I went on anti depressants. First MD doc put me on Effexor XR, but blood pressure shot through the roof. Then a psych doc diagnosed me as bipolar, and put me on depakote, but it caused severe stomach/intestine problems. New psych doc, about 2 years ago said I was NOT bipolar, that I had major depressive disorder (non-situational depression). I started at 10mg Lexapro, the he upped me to 20mg when I wasn't quite "right" yet.

It's been 2 years now. I've tried to wean off of Lexapro twice. Unfortunately each time a high stress event occurred in my life at that very time. Within 3-4 days of halving my dosage I would get into mood swings. Mostly down. I listed some of my behaviors, here they are:

WHILE ON LEXAPRO:

• Less Motivated
• Jaw tension
• Fatigued
• Felt more detached
• Decreased libido
• More even tempered / less volatile
• Much less emotional than normal

WHEN OFF LEXAPRO:

• Much more motivated
• Increased libido (but with earlier ejaculation)
• Felt more alive and 'in the game' and thoughts were much clearer, albeit faster
• *Much* quicker to respond inappropriately to emails at work when upset (overreaction)
• More stressed and agitated

I would almost say those were bipolar behaviors, but I think the negative behaviors while I'm off the medication are more severe because of the withdrawl symptoms piling on top of them. I seem to notice within 24-36 hours when I've decreased my dose or missed a pill.

I want off of this stuff long term. My mother has mood issues, and so do 1 or 2 of my 4 brothers. I don't think my dad does but I didn't grow up with him, but heard he was an alcoholic and abusive. He seems okay now (he's 60+ now).

My initial motivation for getting off antidepressants was to get a private pilot's license. You have to be med free for at least 90 days before they'll consider giving you an 'okay' from the FAA to fly solo. But now, even beyond the flight stuff, I just want off of it. I take meds for irritable bowel as well, but the serotonin affects both moods and bowel movements.

I spoke w/ my psych doc today and told him I wanted to taper down. He says "why fix something if it isn't broke?" He's referring to the fact that my side effects to lexapro are mostly libido and motivation and are somewhat mild. I told him I wanted to start talking to a counselor and then start tapering down. He said he would support it in light of counseling.

I had major withdrawl when on Effexor - head buzzes, electric shocks, dizziness. I don't even get to that stage with Lexapro because my moods change and I'm up/down several times a day within a week of tapering off.

I need to:

- Taper slowly
- Talk to a counselor
- Work out EVERY day
- Investigate the herb referenced earlier in this thread

Anybody have any other suggestions? I just want to be med free again. If it turns out after a few months of being off it, that I can't handle it, then I'll accept defeat and go back on long term (possibly for life) but I want to give it another chance, maybe just one last chance.

Advice appreciated. Brutally honest advice appreciated even more.

I have tried several times to quit lex cold turkey. always the first couple of days are fine but by day 4 or 5 i get extremely dizzy, it makes it very hard to work as i am on my feet all day. im trying it again, not because i dislike the medicine.. im not crying or worrying half as much as i used to, but heres the thing - im not laughing as much as i used to either. im on day 7 without lex and im so dizzy i can hardly stand it! i also experience the shocks which is really weird and ive been sleeping ALL THE TIME!... ive been on lex for a year and a half - i wonder if the amount of time youre on it determines how bad the withdrawls will be. anyway, here's my question... the dizziness makes me feel like im gonna pass out - has anyone out there actually fainted for this reason???? i dont want to hurt myself, if there's a danger of blacking out - thats not a good thing!

Goldfinch,

Why are you trying to go off it cold turkey? Have you spoken with your doctor about a plan to wean you off of it?

I've had dizzyness when starting Lex, but no, did not actually faint.

KA

he doesnt want me to go off it yet. i truley trust my doc, but i really want to see how i can handle it. it has been a couple of days since my last post and the dizziness has tapered off. i feel good and i want to give it some time. the only negative thing ive noticed about my mood since coming off is that i tend to get really annoyed and have to keep myself from snapping at people. i work retail so its hard not to get frustrated with people. i went shopping with my sister today and i almost went off on an old lady because she wouldnt get out of my way!!! i literally had to catch myself as my mouth opened to speak! (it surprised me). like i said though, my doc is a good doc but, i know myself and i think i might be ready. ive been practicing deep breathing to calm myself down when im feeling anxious and my boyfriend is getting really good at soothing me when im feeling low. i got a refill just incase though so im not being stupid about it. i feel like im taking my training wheels off - wish me luck!

Hi all, my Dr originally started my withdrawal by prescribing 10mg (same dose) every other day, the side effects were really bad but she advised me to carry on for another month like it - I forgot my tablet one day and the side effects somewhat so I stopped taking the tablets, I still have side effects just not as bad but wondered if anyone knows how long I can expect to have them for?
Thanks!

Note: there is more discussion about discontinuation here: http://www.depressionforums.org/forums/Stopping-Citalopram-Celexa-Cipramil-S-t4147.html

This post has been edited by Leetie: Oct 31 2007, 10:23 AM

Can anyone tell me what a Brain SHock is that a previous poster used to describe what he/she had when stopping Lexapro??

gardener

Cold turkey - is one of THE most dangerous things you can do with an SSRI. You would expect the effects would go within two weeks but they can last a lot longer. There are plenty of people who have been scarred for years with withdrawal effects. Go as slow as possible, that means months, not a week.

Hi - I wonder if anyone is able to help me with a related topic (this is my first posting). I have been taking Lexapro for just over two weeks. However, I have been reading a lot of information regarding Sablon (Tianeptine). My question is: can I take the two drugs simultaneously or should I discontinue Lexapro first?

I'd be very grateful for any advice.

Thanks...

I was on Cirpralex (escitalopram) for about two months, started at 5mg for a week then 10mg for the rest of the time. (It sounds like a really low dose but the thing about escitalopram is that it's sort of a purified version of citalopram, so 10 mg is really the normal effective dosage level) It worked wonders, anways, I felt great! A neat side effect was that it gave me extremely vivid dreams.

Problems started two weeks before I stopped...my dreams got even more vivid, and constant, and so wonderful I never wanted to wake up and leave them. I would sleep 15 hours a day, without feeling that icky feeling when you sleep too much...just 15 hours of wonderful sleep. But when I was awake I had constant awful migranes. Of course I got nothing done in those two weeks, struggling to wake up and then to deal with my headaches, so I stopped taking my meds...went to 5 mg for a few days then stopped.

Three days later I had a freak out and tried to kill myself...I was just suddenly convinced that I would never get over this feeling, and the idea of facing the rest of my life struggling with it was too much to handle. It's like the idea took me over...I've always been able to reason myself out of it before. I felt like someone else. Even when I get super depressed and I don't feel like myself, I'm always in there somewhere... but not this time.

I don't know if it was because of the meds or just me, but I would be extremely careful stopping these meds. Make sure someone is keeping a close eye oneyou.

Hi folks...

First time poster here. I found this forum through a google search on this particular topic.

I am about a week removed from being off Lexapro (10 mg/day). As of January 1 of this year, I'm uninsured and haven't been able to see my doctor or get scripts since. I managed to score some free samples, but I ultimately ran out on March 1.

I made the (in hindsight, uninformed) decision to take the full dose right up until the end. Since then, I've had terrible insomnia, but other than that not many problems until right now.

I'm currently dizzy, restless, very lethargic, achey all over, and unable to get to sleep. I actually slept for four restless hours earlier, but now I'm wide awake. This after sleeping for 12 hours the night before and waking up VERY groggy and out of sorts.

I suspect this may be from going off the meds, but I'm not entirely sure. I'm not experiencing the scary sounding "brain zaps" or electrical sensations I hear so much about, but I fear they may be soon to come. Is it unusual for the symptoms to really pick up almost a week and a half after cessation of taking the drug?

I have been on Lexapro since September 2007 and plan on reducing my dosage gradually, starting tomorrow. I will cut my dosage in half for a few months, and then into quarters, and then eliminate it entirely.

I have no sex drive and it is affecting my relationship with my boyfriend. I'm hoping that my anxiety problems do not return. I guess we'll have to wait and see.

talk to your doc about the side effects.

Adding Wellbutrin to Lexapro/Celexa helps offset the weight gain and sexual side effects

I had been taking Lexapro for 6 weeks to help cope with anxiety, stress, and depression related to a busy school schedule, hectic living arrangements, and being away from my family for the first time. It really helped with the anxiety, and seemed to help slightly with the depression up until the last week, when one day I woke up and felt extremely down, I fell into such a hole that week that by Friday night I attempted suicide, something I have never done before. This was an extremely alarming event, and as a result my doctor told me to quit the Lexapro cold turkey, and prescriped Wellbutrin.

It is day two since stopping the Lexapro and starting the Wellbutrin and I feel extremely anxious and wound-up. I trust my doctor, but after reading these forums I'm not sure to believe her that I can stop the Lexapro and start the Wellbutrin without experiencing any withdrawal symptoms.

Will I begin to feel better in the next few days? Or will I start feeling withdrawal symptoms? I wasn't on the Lexapro for very long, but I'm not sure if quitting Lexapro cold turkey is ever a good idea. I really can't afford to have side effects/withdrawal symptoms of medication to interfere with my school-work. I'm beginning to think it was a mistake to start medication in the first place.

-Clayton

This post has been edited by tonman87: Apr 15 2008, 10:29 PM

Well here's a follow up, it's been a little over a month since I posted this and I can now answer my own questions in hopes they will be relevant to others!

I didn't experience any "withdrawal" effects as some do from the Lexapro, again I wasn't taking it for a very long time.

The anxiety from the Wellbutrin eased up after lowering my dose from 300mg IR to 200mg IR for two weeks, then I upped it again to 300mg XL (the extended release is a lot less harsh and my doc told me it's less likely to cause anxiety and seizures).

I have now also been prescribed BuSpar for the anxiety, but I don't take it regularly (as the 300mg XL isn't as bad). And when I do take it on days when I'm a little on edge, the combo of Wellbutrin and BuSpar makes me really dizzy!

Hi everyone, this is my first post.

I am getting off 20mg of Lexapro and of course would love to avoid the SSRI withdrawal symptoms. I've been taking it for six months, originally prescribed for situational depression. Now the situation has changed, and as much as the Lexapro did what I needed it to, it's time to get off.

Part of the change is I've moved to Thailand, and I cannot get Lexapro here. I have 65 20mg pills remaining, and when it's gone it's gone, but that should be plenty to taper off gradually (I hope!). I will have to look for a pill splitter (never knew there was such a thing until I started reading the forums) because when I used a knife it was pretty far off half, and I'm concerned about stepping down with such imprecision.

I know that I should be doing this under the care of a prescribing doctor, but I don't have any insurance, and mental illness is not exactly a Thai specialty from what I can see! If I wanted cosmetic surgery or a sex change, I'd be fine, but not so with psychiatric care. If they don't even have the drug here, how can I expect good advice on getting off? Especially when that seems rare enough in the States! Unfortunately western health care is waaaay out of my budget.

I really cannot afford debilitating symptoms like vertigo and brain shivers. Who can? But I get around by motorbike, and it takes pretty sharp nerves and quick reactions to survive traffic conditions! I also don't have any support over here whatsoever, so I am nervous about withdrawal. It isn't all bad, the fact that I am here is what makes me confident that I will be okay once I am off the Lexapro.

I want to know if anybody has experience stepping down by alternating dosages. For example, if I think it's too fast to drop straight from 20mg to half pills as a daily dose, does it make sense to alternate a half and full pill, then half-half-full, until I can make half my regular dosage, then start alternating half-half-quarter down to half-quarter to get down to a quarter dose? I do want to taper gradually, but I only have the 20mg pills to work with. With such a short half-life, does going back and forth between dosages ease the withdrawal, or would it throw my mind completely out of whack, never knowing what to expect or how to adjust?

I had no problems whatsoever getting on Lexapro--is it unreasonable to hope it will be easy to get off? Is there any correlation at all?

Any advice or support would be most welcome!

Thank you.

Hi I have been taking Lexapro for about 2 months now and within the past week and a half I've begun to cry myself to sleep and I woke up at 2 in the morning looking for my exes phone number. When I called him I kept telling him how sorry I was that it didn't work. He called me back and i started crying and I couldn't breathe I hung up on him. That time he never called me back. I want him to call me back and I keep thinking that he hates me and he has a new GF. I heard stories like this before but some people say it worked for them. Should I try a higher dosage or take something else??? Please help I keep wanting to kill myself.

Matter-of-Factly, I am saying this bluntly. No matter what you do, DO NOT QUIT COLD TURKEY. Quitting with out weaning is very painful (at least it was for me) and it's almost unbearable.

I have been out of my Lexapro prescription for 3 days now. It was on auto refill, but I didn't notice that there were no more refills left and the doctor had to be contacted. My pharmacy is suppose to contact them automatically and I spoke to someone in the pharmacy today and the doctor still hasn't called them back.

Anyways, I am having terrible withdrawals. I am having the head "zaps", frequent crying spells, dizziness, drowsiness, mood swings, and many bad feelings. Ugh!

I am debating on just completely coming off Lexapro since it's already been 3 days, or if I should get back on it when the prescription gets refilled.

I am definitely not an advocate for abrupt discontinuation. Ween, ween, ween! lol

I cant even remember how i weaned off of cipralex, but i was wondering if the effects of too abrupt a stoppage are long term?

I've been taking Lexapro for almost 5 years now. A few months ago my boyfriend (who doesn't think meds can really help depression) suggested I quit cold turkey & sort of "face the world without them". I was fine for the first day or two, then it turned into a horrible downward spiral of severe depression. Its probably because I've been taking it for so long, but I would NOT recommend quitting antidepressants cold turkey. It was the most terrifying time of my life. I didn't want to be alive.

I got back on it & slowly worked my way back to somewhat "normal", but recently I've been waking up with anxiety & hopelessness. I'm no longer interested in the things I used to be & nothing is really all that fun for me anymore. I'm going to my doctor soon to see if I need to make some changes.

Thought I'd share my experience...
I was on 60 mgs of Celexa for 6 years, but found it made me anxious and emotionally numb. Every year or so I would have a panic attack that lingered for weeks until I would feel more normal. Four months ago I had another episode so decided that I should change AD's. Because I was fearful of having to wean off gradually, I talked my doctor into putting me on Lexapro. It didn't change anything and I became worse so I started seeing a psychiatrist a few weeks ago. She put me on 25mgs of Seroquel at night and then a week or so later suggested a 12.5mg morning dose. The result was I felt even less 'real' and zombied out. I think I preferred the anxiety!
Last week she asked me if I preferred the 'band aid ripped off quickly or band aid ripped off slowly' method. I opted for quickly so I halved my Lexapro the next night, had nil the next and then started Mirtazapine the next day. The result? Really BAD withdrawal symptoms. I'm on day 4 without Lexapro and I have such a myriad of symptoms that I feel like I have totally lost the plot. Seroquel at night has helped with some of the physical symptoms, but the phsychological feel here to stay.
I have learnt that it is wise to switch meds if they are not working for you after a few months trial, but it is unwise to switch meds without tapering off slowly.

I hope your boyfriend learned something?

You are very right.
Quitting cold-turkey can be very dangerous no matter what one is taking.

I came off Cipralex faster than I should have (my problem, not the doctor), though my doc did say this is one that is easier to just quit. Anyway, I'm still waiting for it to clear out of my system. I haven't taken it for a little over a week now and I honestly feel way better than I have in a long time (even before the cipralex & effexor & prozac before that). Had some nausea (probably the worst part) and a bit of dizzyness but it's clearing up. Today is the first day in AGES that I have been able to think even somewhat clearly. Hopefully this keeps up.