[golfergal]

I'm new to the forum, but have read quite a bit on the threads. Eight years ago, I was put on Lexapro for anxiety and depression. It was a low dose which seemed to be free of side effects for me. This past Fall, I was faced with a marriage crises and was emotionally a wreck. My doc upped my Lex to 10 MG a day. It seemed to have some calming effect but I had noticed that my libido and sexual function had been adversely affected and more so once the the dose was increased. I decided on my own to discontinue Lexapro. I went cold turkey. I had a few weeks of feeling "off" but thought I was handling it okay. My sexual function returned which has helped my marriage. However, the past several weeks, I'm experiencing a lot of tingling, brain zaps, needles and pins in my hands and feet, cold sweats, hot sweats, light headedness, heart palps. All these symptoms are common withdrawal effects. The electrical zaps are more annoying than painful..but, I play a lot of golf and I can feel my hands zapping and/or feet off and one. Sometimes, not at all but other times on and off. I have no weakness or mobility issues.
My mood come and go, but overall, I am dealing with the stress of my marriage with a lot of prayer, marriage counseling, and group therapy. My concern is that if the zaps continue, should I consider getting back on the medication, albeit, a low dose? Anyone else suffer withdrawal from Lexapro and for how long? It's been about 3 months since I quit the medication. My road ahead is still one fraught with a lot of anxiety. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[CANDC]

Welcome to Psych Central golfergal. Withdrawal symptoms can be very unsettling. Here are some links to articles that might help provide background info.
Psych Central - Search results for Coping with side affects lexapro withdrawal

Glad you joined the community. Feel free to visit the forums
Psych Central - Trusted mental health, depression, bipolar, ADHD & psychology information.

Feel free to private message me or any community liaison.

[Lexi232]

[healingme4me]

I don't have personal experience, yet have known of someone that did from a different med. As far as continuation, perhaps only under the care of your PDoc. Bouncing around on and off these types of meds is no bueno. Not safe.
I've read that the lingering zap timeline varies from person to person and levels of anxiety . I don't have any links to give.
Perhaps, as your marriage stabilizes, so won't your anxiety and your withdrawal effect will diminish in time?

[Chummy]

I've taken Lexapro 20mg. I didn't had any withdraw symptoms. It's really better to ask your doc about it.

[Ruftin]

Hello and welcome to Psych Central golfergal!!! It's nice to meet you. You have joined a community of warm and caring members who will want to offer you support and advice. Yours is welcome as well.

Please feel free to contact any community liaison or moderator by left clicking on their name in blue to the left of their post if you need help navigating the forums. It will take some time for your first five posts to appear as they are being evaluated and then you will be able to join chats.

I'm sorry for your struggles. I have experienced similar side effects coming off of Cymbalta. It was extremely uncomfortable and after a couple of months ended in my going into an acute psychotic episode and hospitalization. I was slowly taking myself off this medication without the knowledge of my MD. I have come to learn it is always recommended you come off any psych drug under the supervision of a medical doctor. My recommendation to you is to call your prescribing physician and ask for advice. There are ways of titrating off of medication safely and without the extreme side effects. You'll find we have a safe and supportive community. I'm glad you've joined us.

I look forward to seeing you around!!!

[AnxietyMaster]

You know... I have a friend who has been on and off Lexapro for OCD. I will have to ask her about her experiences.

[Treehugger50]

Originally Posted by golfergal

I'm new to the forum, but have read quite a bit on the threads. Eight years ago, I was put on Lexapro for anxiety and depression. It was a low dose which seemed to be free of side effects for me. This past Fall, I was faced with a marriage crises and was emotionally a wreck. My doc upped my Lex to 10 MG a day. It seemed to have some calming effect but I had noticed that my libido and sexual function had been adversely affected and more so once the the dose was increased. I decided on my own to discontinue Lexapro. I went cold turkey. I had a few weeks of feeling "off" but thought I was handling it okay. My sexual function returned which has helped my marriage. However, the past several weeks, I'm experiencing a lot of tingling, brain zaps, needles and pins in my hands and feet, cold sweats, hot sweats, light headedness, heart palps. All these symptoms are common withdrawal effects. The electrical zaps are more annoying than painful..but, I play a lot of golf and I can feel my hands zapping and/or feet off and one. Sometimes, not at all but other times on and off. I have no weakness or mobility issues.
My mood come and go, but overall, I am dealing with the stress of my marriage with a lot of prayer, marriage counseling, and group therapy. My concern is that if the zaps continue, should I consider getting back on the medication, albeit, a low dose? Anyone else suffer withdrawal from Lexapro and for how long? It's been about 3 months since I quit the medication. My road ahead is still one fraught with a lot of anxiety. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Hi GolferGal,
I'd love to know how you're doing. I'm on week 9 of withdrawal off lexapro and it's still difficult.

[Vossie42]

Yes, the brain zaps can hang around for quite awhile after discontinuing it. I had only a few weeks of brain zaps after slowing tapering off Lexapro, but I had at least three months of brain zaps after discontinuing Cymbalta. I ended up going back on the lowest dose possible and then practically counting out the grains of medicine in each capsule to taper off more slowly. I did that for a few weeks and then could finally quit without too much disruption. Effexor was the worst, though, for brain zaps. Those were more like whole body zaps. I had to taper off over months and then take a week off work to discontinue completely. Every time I had one of those zaps, I wanted to punch something. I swear that the zaps were so strong that you could read them with a volt-meter (Is there such a word?) I won't take Effexor again if my life depended on it.

But anyway, my point is that the zaps can continue for awhile. Given all that is going on in your life, I would ask myself if the zaps are truly inconsequential (like a minor muscle sprain) or if they are significant enough that they're adding to the stressors and making things worse in general. Be sure not to discount your feelings. Going back on Lexapro at a very low dose (less than therapeutic levels but enough to ease the zaps) and tapering off is no big deal.

Your doctor may say that the dose is so low that it really can't be having an effect. Ignore that and push for the script. If you have any leftover from the last prescription, even better.

Good luck and let us know how it goes!