LEXAPRO Withdrawal HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

O would appreciate anyones comment or info!!

I have been on Lexapro for 5 months for TMJ (although REALLY the doctor as well as myself both knew I needed it for its real reasons as well but we were hoping the anti anxiety [art may help calm my TMJ.

Anyway, it didn't help. It didn't help my depression or anxiety either. Suddenly I gained a pants size (which to me is the end of the world). I haven't eaten any different so I assume its the meds. Also, my sex drive went away. I'm 25 years old, in my head, I'm supposed to want it all the time. I don't want it and I can barely get in the mood. Found out that's probably another side effect.

So anyway, I stopped it about a week ago and the last 3 days have been HELL! I feel faint, I have trouble breathing/catching my breath. My heart starts racing if I do anything even go from sitting to stand up.
I'm so ridiculously annoyed and irritable that I broke down in the middle of the street and in the car yesterday because everything was annoying me so badly I involuntaily cried.

Apparently I'm back to my old ways of hurting myself too and my bf keeps using this against me saying go back on your medication... as if something that is bothering me ISN'T really bothering me because I stopped taking meds I "should" be on and so Im acting crazy. Why can't I feel the way I feel. Why can't anything I say or do be taken seriously?!

Anyone know how long this is going to last..the withdrawals. I can't handle this. I'm going to be a monster to everyone around me when I don't mean to be. No one will take me seriosuly when I'm for real.

(((((((((((Starsdarkmind))))))))))))))))

Did you talk to your doctor about your abruptly stopping Lexapro? You really should if you haven't. ADs are NOT something you should just decide to not take - even if you don't like the side effects ... ONLY do it with a doctor's supervision, and tapering off - not just going off of it.

I've taken Lexapro, and I admit I didn't like the weight gain, and there were days I forgot to take it and they were MISERABLE. I tried stopping it cold turkey, and it was the most horrid experience I've ever gone through. But the thing was, I went directly onto another AD to deal with the side effects... which actually helped a LOT.

My advice, seriously... take the pills. Talk to your doctor. You're not doing yourself any favours by going off of it cold turkey, you risk all sorts of health problems and risk landing in hospital if you continue to not take it without tapering off. The withdrawals are bad enough tapering off it, but just quitting isn't something you want to do... people have seriously had bad health problems as a result, not to mention the fact that they can't function and the mental health effects as well... This is an antidepressant. It changes your brain chemistry. As a result, coming off of it changes your brain chemistry AGAIN ... meaning you will act crazy, your moods will be hard to handle, and in all reality ... you're not yourself coming off of them. Besides being on ADs is helpful for a lot of people because it regulates mood swings.

Withdrawal effects differ from person to person. You've been off of it for a week now ... I'd say expect another weeks worth of side effects, and chances are they're only going to get worse.

I'm not a medical doctor, but I know a thing or two about ADs since I'm now on my 3rd one ... talk to your doctor. Taper off of them, just don't decide to quit.

And honestly, losing the weight that they made me gain has been absolutely MISERABLE ... it's impossible. Coming off of the AD won't automatically make you lose the weight. You're going to have to work to take it off. And as for your sex drive... it may come back normally in time, it may not.

I'm sorry to be so blunt, but nobody should be hurting themselves like this ... withdrawal is BRUTAL and you shouldn't inflict it upon yourself if there's an easier way.

First I saw the line sorry to be so blunt n I thought oh no I can't take anyone being mean right now! Don't apologize for being blunt... you didn't say anything wrong but spoke the truth abut the meds which is what I wanted. I'm just afraid that going on it again to ween myself off is going to suck so badly anyway that I may as well just stop as I am. When I would forget a day its like you said.. it would be a MISERABLE day.

the thing that's maybe even harder is ppl who don't understand. Rather than being someone to help me deal and try to put up with em, hard as it may be.. my bf says under his breath how he can't wait for me to get back on those pills and how I shouldn't have gone off and whatever. UGH! The way I'm acting this week is because things are bothering me but theyre bothering me to the MILLIONTH extreme so I really can't handle anything right now.

My gosh! I was just crying my eyes out because I couldn't stand how the sound of my phone ringing was annoying me!

If only my doctor was easily accessible I could talk to him about what to do. I kind of am on my own so advice is helpful thanks

if you still have pill you should go back on them, then start to taper the dose down, best to do with dr support, but cold turkey sucks, and lasts for weeks. it you just stay off them now it will get a whole lot worse before it gets any better.

lost

Some info for anyone else who may be in my situation with Lexapro... DO NOT DRINK!!

I was at an event last nite and there was an open bar. I'm dizzy and light headed as it is from the qithdrawals.. I didn't think when I drank and WOW that packed on a punch along with these withdrawals!

OMigod it's been 3 weeks and I'm still feeling horrible. I have been so depressed and feeling helpless. No one understands. MY boyfriend thinks everything I get upset about it ********. Things that normally would bug me Ive started holy wars over! I'm getting out of control. I've been taking Pain Killers to kill my "emotional" pain just because I can't stand this anymore. I'm desperate. Does anyone have any advise (Other than not to take the pain killers.. I know its not right). Is there anything I can take or do to wear off the withdrawals? I've neeve experienced anything liek this before. This is unbelievable!!

Also it's making me really lazy and feel faint and winded when I walk fast. I'm someone who walks a lot and very fast and now I can't. I keep feeling like if I eat it'll go away but it doesn't. ANyone have any ideas??
Thanks for anything you got!

If you're still feeling like this now - Go to your doctor. NOW (ASAP)!!

If not that (which I HIGHLY recommend) , tapering off is a good way to do it. Take half the dosage you'd been prescribed. You can always cut pills in half. Do that for a week or two, then keep "halving" it until you're taking a minimal amount. Withdrawal shouldn't be that bad then.

Go to your doctor. See about getting another AD to replace it. That will help with the withdrawal effects as well, because your body will love the fact it has the chemicals back in it.

PLEASE DON'T GO COLD-TURKEY WITHDRAWAL: DANGER

I'm not on Lexapro - but, sadly I've been on other psych-meds and have gone cold turkey a few times and it was TERRIBLE!!!!

It messes up your mind and body and can be literally dangerous!!!

PLEASE SEE YOUR DOC - ASAP!!!!

YOU do need to see your doctor because your body and mind are in such extremes and you are not taking proper care of yourself.

The Boyfriend is a pain - but he's not the real problem, going off meds this way is the real problem.

Even if you think DOC may be angry go anyway - he'll get over it or you'll get somone else to go to.

I did it because I was embarrassed that I'd used up some medicine too quickly and it was hellaciously bad. another time a doctor got tired of me and just cut me off and it could have caused me severe trouble... JUST PLEASE TAKE CARE OF YOU - NO ONE ELSE WILL!

I wish you all the best and hope things get better soonest!!!

Leslie

Thanks for the advise everyone. I've already been off for 3 weeks so its too late to taper. I would think it would be enough with the symptoms already but I had a HUGE break-down and was so suicidal I didn't know what to do only days ago. I guess I'm still having symptoms... wish it'd end already!

It's never to late to taper. Go to your doctor. Get on a different AD. That will help with your current symptoms.

You've got to see a doctor, get on something else. These withdrawals could go on a LOT longer, and with this emotional lability and suicidal ideation you're in a really dangerous spot. Not just mentally, either - AD withdrawals can have serious physical effects too.

i have been through alot of lexapro. i know about weight gain and asexuality but there are ways an endocrinologist can help you with that while you stay on lexapro. i also know how lexapro makes alcoholic beverages stronger and how you feel tired from it the next day.
never ever go cold turkey from lexapro or other antidepressants. it is the kind of bad idea that can get you killed. ultimately you are the judge of what you put in your body and if you don't want lexapro no one will make you take it forever. use your doctor's knowledge when you want to quit a med. he may not like what you are doing over the short run but he has an ethical obligation to see that you are not endangered.
it sounds like you are in danger. please tell your doctor. two or three days in the hospital is not terrible and it could save you from yourself.
the interesting problem antidepressants represent is that they give a depressed person back enough energy to kill himself before it takes away the motivation to do so. i once had to fight suicide and anxiety for a series of months. it was harrowing. i should have gotten some seroquel if i was smart and slept it off. the doctors didn't know about the hormonal problems that were effecting me seriously. the psychologists laid it all on the depression and thought that i could control it behaviorally. that was living hell. learn to bug your doctors when you have a serious problem. their shoulders are stronger than yours for that kind of burden.
i hope you get your sex drive back. ask your doctor to check your prolactin level in your blood. lexapro can raise your prolactin level to the point where your body produces very little testosterone and you cant get a hardon and that contributes to the depression. lexapro can slow your metabolism and you gain weight. i am taking thyroid meds for that.
if i can leave you wih one thought it is better to respect your body than to fight it. please hang on and be candid with your pdoc.
lexapro might not be your cup of tea but it works well for me. i take a very high dose. i hope you find the med that helps you.
-pi

Hey.. I've been there. I would say it took a full three weeks before the withdrawal symptoms completely left my body.

I tapered down so slowly that at one point, I was cutting the 5mg pill in half, and taking the 2.5 every other night-- that REALLY, REALLY helped ease the symptoms and it was soon after that, that I didn't have to take any pills anymore because the symptoms had eased to the point in which my body didn't need the drug anymore.

It really, really sucked.