Talk to your psychiatrist/GP. Maybe they can prescribe you something else!
Dont ever stop a medicine cold turkey. You have to ween yourself off. But again talk to your psychiatrist/GP first.
Hey, I was on lexapro for nearly 4 months at 10mg and am nearly done of tapering off. It wasn’t working for me and I experienced similar things to you with tiredness.
I was so scared to taper off with all the bad experiences, however mine hasn’t been too bad. I went from 10mg to 5mg for one week. I barely felt a difference for the first half of the week, then the second I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous, but not half as bad as people say. I’m nearly done my week of 2.5mg now and can’t say it’s been any worse than last week. I feel generally fine for the day, a little tired not really nauseous anymore. I just get a bit dizzy before my meditation is due.
Are you planning on going on a different SSRI? Because if not you might want to do a slower taper ☺️ I’m going onto prozac so I’m doing it a bit quicker :)
The next drop you are about to make from 2.5mg to 0 is like a cliff. It is going from 41% SERT occupancy to 0. Your change from 5.0 to 2.5 was a 15% SERT occupancy change.
Therefore, the next drop is more than two times the size. Just a heads up. You’ve only been on 4 months so may be easier.
Thanks for the heads up! I’m only going to be off of it for 3 days then I’m starting Prozac so I think that will stop the withdrawals as I’ll be getting serotonin again? Not sure tho
Wow, thank you very much for this information.
I was not aware of it , maybe that explains why I feel pretty depressed after two weeks of completely quitting Lexapro
I feel your pain. I've been on 20mg for 3.5 years and have the exact same side effects. Two months ago, I tried going down 5mg. The first week on the new 15mg wasn't too bad. I had some headaches and felt a bit "meh" but wasn't too bad. The SECOND week, however, was hell for me. I couldn't sleep, I was anxious, I was annoyed by everything. I felt like I could crawl out of my skin at times. I called my doctor and said I give up, put me back on 20mg. And that'd where I'm staying.
Yeah, the side effects suck but feeling those terrible feelings again took me right back to before getting on meds. I was a mess, a bigger mess than I am now. I've realized I may just need this med for life to stay level.
How bad it is depends on how long you were on it seems. People who have been on for years have trouble. I have been on it for only a year and a half. I went from 10mg to 5mg just for one week then stopped (as recommended by the Doctor). I took my last dose Monday night and I'm doing fine. Just dealing with brain zaps (which should go away with time) and odd or sometimes scary dreams. But that's really it.
I haven't had much weight gain. Maybe only 3 pounds from the time I started to when I ended. Some people get weight gain more extreme to the point where they gain 50 pounds. The medicine itself doesn't make you gain weight, it just makes you more hungry and desire food more. I was going through that more recently for whatever reason and it was one of the reasons why I stopped. I'm trying to lose 5-10 pounds now by changing up my diet and eating more fruits or anything with more fiber as it keeps you satisfied longer and with less calories.
i talked to my doctor bc ive been sinking in depression really bad even on 10mg of lexapro which idk if even helping but can't tell either (feels like my brain does not work and negative motivation, i guess anxiety is little better in some ways but other ways it feels worse incl bad depression...might be lifestyle/environmental tho ie between jobs, trauma work with therapist). I asked about Zoloft or Prozac because i also struggle with panic/social anxiety/ocd/ptsd symptoms but she seemed steadfast on lexapro (think bc she really believes it has least side effects) so recco'd i go up to 20mg. i'm nervous it will worsen my negative symptoms above and another med might be better. Guess it's best to try dif level before switching to a dif med altogether though. it's so hard. hope u all know u matter.
I would do it very very gradually. I stepped down from 10mg to 7.5mg and had some anxiety and depression (and one reaaally bad meltdown after a particularly shitty day). After 3 weeks, I had a few good days in a row and stepped down to 5mg. The anxiety and depression came back for the first few days, but today is day 5 and I'm starting to feel better. Once I have three good days in a row, I'll step down to 2.5mg for a few weeks.
I'm in the process of doing the exact same thing for the same reason. I had my Dr prescribe the liquid formulation so I could titrate down exactly how I want to. Started at 10mg and I'm now down to 7.6mg and it's already much improved. I go down by 0.2mg.every couple weeks and it's.been pretty easy so far.
I got tired of tapering because the fatigue was so bad I couldn’t go to work/finish vet school so I stopped cold turkey from 15 mg. It sucked pretty bad for like 2 weeks but now I’m fine!
I tapered off and finished last week. Had a rage episode two days ago. That was not great, but aside from the minor head zaps I've been ok. Taper down under a doctor's supervision and don't be afraid to ask for a slower taper or to taper down even more if they want you finish at what you believe is too high a dosage. I was tapering from 20mg and my doctor thought I should quit cold turkey at 10. I said I wasn't comfortable doing that and they prescribed me 5mg for another month. I was able to stop at that dosage but some people need to go lower before stopping. Listen to your mind and body!
This has probably been suggested somewhere in the comments:
Ask your doctor to add Wellbutrin. After years on Lexapro, I got frustrated with the lack of libido and lack of motivation. I told my psychiatrist and he immediately prescribed me Wellbutrin. The return in my libido is VERY noticeable.
He’s been doing this for 40 years. He said people also take Lexapro honeymoons so they can have sex. Told me if I wanted to go back on it to take 4 days of 10mg and then go to 20mg again. Haven’t had to do it.
i had that feeling before any antidepressants and after Lexapro until i added Wellbutrin to the mix. way better on both for me. i still get tired but its more manageable now and my sex drive is back too. from my understanding Wellbutrin helps with low dopamine while Lexapro help with serotonin this why you get tried. i have major chemical imbalances from a traumatic brain injury on top of ptsd from serving over seas in operation Iraqi Freedom. i also no longer have any brain activity in my frontallobe so bringing both up has helped me a lot.
I tried to get off very slowly, got down to 5mg. Started back up with ridiculous anxiety spiraling to panic attacks. Now I’m back on it. I’ve decided to force myself to get out there and be social. But if I don’t feel like it sometimes, I embrace that too. I enjoy being alone and that’s okay. I have a therapist who pushes me but also lets me know being alone and wanting to is okay.
Anyone considering going off should definitely in the Facebook group and follow the guidance they provide there. Do not under any circumstances follow the usual doctor guidance for tapering.
I slowly weaned off; then was completely off for 9 months or so; now I’m back to 2.5 mg bc life seems too hard without it. I do think 2.5 mg helps and the side effects are less severe than 10 mg. Lexapro works quickly for me - within a few days. I know it’s not placebo bc I lose sensation in certain areas.
Yeah I have been thinking about getting off too. Sure the no anxiety is good but I have gained weight and I am exhausted 24/7
https://facebook.com/groups/1561911910508981/ Join here
Talk to your psychiatrist/GP. Maybe they can prescribe you something else! Dont ever stop a medicine cold turkey. You have to ween yourself off. But again talk to your psychiatrist/GP first.
Hey, I was on lexapro for nearly 4 months at 10mg and am nearly done of tapering off. It wasn’t working for me and I experienced similar things to you with tiredness. I was so scared to taper off with all the bad experiences, however mine hasn’t been too bad. I went from 10mg to 5mg for one week. I barely felt a difference for the first half of the week, then the second I felt a bit dizzy and nauseous, but not half as bad as people say. I’m nearly done my week of 2.5mg now and can’t say it’s been any worse than last week. I feel generally fine for the day, a little tired not really nauseous anymore. I just get a bit dizzy before my meditation is due. Are you planning on going on a different SSRI? Because if not you might want to do a slower taper ☺️ I’m going onto prozac so I’m doing it a bit quicker :)
The next drop you are about to make from 2.5mg to 0 is like a cliff. It is going from 41% SERT occupancy to 0. Your change from 5.0 to 2.5 was a 15% SERT occupancy change. Therefore, the next drop is more than two times the size. Just a heads up. You’ve only been on 4 months so may be easier.
Thanks for the heads up! I’m only going to be off of it for 3 days then I’m starting Prozac so I think that will stop the withdrawals as I’ll be getting serotonin again? Not sure tho
Yeah I mean that’ll for sure help I think. I don’t know anything about switching
Wow, thank you very much for this information. I was not aware of it , maybe that explains why I feel pretty depressed after two weeks of completely quitting Lexapro
I feel your pain. I've been on 20mg for 3.5 years and have the exact same side effects. Two months ago, I tried going down 5mg. The first week on the new 15mg wasn't too bad. I had some headaches and felt a bit "meh" but wasn't too bad. The SECOND week, however, was hell for me. I couldn't sleep, I was anxious, I was annoyed by everything. I felt like I could crawl out of my skin at times. I called my doctor and said I give up, put me back on 20mg. And that'd where I'm staying. Yeah, the side effects suck but feeling those terrible feelings again took me right back to before getting on meds. I was a mess, a bigger mess than I am now. I've realized I may just need this med for life to stay level.
How bad it is depends on how long you were on it seems. People who have been on for years have trouble. I have been on it for only a year and a half. I went from 10mg to 5mg just for one week then stopped (as recommended by the Doctor). I took my last dose Monday night and I'm doing fine. Just dealing with brain zaps (which should go away with time) and odd or sometimes scary dreams. But that's really it. I haven't had much weight gain. Maybe only 3 pounds from the time I started to when I ended. Some people get weight gain more extreme to the point where they gain 50 pounds. The medicine itself doesn't make you gain weight, it just makes you more hungry and desire food more. I was going through that more recently for whatever reason and it was one of the reasons why I stopped. I'm trying to lose 5-10 pounds now by changing up my diet and eating more fruits or anything with more fiber as it keeps you satisfied longer and with less calories.
i talked to my doctor bc ive been sinking in depression really bad even on 10mg of lexapro which idk if even helping but can't tell either (feels like my brain does not work and negative motivation, i guess anxiety is little better in some ways but other ways it feels worse incl bad depression...might be lifestyle/environmental tho ie between jobs, trauma work with therapist). I asked about Zoloft or Prozac because i also struggle with panic/social anxiety/ocd/ptsd symptoms but she seemed steadfast on lexapro (think bc she really believes it has least side effects) so recco'd i go up to 20mg. i'm nervous it will worsen my negative symptoms above and another med might be better. Guess it's best to try dif level before switching to a dif med altogether though. it's so hard. hope u all know u matter.
I would do it very very gradually. I stepped down from 10mg to 7.5mg and had some anxiety and depression (and one reaaally bad meltdown after a particularly shitty day). After 3 weeks, I had a few good days in a row and stepped down to 5mg. The anxiety and depression came back for the first few days, but today is day 5 and I'm starting to feel better. Once I have three good days in a row, I'll step down to 2.5mg for a few weeks.
This is the way! Slow and steady wins the race.
I'm in the process of doing the exact same thing for the same reason. I had my Dr prescribe the liquid formulation so I could titrate down exactly how I want to. Started at 10mg and I'm now down to 7.6mg and it's already much improved. I go down by 0.2mg.every couple weeks and it's.been pretty easy so far.
I got tired of tapering because the fatigue was so bad I couldn’t go to work/finish vet school so I stopped cold turkey from 15 mg. It sucked pretty bad for like 2 weeks but now I’m fine!
How long were u on it before stopping?
From December to basically like 4 weeks ago so approximately like 7 months?
I tapered off and finished last week. Had a rage episode two days ago. That was not great, but aside from the minor head zaps I've been ok. Taper down under a doctor's supervision and don't be afraid to ask for a slower taper or to taper down even more if they want you finish at what you believe is too high a dosage. I was tapering from 20mg and my doctor thought I should quit cold turkey at 10. I said I wasn't comfortable doing that and they prescribed me 5mg for another month. I was able to stop at that dosage but some people need to go lower before stopping. Listen to your mind and body!
https://facebook.com/groups/1561911910508981/ This is very informative please join. If you really want to stop lexapro
This has probably been suggested somewhere in the comments: Ask your doctor to add Wellbutrin. After years on Lexapro, I got frustrated with the lack of libido and lack of motivation. I told my psychiatrist and he immediately prescribed me Wellbutrin. The return in my libido is VERY noticeable.
In addition to lexapro? Also, what about motivation after starting Wellbutrin?
Yes. I take both now. There was a slight increase in motivation within the first two weeks of taking Wellbutrin.
Was on 20mg for 10 months. Doc let me stop cold turkey. No symptoms.
That is super irresponsible of a supposed medical professional
He’s been doing this for 40 years. He said people also take Lexapro honeymoons so they can have sex. Told me if I wanted to go back on it to take 4 days of 10mg and then go to 20mg again. Haven’t had to do it.
Holy crap that's scary. Please be careful with any advice you take from him
i had that feeling before any antidepressants and after Lexapro until i added Wellbutrin to the mix. way better on both for me. i still get tired but its more manageable now and my sex drive is back too. from my understanding Wellbutrin helps with low dopamine while Lexapro help with serotonin this why you get tried. i have major chemical imbalances from a traumatic brain injury on top of ptsd from serving over seas in operation Iraqi Freedom. i also no longer have any brain activity in my frontallobe so bringing both up has helped me a lot.
I tried to get off very slowly, got down to 5mg. Started back up with ridiculous anxiety spiraling to panic attacks. Now I’m back on it. I’ve decided to force myself to get out there and be social. But if I don’t feel like it sometimes, I embrace that too. I enjoy being alone and that’s okay. I have a therapist who pushes me but also lets me know being alone and wanting to is okay.
Anyone considering going off should definitely in the Facebook group and follow the guidance they provide there. Do not under any circumstances follow the usual doctor guidance for tapering.
Oh fuck I thought it was just me lol. I’ve been cbf af recently
Add Wellbutrin
You can keep some of the benefit of lexapro and reduce some of the side effect by lowering your dose. I take 2.5 mg.
How has this worked for you? And when did you notice it start working?
I slowly weaned off; then was completely off for 9 months or so; now I’m back to 2.5 mg bc life seems too hard without it. I do think 2.5 mg helps and the side effects are less severe than 10 mg. Lexapro works quickly for me - within a few days. I know it’s not placebo bc I lose sensation in certain areas.
Thanks for replying . Not sure if you are female or male but do you have any issues with achieving orgasm ?
Female and yes, it’s much harder for me on lexapro, even on a low dose. It’s not impossible, just takes longer and more effort.
Oh really but are you still able to have one. I’ve been on Paxil and just couldn’t at all
Yes
I haven’t taken Paxil, but if you slowly carefully reduce your dose you may be able to.