Posted by SunCitySue on February 11, 2004, at 21:08:33
Hello everybody!
I have been on Lexapro for six months now. I don't know that I was so much depressed as stressed out from my job. Anyway, my doc started me out on the 10mg. I didn't notice any bad side effects at all, other than the first few days, feeling like nothing could upset me!
At Christmas time, I was so busy with year-end stuff at work and I started feeling sick. I ended up with a severe bronchial infection for which my doctor prescribed antibiotics. The first course of antibiotics wasn't touching my symptoms, so I went back to the doc's again and was put on a different antibiotic and sent for a chest x-ray as pneumonia was suspected.
The x-rays came back clear, but my head felt like someone had inserted a balloon in it and was expanding it daily!! I thought it was a sinus infection along with the bronchial. WRONG!
I had been so busy with work that I forgot to re-fill my prescription for Lexapro. I thought that I had just been off of it for a few days, but when I finally took the time to take a look at my life instead of my job, the reality hit me that I had been off of it for TWO WHOLE WEEKS!!!
Still, I hadn't made the connection between my symptoms and Lexapro withdrawal. My husband did some extensive research on the subject and it appeared that my symptoms were typical with Lexapro withdrawal.
Meanwhile, my husband lost his job and our health insurance. Fortunately, my workplace was able to add us on instantly due to the circumstances, but when I called in the re-fill for Lexapro, my co-pay was $50!!! I decided then and there that I want to get off of this stuff for two main reasons.
Firstly, if these withdrawal symptoms hit me so hard after being on the drug for six months, I do not want to imagine what it would be like after a year or more!
Secondly, I'm getting older and hope to retire in 17 years. I don't want to get hooked on this stuff and not be able to afford it somewhere down the road.
Anyway, that's how I stumbled upon this forum tonight. I was researching for peoples' experiences and suggestions for slowly getting off of Lexapro.
Thanks for listening and best of luck to all!
poster:SunCitySue
thread:312261
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040210/msgs/312261.html