Posted by morein2004 on August 10, 2004, at 20:07:02
In reply to Re: Quitting Lexapro, posted by mcp on July 21, 2004, at 13:02:07
I too am going off of lexapro. I was put on it about 6 years ago while in treatment for alcohol addiction. I would just like to see if I can live without an AD. Well, for my ADD I will stay on, and try to take more consistently, wellbutrin. I switched from celexa to lexapro about a year ago at a doctor's urging to try the "new cleaner celexa, lexapro."
I was perfectly happy with celexa, but figured I try it. I to have gained 40 pounds in the last year without eating more. I took mine at night to help with the sleepiness, but I still was so tired all of the time. I'd wake up and stay up for a few hours before another long nap, and then to work.
I have been cutting the 20mg down to down, then to 10mg ever other day. I haven't had any for about 5 days and think that I may have rushed coming off it because I don't feel very good. I'm having some crying jaunts, am tired and dizzy. After reading these posts, I may go ahead and take 5 tonight and continue to come off it. I'll post a follow up.
> I immediately went from 10mg to 5mg. That was a bit much. I was dizzy, disoriented, nauseous, and flulike. Since then I have slowed it to a mg a week and I am on about 3 mg a day. I still don't feel all that well, but there is something to be said for doing it slower to avoid the worst withdrawals.
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> > I quit 10mgs of Lexapro about a week ago. I am a little shaky and I have these pulses which run through my nervous system all of the time. How long will this last and can anything serious happen to me? IE seizure, heart attack etc...
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> > I quit because I hated being chemically dependent and think I was only suffering severe anxiety attacks due to alcohol abuse. If anyone has gone cold turkey on this stuff and suffered sever damages please let me know.
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> > PS. I gained 37 lbs on lexapro, and my heart rate went through the roof.
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> > > I've been on 20 mgs of Lexapro for a long time now and take clonazepam also. ALthough Lexapro has made me mentally feel better than I have in years, I have gained weight and am having trouble getting it off. So I decided to stop taking anything for a while and see how I do. So, I've cut back on the Lexapro, 10 mgs a day now for about 5 days. Question - how long do I need to do this until I can stop? I understand there could be withdrawal effects that I want to miss out on, so... ? Anybody know? Thanks!
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poster:morein2004
thread:212539
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040805/msgs/376156.html