Posted by SLS on July 4, 2005, at 13:17:05
In reply to Re: Lexapro, posted by Esther26 on July 4, 2005, at 10:20:36
> > > Is it difficult to go off of Lexapro? I want to and am very afraid of the withdrawal effects.
> > What dosage tablets are you using, and how many pieces can you split them up into?
> I take 20 mg. every night. I can begin taking 10 mg. I'm going to call my doctor because I'd like him to give me something else so I don't freak out while going off of the Lexapro. What do you think?Did you have anything special in mind?
Xanax might help prevent you from becoming too anxious and agitated. It is a drug that can be habit-forming, so you really would not want to use it except for during intense episodes.
Although justified to be concerned, your fears of withdrawal might be exaggerated based on some of the things others have said in the past - most of whom stopped taking their medication abruptly (cold-turkey). If you taper properly, your withdrawal symptoms should be tolerable.
You might feel a little strange. Don''t be afraid of these strange feelings as they will disappear. Just recognize them for what they are. They shouldn't prevent you from functioning. You will probably experience anxiety and perhaps flu-like aches and pains. Unfortunately, a common withdrawal symptom is a very alarming sensation in the head nicknamed "brain-zaps". They do not represent any sort of brain damage. Most of these things can be avoided by listening to your body and not being afraid to taper more gradually if you need to.
Let's take things once step at a time. Let's see what happens when you decrease the dosage. Can you go to 15mg instead of 10mg? I would recommend it. If you ask your doctor for anything, it should be 5mg tablets of Lexapro so that you can work with even smaller and smaller doses.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:523238
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050611/msgs/523310.html