![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by JenStar on July 6, 2004, at 0:48:28
Can anyone share their personal experience with quitting Lexapro? Did you taper off, and if so, how long did it take to get to zero? Did you notice side effects while quitting? And...perhaps most importantly...did the Lexapro weight gain come off? I'm currently taking 10 mg/day Lex and I'm tapering down to zero. Any info would be appreciated! :)
Posted by mcp on July 6, 2004, at 13:30:37
In reply to Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by JenStar on July 6, 2004, at 0:48:28
I am currently going from 10 down. I halved them to 5 and I am feeling pretty sick from that just a week into it. Now this may not happen for you. I seem to be highly sensitive to med switches and changes. I just had a buddy go off Paxil cold turkey with no problem, so it all varies. This is my third and last dreaded psychotropic med I am coming off of and I can't wait. We are doing this at the same time. If you want to consort on this one feel free to email me at mcpark@socal.rr.com. We can check each others progress.
> Can anyone share their personal experience with quitting Lexapro? Did you taper off, and if so, how long did it take to get to zero? Did you notice side effects while quitting? And...perhaps most importantly...did the Lexapro weight gain come off? I'm currently taking 10 mg/day Lex and I'm tapering down to zero. Any info would be appreciated! :)
Posted by JenStar on July 7, 2004, at 0:19:06
In reply to Re: Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by mcp on July 6, 2004, at 13:30:37
Congrats on coming off the meds! I applaud you for getting to this point. My doc said I might feel "flu-like" and "sickish" coming off Lexapro. So far I feel a bit cranky, more irritable than usual, and maybe a bit of trouble sleeping. If I have flu symptoms they are buried in the lovely melange of allergies that I routinely get - so it's hard to tell. :) What are your symptoms? Are they getting better?
Hope all is well!
jenstar
Posted by mcp on July 7, 2004, at 1:57:13
In reply to Re: Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by JenStar on July 7, 2004, at 0:19:06
I went from 10 to 5 and I have been there for a little over a week. Flulike is certainly part of it. Dizziness and nausea are a big part as well. I have a lot of trepidation about going down further, but I have to get off these meds. The Lexapro and the Zyprexa were just awful for me. I couldn't think and I was always in a fog. I can't wait to have my old self back. It is gonna be hard, but I have to hand tough. What sort of tapering schedule have you gone through?
> Congrats on coming off the meds! I applaud you for getting to this point. My doc said I might feel "flu-like" and "sickish" coming off Lexapro. So far I feel a bit cranky, more irritable than usual, and maybe a bit of trouble sleeping. If I have flu symptoms they are buried in the lovely melange of allergies that I routinely get - so it's hard to tell. :) What are your symptoms? Are they getting better?
>
> Hope all is well!
> jenstar
Posted by Bill LL on July 8, 2004, at 8:05:40
In reply to Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by JenStar on July 6, 2004, at 0:48:28
A reasonable taper, assuming that you have been on 10 mg, is:
1) 7.5 mg for a week;
2) 5 mg for a week;
3) 2.5 mg for a week;
4) 2.5 mg every other day for 2 weeks;
5) nothing
Posted by DMark on July 8, 2004, at 16:15:27
In reply to Re: Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by Bill LL on July 8, 2004, at 8:05:40
Bills methos sounds good. Make sure you do it as slow as possible. Don't be in a hurry to stop taking this med. The results of coming off too quick are awful.
One correction to add to Bills schedule.
5. Lick a tablet every day for a week. Just to be safe.
Posted by JenStar on July 8, 2004, at 16:43:18
In reply to Re: Tapering off of Lexapro, posted by DMark on July 8, 2004, at 16:15:27
Bill LL & DMark:
thanks for the advice! Tapering slowly seems to be what everyone recommends, including my doc. I've gone from 10 --> mg/day so far & no absolutely horrible effects. I am crankier (even my hubby noticed), though...and I've been more irritable when driving. Hopefully that will subside.Hope you are doing well!
JenStar> Bills methos sounds good. Make sure you do it as slow as possible. Don't be in a hurry to stop taking this med. The results of coming off too quick are awful.
>
> One correction to add to Bills schedule.
>
> 5. Lick a tablet every day for a week. Just to be safe.
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.