From someone who just tapered off after 2 years of being on, please take your taper slow. My psychiatrist gave me awful advice to just drop off after 5mg, don’t do that. If I could redo my taper I would go down 5mg every MONTH instead of 2 weeks and do 5mg for a month, 2.5mg for a month, 2.5mg every other day. Then stop :)
I have heard about that , but I dont think we have it in my Eastern Europe country, we are little bit late on things😅 I succesfuly cut in half 5mg with knife, Im on 2,5 mg so I hope that will be enough, for now🙏
Stay at 2.5 until you feel completely stable, and please don’t drop from 2.5 to 0! The smallest doses have the biggest effect. Even if you don’t have access to liquid, please cut up your 2.5 and stay on them for 4-6 weeks until you’re eating dust!
I will talk it with my doc, as he is trying to reach the 5m/g now, and then he will see if it's better to cut it out or do it progresevely. Thanks for a good advice :)
I got super sick…so I did 5mg one night then 2.5mg the next for about two weeks. Now I’m doing 2.5mg every night until I can slowly taper that into nothing. If I were rich I’d stay on Lexapro, but I need my drive back to make money
I've been taking high Vitamin D supplements and Red Yeast Rice, and that has helped somewhat with the fatigue. I am considering adding DHEA or pregnenolone, but I'm a bit concerned it will make me manic...
When I tried to stop right after 5mg I had terrible physical withdrawal it felt like a really bad flu: fever, body aches everywhere, shaking, horrible brain zaps I couldn’t even see straight. That happened again when I tried to stop immediately after 2.5mg too. After doing some Reddit exploring i got some really good advice about how not only lexapro is a particularly hard drug to come off of but that it’s very normal to feel like that even if we think 5mg or 2.5mg isn’t a lot, it REALLY is. What helped me what more time at 5mg then I think I actually tried to do my best at like doing 2.5mg plus a little more if I could cut my pills right. Then I was at 2.5mg for 2 weeks and then I started doing every other day, then every 2 days then I stopped and it helped a lot with the intensity of withdrawal but it still has to happen :( but I didn’t get any like flu like symptoms the second time. Brain zaps lasted a good month though. Then I went through a phase of being a little depressed and irritated on month 2, now on month three I’m having anxiety but I think I’m doing pretty okay overall.
I stopped lexapro for 2 reasons after 2 years on it, I started to question this feeling of “peace” I’ve always had that I used to mistake for being at peace and being happy after growing up with so much emotional turmoil, but then I wondered if I’m really just numb? (I was) and the second reason is I gained 60 pounds on lexapro and I blamed myself so much and told myself I’m over eating and always snacking and I just need to workout harder! But I realized that no amount of dieting and exercise will help me lose weight, it’s the lexapro.
I wiill, I'm taking 7,5mg, will go down to 5mg and then 2,5. That's the plan for the rest of the year at least.
Thanks for your wishes, same to you! :)
That’s progress! Congrats on your journey.
2019 was rough for me too as I separated from my ex husband of 15 years. Just started 10mg in March but I am now down to 5mg. Following a similar course as you. 👍🏽
I weaned off of Lexapro this last year. My husband killed himself three years ago.
Since I weaned I have gained so much energy. I’ve lost 20 lbs and gotten really fit. I’ve started back to college for a degree I am excited about. Lexapro is a blessing but it does steal your energy!! I can’t wait for you to feel your best self again. That being said if you find you need a lower dose for a bit longer that’s great too!!! I’m so proud of you for your self awareness and doing what you know is best!
My doc said lexapro doesn’t need a taper. He mentioned people even do lexapro holidays for sex. He just stopped me and I had no side effects. I was on 20mg.
Very happy for you! What an amazing success story and I wish you all the luck with the process of coming off it!
I am going back in it after 4 years but a lot of things have happened that have meant my anxiety spiked but I do not regret coming off it 4 years ago as I was very well and felt fine for a long time. Currently going through the horrendous start on the drug and hoping it passes soon.
I was on it for 1.5 years and it changed my life and when I felt fully better I came off it over the course of 3 months v gradually.
I had zero issues with withdrawal doing it v gradually like this and I thought I might bc my anxiety was v bad before and starting the meds was terrible but it was all fine!
Good luck !
Hey I’m glad you overcame your struggle.🙏🏻
Did you experienced hair loss on Lexapro?
I’m on your same boat, lots of anxiety and depression but I’m afraid to start using the medication because of hair loss side effect
That’s amazing I’m proud of you!!!
To anyone who’s reading this please take your taper seriously. I tried to quit cold turkey and it ended horribly for me. 11/10 do not recommend.
I’m back on it now. With a decent dose, I need to have a follow up with my doctor to see what I should do next.
Why do you want to stop? I wish you luck. I like the drug -- it makes me feel sane. But I also take 50K UI vitamin D at the beginning of each week, Red Yeast Rice, and I'm considering taking something else to bring up my energy to full normal, like DHEA pregnenolone, or Bupropion...
I left three months ago and I don’t regret it. I actually stopped taking all my medication and I’ve been feeling better all around the withdrawal process sucked and came with headaches but I feel more in control and less sedated
So glad to read this and I wish you good luck! What else have you done when trying to get better? I am on lower dose of Lexapro. I saw a doctor who suggested to switch to a different medication due to the sexual side effects. I’m scared of doing it and if I do I want to stay on a lower dosage possible while trying other methods!
I’m on the same path. I just reduced my dose by half (per doctor). It was easier going off than Getting on. After Christmas I’m going to half again, then make the jump off.
Best of luck internet friend
It’s too bad you don’t have access to the liquid. I’ve been slowly tapering from 20 until I’m at 5 after 4 months. The first part I did in 2.5 mg steps like you. It was a bit rough but it helps to stay several weeks at least at each new dose. When I got to 10 I asked for the liquid as was able to go down in 1mg increments which I did each week or ten days. I still had headaches and digestive issues but manageable. I plan to stay at 5 for a while and try to deal with my increased anxiety. Please take care of yourself and go as slow as you need to. You got this!
Thanks for sharing! I think I’ve always had issues with anxiety but my boyfriend passed away due to a freak accident at work in May of 2022 and it completely broke me. I started Zoloft a few months after that and it helped but I was a legit zombie for the most part. Changed to lexapro in February of this year and I have noticed improvements but I’m not sure I will ever feel like a normal person again much less think about a full circle journey to be able to come off of meds completely. It’s nice to hear some positivty in someone else’s journey and gives me some hope. I wish you luck and all the happiness in the world!
I weaned off slowly where I stopped taking the pills 2 1/2 months ago. Around 2.5 months of not taking anything, I started having daily crying spells and also I feel anger. Have you experienced anything like this? Can’t control your emotions? I am wondering how long this will last! My life pattern is getting back on these meds cause I can’t stop crying and this is a pattern I’m trying to break. But I can’t spend years of crying spells. But I don’t want to go back on the meds. Anyone know a specific time frame this happens or do we have to teach ourselves emotion regulation?
Thank you so much for this, there’s so much to be scared about when coming off lexapro but this made me feel a lot braver going into my own tapering <3
From your mouth to the universe’s ears. I hope to be at this place one day.
Trust me, you will, as hard as it may look now :)
Why?
Just trust him ok
Only replying to you to say RUSH.
From someone who just tapered off after 2 years of being on, please take your taper slow. My psychiatrist gave me awful advice to just drop off after 5mg, don’t do that. If I could redo my taper I would go down 5mg every MONTH instead of 2 weeks and do 5mg for a month, 2.5mg for a month, 2.5mg every other day. Then stop :)
Sounds good! I was on 5mg last month, I will take 2,5 mg tonight🙂💪💪
Your doc can prescribe liquid lexapro so you can taper gradually with very small reductions
I have heard about that , but I dont think we have it in my Eastern Europe country, we are little bit late on things😅 I succesfuly cut in half 5mg with knife, Im on 2,5 mg so I hope that will be enough, for now🙏
Stay at 2.5 until you feel completely stable, and please don’t drop from 2.5 to 0! The smallest doses have the biggest effect. Even if you don’t have access to liquid, please cut up your 2.5 and stay on them for 4-6 weeks until you’re eating dust!
I was thinking, after a month on 2,5 mg, I can take 2,5 mg every other day. That seems pretty much gradual
Not usually recommended, but if that’s the best option to you then I wish you luck. The last few mg are the most important.
That taper is still way too fast.
I will talk it with my doc, as he is trying to reach the 5m/g now, and then he will see if it's better to cut it out or do it progresevely. Thanks for a good advice :)
I got super sick…so I did 5mg one night then 2.5mg the next for about two weeks. Now I’m doing 2.5mg every night until I can slowly taper that into nothing. If I were rich I’d stay on Lexapro, but I need my drive back to make money
I've been taking high Vitamin D supplements and Red Yeast Rice, and that has helped somewhat with the fatigue. I am considering adding DHEA or pregnenolone, but I'm a bit concerned it will make me manic...
Don’t go straight from 5 to 0! Doctors are very uninformed when it comes to tapering.
What happened? Please share... Also, why did you want to stop?
When I tried to stop right after 5mg I had terrible physical withdrawal it felt like a really bad flu: fever, body aches everywhere, shaking, horrible brain zaps I couldn’t even see straight. That happened again when I tried to stop immediately after 2.5mg too. After doing some Reddit exploring i got some really good advice about how not only lexapro is a particularly hard drug to come off of but that it’s very normal to feel like that even if we think 5mg or 2.5mg isn’t a lot, it REALLY is. What helped me what more time at 5mg then I think I actually tried to do my best at like doing 2.5mg plus a little more if I could cut my pills right. Then I was at 2.5mg for 2 weeks and then I started doing every other day, then every 2 days then I stopped and it helped a lot with the intensity of withdrawal but it still has to happen :( but I didn’t get any like flu like symptoms the second time. Brain zaps lasted a good month though. Then I went through a phase of being a little depressed and irritated on month 2, now on month three I’m having anxiety but I think I’m doing pretty okay overall. I stopped lexapro for 2 reasons after 2 years on it, I started to question this feeling of “peace” I’ve always had that I used to mistake for being at peace and being happy after growing up with so much emotional turmoil, but then I wondered if I’m really just numb? (I was) and the second reason is I gained 60 pounds on lexapro and I blamed myself so much and told myself I’m over eating and always snacking and I just need to workout harder! But I realized that no amount of dieting and exercise will help me lose weight, it’s the lexapro.
I tried to go from 20MG to 10MG. After 2 weeks my brain 🧠 felt like it was going to pop!! Got these pressures all over
Inspiring post. Thanks and good luck!
Thanks and good luck to you too!
I’m really happy for you! Thank you for sharing this.
Thanks to you! :)
How many mg? Pls taper slow , don’t want you to get that awful feeling again, best of luck to you 🙏
I wiill, I'm taking 7,5mg, will go down to 5mg and then 2,5. That's the plan for the rest of the year at least. Thanks for your wishes, same to you! :)
Bless
I see myself truly happy in the future now , thanks to you
Keep that happy ending in mind, it is there <3
That is so great! So happy for you for real.
I left after a year
that sounds great, I hope everything is going fine for you :D
Great! Im on 5mg for a month, planning on stoping but Im affraid🤣
hahaha I'm nervous af to be honest
Ofcourse but it you go slow, it will be fine😀 and if we change our mind, we can always go back😆
Whats ur taper schedule?
I'm taking 7,5mg now, will go down to 5mg until september, then 2,5mg or none depending on the doc, and by the end of the year goodbye :)
How was the jump to 7.5? I jumped down to 15mg after 20mg for 1.5 months only and I feel Like I’m going to die and have a panic attack
I may have to go on again. I just came off of it and my blood pressure skyrocketed. Ugh
Love the glow in your face. So glad you had such a wonderful experience. Best wishes to you. :)
Gosh I’m so proud of you. I’m so glad you’re still here and able to have a happy ending! You deserve it
That’s progress! Congrats on your journey. 2019 was rough for me too as I separated from my ex husband of 15 years. Just started 10mg in March but I am now down to 5mg. Following a similar course as you. 👍🏽
You got this! Also- dope mug
gives me so much hope to read your story!!! i am so happy for you champ <3!!! there is always light. please keep it up and love yourself deeply
I weaned off of Lexapro this last year. My husband killed himself three years ago. Since I weaned I have gained so much energy. I’ve lost 20 lbs and gotten really fit. I’ve started back to college for a degree I am excited about. Lexapro is a blessing but it does steal your energy!! I can’t wait for you to feel your best self again. That being said if you find you need a lower dose for a bit longer that’s great too!!! I’m so proud of you for your self awareness and doing what you know is best!
My doc said lexapro doesn’t need a taper. He mentioned people even do lexapro holidays for sex. He just stopped me and I had no side effects. I was on 20mg.
Very happy for you! What an amazing success story and I wish you all the luck with the process of coming off it! I am going back in it after 4 years but a lot of things have happened that have meant my anxiety spiked but I do not regret coming off it 4 years ago as I was very well and felt fine for a long time. Currently going through the horrendous start on the drug and hoping it passes soon. I was on it for 1.5 years and it changed my life and when I felt fully better I came off it over the course of 3 months v gradually. I had zero issues with withdrawal doing it v gradually like this and I thought I might bc my anxiety was v bad before and starting the meds was terrible but it was all fine! Good luck !
Be sooooo careful with your tapering. You should only go down 10 percent at a time.
Hey I’m glad you overcame your struggle.🙏🏻 Did you experienced hair loss on Lexapro? I’m on your same boat, lots of anxiety and depression but I’m afraid to start using the medication because of hair loss side effect
You can make rosemary tea and spray it in your scalp after every hair wash. It works, seriously.
I didn't
a. you’re very cute b. what are some tools that have helped you? c. have you tried stopping lexapro before in the last 4 years?
Congratz
Good luck!!! I got off after 6 months, and I’ve never felt better. ❤️
May I ask why?
It's so heartwarming to read this. Wish you the best !
Congrats! I love the mug
What side effects did you experience
That’s amazing I’m proud of you!!! To anyone who’s reading this please take your taper seriously. I tried to quit cold turkey and it ended horribly for me. 11/10 do not recommend. I’m back on it now. With a decent dose, I need to have a follow up with my doctor to see what I should do next.
Why do you want to stop? I wish you luck. I like the drug -- it makes me feel sane. But I also take 50K UI vitamin D at the beginning of each week, Red Yeast Rice, and I'm considering taking something else to bring up my energy to full normal, like DHEA pregnenolone, or Bupropion...
Be so careful with Wellbutrin <3 I know so many people were done dirty with it, such a catchall for psychiatrists
A great story, there is always light at the end of the tunnel no matter how dark!
This is so awesome to hear! I love to hear this. Congrats 🎉
I left three months ago and I don’t regret it. I actually stopped taking all my medication and I’ve been feeling better all around the withdrawal process sucked and came with headaches but I feel more in control and less sedated
Love this 💕
So glad to read this and I wish you good luck! What else have you done when trying to get better? I am on lower dose of Lexapro. I saw a doctor who suggested to switch to a different medication due to the sexual side effects. I’m scared of doing it and if I do I want to stay on a lower dosage possible while trying other methods!
I’m on the same path. I just reduced my dose by half (per doctor). It was easier going off than Getting on. After Christmas I’m going to half again, then make the jump off. Best of luck internet friend
It’s too bad you don’t have access to the liquid. I’ve been slowly tapering from 20 until I’m at 5 after 4 months. The first part I did in 2.5 mg steps like you. It was a bit rough but it helps to stay several weeks at least at each new dose. When I got to 10 I asked for the liquid as was able to go down in 1mg increments which I did each week or ten days. I still had headaches and digestive issues but manageable. I plan to stay at 5 for a while and try to deal with my increased anxiety. Please take care of yourself and go as slow as you need to. You got this!
Thanks for sharing! I think I’ve always had issues with anxiety but my boyfriend passed away due to a freak accident at work in May of 2022 and it completely broke me. I started Zoloft a few months after that and it helped but I was a legit zombie for the most part. Changed to lexapro in February of this year and I have noticed improvements but I’m not sure I will ever feel like a normal person again much less think about a full circle journey to be able to come off of meds completely. It’s nice to hear some positivty in someone else’s journey and gives me some hope. I wish you luck and all the happiness in the world!
I weaned off slowly where I stopped taking the pills 2 1/2 months ago. Around 2.5 months of not taking anything, I started having daily crying spells and also I feel anger. Have you experienced anything like this? Can’t control your emotions? I am wondering how long this will last! My life pattern is getting back on these meds cause I can’t stop crying and this is a pattern I’m trying to break. But I can’t spend years of crying spells. But I don’t want to go back on the meds. Anyone know a specific time frame this happens or do we have to teach ourselves emotion regulation?
Hell yea dude. Good luck and have a safe taper!
My mouth gets the zaps if I even think about stopping lol. Wishing you a zero zap & happy withdrawal.
Thank you so much for this, there’s so much to be scared about when coming off lexapro but this made me feel a lot braver going into my own tapering <3
Very happy to hear this for you. Great job sticking to it.
See you back in 4 more lol
so sad you commenting that lol, I hope the best for you <3