Getting off Lexapro

[Anonymous]

I've been on it for four years now and want to get off. I will be talking to a doctor about how to do this safely. I wanted to hear from others who have gotten off anti-depressants they had been on a significant amount of time, and how it was working out for them. I don't have a pressing reason to get off, although I do feel spacier on it, but I can't imagine spending the rest of my life on these drugs.

Anyone out there BTDT?

[Anonymous]

What is your daily dosage?

[Anonymous]

10 mg

[Anonymous]

I did it a couple of years ago. I was also on 10 mg and my doctor had me do a very gradual taper. I don't remember the exact details but I think it involved cutting the dose in half every other day, then half dose every day, etc. I think i did it over the course of several weeks.

[Anonymous]

My doctor had me taper off over the course of a couple months. She said that the longer the taper, the higher the success rate.

I didn't find it too bad to come off them, but after a few months of not taking them, I found myself more edgy than I liked. I didn't fly off the handle, but I remember feeling like I wished I could slam cupboard doors or break a dish now and then. It was kind of odd because I didn't remember ever feeling like that before starting on the meds.

Eventually I decided to go back on the 10mg dose. Life is just a little better on it for me. Every once in a while I feel like I should stop taking it again -- but then life happens (mom got cancer, I got diagnosed with progressive illness for which there is no cure, got divorced). Maybe you'll inspire me to try coming off it again. Life is pretty good right now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I did it a couple of years ago. I was also on 10 mg and my doctor had me do a very gradual taper. I don't remember the exact details but I think it involved cutting the dose in half every other day, then half dose every day, etc. I think i did it over the course of several weeks.

+1. Even with a slow taper, I felt my anxiety come back for a few days after each drop in dose. If you push through it, odds are it will get better. Just remember it's your body trying to adjust and that once it does, those symptoms will likely go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My doctor had me taper off over the course of a couple months. She said that the longer the taper, the higher the success rate.

I didn't find it too bad to come off them, but after a few months of not taking them, I found myself more edgy than I liked. I didn't fly off the handle, but I remember feeling like I wished I could slam cupboard doors or break a dish now and then. It was kind of odd because I didn't remember ever feeling like that before starting on the meds.

Eventually I decided to go back on the 10mg dose. Life is just a little better on it for me. Every once in a while I feel like I should stop taking it again -- but then life happens (mom got cancer, I got diagnosed with progressive illness for which there is no cure, got divorced). Maybe you'll inspire me to try coming off it again. Life is pretty good right now.

Funny because you are inspiring me to stay on!

I know I am doing well because of the lex but it's hard to come to terms with bring on drugs forever.

Do you struggle with that too? Just accepting that you may need this?

[Anonymous]

I take it for fibromyalgia and I know I'll have to be on it for life. Easier to swallow when it's for actual physical pain, but mental pain is real, too. The brain is an organ that can get sick. You might try reducing the dosage if you feel like it's giving you flat affect -- I only take 5 mg.

[Anonymous]

I have been on and off SSRIs, including Lexapro 10mg, for many years. I had to taper very slowly and still had some unpleasant symptoms (nausea, dizziness). I diluted the pills in water and tapered the dose that way because it was too hard to cut the pills down. I also started taking Fish Oil supplements which I think helped.

That said, I just ended up restarting meds again after being off for the better part of the year. There is a seasonal component to my depression (as well as a genetic one) and I just wanted to stop feeling so sad. It is very frustrating to think I might need to be on this for life, but then it is not unlike other conditions (diabetes, hypertension, etc.) in that way.

Good luck to you whatever you decide to do!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My doctor had me taper off over the course of a couple months. She said that the longer the taper, the higher the success rate.

I didn't find it too bad to come off them, but after a few months of not taking them, I found myself more edgy than I liked. I didn't fly off the handle, but I remember feeling like I wished I could slam cupboard doors or break a dish now and then. It was kind of odd because I didn't remember ever feeling like that before starting on the meds.

Eventually I decided to go back on the 10mg dose. Life is just a little better on it for me. Every once in a while I feel like I should stop taking it again -- but then life happens (mom got cancer, I got diagnosed with progressive illness for which there is no cure, got divorced). Maybe you'll inspire me to try coming off it again. Life is pretty good right now.

Funny because you are inspiring me to stay on!

I know I am doing well because of the lex but it's hard to come to terms with bring on drugs forever.

Do you struggle with that too? Just accepting that you may need this?

I agree and recently tried to reduce my dose. Its going so-so... Not sure what to do...

[Anonymous]

Under my dr's supervision, I tapered, cutting the dose in half every week or two weeks (can't remember which). Felt fine but about a year later, the depression came back and got very bad. I went back on Lexapro and have no desire to go off it again. Taking a pill every day for life is preferable to feeling the way I did during that last depressive episode.

[Anonymous]

What about weight gain? My DH has gained about 40 lbs since starting a new med this year (previously took Lexapro for years but started having panic attacks and switched meds). He's feeling stuck and needs an anti-anxiety that won't cause this massive weight gain. He didn't have the issue on Lexapro.