Help Going Off Lexapro?

[NeverSatisfied]

So I've been trying out different antidepressants since a mild psychosis landed me in the hospital earlier this year and started taking lexapro (10mg/day) since October. Usually I don't feel anything but with lexapro I had to go through the whole initial bad side effects phase for a month before seeing any improvement. The I had a bag with my medication in it stolen while in another country and wasn't able to take it for about a week. My depression and anxiety slowly built and after day 6 I started experiencing "brain zaps." Once I was abble to restart I was fine. However, now the symptoms leading me to begin taking it have escalated dramatically. I recently had an episode where I was panicking and seeing stuff- the main thing being an endless succession of cars which caused me to almost step out in front of a car not knowing when to cross the street. I think this is due to my medication because I felt like I couldn't control my body and had that "brain zap" feeling when I stepped out into the road although I saw the car coming (also not my ideal way to ctb).

Has anyone else experienced this? My psychiatrist is talking about switching to another medication or upping my dose but I told her I think I want to come off of it. However, I'm in another country right now and don't have time to see a doctor before my pack runs out and I'm ready to come off it now as this feeling hasn't gone away and I've had a variety of other really bad panicky things happen. I researched it and think decreasing my dose by 25% a week would be the most effective. I haven't been on it for an entire year so I'm thinking things can't go too bad but I also had brain zaps after just one week of stopping and saw it's best to consult a doctor while weening off it. Surely people do it though right? I've seen where some people have a hard time but go cold turkey. I'm just scared of being tied to big pharma and medications for the rest of my life but I'm also scared I may need them. Advice? Opinions?

 

[Spitfire]

If it is the capsule with the tiny granules you can remove an extra 5-10 granules per day for a week. And then an additional 5-10 more granules for a week. And then another... until you are removing 2-4 granules a day for a week at the end, over time. This seems it is the best way, and to adjust as needed when coming off Lexapro.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

If it is the capsule with the tiny granules you can remove an extra 5-10 granules per day for a week.

Thanks for the advice! It's just a straight up pill though. How many granules come in the capsule version? Maybe I can go from there

 

[Sherri]

Tamper slowly with it, don't do it cold turkey. Hope it works. hugs

 

[AutoTap]

Hmm this is worrying I'm on 20mg lexapro and will prob be switching to a different med soon as lexapro hasn't helped me and I've been on it fit over a year with several dosage increases

 

[these_days9]

Thanks for the advice! It's just a straight up pill though. How many granules come in the capsule version? Maybe I can go from there

You could get or use a pill cutter?

 

[Spitfire]

Thanks for the advice! It's just a straight up pill though. How many granules come in the capsule version? Maybe I can go from there

I am sorry about that because I truly believed escitalopram came in a cap with micro beads. I swear it does, but I could not find that version anywhere?

Escitalopram (Lexapro) is available as an oral liquid solution in 1mg/ml concentration. If using a precision 1ml syringe instead of the supplied dropper this could help you adjust a dose in fine steps, as needed.




These dosing syringes work better than droppers. They are only about fifty cents each.

One dropper full of the Lexapro solution should be about 10mg with each drop from the dropper equal to about 1mg (1mg/ml). Check the actual dosage based on the supplied information that comes with it though because it could be different?

I think most of these types of antidepressants should be available as an oral solution?

There are organizations affiliated with prescribers who are selling individual personalized kits. They will work with and supply people with medication (Lexapro included) kits containing gradually tapered pills in various precise dosages designed to help people taper off these antidepressants.

 

[neitherherenorthere]

I was on lexapro for a long time and had a very difficult time coming off of it (but I'm finally off it for good!). My psychiatrist helped me manage it by cross titrating to a different SSRI, but if you're not going that route then I agree, using the liquid is probably easiest. I don't recommend going cold turkey, especially since your withdrawal effects were so severe.

Don't start tapering again just yet, though. Stay at the same dose for a while to let your brain recover from the shock of suddenly having no lexapro in your system before you start titrating down again.

Survivingantidepressants.org has a ton of resources on how to get off of antidepressants safely and with minimal discomfort. I believe their standard recommendation is to reduce your dose by 10% every 4 weeks, which means it would be 6 months before you could completely stop the medication. It's a very cautious and conservative method. Not everyone needs to take that much time to taper off, but usually slower is safer in terms of withdrawal.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

Thank you all so much for the advice!

Hmm this is worrying I'm on 20mg lexapro and will prob be switching to a different med soon as lexapro hasn't helped me and I've been on it fit over a year with several dosage increases

Yeah, I was kinda disappointed considering this one is supposed to be a more "mild" antidepressent in terms of side effects. I was really hoping it would work, but if you can work with a psychiatrist or doctor you should be fine!

You could get or use a pill cutter?

Good idea, I'll do this to start tapering what I have while I try to get the liquid

There are organizations affiliated with prescribers who are selling individual personalized kits.

Thank you so much for all the advice! I'm currently looking into this and getting a liquid solution.

Survivingantidepressants.org

Thanks so much for the resource I'm looking into it. And yay congrats on coming off lexapro! Can I ask if you had any side effects while tapering down?

 

[neitherherenorthere]

Thanks so much for the resource I'm looking into it. And yay congrats on coming off lexapro! Can I ask if you had any side effects while tapering down?

Thanks! I tried unsuccessfully I think 3 times to get off lexapro, so the side effects depended on how I was trying to stop. Cold turkey was the worst--brain zaps, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, headaches... all that good stuff. Tapering the dose was similar, but with less nausea and no vomiting. Cross titrating with another medication went much better. It's hard to tell what was a side effect of the new medication and what was withdrawal from the lexapro, but I didn't experience any severe effects either way. Mostly the usual stuff like headache, constipation, insomnia, etc. that resolved within a few days of each dose change.

 

[Chupacabra 44]

Your story reads as if you might be out of the country, as possibly a tourist? I would suggest you reconsider your strategy and instead wait to trapper off your meds when you return home, especially if you perceive that the Lexapro is offering any efficacy against your psychosis. Perhaps, your almost stepping into traffic and "seeing stuff" has less to do with brain zaps and more to do with the psychosis returning, since you went a week without your meds, and are now potentially readjusting.

Better to be home and in a safe environment with known resources around you versus being out of the country should something go wrong whereby you ultimately need assistance. What if you end up in the hospital while out of the country? Lots can go horribly wrong with this scenario.

I highly suggest you work closely with your psychiatrist to figure out your best approach.

 

[NeverSatisfied]

Thanks! I tried unsuccessfully I think 3 times to get off lexapro, so the side effects depended on how I was trying to stop. Cold turkey was the worst--brain zaps, nausea, vomiting, dizziness, confusion, headaches... all that good stuff. Tapering the dose was similar, but with less nausea and no vomiting. Cross titrating with another medication went much better. It's hard to tell what was a side effect of the new medication and what was withdrawal from the lexapro, but I didn't experience any severe effects either way. Mostly the usual stuff like headache, constipation, insomnia, etc. that resolved within a few days of each dose change.

I'll have to look into/ ask bout this. I'm trying to see if I can set something up with my psychiatrist. I hate the thought of taking anything that comes with withdrawals too ya know? But it seems like every psychiatric medication has em

Your story reads as if you might be out of the country, as possibly a tourist? I would suggest you reconsider your strategy and instead wait to trapper off your meds when you return home, especially if you perceive that the Lexapro is offering any efficacy against your psychosis. Perhaps, your almost stepping into traffic and "seeing stuff" has less to do with brain zaps and more to do with the psychosis returning, since you went a week without your meds, and are now potentially readjusting.

Better to be home and in a safe environment with known resources around you versus being out of the country should something go wrong whereby you ultimately need assistance. What if you end up in the hospital while out of the country? Lots can go horribly wrong with this scenario.

I highly suggest you work closely with your psychiatrist to figure out your best approach.

I'm currently out of the country for work until May. My story was worded weird. I missed a dose for a week and had side effects, then got a refill and kept taking it at the same time every day for a few months. Now, a few months into taking it correctly, really bad side effects have appeared. I can only email my psychiatrist and am trying to set up a telehealth appoint which they're not making easier. Hopefully I'll have one within the next month to month in a half. But I am gonna take yours and others' advice to set up an appointment with them.

It'll take me 3 months to get an appointment here unless I step out and actually get hit by the car next time (hopefully there isn't one). Also the bureaucracy here is slow so I haven't gotten my health insurance officially yet.

 

[ToughTimes]

I've seen where some people have a hard time but go cold turkey. I'm just scared of being tied to big pharma and medications for the rest of my life but I'm also scared I may need them. Advice? Opinions?

Are you familiar with the forum: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/topic/1008-before-you-begin-tapering-what-you-need-to-know/

They have a lot of information and people who a going though drug withdrawl/switches and so on. I used it to taper and understand withdrawal from qutiapine, however the general idea is going slow is generally better. We are talking months(generally) and for some years from really high doses.

 

[blendedragu]

Lexapro is terrible. It gives your brain more access to seratonin without actually doing anything to change the circumstances of life that have you depressed. Essentially the drug tricks your brain into finding happiness in horrible things. It's a really fucked up way to live. Plus the side effects can be debilitating. Stop cold turkey if you have to. Better that then waiting for a doctor give you permission / access to do it on their terms.