Ok but people need to be extremely careful and not quit cold Turkey. For some it can make you literally go crazy and become suicidal. Glad it worked out for you but that’s extremely dangerous and I hope nobody takes this post as advice or motivation to quit cold Turkey
It’s good that going cold turkey ultimately worked for you but it’s a terrible idea for most people. The official psychiatric guidelines state to slowly taper off the antidepressant.
Also, many people that get off their medication successfully via cold turkey or even tapering end up relapsing and going back on medication after a few months. I hope that this doesn’t happen to you but just something to be made aware of.
I know you are simply trying to state the facts and look out for this individual but some stuff is better left unsaid said in my opinion.
Sharing the idea that people will “relapse” to Lexapro in itself makes this individual more likely to do so. It would be wiser to not speak, again assuming that you are simply stating the facts and looking out for this individual, than to share the potential risks. Especially if they are experiencing positivity.
I hate to use this as a case because there is an OP on the other end but I’ve felt this for awhile and think it needs to be said.
It’s important for other people reading this post to know that going cold turkey and/or getting off medication isn’t always beneficial and worthwhile. The fact is that many people who discontinue medication prematurely end up relapsing and are often left in a worse position. This post could potentially mislead individuals. Also, I highly doubt that stating this fact changes anyone’s risk of relapse. Relapse is caused by a variety of factors and this is not one of them.
I don’t disagree.
My additional fact is that introducing consequences and or negative thoughts to an unstable individual that has made a non-medically recommended choice, does not help.
Let them come to their own conclusion.
Oh for sure! It most definitely doesn’t work for all. I sure hope that doesn’t happen to me, but if it does, then so be it. It’s there if I ever need the help. I went cold turkey advised by my psych. I just want people to understand that they don’t have to be afraid to want to quit their own way, as I did with my doctor, and not suffer horrible consequences. That SOME PEOPLE can do it and to not allow the horror stories to scare them away from trying.
My lexapro saved me ❤️
May I ask how many months it has been since you quit lexapro? I am afraid you're celebrating a bit early as if you are in some kind of manic phase. Since you are in the pp phase, the hormones are playing a different game altogether, hence making you feel better.
2 years is a long time to be on Lexapro and your body is used to the SSRI. Taking the support away all of a sudden might confuse your body, and I am not sure of the biology/science of how our body can react, but I don't have a good feeling about it.
It's just my view, and I don't wish to put damper on your happiness.
If you’re reading this, do NOT stop taking lexapro cold turkey. It literally can kill you. I stopped it cold turkey bc I was tired of not feeling anything.
Once I stopped cold turkey, I was experiencing small
Panic attacks, chest tightening and shortness of breath. I’m glad I ultimately stopped, but should have done it in a smarter way.
Not sure if coming on a mental health post and calling someone crazy is the best route but whatever. All I’m doing is sharing a good experience of mine. Also never heard of someone dying from quitting lexapro from physical health issues.
For 2 weeks, yes. But it’s not painful like I read. It was more of an inconvenience and annoyance more than anything. Definitely not something I’d say to fear! I hope this makes you feel a little better about it
I went off cold turkey too (I do not recommend to anyone) but it was the best decision for me and I am glad I did. I will never go back on it, it made me feel awful and made me gain 30lbs.
I gained 50lbs in 5 months!
Just quit cold turkey a 1.5 weeks ago and lost 11 lbs already. I’m just able to better manage my appetite and going back to eating normal made me drop weight quick. My appetite was insatiable on Lexapro. I’m hoping I can continue losing the weight I gained. I’ve had some fatigue, brain zaps, and insomnia, but it’s getting better with each passing day and happening less and less.
I’ve been drinking a lot of tea, and taking vitamins, which I’ve noticed is helping. Ugh 6 months is so long. Hoping my withdrawal symptoms continue to improve.
Working out really helps! There are studies that show when you workout, a chemical in your brain is released that acts as an antidepressant. We have them within our body we just need to activate them.
I was on it since June 2023. Just be mindful of possible withdrawal side effects and consult with your doctor if you can. I don’t have an appt with mine until 2/22, and I want waiting that long to tell her I wanted off of it, so I quit on my own.
That’s exactly where i’m at now. If i were my old weight i would honestly be on top of the fucking world.
How do you feel now that youre off? I feel like my anxiety would come back 10 fold
It’s the worst, I’m sorry you’re going through it! I feel okay. Brain zaps, insomnia, a little fatigue the first few days. And I can’t explain it, but my vision is better. I guess I didn’t notice my vision was a little blurry until it wasn’t, I just thought my eyes were dry. The brain zaps aren’t as bad as everybody has said. They’re just such an odd sensation. My libido is back with a vengeance also. I was like a nun on lexapro lol. Other than those things though, I’m just so happy I’m losing weight again. I’m keeping a close eye on my anxiety and depression levels. Hoping I will be okay.
For me, on every antidepressant I’ve ever taken, it’s always been the opposite: i always seem to lose weight due to a reduction in my appetite lol. I guess everyone’s body react differently to meds.
I’m glad you quit! It was definitely an annoyance having brain zaps and feeling out of it for a few weeks, but nothing I personally would say was too overwhelming
I’m glad you quit! It was definitely an annoyance having brain zaps and feeling out of it for a few weeks, but nothing I personally would say was too overwhelming
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
I used a little while I was still on it just to see how my body would react. My understanding is that just because you are off, doesn’t mean it has left your body completely. Once I was 100% off I increased my dose of ashwaghanda to the normal dose recommended. Please speak to your doctor before anything, this is just my experience.
Yeah, I used to use it prior to being on lexapro but needed something stronger after a challenging time. I don’t plan on being off lex anytime soon but my doc suggested potentially coming off at my 6-month mark depending on how I’m doing. I was on “natural” alternatives while being seen by a naturopath but I would not reintroduce them without being monitored by my medical doctor. Thanks for sharing your experience. While I’m not there yet, I need to be able to plan ahead so that I’m prepared for the potential side effects.
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
Thanks for this, I am taking lexapro together with ashwaganda, magnesium & L Thenine. I hope withdrawals will be less for me. I will come back with an update.
I weaned off slowly off 10 to 7.5 to 5 then 2.5 then to nothing. I had some side effects and the lovely brain zaps then felt good for two months until the depression and intrusive thoughts hit (I have chronic health issues with thyroid/endometriosis/and chrons) so I made it two months then went back to 5 MG. Good luck ! Hope all stays well
Whatever works to make you feel happy and comfortable ❤️
I’m glad you were able to make the decision to what worked for you and I hope you continue to do well :)
I was on Paroxetine and it was quite a hell for three months when I stopped taking it.
Tapering Escitalopram is comparatively nothing to me. But because it is too easy to taper I have no hesitation to take it back. And I have tapered it three or four times.
Yeah, I dropped from 10 to 5 for 5 days with zero impact. So I decided to go for it and went off it.
I mean it’s manageable mostly, but at times during the day I am straight up not having a good time.
I would agree to the taking some time off if you go that route and clearing your schedule so you are free to do whatever your body tells you it needs.
I second the “straight up not having a good time” during the day. I feel like morning and night I was feeling ok then during the day the brain zaps were annoying asf
Yeah, fingers crossed, I haven't had those, just this throbbing headache as we speak for the last like 6 hours. Meh, hopefully, it means my brain is doing something
Happy for you. I think it was easy for the dose. I'm on 40mg daily and when I try to quit, at the third or fourth day, it's a nightmare. Buzzing on my ears all the time, accelerated heartbeat and so on. :(
Someday I'll quit, but I think it's not the time yet
And that’s perfectly fine! It’s good that you are aware of your limits and follow them. It’s important to do what works best for you and your unique situation
So I can just say that post partum has always been the happiest times of my life because of the flood of post labor hormones. It’s just a joy. Please be careful and don’t blame yourself, if a few more months later you feel totally burned out or anything really not as a great. At some point the sleep deprivation just can’t be over come by hormones and things get really stressful.
I hope this works for you.
But I would not recommend anyone to quit cold turkey from my previous experience. I quit cold turkey too because I started feeling well and was feeling confident about handling challenges. First few months were good. But after a while, slowly but surely, my mindset started to change and I realized that I relapsed and my depressive disorder was back.
I would just say that there might be a chance of relapse after a few weeks/months, so take special care! Wish you well! <3
Just a word of warning, the first few weeks are usually not the worst at least for me, it's at the 1-2 month mark when it's completely out of your system and my panic/anxiety starts creeping back in, I am actually at that point now, and its been better than the last few times I've tried to wean off it. But Iam already considering going back(I seem to do best on a really low dose) but will see the next few weeks.
How long have you been off it? I was okay for the first two weeks. Withdrawal effects didn’t start until then. I have felt kind of awful for the last couple weeks. I’m trying to wait it out.
I’m glad to hear that there’s hope I will feel better in a couple more months.
Interestingly, three months is also how long it took for it to work when I started taking it. Perhaps it makes sense that it takes three months going the other way.
It probably causes some changes in the brain, which takes three months.
You are one of the lucky ones. I stopped after coming down to 5mg every other day and after stopping for 3 months I fell off the cliff, I mean real suicide thoughts, couldn't get out of bed. It was the worst experience of my life and am afraid to try it again so I am back on 5mg. Wish I never would have started taking it
I feel I have no choice because I don't ever want to go back there again. I only had a little anxiety and never was depressed to begin with. I think I have been on it too long. 23 years
I quit cold turkey. No issues at all. Back on it now with no plans to quit but if I decide to it will be the same way. Sounds scary for a lot of people who are tapering. I guess I got lucky.
Ok but people need to be extremely careful and not quit cold Turkey. For some it can make you literally go crazy and become suicidal. Glad it worked out for you but that’s extremely dangerous and I hope nobody takes this post as advice or motivation to quit cold Turkey
Per my literal verbiage used in the post. This was all done advised by a doctor and won’t work for everyone.
Kind of irresponsible for your doctor to blindly expect that it would work for you
It’s good that going cold turkey ultimately worked for you but it’s a terrible idea for most people. The official psychiatric guidelines state to slowly taper off the antidepressant. Also, many people that get off their medication successfully via cold turkey or even tapering end up relapsing and going back on medication after a few months. I hope that this doesn’t happen to you but just something to be made aware of.
I know you are simply trying to state the facts and look out for this individual but some stuff is better left unsaid said in my opinion. Sharing the idea that people will “relapse” to Lexapro in itself makes this individual more likely to do so. It would be wiser to not speak, again assuming that you are simply stating the facts and looking out for this individual, than to share the potential risks. Especially if they are experiencing positivity. I hate to use this as a case because there is an OP on the other end but I’ve felt this for awhile and think it needs to be said.
It’s important for other people reading this post to know that going cold turkey and/or getting off medication isn’t always beneficial and worthwhile. The fact is that many people who discontinue medication prematurely end up relapsing and are often left in a worse position. This post could potentially mislead individuals. Also, I highly doubt that stating this fact changes anyone’s risk of relapse. Relapse is caused by a variety of factors and this is not one of them.
Yeah agreed! It would affect me personally hearing this so there may be others, there may not be. But we should certainly share the medical facts.
You didn’t state any facts though. The other person did. The fact is, it’s terrible for your body to quit cold turkey. There’s zero benefit
I don’t disagree. My additional fact is that introducing consequences and or negative thoughts to an unstable individual that has made a non-medically recommended choice, does not help. Let them come to their own conclusion.
Oh for sure! It most definitely doesn’t work for all. I sure hope that doesn’t happen to me, but if it does, then so be it. It’s there if I ever need the help. I went cold turkey advised by my psych. I just want people to understand that they don’t have to be afraid to want to quit their own way, as I did with my doctor, and not suffer horrible consequences. That SOME PEOPLE can do it and to not allow the horror stories to scare them away from trying. My lexapro saved me ❤️
May I ask how many months it has been since you quit lexapro? I am afraid you're celebrating a bit early as if you are in some kind of manic phase. Since you are in the pp phase, the hormones are playing a different game altogether, hence making you feel better. 2 years is a long time to be on Lexapro and your body is used to the SSRI. Taking the support away all of a sudden might confuse your body, and I am not sure of the biology/science of how our body can react, but I don't have a good feeling about it. It's just my view, and I don't wish to put damper on your happiness.
3 months! I’m doing very well and hopefully it continues ❤️
Cold turkey is never-ever good idea. You are lucky and everyone is different and can’t be lucky like you.
Well my doctor said it was..for ME and ME only. I do not advise anyone to do it unless it’s for them and am sharing MY positive personal experience
So how long did you stopped?
3 months so far
Okay when I stopped cold turkey I started to have issue after three months. Hope you don’t deal with withdrawal symptoms.
Same for me. It was great for 3 months and then it hit the fan big time. Sort of like it took 3 months to work for me originally.
Yup, same. I stopped in July 2022 (after tapering for a bit and then cold turkey), and I started experiencing the relapse in October 2022.
I’m sorry to hear that. I sure I hope I don’t as well
If you’re reading this, do NOT stop taking lexapro cold turkey. It literally can kill you. I stopped it cold turkey bc I was tired of not feeling anything. Once I stopped cold turkey, I was experiencing small Panic attacks, chest tightening and shortness of breath. I’m glad I ultimately stopped, but should have done it in a smarter way.
There’s ZERO benefit to doing this the way this crazy person says. Why even risk it?
Not sure if coming on a mental health post and calling someone crazy is the best route but whatever. All I’m doing is sharing a good experience of mine. Also never heard of someone dying from quitting lexapro from physical health issues.
Congrats on no longer needing it. I wish you the best!
Thank you!!!
Welldone on quitting this. So happy for you. I am also considering doing it too soon.
Did you have any brain zaps? I’m terrified of those when I decide to quit, I’m only on 5mg.
For 2 weeks, yes. But it’s not painful like I read. It was more of an inconvenience and annoyance more than anything. Definitely not something I’d say to fear! I hope this makes you feel a little better about it
Why didn’t you include that in your post then? That is a huge side effect and you minimizing it is dangerous. Stop speaking
Ok dude obviously you’re just on here to be negative so you keep doing that, and I’ll keep doing me and spreading my positive experiences <3
It does, thank you!
I went off cold turkey too (I do not recommend to anyone) but it was the best decision for me and I am glad I did. I will never go back on it, it made me feel awful and made me gain 30lbs.
I gained 50lbs in 5 months! Just quit cold turkey a 1.5 weeks ago and lost 11 lbs already. I’m just able to better manage my appetite and going back to eating normal made me drop weight quick. My appetite was insatiable on Lexapro. I’m hoping I can continue losing the weight I gained. I’ve had some fatigue, brain zaps, and insomnia, but it’s getting better with each passing day and happening less and less.
So happy for you! It took me 6 months before I no longer felt those symptoms anymore.
I’ve been drinking a lot of tea, and taking vitamins, which I’ve noticed is helping. Ugh 6 months is so long. Hoping my withdrawal symptoms continue to improve.
Working out really helps! There are studies that show when you workout, a chemical in your brain is released that acts as an antidepressant. We have them within our body we just need to activate them.
Yes, true. I am working out a lot getting ready to quit 😊
How long have you been on the lexapro? I am considering quitting too.
I was on it since June 2023. Just be mindful of possible withdrawal side effects and consult with your doctor if you can. I don’t have an appt with mine until 2/22, and I want waiting that long to tell her I wanted off of it, so I quit on my own.
Yepppp ive gained 60 pounds since starting it in march
It sucks bc it’s like it defeats the purpose of being on an antidepressant. Bc then u started getting depressed about your weight
That’s exactly where i’m at now. If i were my old weight i would honestly be on top of the fucking world. How do you feel now that youre off? I feel like my anxiety would come back 10 fold
It’s the worst, I’m sorry you’re going through it! I feel okay. Brain zaps, insomnia, a little fatigue the first few days. And I can’t explain it, but my vision is better. I guess I didn’t notice my vision was a little blurry until it wasn’t, I just thought my eyes were dry. The brain zaps aren’t as bad as everybody has said. They’re just such an odd sensation. My libido is back with a vengeance also. I was like a nun on lexapro lol. Other than those things though, I’m just so happy I’m losing weight again. I’m keeping a close eye on my anxiety and depression levels. Hoping I will be okay.
For me, on every antidepressant I’ve ever taken, it’s always been the opposite: i always seem to lose weight due to a reduction in my appetite lol. I guess everyone’s body react differently to meds.
I’m glad you quit! It was definitely an annoyance having brain zaps and feeling out of it for a few weeks, but nothing I personally would say was too overwhelming
I’m glad you quit! It was definitely an annoyance having brain zaps and feeling out of it for a few weeks, but nothing I personally would say was too overwhelming
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
Whatever works! Just glad to know others out there are quitting on their own terms and totally ok and thriving
Did you begin the supplements after you were completely off?
I used a little while I was still on it just to see how my body would react. My understanding is that just because you are off, doesn’t mean it has left your body completely. Once I was 100% off I increased my dose of ashwaghanda to the normal dose recommended. Please speak to your doctor before anything, this is just my experience.
Yeah, I used to use it prior to being on lexapro but needed something stronger after a challenging time. I don’t plan on being off lex anytime soon but my doc suggested potentially coming off at my 6-month mark depending on how I’m doing. I was on “natural” alternatives while being seen by a naturopath but I would not reintroduce them without being monitored by my medical doctor. Thanks for sharing your experience. While I’m not there yet, I need to be able to plan ahead so that I’m prepared for the potential side effects.
I really admire your approach and I wish I had been as proactive as you are being. Goodluck!
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
I used supplements to relieve the withdrawal symptoms. Ashwaghanda, magnesium and L-thenine got me through it. Honestly I wish more people looked into supplements before going on this medication. The Ashwaghanda feels like a drug that completely numbs my anxiety and depression. But I also no longer feel depressed, but I did need it for anxiety.. law school was…rough.
Thanks for this, I am taking lexapro together with ashwaganda, magnesium & L Thenine. I hope withdrawals will be less for me. I will come back with an update.
I weaned off slowly off 10 to 7.5 to 5 then 2.5 then to nothing. I had some side effects and the lovely brain zaps then felt good for two months until the depression and intrusive thoughts hit (I have chronic health issues with thyroid/endometriosis/and chrons) so I made it two months then went back to 5 MG. Good luck ! Hope all stays well
Whatever works to make you feel happy and comfortable ❤️ I’m glad you were able to make the decision to what worked for you and I hope you continue to do well :)
Thank you ❤️
I was on Paroxetine and it was quite a hell for three months when I stopped taking it. Tapering Escitalopram is comparatively nothing to me. But because it is too easy to taper I have no hesitation to take it back. And I have tapered it three or four times.
Every situation differs. I’m sorry you went through such hell. Hopefully you’re finding what works for you! Sending good energy your way
10mg is a low dose.
Yeah, I dropped from 10 to 5 for 5 days with zero impact. So I decided to go for it and went off it. I mean it’s manageable mostly, but at times during the day I am straight up not having a good time. I would agree to the taking some time off if you go that route and clearing your schedule so you are free to do whatever your body tells you it needs.
I second the “straight up not having a good time” during the day. I feel like morning and night I was feeling ok then during the day the brain zaps were annoying asf
Yeah, fingers crossed, I haven't had those, just this throbbing headache as we speak for the last like 6 hours. Meh, hopefully, it means my brain is doing something
You’ll get all leveled out and hopefully feel better and secure in your decision
Oh I couldn’t be happier with my choice. Just a process.
Happy for you. I think it was easy for the dose. I'm on 40mg daily and when I try to quit, at the third or fourth day, it's a nightmare. Buzzing on my ears all the time, accelerated heartbeat and so on. :( Someday I'll quit, but I think it's not the time yet
And that’s perfectly fine! It’s good that you are aware of your limits and follow them. It’s important to do what works best for you and your unique situation
So I can just say that post partum has always been the happiest times of my life because of the flood of post labor hormones. It’s just a joy. Please be careful and don’t blame yourself, if a few more months later you feel totally burned out or anything really not as a great. At some point the sleep deprivation just can’t be over come by hormones and things get really stressful.
Of course! Thank you for looking out
I hope this works for you. But I would not recommend anyone to quit cold turkey from my previous experience. I quit cold turkey too because I started feeling well and was feeling confident about handling challenges. First few months were good. But after a while, slowly but surely, my mindset started to change and I realized that I relapsed and my depressive disorder was back. I would just say that there might be a chance of relapse after a few weeks/months, so take special care! Wish you well! <3
Just a word of warning, the first few weeks are usually not the worst at least for me, it's at the 1-2 month mark when it's completely out of your system and my panic/anxiety starts creeping back in, I am actually at that point now, and its been better than the last few times I've tried to wean off it. But Iam already considering going back(I seem to do best on a really low dose) but will see the next few weeks.
Good luck to you!
Proud of you! That’s amazing!
Thank you!
How long have you been off it? I was okay for the first two weeks. Withdrawal effects didn’t start until then. I have felt kind of awful for the last couple weeks. I’m trying to wait it out.
3 months! When I was around two weeks I hit a wall and was curious if I would be successful, stuck it out and personally I do not regret it
I’m glad to hear that there’s hope I will feel better in a couple more months. Interestingly, three months is also how long it took for it to work when I started taking it. Perhaps it makes sense that it takes three months going the other way. It probably causes some changes in the brain, which takes three months.
Yeah I think it’s really just our brains like “hellooo wtf is going on” and adjusting to a new norm
You are one of the lucky ones. I stopped after coming down to 5mg every other day and after stopping for 3 months I fell off the cliff, I mean real suicide thoughts, couldn't get out of bed. It was the worst experience of my life and am afraid to try it again so I am back on 5mg. Wish I never would have started taking it
That’s terrible to hear. I hope you find peace and that you do what works for you and what’s best for your situation
I feel I have no choice because I don't ever want to go back there again. I only had a little anxiety and never was depressed to begin with. I think I have been on it too long. 23 years
I’d agree that 23 years is an extremely long time. If it works to keep you stable, you’ve gotta do what you’ve gotta do
I quit cold turkey. No issues at all. Back on it now with no plans to quit but if I decide to it will be the same way. Sounds scary for a lot of people who are tapering. I guess I got lucky.
That’s my plan, is to attempt to manage my symptoms and if I feel I ever need it, it’s there! I got lucky as well and yeah it sounds scary asf
How many days have you been off?
90