Lexapro Withdrawl - Help Please

[Ryan21]

Hello everyone.

I have been taking lexapro 20 mg for about 1 1/2 - 2 years, as well as buspar 15 mg (1 per day each). Over the past 6 months or so I have started to feel a lot better so last week I approached my doctor about getting off lexapro.

He set me up with a plan to take 10 mg of lexapro a day for 2 weeks and then cut the amount in half every 2 weeks until I am down to taking 5 mg every other day for 2 weeks. After that I am supposed to stop taking it.

The buspar he told me to take 1/2 pill every other day and then discontinue use after 2 weeks.

I also take xanax but not very often.

My problem that I am having now is that I have been taking the 10 mg of lexapro for a little over a week now and I think I am having some withdrawl issues. I have been getting bad headaches, dizziness, and have been extremely tired for the last few days. I also have had a weird burning sensation in the right part of my chest...it is always in the same spot...it sorta feels like heartburn but I don't think that it is. It is far on the right near my arm pit. On top of all of this I have of course been getting some anixety too.

I have breaking .5 mg of xanax in half and taking them every couple of days when Im having a hard time. I used to only take the xanax maybe once per month, if that.

I don't know what to do...just a week or 2 ago I felt great and now I feel like crap again. I want to be drug free but I also don't want to feel this way anymore. Does anyone have any advice for me?

Thanks all
God bless

[danstelter]

Withdrawal can include this level of discomfort that you are experiencing. As I am not a doctor, I am not sure how to handle this situation in particular.

But, if it were me, I would simply keep riding it out. Eventually the pains will stop, but it seems like the reduction in Lexapro was a bit too much a bit too soon. Definitely do not cover it up with another medication. If anything, I would talk to your doctor and see if maybe you should hold the dose at 15 mg for a while first.

Again, this is more of a personal decision for you. You can simply accept the discomfort because you're not going to die, but you will be uncomfortable. When I went off Lexapro, I was dizzy for 2 weeks, but then the dizziness stopped.

The bottom line is to give your doctor a call and see what he tells you to do. Either way, you'll be fine even if you are a bit uncomfortale.

[Robbed]

When it comes to SSRI withdrawal, most doctors seem to vastly underestimate it both in terms of severity and likelihood of happening. But the fact that you are experiencing it with this taper is not surprising. Having your dosage cut in half every two weeks is actually quite a fast taper, and is actually VERY likely to cause withdrawal every time your dosage is cut. This withdrawal might even last more than two weeks. Anyway, you have two choices here. One is to continue with your current taper. As the other poster said, you can just try to ride out the withdrawal, keeping in mind that this will get you drug-free more quickly. Or, you could taper more slowly. The other guy mentioned going to 15mg instead of 10mg. This might make your withdrawal less severe. However, it take longer to get off it. However, a slower taper might ultimately be the better way to go, since you will be less likely to want to go back on Lexapro to get id of the withdrawal. Also, you might want to wait until all withdrawal has ceased at a given dosage before dropping the dosage again.

[Ryan21]

thank you both for the replies.
I talked to my doctor today and he said to go back to 20 mg and then to get back with him next week to see how I am doing. I am guessing he wants to get me back on the lexapro 20 mg and then try to start tapering off again but only much more slowly next time.
I have been on ssri's for like 3 years and lexapro for like 2 so when he originally told me to cut my dose in half right away i thought it was a bit quick. Oh well, I guess we will just try again soon.