Coming Off Of Lexipro

corybrock · 01-02-2006, 04:30 PM

Hey guys, I am new to this forum -- but am very curious about something, and it's hard to talk to people you KNOW about this stuff (at least for me).

After a stressful year of some losses in my family, planning a wedding, and a passive agressive boss at work, I was at witts end. I was snapping at the most mondane things and taking the littlest things WAY to seriously -- having a VERY hard time just "taking it easy." I had tried St. Johns Wort but had some stomach issues with it. My doctor suggested I try Lexipro for 3 months -- which I am now at the tail end of. However since starting I have switched doctors (we moved) and this new doctor may differ in opinion on the medication then the dx who prescribed it -- thus my looking for some feedback.

Now, for me, I feel the lexipro has helped me significantly, but I also think since the wedding is behind us, my families' situation is much better, and work has lightened up -- that may be a big part of this as well! I think the year more than anything set me into a tailspin because I normally handle most situations well, and never felt the way did prior to the medicine. So I am not sure now if it's the medicine making me view things differently, or if it's my body's way of saying that I really AM feeling better and that I am ready to move on from the medication.

I wanted to know, if anyone here HAS come off of lexipro --- how they went about it? Cutting the dose back and weening off of it or cold turkey, and how the transition was for you.

Since I have only been on it a few months, I was told that any transition wont be as severe as if i were on it for years -- but again, i'd like to at least have some outside feedback on how people have handled this situation.

I thank you for reading this and I hope to hear back from someone.

Thank you.

kellbell · 01-02-2006, 04:33 PM

NEVER NEVER stop taking anti-depressants cold turkey. You need to be weened off of them, just like you started them gradually, you need to come off of them gradually. Only your doctor or psychiatrist or the like can do that. Even though you new doc doesn't agree with you taking it...it is his or her responsibility to take you off of it safely. Take care and good luck.

Tears May Fall · 01-02-2006, 04:50 PM

Myself being a pharmacist, i can give you info on lexApro, but kellbell did say it as simple and complete as possible, dont ever go cold turkey off an antidepressant. You have to be weened off. I dont know what dose you're on at the moment, im assuming 20 mg. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks just to get the peak effect of drugs in that class, and just as long to get a patient off them, usually in 2 week intervals of dose titrations. I know you may feel like you're fine now, but you've got to realize the medication is also probably taking its peak effect now, so i wouldn't be able to tell you what to do next, only a psychiatrist would be able to figure that out upon evaluating you.
It is true to an extent that being on it only a few months as opposed to years will effect your withdrawal from the medication in a positive way. Antidepressants basically work by reconfiguring a chemical imbalance in your brain, serotonin in the case of lexapro, and change the amounts of it circulating through your body, and this takes time to do, and the same way it will take time to reverse the process, and if not done accordingly, there can be some serious adverse effects.
Once again, it is difficult to say whether or not you can come off the medication just like that at the moment, a psychiatric evaluation would only determine that.
If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me.

shes2smart · 01-02-2006, 05:27 PM

I was on Lexapro for a good part of 2004. When I started, my doc told me I had to agree to take it as prescribed for a minimum of 6 mos. or it would be a waste of her time and mine. I wound up taking it for 8 mos, and took about 3 weeks to taper off it, reducing the dosage per her instructions.

I was only taking 10mg a day, so you might need longer to taper off since you were taking more. Talk to your doctor about how to taper off the Lexapro safely.

I felt physically crappy during the taper off - headachy, tired and just feeling out-of-sorts. Also a little foggy mentally. That all resolved itself after I'd been completely off the Lexapro for about 2 weeks after the tapering off period.

darkblue · 01-02-2006, 05:49 PM

Thank you poster no. three for pointing out lexApro...

You really do have to ween yourself off it.
It is not very nice to suddenly stop - the side effects can be very distressing and uncomfortable.

What dose are you on?

corybrock · 01-02-2006, 06:01 PM

First off my SINCERE apologies about the spelling!!!

And thank you all for the comments and help. I hope I didn't make it seem like I was thinking about going cold turkey -- I was more concerned with other people's reaction TO coming off the medicine, more than HOW they came off of it (because that's the factor I was going to discuss with him in a few days - and the process he felt I should use). I definatly will NOT go cold turkey!

And Tears May Fall, I am not sure if this changes anything, but I am taking 10 mg pills (one per day). My doctor felt that my situation wasn't extreme enough to warrant a 20 mg dose -- but he did feel that help was warranted.

My only MAIN reason for concern was that I was changing doctors - and I wanted to have some prior knowledge of the process before going in to speak with him.

Thank you all again -- and if anyone else has anything to offer with this, it would be greatly appreciated!

darkblue · 01-02-2006, 06:08 PM

If you are feeling better - it is normally standard procedure to keep you on the medication for a little while longer. It's a precaution to ensure you don't slip back into the depression.

hosswhispra · 01-04-2006, 11:39 AM

Hello Corybrock,

Like Tearsmayfall, I am a pharmacist too. Even though you are on 10 mg of Lexapro daily, you should not stop taking it "cold turkey". You need a period of titrating this medication down. Your physician would be the best to ask how long this weaning period should be.

Hope this helped,
hosswhispra

corybrock · 01-06-2006, 02:44 AM

Well after meeting with my doctor, it has been advised that for three weeks I take a half a dose, then the next three weeks, i take a half a dose every other day, then for two weeks take a half a dose every third day.

again, thank you all for the information and guidance with this. It's the first time i've ever had to deal with something like that -- and I apologize for my lack of knowledge!

darkblue · 01-06-2006, 06:47 AM

Not at all - don't apologise. Not many people know about anti-depressants - that is why it is important to consult your doctor.
I'm glad you got the support you needed.

01-02-2006, 04:30 PM	#1
corybrock Offline Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7	Coming Off Of Lexipro Hey guys, I am new to this forum -- but am very curious about something, and it's hard to talk to people you KNOW about this stuff (at least for me). After a stressful year of some losses in my family, planning a wedding, and a passive agressive boss at work, I was at witts end. I was snapping at the most mondane things and taking the littlest things WAY to seriously -- having a VERY hard time just "taking it easy." I had tried St. Johns Wort but had some stomach issues with it. My doctor suggested I try Lexipro for 3 months -- which I am now at the tail end of. However since starting I have switched doctors (we moved) and this new doctor may differ in opinion on the medication then the dx who prescribed it -- thus my looking for some feedback. Now, for me, I feel the lexipro has helped me significantly, but I also think since the wedding is behind us, my families' situation is much better, and work has lightened up -- that may be a big part of this as well! I think the year more than anything set me into a tailspin because I normally handle most situations well, and never felt the way did prior to the medicine. So I am not sure now if it's the medicine making me view things differently, or if it's my body's way of saying that I really AM feeling better and that I am ready to move on from the medication. I wanted to know, if anyone here HAS come off of lexipro --- how they went about it? Cutting the dose back and weening off of it or cold turkey, and how the transition was for you. Since I have only been on it a few months, I was told that any transition wont be as severe as if i were on it for years -- but again, i'd like to at least have some outside feedback on how people have handled this situation. I thank you for reading this and I hope to hear back from someone. Thank you.

01-02-2006, 04:33 PM	#2
kellbell Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Aug 2005 Location: Colorado Gender: Female Age: 33 Posts: 4,329	NEVER NEVER stop taking anti-depressants cold turkey. You need to be weened off of them, just like you started them gradually, you need to come off of them gradually. Only your doctor or psychiatrist or the like can do that. Even though you new doc doesn't agree with you taking it...it is his or her responsibility to take you off of it safely. Take care and good luck. __________________ "Let your soul be your pilot, let your soul guide you, it will guide you well." Sting <---- me and my mom :) "Get busy living or get busy dyin', damn right..." Morgan Freeman, Shawshank Redemption.

01-02-2006, 04:50 PM	#3
Tears May Fall Offline Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: NyC Gender: Male Age: 26 Posts: 235	Myself being a pharmacist, i can give you info on lexApro, but kellbell did say it as simple and complete as possible, dont ever go cold turkey off an antidepressant. You have to be weened off. I dont know what dose you're on at the moment, im assuming 20 mg. It can take anywhere from 6 to 12 weeks just to get the peak effect of drugs in that class, and just as long to get a patient off them, usually in 2 week intervals of dose titrations. I know you may feel like you're fine now, but you've got to realize the medication is also probably taking its peak effect now, so i wouldn't be able to tell you what to do next, only a psychiatrist would be able to figure that out upon evaluating you. It is true to an extent that being on it only a few months as opposed to years will effect your withdrawal from the medication in a positive way. Antidepressants basically work by reconfiguring a chemical imbalance in your brain, serotonin in the case of lexapro, and change the amounts of it circulating through your body, and this takes time to do, and the same way it will take time to reverse the process, and if not done accordingly, there can be some serious adverse effects. Once again, it is difficult to say whether or not you can come off the medication just like that at the moment, a psychiatric evaluation would only determine that. If you have any other questions, feel free to PM me. __________________ "Timing is everything"

01-02-2006, 05:27 PM	#4
shes2smart Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jul 2004 Location: same world, different server Gender: Female Age: 45 Posts: 5,357	I was on Lexapro for a good part of 2004. When I started, my doc told me I had to agree to take it as prescribed for a minimum of 6 mos. or it would be a waste of her time and mine. I wound up taking it for 8 mos, and took about 3 weeks to taper off it, reducing the dosage per her instructions. I was only taking 10mg a day, so you might need longer to taper off since you were taking more. Talk to your doctor about how to taper off the Lexapro safely. I felt physically crappy during the taper off - headachy, tired and just feeling out-of-sorts. Also a little foggy mentally. That all resolved itself after I'd been completely off the Lexapro for about 2 weeks after the tapering off period. __________________ "Sometimes there is fire. You need to not be in it." - WoWhead.com "Now remember your Announcer's training....deep breaths...and try not to think about what you're saying." - Michael Palin/Monty Python

01-02-2006, 05:49 PM	#5
darkblue Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland. Gender: Male Posts: 5,070	Thank you poster no. three for pointing out lexApro... You really do have to ween yourself off it. It is not very nice to suddenly stop - the side effects can be very distressing and uncomfortable. What dose are you on? __________________ _________________ Aut vincere aut mori. "Whoever loves; becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism." - Sigmund Freud Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism - J.P. Sartre

01-02-2006, 06:01 PM	#6
corybrock Offline Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7	First off my SINCERE apologies about the spelling!!! And thank you all for the comments and help. I hope I didn't make it seem like I was thinking about going cold turkey -- I was more concerned with other people's reaction TO coming off the medicine, more than HOW they came off of it (because that's the factor I was going to discuss with him in a few days - and the process he felt I should use). I definatly will NOT go cold turkey! And Tears May Fall, I am not sure if this changes anything, but I am taking 10 mg pills (one per day). My doctor felt that my situation wasn't extreme enough to warrant a 20 mg dose -- but he did feel that help was warranted. My only MAIN reason for concern was that I was changing doctors - and I wanted to have some prior knowledge of the process before going in to speak with him. Thank you all again -- and if anyone else has anything to offer with this, it would be greatly appreciated!

01-02-2006, 06:08 PM	#7
darkblue Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland. Gender: Male Posts: 5,070	If you are feeling better - it is normally standard procedure to keep you on the medication for a little while longer. It's a precaution to ensure you don't slip back into the depression. __________________ _________________ Aut vincere aut mori. "Whoever loves; becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism." - Sigmund Freud Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism - J.P. Sartre

01-04-2006, 11:39 AM	#8
hosswhispra Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Deep inside myself searching for motivation and inspiration Gender: Female Posts: 2,086	Hello Corybrock, Like Tearsmayfall, I am a pharmacist too. Even though you are on 10 mg of Lexapro daily, you should not stop taking it "cold turkey". You need a period of titrating this medication down. Your physician would be the best to ask how long this weaning period should be. Hope this helped, hosswhispra

01-06-2006, 02:44 AM	#9
corybrock Offline Member Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 7	Well after meeting with my doctor, it has been advised that for three weeks I take a half a dose, then the next three weeks, i take a half a dose every other day, then for two weeks take a half a dose every third day. again, thank you all for the information and guidance with this. It's the first time i've ever had to deal with something like that -- and I apologize for my lack of knowledge!

01-06-2006, 06:47 AM	#10
darkblue Offline Platinum Member Join Date: Apr 2005 Location: Glasgow, Scotland. Gender: Male Posts: 5,070	Not at all - don't apologise. Not many people know about anti-depressants - that is why it is important to consult your doctor. I'm glad you got the support you needed. __________________ _________________ Aut vincere aut mori. "Whoever loves; becomes humble. Those who love have, so to speak, pawned a part of their narcissism." - Sigmund Freud Man is nothing else but that which he makes of himself. That is the first principle of existentialism - J.P. Sartre