Ryan1229 Tapering off Lexapro

[ryan1229]

Hi all, my name is Ryan, 31(m). I started taking Lexapro (15mg) 3 years ago for social anxiety and I'll say it has helped me tremendously. However now that I've been able to live comfortably in situations I didn't think possible, I'd like to get off of this drug - I hadn't intended to stay on it for life anyway. My GP recommended 10mg for one week, then 5mg, then off, which after doing some brief research sounded way too quick. So I thought I'd play it safe and tried going down to 12.5mg first. After 2 days I was experiencing horrible nausea, anxiety, and depression, feeling like I was losing my grasp on reality. I immediately went back on my 15mg and now after a few days I'm feeling mostly back to normal. I can't believe how severely my body/mind reacted to what I thought would be a small decrease. I'm thankful to have found this site and realize that it may take me a number of years to comfortably wean off of Lexapro. And I'm fine with that as long as I can minimize withdrawal symptoms as much as possible.

 

I just got the liquid version of Lexapro from the pharmacy and it's 5mg/5ml so that I can eventually start tapering slowly. What's the recommended process of switching over to the liquid version? I've read around here that it's best to introduce it gradually while still taking the pill form. So would that look like 10mg pill and 5mg liquid? Or maybe 12.5mg pill + 2.5mg liquid for one week, then 10mg pill + 5mg liquid?

 

I appreciate any guidance here. Thanks!

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @ryan1229

 

We would consider your doctor's plan to be too abrupt. Here are our Tips for tapering off escitalopram (Lexapro)
 

When did you go to 12.5mg and when did you reinstate 15mg? How do you feel now?

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please summarize your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.