Aletheia: Stop Lexapro cold turkey without consequences?

[Aletheia]

A lifelong amateur student of natural health and healing, I have little experience with allopathic medicine and its medications. A decade ago when I was hospitalized by my psychotherapist because I was talking suicide, I was given the anxiolytic Lorazepam. Which I later had to get off on my own, by tapering (found information online). Fortunately it went okay, with few problems, but I really don't want to get into that situation again. 

 

I am still struggling with the same anxiety and depression, which have dominated my life for the last decade with both psychological and physical distresses. Recently I joined a medical plan, to see if its resources could help me. A doctor prescribed the SSRI Escitalopram/Lexapro. I started taking it. When I began researching it, however, I became alarmed; I did not know that SSRIs also require complicated procedures to discontinue. 

 

I asked the doctor about this; his response was: "If and when you decide to stop the medicine you do not have to taper it off via a schedule. The medicine tapers itself when you stop it." I have not found anybody else who says anything similar, only numerous websites offering complicated procedures and dire warnings about "withdrawal symptoms". Has anybody here been told they could just quit the drug and it would work itself out? Or seen such advice anywhere? 

 

I've decided I want to stop taking the medication. Haven't taken it so far today; something in me just won't. It's supposed to help with both anxiety & depression, but in my case it's only aggravating the anxiety. Fortunately, I've been taking 10mg daily for only 8 days, so maybe the doctor will be correct in my case. (My heart aches for all the folks I see here who are struggling for years with this stuff. I wish you success.) 

 

Thoughts, anybody? 

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  Since you were only on the Lexapro for 8 days, you can just stop cold turkey right now if you choose.  It takes about a month for the brain to adjust to the drug and become dependent on it.  

 

Can you please give us specific information in your signature about your drug history for all drugs and supplements you are on and have been on, especially for the past 18-24 months?  We only need drug names, dosages, and dates, as best you can remember.  Please read the link below for instructions.  

 

How to List Your Drug History in Your Signature

 

For people who are on it a month or longer, this link explains how these drugs change our nervous systems.  

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain