LavaBat: Tapering Lexapro

[LavaBat]

Hi all, LavaBat here and ready to get some support for tapering off of Lexapro.

 

A little about me: I am located in midwest USA and am 27 years old. I love animals, exercise, reading, and watching tv/movies.

 

I was put on Lexapro at the age of 14 for anxiety and panic attacks, I am now 27 and can't seem to get off. I do not remember the dosage back then, but do know the highest I ever took was 20mg. In my later teen years I was at 10mg. Around 19 years old I managed to get down to 7.5mg and have been at 7.5mg for the past 8 years with no luck getting lower. At 22, I was diagnosed with Autism, and have found that was the cause of my anxiety/panic as a child because I did not have the correct accommodations and support. Since I got the correct diagnosis and support, I have tried several times to wean off. The first attempt was several years ago and my doctor suggested half dose for a few weeks, then half of that, and then off. I tried going down to 5mg and within a week I felt the most severe panic that I had ever felt before. My doctor told me that meant I needed the medication because I clearly still had bad anxiety and the medication was needed to keep it at bay. So I went back to 7.5mg immediately and stayed there for another year or so. Then with a new doctor, I tried to wean off again. This time it was suggested to shave off a bit of the pill each week. I believe I was shaving off about 10% of weight each week. Around week 3 of shaving down the pill, my anxiety was back to being unbearable along with bad nausea and diarrhea. The doctor told me once again that meant I needed to stay on the meds as I still had bad anxiety without.

 

I have not tried weaning since 2022 and am still at 7.5mg. I have also had issues with different brands and forms of the drug. When I picked up meds from a different pharmacy, after about a month I was getting very dizzy and lightheaded. Luckily I was able to get back to the other brand. Then last month, I found this site and decided to try to switch to liquid Lexapro to help the weaning process. I did 5mg pill and 2.5mg liquid for a few days. I had nausea, diarrhea, headaches, and anxiety so I went back to 7.5mg fully in pill form. And that is where I am now. 

 

My first question is, should I even bother trying to get off Lexapro? I have zero known side effects from taking it at my current dose and manufacturer. My partner asked me why I wanted to get off since it has been so hard and I don't have any issues with Lexapro. I couldn't come up with an answer other than I just want to and hate the idea of being so "addicted" to something. Is it possible that I genuinely need to be taking Lexapro?

 

As for tapering, I am not sure where to go from here since the liquid Lexapro didn't work for me. If I were to make my own solution with the pill, I just worry that I wouldn't be getting an exact dosage each day and I would have to make it each day to stay potent. Shaving off by weight also seems a bit hard to get exact dosages with too. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Since I tried the liquid Lexapro only a few weeks ago, should I not taper for a bit just to make sure I'm stable?

 

And finally, I was looking at microtapering. Since I have had such bad reactions in the past and already know I am super sensitive to medications (not just Lexapro), I have been thinking of starting with literally 1-2% taper for this next try. I think that could help me perhaps get the smallest amount of withdrawal and ease my fear of a bad reaction.

 

Thanks so much for taking the time to read this and for any support  

Edited January 3 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome to S.A. @LavaBat

 

10 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

My first question is, should I even bother trying to get off Lexapro?

 

If you'd like help tapering, you've come to the right place. The decision is of course yours.

 

11 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

Is it possible that I genuinely need to be taking Lexapro?

 

I thought the same thing in my situation after ~27 years on ADs. Since following the advice on this site, I've reduced my dose my ~85%. over the past 2 years.

 

13 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

As for tapering, I am not sure where to go from here since the liquid Lexapro didn't work for me.

 

Changing brands and changing from tablets to liquid can cause some people WD symptoms. 

 

16 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

Since I tried the liquid Lexapro only a few weeks ago, should I not taper for a bit just to make sure I'm stable?

 

Transitioning from pills to liquid

 

It is best to make sure you are stable before trying to taper again.

 

18 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

Shaving off by weight also seems a bit hard to get exact dosages with too. Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!

 

Have a look at the Gemini 20 scale. Accuracy and consistency are important.

 

18 minutes ago, LavaBat said:

And finally, I was looking at microtapering. Since I have had such bad reactions in the past and already know I am super sensitive to medications (not just Lexapro), I have been thinking of starting with literally 1-2% taper for this next try.

 

The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering is working for me.

 

My favourite tapering links are as follows...I wish I knew about this info years ago:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

Never skip doses to taper

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but two that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. Add one at a time and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Avoid alcohol. 

 

Please post any updates here in your thread. It is helpful to keep everything related to your journey in one spot. You are very welcome to jump onto someone else's page and interact with them. The encouragement members give each other on this site is wonderful to see.

 

Sing out with any questions. 

 

Once again, welcome to S.A.

 

Emonda.

[LavaBat]

I have officially started my extremely small taper! I have decided to go by weight since the liquid Lexapro didn't work well for me. I am only shaving off 1% by weight. I know this is super small, but I was very scared to taper after my last experience. However, it has been nearly 3 weeks at 7.4mg (down from 7.5mg), and I am feeling relatively normal. I have had a few very mild headaches that were easily cured with some ibuprofen. I also have had a bit of brain fog and a small feeling of derealization. The biggest thing I have noticed for about the last week is that I have had some extremely intense and vivid dreams, sometimes nightmares that I feel I cannot wake from. I am curious if others have experienced this and if it lasts long? Last night was the first night I kept waking up every so often. I'm hopeful that this isn't a permanent thing, but rather just my body adjusting. Otherwise, I have felt pretty good most days, with little to no side effects!

 

I plan to stay at 7.4mg for at least a full month, but perhaps longer if the sleep situation doesn't improve. I am in no rush, I just want to have as little withdrawal as possible!

[getofflex]

Hello LavaBat. In your original post you were wondering if you should even get off Lexapro.  Here are some links that will give you food for thought about the long term effects and effectiveness (or lack thereof) of SSRI drugs.  If you have the time, you may want to read the book by Robert Whitaker "Anatomy of an Epidemic".  It's quite eye opening, and will help you make a truly informed decision about Lexapro, and other psych drugs.  

 

Robert Whitaker, author Anatomy of an Epidemic video (explains how psych drugs increase chronicity of depression/anxiety in the long term)

 

Chemical Imbalance is a Myth

 

I'm sorry you had such trouble trying to transition to the liquid.  Emonda gave you a link about about how to do this gradually, but for now, it seems you are fine doing it with the solid tablet.  

 

1 hour ago, LavaBat said:

The biggest thing I have noticed for about the last week is that I have had some extremely intense and vivid dreams, sometimes nightmares that I feel I cannot wake from. I am curious if others have experienced this and if it lasts long?

Yes, this is a common symptom in people tapering their drugs.  It is part of your brain adjusting to the new lower dose.  Try to remind yourself of this - it is not you.  I can't predict how long it will last - it is different for everyone.  

 

1 hour ago, LavaBat said:

I plan to stay at 7.4mg for at least a full month, but perhaps longer if the sleep situation doesn't improve. I am in no rush, I just want to have as little withdrawal as possible!

I think this is a very sound and wise idea.  You are very young, and have plenty of time. You definitely want to wait until you are stable for at least 2 weeks before you do another reduction, especially because your system seems like it is very sensitive, based on your first post.  Please read this link about how to know when you are stable: 

 

Stability

Edited February 28 by getofflex