Withdrawl symptoms of Lexapro

[dncnbear]

I have been asked by my dr for over 2 years to start taking celexa due to chronic anxiety which I have dealt with since I was 2. I always said no but then finally agreed. I took it for 2 days and felt like the inside of my brain was rearranging, I couldn't sleep and had restless legs. I felt psychotic like I was going to jump out of my skin, so I immediately stopped. A couple of months later I was placed on Lexapro (although they are made from the same companies and are essentilly the same drug) Anyway, I took the Lexapro and felt great (except for the 15 lb weight gain) I really wanted to be a better mom to my kids.I hated that I had absolutely no patience with them and they deserve better than that! About 2 months into it I slowly started getting those side effects to a lesser degree and I also was having urinary hesitency like I had to go but couldn't. I am a female and since I don't have a prostate haha. One day I woke up and literally couldn't move all my joints hurt and I really couldn't close my fists I was that stiff. I was in excruciating pain so I called the dr and he told me to stop Lexapro and start effexor. I took the effexor and immediately had the same effects initially as the celexa (trust me I know why some people go wacko on these kinds of drugs)Well I had had it I didn't want to feel like that  anymore so I stopped. I knew better to just stop but I figured with all the side effects I was having I didn't want to try another one out. I would much rather face my nerves without the extra help from my ssri friends.
My question is this... It has been about 2 weeks since I stopped taking anything. Besides feeling like I am a complete terror to my children still I feel slightly dizzy and extremely nauseated. I actually have taken 3 pregnancy tests thinking/hoping that was the problem but to no avail. Besides concentrating on all the things that could be wromg with me as I am convinced I am slowly dying. I have narrowed it to ssri withdrawal. Could the effects of withdrawl still be going stong after 2 weeks? My joints still hurt a bit too.
Thanks

[tiffers22]

I feel a little better after reading this.  I have been on 40mg of Lexapro a day and I ran out.  I can't get ahold of my nurse practitioner to renew my prescription since it is a holiday.  I feel horrible.  I thought at first that I had a sinus infection because of the dizziness, but this is no ordinary dizziness.  I feel like there are electical currents running through my head and arms.  It is such a weird feeling, hard to describe.  Also, if I move my head too fast I feel like my head weighs 100 pounds and everything just starts spinning.  But it isn't a normal type of dizzy feeling.  It last for a second then goes away.  Then comes back then goes away.  I have never experienced withdrawal from any other medication I've ever taken.  This is horrible.

[Wiz_NY]

No weight gain - actually weight loss on Lexapro(20 mg); I'm just not hungry, though I do eat a well balanced dinner every evening - with lots of protein, salads, and microwaved sweet potatoes.

I'll "carb" out once a week; it appears to work for me.

PLUS, far less side affects from the switch from an older drug.

SNACK on foods that you do not like! That also helps!

[yubri]

hi everyone
thanks for all your comments
its so comforting to know i'm not alone.
one thing i noticed that has not been mentioned in great detail
are all the sexual side effects cause by stopping lexapro.
prior to lexapro i had an intense sexual interest and was very active(safely of course), then similar to a lot of you, my ability to have an orgasm became incredibly difficult, not to mention my drive was very minimal, or reduced as compared to my pre-lexapro days. Now that i have come off of it ( that was a dark period) my initial response was super sex drive and now it is almost gone again. and i have gained quite a bit of weight yet i have been excercising and eating right, and have decreased the amount of alcohol i consume. what is going on? does anyone else also have a decreased libido after an initial high immediately after getting off of it?
i am so confused. but i have  to admit, i am so much better now that it is out of my system - i have my sense of humor, i feel emotions once again instead of being this happy go lucky zombie that seemed quite unnaturally happy and mellow all the time which kind of freaked some people out, i am happy, but, i just want my sex drive back. could it be that i'm the only one?
please help...

[mabelbilyk]

For those of you who are going straight off of 20 or even 10 mg, I'd say that's too much of a jolt to your system. I've been on 5mg for 3 months (down from 10mg) and just went off completely after 2 weeks of taking a pill every other day. And I feel crappy. I'm dizzy, tired, foggy, tingly, and can't concentrate. I'm also irritable. It sucks. The worst is that it's affecting my performance at work and I can't explain to anyone why I'm a complete spazz lately. I'm seeing my psychiatrist Tuesday, so I'll let you all know if he gives me any earth-shattering insights on how to lessen the withdrawal symptoms. Blah! I hate this!

[Texmexler]

I have read many of your comments, and am relieved and ANGERED to know that many of you suffered the same problems with Lexapro.  My MD prescribed Lexapro in November of 2003, and knowing I was anxious and sad a lot, I thought it was worth a try.  My anxiety improved, I was much less angry, and I was not depressed.  The first couple months I gained about 15 pounds, and after 4 months, I had gained 25 pounds.  I workout, and try to eat right, so I am convinced that the Lexapro is the main factor in my weight gain.   I weaned myself off of Lexapro (I tried every other day as my doc said, and that was like a roller-coaster, don't try that!) and then I more successfully cut down to 1/2 the 10 mg dose.  However, I found myself to be very dizzy for most of at least 4 weeks, my emotions were very unstable (which they weren't THAT bad before Lex...).  After about 5 weeks, I began to feel ok.  Getting off Lexapro stopped the weight gain.  I have maintained my 25 pound gain now for 6 months, but CAN'T lose it.  I crave carbs way more than I ever did before, and I know that is related to Seratonin levels.  I am tempted with this much information to look into starting a class action law suit.  These irresponsible drug companies should have to suffer for the suffering we are experiencing.

[JimDandy]

Hi,
I'm a 41yo, female, with no previous history of mental illness. I'm married, mom of 3 boys, alcoholic, who has not had a drink in 13 years. I've been working as a vet tech for 21 years.
I had a "nervous breakdown" in 5/03 - 10 months after a major head injury, and along side of many stresses all at once coming into my life.My GP put me on prozac 20 mg per day, and  xanax .5 mg - 1 4x's perday plus 2 tabs at bedtime; called a thrapist who told me during our session that I was to "get out of town" or be put in a hosp. I got out of town. I took up occaisionally smoking again after I had the NB and recently it has become more of a habit. On my one month post NB recheck with the GP, I was taken off prozac and put on Lexapro (because of major weight loss and general shaky/week feeling) and she told me to take the lexapro in AM instead of PM. Also put me on trazadone 50 mg in PM along side of Xanax. After one month I asked to begin to wean off Xanax. got the ok. Very slowly began to wean. Once that was done, tried and succeeded to wean off trazadone. Once that was done, I tried to wean off Lexapro. By last year, Feb. I had taken my self down by .5 mg to 15 mgs of lexapro in AM and it was then that things went seriously down hill. Wicked nightmares, shakey, panic, etc. So upped myself to 20 mg. And went back on Trazadone per the GP and the therapist. I was at this dosage for the rest of the winter. This past summer I worked the whole summer to gradually come off night time meds and reduce lexapro to 10 mgs (hoping to stay that way until spring then wean off lexapro in the spring - this would accomplish 18 mos of SSRI's as rec.  By the end of the summer I had accomplished my goal but then symptoms returned (nasty nightmares, shakey, AM panic, weightloss, etc) after 6 weeks on 10mgs of lexapro with no night time meds. So back up I went to 15 mgs. Then had to see my mom 3 times in a six week period so went back on the night xanax and trazadone. (Somehow Mom has proven to be a major stresser for me - go figure...?)Now I happen to have this uterine fibroid thing happening and so was doing some on-line search to look at options to resolve it. Started to look at my scripts just for kicks and giggles and found I didn't like what I was reading. SO, ( I didn't mean to write all that!) I've read that you cannot cut your lexapro levels by 5mg increments. That you should shave some off, go 7 days, and then shave off a little more, etc. The question is; I have all the symptoms of seratonin syndrome - now what? I shaved my 15mgs of lexapro starting yesterday. Cut the xanax to 1/4 tab last night - (probably should have waited on that...)Have apt to see therapist on Mon and GP on Thurs. Give me ammo to go with please!