lexapro w/d klonz

[sl500]

PCP prescribed me Lexapro 10mgs to help me get off of Effexor which I was on for 4 years and stopped once he gave me the lex. I was crying and was waking up with morning anxiety. He also gave me .25mgs of Klonzapans to help with my morning anxiety (I take everything at night). This was February 2007. I got it up to 12.5mgs of Lexapro and .5 of Klonzapan. That was it for me. I didn't want to go higher and my PCP didn't want me to either. He also gave me Xanax on an as needed basis for during the day - .25mg if I needed it (Klonzapan made me feel drugged up if I took it during the day). I did get better with the crying once again, but that didn't help too much with the anxiety. And with this med, I was also getting bad side effects - fatigue, lack of concentration, no motivation, no sex drive, etc. So, with the help of my doc, I decided to start weaning off of the Lexapro first. He also wants me off of everything to see how I am. I have been on stuff for way too long (almost 5 years) and he thinks that I will be ok if I am not on anything - or just to take a Xanax if I needed it. I weaned myself down from 15mgs to 7.5mgs from July 13, 2007 to August 16, 2007 (I keep a journal). I have been on 7.5mgs since. The first week to two weeks, I was ok. But then the third week came and that was it. Crying, anxiousness - all day, shaking inside, vomiting, in a cloud/not focused feeling, surreal feelings, etc. I feel HORRIBLE!! The shaking and anxiety just won't stop! I have never experienced anxiety like this in my life!  I am scared - actually terrified that these feelings will not go away. My doc tells me that this can't be from the medication - that my body should already be used to the 7.5mgs. I actually took a little more klonzapan last night .5mg and 1/2 of .25 this morning to try an alleviate the feelings which didnt help..... Can someone please tell me that this is from withdrawals? If not, what should I do???

[michaxx2]

From my personal experience with weaning off from lexapro 10 mg for 2 years,is that when you go down on mg,you have to give yourself time  to stabilize ....means,you have to wean extremely slowly....depending how your body is taking it...you were on 15 mg and went down to 7.5 within a month,and maybe this was a little bit too fast for you....try to increase it to 10 mg and see how you feel and stay on it for a month,then try to make another small cut for another month,and when you get to 5 mg,ask your dr to prescribe liquid lexapro and wean off from 5mg to 4 to 3 and so on....waiting for 2 weeks between each cut.....then when you are on only 1 mg,take it every other day untill you feel fine with the withdrawals...that was my strategy with weaning off ...I tried to follow my dr's advices and it didnt work....but of course,I am not a dr,and I dont want you to do anything without asking your dr first....just take your time to wean off.....even if it takes you a long time to quit...who cares? it is not a race.....
Good luck
Micha

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Your doctor is very likely correct, and having some daily dose should not lead to withdrawals, and not in the way you described.  I would highly recommend that you look into the source of your crying and anxiety rather than just trying to control it with medications.  Something is going on in your mind, and psychotherapy is the best way to get the help you need.