teacher2be
01-12-2007, 11:29 PM
i have been on 10 mg of lexapro for 3months and then weaned down to 5 mg for the last month. then i totally quit 3 days ago. my dr. said" you should not have any withdrawal symptoms because this is not a habit forming drug." it has not been too bad i guess because i weaned slowly. but the only thing is my head feels strange. sometimes i feel like i am moving in slow motion when i turn my head, and i have that funny headache. i feel at time like i am having those "brain zaps" you hear everyone talk about. how long should this last now that i am totally off the drug? i was only taking 5 mg. this is crazy. anyways, my ? is how long does it take to for these withdrawal symptoms to go away?
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j2006
01-13-2007, 07:54 AM
I had they same thing from ending Lexapro. Mine lasted about a wee. They feelings wouls come and go. It will go away.
Why did you stop the Lexapro?
Why did you stop the Lexapro?
teacher2be
01-13-2007, 10:23 AM
i stopped the lexapro because i was still having anxiety while on it, i tried zoloft and that was awful. i decided to stop the lexapro to see how i felt without all these drugs. the lexapro was wonderful the first month or so and then just did not do it for me. i did not want to increase it because i was already sluggish from the 10 mg. so i am just going to try to do without it. i am glad to know i will feel better. yes it is a come and go feeling in my head too. thank you for your input. :)
Timber
01-13-2007, 11:00 AM
It upsets me that doctors are still telling patients that they won't have withdrawals coming off of SSRIs.
Anyway, I've withdrawn from them several times and my brain zaps and other symptoms usually go away within a week, maybe two, but I usually taper down more slowly than you did.
Anyway, I've withdrawn from them several times and my brain zaps and other symptoms usually go away within a week, maybe two, but I usually taper down more slowly than you did.
ocdengineer
01-13-2007, 11:36 AM
SSRI's in many ways are more dependancy forming than Benzo's, but Benzo's get the bad name because of a couple previous addicts taking fistfulls, catch a buzz, and end up in the hospital. I am convinced and so is my psychiatrist, that the Benzo is the best drug for anxiety, hands down! No side effects at all in 6 months of taking it just Xanax. If you are diagnosed with clinical depression then that is what antidepressants are for, not anxiety.
Later,
OE
Later,
OE
teacher2be
01-13-2007, 02:29 PM
it is my cardiologist that had me on lexapro and he was the one that told me no withdrawal effects because it is not a habit forming drug, but i knew better. he told me to just quit it cold turkey, but i told him i would rather taper off. i was on 10mg and he said go down to 5 mg for month then quit. actually since i have quit i feel better than when i was on it. i not so nervous and antsy. my head feels clearer. well good to know these brain zaps will go away. thanks everyone for your input.
SanyBelle
01-13-2007, 09:11 PM
What are these brain zaps like? Do you only get them when stopping ADs? Do they happen with all ADs?
Thanks.
Thanks.
ocdengineer
01-14-2007, 04:17 AM
Only some AD's will cause brain zaps, but it depends on the person. I got them bad when quitting Paxil awhile back. It is like an electric shock, but smaller in your head that doesn't hurt but feels quite uncomfortable. It is more bothersome and scary than dangerous. I have OCD, so I was sure I was going insane from the brain zaps, but within a week or so of being off the drugs, the brain zaps went away. I also felt weird feelings in the back base of my head from the AD's. Man I hated those drugs. I have never been so uncomfortable and sick feeling than when I was trying different antidepressants for anxiety dissorder. Anyway, a week free of drugs and you should be fine.
Later,
OE
Later,
OE
teacher2be
01-14-2007, 05:21 PM
i am feeling a little better today compared to yesterday which was Day 4. my ? is i still have weird feelings in my head like swoosh feeling when i turn my head, but aslo when the swoosh feeling in my head happens i also have a wierd feeling in my chest at the same time, kind of like my heart jumps or skips. has anyone felt this. i may just be imagining, but i swear this happens. i do not want to be on AD's anymore unless i ABSOLUTELY have to. i don't like being on drugs that make me feel this way when i get off them. this scares me. my ? is has anyone had weird chest feelings when getting off AD's?