Ok, i'm finally ready to come off of lexapro. But what they don't tell you is there are huge side effects of coming off the drug. Don't get me wrong, i think that lexapro really helped me keep going thru the darkest of days. But i feel better now, i have felt great for a couple of months. And all i want to do is step down 5mg a day for another six months. But when i try to come down no one in the medical field will admit that i am having withdrawal symptoms, (which I have really bad) They just tell me oh, maybe your having relapse go back up to your normal dose. I know what a yo-yo feels like now. I have strived thru therapy and taken medication, i am ready to move on but i'm stuck because there is nothing i feel i can do. I feel traped. I feel so frustrated. BTW the doctor recommended that i step down my meds.
I have never understand why medical professionals won't admit to withdrawl symptoms coming off of AD's. There are a lot of evidence that it does exist on the web. I guess a person needs to taper down on their own. There is a Paxil taper guide that pretty much covers all AD's so you might want to go look for that.
trg247
__________________
Major Depressive Disorder With Psychotic Features
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
I never tried Lexapro but I went through this with Paxil. I spent many months inching down by using a pill cutter, and dealing with the dizziness as well as I could. But I reached a point where I couldn't fully get off it. I got a second opinion from another doctor who acknowledged "Paxil Withdrawal". He prescribed a low dose of Zoloft and I was able to get off Paxil in a week. A week later I stopped taking Zoloft.
I've heard that from one mom friend too--about the Lexapro, I mean. Like the pp, I've heard that adding a low dose of another SSRI (I've usually heard Prozac) can help. Prozac has the longest "afterlife" so it's supposedly easier to taper off from. That's what my mom friend had to do. The last 5 mg. was the issue for her, but the Prozac added, then off Lex. then off Prozac worked for her. There are also liquid forms of some SSRIs so a person CAN taper off by the drop if need be. I personally think any one prescribing this stuff should have some experience taking the stuff, and getting off of it as well.
I need to rant 
