falling_wave
MyPTSD Pro
I have read so many terrible scary experiences with lexapro withdrawal while searching to prepare for my own experience so I just wanted to give my input to even things out and hopefully lessen anxiety for some.
I was on lex for 18 months. I started at 10 ml and moved up after 9 months to 15 for a week and the 20 for the rest of the time. The first week or so I got on it was a nightmare. Sweating, nausea, persistent headache increased anxiety. However I did notice the same day that my mood seemed lifted noticeably. After that first week I felt SO much better. One of the main things was my racing thoughts at night. They were significantly slowed and I actually lost weight rather than gain. It was this way for the first 7 months. Then things started getting really rough again. I kept have these severe lows and then I would okay again off and on and my insomnia was really bad even though I took it in the morning. I went in and asked for the dose to be raised. I didn't notice anything distinctly and no side effects. However after a while I realized that my anxiety was as bad as ever and my lows would get really low. That's when I decided to get off.
This is how I did it. 15 everyday for a week, 10 everyday for a week, and then 5 every day for a week. I have been off for one week now entirely. I was so scared from reading reviews but I didn't need to be. I had a couple strong emotional reactions but they were better than on the meds and I bounced back quickly. Also the lower the dose the more hope I felt about my life and the more I was able to sleep. I had an occasional mild headache and discovered that excedrin tension headache worked nest to target in but honestly that wasn't bad. I used hylands nerve tonic if my anxiety was creeping up and it worked wonders. I also could rationalize different perspectives and what thoughts of mine reasonable or not better than when I was on the meds. I did get a knotted up stomach feeling a couple days but it was not all the time. I think it was just a day each time I decreased more. I found a heating pad, tum, gas x, and warm lemon water got me through that. It felt like menstrual cramps only higher up. Totally doable though. Also I felt anxiety and obsessed over reading people's experiences and what will happen when I get off at first. That didn't hel so don't do that. People write only negative reviews and this is not always the case.
I am off and sleeping better each day and finding effective ways to cope and move forward in life. I feel like even my relationships have improved. Don't be scared. If you feel it's not helping let it go. You might be better.
I was on lex for 18 months. I started at 10 ml and moved up after 9 months to 15 for a week and the 20 for the rest of the time. The first week or so I got on it was a nightmare. Sweating, nausea, persistent headache increased anxiety. However I did notice the same day that my mood seemed lifted noticeably. After that first week I felt SO much better. One of the main things was my racing thoughts at night. They were significantly slowed and I actually lost weight rather than gain. It was this way for the first 7 months. Then things started getting really rough again. I kept have these severe lows and then I would okay again off and on and my insomnia was really bad even though I took it in the morning. I went in and asked for the dose to be raised. I didn't notice anything distinctly and no side effects. However after a while I realized that my anxiety was as bad as ever and my lows would get really low. That's when I decided to get off.
This is how I did it. 15 everyday for a week, 10 everyday for a week, and then 5 every day for a week. I have been off for one week now entirely. I was so scared from reading reviews but I didn't need to be. I had a couple strong emotional reactions but they were better than on the meds and I bounced back quickly. Also the lower the dose the more hope I felt about my life and the more I was able to sleep. I had an occasional mild headache and discovered that excedrin tension headache worked nest to target in but honestly that wasn't bad. I used hylands nerve tonic if my anxiety was creeping up and it worked wonders. I also could rationalize different perspectives and what thoughts of mine reasonable or not better than when I was on the meds. I did get a knotted up stomach feeling a couple days but it was not all the time. I think it was just a day each time I decreased more. I found a heating pad, tum, gas x, and warm lemon water got me through that. It felt like menstrual cramps only higher up. Totally doable though. Also I felt anxiety and obsessed over reading people's experiences and what will happen when I get off at first. That didn't hel so don't do that. People write only negative reviews and this is not always the case.
I am off and sleeping better each day and finding effective ways to cope and move forward in life. I feel like even my relationships have improved. Don't be scared. If you feel it's not helping let it go. You might be better.