What are the withdrawal symptoms of Lexapro?

I recently quit taking Lexapro, after being on 5 mg for about 10 months. There are definite symptoms, including those listed by others bloggers. It should be noted that both scientists and doctors do not know exactly how SSRIs work, only that serotonin is responsible for mood enhancement. Recent studies have indicated that other chemicals also play a key role and we may be missing the bigger picture. In any case, I planned months in advance my weaning off of Lexapro, which required close coordination with my Neurologist. I should add that my Dr. is one of the top Neurologists in the area and is well respected. Part of the "plan" was to include L-Tryptophan (LT), a naturally amino acid. According to my Dr (and corroborated reporting that I have researched), L-Tryptophan has some of the same stimuli effects produced by Lexapro, without the side effects. Our "plan" included first reducing my dosage from 10 mg to 5 mg, and taking 500 mg of LT. Then I reduced my dosage to 5 mg, every other day, while still taking 500 mg. daily. Now I am only taking the LT.

I expect that the recovery time will be challenging, as we are dealing with changing our chemical composition. It took us time to get here, so expect it to take an equal amount of time to get back to where we need to be without Lexapro.

It is imperative that you have a plan with your Dr, maintain a healthy lifestyle, and have a support network. Here is a list of some of the symptoms I have experienced:

• Restless nights, including bouts of heavy breathing and vivid dreams.

• Tingling/burning in legs (which is one of the reasons that I began taking Lexapro in the first place).

• Nausea/dizziness

• Weight gain

• Lack of motivation and energy.

• Upset stomach (acid reflux)

• Sore throat

Keep your chin up and try not to think of this as a "disaster," "terrible," or "worst ever"... It is transitional and will mean that part of overcoming this to remember that our attitudes are part of the symptoms.

I encourage those that have successfully weaned off of the drug to post the long-term prospectus.

First answer by Shivers. Last edit by Shivers. Contributor trust: 14 [recommend contributor]. Question popularity: 45 [recommend question].