Lexapro Withdrawal: How did you taper successfully?

I’m currently taking 20 mg of Lexapro & trying to reduce to 15 mg….not easy after 20 years. I have gone to therapy in the past, yes. Somewhat helpful. Wishing you all the best on your move! Xyla is beautiful! Therapy right there with you!!

Are you taking Lexapro? I have been on 10 mg since December 2022 so for five months. I hope to be able to ditch this stuff after we move but will continue to take through our move. It does keep me a little calmer so I don’t worry so much about our pup. My husband just turned 68 and had quadruple bipass surgery about 25 years ago so I worry about him too.
I hope your dizziness and nausea subside. Best of luck.
Adel 😊

Thanks for you bet wishes.
My regular Md who prescribed my Lexapro recommended maybe some therapy. It seems like it helped you to some degree? I will wait on therapy until we move. I had a hard time moving here 15 months ago. Miss our daughter and grandkids up there so we are going back. Our daughter thought that I lost my compass a little, which could be the case. We have moved a lot. Thanks again for your nice words.
Adel. 😊

I was taking lexapro 10 mgs for half a year without problem. But for a better result to my symptoms the doctor upper it to 20 mgs (bc 10 mgs is not therapeutic) I am misserable with the opposite effect asleep during the day (narcolepsy) and had to stop it completely. The same happened last year when trying with low dose bupropion (75 mg). I am autoinmune and use a biologic. Don’t understand why I get dissable when trying ssri. Before getting the autoinmune diagnosis and treatment, I never had problems with antidepressants in high dosages!!

Hi All,

I am finally ready and am getting off of lexapro after being on it for 5 years. The doctor that prescribes it to me is my PCP not a psychiatrist. I was on 10mg for the past 2.5 years. I recently developed some heart palpitations and my cardiologist suggested I get off lexapro. When I told my PCP he said to just take 5mg for 7 days and then straight to nothing. Is this a safe and well known way of tapering off? I have heard horror stories and just want to reach out. Thanks so much in advance! 🙂

I wish I knew. I’ve been on it since 2021 prescribed by my psychiatrist. Perhaps I can message him and find out for you.

@flyjet164 Aw, that is so sweet of you. You definitely do not have to go out of your way to do that but I so appreciate it < 3

I am tapering Effexor and have educated myself about tapering and withdrawal. I worry that your doctor may be setting you up for trouble. The recommended reduction is 10% per month, on average. Read up on survivingantidepressants.org, or do a Google search for Mark Horowitz or Anders Sorensen. They are some of the leaders in deprescribing. I know everyone is different, but I'm trying to help you avoid a bad situation. Good luck!

@mmsm Oh goodness! Thank you for this. Is it dangerous? Or just bad withdrawl effects?

I'm not a doctor, so can't speak to the danger. Please understand that bad withdrawal can be severe. Mine certainly was and was the worst time of my life.