i have a freind who was forced to take lexapro which has a massive list of side effects. some of the side effects have affected her behavior which has resulted in further suspicions of mental issues. the lexapro was given to her because she had some minor anger issueswith her family, who associate every difference of opinion as being a sign of insanity. the medications side effects further complicate the situation by making her haveanxiety attacks & irrational behaviors. anyways, i'm not certain what dosage shes on, i just know its 2 pills a day, for several months. what i'm wondering is if anyone hassuccesfuly weaned off this dangerouse drug, how long were you on it, howlong did theweanning off take, & how many steps down should be used, aswell as the severity of withdrawl symptoms.. shes thinking of cutting down to 1 pill a day for 2 weeks, then 1/2 pill a day for 2 more then quite entirely does this plan sound safe enough?
no you have to cut down slowly on shit like that I think my psychiatrist said that they wean you off drugs by removing something like 1/4 of the dose for a month, then another 1/3rd off the next month(so shed be at half her current dosage), then so on so forth for each month I'm not totally sure on that and I am not a doctor so I don't recommend taking my advice right off the bat without checking into it further. check this link : http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-conditions/lexapro-withdrawal-24681.html Some people in that thread have quit lexapro cold turkey and say that they had severe insomnia and anxiety for about 2 weeks after. I guess if you want to have the quickest weaning period, just do it by cutting her dose in half for a week then cut it right out of her diet on the second week.
Assuming she's a grown adult with at least average intelligence (I don't mean this offensively, some people just can't do this) she should really be able to discuss this with her psychiatrist/doctor and carefully wean off that way. Being able to advocate for yourself to MDs is a very important skill to learn as this won't be the last time she'll need medical help for something. I've been put on meds or had meds suggested to me that I wasn't comfortable with and I calmly discussed this with the doctor and came up with something I was okay with. When I was ready to go off, I again discussed this with the doctor. You gotta be firm and informed. Being passive about your own health and healthcare is not a good thing.
Being reliant on a doctor to help you with anything that goes wrong in your life is worse than being "passive" on completely useless "meds". Just because a doctor says its alright doesn't mean it's alright. Nobody knows you more than yourself.
I think I would believe a Drs advice on my health before an 18 year olds. ================== SoaringEagle, My girlfriend has anxiety and stress attacks and successfully takes Lexapro to contain the feelings. So it can be used effectively in certain circumstances. I would not think the drug would MAKE someone have anxiety, so your friends feelings may be stemming from something else. But I guess you never know. A couple times my girlfriend had to stop taking it for various reasons and she had some insomnia and a headache but nothing major. This lasted about 48 hours. She takes one pill a day. Lexapro is not that strong. It has no feeling of 'high' like valium or xanax, and I do not think the body creates a physical addiction and usually withdrawel symptoms are not that severe. Have her talk to her Dr, but I think she will be just fine halfing the dosage then stopping. Good Luck to her and You nnJ
You completely misunderstood what I was saying. my point was to NOT be reliant on the doctor and to inform yourself about your diagnosis and any medication you're prescribed so you can have an intelligent conversation about it. Sometimes we do require medication for one reason or another, and to either A) completely ignore the doctor because you think you know everything there is to know about physical and mental health or B) passively go along with whatever a doctor says without question and without informing yourself, are both equally unwise imo.
I have been on Lexapro for a couple of years now for stress & anxiety. I think last year it did me well, made me feel more in control of my emotions. But this year has been really hard on me and ive been a complete mess. i am supposed to take one pill a day, but ive been skipping around and instead just taking it whenever i remembered to. i think thats really fucked me up somehow and my anxiety is worse than ever. however i dont know if this is because i havent been taking it every day or if its because of withdrawls or what. i know ive been irresponsible and i should either take it every day or not at all. but i cant very well go back and change it. So now im wondering if i should stay on it or not. I dont think ive ever experienced anything that severe in terms of withdrawls. However i have noticed that if i take my pill after having gone a few days without taking it, i get really light headed, dizzy, and nauseous for about 30 minutes after i take it.
There is a way to get your metabolism back after these uptake drugs. It will take patience and discipline. What most people do not know is that the base of all these anti-depressant drugs is :Angel Dust". It is also used in date-rape drugs. Now mind you, the doctors and pharmacologists will tacitly deny it. That is why these drugs "tranquilize" your mind. Look into the ingredients of these DRUGS! These mental health agencies are literally and purposely poisoning us. Here is a link to help you with a method that will help you get off these drugs safely: http://www.theroadback.org/index.htm Also, join with others while going through this program as a support. Eat more raw, organic veggies, drink mostly distilled water... no sugar, no store bought breads. Lower your carbos to 20 grams a day, choose a hobby that is creative , start your own garden. Be gentle with yourself, be kind with yourself and only choose people to be around you who are loving and supportive. Last or first....pray, meditate and love yourself.
I would consult a professional for the tapering down schedule. Assuming that Lexapro is an SSRI, to assist with the tapering down, I'd take 5-HTP (50-100 mg 5-Hydroxytryptopan) before bed, which converts to Serotonin in the body... that will help replace the serotonin lost when the Lexapro is discontinued. You can get 5-HTP cheap at: http://www.swansonvitamins.com/
I don't think that's a good idea. If you love her you need to make sure she is safe and gets professional help. I was on Lexapro a couple of years ago and got off of it because it made me apathetic towards everything and everyone. I tried doing it myself by cutting the pills in half and my head was pounding so bad I went to the doctor. I normally have low-blood pressure, but because of my withdrawls it was sky high. I also suffered from paranoia,panic attacks, felt like I had the flu, anxiety and extreme irratabilitybecause of withdrawl. I do not think you are qualified to determine what she should do. I think the responsible and loving thing would be to send her to the doctor and he can give her a taper schedule. If it is an issue of money find a way to get it so you can have her taper properly. If this is your girlfriend you're doing a bad job taking care of her by rushing her along in this. If it is just a friend then you are giving her bad advice.
