Hii all. I stopped taking my SSRI (Lexapro 20mg) about a week ago, nearly cold turkey (2-3 days off, one day on for about a week before). Does anyone know how long it will be until the "brain zaps" stop? I feel sort of fuzzy, with a sudden "Oh, hey!" shock bringing me further into the zone... my whole body goes tingly for a split second. It's not really a problem, and actually feels pretty good, but I'm not at my most productive. Thanks in advance! eace:
after a couple of weeks for me, but i was on cymbalta for 6 months or so, so it might be different for you.
They say it takes four weeks to build up levels of the medication in your blood so maybe another 4 weeks for it to completely empty out again. The shocks will hopefully stop before then though! Good luck!
^ this. it's not good to go off psychiatric medications cold turkey if you want to stop taking something against the advice of your doctor, at least tell them that you aren't going to take it. they can at least advise you on how to go off of it. best to do this gradually you should probably tell your doctor that you went off cold turkey and the symptoms that you are experiencing
They will last a few weeks as your body depletes itself of the SSRI. I went cold turkey off 50mg paxil, not smart, but I had almost no side effects except for those brain zaps.
Poison. It helps those that need help but it is commonly abused when the doctors havn't even the faintest clue what they're doing.
SSRI means Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor It's the wonderful new(ish) breed of antidepressant which is supposed to be sooooo wonderful and soooo much better than the ones that went before ... only I was one of the Seroxat guinea pigs, and let me tell you, they ain't as wonderful as they're cracked up to be!!! Getting off the stuff was a NIGHTMARE with a capital F!!! I eventually did it with the aid of St John's Wort ... gradually switched from Seroxat to SJW, then slowly reduced the dosage of the SJW.
my ssri did absolutely nothing except induce left side migraines they went away after i slowly reduce dose to zero wasted time...wasted hopes..
So the zaps went away, and I feel amazing now. I agree with Logan 5; they definitely messed with me. Never had physical PMS symptoms before, but after taking Lexapro (+others) for 2 years I spend 2 days out of the month in bed wishing I could rip out my insides. Coincidence? I think not. But yeah. Safely off meds, and its working really well
In never had suicidal fantasies until I was on SSRIs. I never dremt I was a transsexual until I was on SSRIs.
