How long do the withdrawal effects of Lexapro last once I stop taking it?
479257
it took me almost a month.  Caffeine made it worse for me.
286882
i was on 100mg of zoloft for a long period of time and i never experienced any withdrawel symptoms...but i felt like i was dying when i tried to come off lexapro...missing several doses of any medication can be quite dangerous, thats why the prescription information warns people about quitting a medication abruptly...withdrawel symptoms can make you feel utterly terrible...im glad your getting your refill today, it should help once you get back on your meds properly
1022124
I was on Effexor for about 3 years!  I went off of it about 4 months ago and I went though some major withdrawal!  You have to wean yourself off of it slowly!  Whatever mg you're on cut the dose by 37.5 mg each week until you're off it!  I went on Cymbalta afterward and it's worked really well for me!  Best of luck!
33257
Seroxat (aka Paxil) is one of the worst antidepressants to wean off. As you say, it can lead to dependence and the withdrawal symtpoms can be highly unpleasant. \n\nThere is no "one way" to withdraw from psych drugs effectively. Stopping cold turkey can certainly cause an array of troublesome symptoms, the most common being dizziness, which can last for days on end. Flu-like feelings, including nausea, headache and fatigue, are also common, as are intense feelings of anxiety, irritability or sadness. Some patients experience alarming sensations of tingling or burning in various parts of the body; ringing in the ears; blurred vision; or flashing lights before the eyes. Some people even describe a feeling of shock waves pulsing through their arms and legs, as if they had been zapped with a jolt of electricity, a condition sometimes called lightning-bolt syndrome.\n\nSometimes changing your diet is all that it takes. Withdrawal symptoms often occur because the brain's production of acetylocholine (a neurotransmitter in the brain) is disrupted. Adding supplements like Vitamin B (megavitamins are often recommended) is a good way to help sustain levels of acetylocholine in the brain and help ease the symptoms.\n\nBe sure to check out the sites below for more tips, advice and support.\n\nMike\n\n--\nDecoding Psychiatric Propaganda\nhttp://groups.msn.com/psychbusters
49483
You really should work with your doctor because from personal experience, and experience from other people I know, you should not try to do it yourself. I was weaned from effexor over a total of 8 weeks, I stepped down from my dosage every 2-3 weeks, depending on how I felt. You definitely do NOT want to stop cold turkey, you can possibly get the "rebound effect" which I compare to the actual symptoms that may have gotten you to start taking anti-depressants in the first place, intensified. It's not fun to go through, so really, the best thing to do is to consult a doctor, and if you can't, then take 4-8 weeks to slowly get off of them.
950909
It's not necessarily a withdrawl sympton. It's more of just coming down off the drug. It sucks. A bunch! It's probably the worst hangover. Some report a depression for up to a month after use. Go to www.erowid.org  and look for mdma or ecstasy. This hand little site will tell you anything and everything from how long it stays in your system to "trip reports" from people's own experiances with the drug. Good luck on your report.
137831
Clonazepam may be habit forming. Physical and/or psychological dependence can occur, and withdrawal effects are possible if the medication is stopped suddenly after prolonged or high-dose treatment. Do not stop taking clonazepam suddenly without first talking to your doctor if you have been taking it continuously for more than 5 to 7 days. Your doctor may want to gradually reduce the dose.
908091
I started Wellbutrin XL a week ago and have been having side effects on and off. One day I feel great, the next day I feel lousy (both physically and emotionally). However, overall the side effects have been diminishing and my mood has improved slightly (though this could still be the placebo effect). As many others have commented, every medication affects people differently. \n\nOne important thing to remember is that Wellbutrin is an atypical anti-depressant, as it works on ONLY norepinephrine and dopamine reuptake. Many people in Yahoo answers have given differing responses as to the mechanisms for Wellbutrin. \nLexapro is an SSRI and works primarily on seratonin. \n\nThis is an educated guess, but most likely your symptoms are a result of your withdrawal from the Lexapro rather than your new Wellbutrin regimen. SSRI's (Lexapro, Celexa, etc) tend to have relatively severe withdrawal symptoms in a great number of individuals. Nonetheless, Wellbutrin has also been known to cause many of the symptoms you've described, so that's probably an added factor.\n\nMy advice is to stick out the Wellbutrin. It is NOT advisable to skip doses of anti-depressants. If after another two weeks you continue to have unbearable side-effects, you should then consult your doctor about trying a new medication. \n\nAs always, the advice of your doctor should be followed first and foremost. However, I will say that many general practitioners are NOT aware of much of the literature published on these drugs. Doing your own research on these medications is highly advisable.
999338
I take Lexapro 20mg once a day and according to the paper you get from the pharmacist,it doesn't have decrease appetite on it,but if your having these symtoms,you might want to talk to your doctor.
675671
yes i just stopped taking it last month. i had a terrible feeling like a bad hangover for about a week.
404961
I was on 20mg anti deppressants for 9 months, which was called Paxil.  I was running out and I had moved 10 hours away from the doctor that prescribed it to me, so I decided to get off of them.  I cut them in half and I didn't feel any different and then I threw out the last few pills I had.  That's when I had withdrawals, which was horrible!!  I've never been through withdrawals with anything and it was so bad that while I was walking to work one day, I had to turn around and go back home because I just couldn't make it.  It lasted for a good week and finally I was off of the pills for good.  I can't say that I'm cured, but truly and honestly I don't want to go back on the pills.  I was told that I did the wrong thing and I should of consulted a doctor before getting off of them, which I think you should consult your doctor before you get off of the pills for good.
1087970
Yeah, it sounds like you need to switch to another drug in the same class. I had the same problem with 60mg of Prozac per day, switched to Paxil 30mg and noticed the difference in about a week's time.\n\nAnother good one is Lexapro.
330573
Discuss with your doctor if Lexapro would be a good choice for you.  I was diagnosed with full-blown post-partum depression with anxiety, panic attacks, overwhelmed by daily tasks etc. about 18 months ago, and my doctor gave me a sample of Lexapro 10 mg.  She told me it could take up to 4 or 6 weeks to start feeling better, but in rare cases one could feel better within the first week.  I was one of those lucky people!  I live a normal, stress-free life (well, there's always some stress, but it doesn't control me), I sleep great, my relationships with my family and friends are back to normal, and life is as it should be!  \n\nShould you go this route, you may want to cut the pill in half and take 5 mg to start with.  I found that the full 10 mg at first made me very sleepy (I started taking it at night), then I would be wide awake after 3 hours.  So once I took 5 mg it was better.  Then I built up my tolerance to 10, I started taking it in the morning.  After about 2 weeks I felt no side effects whatsoever, and the ones I did feel in those two weeks were so mild I hardly knew they were there.  \n\nI understand that there are many who can get through this disorder with natural remedies, but I tried vitamin therapy and found that nothing worked.  It is not a crime or a sign of weakness to go to your physician and get medical help for stress/anxiety/depression.  The medications that are coming out now have little to no side effects, and are very helpful.  \n\nGood luck to you!!
919855
Going cold turkey in NOT a good idea. You could begin to experience a lot of bad side effects like dizzyness, nausea, headaches- to the point of being incapacitated. I would have to know what type of Effexor you are taking to know how long the withdrawl will continue- extended release, or regular?\n\nPlease talk to your doctor and tell him/her that you want to stop taking the Effexor- and find a way to gradually wean your body off the medicine.\n\nThere are tons of forums and Q&A sites on the web you might want to check out. Here are 2 to start with. Hope this helps!\n\nhttp://www.thedoctorslounge.net/psychiatry/forums/viewtopic.php?t=1013\n\nhttp://www.medhelp.org/HealthTopics/Effexor.html
1004988
I have been taking Lexapro for a few months now. I am a 37 year old female. I have experienced no side effects that I can think of and it seems to be really making a difference in my life in a very positive way. I have been on many different medications of this type and  Lexapro is one of the best. Everyone is different though   and it  will take some time before you really know for sure if Lexapro is a good choice for the patient. \nGood luck.
380642
Antidepressants take 6-8 weeks to kick in.  Its an agonizing wait, I know.  You need to be careful when discontinuing your medication on your own.  You run the risk of getting discontinuation syndrome, in which your depression is greater than your depression 4 weeks ago.  Never discontinue a medication without first speaking to your doctor.
237302
Q: What will happen if I drink alcohol while taking LEXAPRO?\n\nA: Studies show that LEXAPRO does not increase the cognitive and motor effects brought on by alcohol. However, alcohol may deepen depression. Therefore, the use of alcohol with patients taking LEXAPRO is not recommended.\n\n~*~\n\nRemember, alcohol is a depressent.  I would HIGHLY recommend not taking it.  My mom drinks alcohol and takes her anti-depressants, but the alcohol cancels out the lexapro.  Don't do it man...