Quitting Cold Turkey
Hi!
I just recently stopped taking Lexapro after being on it for a year and a half. It's day 2 today; yesterday was a little rough. Today seemed to be better but I feel a little shut down right now. There is something in me that's saying "it's just part of the withdrawal" so that's a good thing right?
What's everyone's opinion on stopping an antidepressant cold turkey? Many do NOT advise it because it can cause a relapse in depression, suicidal thoughts, etc. I have read stories where people have done it and are perfectly fine.
Well it depends on the person, and how you quit the medicines. Some people get bad withdrawals effects that lasts for awhile, others for weeks etc. At times symptoms can comeback in a worst way, but I hope things can work out for you.
Quitting cold turkey is not a good idea. There is no reason not to wein off of it.
I weined off of it and still had withdraw symptoms, but if you do it cold turkey it could be much much worse than how my body responded.
I hope you've talked to your doctor or psychiatrist about this?
Because other people might have been fine, but they're not you. And the possible side effects can be dangerous, so maybe it's better to be safe than sorry.
So maybe it'll workout, but please do take the necessary precautions. After having taken the medicine for a pretty long time, a year and a half, it will have had an effect on the way your body works. And removing it completely, as you know, can have adverse effects.
I quit lexapro cold turkey as well. The first two weeks are very tough. You will be on a roller coaster. At your worst, in my case, I was dizzy, overly sensitive, and I had headaches. If you can deal with that, you'll be fine. However, I can say that my "bad days" are very bad days. I can now feel when my brain isn't releasing the serotonin I need. So make sure you are prepared for that!!
