Cipralex Withdrawal?

[Phill2]

Hi Guys,
My dr who is a fellow sufferer and in whom I have absolute confidence has been fired for having too much time off work so I'm in a bit of a dilemma.
I've been on 10mg Cipralex (Lexapro) for about 12 mths and feel great but am sick of the weight gain and loss of sex drive so I wanna try getting off them.
Can anyone tell me how slowly I need to do it?
Thanks in advance
Phill
PS No I don't have any confidence in the other drs at the surgery as they've never suffered and I don't feel they properly understand the problem

Don't believe everything you think.

Don't believe everything you think.

[vernon]

Hi Phil, I would say come of them slowly as you can. I am on Cipralex 20mg been on them about 12 months too and not sure if they are helping or not. Here in UK you can get Cipralex in 5mg 10 mg and 20mg, Don’t know if you can get 5s there, but if it was me I would cut down to 7.5mg for a month or so (one and a half 5mg tabs) The slower you come of the less chance of bad side effects. Then if you are fine try 5mg for a couple of months, then half a 5mg for a while, the if all is ok try every other day 2.5 then very two days etc until you are fully off them. Seems a long time to get off then but if you try to come off too fast you could just end up back where you started? And look at it this way being on 5mg for a while is an achievement from 10mg? Hope this helps a bit. Hope you do well with coming off them. Take care. Vernon

[Phill2]

Thanks Vernon
Much appreciated. Like yo I'm feeling good but don't know whether its the drugs or not
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.

[vernon]

Know what you mean Phil, as you know with anxiety it comes and goes, sometimes unbearable and others not so bad. So is it just a coincidence that it has eases when we go on meds. Do what I said get 5 mg tabs in place of 10s and try one and a half for a while and see how you get on? But remember you might feel bad, not with withdrawal but thinking constant that you may be bad coming off. I think lots worry so much about coming off meds they create the anxieties that follow. All the best, Vernon

[Phill2]

Hi Guys
Just letting you know I've now been on 7.5mg for 3 weeks now and feeling great.
One more week and I'll go to 5mg
Phill

Don't believe everything you think.

[laurita]

Hello everyone,

I have just been prescribed Cipralex and would like to know what I might expect for side effects plus any possible withdrawal symptoms.

I went through a very tough time coming off Effexor, so I am reluctant to continue Cipralex if it is in any form addictive.

Please share your experiences with me. I will be most grateful for your feedback.

With best regards,

Laurita

[Hallvardo]

Laurita,

I'm having real problems coming of the cipralex. I've been on 20mg now for two years. Tried coming off them about a year ago, but felt my aggression problems were really coming back so I started taking them again.

Now I did it more slow. First down from 20mg to 10mg for a coupld of weeks, and then 5 mg for a couple of weeks, 5 mg every second day for a week, and then I quit.

I realize now that it was probably way too quick, since I've been having panic attacks and existential anxiety en masse over the last week. The withdrawal syptoms struck about two weeks after I came off it completely (along with electric shock sensations etc).

I'm back on 10mg now. Will go on with that for six months before I go down on the dose. I really do NOT want to have another of those panic attacks!

[Rozzy]

Hi! yes, I'm having problems coming off Cipralex too and I have only been on 5mg (!) for about 3 months. I thought it was getting better but today the "electric shocks" have been awful, I feel sick and as if I've got a stomach bug
Think it may be because I'm also on amitriptyline and Mirtazapine; what a cocktail!

Still, I'm hoping the worst is over.... I'm taking diazepam occasionally to try to help the withdrawal.

Why can't somebody invent a non-addictive, side-effect-free tranquillizer

Definitely come off this drug as slowly as possible - you can get liquid, I think, so you could cut down very gradually.

[alwaysanxious]

hi all i was on cipralex 2 years ago and i kept forgetting to take mine, but all i had was little electric shock feelings and brain zaps for about a month, it didnt really bother me that much...but never had any anxiety at all. was very normal till about 3 months ago when i had to go on them again due to alot of stress and i feel fine now.. this is my 3rd time on cipralex and apart from the awfull side effects when u 1st go on them , the last 3 times ive come off them ive been good... i think it depends on whats going on in your life when u come off them i was feeling really happy the the times i came off them before so didnt notice anythink.... hope this helps.. its my 3rd month on cipralex this time and i still get the odd freak day but im a trillions time better , plus its helping with my therapist and having C B T .

LISA X

[MrThinker]

Hi Guys,
My dr who is a fellow sufferer and in whom I have absolute confidence has been fired for having too much time off work so I'm in a bit of a dilemma.
I've been on 10mg Cipralex (Lexapro) for about 12 mths and feel great but am sick of the weight gain and loss of sex drive so I wanna try getting off them.
Can anyone tell me how slowly I need to do it?
Thanks in advance
Phill
PS No I don't have any confidence in the other drs at the surgery as they've never suffered and I don't feel they properly understand the problem

Don't believe everything you think.

Don't believe everything you think.

If your symptoms have gone away and you have not had a relapse within the last six months you are prime to try and come off them and see what happens. Not everyone needs to be on them long term. Sex drive will start to come back eventually so if you need to be on them don't let that put you off. Weight gain, yeah it seems to be a problem but it's better that the symptoms that put you on cipralex in first place I guess. I do believe many opinions are better than one but I know that some doctors just dont get it! Good luck!

Hi Guys,
My dr who is a fellow sufferer and in whom I have absolute confidence has been fired for having too much time off work so I'm in a bit of a dilemma.
I've been on 10mg Cipralex (Lexapro) for about 12 mths and feel great but am sick of the weight gain and loss of sex drive so I wanna try getting off them.
Can anyone tell me how slowly I need to do it?
Thanks in advance
Phill
PS No I don't have any confidence in the other drs at the surgery as they've never suffered and I don't feel they properly understand the problem

Don't believe everything you think.

Don't believe everything you think.

I have been on 20mg for a few years with a few breaks in between. I find that whenever I start coming off them when I get down to 10mg I get anxiety. I once came off them a couple of years ago quite quickly and I was fine but it was a really happy successful time. The unsuccessful attempts have been at the same time as stress so maybe that has a lot to do with it.
Sex drive was normal for me after 12 months but was affected at first and it's always a temptation to come off them to see if I am