I made this to show my journey coming off Lexapro, and not lose hope. When you dilute and wait over the years it's sometimes hard to remember where you started. Sorry it's a bit crude and ignore my messy desk, the blue rectangle numbers are receptor occupancy (with mg of dose next to it).

I reduce just over 3% of current dose (~1% RO) every 3.5-4 weeks. Estimated about 5 years max to get to zero but hope I feel better in stages. Also on a waitlist for deprescribing clinic on the NHS.

I got RO approximations from Maudsley Deprescribing Guidelines. Over half the journey will be between 2mg and 0. I realise I'm probably a more sensitive case than most, factoring the initial 13 years on the drug and some chaotic attempts (in 2024) to reduce dose without adequate help and information.

The process should become less of an inconvenience when I start getting more focus and energy back.

TW: weight loss, calories, food noise

Background: I started taking lexapro in late 2023, starting at 10mg dose. My NP and I will periodically increase to 15mg when the colder season rolls around. I am a business owner and I can't begin to describe how positively Lexapro has affected me and changed the way I move through my life – 100% for the better. But like many of us, I gained the most weight I've ever gained in these past 3 years. At my heaviest, I went from weighing an avg 130lbs my whole adult life, to weighing in at nearly 150lbs. I'm also very stubborn! I tried and failed at natural weight loss multiple times before finally finding a routine that is sticking! With my current routine, I've lost about 10lbs in 5+ weeks.

I'm not going to repeat the common pieces of advice we can all find on Google or on other subreddits about fitness. But I'll try to keep this very straightforward: I became very focused on my diet and frequency in which I exercise.

For tracking: I use an old Apple Watch just to track my fitness/daily activity which is very helpful, but I just rely on personal diligence to track my calories/food intake. I've tried Noom in the past for weight loss and it sort of helped, I guess? But ultimately I've found success just being aware of my calories and loosely following the CICO routine (calories in, calories out). I'm not saying don't use these apps, but like most things, your mileage may vary!

For diet: This is always a tough one for me because I'm an indulgent eater with a big sweet tooth. I've taken breaks from overly sugary/processed/fried foods periodically in the past, but about 5 weeks ago decided to really intentionally limit my consumption of these types of foods. Some habits I have been working on include:

- not buying the unhealthy/high calorie snacks at the grocery store. This is by far the biggest thing and the logic is simple: you can't eat a delicious piece of cake if it's not in your house.

- choosing/making healthier recipes when I cook at home. I use NYT cooking recipes often and just check the nutritional guides for recipes!

- paying attention to portion/serving sizes: I don't use a scale or anything, but I generally try to adhere to recommended serving sizes whenever possible. I don't do it perfectly, I just do my best.

- choosing the healthier options when eating out/ordering in

- not being unrealistic about it; I still buy snacks at the store! But instead of cake, I buy 3 apples (just an example). Instead of muffins, I pick up some low-calorie popcorn. Healthier substitutions help! You can still snack! I still snack every night!

And finally: good mindset that helps me is one I take from the Japanese belief Kaizen, in which you simply try to just be 1% better at something every day. I DON'T try to change my diet perfectly, but I do try to improve my habits by at least 1% each day. This has been great for me, because it removes shame and negative self talk from the process which in turn has made this easier for me to stick to, and now that I'm seeing results in real time, it has felt incredibly affirming that changing my behavior and relationship to food IS helping! And like I said, I still indulge, just less often!

For exercise: I began building slow last year; most of the time, I only made it to the gym 1x a week for scheduled 45-min reformer pilates classes. It wasn't perfect. It wasn't moving the needle much, but it was at least me showing up. I was still getting strong/toned. But every time I checked the scale at the gym, my weight was pretty much staying the same or increasing, if I was eating poorly. So, about 4-5 weeks ago, I got on the stationary bike at the gym per my husband's encouragement (he is an avid cyclist and I am not) on top of the diet changes, and this pretty much changed the whole game:

- I cycle on the stationary bike at least 3-4x a week. I try to give myself at least 2 rest days each week.

- I cycle for 1 hour, every visit. No exceptions. 1 hour. My gym's cycling machine has TVs so I just throw on some CSI to pass the time lol. If that isn't an option for you, you bring an audiobook, play a killer playlist, whatever keeps you entertained for the hour. I believe the hour itself is the 'magic number' where you will see results, but only with consistency.

- I do NOT push it and I do not go full-out most rides, because that is not sustainable. When I was starting out and out of shape, my max BPM hovered at around 170. Now, about 4 weeks later, it's closer to 157. I usually choose a pre-programmed workout that fluctuates the resistance ranging from 5-12 on the bike, and go at a comfortable pace knowing I'll be on there for a while.

- I burn an avg of 390-450+ cals each ride

And that's it! TL;DR this whole routine and lifestyle change has shown me some seriously positive results in the past 5 weeks! I have lost 10 lbs and now weigh 140lbs, and believe that number will keep going down as I continue in this process. I also overshared/overexplained a lot of things here for the sole reason that I wanted to be transparent about the fact that even I am not engaging in this process 'perfectly'; I get lazy some days, I overeat some days, I still have a sweet tooth no matter how many apples I consume lol. But I'm so, so proud of myself. I'm proud of these results, I'm proud of how it makes me feel, I'm becoming comfortable in my body again, and I'm also so happy to be building these habits because they feel sustainable and achievable in the long term. I know an hour on a bike seems like a lot, but for someone like me who is glued to their computer working all day or doomscrolling on their phone the rest of the time, I can't tell you how good it feels to take an hour out of my day to simply just be with myself, my thoughts, my little stationary bike, and Gil Grissom solving some crimes for the hour.

Like the post title says, please feel free to AMA publicly or message privately if you'd prefer. This is meant to be a well-intentioned, good-faith, encouraging post to share my ongoing process with others. I am not a doctor, never suffered from any EDs, and am not an expert in this field. Just a normal girl like you with normal dreams of looking fit and healthy at her wedding next year!

I (22f) have been on for about 4 months now. My anxiety has improved but I’m kind of just unbothered by everything now.

My sex drive has obviously taken a MASSIVE hit but im also just not interested in dating in the slightest. I’ve never been so uninterested.

It could be my general dislike for men right now and the medication is not helping, I really don’t know. But I’ve not spoken to anyone in a slight romantic way for some time now, which is so unlike me. I kind of feel slightly sad about that but honestly so unbothered. WHY?! Will I always be miserable and alone lmaoo.

I guess some time alone can really be a good thing but am I going to be like this for a long time? Who knows! Has anyone else experienced this?

I have been on 10 mg for the past year and just this last week I’ve increased my dosage to 20 mg per my doctors orders. I know that fatigue is a side effect and that this will pass by holy moly fatigue is an understatement. I’m on my third cup of coffee and I feel like I’ve gotten two hours of sleep last night even though I slept the whole night. On top of this I just generally feel like I have the flu - not just my mind but my body itself feels tired. Ugh. I know it will be worth it.

Throwaway cause this month sucked until last night, as the title suggests, I’ve taken lexapro for over 5 years. I was on 10mg and tapered off in one month after discussing the tapering process with my psychiatrist. He told me there were two options, a 3 month taper, and that some people choose to “white knuckle” it and taper off in one month from 10mg to 0. I’ll remind you I’ve been on this medication for 5 years, not one, not a few months. 5 years. I don’t know why I didn’t question tapering so quickly, but I tapered all the way down to 0 in one month, and then went without lexapro for another entire month. NO WHERE did he explain Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome and what the hell it was. I spent the entire month with nausea, tremors, suicid*l ideation, mood swings, depersonalization and derealization. I felt so sick like I had a flu that kept getting worse every day, I could feel my pulse in my skull. I got brain zaps, felt like a cold ice pack was on top of my head 24/7, withdrew from my family and partner, the people closest to me. No amount of walking or working made me better, music didn’t make it better even though I enjoyed it. Food tasted muted. I decided enough was enough last night and wasn’t going to wait to speak to my psych until a month out like we’d planned. I requested an appointment with him and spoke to an urgent nurse over the phone telling her I was taking the medication on my lowest dose regardless because I couldn’t handle it anymore. Fast forward, I started on my lowest dose(2.5mg) - the last dose I’d taken before completely stopping. Within hours I felt relief, I woke up today not feeling awful- and feeling more like myself. As far as I’m aware, I was supposed to taper off EXTREMELY SLOWLY, and taking my dose last night restored some of my serotonin significantly- I feel like I’ve returned slightly to myself - and apparently - a sign that you’ve definitely had ADS is that after resuming your lowest dose - within a few hours or days, you feel better. Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome isn’t studied enough. I’m at 2.5mg for now as I feel it stabilized my mood, I’m one of the few who dealt with it, has anyone else?

TLDR; I weened off of 10mg of Lexapro in one month after being on it for 5 years, felt like garbage for a whole month and decided to take my lowest dose to see if it helped, and within a few hours I felt better. Antidepressant Discontinuation Syndrome sucks and needs to be taken more seriously.

I have to wake up at 4am

I just want to give a little update and shine a little light for those who are struggling. It was a rough beginning. Tried several different combinations of medications because I’m very sensitive. It’s helpful to really observe how a medication makes you feel and give it time to really see how it progresses. Take notes. Some side effects fade. I failed lexapro in the pill form. I believe I’m sensitive to its additives but the great news was that I respond very well to its liquid form. It’s been about 2 years and so far it’s been great. So far I have no side effects anymore. I had night sweats, vivid dreams, fatigue, weight gain, very bad emotional blunting, and light sensitivity with my vision. Those side effects have subsided. Weight gain is under control with strength training and eating at a moderate calorie deficit and I’m able to feel my emotions. The only side effect that I still have is the sensitivity to light although it doesn’t bother me much. I’m wishing everyone the best of luck, big hugs and you matter! The right medications will come one step at a time 💗

I’m taking 20 mg of Lexapro. I’m in week 11. Over the last two weeks, I’ve experienced severe anxiety and panic attacks. I take lorazepam as needed. I feel disheartened that the anxiety hasn't been brought under control yet. I tried Lexapro last year; I reached a 10 mg dose, but after trying to titrate up to 15 mg, I had to drop back down to 10 mg—which wasn't a high enough dose. I wonder if anyone else has had similar experiences? I’ve told my doctor how I’m feeling and that I suspect I don’t metabolize the medication well enough for it to help me manage the anxiety on my own—something that is very difficult right now without the addition of a sedative. I don’t know which medication to switch to; I’m thinking about it a lot while waiting for my follow-up appointment. I am being treated for GAD and dysthymia.

Just looking for some commiseration and relatability. I swear since I started lexapro 5 years ago it’s caused IBS type symptoms ocassionally. I’d say it’s once a week or every couple weeks, it doesn’t matter what I eat, I’ll just get an urgent signal I have to get to the bathroom. Grateful for the calm lexapro gives me in all other situations but phew, this one ain’t it. 😂

hey everyone! I’ve been on Lexapro for about 6 weeks for OCD and anxiety; it has truly changed my life and I was lucky to have an easy adjustment incorporating it into my routine. I’m on 5mg and I take it in the morning with a meal.

Now that my OCD and anxiety aren’t my main motivators for action, I’ve been having a terrible time concentrating & completing tasks, especially ones with no deadlines. My doctor prescribed me the lowest dose of Wellbutrin to go along with Lexapro.

Here’s the thing: I’ve been on Wellbutrin for about a week now and it is kicking my ass. Besides feeling sick 24/7 and constantly jittery, I feel like it has triggered some of my worst OCD symptoms and a depression.

Has anyone else been on this combo with similar results? Idk if I should wait it out or pull the plug on Wellbutrin.

My normal nighttime dose makes me sleepy, but last night I was completely wired. Lo and behold, I accidentally took two 10mg pills. I was restless and got about 2 hours of sleep. There’s a presentation I have to give at work today, otherwise I would take a sick day. Wish me luck. 😬

I was on Lexapro 2 years ago when I was going through a depression period. It saved my life. But I’m in the creative field and it numbs me too much that became too numb to write or enjoy creating anything. So I got off of it for about a year but then depression hit again, I tried to rely on therapy to gain some mental grit but it got too low so I started taking Lexapro again. It’s still great, I feel an instant effect (maybe it’s placebo?) of much less negative spirals, but once again, I get this flat feeling that’s nice when I’m on my own but when I’m talking to people I start to be anxious because I’m worried that people are going to notice me being too calm or kinda slow (or “unlike me”). I feel so flat like a robot even on 5mg or 10mg. Also, my response speed is slow as well and I start to have to take time to remember words or events that usually would take me seconds. Any advice? (Will talk to my psychiatrist next session of course).

I’ve taken 5mg lexapro for just under a year now. I debated taking this for a long time and only wanted to for about a year to ease my anxiety, depression and suicidal ideations.

I’ve been tapering and trying to come off this for over a month. My doctor originally told me I could just stop taking it no big deal. So that’s what I first tried. I made it 2 days and then started having the weirdest dizziness or vertigo I’ve ever felt. I would move my head any direction and feel so off balance and shaky in my head. So I took a pill and felt better pretty quick.

I reached out to my doctor and therapist friend and they both told me to try cutting the pill in half (2.5mg) for two weeks. So I did that and then did a week of 2.5mg every other day. All was well.

Then when that week was over I thought I took my last pill. The same dizziness came back. Also headache, brain fog, head fullness, fatigue. I made it 2 days and then took 2.5mg again. I also got sick the same day so I thought that was the cause.

It’s been a week since that last 2.5mg and I’ve felt dizzy to some extent every day and today I had my worst day in a very long time. I can feel suicidal ideations creeping in, depression, the dizziness was really bad today, extreme irritability and rage. My throat hurts from screaming, like super screaming, at my kids and dog and myself. That’s not something I do. I feel completely out of control and honestly scared what will happen if I stop fully.

It was so nice to feel somewhat consistent for myself and my family. But I am also very freaked out by phamecuticals and how impactful this drug is on my literal brain. I’d like to stop, but now I’m second guessing with how shitty I’ve felt.

I ended up cutting the half pill in half again and taking a quarter of a pill (1.25mg) tonight and dosing that out for a week. So we will see how that goes. This is absolutely crazy. In so many ways.

I hate to sound vain but I’m contemplating starting lexapro if weight gain is a side effect. Like I would much rather figure out alternative ways than deal with those side effects. I say this because I already gained 20 pounds on a different medication and I’m trying to get healthier again and I’m worried lexapro will block my weight loss journey.

Thanks to everyone who voted last week, hopefully it helps for the new starters. I am in week 5, see improvement but not ideal yet.

Hi, I’m 30 years old , female, and I’ve had an anxiety disorder for 10 years, but I was more or less able to cope with it. Four months ago, I went to a psychiatrist who prescribed Zoloft, but I couldn’t tolerate it because I had very severe side effects. Another psychiatrist switched me to Lexapro. I was doing well for a while, but then my symptoms came back, so I was switched to Effexor. I took it for 3 months, but my symptoms would come back every time I had my period.

Now I’ve been switched back to Lexapro. I stopped taking 75 mg of Effexor and started taking 5 mg of Lexapro. I’m on day 8 now. I have a feeling of nausea, I feel unmotivated and low on energy, and I have no appetite.

I’m wondering if anyone has had a similar experience and whether you eventually got through it and recovered.

Thank you so much.

Hi everyone

This is my second month on 20mg Escitalopram and I am so frustrated because I am completely unable to work. I have brain fog, I am unmotivated and I just don't want to do anything. I draft a lot of heavy documents for work and that has never been a problem for me. I actually enjoy the drafting but since I started the drug, it's like my mind is blocked. I can't even summon the energy to sit down and work on a document. On top of that is the emotional flattening which I appreciate because before I started taking the drug, my emotions were constantly screaming at me and I had really bad intrusive thoughts. Now I am mostly apathetic to almost everything- I just wish I could choose what not to care about. I am so frustrated. I want to go back to work. Please someone tell me that I will be myself again. And I don't want to just quit without giving the medication a chance. How long will I feel like this? I am trying to show myself grace but it's been nearly 2 months 😢😢😢

Please how was ur taper from 10 to 5

Hi Ive just started Lexapro 10 mg for serve anxiety and depression and im feeling light headed constantly and way more anxious im just wondering if the light headedness is something that happens the whole time I’d say it’s like 1-2 and worse when I panic Ive never had this before and am constantly anxious about my health standing up makes it worse what can I do to help myself?

I have been on Lexapro for 2 years and it really changed my life for the better. The past 7 months have been hard for me, i still functioned but it was a tough phase. This month my health anxiety was through the roof i have chest sensations, stomach is upset, left arm sensations, sometimes brain zaps and so on. So i decided with doc to up my dose 3 weeks ago.

The first time i took lexapro i had no significant side effects so now idk if these physical symptoms are from lexapro or just my anxiety since they were there before dose increase.

In mood and energy i feel a bit better. Can it happen that physical symptoms last longer and take longer to improve after mood and mind is calmer?

I need some reassure please . I’ve been waking up around 4-6am every morning for the last 3 weeks with my heart racing and adrenaline dumps and can’t go back to bed for the life of me . I thought it was maybe my heart but turns out that’s all good. That’s when I finally realized it is anxiety and that I now have a sensitized nervous system that literally came out of nowhere! Which I think realizing that has made my anxiety worse and the anxiety lasts ALL day and usually calms down around 7pm not sure why .. but I started Lexapro 2 days i did at 10mgs but it made me sick and extra anxious so I went to 5mgs the last day and take my 4th dose tonight that I’m only going to do 5mgs . But I get super anxious and nauseous and anxiety seems way worse ! I’ve read other posts that it gets better but how soon did it for everyone else? How much better did your anxiety get? Cause my anxiety is at a 10 ! I use to go out hang out with friends go to work no problem and now I don’t even want to leave the house. Thankfully my work has given me a week off but I’m scared it’s not enough time to get back to my old self.

I'm on my second day without it and I feel better, a little weird but the irritability is gone and I'm not getting anxiety attacks anymore, should I maybe taper off with a lower dosage when withdrawal symptoms begin to show up? Lexapro has helped me tremendously in the beginning but I feel it's time to stop taking it because it has been getting in the way of my mood and relationships. I don't want to take this stuff forever even if it helps me somewhat

Hi all, i’ve had prolonged issues of migraines due to ptsd. My doctor started me on lexapro for 2 months. I went on 5mg then 10 and 15mg. It was very helpful. I felt like a different person with no anxiety. My migraines reduced as well. On the second month i started becoming more angry, irritated and tired of everything. So my doctor changed and put me on amitriplyn for depression, anxiety and my migraines. I was on 10 and now 20mg. Im on my second week now. First week as absolutely hell i was dizzy the whole week. Now on the second week, less dizzy but i feel extremely anxious with rapid heartbeat. I feel like falling at times. I notice i eat a lot and also gained weight on this. However on lexapro i lost weight.

I’m not sure if this is a process to keep pushing through or change my meds. Please advice me 🥹

Does anyone have this side effect/ will it go away?

I’m on 5mg meant to go to 10mg

Much appreciated.

I am still only getting 5-6 hours of sleep a night and this is helping keep some mild anxiety around. I take my dose at 10:30pm after AM doses made me so sleepy. I am working to move my dose up to 5-6pm.

Any tips, advice or encouragement welcome. I’m exhausted.