Apr 14, 2026

6 posts

Eastern US

Hi, I'm LumiAir2600

April 14, 2026

Hello taper.community my name is Evan and I have been on many medications in the past 9 years, currently I am tapering my last psychiatric med and the one I've been on the longest... Lexapro. Ive been on escitalopram for 8.5 years, have tried to cold turkey/quick taper numerous times with no success. I have successfully discontinued numerous other medications during this span of almost 9 years and nothing has come remotely close in difficulty to this SSRI. Right before last summer I discovered survivingantidepressants.org and by the end of summer I decided enough was enough and it was time to commit to a proper taper, so Ive been cutting my dose by 10% hyperbolically since then (8 months ago). Ive been experiencing some pretty strong waves of wd symptoms and it's during these times that I turn to surviving's now discontinued website to learn, read and absorb as much as I can. Today while reading I stumbled across an amazing open letter of hope shared by @Catina and in their history taper.community was listed as their new go to site. I am not on any other forums nor have I ever been but based on how tough this journey continues to be and how few I can relate to in the process I decided it was time to give it a try. I plan to give as much support as I hopefully receive here in this community and to simply relate/grow with others who are also on this taper/healing journey.

-Escitalopram 10mg 2017-Present (tapering 10% hyperbolic monthly)- Current dose 4.05mg
-Diazepam as needed (use very sparingly)- 2.5mg
past meds:
-methylphenidate 10mg 23'-25'' (stopped 6 months ago was way too much on top of taper)
-Suboxone/sublocade 20'-21', 23'-25'
(Have tried many other meds & did not spent significant time on so I will not post here..)

12 Replies

YuliawithhopeApr 14

NavigatorLexapro · holding

Welcome Evan.

Lexapro — 2,2 mg — 5 — holding | without clinician

⭐

CatinaApr 14

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @LumiAir2600, it's really nice to have you here at Taper Community! It's great you've been able to get off numerous other medications; that's no small feat! I'm sorry your Lexapro taper is proving to be difficult. I'm glad to hear you've been arming yourself with lots of knowledge from SA. I probably wouldn't be here today if it hadn't have been for that site and the people on it. For me personally, cutting by 10% a month is simply too much for my nervous system to handle. You could always try reducing by a lesser amount; it might be easier for you. Just a suggestion. When you get a chance, create a Signature for yourself with an overview of your drug and taper history so we can best assist you. You can do this in Settings. Thank you! It's so important to have support on this journey with people who "get it" and can empathize and offer practical suggestions. It's great that you're here with us. We can all learn from each other along the way. Catina ❤️

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.28 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Lost summerApr 14

LighthousePaxil · reinstated

It's a shame we all have to rely upon strangers instead of doctors...But on a positive note...it's a blessing that we are all wise enough to know doctors can't help, and the only fix is supporting each other.

Paxil — 2.5 — 24 years — reinstated | Mirtazapine — 15mg — 3 — reinstated | Valium — 2.5 — 7 months — actively tapering | without clinician
Also tapering Tapentadol and dexamphetamine

⭐

CatinaApr 14

Community AnchorEffexor

"It's a shame we all have to rely upon strangers instead of doctors...But on a positive note...it's a blessing that we are all wise enough to know doctors can't help, and the only fix is supporting each other." — @Lost summer

Sad, but oh so true! I'm thankful for all the wonderful members we have so far. We need each other. ❤️

⭐

SteveStaffApr 14

Community AnchorEffexor · active

Another warrior 💪👍 Great you found us, we are on the same path and pretty much experienced the symptoms you are probably going through. And it‘s true, sometimes even 10% is too much. I started my journey with way less and it was really hard. Your current dosage and already tapered meds (optional) would be interesting, more important the current one to know where you are right now. Read through the information Catina already uploaded, it‘s a good guide. All the best to you and tell us how you feel and how you taper next.

off Stimulants (2000-2013)
off Fluoxetine (2010-2013)
off Lamotrigine (2013-2016)
off Quetiapain (2016-2020)

currently Effexor — 33mg — 13 years (from 300mg) — actively tapering | with clinician

JulesStaffApr 14

Community Anchor

Hi Evan, welcome to our little corner of the internet. I've successfully tapered off all psych drugs and have been free for 7 years. SSRIs can be very difficult to taper off of. I've always found poco a poco (little by little) is the best way to play the game. There's a taper guide for tapering off Lexapro that might be helpful to you here: https://taper.community/drugs/lexapro

LumiAir2600Apr 16

Welcomer

@Yuliawithhope thank you!

LumiAir2600Apr 16

Welcomer

"For me personally, cutting by 10% a month is simply too much for my nervous system to handle. You could always try reducing by a lesser amount; it might be easier for you. Just a suggestion." — @Catina

@Catina thank you for the reply and suggestion and thank you for all you contributed to SA. I am definitely considering dropping by smaller amounts soon, 100% will be when the dose gets lower. The thought of dragging this out even longer is what keeps me from cutting by less than 10% right now, the drops are still bearable enough.

LumiAir2600Apr 16

Welcomer

"It's a shame we all have to rely upon strangers instead of doctors...But on a positive note...it's a blessing that we are all wise enough to know doctors can't help, and the only fix is supporting each other." — @Lost summer

Reminds me of a quote I read the other day "no matter how bad your condition is, there's a doctor that can make it worse"

LumiAir2600Apr 16

Welcomer

@Steve thank you!

LumiAir2600Apr 16

Welcomer

@Jules thank you! I will definitely check out that taper guide and am for sure considering dropping by smaller amounts here soon. Appreciate the response and congrats on being free from the poison for 7 years thats amazing!

⭐

CatinaApr 16

Community AnchorEffexor

"I am definitely considering dropping by smaller amounts soon, 100% will be when the dose gets lower. The thought of dragging this out even longer is what keeps me from cutting by less than 10% right now, the drops are still bearable enough." — @LumiAir2600

It's hard to come to terms with how long this process can take. It's a test of patience, that's for sure! I'm going to be tapering for many years to come, but for me it's the safest way. It's easier to go slowly and give your body time to adjust rather than rushing through then experiencing a crash, which can take a long time to recover from. Keep listening to your body and adjust things accordingly. I remind myself that it's a marathon, not a sprint. You're doing great so far though!

Join the conversation

Need a clinician who understands tapering?

Browse our map of deprescribing-informed providers worldwide.

Find a Deprescriber