Hi, I'm Tosca

November 11, 2026

Hello I am 79 and I am in my 14th week of withdrawal from Lexapro. Would like for you to share your experience. I’m finding it very difficult dealing with the side effects nausea waves of anxiety, brain zaps, and of course your stomach and constant turmoil. Please share

Lexapro 15 mg from 2023 till present. Started taping off 14 weeks ago.

2 Replies

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Catina1d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

HI @Tosca, welcome to Taper Community! Are you currently tapering? If your symptoms are fairly severe, then perhaps you need to slow down your taper a bit. Allow yourself some time before you try to reduce again. Slower is faster. How often are you making reductions and by how much? We recommend Hyperbolic tapering here at TC - monthly reductions of no more than 10% of the previous month's dose. The reductions will therefore get smaller and smaller as time goes on. The greatest changes in receptor occupancy happen at very low doses, so tapering this way is safer and easier on the brain. Some members can only taper by 5% or even less. Everyone is different in what their own body can handle. They key is to listen to your body and adjust your taper accordingly. If you go to the Tapering Protocols, Symptoms & Self-Care, and I Need Support sections of the forum and click on the Guides tab, you'll find lots of helpful advice and tips. The Resources section also has lots of helpful information. We look forward to supporting you on your tapering and healing journey! Please have a look around the site and reach out anytime. Catina 💜 https://taper.community/drugs/lexapro https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-taper-off-lexapro

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 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.

anne noni moss1d ago

Trusted VoicePaxil · holding

Welcome! We are all having a hard time here...to one degree or another. We understand! Glad you are here. Please tell us more of your story, dosage history, etc. when you can.

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

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