Hi, I'm Vinnie

Hi Vinnie, Welcome to the community. Take a look at the guides on hyperbolic tapering in the Resources section. It's possible that you tapered too quickly. The period between starting the medication and beginning to taper again was quite short, and the nervous system needs enough time to adjust. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out.

Hi @Vinnie, welcome! I'm sorry about your health anxiety. There are ways to handle this problem naturally and without the use of drugs. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy is great for this! Here is some free education about it: https://taper.community/thread/31d4a5cb-737e-4eec-8449-1894a8a9747c I'm really sorry about the unexpected death that happened and how it affected you. That can really cause added stress in our life. I can hear your frustration about the Lexapro side effects and taper. I'm sorry you're having such a difficult time. I know you want off of it, but unfortunately this process can't be rushed. As the other member pointed out, perhaps you're tapering a bit too fast. It might be best to hold your dose where you're at for awhile until things settle down. They will in time, so hang in there. When you feel ready you can reduce again, but you may want to make a smaller reduction. Are you tapering Hyperbolically? If not, you'll want to learn about that in the Resources section. Basically, you don't want to reduce anymore than 10% each month from the previous month's dose. The doses will therefore get small and smaller as time goes on. The greatest changes in serotonin receptors happen at very low doses. Here are some helpful links for you that should arm you with some knowledge to help you on your tapering journey. You're never alone and can reach out anytime you need help! https://taper.community/drugs/lexapro https://taper.community/forums/lexapro https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-taper-off-lexapro https://taper.community/thread/57d0fb51-6e6e-4517-9d3d-1dd2f2e3880c Catina 🌸

"I have been on lexapro since June 2025. U struggle really bad with severe health anxiety. For a few years I thought I was healed, then someone very closed to me died suddenly with no preexisting symptoms. So, that caused an uproar in symptoms!! The worst I have ever experience..." — @Vinnie

I’m sorry about your experience. About your anxiety and other symptoms. I am not a medical professional, but I am also on my tapering journey. I’m a little lower than you right now- At 4.05 currently. Started tapering from 5mg that I took for a year. I started taking it in February of 2025, so we have a similar journey. I just have a few suggestions that have worked for me. I personally like to go on walks twice a day- once at lunch while on my break, and then right after work- while it’s still sunny. I try to walk 20-30 minutes at a time. Sometimes I will go walking for an hour. Walking really helps lower stress and anxiety, and getting regular vitamin D from the sun really helps lift depression. Lifting weights at the gym helps too- my counselor told me that exercise was 2x as effective as drugs for helping anxiety. I also started eating pumpkin seeds - you can get them shelled. They pack 40% of your daily magnesium which really helps with lowering stress and any neurological problems. I’ve noticed I don’t clench my jaw as much. It has a lot of other minerals like iron, manganese, potassium, and others.