Supporting · Sep 13, 2026

supporting

6 posts

Belgium

I need support after quitting Escitalopram

Posted in:

Lexapro (Escitalopram)Support

September 13, 2026

Dear community, I’d like to share my story and ask for an advice. I stopped Escitalopram (Cipralex) in July, it has now been around 8 weeks since full discontinuation. Before I was on 10 mg, reduced to 5 mg over two weeks and that was it. I noticed different symptoms in the course of first few weeks, mostly fatigue and brain zaps. I slept fine, I was feeling like myself. In the last 2-3 weeks it got worse as I am really anxious, struggling with insomnia, fatigue and depressive mode. I was on it for around a year. I assume coming of was too fast and these are still withdrawals symptoms that came only weeks later. I tried to be gentle with myself as I see I am not the only one, but sometimes it is hard to stay positive and know whether my symptoms have returned or not. My doctor told me to monitor the situation and keep track of my symptoms, that every situation is individual. She didn’t disregard the possibility of being a withdrawal, but she also said that is too late to get back on it. At this point I don’t event think about this option I just want to understand what is happening and stay positive about it. Has anyone been in similar situation and what has helped you? Is this a common process you are all going through? PS: this is my second time being on escitalopram, I started first in March 2024 and was on it until February 2025. Last year my symptoms were nothing compared to this episode, only later in May I noticed them due to stressful work situation and in agreement with my doctor I was put back on.

Escitalopram tapered off in July 2026. 10 mg to 5mg over 2 weeks. Stopping entirely in mid July. Having issues with different withdrawal symptoms.

13 Replies

DuloxiSep 13

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

Hi Maja, Yes, some people experience extremely severe withdrawal symptoms for weeks or even months because the medication was tapered or stopped too quickly. Withdrawal symptoms can sometimes appear months later, even if you initially feel fine after stopping. Some people are then surprised when symptoms suddenly appear and are diagnosed as having a relapse. These are classic situations you hear about again and again. The nervous system can become extremely sensitive when a medication is tapered too quickly. It needs much more time to adjust and return to a more stable state. You can’t speed up the healing of a broken foot either. The nervous system also needs time to adapt after a dose change, and that can take weeks or months. If you don’t taper slowly and let your symptoms guide the pace, you can end up destabilizing yourself again and again.

Cymbalta — 20mg(12mg) — 17 Jahre — holding -with clinician - 90 mg – 2021: First tapering attempt.
60 mg – 2023: Second tapering attempt.
With a doctor's supervision—but unfortunately, a doctor who doesn't know how to properly taper off an antidepressant.

Maja23Sep 13

@Duloxi Thank you very much! Would it make sense that I find a strategy with my doctor to start again the lowest dose and then find the best way how to taper or since it is already been 8 weeks try to hold it through? As said I am hopeful and try to be patient, I just want some reassurance about the timeline which I know it is impossible to get.

Escitalopram tapered off in July 2026. 10 mg to 5mg over 2 weeks. Stopping entirely in mid July. Having issues with different withdrawal symptoms.

DuloxiSep 13

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

I also tried to just “push through it,” but so far that has never been a good strategy for me. Even though I was relatively stable at times, I kept having increasingly severe setbacks despite staying on the same dose. This was still happening even six months later. Don’t be afraid—you can get through this. From my experience, a small reinstatement would probably be the best option. Not too high, because that could destabilize you as well. Discuss it with your doctor and consider starting with the lowest dose. I believe that’s 5 mg for escitalopram, right? The sooner you reinstate, the better. The smartest strategy is hyperbolic tapering. And even more importantly, if you’re experiencing symptoms at the lower doses, it’s better to hold for a long time rather than continue reducing. At the very lowest doses, often around or below the minimum therapeutic dose, the pharmacological effect of each milligram can be particularly significant. Please take some time to read through the Resources section. It’s really important to understand what the hyperbolic theory means. This is not a linear process. Going from 50 mg to 25 mg is not the same as going from 15 mg to 7.5 mg, even though both reductions are 50%! You’ll probably start feeling better again relatively quickly. There will always be ups and downs, which is why it’s important to rate and document your five worst symptoms every day on a scale from 1–10. A single day doesn’t tell you much—the trend over several days is what really matters!

Maja23Sep 14

@Duloxi many thanks for your support. it is really hard to describe to my family and people around me how this feels like. I am afraid because I thought this time would be different and I would be able to function fine. I was not hoping for my nervous system to destabilise that much. I am mostly afraid of this being a relapse, which to me considering all does not make sense. It is a confusing process. I will contact my doctor with a proposal of getting back to the lowest dose to see if that helps. Many thanks again!

Escitalopram tapered off in July 2026. 10 mg to 5mg over 2 weeks. Stopping entirely in mid July. Having issues with different withdrawal symptoms.

DuloxiSep 14

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

Hi Maja, You’re very welcome. Some of us have been through quite a lot by now, and the experiences and data from tens of thousands of people affected by withdrawal simply tell us more than guidelines based on studies lasting only 8–12 weeks. For many people, that’s when withdrawal symptoms are only just beginning. You don’t need to be afraid. Things can settle down again relatively quickly. I just can’t tell you at what dose that will happen. One thing I do know is that increasing the dose too quickly can also be a mistake. So start with a very small amount and give it around two weeks. If you already notice improvements, give yourself time. The nervous system can sometimes settle more quickly than you might expect. And remember: a single day usually doesn’t tell you very much. What matters is the trend over several days! In your situation, it can be very difficult to distinguish between withdrawal and a relapse. Since you tapered much too quickly, it may make sense to carefully find a dose at which you can stabilize again. Then, after you’ve had enough time to stabilize, you can consider continuing with a proper strategy based on the hyperbolic tapering principle. Feel free to reach out when the time comes. But until then, stability before speed! Keep us updated, and if you run into any problems, let’s talk about them. I wish you all the best!

Maja23Sep 15

@Duloxi I will keep you posted for sure. I also hope my experience helps others. My doctor replied in a way that is vague that it is hard to distinguish what is happening, but as I suggested I could go back to the lowest dose (5mg) over few weeks to see what happens. I haven’t done so yet but I have that option if it becomes too much and if I want to support myself. I also wanted to share that today I had a good day after a long time in so many different ways, emotionally and physically. It all started with a good night sleep. Still not perfect but surely better. It may be a “window” phase - hopefully a sign that my nervous system is (slowly) adjusting. I assume that is also quite common in this recovery process? As you said I will keep an eye on trend going forward. Fingers crossed. 😊

Escitalopram tapered off in July 2026. 10 mg to 5mg over 2 weeks. Stopping entirely in mid July. Having issues with different withdrawal symptoms.

MashaSep 15

LighthousePaxil · holding

@Maja23 I agree with tapering very slowly and reinstating as needed. I also was tapered way too quickly and experienced withdrawal weeks later. I thought the symptoms were “normal” until it got really bad. Have mercy on your self and find a stable spot and hold there. Good luck!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

RazorOct 1

WelcomerLexapro · holding

I went from 20 mg of Lexapro down to 2.5 mg with no problems. Breaking the pill down further left me with tiny crumbs so after a week of one point two five milligrams I stopped completely and was fine for 6 weeks. And woke up in the middle of night with a severe panic attack depersonalization and derealization that heralded the start of 6 weeks of from anxiety agitation and restlessness by reinstating five milligrams of Lexapro.

Lexapro — 2.5 mg — 7 years — holding | without clinician

RazorOct 1

WelcomerLexapro · holding

Despite reinstating Lexapro at 5 mg. I am now following the hyperbolic tubering process and I'm down to two points on milligrams with rather severe neck and back stiffness and soreness. Holding here and the stiffness is getting a little better.

Lexapro — 2.5 mg — 7 years — holding | without clinician

DuloxiOct 1

Community AnchorCymbalta · holding

@Razor That’s what I always say. After having severe symptoms, I had an eight-week window where I felt much better, and then things gradually got worse again. If you accidentally skip a few steps during the taper, it seems like the nervous system may no longer be able to stabilize properly over the long term. By the way, I had very severe neck stiffness and back pain during my first failed taper. Pay attention to whether you might be clenching your teeth heavily at night. Bruxism can affect the whole body and lead to fascial stiffness, which can be very uncomfortable. Targeted fascial exercises and hip mobility exercises can help with that. In severe cases, Botox can help. I’d be happy to share my experience with it.

Maja23Oct 10

@Razor @Duloxi thank you for sharing your insights. I tried to reinstate and from 25 September I am on 2.5mg of Cipralex again. I didn’t go immediately to 5mg because I was afraid of side effects. These last few weeks were fluctuating, I had good and bad days in terms of sleep and emotional mood. I don’t know how long I should continue with 2.5mg or move it to 5mg. A part of me does not want to deal with this at all, and would like to throw everything in the bin… In last weeks I also developed more pain (tingling, burning) in my upper back/neck/shoulder blades. My doctor thinks 2.5 mg is too low to tell about any therapeutic dose and that I should think about moving up to feel better. I am afraid that after I do stabilise hopefully at some point I will not get the support to tapper off correctly.

Escitalopram tapered off in July 2026. 10 mg to 5mg over 2 weeks. Stopping entirely in mid July. Having issues with different withdrawal symptoms.

Kevin RoyOct 10

@Maja23 Hi, these are estimates at 5mg you are hitting ~60% SERT occupancy, and 2.5mg ~40% SERT occupancy. As for your description of withdrawal. I went from 30mg to 0mg in 9 months, and from 5mg to zero in about 2 months myself. Yes it was brutal. It took maybe 3 months to hit peak withdrawal intensity. My body and skin was full of anxiety and I couldn't sleep. I wanted to restart the drug so badly to have relief. I suffered through it. Now I'm at month 22 drug free and greatly improved. There is still linger issues but I can actually feel enjoyment again. Withdrawal is a lot longer and more difficult than people realize. A nice long slow taper is the only known solution to discontinue these drugs at this time. Where you are at now, going back up on the drug is unpredictable, It may help, do nothing or make the problem worse. Trying to recognize if your symptoms are improving or getting worse is important. It's been 15 days now since restarting the drug. How has your symptoms changed? Also 2 weeks is near the peak for symptoms after a dose change. It's a bit early to say if it's been long enough to have the desired effect or not. Hyperbolic tapering often follows a 4 weeks schedule. 2 weeks of hell, 1 week of symptoms easing. 1 week of feeling stable. Then lower the dose again.

B81Oct 16

WelcomerLexapro · holding

For the people who are reporting these severe withdrawals that come on weeks and months later, how long were you on the medication before you started to taper off? I am currently on 0.9mg and I am getting impatient and I really want to hurry this along, but I am terrified by all the scary stories. I was on 5mg for 5 weeks, 2.5mg 2 weeks, 1.5mg 3 weeks, 1mg 9 days, 0.75mg 9 days, had a spike in anxiety for the entire 9-day period, went back to 1mg for 24 days, now at 0.9mg for 6 days. If I drop by 0.1mg and hold for 2-4 weeks, I am looking at another 4 to 8 months on top of the tapering I've already done. 6 months to a year of tapering to get off 5mg of Lexapro for only 5 weeks seems like it is too cautious.

Lexapro — 1mg — 3 months — holding | without clinician

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