Only on it for a small amount of time.

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Introductions and Updates Lexapro (Escitalopram)Symptoms & Self-Care Tapering

November 13, 2026

April 2026, I started to take 10mg. It caused severe insomnia, so I went down to 5mg a few days later. That caused emotional blunting, so I asked my doc if I could cut it in half about a month after taking the 5mg. So I took a half pill of the 5mg, so I was at 2.5mg starting in early May 2026. I tapered my other medication (Lamictal) because I was having a lot of anger. I stayed on that 2.5 mg dose for 3 months before I started to taper down. I tapered to 2mg with the liquid, then to 1.5mg. That is when things got rough. I struggle with derealization a lot while coming off of this. My sleep is messed up. I have only been on this med for 6 months, and if I taper by these guidelines, I will be dependent on this med for another 2 years. Heck no! I am really starting to think about ripping off the band-aid. I don't like the med because of the continued emotional blunting, and taking it with lamotrigine, I imagine, has influenced that. I have quit smoking before, cold turkey, and coffee cold turkey. Yeah, it sucked for a month or two, but I don't know how much longer I can go without feeling like myself.

Lexapro — 1.4 mg — 6 months — actively tapering | Lamictal — 87.5mg — 1 year 6 months — holding

2 Replies

Peggy Wallace1d ago

Trusted VoiceCymbalta · holding

"I hear you! You might consider thinking that your anger is a part of the withdrawal that you’re experiencing. I am assuming that the “real“ you is not angry all the time. is that right? I don’t understand a part of your post help me understand. Are you on another medication beside Lexapro? Here on the site we recommend that you only taper off of one medication at a time when you do that you can keep track of your progress more easily than if you’re also tapering from another medication. I was stopped cold Turkey after 40 years of antidepressants. It was a Doctor Who did that. Nevertheless, I have been trying to recover with severe withdrawal for six months now. I often have times of feeling as though I’m over it. But something triggers it in me again and I remember that I need to be patient with my own recovery.

In my life, have been on Prozac, Wellbutrin, Amytriptiline, Ambien, Seroquel, Zoloft, pamelor, Nortriptiline, Clonazepam, Suboxone (for insomnia), Effexor, Valium, Trazadone, Zanax, and Gabapentin. These, I remember.
Currently on,Duloxetine 60 mg — 2 yr — holding | without clinician

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Catina19h ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Becka, welcome to Taper Community! I'm sorry to hear about your situation. I understand you wanting to be free of your drugs, but cold-turkeying any psychiatric medication could make things even worse. Some sort of taper would be better than none at all. Unfortunately, even if a drug is causing bad side effects, the brain adapts to its presence. That's why tapering off - Hyperbolically if you can - will help your brain to adjust gently and safely. When dealing with multiple drugs, it's best to taper only one at a time. Wishing you the best, and please let us know how things are going with you as time goes on. We're here to help! Catina 💜

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.

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