How to Taper Off Lexapro
Lexapro is Forest Pharmaceuticals' brand name for escitalopram, a drug used to treat anxiety disorder and major depressive disorder. Individuals who no longer need the drug and discontinue its use may experience withdrawal or cessation syndrome, with effects such as irritability and loss of libido 1. Learn how to taper off your Lexapro dosage to limit or reduce the risks of withdrawal syndrome.
If you are experiencing serious medical symptoms, seek emergency treatment immediately.
Consult your doctor before reducing your Lexapro intake. Weaning yourself off an antidepressant should only be carried out under the strict supervision of a physician as individuals may react differently to the cessation process, with some having extreme cessation syndrome.
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Use a pill cutter, obtained from most pharmacies or drugstores, and cut the Lexapro tablets into quarters or halves depending on its individual drug dosage. Typically, a Lexapro tablet will come as either a 10-mg or 20-mg pill. The dosage is stamped on the pill's face. If you are taking 10-mg pills, cut in half. If you are taking 20-mg pills, cut into quarters. Thus, each cut piece will equal 5 mg of Lexapro.
Take your standard Lexapro dosage as prescribed by your doctor. Most individuals either take 10 mg or 20 mg a day, depending on their personal lifestyle and state of mental health 2.
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Reduce your dosage by 5 mg. Take the smaller dosage for eight days as you would regularly. If you normally take a 10-mg dose, take only half of the pill that you cut in Step 2. If you normally take a 20-mg dose, remove one of the cut quarters and take the remaining three quarters from the pill you cut in Step 2.
Reduce the dosage by an additional 5 mg every eight days until you are no longer consuming the drug. Upon total cessation, you may still experience withdrawal symptoms. Consult your doctor regularly for standard mental health evaluations to determine whether total cessation is right for you or if you should resume taking Lexapro at a regular or reduced dosage.
Tips
Many individuals who stop taking Lexapro will experience no side effects, but tapering off is still suggested.
Warnings
Some individuals may experience withdrawal syndrome for several months after cessation. Individuals should work closely with their doctor so the doctor can monitor their progress to see if cessation is the right choice for theirl lifestyle and state of mind.
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References
- The Antidepressant Solution: A Step-by-Step Guide to Safely Overcoming Antidepressant Withdrawal, Dependence, and Addiction; Joseph Glenmullen; 2007
- Medicines for Mental Health: The Ultimate Guide to Psychiatric Medication; Kevin Thompson, 2007
- Santarsieri D, Schwartz TL. Antidepressant efficacy and side-effect burden: A quick guide for clinicians. Drugs Context. 2015;4:212290. doi:10.7573/dic.212290
- Wong J, Motulsky A, Abrahamowicz M, Eguale T, Buckeridge DL, Tamblyn R. Off-label indications for antidepressants in primary care: Descriptive study of prescriptions from an indication based electronic prescribing system. BMJ. 2017;356:j603. doi:10.1136/bmj.j603
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Lexapro. Updated January 2009.
- National Alliance on Mental Illness. Escitalopram (Lexapro). Updated December 2018.
- Lenze EJ, Rollman BL, Shear MK, et al. Escitalopram for older adults with generalized anxiety disorder: A randomized controlled trial. JAMA. 2009;301(3):295-303. doi:10.1001/jama.2008.977
- Baldwin DS, Asakura S, Koyama T, et al. Efficacy of escitalopram in the treatment of social anxiety disorder: A meta-analysis versus placebo. Eur Neuropsychopharmacol. 2016;26(6):1062-1069. doi:10.1016/j.euroneuro.2016.02.013
- Ceylan ME, Evrensel A, Önen Ünsalver B. Long-term use of escitalopram and a high level of carcinoembryonic antigen. Korean J Fam Med. 2016;37(6):359. doi:10.4082/kjfm.2016.37.6.359
- Höschl C, Svestka J. Escitalopram for the treatment of major depression and anxiety disorders. Expert Rev Neurother. 2008;8(4):537-52. doi:10.1586/14737175.8.4.537
- Sanchez C, Reines EH, Montgomery SA. A comparative review of escitalopram, paroxetine, and sertraline: are they all alike?. Int Clin Psychopharmacol. 2014;29(4):185-96. doi:10.1097/yic.0000000000000023
- U.S. National Library of Medicine. Escitalopram. Updated February 15, 2016.
Tips
- Many individuals who stop taking Lexapro will experience no side effects, but tapering off is still suggested.
Warnings
- Some individuals may experience withdrawal syndrome for several months after cessation. Individuals should work closely with their doctor so the doctor can monitor their progress to see if cessation is the right choice for theirl lifestyle and state of mind.
Writer Bio
Joshua Duvauchelle is a certified personal trainer and health journalist, relationships expert and gardening specialist. His articles and advice have appeared in dozens of magazines, including exercise workouts in Shape, relationship guides for Alive and lifestyle tips for Lifehacker. In his spare time, he enjoys yoga and urban patio gardening.