Gard23 replied: "List of antidepressant withdrawal symptoms, in the form of a daily checklist, linked below. Because you are on Lexapro - half-life 27-32hrs - you wouldn't expect the usual onset of withdrawal to be seen until Day 3-5 after the dose is dropped. So for the first few days, you may actually feel pretty much okay, which would tie in with the half-life of the drug. mg for mg, Lexapro is stronger than Paxil and Prozac, so stopping from 10mg Lexapro is actually equivalent to stopping from a considerably higher mg dose of Paxil and Prozac. It is a bigger dose drop than it sounds. This is a fast taper, with only one interim step: 20mg - 10mg - 0mg, however you are being allowed the 4 weeks stabilisation period at 10mg, which is excellent news, and you have avoided the 'miss-a-day' or alternating dose tapers which are not recommended at all with these antidepressants (with the possible exception of Prozac), due to the short half-lives of the drugs. Tips? Do some basic background reading, and understand the nature of antidepressant withdrawal. After this reading, you will be able to address your own taper (and its effects upon you) with solid knowledge and understanding, including the pros and cons of the 10mg - 0mg drop, as well as the alternative approaches available to you. One person I know personally, was stopped cold-turkey from a 5mg Lexapro dose (having never been on anything higher), and 3 months on is still in difficulties displaying various withdrawal effects - the standard mix of physical and psychiatric symptoms - which have necessitated several doctor/hospital visits. There are those on Lexapro who have to withdrawal by 1 mg, or fractions of a mg at a time, using the liquid version of the drug (very handy) and stabilising out for a few weeks at each drop. There are those who come off with little/no apparant effect, including those who have had big % dose drops or cold-turkeyed. There are those who show no difficulties until they get down to a lesser dose, and then stop, only to find they then experience all sorts of withdrawal effects - it is a factor of SSRI/SNRI withdrawal, that coming off the lower doses may prove more problematical for some people. There appears to be no way of knowing, in advance, how it will affect any one individual. So, perhaps best to be aware, and consider the merits of a little reading homework - the Preface, below, explains why some of our doctors may be unfamiliar with the withdrawal process and withdrawal symptoms - so that if you have no/mild withdrawal it's only been a little reading time wasted, but if you do experience something more, you already have the comfort of knowledge at your side. David Healy's document is very helpful in explaining how to differentiate between withdrawal and return of the original problem - particularly since depression and anxiety are common withdrawal effects. Dr Glenmullen's book 'The Antidepressant Solution' deals with withdrawal from these antidepressants (including Lexapro) and will give much helpful information. Links to Preface and Chapter 1 below. Good luck, and may your withdrawals be slight to none-existent!"

Steven_Primm replied: "Weaning off of Lexapro made me feel like jumping out of my own skin. But you must realize that the experience is going to be different for every individual. Never weaned off of lamictal, but I have been told that the feelings are similar to what you feel while ramping the dose up. I hope that helps. I sounds like you have some concerns/fears. Talk to your doctors and see what they say."