Off Lexapro and Klonopin...bad withdrawal symptoms...anyone else?

I used to take Klonopin and didn't even gradually take myself off of it, I just quit one day. But there were no withdrawl symptoms involved...I didn't feel any different. I agree with your neurologist in terms of Klonopin, 2 weeks seems like a long time to have withdrawl symptoms that severe....I never took Lexapro so I can't say for that. Keep taking the med for the nausea and hopefully things cool down for you.

-Che

Hi...I stopped Lexapro cold turkey as per my doctor's instructions and it IS normal to experience your symptoms, even with proper tapering.  People are different and some can get off these drugs easily...I was not one of them.  I was told it was my original A/D symptoms returning, which is ridiculous as I never had any of these symptoms before the drug and  it was prescribed for fibro pain.  Two weeks is not a long time to have w/d symptoms, at least for Lexapro....so don't worry.  Your brain has to recalibrate due to the artifical serotonin boost.  I too am soooo sorry I ever took these drugs.

Donna

Withdrawing off Klonopin can be difficult...at least that is my experience and I know my pdoc has been VERY careful when he even reduces the dose of klonopin.  The taper has to be very slow, maybe .25 mg at a time when you go down and you have to do that slowly.  I have had the same type side effects just going down in my doseage, but then I have been on klonopin several years.  It is a very addictive drug.  So go slowly until you don't feel the withrawal and go down from there.  I again from experience would find it difficult to believe someone could get off kloopin in two weeks.  I took lesapro and just quit it cold turkey, but was switched to another antidepressant at the same time and I did not have withdrawal that I remember.

Please talk to your doctor about going off of any medication.  We can't give you advice on that.  It is best to do this under a doctor's supervision.  Please contact before going off. 

Best wishes,

Hugs, Karen

ABSOLUTELY! Getting off any benzo is a freaking horrible nightmare!! I've been taking klonopen 3mg's daily (mainly to help me sleep) for 8+yrs, i was on xanax for EVER, and that 1 nearly killed me when i ran out! That was it, no more xanax, so, doc substituted with the klonopen. I've been down the klonopen withdraw to (long story) "it was bad" really bad! BUT, the xanax!!! OMG!!! Aint no joke! I got really sick, just 2 days without it the withdraw started, it was a living **** I have to take some kind of benzo because i have "severe" chronic anxiety" thanks to a skin disease called hidradenitis!

I have now been off of the Lexapro for about 2 weeks now. I made it through the two weeks of taking one every other day and had just started the skipping two days and then take a pill but started feeling totally horrible after taking the Lexapro after skipping 2 days and taking it on the 3rd day. I was on vacation at the beach for what was to be week 3 of the taper. I never took another pill after that, even though I was supposed to continue for another 2 weeks. I have gotten anxious a few times, not too bad though, but my husband has reminded me that there is nothing wrong with me and it passes. One thing that I've experienced that feels really odd are the brain zaps. I don't have many now but the ones I do have have lessened in intensity. Hope those will totally cease, assuming they will. So I would say tapering can be done, in some it is easier than in others. Probably helped that we were somewhere doing fun things while I was tapering, that helped instead of sitting staring at 4 walls. Hope everyone else is doing ok. Just wanted to share my progress.

Brain zaps have pretty much stopped. I am still rather calm seeing as I have not had any Lexapro in about 3 weeks. Actually feeling pretty good thank goodness. Will keep my bottles of Lexapro on standby though should I ever have to get back on them, hopefully won't have to. Don't want to get back on it, even though it made a difference and helped me when I needed it the most.

 

 

 

 

Diagnosed with left sided UC in sigmoid colon and rectum 1986.

Put on Azulfidine 2 X 3 a day and Rowasa enemas 60mg.

Have been pretty much in remission overall other than a few flares over the past 21 years.

Medicine changed to Asacol 400mg 2 pills X3 times a day. Taken off all meds in 2004.

Diagnosed with acid reflux 2005. Put on Protonix 40mg.

Have been using Canasa 1000mg suppositories nightly since January 2007.

Was put back on Asacol 400mg 2 pills 2X a day in July 2007 maintenance. 

Post Edited (at wit's end) : 9/23/2010 9:13:20 PM (GMT-6)