Lexapro
I understand your concern Trem. I had a huge problem with my first dose of Paxil, and refused medication for a couple years thereafter. Then I got headaches with Zoloft and finally wound up with Lexapro and it is wonderful. I have been on it for 4.5 years and I am hoping this program will help me eventually do without. However I am not gutsy enough just yet to wean off.
-
Carolyn Dickman
- Posts: 264
- Joined: Tue Jun 28, 2005 3:00 am
Please remember that using Lexapro or any other medication is supposed to be “temporary”.
It should only be a short term measure to allow you time to complete CBT and change your way of thinking. That’s what the course is all about and that is what we need to do if we ever expect to conquer fear and anxiety.
I was very confused by all of this at first and it took me quite a while to before I did enough research to finally figure it out. But thanks to this course and the additional studying on this subject, I now feel I have a much better understanding of the big picture. You may want to consider working on CBT changes in order to help you start the process of getting free from medication, because the I don’t think the medication will work indefinitely. Sooner or later each of us will have to learn to deal with the source of our condition, our own thinking, if we truly want to be free again.
One thing you can do if you want to get off Lexapro, you can always start VERY slowly. I decreased my dose by only 2.5mg/day - I was taking 3/4 of my pill instead of all of it (7.5mg instead of 10mg) That way if I felt I was having a problem and I couldn't handle it on my own, I could always increase the dose back to where it was. That way I as never far from the (so called) safety of the medication. I did this for over a month and found that I could not tell a difference at all. So I decreased it again to 1/2 pill and so on and so on. At the half pill point I did start to notice some differences but it was ok because I had done some much CBT that I was well prepared to handle it. It actually feels REALLY good to start getting off the meds, I’m finally feeling like my old ‘healthy’ self again. And I can handle things ok now.
Just something to think about.
God Bless you and peace be with you.
It should only be a short term measure to allow you time to complete CBT and change your way of thinking. That’s what the course is all about and that is what we need to do if we ever expect to conquer fear and anxiety.
I was very confused by all of this at first and it took me quite a while to before I did enough research to finally figure it out. But thanks to this course and the additional studying on this subject, I now feel I have a much better understanding of the big picture. You may want to consider working on CBT changes in order to help you start the process of getting free from medication, because the I don’t think the medication will work indefinitely. Sooner or later each of us will have to learn to deal with the source of our condition, our own thinking, if we truly want to be free again.
One thing you can do if you want to get off Lexapro, you can always start VERY slowly. I decreased my dose by only 2.5mg/day - I was taking 3/4 of my pill instead of all of it (7.5mg instead of 10mg) That way if I felt I was having a problem and I couldn't handle it on my own, I could always increase the dose back to where it was. That way I as never far from the (so called) safety of the medication. I did this for over a month and found that I could not tell a difference at all. So I decreased it again to 1/2 pill and so on and so on. At the half pill point I did start to notice some differences but it was ok because I had done some much CBT that I was well prepared to handle it. It actually feels REALLY good to start getting off the meds, I’m finally feeling like my old ‘healthy’ self again. And I can handle things ok now.
Just something to think about.
God Bless you and peace be with you.