9 These factors must be watched for as if not accommodated, they can complicate the withdrawal. Lexapro has a relatively short half-life (27-36 hours), 4 but this can extend by as much as 50% for elderly patients, or change unpredictably for persons with hepatic impairments. The tablets can be cut in half when needed providing a 2.5mg option. Let your close friends and family know your plans, so they understand this is a challenging time and ask for their support.Īn informed physician will know that in the case of Lexapro, the lowest dosage is 5mg white round tablets. If not performed at Alternative to Meds Center, difficulties that emerge with Lexapro tapering would be best monitored under the care of a trusted physician who is familiar with the process. A gradual Lexapro withdrawal is important but is one part only of a multi-faceted process that is best done within an individualized step-by-step process designed toward regaining more robust health, and the benefits of natural mental health, without drugs. Our goal at Alternative to Meds Center is to make it possible to actually improve the client’s health in the process. 4 While mathematics does play a role, there is much more that can be done to make the process surprisingly comfortable, as well as efficient time-wise. Tapering Lexapro safely is not necessarily as simple as “a gradual reduction of the dose.” Specific guidelines on safe tapering are absent on the FDA-approved drug label. An inpatient setting is often recommended because of the level of support that is needed. At Alternative to Meds Center, we have specialized for the better part of two decades in successfully assisting thousands of persons who were suffering from discontinuation syndrome. 3 Certainly, most of our clients report no such warnings were given to them prior to beginning on Lexapro. Yet, despite such an astounding number of people starting an SSRI prescription, there is a deafening silence about antidepressant discontinuation syndrome, which according to even a cursory review of extant medical literature, is a common occurrence when a person tries to stop taking the drug. And these statistics continue to rise around the globe. 1 American consumers are targeted to purchase $16 billion in antidepressant drugs by 2023 2 with the SSRI drug class - such as Lexapro - leading the way. The process of antidepressant tapering can be considerably eased by addressing the root causes for symptoms as part of the plan.Īntidepressant drug sales in Canada doubled from 2002 to 2017, according to government statistical tables. Each person will have their own history of symptomology. Of prime importance, therefore, is to discover the underlying reasons that a prescription for Lexapro was first started. Prescription drugs were never designed to fix or cure, but only to mask or dampen symptoms. A Lexapro tapering program could be likened to a journey requiring preparation, a road map, and knowledgeable guides, in order to successfully and safely reach your desired destination. That is perhaps the most vital component to getting one’s health back on track. A fundamental goal would be to rebuild and strengthen one’s natural neurochemistry. We would encourage anyone researching Lexapro tapering to learn about methods of withdrawal that are safe and do not introduce further harm. Some Considerations Prior to Lexapro Tapering
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