Posted by Racer on February 19, 2005, at 14:21:49
In reply to HELP!! Husband stopped taking Lex...., posted by MickeyD on February 19, 2005, at 9:19:35
> My husband has been on lexapro for about 4 months and wow, what a difference it has made! I noticed recently that he doesn't take it like he should be and now I don't think he is taking it at all. I know that there are side effects for doing this. Could anyone tell me the side effects of getting off of it without consulting a doctor and quitting cold turkey? His behavior is back to where it was before. Any answers?
No, but I have some questions... :-D
First off, have you talked to him about this? It may be that he has some issues with being on the med, and stopped because of them. Or maybe he just didn't know that you need to keep taking it long enough to "reset" your depression button, if you will. Maybe he was experiencing distressing side effects. Finding out why he went off of it would be a good starting point, I'd think.
Also, in terms of withdrawal effects, after four months of Lexapro, I'd think that rebound depression was likely to be the worst that would happen. Four months, in my experience, is about when the meds have built up to steady state in the blood stream long enough for them to show their true colors -- that's when weight gain starts for me, and about the time the lethargy gets unbearable, etc. It may be that whatever withdrawal he might be having is better than whatever he's been feeling on the med.
Talking to him about it might help you understand better, and it's where I'd recommend you start.
Also, when I was on Lexapro, I stopped cold turkey after not a long time on it. My husband, knowing about psych meds only from TV shows like Law & Order, was afraid that this was a sign that I was going to go into one of those psychotic states that he'd seen on those shows when people went off anti-psychotics. If that's a fear you have, put it to rest. When I quit the Lexapro, it was because the medication was unbearable for me, and the only result was deepened depression. If you're not psychotic before the med, you probably won't be psychotic after -- unless you're prone to psychotic depression, which I think most of us aren't.
Hope that helps.
poster:Racer
thread:460302
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050217/msgs/460401.html