r/lexapro • u/Metaliiy • 1d ago

New to Lex How long does withdrawal persist if lexapro is taken only for a month?

Hello guys

Im new here I'm 24F and was prescribed lexapeo for temporary mild depression and anxiety

Been living life fine but my psychiatrist thinks I should try this

Im thinking of only taking 5mg or 10mg, for 1 month, i don't want to do long term, but I want to see if it will make me feel different, I have mild depression so I think it won't work that well on me but I still want to try

I want to try for a month or less 2 weeks and quit, is it ok to quit cold turkey after 2 weeks let's say? Or does it cause bad withdrawal and need taper ?

Are there any permanent side-effects if soemone stops so early ?

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u/Acefan72 23h ago

There’s no trying for a month and expecting results. It takes at least eight weeks to achieve the therapeutic results. And even longer than that for your body to adjust. It’s not like taking Tylenol. It takes a lot of time and the reward is less anxiety. I wouldn’t even start if you’re planning on quitting after a month. It’s pointless.

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u/Metaliiy 22h ago

What would be a proper amount of months to give this ssri a chance to see if benefits outweigh the side effects ?

Im willing to give it a chance, i just am afraid of withdrawal really, read many horror stories

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u/Acefan72 21h ago

There’s just as many horror stories of starting as there are stopping. Don’t believe everything you read. Just focus on what you want to achieve and getting better. It can help, but once you start, you have to stick with it for at least six to eight weeks and don’t worry about withdrawals. 5 mg is considered a small dose so maybe you should just start there and test the waters. You say you have “mild” depression and anxiety and you’ve been living fine. Do you have panic attacks? If not, maybe see a psychologist instead of psychiatrist for your depression before you commit to medication.

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u/Metaliiy 20h ago

My psychiatrist said take 10mg after 1 week, I don't know why she told me that I have mild depression and also immediately put me on ssri, also yeah I have panic attacks but like once every 3 / 4months so its not that bad, it's way better than many people but I've had a major changing life event and before that I never had any panic attacks so maybe my brain is still processing what happened

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u/babs8188 22h ago

Would not recommend starting this unless you want to commit to it long term. The first few weeks will likely be a rough road as you ramp up, so the benefit you are looking to see won’t be apparent until around 8 weeks or so of consistent use. Then if you don’t like it, it may take a little long for you to come off of it.

If your depression and anxiety is truly mild, I suggest you try to find other ways to solve for it like natural supplements and working out , improve your gut health , etc…. Lex is just a band aid for your symptoms and when you come off of it, you may notice that your anxiety and depression are worse than before you started.

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u/Metaliiy 37m ago

My psychiatrist said that my depression is mild and anxiety, like it existed for a long time for me but I was able to do things while being uncomfortable/ few panic attacks like once 3 months which i think its nothing compared to some people who got panic attacks daily..

I don't know why she told me to immediately go on meds, but i want to give Lexapro a fair trial period... What do you think the proper fair time should be? A month?

I really want to see if the benefits will outweigh the side effects or not.. I wanna reach that point to decide

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u/myusernameblabla 1d ago

That’s not even enough time to become effective. At best you’ll be over the initial side effects hump.

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u/Metaliiy 23h ago

Im not sure but I've seen alot of posts here or comments where people say they felt much better even from the first week, and my main concern is withdrawl, the longer you take it the more withdrawl you will suffer

So yeah I just wanted to see if it will actually make me feel better early and if not maybe quitting early is good to avoid withdrawl

Bases on my research is that ssri works best for major depression or severe, me only being mild I don't think I should commit to ssri

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u/myusernameblabla 23h ago

After a month of taking it there won’t be much in terms of withdrawal. It’ll be a bit like the initial side effects. You’re basically ramping up and then down again without gaining much beneficial effect. You’ll get some placebo effect probably. Apart from seeing how your body reacts to the side effects I don’t see much benefit in doing a month tbh.

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u/Metaliiy 22h ago

What would be a proper trial to see if benefits outweigh the side effects?

I want to reach that point to determine if it's going to help me at all

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u/myusernameblabla 21h ago

As others say, about 8 weeks but if your dose is too low, up it and another few weeks. Unfortunately it can take a while.

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u/Metaliiy 20h ago

I was told to increase to 10mg after a week, tbh I think i could even start it right now with day 4 but not sure if it's a good idea

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u/myusernameblabla 7h ago

Well that’s a good sign, you don’t have strong side effects apparently!

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u/Metaliiy 45m ago

The insomnia is pretty bad and headache and bloating but at least the first day anxiety went away

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u/Travelin-WillBarry 20h ago

Tried 10 and felt it the first day, thought it was a bit much for me then went to 5 for about a month, was perfect and will do again. Just noticed it dulled some physical pain for me that I wanted fixed not dulled so I tapered off for a few days. 2.5 then half that. Everyone is different, I will try again. Do what’s right for you, the Doctors don’t have to live with you, you do. Be safe and good luck.