What is the Reality of Lexapro Withdrawal Symptoms?

ByPrimary Researcher

Executive Summary

  • Lexapro is an addictive drug.
  • Lexapro addiction and Lexapro withdrawal symptoms are deliberately minimized by pharmaceutical companies and the overall medical establishment.

Introduction

A primary method used by pharmaceutical companies, MDs, and the overall medical establishment is to minimize addiction. This article covers the gaslighting of patients and the public and patients on Lexapro withdrawal.

What the Medical Establishment Says About Lexapro Withdrawal Symptoms

Let us review the following quotation from the Recovery Village recovery center on Lexapro addiction. Lexapro was the first SSRI.

Common Lexapro Withdrawal Symptoms
The immediate withdrawal period from escitalopram (Lexapro) can lead to new symptoms as well as intensify symptoms a person had before taking the medication. Some of the symptoms that are most commonly noticed during this period include:

Agitation
Headaches
Insomnia
Irritability
Nausea
“Zaps,” or the sensation of electrical jolts that course through a person’s body
The second phase of escitalopram withdrawal occurs weeks after quitting the drug. Unfortunately, many conditions that are noticed during this time fail to disappear on their own.

If there is no addiction to Lexapro (the official position of the medical establishment), why are there such powerful Lexapro withdrawal symptoms?

Symptoms that arise during this time can be so difficult that many people feel the temptation to stay on the medication for the rest of their lives rather than continue the withdrawal period. Some of the symptoms that arise during the second phase include:

Anxiety disorders
Bipolar illness
Depression
Disturbed mood
Impaired concentration
Impaired memory
Insomnia
Irritability
Mood swings
Poor stress tolerance

Withdrawal symptoms are so difficult that “many people feel the temptation to stay on the medication for the rest of their lives rather than continue the withdrawal period.”

Does that sound like a drug that is not addictive?

The following quote is from the Lexapro addiction page at Recovery Village.

SSRIs are preferred because they have the highest rates of success compared to other antidepressants. They also have mild side effects that are easily managed by adjusting the dose.

That is untrue. SSRIs have about the same success rate as other antidepressants, which is roughly the placebo. All antidepressants work due to the placebo effect or are based on partially or completely unblinding the placebo group to reduce the effectiveness of the placebo. Nor are the side effects from Lexapro mild.

Cessation of Lexapro use can result in withdrawal symptoms collectively referred to as discontinuation syndrome.

As I cover in the article How SSRIs Create Dependency Called SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome (Subscription required), this term has been concocted by the pharma industry to cover up the real issue of addiction. And withdrawal does not only occur with Lexapro due to “cessation,” it occurs during tapering off Lexapro as well. And Recovery Village admits this and then contradicts itself in just the next paragraph in the article.

Even when doses are gradually reduced, symptoms of discontinuation syndrome can occur. These can include irritability, headache, insomnia, dizziness, anxiety, excessive dreaming, flu-like symptoms, vertigo, nausea, and confusion. Feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of suicide are less common but are most likely to occur in patients under the age of 25.

They not only “can occur,” they most often do occur.

That means the patient is addicted to the item. Furthermore, Recovery Village is tap dancing around how Lexapro works. Lexapro is an SSRI, and it manipulates serotonin levels. Anytime you manipulate a neurotransmitter, you are creating an addictive scenario.

Recovery Village implies that Lexapro addiction only comes from those that abuse Lexapro or use it in a way not prescribed.

This is false. Lexapro, like other depressants, is addictive, even when used as prescribed. This is explained in detail in the article How Antidepressants Produce Addiction Through Altering the Neurotransmition Process. (Subscription required)