Lexapro Withdrawal Side Effects: Symptoms, How Long They Last and How to Lower the Risk
Coming off Lexapro can cause dizziness, brain zaps, nausea and mood swings. Here is how common that is, how long it tends to last and what lowers the risk.
By withClaro Editorial · 2026-10-23 · 7 min read
Medical review pending. Written by the Claro editorial team from the FDA label and published studies.
Key takeaways Lexapro withdrawal can cause dizziness, brain zaps, nausea, poor sleep, irritability and anxiety. In the largest review, 31% of people had symptoms after stopping an antidepressant, against 17% after stopping a placebo; critics of that review put the rate higher. Symptoms usually start within a few days of a cut. For many they pass in one to two weeks, for some they last months. Stopping all at once carries the highest risk. A gradual reduction planned with your prescriber lowers it. On this page
What are the side effects of Lexapro withdrawal? How common is Lexapro withdrawal? How long does Lexapro withdrawal last? What people on r/lexapro report after stopping Why does stopping Lexapro cause symptoms? What happens if you quit Lexapro cold turkey? Withdrawal or the depression coming back? How can you lower the risk when stopping Lexapro? Withdrawal side effects from Lexapro (escitalopram) can start within days of lowering the dose or stopping. Some people barely notice them. Others have weeks of dizziness, brain zaps and mood swings, and a smaller group has symptoms for months.
That range is why threads on r/lexapro read so differently.
What are the side effects of Lexapro withdrawal?
Withdrawal symptoms, also called discontinuation symptoms, are reactions that start when the dose is lowered or stopped, particularly when it is stopped abruptly, the FDA label says. They include dizziness, sensory disturbances such as electric shock sensations, irritability, agitation, anxiety, low mood, headache, confusion, tiredness, insomnia and mood swings.
The electric shock sensations are what people call brain zaps. People describe them as brief jolts, often felt in the head. The mix of symptoms can also shift over time, as one person on r/lexapro wrote:
I know withdrawal varies for everyone, but I'm getting a bit worried, as these symptoms seem to be changing, rather than altogether disappearing.
Symptoms can also change how you function. The NHS advice on escitalopram side effects applies here too: if you feel dizzy, sleepy or have blurred vision, do not drive, ride a bike or use machinery until the symptoms have gone.
If you notice symptoms after a cut, write down the date of the change and what you felt each day. That record is what your prescriber needs to decide the next step. You can also look a symptom up in the withdrawal symptom checker .
How common is Lexapro withdrawal?
In the largest review so far, about 31% of people had at least one symptom after stopping an antidepressant. That 2024 review pooled 79 studies with 21,002 people. Since 17% had symptoms after stopping a placebo, it put the share caused by the medication itself at about one in six or seven. Severe symptoms were rare, at about 2.8%.
A 2025 reanalysis by researchers critical of that review put the rate higher, at about 55%, with a wide range of 31% to 81%. That figure comes from five studies that checked for symptoms systematically, mostly after 12 weeks of treatment or less, and does not subtract the placebo effect. So 31% and 55% are the comparable pair; one in six is a different measure, after the placebo is taken off. Much of the disagreement is about how to count.
For escitalopram itself the picture is mixed. It was among the antidepressants with more frequent symptoms in the 2024 review, which compared it with all antidepressants together. A 2007 review of escitalopram trials found fewer withdrawal symptoms than with paroxetine in short trials: on a checklist of discontinuation symptoms, the average count rose by 1.6 on escitalopram against 3.9 on paroxetine. Milder than paroxetine, then, but not among the mildest. On Reddit the picture looks darker still, which one reader noticed:
Every single thread on here seems to be about withdrawal being horrible, lasting forever, and like brain zaps???
Forums collect the hardest cases, so they are not a guide to the odds. Studies cannot tell you in advance which group you will be in either. Plan the reduction as if symptoms are possible, and you lose nothing if they never come.
Zoloft shows a similar range, set out in Zoloft withdrawal side effects .
How long does Lexapro withdrawal last?
For most people, symptoms appear within a few days and ease within one to two weeks. That is the timeline NICE, the UK guideline body, gives for antidepressant withdrawal. NICE also says symptoms can be more severe and last weeks, or occasionally months.
Researchers who argue the official figures are too low wrote in a 2019 commentary that withdrawal reactions appear to be quite common and can last weeks to months. The same authors contributed to the 2025 reanalysis.
Timing is not always neat. Some people feel fine for a while after the last dose and then get symptoms later. As one person put it:
I've been off it for over a month now, and the withdrawal just hit me.
Escitalopram has a half-life of about 27 to 32 hours, according to the FDA label. Levels drop over a few days after a missed dose or a cut. That fits with symptoms often starting within days. In people 65 and older the half-life is about 50% longer, and in people with liver problems the related drug citalopram stayed twice as long, so levels can fall more slowly and symptoms may start later.
If symptoms last longer than two weeks, or keep changing, tell your prescriber. Bring your daily notes, so they can see whether things are easing or building.
The principles behind a slower stop are set out in a guide to tapering off antidepressants safely .
What people on r/lexapro report after stopping
We read 77 recent threads about coming off Lexapro on r/lexapro, comments included, and 180 people described stopping or lowering it themselves. People who have a hard time post more, so read this as a list of what to watch for. Of the 180, 87 named the symptoms they had, and 17 more said they had no symptoms or barely any. Anxiety or panic came up most, followed by nausea and brain zaps; one person can be in more than one row:
Symptoms people described Of 87 people Anxiety or panic 26 Nausea or flu-like feelings 22 Brain zaps 21 Dizziness 18 Low mood or crying 17 Headaches 12
Of the 80 who said how they came off, 41 tapered over a month or more, 7 over less than a month and 32 stopped all at once.
Of the 119 who said where they ended up:
Where people were Of 119 people Still tapering 41 Off but still struggling 30 Off and doing well 27 Back on Lexapro 21
None of this forecasts how stopping will go for you.
Why does stopping Lexapro cause symptoms?
Over months of use, the brain adapts to escitalopram blocking the reuptake of serotonin. When the dose falls, that adaptation takes time to reverse, and how hard that is varies a lot between people.
The last part of a reduction is often the hardest. Researchers who studied SSRI tapering point to brain scans: the share of serotonin transporters the drug blocks does not fall in step with the dose, so its effect on the brain changes most at low doses. Cutting by the same amount each time makes the final steps the biggest in effect. They recommend smaller and smaller reductions toward the end.
This is why a reduction that went smoothly at first can get harder near zero.
That is why tapering off Lexapro in shrinking steps, slowest at the end, tends to go better.
What happens if you quit Lexapro cold turkey?
Stopping all at once carries the highest risk of withdrawal. The FDA label recommends a gradual reduction rather than an abrupt stop. NICE says symptoms are more likely to be severe after an abrupt stop.
Missed doses count too. NICE notes that missing doses can bring on symptoms, and the NHS advises against suddenly stopping escitalopram. Running out of tablets is one of the most common ways people end up stopping without a plan.
If you have already stopped suddenly and feel unwell, contact your prescriber soon. The FDA label says that if symptoms are hard to bear, going back to the previous dose may be considered, followed by a slower reduction. Bring the date you stopped and when each symptom began.
Withdrawal or the depression coming back? Clinical section: medical review pending
The two can feel alike. Low mood, poor sleep and panicky feelings happen in both. The Royal College of Psychiatrists names three signs that help you and your prescriber tell them apart.
Sign More likely withdrawal More likely depression returning When it starts Within days of a cut or a missed dose Weeks or months after stopping What it feels like New sensations, like brain zaps, or "this doesn't feel like my depression" The symptoms you had before treatment If the last dose is restarted Eases within hours or days Takes weeks to lift, as it did the first time
Timing alone does not settle it, because some withdrawal starts late, weeks after the last dose.
The clinical view:
Withdrawal and a return of depression can feel alike, and the difference changes what you do next.
If symptoms during a reduction are hard to bear, talk to your prescriber. The usual step is to go back to the last dose that felt stable, then reduce more slowly.
What to bring to that conversation:
the date of your last dose change and when each symptom started whether the feeling is new to you or familiar from before treatment how symptoms changed from day to day Whether to restart a dose is a decision to make with your prescriber, not alone. Low mood during withdrawal can feel frightening. If you have thoughts of suicide or self-harm, get help the same day. In the US, call or text 988, the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline, or find a crisis line near you .
How can you lower the risk when stopping Lexapro?
The safest approach is a gradual reduction, planned with your prescriber and adjusted to how you feel. NICE recommends reducing in steps and watching for symptoms after each one. Gradual has to mean slow enough: a 2019 review found that the two-to-four-week tapers common in guidelines bring little benefit over stopping at once, and suggested reducing over months, in smaller and smaller steps.
Before you start, agree with your prescriber:
the pace, and what happens if symptoms appear after a step how you will get small doses for the last steps, such as a liquid form how long you have been on Lexapro, and any symptoms you had after missed doses before a calmer time to do it, away from big changes in your life Open the escitalopram taper calculator Worried about brain zaps, dizziness or mood swings when you come off Lexapro? The free escitalopram taper calculator builds a draft plan with shrinking steps to review with your prescriber. No account needed.
Frequently asked questions How long does it take to withdraw from Lexapro 10mg? There is no fixed timeline for a given dose. Symptoms usually start within days of a cut and often ease within one to two weeks. For some people they last longer. Plan the pace with your prescriber, and adjust it if symptoms appear.
What can help with Lexapro withdrawal? Going back to the previous dose often eases symptoms, so the first step is to contact your prescriber rather than push through alone. Bring the date of your last dose change and what started when, and decide together how to go on.
How long does it take for your body to go back to normal after Lexapro? It depends on how long you took it and how you stopped, and there is no fixed date. NICE describes most symptoms as easing within weeks, though a smaller group has them for months. If you still feel off after a few weeks, raise it rather than waiting.
Can Lexapro withdrawal cause anxiety? Yes. Anxiety, agitation and irritability are on the list of withdrawal symptoms in the FDA label. Anxiety that starts within days of a cut points to withdrawal, while anxiety that builds over weeks can be the condition returning. Note when it started and tell your prescriber.
What do brain zaps feel like? People describe brief electric jolts, often felt in the head. The FDA label lists them as electric shock sensations. Note when they happen and how often, and mention them at your next appointment.
Why do I feel weird after stopping Lexapro? Dizziness, brain zaps, irritability and mood swings are common in the first days after a cut. Many people describe it as feeling not quite themselves. If the feeling keeps building or your mood keeps dropping, tell your prescriber soon.
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Sources LEXAPRO (escitalopram) prescribing information, US Food and Drug Administration via DailyMed, revised April 2024 Henssler J, et al. Incidence of antidepressant discontinuation symptoms: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Lancet Psychiatry, 2024 Moncrieff J, et al. Evidence on antidepressant withdrawal: an appraisal and reanalysis of a recent systematic review. Psychological Medicine, 2025 Hengartner MP, Davies J, Read J. Antidepressant withdrawal, the tide is finally turning. Epidemiology and Psychiatric Sciences, 2019 Horowitz MA, Taylor D. Tapering of SSRI treatment to mitigate withdrawal symptoms. Lancet Psychiatry, 2019 Baldwin DS, et al. Escitalopram therapy for major depression and anxiety disorders. Annals of Pharmacotherapy, 2007 NICE. Depression in adults: treatment and management (NG222), stopping antidepressant medication NHS. Common questions about escitalopram MedlinePlus. Escitalopram drug information, US National Library of Medicine 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline r/lexapro: Quit Lexapro almost 3 weeks ago, still having unsettling withdrawal symptoms r/lexapro: lexapro withdrawal is no joke r/lexapro: Getting off lex, is withdrawal really that bad for everyone? r/lexapro: Lexapro withdrawal is no joke. Royal College of Psychiatrists. Stopping antidepressants NHS. Side effects of escitalopram Claro articles are for self-monitoring and educational purposes only. They are not a medical device, therapist, or diagnostic tool, and do not replace care from your prescribing clinician. If you are in crisis, contact your care team, emergency services, the Samaritans (UK: 116 123), or the Crisis Text Line (US: text HOME to 741741).