How long does it take for Lexapro to be totally out of your system and feel normal again?

You were only on Lexapro for two days, which means your body likely didn’t get fully accustomed to it. However, because Lexapro acts on serotonin, which influences mood, sleep, and anxiety levels, even brief exposure can cause temporary disruptions.
Common initial side effects, like increased anxiety, insomnia, vivid dreams, and jaw clenching, often resolve within a few weeks after discontinuing the medication. These symptoms may gradually improve as your body readjusts its serotonin levels.
3. Psychological Adjustment and Sensitivity
Some people are particularly sensitive to serotonin-affecting drugs, so even a short course can temporarily intensify mood fluctuations, anxiety, and physical symptoms like jaw clenching. The feelings of going between happy and down can be part of this adjustment as your brain chemistry stabilizes.
If anxiety, cloudy thinking, or disrupted sleep persists, consider speaking to your doctor or therapist for ways to manage them, as these symptoms often benefit from supportive strategies or, if needed, alternative medications.
4. What to Expect Going Forward
2-4 Weeks: This timeframe is common for your body to fully stabilize and for side effects to lessen.
Lifestyle Support: Practicing calming activities like light exercise, mindfulness, and ensuring good hydration can help ease symptoms faster. Staying connected with supportive friends or family can also be grounding.
5. When to Seek Help
If you feel that side effects, particularly anxiety or mood swings, are worsening or if suicidal thoughts return, reach out to a health care provider immediately.
Many people find that they return to feeling like themselves over time, especially with the right support. Reaching out and staying informed can make a big difference in feeling supported and finding the best path forward.

Back then I had side effects with the medication but kept taking it — the side effects got better and my panic attacks got under control — at one point I was only taking .25 (would cut the .5 pill) — by 2011 I was off of the medication- I started having minor anxiety - 2 panick attacks by July 2020 — wanted to take control of the situation and called the dr — got on lexapro 10 mg — has all the rare side effects— stopped it after 6 doses and struggled with the side effects for a year off and on — I must say that I feel great again and am very thankful for the therapy sessions- I learned that the more positive thoughts that I have The more positive neurotransmitters that my brain will create — that I am not the same person from yesterday as I am constantly changing— there is hope and your symptoms will resolve!! Lexapro helped me when I was desperate— did not help me this time because I did not need lexapro I only needed therapy and I wish my dr would have recommended such —-

I walk, pray, give thanks, face my fears, focus on the positive!!

Misery loves company! And if you’ve been encouraged by their stories, if they’ve, helped you through this time, great!
But if they’ve freaked you or anyone else out about taking medication because of poor mental health, that’s not good!
Our thoughts are strong predictors of our actual experiences. If we are afraid of something, if we had a bad experience, if someone we love or admire disagrees with our choices, any and all of these can effect the outcome!
However I know from experience, being severely depressed is scary. Having your brain telling you all manner of worse case scenario’s is really awful, feeling like you can’t think of anything hopeful is alarming! Then you put your hope in a medication and you don't instantly feel great, or maybe you do, a kind of placebo effect, or maybe you feel some other side effect, and the placebo wears off, it’s day 5, this is all normal! These medications do take time to begin to work, consider that with any immediate side-effects. But factor in all of the above, before freaking out, call your doctor! Get real advice! Your not going to die! You may feel better very soon! Be as positive as possible! Trust you gut, not you brain! It is after all, just a little sick right now. You are not alone!

It’s been 6 full days since I last took a pill and I am still feeling some symptoms but very mild compared to what I was feeling 2-3 days ago. My head is not as cloudy and I feel like I’m thinking normally again pre pill which I was afraid my brain was permanently altered. But it was not thank god. I took the advice of what different people suggested by sweating it out by taking baths and drinking LOTS of water. I tried taking my dog on walks as long as I could and just being outside in general. I have an Apple Watch and using the breathing app had me focus on my breath and helped me tremendously. I also cut out any caffeine because I feel like it definitely would set the Lexapro off. I’m not 100% back to myself yet but I’m getting there and I hope this can comfort someone else that may be going through the same thing. I thought I really screwed myself up permanently but it really does get better, hang in there!!!

Within the first 4 days of taking the pill, I went to the ER 3 times. And 2 other times I was driven in front of the ER and waited until my panic and discomfort subsided before going back home. I had most of the symptoms other people have posted and also additional ones: tingling burning skin, nerve pain, electric jolts and panic at night causing insomnia, extreme agitation and irritability making me pace all day, extreme anxiety and racing fearful irrational thoughts (felt like I reverted to a mind of a scared child), panic attacks, loss of appetite, heartburn, trouble swallowing, constipation and diarrhea, hissing in my ear, and extreme sensitivity to everything.

The first 4-5 days were the worst! But everyday after that you get better, especially from the physical symptoms. I have been counting the hours of when the poison leaves your system and how much was left. But don't be discouraged when you still feel bad after when the drug should have left your body. It will take time for your body to readjust back to normal serotonin levels.

I felt a good amount better at around day 9~10, and a lot of the physical symptoms I had went away or got a lot better. The bad side is once your physical symptoms leave, your mental symptoms may be magnified. Right now at day 12, I am mainly struggling with fearful anxious thoughts, cloudiness, still some nerve pain and tingling sensations, and insomnia (which did get better). I also realized that the rate of you getting better may also slow down as more days past, but it is important to know you are indeed getting better day by day. Most people here say it may take 2 to 4 weeks to feel somewhat back to pre-Lexapro, but may take longer to really feel like yourself again.

I suggest taking hot baths, eat as much as you can even if you don't have appetite, drink lots of liquids (I drank a lot of Gatorade), take Unisom if it helps you with sleep (it helped initially for me but isn't doing much anymore), and exercise if you can (I pace around a lot which helps some).
I was also prescribed propranolol to help with heart palpitations and racing heart rate. Just now, I have also purchased Levium (a natural non-prescriptive anti-anxiety supplement) to see if that helps. But most importantly is to stay positive, have good support from other people, and knowing better days are ahead.

This thread has helped me immensely and I want to pay it forward. Godspeed everyone as we continue to get better!

I spent the rest of the morning smoking and pacing until my family woke up. Walking around did help.
That afternoon I went back to the doctor and she gave me Ativan and said it could take about a week for it to leave my system. I didn’t take the Ativan at that point because I was so worked up about putting something else in my system. I took a bath that evening and found this thread at it gave me a lot of comfort knowing that so many other people had such a similar experience. I slept decent that Monday night. When I would wake up I would tell myself it was just the meds and not something permanently broken in my mind. Tuesday I was ok but I felt anxious under the surface. Tuesday night I had another round of panic attacks that I couldn’t shake around 1:00am. At this point I knew I was psyching myself up in almost a PTSD fashion from the experience. I decided that as soon as the pharmacy opened I was going to fill the prescription for the Ativan. This was Wednesday morning. Today for me now. It was 4 days after I took the second Lexapro and i was still feeling it.
As of right now I have taken two .5mg of Ativan about 12 hours apart. About 8 hours after the first dose I felt 99% back to myself. I just took the second does about an hour ago and I’m a little jittery now but I think it’s because of my nerves with taking medication right now. I was feeling the jittery feeling before I ever took the second pill. My heart rate has been around 110 for the last few days and I’m at about 75 right now.
I know I cheated at went for the Ativan but it does get easier. Walking around helps. Drink lots of water. I found that falling asleep in the living room with the Tv and lights on helped quiet my mind.
I don’t think anyone can read a timeline that happened for one person and expect it to work for them. That’s what did me in on Tuesday night. Hang in there.

8 months later im not feeling much better. Still suicidal, with ptsd and depression. I would not wish this to my worst enemy. Not many people have experienced what i have.. while this "medicine" was not the only cause of this condition, it amplified my problems at least 10-fold. This "medicine" gave me ptsd, which is the worst thing one can have, paired with exhaustion.

Im not sure i will survive this, as im still not out of it. Wish me well, as i really need it. No money would ever make good the terror i experienced, and to the doctor that prescribed this to me, you really made my life a nightmare! Thanks to anyone reading this

I called the Dr and he agreed that it was best to stop it. I have lost 7 lbs from July 2-10. I have stopped driving... I have not taken Lexapro in 3 days.. burning sensation is almost gone, was able to sleep off an on for about 6 hours, had a wonderful day... the night before, I tried CBD edibles to calm the anxiety.. I had amazing results!!!
Today went to bed; I have only slept for a couple of hours, got woken up by the "electric shock" took CBD to calm the anxiety. I am not desperate.. I know that this will pass, have faith that my body is cleaning itself..

The book explains how to remain calm when anxiety or panic attack hits and how to overall see the anxiety in a new less threathening way. These are the three things that helped me the most, and believe me that i was so desperate to try anything to get out of this living hell. This was actually the worst 4 month period of my life all because of a 10mg pill. I was in such a dark place i wouldnt wish it on my worst enemy. I started feeling like myself only after about 3 months in. That ofcourse doesnt mean that you will need that much time, Im just saying this so that you know it gets better eventually:)