Cold Turkey off Lexapro after 8 years

Medication

Hi everyone. I am 23 years old and I was on 20mg of Lexapro for 8 years starting at age 15. In February of this year I stopped cold turkey and I am now 3.5 months into Post-Acute Withdrawal Syndrome. My symptoms include severe anxiety, paranoia, depression, uncontrollable crying episodes, and very low self esteem. I have had multiple doctors including my PCP and a psychiatrist dismiss my experience. I am currently considering reinstating at a low dose to stabilize while I work with specialists on a proper tapering plan. My two main concerns are whether the medication will even be effective after stopping cold turkey for 3.5 months and if it even could make things worse, and whether reinstating could trigger PSSD. After stopping my sexual function fully returned to normal within a few weeks which was a huge relief. I finally felt like myself again. I am desperately seeking a psychiatrist, naturopath, or any doctor who genuinely understands PAWS from antidepressants and PSSD and can help me navigate this without being dismissed. If anyone has recommendations for specialists or knows of doctors who work remotely with PAWS/PSSD patients I would be incredibly grateful. If someone has gone through something similar please let me know what worked for you.

Posted Jun 8, 2026, 10:15 PM UTC

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