Posted by Larry Hoover on October 16, 2004, at 11:22:42
In reply to How long for Lexapro to eliminated from body?, posted by BRC on October 16, 2004, at 10:16:30
> How long does it take for Lexapro to be completly out of the body? And should I tapper my dose down. Or can you just stop taking it.
>
> Thanks,
>
> BrianReally, how long it takes to eliminate Lexapro from your body is less of a concern than how you go about it.
You should always taper the dose when discontinuing any SSRI.
Most discontinuation plans suggest that you drop by no more than 1/4 of the total dose per week. If discontinuation symptoms arise, it may be necessary to reduce that rate. Alternatively, temporarily substituting with an equivalent dose of Prozac might reduce withdrawal symptoms to an acceptable level, as Prozac's half-life is much longer than any other SSRI.
Presuming a similar half-life as that of Celexa, the racemic mixture of which Lexapro is one half, the half-life is, on average, 37 hours.
Lar
poster:Larry Hoover
thread:403794
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20041012/msgs/403811.html