My m.d. told me to stop taking lexapro (escitalopram) i no longer need it. should i walk away from it cold turkey or do i need to step down/

Speaking : Speaking as a non psychiatrist: Lexapro is a serotonin uptake inhibitor in the same family as prozac, zoloft, paxil, (paroxetine) luvox, and celexa. All are used to treat depression and/or anxiety. If you took Lexapro with complete relief of your target symptoms i would recommend staying on it for at least 9 months. Then you would have the option of tapering off or staying on it. Withdrawal symptoms are not much of a problem after stopping lexapro, but it's always prudent to taper off over a few days. The higher the dose, the longer the taper. I don't like folks to stop it during the dark months. If you stop it and symptoms recure, you can resume the same medication and expect the same benefit.

Taper: Stopping any ssri can cause withdrawal symptoms, and I have seen these with lexapro (escitalopram). If you and your doctor feel it's time to stop it, taper it gradually.