How gradually should anti-depressants be reduced?

it depends on your body chemistry. i went straight off them years ago. i didnt have any real problems. but some docters will tell you to do it slowly.

Yeah - my first piece of advice - talk to your doc.
They will write you a scale on how and when to decrease to avoid the side effects. Yeah - the brain zaps? Feels like someone plugged you into a light socket - literally, so please don't do this on your own.

If I were you I would not be asking this type of question to a general audience. You need to pose this question to your Doctor and only your Doctor.

I'd talk it over with my doc, in fact, I'm going off my Effexor right now and my doc is gradually taking me off, a different amount each week. It's been 6 weeks so far and we're not done yet......in a situation such as this, you should be
safe rather then sorryl

Could be different for each person, and I don't have any experience with Lexapro. Maybe reduce by a tiny amount each month and see how it goes.

I would ask you doctor every pills is different and every person reacts different to them. You doctor will probably tell you to take the 15 mg for a few days and then reduce it a little more for a few days and so on but it is much better to ask your doctor than people because everyone reacts differently. Good-luck. : )

Always do any reductions in medications, by following your Doctor's advise. Fast reductions or going cold turkey, can lead to problems. Good Luck!

First - do not go off without medical help. I speak from experience - went off Prozac really fast. I wound up crazy as a bed bug, screaming and throwing things. It ain't no fun, believe me. Be VERY careful going off
If you are one of the adventurous people go off cold turkey --then you will understand what being crazy feels like.

Follow the advice of your doctor. I know that sounds trite but really he is the one who is trained to prescribe the medication and he knows best.

Only your doc can give you this answer, but i strongly advise you not to take this decision into your own hands - rule number one with all anti-depressants is do not suddenly stop using this medication - it is in every info leaflet of every type of these pills. Really, see your doc & don't feel bad for being on them, you wouldn't stop taking insulin suddenly if you were diabetic & this is no different.

Sometimes doctors give bad advice on how to taper off an anti-depressant.

In my experience, and from what I've heard from others, you want to go very slowly. If the doc tells you to go from 20 to 15 for one week, do it for two weeks. Then go down another 10mg, etc.... Ask her/him to give you enough to double the tapering time. If the doctor says the pills don't come in that size, use a pill cutter.

Luckily, Lexapro, as opposed to Paxil or Prozac, is a bit easier to get off of. However, you may still have the emotions, and the physical sensations - like an electrical surge when you turn your neck, for example.

Paxil was sooooo bad that a class action suit was started.