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Hello - Just like most people here, my story is so convoluted and painful that I don't even know how to start. The last 10 years of my life have been filled with great personal success, as well as horrific pain and failures that I truly believe are med-induced. I guess I should say that I'm a 30 something male, otherwise healthy (at least based on medical tests), and have been medicated for ~14 years. I sought help (2004) initially due to severe social anxiety and some moderate depression/GAD. Before meds I was generally very stable and active, but was just exhausted from managing the stress of crippling social anxiety (SA) as a college student. I don't know if Effexor (75mg) ever helped my SA, it did help with GAD but anything that makes you numb will probably do that. And Klonopin, that was a magic elixir for me (but the devil's in the details). I was never aggressive or impulsive before Effexor. One extreme example: I was in college and hurt by a romantic interest. While I was not suicidal, I distinctly remember such hatred toward myself and ended up hacking my arms and torso with a knife, which earned me 50 stitches, a night in the psych ward, and a lifetime of visible scars. This behavior was so uncharacteristic with my pre-med self and "coincidentally", started when I began meds... Fast forward 7 years and decided to try ritalin for grad school at suggestion of my psych (doc) based on previous diagnosis of ADD. As I started taking ritalin, my anxiety worsened so my doc increased my Effexor to 150mg. I started to have debilitating fatigue and couldn't stay awake in afternoons, so my doc suggested I try Klonopin 0.25mg/night for better sleep. A couple years later and just falling apart, which looking back was likely tolerance withdrawal from Klonopin. Anyway, doc upped my EfX dose to 225mg, which caused first ever and severe panic attacks, agitation, suicidal ideation. My doc left the practice and was assigned a new one. This doc lowered my EfX to 150mg and put me on Lamictal because he thought i had Bipolor 2 (I don't). As I continued to experience all sorts of major symptoms, he finally said I had treatment resistant depression and suggested lithium. ******* LITHIUM. At that point I took things into my own hands and began to taper off of everything. Low and behold, generally speaking at each iteration down a dose or off a med, my life improved dramatically. Don't get me wrong, tapering and withdrawal was brutal, but what I was experiencing was even worse. No more agitation, suicidal ideation, etc. Subsequent to the med cocktail from hell, I was on Wellbutrin SR 100mg (discontinued in Aug 2017) and EfX XR 37.5 mg for about a year. I was also 100% benzo free between April 2017 and April 2018, which I viewed as a great, if difficult success. In Jan 2018 after weeks of a difficult depressive episode, which was likely just a seasonal thing, I decided to try low dose Zoloft and finally get off of Effexor. (The thinking being that I have depression and will need to be medicated with something the rest of my life. I have since changed that view.) I tapered off of Effexor for 45-days. Two weeks after my last dose I began to experience horrible nighttime akathisia and insomnia. For an entire week I maybe got 8 hours of sleep. My doc suspected it was the Zoloft (I suspected Effexor) and told me to halve my Zoloft dose, which didn't help. I ended up tapering off of Zoloft over two weeks and reinstating Effexor XR 20mg (custom bead count). After a week with no sleep and starting to lose it, we finally decided to get me stabilized by using Klonopin at night as things like diphenhydramine, propanol, Gabapentin didn't work. It's been 30 days off of Zoloft and having reinstated Effexor and Klonopin. The akathisia and insomnia has not improved at all and the only way I can sleep is by taking 0.25-0.5mg Klonopin. So I'm in this reinstatement purgatory of sorts. The longer I take benzos the more dependent I become on them. I so desperately want and need to get off of Effexor (for so many other longterm side-effects that I haven't mentioned here), but shouldn't taper until I get off of benzos. I'm stuck and not even my doc knows what to do. I haven't experienced this level of hopelessness since the med cocktail days and have had to reduce my hours at work. I know whole heartedly that there is this person inside me that has so much more potential, but the meds have destroyed that and I'm not sure what is left. I just don't know what to do or where to go from here...

Hi I took effaxor for 5 months 75mg. I stopped 4.5 months ago and still stuck with PSSD. How hopeful should I be, do people here recover substantially from PSSD?

Hi everybody! I am Julz, a 33 year-old female - polydrugged to my eye-balls Ten years ago, I fell into anorexia and depression, soon unveiling terrible anxiety. I was referred to a psychiatrist (in France) who prescribed me medication and also gave me psychotherapy. Regarding the medication, different combinations and doses where tried and I eventually found myself on a prescription which seemed to suit my troubled mind (Escitalopram, venlafaxine, clonazepam and diazepam) - did it ever do anything? I still haven't got a clue. I trusted this doctor. This is my initial prescription: Escitalopram: 20mg 20mg 20mg - (yes, that is 60mg...!!!) Venlafaxine(MR): - - 75mg - Clonazepam: - 2mg - 2mg Diazepam: - - - 10mg Time passed and psychologically, a lot changed. I moved away from where I used to live, totally changed my environment, and went for a fresh start. But I was still taking my medication as prescribed. My General Practitioner (in charge of my prescription in my new environment) convinced me to lower the Escitalopram (on the grounds that it was "bad for my heart") and I managed, between 2011 and 2013, to come from 60mg/day to 15mg. How? By jumping 5mg at a time every now and again. I had no idea... again, I more or less trusted this doctor who was willing to prescribe me the drugs I was clearly physically dependent on. The withdrawals I experienced were uneventful. I did feel something was happening but within a few days, I always felt the same as before the drop. Between 2010 and 2014, a LOT had changed as I finally got an MSc BUT I had fallen into terrible exhaustion and had no life. How did I get my degree? A struggle every day. I then began to question this cocktail of drugs, I'd been on them for 10 years and was still taking them as prescribed because I was physically dependent. That was clear enough! It then hit me: my meds were probably incapacitating me rather than providing any help! The realisation came as in January 2013, after I managed to lower my Escitalopram intake from 20 to 15mg/day in a single 5mg step (...), I began to feel even more tired during the day, exhausted - I simply had to nap every single day. After some personal research, I went to my GP and told him I didn't believe in keeping our focus on the Escitalopram because it seemed that the more I decreased it, the more sleepy I'd get during the day, considering my benzo intake (at that point, I was taking 3 hours' naps), and I could not live like that! Fortunately, before I was able to drop a pill here and there as instructed by my GP, I found the BenzoBuddy website and managed to find a taper method to gradually come off clonazepam. From December 2014 to July 2015, I came from 4mg to 2mg and am now below 1.9mg and still tapering off successfully. I decided to join Surviving Antidepressants as I want off ALL any medication which alters who I am. I believe in other ways to manage my weaknesses - I am not ill, I have a tendency to be anxious and this is not new, I was an anxious child but I had emotions too. I'd like my emotions and my whole life back... I realise I know NOTHING about anti-depressants, I surely did not know about Escitalopram's potency and am still in shock from the news. My initial plans (supported by a psychiatrist I saw in February 2015) were to come off clonazepam (bz), then diazepam (bz), then Escitalopram, then Venlafaxine. In the light of what I read on this wonderful site, I wonder whether I should stay of Valium (diazepam) while at least tapering off Escitalopram, when I am done with clonazepam... I realise I need knowledge myself because sadly, doctors haven't been helpful at all... so far... Thanks for welcoming me on your wonderful Forum! Julz xxx

I have had an account here for a long time. I do not believe I ever did an introduction. I was just speaking with someone who recommended I come here. I am suffering in so many ways and I feel so alone. I am becoming more hopeless every day and am afraid I am going to end up in a hospital. I have little time to even write now because there is way too much going on in my life. I need help. There is no where to go for help. 1- I was started on high doses of xanax in 1997 and continued until they switched me to 4mg klonopin in 2013 during a hospitalization. CT off xanax for a few days which I thought I was going to die. Then Klonopin, which has wreaked havoc in my life and mind and body. 2- Besides these two benzos, doctors have tried their "cocktails" on me. I do not remember every drugs, but these I remember: First, the xanax and the klonopin. Plus they have pulled me off, put me on, rearranged etc over and over the following drugs: remeron, cymbalta, zyprexa, celexa, serzone, brintellix (I think they renamed trintellix), lexapro, effexor, prozac, trazadone, abilify, wellbutrin, ritalin, seroquel, latuda, pristiq, melatonin, ambien, paxil, zoloft, vistaril, vyvanse, lamictal, cogentin, rexulti, and more. I cannot remember all. Life is a blur for these past almost 25 years of polydrugging. Now I am on here for my son as well - we both need help 3- Recent trauma: 2014 youngest son starts becoming delusional and episodes of psychosis. 2015: my father is euthanized in front of me and my family because of other family member's decisions for him - even though he was not dying, was completely alert and had his mind. He was not in hospice. It is a long story and traumatic. 2015: son's psychosis getting worse with son and he moves to another state to live with his brother. 1-4-2016: my son (youngest of four) parked a car and sliced his throat open with a knife- cutting through his trachea. Somehow lived. Got out of car, ran up 7 flights of a construction zone to jump. Construction workers stop him. I get call from hospital and fly to that state the next day. Son had to have 4 hour surgery to put his throat back together. He was in medical for 40 days with trach and feeding tubes. Then in psych. Then they sent him home with me. The rest of 2016 was complete chaos of hospitalizations for him - did not realize it was the drugs they were forcing on him. I was stupid. They messed him up so badly - 30 days of overdrugging in a "stabilization" unit. (he was the MOST unstable here!) Upon D/C, they discontinued his meds and gave him an injection of Abilify Maintena. Severe reaction to this. No sleep, severe akathathsia, pacing the floors night and day, hardly eating -- exactly 2 weeks later - he was arrested. In jail 14 months where they tried multiple drugs on him. Finally putting him on Clozapine and Effexor. Then he was court ordered to a residential treatment center. The doctor there increased the Clozapine from 300mg to 500mg. 225mg effexor. He was getting through the court ordered program for 10 months. Then they ran out of his Clozapine. I really do not know all details because I have learned how corrupt they are. He was forced hospitalized. Day 1: forcibly injected with Haldol X2, Ativan X3, Versed X2, Geodon X1. While he was suffering withdraws from the abrupt CT cessation of 500mg of Clozapine and now the cessation of 225mg of Effexor - both forced upon him by the "professionals". Day 2: Forced injection of Haldol and ativan. I informed the hospital that he cannot tolerate haldol. But they continued to drug him up. Day three: Forced injections of Haldol X 3 and ativan X 3 and then they started giving him Benztropine. By the time I saw my son at visitation, he was almost dead and it was a gruesome sight. I will not give details but I know I suffer post traumatic stress from it all -- I had to argue with nurse to get help for him. He finally was rushed to CV-ICU. He had DX of respiratory failure, acute kidney failure with rhabdomylosis, dehydration, clozapine withdraws. The ICU doctor noted that they had to work on my son for 48 minutes to "stop vital organ system failure and stop further life-threatening deterioration of patient's condition". After ICU, it was awful - he was soon thrown back into psych. All visitation and phone rights denied him. He was kept in restraints, completely naked, hours on end. Med techs would hold him on the floor while other techs kicked and beat him in the head. They continued to forcibly drug him with thorazine, restoril, ativan, even adding depakote and eventually starting the clozapine again. I had to fight for him for three months. He still has health problems today. I am his caretaker but I need help. He currently is taking: 500mg Clozapine, 150mg effexor. 4- Me- I cannot even remember when I started to taper my meds. Everything is a blur. I started realizing how bad they are for me. Knew very little. I cut the lexapro dose in half - I think this was early 2017. And I cut the klonopin dose by 1/4. Still, since then, a few different meds were started but I would stop them CT. Then I started learning more. I read parts of the Ashton Manual. I have been on FB groups. I have actually received a lot of harsh treatment from some people in the FB groups, so I rarely go on any of those groups anymore. I have a scale now. I shave off my klonopin. I tried lowering the lexapro but ended up going back up to 10mg and holding. Want to get off klonopin. But I am not doing well at all. I am exhausted. cannot write anymore. I have waited years to even get this put in here. I hope it makes sense. I have tried liquid titration with klonopin - disaster for me. I hardly have time to even care for myself - son is urgent. I am just barely functioning. So that's that. Not how I would have liked to write it. but mind is jumbled I think. I feel misunderstood. Hope I am not misunderstood here. I feel very much alone. NIghtmares- terrible. depression like I have never experienced. extreme fatigue, but high demands on me. I have to function. No one cares or understands about my son or about me. My son needs to taper but I think he needs to wait until off probation - maybe April or May this year. Everything I read and see about Clozapine and the horrible labels they have assigned to him - it seems hopeless. I feel hopeless of ever getting off klonopin and lexapro. This is no way to live. I am making no sense. Not even painting the right picture...for people to understand. How does anyone successfully get off these drugs and get out of the control of the system? We live in FL and they are "Baker Act" crazy here. Baker Act is forced hospitalization. They even have police come handcuff and take children right out of schools to a psych facility. It is only getting worse. I do not know what to do. I want to be free of these drugs. Also, my son wants to be free of the drugs. We both want to be free from the control of this holocaust type system call psychiatry. I know a moderator has to approve. Maybe this was not written correctly. Just let me know what I did wrong. This took a lot of effort. Even reading takes a lot of effort and I even forget. So maybe i am not supposed to put all this in here. Just let me know.

I haven't post for a while here. Waiting to have good news to share with you, and now I have them. Recovery is happening very fast now. I am definitely turning the corner.Feeling much much better. I still have waves of dysphoria but they are short lived and most of the days are good or very good. The most important thing is that I am sleeping!! Some time ago I read here somebody saying "once you start sleeping you are on your way..." very true. To those suffering and struggling with this terrible condition, let me tell you, that recovery does happen. I tnink I was one severe case.But I am doing much better, and getting my life back.I am 63. Don't loose hope,eat well, be strong and STAY AWAY from psy drugs. Eternally grateful with SA and Altostrata. Link to Alex's story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3298-%E2%98%BC-alex-withdrawal-or-relapse/

Hi all, would appreciate advice if anyone else has had a similar experience I've recently stopped venlafaxine. Now 6 weeks off after tapering down to 37.5mg over a few months then stopping completely. Prior to that I had been on venlafaxine for 8 years doses between 150mg and 75mg. I stopped as felt flat on it and that did not need it any more. first few weeks I had bad physical symptoms - flushes, sweats, nausea, vertigo, brain zaps, nightmares and shakes. In the last week I've had intense panic episodes/general feeling of dread. Incredibly tearful, ongoing insomnia and severe feeling of restlessness despite feeling exhausted. My doctor has put me on 50mg of sertraline in the hope it helps. Has anyone else had this experiencing with venlafaxine and came through the other side? I'm starting to lose hope of ever feeling normal again.

Hi all, Thank you for letting me join this wonderful fountain of knowledge. I have been on Effexor since late 2008, when I was 20 years old. My first long term relationship had just ended and I was understandably an emotional mess. I was also alcoholic at the time and using a lot of recreational drugs, which didn't stop the doctor from providing me 75mg of Effexor XR. I loved it at first because I literally felt high. I had tried other antidepressants in the past but none had worked, whereas with Effexor I just seemed to have so much energy. Fast forward to 2011, I am in residential rehab for my alcohol and drug addiction problem. The counsellors there suggest it might be a good time to try coming off my meds- 300mg Effexor and I also taking 25mg Seroquel at this point, as I was unable to sleep on the Effexor. I am referred to a completely incompetent psychiatrist who gives me a taper programme which takes me from 300mg to nothing in a month. Not knowing any better, I complied with his insane schedule. Within a few weeks I was kicked out of rehab for out of character, rageful behaviour. Back home, I slowly lost my mind. Couldn't leave the house without feeling like I had a target sign painted on me- I felt everyone was looking at me and talking about me. I lost my temper at the drop of a hat over minuscule things. No one around me realised what was happening. My memory of this time is hazy, but I do remember being home alone one night and suddenly becoming obsessed that there was a government conspiracy to give people heart attacks by putting too much salt in food. I was walking around the kitchen in circles screaming, unable to stop. I considered the possibility of hanging myself to make it stop. Luckily I called my boyfriend instead and found another website which is no longer active, who advised me to go straight to a doctor and resume the Effexor at a maintenance dose. I did this and was put back on 75mg. The damage was already done and I fell into clinical depression. A month later I decided I couldn't be more miserable that I was and relapsed on alcohol. Luckily I got straight back into a 12 step programme and have been sober since that relapse. But I struggled with the after effects of that withdrawal for many months. i have been absolutely petrified to try coming off Effexor again since, despite many side effects including palpitations, mental confusion, dry mouth, bad breath, constant clenched jaw and every type of stomach complaint. I fell pregnant in 2014 and came down to a quarter of a 37.5mg tablet during pregnancy. I wanted to come off it entirely, but my relationship was very unstable and I was being constantly triggered (we have now split up). I was devastated to not be able to breastfeed my daughter, but I felt the Effexor presented too much of a risk to do so. I went back up to 37.5mg shortly after her birth. She is fine and healthy today, but the responsibilities of single motherhood have left me terrified to attempt withdrawal again. However, since giving birth I have found that the Effexor now has a sedative effect on me. I now have to take it at night time, or I am almost passing out during the day. Sometimes I forget (I'm insanely forgetful now, which fairly sure is a side effect of long term antidepressant use) and then I have a choice of spending the whole day "shocking" or being a half passed out zombie fighting to keep my eyes open. I realised I can't carry on my life like this, I want and need my energy back. I've become completely reliant on coffee to have any kind of energy, so I'm always up or crashing back down. My daughter needs me to be fully present in her life, which I don't feel like I am a lot of the time due to this horrid side effect. I found this website and have been reading up on safe tapering, and on June 14th began the 10% reduction method. At the moment it looks like it's going to take about 3 years in total. I'm in no rush after my last withdrawal experience, I can't risk ending up in such a bad way as I'm all my little girl has. I have been dissolving the 37.5mg tablet in 75ml water, making sure it's all evenly dispersed, then removing 7.5ml (equal to 3.75mg) with an oral syringe. In the UK they no longer prescribe the slow release Effexor so as I can't do the bead method, this is the only accurate way I can really do it. Yesterday I had tingling in both hands all day then at night I had some brain zaps when I was trying to sleep which went all down my left side, which has made me wonder if I should maybe hold this dose for longer that a month. If anyone could advise me on this, I would appreciate it. I find my daily meditation practice my most valuable asset in keeping me sane so I'm hoping it will aid me in my withdrawal. If you have made it this far in my mammoth post, you are truly amazing! Love and healing light to you all x L

I have being tapering off effexor 75 mg now for 2 months as my generic brand only contains six beads I have taken one out every 4 weeks , however I feel this has been to quick as my nervous system is all over the place can anyone give any advice please

Hi all, I am seeking your advice on my persistent symptoms after coming off of Effexor 150 mg three years ago and would be immensely grateful to hear your opinions on the alternatives I have. Here is my story: I was on antidepressants over a period of 20 years, with some breaks in between, on different SSRIs/SNRIs and dosages. In the beginning, the tablets seemed to help, but this effect wore off over time and I was more and more reluctant to swallow tablets while still being chronically depressed. In 2019 I felt stable enough and discontinued the medication twice. Unfortunately, I had no clue about the risks and how to taper off safely. I had no adverse effects until 3-4 months after the discontinuation. I believed my doctor that this was a relapse, went back on and was quickly ok again. In 2020, after having learned about delayed withdrawal symptoms I started a new taper using tapering strips over a 6 months period. Unfortunately, still far too quick. Again, I had no problems during the taper, but hell started once I was on zero in August 2020. I have not recovered since then. The physical symptoms in the acute phase included insomnia, weight loss, diarrhea, vertigo, night sweats, tinnitus. The mental symptoms were far worse – I couldn’t be alone, suffered from immense anxiety, inner restlessness, anhedonia, suicidal ideation, felt very much impaired with regard to planning, deciding, executing. What has improved: I have regained 6 kg, gastrointestinal issue are rare, no vertigo or night sweats anymore. But these were minor things. What tortures me most today is the persistent insomnia (can go to sleep, but wake up 3-5 hours later), anxiety, severe cccdepression, anhedonia, unability to feel well and have positive emotions, suicidal ideation. Over the 3 years in protracted withdrawal I tried the usual things: naturopathic treatment, homeopathy, yoga, nutritional supplements, Gupta program, hormone replacement therapy, psychotherapy, spent 5 weeks in clinic. I use intermittently sleep teas, melatonine, valerian, lavender oil and occassionally sleeping pills and lorazepam as an emergency medication. I am 58 years old, female, and live with my husband and daughter in Germany. I am currently employed, working mostly from home and fear I can’t keep this up due to my deteriorating state. My symptoms are permanent, i.e. no windows and waves, but I get better in the evening. I feel I have reached a point where I can’t go on. I am too exhausted fighting this level of anxiety and depression in a sleep-deprived mode. I have not seen any real improvements to sleep or the mental stuff in these three years. I consider going back on medication. I know I need to consult a doctor, but as you know they have no knowledge about withdrawal. Can I have your opinon please? Going back on Effexor, if so what dosage? Taking a sedating AD like mirtazapine to help with sleep? Other sleep medication? Tricyclics? I wonder if it is the lack of sleep that prevents me from recovering. Thank you so much for taking the time to respond! I greatly appreciate the work you do here, I really do! All the best Marie

Hey there, I'll try to make my intro a bit shorter but its still kind of long. Was put on Effexor 150 XR at age 15 due to anxiety and depression (my mother is narcissistic and I developed a lot of self hatred from it. Older brother is also bipolar and made my life hell). Took that med until I was 28 (13 years). Worked with a nurse practitioner (for psych meds specifically) who tapered me off over the course of 2.5 months (waaaay too fast) by taking the little beads out of the capsules. My meds pooped out and I didnt feel I needed them anymore. Did great for 3 months, then my anxiety hit me like a ton of bricks, followed by depression. Insomnia due to anxiety, no appetite, emotional shutdown. Was put back on 75 mg and then raised to 150mg again, but since I had seen how vibrant I was without these drugs, I hated being on them. After moving across the country I asked my new doctor to move me down to 75 mg. I felt less flat but the anxiety was bad. Moved back up to 112.5 mg, but felt "meh" about everything. Tried Pristiq 25 mg for 2 weeks and was moved to 50 mg. 5 weeks in I had a horrible reaction-- anxiety, depersonalization, sweating, diarrhea. I didnt feel real. I told my doctor to lower me. Tried 25mg for 6 weeks. Still had diarrhea and apathy at 25mg. Was moved to Zoloft 25 mg for 3 weeks. I told my doctor I wanted to stay at 25 mg zoloft because I didnt want to become an over-medicated zombie. She said 25 mg wasnt a high enough dose to treat me, and I trusted her more than myself so I increased. After 3 weeks was moved to 50 mg. After 3 days on 50 mg I started being really spacey, dizzy, feeling like I was in a dream. Had insomnia. I would feel better every day as the med wore off closer to my dosing time. Felt like I wasnt real and didnt care about anything. My doctor said to wait until 5 weeks to see if my symptoms improved. I said no and told her to lower me to 25 mg. Stomach was still so bad after the debacle with the Pristiq that I had dropped 17 lbs at this point and needed an endoscopy and a colonoscopy, where they found nothing was wrong. 1 week after reducing to 25 mg Zoloft my stomach started improving. It wasnt a slow taper, she just had me half my tablet. I've been on Zoloft (Sertraline) 25 mg for 18 days as of writing this. Throughout my journey I've been moved up and down doses of Effexor every 2-3 months, I got to experience effexor withdrawal and new side effects from the pristiq at the same time, and I got to experience pristiq withdrawal and zoloft side effects at the same time. I'm currently having headaches, dizziness, apathy, and some sexual issues. Stomach is better but not 100% yet. Have pressure in my head a lot of the time. It feels like my head has cotton in it. I'm in therapy finally dealing with my abandonment issues from my mother's narcissism. This whole thing has been a huge lesson in trusting myself. A big part of me is scared that I've ***** up my brain, and that the apathy wont ever go away. I feel like I've made a big mistake. My partner has said that over the past few weeks I seem more myself, but I don't see it at all. I've begun doing some more things I enjoy, but a lot of the time I'm not enjoying them very deeply. A lot of the time I just want to be left alone. I guess I just want some support, since I'm so scared. How did I even get here? I just wanted to be happy. tldr: couldnt handle 50mg Zoloft, currently on 25mg for 18 days. Brain is effectively a scrambled egg. Timeline: Effexor 150mg XR 13 years, came off over 2 months, 3 months off. "Relapse" and put back on 75 mg, then 50. Lowered back down to 75 for 2 months, then raised to 112.5 for 2 months. Pristiq 25mg for 2 weeks, then 50 mg for 5 weeks. Back to 25 mg for 6 weeks. Zoloft 25 mg for 3 weeks, then 50 mg for 5 weeks, now back to 25 mg for 18 days.

Hey Folks I stopped taking effexor three weeks ago after tapering it down 150 > 112,5 > 75 > 37,5 > 25 > 12,5mg over about three months. I came to the conclusion to stop it with my psychiatric because i didn't felt any improvement after taking it over a couple of months and had to deal with some nasty side effects. He told me to change to Prozac and i started taking it when i reached the 75mg mark of effexor. Currently i am on 20mg Prozac. The first ~4 days after stopping effexor were completely okay with no signs of discontinuation problems. But after that i started to feel nauseaus almost every day since. There are days where the nausea is tolerable and disappears over the course of the day and then there are other days where i feel nauseaus the whole day. That said, i also feel more anxious over the day...almost like drifting into a panic attack that then won't happen. I am now at a point where i am no longer sure if those are signs of discontinuatuion or my brain/thoughts are makin me sick. It feels kinda surreal to think that 12,5mg would have such an extensive effect on my body after two weeks, but on the other hand there seem to be a lot of people having problems getting rid of this medication and are on discontinuation syndrome way longer then two weeks, even after stopping on lower doses.

Extremely severe PSSD at 20, need help ASAP I had been on venlafaxine for 3 years up until February when I was told by my doctor to taper off over a span of a few weeks. I had no withdrawal symptoms initially but since around May a very large amount of physical and mental symptoms have manifested and gradually seemed to have gotten worse over time. I have been on 150 mg of wellbutrin for about a month after being admitted to the psych ward due to the mental state I am in, helped quite a bit in the early days but seems to have worn off or is making me worse. Currently taking magnesium and fish oil to combat head issues, but I just can't take this anymore and its only been a couple months of symptoms when many others here have had them last for years - Severe brain fog, constant - Short-term memory loss, unable to remember names and faces of anyone new I meet - Regular migraines, three times a week and usually develops towards end of day - Pressure feeling banded around head, constant - Visual snow, even more severe when eyes are closed - Blurred vision - Extremely severe dullness of emotions, totally unable to feel love, happiness, anger. Crying is extremely difficult and takes effort and extreme distress. Cannot even laugh. Constant - Total loss of creativity, unable to come up with original ideas - Mind feels completely blank and thoughts are not racing like they used to. Did improve with wellbutrin but not even close to 100% - Inability to compile thoughts, not capable of thinking of even half of these symptoms without writing them down ahead of time - Social skills completely disappeared, went from being talkative to socially paralyzed and cannot come up with the words to say. Maintaining conversations causes mental agony, have to fake emotions - Difficulty finding words I previously used regularly in my vocabulary - Extremely severe depression, feeling of total hopelessness all the time. This DID NOT develop until after other head symptoms, head issues popped up during a content period of my life - Feeling of dizziness and strange vision when moving head back and forth - Occasional severe confusion and total disorientation. Happens probably once every few days for an hour or two - Feeling of being in a dream or a daze, feel like I'm spectating someone else living my life - Extremely vivid dreams, seem more real than reality - Occasional sensitivity to light - Total loss of appetite, eating anything more than a very small quantity of food makes me nauseous. This developed about two weeks ago, much later than other symptoms. Went very quickly from eating a lot to eating nothing - Total lack of interest in any hobbies that I was in love with a month prior - Irregular stool, liquid most of the time. - Constant exhaustion - Muscle weakness and soreness - Nausea - Heart pounding when I lay down, distracting when I try to sleep - Heart palpitations - Sharp chest pain. - Insomnia, have been taking melatonin to put me to bed but I wake up very early in the morning and cannot go back to sleep due to how horrible I feel - Brain zaps, seem to have lessened recently but were often - Stiff neck - Total loss of sexual interest. Extremely difficult to get and maintain an erection - Shriveled penis - Pins and needles sensation occasionally in fingers - Stiff neck for a few hours a day - Lower back pain - Itchy red bumps popping up all over - Derealization. Hoping to God that this is just a bad dream or a hallucination. I feel like a shell of myself to say the least, feel as if I have died Much of this was copied from my post on the pssd subreddit from a few weeks ago, I would write a new summary of my issues but my brain has gotten so much worse that I am seriously struggling to even read and write and I am totally forgetting what medications I am on and such. I honestly do not even care about the sexual or other physical side effects because my head condition is so awful. I am in total crisis mode and need relief like right now, I don't know who to turn to because people in my life just do not understand what is going on, I have been to the hospital 4 times in the past couple months for these issues and have been given a different and stupid diagnosis each time, the last time was when they had enough and put me in the psych ward for a week. I did not want to take any meds but I felt it was forced upon me with how bad my condition was and I have been totally stuck on wellbutrin since. Its helping a little but I am terrified about staying on it as I believe my condition will worsen as it has and I am also terrified of going off of it because my condition will also worsen then. I have been to several doctors and psychiatrists and they are just trying to give me more ssris and such and do not believe I am still having withdrawal from venlafaxine. I have completely lost all sense of self and my memory is getting worse and worse by the day, I am forgetting the names of family members and massive events that happened in my life. In my hopsital visits I was blood tested every time, urine tested every time, given a CT scan on my brain, EKGs and such and nothing came up abnormal except for magnesium being low. My brain is in such bad condition, it feels like I am completely incapable of feeling any sort of stimulation and I am clearly declining mentally and emotionally on a day-by-day basis. I am on the verge of trying re-instatement or just going back to the hospital so they put me on more drugs because this is so unbearable I don't even know if I can last another day. Caffeine, alcohol, and small amounts of junk food have caused me severe crashes and I am extremely hyper-aware of literally everything I put in my body. I do not feel anything besides pain and fear, I know there probably isnt much that people here can help with but I am looking for a miracle here. This is unbelievable pain and if I make it through this it will certainly be the most I will ever have to struggle in my life, but I am seriously doubting my ability to recover due to the severity of my case and it seemingly getting worse. I have appointments with a neurologist and GI doctor but they are backed up and it will be 6 weeks until I can see them. I live with my parents because I'm 20 and cant work or drive or do anything in this condition and they are also going through torture because of how unbearable it is to be around me like this

mod note: Gussy's introduction topic: Gussy: 9 weeks off effexor, wondering if it will ever end? I never thought I would be asked to write a story of recovery in the group I think of as the premier withdrawal group. The knowledge you guys have here is just out of this world. I don't know if it can be rivaled anywhere. When Alto asked me to write a story of recovery here one day I felt honoured and obligated to write something. I hope someone can gain something from this. It was at the start of 2017 after a failing journey i requested a blood test. The result of this showed me i could no longer trust what drs and specialists were telling me about the harmless effects of effexor and i knew i had to be off it. So before i joined here i did some research and decided on a taper slower than most drs but much faster than the 10% or less method. I really thought the real life experiences i was reading were people looking for sympathy and thought i.d be fine. Wow, how wrong i was!!! I realise a mod has to approve this so i want to tell you that i can.t write this story in one sitting. It.ll prob take many to do it with many edits along the way. I will add to it soon and then add to it again. I.ll submit this for now but save it on my phone too just incase you can.t approve it. Know that this can be done though. Gus.

Hello all, I’ve found this website incredibly useful so I wanted to share my journey of coming off of venlafaxine (Effexor) with mild withdrawal symptoms so far. Context / About Me I was put on antidepressants in February 2014 at age 18 after I had my first severe depressive episode. Initially, I started on citalopram, then mirtazapine and then venlafaxine (effexor). I have been on venlafaxine for about 8 years continuously with no breaks. I am currently two weeks medication free and I have experienced very minor withdrawal symptoms. My first unsuccessful taper I annoyingly didn’t record my first unsuccessful taper that started in March 2020 but I came off 150mg venlafaxine in 6-8 weeks and had severe withdrawals (brain zaps, nausea and then return of depressive symptoms) resulting in what appeared to be a relapse* (I saw my old psych) and I had my medication reinstated. *From educating myself more on antidepressants, I know now that this was withdrawal from coming off the medication too quickly and not relapse. My (so far) successful taper using pill cutting method Feb 2021: Reduced dose to 112.5mg March 2021: I will have tapered but didn’t record speed, reduced dose to 75mg March 2022: I believe I then decreased further as I recorded going back up to 75mg 13 December 2022: I will have tapered but didn’t record speed but at this point, I reduced my dose to 37.5mg 21 February 2023: Reduced to 28.125mg (ish) 1 April 2023: Reduced to 18.mg (ish) 21 April 2023: Reduced to 9.4mg (ish) 10 May 2023: Took last dose of venlafaxine. I was planned to taper further from 9.4mg but took a shot to see how I felt and so far, so good. I was prepared to take my dose immediately if I felt unwell. Withdrawal symptoms I have experienced very mild withdrawal symptoms, including: - Most noticeable symptom has been that it has triggered an IBS flare up and my bloating is unreal 🤯 - Slightly off balance / dizziness - Fatigue - mild and only for first few days - Slightly irritable Major thing to note is that I’ve had NO brain zaps and no mood-related symptoms or anxiety!!! Resource recommendations Antidepressed by Beverly Thomson May Cause Side Effects by Brooke Siem https://markhorowitz.org (particularly his work on hyberbolic tapering) https://withdrawal.theinnercompass.org I appreciate I am lucky in my experience the second time around as I know many people have to face horrific, permanent withdrawal symptoms. However, I hope this shows that it’s good to go slow and not to rush the process of coming off. Happy to answer any questions and I will continue to update on my progress! A

Hi all,[/size] My name is Lisa, I am a 30 year old female and I believe I've experienced protracted withdrawal. I plan on starting to taper off Effexor XR in July. Here is some of my history: [/size] Starting in 2005, I began taking Lexapro after my father got cancer and passed away 4 months later as I started having panic attacks. I am not sure when I went off Lexapro, but I know I was put on Celexa for a while as Lexapro stopped working and I have now been on Effexor XR for 6 years. In the past, when I go off an SSRI/SNRI, I end up going back on after some time because my panic attacks come back. After 6 months of therapy, I went off Effexor XR in March 2014 with a week of a half dose (37.5 mg) and then completely off, by the advice of a psychiatrist. Actually, the book she referred to recommended 2 days of a half dose and then completely off, but she extended it.[/size] Withdrawal was horrendous. Insomnia, nausea, diarrhea, dizzy, not able to concentrate, felt just SO out of it. Finally it was over in a week or so. But in late May 2015 (3 months later, thinking it was all out of my system and I was good), I had just gotten home from vacation and was about to get into the shower when BAM, I was suddenly so dizzy that I couldn't tell which way was up or down. This remained for 3 months day in and out and after a ton of tests (took meclizine (anti-dizziness pill) which did nothing, ENT looked at my sinuses/ears which were clear, inner ear tests which were normal, brain MRI which was normal), until I went back on Effexor XR in August 2014 by recommendation of a neurologist who said it was my anxiety coming back. During what I'm thinking was protracted withdrawal, I was dizzy constantly. I'd wake up from a deep sleep completely dizzy, it did not go away. I also had excruciating headaches at night and could barely sleep 2-3 hours a night because of this (I NEVER get headaches). I was also severely exhausted because of the dizziness - everything was harder, and the low amounts of sleep due to headaches. I did not understand because other than being upset of my state of being constantly dizzy, I really was not anxious. I was meditating, exercising (as much as I could - it was a feat with being dizzy), nothing significant going on in my life. I had also been going to therapy and made huge strides.. I still continue to go to therapy weekly and it's been about a year and a half now. I was so confused as to how this could be anxiety. Now I'm reading this site and I'm learning this was probably protracted withdrawal. After I started taking the Effexor XR again, within 2 weeks I felt totally better. Now that I have been back on Effexor XR since August 2014, and after learning what I've read on this site, I want to start a slow taper in July after my next vacation. My therapist believes I am ready and now I know I am after having a great suspicion that those symptoms were not due to my anxiety. I have read the advice boards and will be doing the 10% per month taper. I also will be going to the recommended doctor in Farmington, MI and have an appt with him at the end of this month.[/size] Has anyone else experienced the protracted withdrawal symptoms that I had? Any other advice or tips that you can share? I will be coming here often and hoping to make friends [/size] Thanks![/size]

After planning to have a family my whole life, I found that some things are just out of our hands. I had 6 miscarriages, before having a baby boy that suffered from an unknown degenerative neurological disorder. He would have 30-50 seizures a day, was blind, deaf and was in ICU most of his life. The doctors predicted his life expectancy to be 3-4 years, but at 5 months old, he came down with chicken pox, which caused his organs to shut down and he died in my arms. I lost everything I lived for and my dreams of having a family were shattered. I became extremely depressed. I decided to seek medical help for my depression. My doctor prescribed Effexor (Venlafaxine). I didn't feel it was helping, but she said it was, that I just didn't realize how much worse I would be without it and I can't expect to be my normal self again. Every time I said it wasn't helping, she just increased the dose, until I was on the highest dose that could be prescribed, and I remained at that dose for the next six years. All this loss was hard on my marriage. After struggling for a few years, we divorced. I walked away from my marriage, home, life, everything, taking nothing but my dogs and a bag of clothes with me, and started over alone. With nowhere to go, I jumped into another relationship. Six months later, I became pregnant. Since medications can be harmful during pregnancy, I stopped taking the Effexor, following a fast taper as my doctor instructed. I developed unusual problems that I had never experienced before, which caused me to be ill throughout the pregnancy. I didn't learn until years later that what I was experiencing were "brain shivers", or "brain zaps", and it was not related to the pregnancy, but stopping the Effexor. The doctors related my symptoms to stress and put me on bed rest, and I stayed on bed rest or in the hospital throughout most of the pregnancy, until having a c-section at 8 months. I had a small, but healthy, baby boy. However, I continued to feel ill. I described the problem to my doctor multiple times. I was told, word for word, “It’s in your head, go see a shrink”. She blew me off, like she didn't believe me and thought I was crazy. I managed as best as I could, but progressively worsened. I went to several other doctors, but none of them had answers and showed no interest in looking into it. I talked my boss at the time. He was an ear, nose and throat specialist, so it wasn't his specialty, but he had watched my health decline and knew that my symptoms were real and was concerned enough to help. He sent me to several neurologists and other specialists to have tests done. He was worried that it was serious because my symptoms resembled MS or something similar. All the tests came back normal and no diagnosis could be found. It seemed no one had ever heard of anything like this before. My condition worsened until I was no longer able to live a functional life. I struggled to take care of my son and couldn't interact and do things with him as much as I wanted to. I had no idea what was wrong or where to turn for help. Desperate, I searched online. I discovered a forum of people who shared my symptoms, all of which had used Effexor at some point and were unable to get help from their doctors. Many of them were told that their symptoms were psychosomatic, just like my doctor had claimed. A few doctors and nurses on the site acknowledged this was real and provided what information they had. This is where I first learned of the term “brain shivers” and discovered that using Effexor can cause them. The doctors said they are generally mild and typically go away on their own, lasting from weeks to several months. However, they said higher doses over an extended time can result in severe cases that could last years, or even permanently, and so far, there is no known treatment. I continued to struggle with this for a little over two years. Then, I was contacted by an old friend, who was now a psychologist. This call was a turning point for me. I told her about the problems I was having. She knew about brain shivers and was sure that was what I was experiencing. She was concerned that this would likely be a permanent problem for me, since I took such a high dose for so many years, and since I hadn’t had any improvement in over two years. She said there is no known treatment, but tapering off the medication slowly is known to help prevent or reduce the problem. I had been off the medication for over two years already, so it didn't seem logical to introduce the drug into my system again after so long, just to taper it out of my system. She was concerned that it could have an adverse affect, causing my brain to adapt the wrong direction by starting it again, making the problem worse. She said if I went back on the medication to stop the brain shivers, I would likely have to stay on it indefinitely, to keep them from coming back. The thought of taking a medication for the rest of my life that caused me to be permanently disabled without it, just did not sit well with me, especially if it could make the problem worse. And I couldn't get a prescription anyway, since I couldn't find any doctor who was willing to treat me. She told me there is another option I could try, but she could lose her license for recommending it, so not to tell anyone who told me, but to try methamphetamine, because it's a dopamine reuptake inhibitor, and it should stop or greatly reduce the brain shivers. She said as long as I only use enough to stop the brain shivers, it would help me, and that using excessively or more than is necessary is what leads to the negative affects of any drug, legal or not. (Disclaimer… I want to express that I DO NOT recommend using methamphetamine, for any reason. It’s not a solution to brain shivers, it's just an another problem to need a solution for. It comes with its own list of problems, including legal consequences. This choice cost me in many other ways. Looking back, I can't say I would’ve been better off, had I not made that choice, because I couldn't function at all. But I also can’t say I’m better off, for having made that choice. I just replaced the problems I had with different problems. This choice led me down a different path, but it was far from a better path.) It has now been 18 years since I started having brain shivers. I have been using methamphetamine responsibly for the last 16 years, which greatly reduces my brain shivers to a tolerable level and allows me to function. I still have brain shivers once in a while, but they are typically mild, occur less consistently and don’t affect my ability to function in daily life. The only time they bother me is if I miss a dose, or something, such as illness or stress, affects my overall health. Although it allowed me to function, depending on something illegal to function requires committing a crime every day, and it was inevitable that I would eventually get caught. I ended up facing criminal charges. I was lucky enough to have a good attorney who was able to turn a 5-35 year prison sentence into just probation. I was assigned to the best probation officer anyone could ever ask for. If it weren't for her patience and understanding of my situation, I wouldn't have a chance of making it through this without ending up in prison. It is because of the situation I am in, the need to end my dependency to an illegal drug, the inability to do so without help to stop the brain shivers I’ve had for the last 18 years and the kindness, understanding and willingness of my probation officer to patiently work with me to find a solution to my problem, that I have found myself here on this site. My probation officer has helped me in the effort to find a solution through every possible direction we could think of. I have been turned away by detox centers and inpatient treatment centers, either because they don't believe meth causes withdrawals, or due to liability concerns, since quitting will cause me medical problems. I've been turned away by doctors and psychiatrists, when searching for a medication to help the brain shivers, to replace what I'm using, so that I could stop using and hopefully avoid or at least lessen the brain shivers, but they refuse to treat me at all, until I have already quit, which is what I needed the help for. I believe tapering off the drug is the only way to successfully stop using without having severe brain shivers, as I get them every time I miss a dose. I understand that this site is for prescription medications, but I hope it is possible to allow an exception, since my need to taper is due to brain shivers following the use of Effexor. My probation officer approved me joining this site and is willing to be patient to allow me the time to follow this site’s recommendations for tapering, so that I have the best chance of coming out of this situation without using any drug and without severe brain shivers. I am truly blessed that my probation officer is patient and understanding to allow me to try this, since quitting cold turkey will undoubtedly cause serious problems, and I pray that this site will be as understanding and willing to help as well, because this is the best chance I have to turn my life around in the right direction. I never meant to end up in this situation. Sometimes people end up in bad situations, but it doesn't mean they are bad people, they just need a little help.

Rene94 from Germany / I'm so desperate and in a black hole of hopelessness.. Hello everyone! I've been following the forum for 6 months, I like it so much. There is no such thing in Germany. I 'll try to keep my first post short. As I'm new here, I wish everyone here all the best! Introduction: At the beginning of my topic I want to apologize for my bad english. I 'll try my best to write my thoughts here. I am a young men from Germany and currently 28 years old. Drug History: I have taken Venlafaxin 75mg in the past for anxiety disorders, I have never had any type of depression. My psychiatrist told me I could take these drugs forever and taper them off in 4-6 weeks. Well so much for that.. I then took it for 10 months and right from the start I noticed strange side effects like total genital numbness, complete loss of libido, emotional numbness, sleep duration was normal but numb. I don't know how to describe it, but I had neither the feeling of being tired nor the feeling that the sleep was restful and that I slept well. I no longer had an appetite and the fear was gone too, but so were all the positive feelings and thoughts. I had many other side effects but I thought I had to endure this temporarily, also because of work. I can't afford to lose this job. I lost my last job because of my anxiety disorder. Taper process I was tired of feeling like a robot and trapped in a lifeless body without having my personality, so I decided to stop taking the drug. I reduced it to 50mg for 2 weeks in December then to 37.5 for 2 weeks, 12.5mg for 5 days and then on January 26th I cut my dose to 0. As I learned afterwards, it was too fast, but I can't undo it. Withdrawal/Symptoms On tapering off and getting down to 37.5 mg I noticed days when I had some emotional energy, slight desire for sex, better sleep and some genital feeling. I figured I was on the right track and I needed to get rid of the drug altogether. What I experienced after 0 was absolute horror, hell on earth. A place that few of us are allowed to get to know. Acute withdrawal symptoms lasted about 6 weeks, then faded away. After those 6 weeks I got severe insomnia and all the other symptoms that were there from the start: hives, hair loss, hair texture change, total genital numbness, erectile dysfunction, total emotional numbness, derealization, deep depression, akathisia, digestive problems, etc. I think you know what i'm talking about. Now I'm at 9.3 months from 0 and gone is just the akathisia, digestive issues a bit better but that's it.. It's sad and I'm having suicidal thoughts because I don't think I'll ever recover. It's too much what was taken from me. I just wanted a fresh start. Now I'm a robot, a man-made AI. What can I do? Do you have any advice for me? If I experience a window on a symptom, does that mean that improvement will come back? Even if it was little? Thank you!

I recently decided I can’t handle the constant exhaustion and severe constipation I was experiencing while on Effexor. My psychiatrist and I decided to try out Welllbutrin as I had many years on SSRIs and SNRIs and wanted to try out something new that could possibly help with my fatigue and apathy. My doctor originally wanted me to begin tapering by going from 150 to 75 for a week, then 37.5 for a week, then nothing for a week. And then stating the Wellbutrin the following week at a starting dose of 75mg. The first week on 75mg I had immediate relief from the constipation but also consistent bouts of crying and anxiety. Around the 3rd day of this, I reached out to my doctor and she said if I was feeling that awful to go ahead and stop the Effexor and move on to the Wellbutrin. Unfortunately I knew this was a bad idea so I continued with the taper and added on the Wellbutrin. As the tapering continued, I dealt with the bouts of anxiety that were something I could more or less handle. Until I moved to 0mg and all hell broke lose. I’m currently on the 2nd day of no Effexor and 75mg of Wellbutrin. I do not feel the Wellbutrin at all and I have severe anxiety that I’ve never felt before. It does feel like all my issues that were masked by the Effexor have come to light. I do now realize that a lot of my feelings of hopelessness were coming from this anxiety somehow linked with a lot of mom guilt, etc. At this point I’m considering going back on the Effexor altogether and starting over from there. But I’d like to start at 75mg. I have a doctor appointment in a week and a whole bottle of 150mg pills. I’m wondering how to possibly get 75mg from the 150… is that possible? As I’m typing this I’m feeling guilty? for going against my doctors suggestion and anxious about explaining it to her. Sheesh. Thank you for any insight.

Posting this to encourage you that it can be done. I didn't think I'd recover from my horrible withdrawal. I was going to try and reinstate, but it seemed like it was too late, everything was already so screwed up and it felt like was no going back at that point. I was on Effexor for 18 years. I went on it the first year it was released in the US. It's been almost 10 years now since my last dose. I gradually tapered over a two year period and I did pretty well up until I was down to less than 10 beads, and then my nervous system went totally haywire and it took years to recover. The two main problems I developed from quitting were very bad anxiety and disturbed sleep. I would wake up anxious after like two to four hours of sleep. Sometimes, I wouldn't be able to go back to sleep at all. Both sleep and anxiety gradually improved, in an up and down manner. The anxiety eventually went away. Sleep improved, but I'm not the best sleeper. I was diagnosed with sleep apnea, but was unable to tolerate cpap. I usually sleep about five or six hours a day, and sleep straight through. On good days, I'll sleep more than six hours straight through. On bad days which aren't that often, I'll sleep less than five hours. But when I don't sleep well, I no longer freak out too much about it. I would probably say my average sleep is something like 5.5 hours, but it's straight through and I wake up calmly instead of in a panic. Below are a few things that helped me. Wishing you all the best of luck with your taper and great health. 1. This article somehow really helped me with anxiety. I mean I think it made a huge difference. I don't remember if I heard about it here or on another group, but I'm glad I found it. I remember reading at the time that it had a profound effect for some other people too. It's called "Nothing Works, A Letter To Myself." http://nothingworks.weebly.com/ 2. For sleep, I use a sound machine. Here's the machine I originally used. Eventually I ended up making my own custom solution with an old laptop. But this machine worked well for me, and I gave one to my mother and it made a give improvement in her sleep too. Link: Lectrofan 3. Meditation. I started seriously meditating at some point during my taper, and never stopped. I try to do it twice a day everyday. I did/do it more for spiritual/religious reasons, but I've got to think that it must have helped in some way regarding anxiety and maybe even sleep too. ADMIN NOTE Tom's Introductions topic is here

Hi - before I knew better, I listened to my MD on how to wean off. Please see my signature for details. Right now, I am stuck at 37.5mg Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) every two days. After seeing this site, I see I should be taking a daily dose, but reducing by 10% every so often. My question is, where do I go from here? Do I go back to taking 37.5mg daily, then begin reducing by 10% when comfortable? I don't want to erase all my progress I've accomplished over the last year, but the mood imbalances from taking the capsules every two days are really taking a toll. My goal is to come off Effexor ASAP because I am trying to naturally rebalance my body and will be trying to conceive within the next few years. Any help is appreciated.

I was on Effexor for about 7-10 years until this May when I chose to start tapering off in order to have the opportunity to do a guided mushroom experience. I was doing really well up until this point. I wanted to do the psychadelic experience to enhance my life and find more opportuniteis for joy and peace in my daily life. I tapered slowly and the first couple weeks went pretty good. So, I cut the dose again and immediately started having nausea, vomiting and vertigo. I didn't make the connection at first that it was related. Once I did I went back up to the original tapering. That is when I found out how hard it is to get off Effexor. And I was even more determined to get off of it, plus I was angry that I took this medication to HELP me and now it was making my life hell. So, I completed my tapering with the advice of my doctor, and I feel shittier than I have in years. My cognitive functioning is terrible, I feel like my brain is full of molasses and I am an emotional wreck. I've called my doctor twice to ask for his help and he is on vacation or something so he's not getting back to me. I don't want to go back on this medication but I am seriously miserable and so uncomfortable with my daily existence. No one around me understands what I'm trying to tell them about this syndrome. I feel so alone and confused about how best to support myself. I started taking a ton of supplements last week in an attempt to support my cognitive functioning and mood. The first day I felt so much better. Now a week later still taking the same supplements I'm back to where I was. I feel awful. I need to get on with my life but the more I read about this syndrome the more scared and upset I get.

Hello! I am very lucky to have found this site right at the start of my weaning off process. For context, I started taking Venlafaxine XR 75mg in August 2020 after a traumatic event left me unable to function due to constant severe anxiety. I have since done psycho-therapy and generally feel "fine" except for persistent suicidal thoughts and ideation. At first, we thought these were related to the traumatic event, but as time progressed, I began to feel that the drug was the cause. I have asked to come off the drug before but all my providers were against it because of the thoughts. One tried to switch me to Zoloft but it made me feel worse so I hopped back. I'm tired of feeling this way. Psychotherapy hasn't helped with this particular problem. I have always had GAD and was managing fine pre-trauma and, honestly, the Effexor doesn't help the anxiety That much. I still have to use pre-med techniques to get through most stuff, even the little things. Monday, I told my doctor that I'm coming off. I want to get a baseline of my new normal, and go from there. My doctor had me do a 50% reduction 5 days ago (June 25, 2023) to 37.5mg. I had some nausea, headaches, irritability, and restlessness the first day. But since then I have had no withdrawal symptoms AND I've seen significant reduction in suicidal ideation (from frequent throughout the day to less than once a day). I also no longer have periods of listlessness (you know, laying on the couch miserable with no motivation to do anything). I will wait out the next week as told, but I'm not skipping doses like prescribed. Because I haven't had significant withdrawal symptoms, I was wondering if I could/should do another 50% reduction (I know about counting beads and all that). I understand that 10% is safer, but with such a serious side effect, I think it may be worth the risk to come off fast. Please share your thoughts, opinions, and experiences! Thank you in advance!

As the title says, my psychiatrist (who I don’t think ill be seeing again) told me to stop taking my 150 mg dose of effexor and start on 300 mg wellbutrin. She told me I would be fine and not to worry about withdrawal. Obviously she was very wrong. My symptoms are severe. Muscle pains, heavy pressure on my cheat, horrible mood swings, lots of crying, brain zaps only minutes apart, cloudy thinking, nausea, I have it all- Ive nearly attempted suicide and I wake up every day knowing Im about to have another horrible day of insane discomfort. I told my psychiatrist about this and she told me to go to the ER- they gave me a 30 day supply of 37.5 mg pills and told me to take two today to get relief from the symptoms which I did but its not enough. The discomfort/bordering pain is back, the dread and anxiety is back, I am physically unwell from this. The way I see it I have two options-either continue cold turkey and wait out the hell and be done with this horrible drug- or go back to 150 mg to make the symptoms stop and attempt a slow taper. Im wondering if anyone has any advice or experience with this. How long should I anticipate these horrible side effects lasting for if I continue cold turkey? I dont think the 37.5 mg tablets are going to do me much good in reducing the symptoms if my original dose was 150 mg. My psychiatrist cant possibly be any help if she thought this was a good idea to begin with. I am genuinely scares that I will not survive feeling this awful for much longer, but im terrified to go back on 150 if im just foing to feel like this the whole time i taper my dose. What should I do?

So my history is that I started taking anti-depressants for anxiety and mild to moderate depression. Ive always suffered with social anxiety, in particular eating in front of people that I perceived to be 'important' people but they were strangers. If I knew I was going into a situation where I would be expected to eat in front of strangers then I always had an extra pill prescribed by my GP. Propranolol was the drug of choice to be used as a PRN drug on top of my SSRI tablet. I used to take venlafaxine but this was changed a few year ago to Fluoxotene and has recently been added to by my GP and so I now take Mirtazapine in the evening. So as you can see I am not looking to withdraw at the moment but having watched the Panorama programme which has given me food-for-thought. I will come here again when the time is right to look at withdrawal! I will also use this and other sites to gather support and information.... Oh and I am 57. Been on anti depressants for over 30 years and I live in Wiltshire, UK

I've been on effexor now 7 months after previously been on lexapro 15 years first week coming off got the usual advice from doctor iam on 75 mg he said go to 37.5 for two weeks then stop which I thought was to quick after watching the BBC program on Monday I decided to check here I've started by opening my capsule which is venex xr it contains 6 beeds so iam taking one out per month not feeling good what has surprised me is I have constant runny nose and flu symptoms aswell as restlessness insomnia just wondering really is this normal thanks