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On the advice of my wife (KarenB) I've been tapering Effexor by 10% monthly since Nov 2015 (sometimes with a longer hold) and am on 105mg (70% of original 150mg). . No w/d symptoms except very, very mild and occasional dizziness. I did become extremely tired at the start but started taking Cellgevity which dealt with that problem. (Cellgevity is sold via an appalling multilevel marketing system which is very offputting but in my case lives up to the hype). I have been on Effexor for over 5 years and had mild itchiness since about year 2. It was restricted mostly to my arms and occasionally torso but about September 2015 I noticed that my calf muscles and behind my knees would get very itchy after going for a walk (basically when my legs got warm). A good scratch always brought a very satisfying feeling of relief. The itchiness gradually moved to the inside of my elbow, between my eyes and the front of my neck, then, at the end of December when we had our first really hot week of summer (southern hemisphere) all hell broke loose. Whenever I got too hot the itchy areas would become extremely itchy and developed a burning sensation. I ended up scratching my arms raw for a bit. Luckily we live in a very cool house and I gradually worked out a system of managing the problem - it involves spending all day and night in front of a fan and using glass jars of food from our freezer on the hot spots when they get too hot. Glass transfers the cold very quickly and there isn't much time for condensation to form which is important because any moisture on the skin increases the itchiness like crazy as it evaporates. Over summer the itchy patches on my arms have spread up the arms to my shoulders and across the top of my chest. Lately the middle of my back gets hot and prickly if I lie on it for too long at night. I'm fairly certain the itchiness is not related to tapering but would like to know if there is something I can do other than manage the problem? Also, my doctor noticed that the itchy areas on my forearm have a visible edge to them so we tried an anti-fungal cream but aside from it's soothing qualities there hasn't been any reduction in symptoms. Extra Info: Skin problems seems to be my body's main way of expressing itself, having had various mild skin problems over the years and especially psoriasis since my 20s. This itchiness is different to the psoriasis and doesn't respond to treatment the same. I also developed asthma while on Effexor. Initially it was mild when I exercised or was cold but about May 2015 (our winter) it got a lot worse and I now use a Ventolin inhaler to cope. The Psoriasis increase and the asthma are both expressions of stress which I assume have come about because the anti-depressants are suppressing most of my emotional symptoms. I first used Prozac for 3 months in 2001, stopping C/T as soon as I felt better. I then used it again for maybe 6-9 months in 2002/3 after our first child was born but gave up on them when they didn't seem to be doing much.

I am an almost 30 year old wife and mom of 2 beautiful kiddos. I stumbled across this website while trying to figure out if the current issues I have been having were from tapering off of Zoloft in November 2017. I started SSRI's (Paxil) at 11 years when diagnosed with OCD tendencies. (recurring thoughts, perfection/control issues). Switched to Celexa after weight gain issues after starting Paxil. Had issues with body image and eating (over eating and restriction). I started restricting heavily and binging and purging at 20 years old and was switched to Prozac. I also was on adderall for ADHD in my early 20's for a brief period. (I was mostly concerned about not being able to concentrate, brain fog, and irritability). I was diagnosed as anorexic with bulimic tendencies at inpatient care for eating disorder at 24 (2012). Had a couple of relapses after inpatient, but then became pregnant in 2013 and haven't relapsed since. I switched to Zoloft (100 mg) during early pregnancy (2013). In Summer of 2017 I realized that my medication didn't seem to be helping me at all anymore. I suffered from insomnia, irritability, fatigue, and brain fog. I decided to taper from the 100mg of Zoloft I was on. I dropped to 75 mg for a month, then 50 mg for a month, 25 mg for a month, and have been medication free as of November 2017!!! I had no withdrawal symptoms, but still had irritability, insomnia, fatigue, and brain fog. In February 2018 I started getting super itchy at night. I would get hives and I couldn't fall asleep. It was maddening!!! I switched laundry detergents, made sure I used fragrance free soap. I took all the normal precautions for skin issues and nothing helped. I tried relaxing through the issues and it has helped the itching, but I have developed Dermatographia (skin writing). I will get hive like marks where clothes rubs or any extra stimulation has occured on my skin (for example: if I carry a bag, I get tons of hive like marks where the bag was resting in the exact shape of the bag handles) Skin issues seem to occur more in the evening hours, but still can happen during the day, usually more mild. I do sometimes get a burning/tingly sensation in areas (usually hands or feet), but that goes away rather quickly. In April 2018, I started a new job and have had less issues with insomnia. Just a random night here and there where it is difficult to sleep, but I work a 12 hour rotation on first shift and have 2 young children, so that could very well play into that 😉 I also started having recurring stomach issues. Lots of gas/bloating. Sometimes it is super painful. I get so bloated at times I look like I'm in early pregnancy! It is usually more painful during the evening hours. I have diarrhea/loose stools every day. I do follow a balanced Vegan diet (dairy and egg introlerances) and I am very active, but it has never seemed to be an issue before. The fatigue just has me constantly feeling like I want to take a nap and thinking of picking up my 30 pound toddler or walking up a flight of stairs just exhausts me. It's hard to even push my kids on the swings. My last period was March 5th and I have never been this late (NOT pregnant.... husband has a vasectomy and I took 5 tests 😆) I am unsure of whether this is a result of being off of SSRI's or if it is a different health issue. It is driving me crazy trying to figure it out!!! I just want to enjoy my time with my family and function properly. I have a doctor appointment in June for a pap and to talk about my symptoms, but wanted to see if anyone else has went through something similar (and I honestly think the doctor may tell me I'm crazy-- lol). 💜a7xbabydoll 2000 - Paxil A few months later - Celexa 2010 - Prozac 2012 - Brief period of Adderall 2013 - Zoloft (100 mg) 8/2017 - 75 mg, 9/2017 - 50 mg, 10/2017 - 25 mg November 2017 - MED FREE!!!