jessie Posted April 2, 2019 Share Posted April 2, 2019 I have been taking Venlafaxine - generic for Effexor - currently at 75 mg, but have been at various doses over the years, up to 225 mg at one point - for almost 10 years. I've also been taking Lorazepam - generic for Ativan - currently at .17mg, but have been at various doses over the years, up to 3mg at one point - also for about 10 years. I've been weaning off the Lorazepam for the past 7 months by dissolving the pills in a tiny amount of alcohol and mixing with water, then decreasing the solution by 10% of previous dose every 2-3 weeks. I plan to stop completely (jump off) around mid-June. After that I plan to do the same thing with Effexor. I have attempted to discontinue both drugs but made two mistakes. One, I tried to wean off both drugs at once so I didn't know what was causing what symptom. Two, I got down pretty low, relatively quickly (over 3 months) but then jumped too soon. I experienced horrific symptoms -- on the the worst days, before I gave up and reinstated, I experience non-stop fear verging on terror, derealization and bulging veins in one arm/hand. Yeah it was a sh*t show. I signed up to this website because I know I will need support when I start the Effexor taper. Being on benzobuddies.com has been helpful through my benzo taper. I also have a blog that's just about my benzodiazepine withdrawal at https://journeyfrommeds.com/ and I find it therapeutic to write about it as well. Thanks for reading this. I feel for every person who has to go through withdrawal from any drug. Especially when you have to do it in secret because it's not a socially acceptable topic. Taking Venlafaxine - generic for Effexor - have been at various doses over the years, up to 225 mg at one point - for almost 10 years. Currently at 5 mg; tapering since June 2019. Stuck at 5 mg; every time I reduce from 5 mg, I experience heart pounding (but not racing) until I cannot stand it and go back to 5 mg. Had taken Lorazepam - also for about 10 years - but successfully weaned off slowly; summer of 2018 through spring of 2019. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Gridley Posted April 2, 2019 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 2, 2019 Hello, jessie, and welcome to SA. Congratulations on getting down to .17mg of Ativan. To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly. Please indicate whether you're on the regular Effexor or the ER. Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature. Your taper rate of 10% every three weeks is a bit faster than our recommended rate of 10% of current dose every four weeks, but if it's working for you, great. The following link would also be applicable once you start your Effexor taper. Why taper by 10% of my dosage? At what dosage are you planning to jump off the Ativan? I've seen .05 mg mentioned as a good end-of-taper dose of Ativan, although some people may go even lower. If you chose to jump at .05, that would take you past June. We always advise listening to your body rather than going by a calendar. When to end the taper and jump to zero? We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) Please research all supplements first and only add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems. This is your introduction topic -- the place for you to ask questions, record symptoms, share your progress, and connect with other members of the SA community. I hope you’ll find the information in the SA forums helpful for your situation. I am glad that you found us. Gridley Introduction Lexapro 20 mg since 2004. Begin Brassmonkey Slide Taper Jan. 2017. End 2017 year 1 of taper at 9.25mg End 2018 year 2 of taper at 4.1mg End 2019 year 3 of taper at 1.0mg Oct. 30, 2020 Jump to zero from 0.025mg. Current dose: 0.000mg 3 year, 10 month taper is 100% complete. Ativan 1 mg to 1.875mg 1986-2020, two CT's and reinstatements Nov. 2020, 7-week Ativan-Valium crossover to 18.75mg Valium Feb. 2021, begin 10%/4 week taper of 18.75mg Valium End 2021 year 1 of Valium taper at 6mg End 2022 year 2 of Valium taper at 2.75mg End 2023 year 3 of Valium taper at 1mg Jan. 24, 2024: Hold at 1mg and shift to Imipramine taper. Taper is 95% complete. Imipramine 75 mg daily since 1986. Jan.-Sept. 2016 tapered to 14.4mg March 22, 2022: Begin 10%/4 week taper Aug. 5, 2022: hold at 9.5mg and shift to Valium taper Jan. 24, 2024: Resume Imipramine taper. Current dose as of May 2: 6.1mg Taper is 92% complete. Supplements: multiple, quercetin, omega-3, vitamins C, E and D3, magnesium glycinate, probiotic, zinc, melatonin .3mg, iron, serrapeptase, nattokinase I am not a medical professional and this is not medical advice but simply information based on my own experience, as well as other members who have survived these drugs. Link to comment
magnesi Posted April 5, 2019 Share Posted April 5, 2019 Hello jessie, Our cases are very similar (Ativan, Effexor, first tapering the benzo with the help of benzobuddies, then tapring Effexor), so I just wanted to say hi and wish you the best luck. Antidepressants - Effexor 150mg since April 2015 (previously Dumyrox 50mg during 8.5 years). Started tapering on Jan 2019. Jumped at 5mg on Sep 3, 2020. Feeling OK with some joint pain. Benzodiazepine - Ativan 1mg daily during 18 years. Started tapering Sep 2017. Benzo free since Sep 2018. Recurrent and often intense muscle and joint pain during the taper, particularly during the first half. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 25, 2019 Administrator Share Posted October 25, 2019 @jessie, how are you doing? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
jessie Posted October 25, 2019 Author Share Posted October 25, 2019 Okay, thanks for asking. I'm pretty worried/disturbed by my heart beating too hard. I really wish it would stop. Taking Venlafaxine - generic for Effexor - have been at various doses over the years, up to 225 mg at one point - for almost 10 years. Currently at 5 mg; tapering since June 2019. Stuck at 5 mg; every time I reduce from 5 mg, I experience heart pounding (but not racing) until I cannot stand it and go back to 5 mg. Had taken Lorazepam - also for about 10 years - but successfully weaned off slowly; summer of 2018 through spring of 2019. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted October 25, 2019 Administrator Share Posted October 25, 2019 Has this changed since April? How's your sleep? A lot of people find fish oil and magnesium supplements helpful, seehttps://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/https://survivingantidepressants.org/topic/15483-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/ Try a little bit of one at a time to see how it affects you. This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
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