Nat76: how to do that

[Nat76]

Hello,

 

I was on Celexa 20mg since a year (after a failed attempt to stop - i had an episode of hypomania when i tried under medical supervision and was misdiagnosed with bipolar disorder and was putback on it) and my doctor put me on Effexor xr after 2 weeks weaning of Celexa. I am On 75 mg of Effexor since 2 weeks, i feel horrible and had suicidal ideations -no plans don't worry, worsened depression and insomnia. Now my doctor wants me off Effexor xr in a week and to go back to 30 mg of Celexa plus adding Seroquel. I want to stop. I am not believing in those meds anymore. I am diagnosed with GAD and it does nothing. I want to stop but i am afraid of the withdrawal. Would it be reasonable to just stop the Effexor and go back to 10 mg of celexa for a month, then 5 for a month, then zero?  I feel like a lab rat.

 

Thanks,

 

Nadia

[Sunnyday]

Welcome Nadia @Nat76

 

We usually don't recommend tapering by anymore than 10% of your last dosage. The links below are very useful, I would recommend reading them before making any new changes on the drugs so you can prevent the situation from worsening. 

 

Tips for tapering off Effexor and Effexor XR (venlafaxine)

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

 

A signature is also a good idea if you wouldn't mind. We ask all members to do this so that we know the situation a bit better. The link shows how to:

 

How to write a signature

 

 

Since you mentioned GAD, it can be good to be prepared with different ways to cope with those symptoms. Below are some topics that could be helpful.

 

Ways to cope with daily anxiety

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

 

Please tell us what you would like to do and we can go from there. Feel free to ask any questions.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @Nat76

 

On 1/2/2021 at 6:19 PM, Nat76 said:

Would it be reasonable to just stop the Effexor and go back to 10 mg of celexa for a month, then 5 for a month, then zero?

 

Did you get withdrawal symptoms while tapering Celexa? If yes, and the Effexor doesn't help, it would be reasonable to go back to Celexa. If I were you, I'd take 2.5mg and stabilize on that for a while, at least a month, before deciding to taper further.

 

Celexa comes in liquid form by prescription so you can take a small amount, or you can make your own liquid. This topic explains how Tips for tapering off citalopram (Celexa)