Combitone: tapering and reinstatement on doctor's advice has been a nightmare - what now?

[Combitone]

1 minute ago, Roserdl said:

I see.  Are you starting your taper now or going to hold out to stabilize?

 

Oh, I've no intention of tapering again for a bit, at least not while I feel so dreadful. I think it would take advice that I have an enormous amount of faith in to get me to make changes again, because it really didn't work out last time.

[Combitone]

14 minutes ago, Ariel said:

 

Unexpectedly/paradoxically lackluster reactions might be related to emotional blunting, anhedonia, emotional anesthesia, apathy, avolition, etc., all of which are common side effects of ADs and common symptoms of WD. These drugs can dull one's emotions and cause a feeling of numbness. 

Many neurotransmitters are involved in our feelings of pleasure and reward (just as they are involved in other emotions), so it's not improbable that these feelings could be affected by AD use while on them and while healing from them in WD. 

 

Thanks yeah, I'll keep that in mind. These drugs really have done a number on all of us.

[Greatful]

@Combitone

I can totally relate to wanting to be done with this.  I know it is hard but you have put in some hard work and time healing from these drugs. I know that we tend to focus on the stories that talk about years, and this makes it so overwhelming,  but there are success stories that healed in  shorter lengths of time. Have you read many success stories on here.  Find the ones that resonate and give you hope and read and reread them, or even contact them.  

Be careful not to rush into anything. 

 

Is trying a small taper a consideration?

 

Did I heard right from someone else  that in Europe they can't advertize the drugs on TV?  Sadly here in the US, we get to hear  all the wonderful need for these drugs. If your antidepressant isn't helping add this one or that one and so on.  It's up to big  pharma how they want to sell their product and the wonderful ways it can help you.  Lately there is a commercial with a company called Hers that will prescribe drugs online for you.  Women on the commercial  talking about  their anxiety  or depression and then  it shows them all happy and content.   I have to turn the volume off when it comes on.  

 

I can say many of us express not really knowing who we are now.  I've had the pleasure of decades of drugs too, which makes it even harder to remember 

pre drug life.  I didn't always feel good on the drug, so was it the drug or me.

 

Hang in there😊

 

 

 

[Combitone]

3 hours ago, Greatful said:

@Combitone

I can totally relate to wanting to be done with this.  I know it is hard but you have put in some hard work and time healing from these drugs. I know that we tend to focus on the stories that talk about years, and this makes it so overwhelming,  but there are success stories that healed in  shorter lengths of time. Have you read many success stories on here.  Find the ones that resonate and give you hope and read and reread them, or even contact them.  

Be careful not to rush into anything. 

 

Is trying a small taper a consideration?

 

Did I heard right from someone else  that in Europe they can't advertize the drugs on TV?  Sadly here in the US, we get to hear  all the wonderful need for these drugs. If your antidepressant isn't helping add this one or that one and so on.  It's up to big  pharma how they want to sell their product and the wonderful ways it can help you.  Lately there is a commercial with a company called Hers that will prescribe drugs online for you.  Women on the commercial  talking about  their anxiety  or depression and then  it shows them all happy and content.   I have to turn the volume off when it comes on.  

 

I can say many of us express not really knowing who we are now.  I've had the pleasure of decades of drugs too, which makes it even harder to remember 

pre drug life.  I didn't always feel good on the drug, so was it the drug or me.

 

Hang in there😊

 

 

 

 

I must admit, I've not read many of the success stories on here, as I find them a bit difficult to connect with. There obviously is some small spark of hope that just about keeps the wheels turning, but I'm largely suspicious of becoming too hopeful. The next punch in the face could be just around the corner. That's not a particularly healthy state of mind, but that's how it is for the moment. I'll have a look at the one Ariel linked, though.

 

I might consider a small taper if a psychiatrist in the know suggests it, and it would also be a lot easier to implement if it came from one, because GPs in the UK have finally started to be more stringent about prescribing, particularly since the Royal College Of Psychiatrists changed their tune on standard taper practice. If I was to initiate a short taper myself, that would be difficult. The modified release variant of my med rules out pill cutting or shaving. Micro bead versions are not available to GPs, and in any case, changing med type now would involve me undergoing a length assessment by the local mental health service - another thing they've recently brought in. So, the psychiatrist would likely be the easiest route to that, if indeed that's what seems like the best course of action.

 

I had to think for a moment or two, but I don't recall ever seeing adverts in the UK for prescription-only medication other than particularly powerful antihistamines during summer. The way it's advertised in the US sounds pretty disturbing. I've followed the way the opioid crisis unfolded over there, and the lack of serious regulation seems to have a lot to do with it. It's a shame none of the Sacklers will end up in prison. I feel like a similar story is playing out with these antidepressants.

 

Thanks for the replies. I do appreciate people dropping in to check how I'm doing. Where are you in your journey, out of interest?

[Combitone]

I have to say, reading some of the success stories here have me spooked, as so many seem to measure their improvement over a decade or more. The idea of going through many more years of this is a (near) worst case scenario for me. Plus, I'm not even off this drug yet, so I feel my journey has barely begun. Stabilisation as a process is like being stuck on a train platform without knowing whether one will ever arrive.

 

I'm just not sure what to do right now. I have in recent times attempted to find a psychiatrist with specialist knowledge that can advise of possible options that might alleviate them, but have had little luck so far. I'm essentially frozen in place, because I'm petrified of going through something similar to the taper/reinstatement experience again if I experiment with my dose, and I want to have made sure that I'm doing the right thing before I take a leap into the dark again - as sure as I can with the info I have, anyway.

 

Does anyone have psychiatrist recommendations? Or have any of you had success reducing side effects by other means than 'do more exercise', etc*?

---

* = not that I don't think there's efficacy to some of those suggestions, but they're very incremental improvements, and I need a significant change before I can find space to incorporate them. Most of the energy I have available goes into remaining functional enough to work to some degree and keep the bailiffs from the door.

[Greatful]

@Combitone  Look for success stories that have a faster recovery and stick with those.  There are some. 

Over all have you seen any improvement since last spring?  It's been over a year since you reinstated right?  

I really wish I had the answer on how to proceed.   What does your current doctor recommend?  I really don't know enough about these drugs, not sure anyone does. It would be nice if you could find a way to safely taper off.   Your drug of choice can't be cut?   Maybe a compound or tapering strips?

 

My heart goes out to you, me and everyone else who are stuck trying to find their way out of this mess.

[Healingcontinues]

Hi there,

 

So sorry to read that things have still been tough for you. I noticed that there was a good long break between your posts. How are things for you compared to how they were this time last year? I am also sorry to read that you had to take a step back from family members. I hope you don't have to navigate through this alone, and if so do know that you can get a lot of excellent support/advice from the people on here. Take care.

 

11 hours ago, Combitone said:

Does anyone have psychiatrist recommendations?

 

There are several good recommendations on this thread. Some posts are quite old so you might have to do some scrolling to find people who have more recently been added to the thread.

 

 

 

 

A UK based psychiatrist who is very familiar with withdrawal after going through it himself is Mark Horowitz. You can see his approach to tapering in the video below. Another that I know of is Joanna Moncrieff

 

[Combitone]

13 hours ago, Greatful said:

@Combitone  Look for success stories that have a faster recovery and stick with those.  There are some. 

Over all have you seen any improvement since last spring?  It's been over a year since you reinstated right?  

I really wish I had the answer on how to proceed.   What does your current doctor recommend?  I really don't know enough about these drugs, not sure anyone does. It would be nice if you could find a way to safely taper off.   Your drug of choice can't be cut?   Maybe a compound or tapering strips?

 

My heart goes out to you, me and everyone else who are stuck trying to find their way out of this mess.

 

Thanks for the post, I appreciate it.

 

It's been about 14/15 months since reinstatement, yes. The worst of the side effects noticeably came down about mid-June in the same year, which was the difference between curled in a ball on the sofa all day to actually being able to get up and walk around. That was good, and I'd hoped that similar jumps of improvement would come. I've measured any further progress since that point, and I can't say there has really been any. The cluster of side effects are the same intensity, and the windows are a still matter of an hour or two every few weeks, as they were back then. In that context, maybe this is stabilisation for me, but that makes the possibility of the potential spikes associated with another taper pretty intimidating.

 

My doctor's recommendation prior to new rules being introduced in the UK (the Royal College of Psychiatrists changing their tune on recommended standard taper technique is now what these peer groups have been advocating, and doctors can no longer switch meds and doses on a whim without a review by the local mental health team) was to double the dose, which I'm certainly not doing. Afterwards, he basically said do nothing, stay on the dose indefinitely.

 

On the subject of tapering, I'm on modified-release pills, so pill-cutting is a bit of an inexact science because it invalidates the coating mechanism that releases it over a longer period, turning them into immediate release ones. There are some guidelines here, but I'm not sure about it. It would be much easier if I had the micro bead variety, but it doesn't seem to be available to GPs over here, which is another reason I thought about a psychiatrist, as they likely have access to a greater range of sources. I don't think I'd say no to tapering strips, though as yet, I don't know what their availability is.

 

[Combitone]

4 hours ago, Healingcontinues said:

Hi there,

 

So sorry to read that things have still been tough for you. I noticed that there was a good long break between your posts. How are things for you compared to how they were this time last year? I am also sorry to read that you had to take a step back from family members. I hope you don't have to navigate through this alone, and if so do know that you can get a lot of excellent support/advice from the people on here. Take care.

 

 

There are several good recommendations on this thread. Some posts are quite old so you might have to do some scrolling to find people who have more recently been added to the thread.

 

 

 

 

A UK based psychiatrist who is very familiar with withdrawal after going through it himself is Mark Horowitz. You can see his approach to tapering in the video below. Another that I know of is Joanna Moncrieff

 

Hi, thanks for the reply, much appreciated.

 

With the reinstatement, it was basically a nightmare for about 6 weeks, and then it reduced in intensity,. It's remained that way ever since, with a cluster of symptoms (itching, nausea, tension headaches and general aches and pains) that spike in intensity when I'm stressed, along with anxiety and suicidal ideation. I think it's mainly gotten too much because it's been the same thing every day, and it's worn me down. As I said in my last answer, perhaps this is what stabilisation is for me, because it's horrible, but it is consistent. I am very trepidatious about the idea of a taper if that is indeed the case.

 

Thanks for the the thread on physicians and the like. This looks worth digging into!

 

Definitely a good video for educating friends (and my family, if they're receptive to it), so thanks for that. I have attempted recently to get personally in touch with Dr Horowitz and Dr Moncrieff on the subject, but no reply, unfortunately. I'm working my way through what I can find on Twitter and Google, as it's all connected. I've also approached organisations like CEP, APPG for Prescribed Drug Dependence, and Mad In The UK. The challenge really is trying to find out where exactly I am, so that I can make an educated choice on where to head next.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Combitone

 

As you recall, I was interested in the itching when you first posted last year. Do you still have the itching?

 

What times of day do you take your drugs, with their dosages? What times of day is the itching worse or better?

 

You are still taking 37.5mg venlafaxine XR, in capsules filled with 3 12.5mg mini-tablets, is that correct?

[Combitone]

On 7/12/2022 at 2:58 AM, Altostrata said:

Hello, @Combitone

 

As you recall, I was interested in the itching when you first posted last year. Do you still have the itching?

 

What times of day do you take your drugs, with their dosages? What times of day is the itching worse or better?

 

You are still taking 37.5mg venlafaxine XR, in capsules filled with 3 12.5mg mini-tablets, is that correct?

 

Hi again,

 

The itching is still in effect. I think in other posts I've said it's really not changed, but it may be slightly less debilitating. I certainly had periods up until 5-6 months ago where my eyes in particular were so itchy that it was unbearable, and though I tried not to itch them, I would give in eventually, and my eyes were noticeably red and swollen according to a family member before that. I would say that the itchiness is still very much in evidence, but other than when I'm under extreme stress, it doesn't quite reach those heights. As a caveat, circumstances were a little different last year, as I was not in touch with most of my family in addition to money becoming increasingly scarce due to not being able to work. That has changed a little, as some familial relationships have been tentatively repaired, and some financial assistance has been offered and accepted. In that sense, there's so much in the mix that assessing whether the side effects of the meds have improved, as opposed to merely circumstances, is difficult to parse.

 

I have actually moved the time I regularly take my daily pill in the last couple of months. Before, I would take it shortly after I got up in the morning, and as waking up was the furthest point from which I had last taken the med, it became an excruciating flashpoint of fatalistic depression that regularly took me an hour to an hour and a half after waking to haul myself out of bed from. As an experiment, I decided to take it in the mid-afternoon (3pm), so I was effectively shunting the worst period forward to the early afternoon, thus hopefully making the morning time less of an obstacle, mood-wise. I actually think it works ok. It doesn't stop that late-morning/early-afternoon period from being horrible, but at least the first practical thing I need to do to kick the day into gear is a little easier now.

 

Finally, yes, the dose and med type is still the same. In the UK, prescribing for GPs has been drastically tightened up just recently, so if I wanted to change even the med type (from XR to immediate release, for example), I have to do a review with the local mental health board. In that sense, I'm currently trying to tackle all this at once by seeking out a psychiatrist with specialist knowledge who can prescribe in the UK to see what the next informed step will be. I have a few shortlisted, so I'll report back once I undergo a consultation.

[Altostrata]

On 7/11/2022 at 6:58 PM, Altostrata said:

What times of day do you take your drugs, with their dosages? What times of day is the itching worse or better?

 

[Combitone]

34 minutes ago, Altostrata said:

 

 

I answered the first two. Itching worse in the evening.

[Altostrata]

You take 37.5mg venlafaxine XR at 3 p.m., the itching is worse in the evening? At about what time o'clock?

 

Do you take any other drugs?

[Greatful]

@Combitone  How are you doing?

[Combitone]

On 7/29/2022 at 4:35 PM, Greatful said:

@Combitone  How are you doing?

 

My situation has been largely status quo, though a few tiny windows of relative ok-ness have peeked through. Those tend to get lost when the next crushing low comes into view, and the escalation of symptoms (nausea, aching, itching, and tension headaches)when I lay down are still present.

 

What is significantly newer is that I recently consulted with a psychiatrist who expresses an interest in safe deprescribing, and has been through AD withdrawal himself with Duloxetine. He himself admits that collective arrogance in psychiatry circles is part of what brought us to this point. I didn't go in with any illusions, so we weighed the most obvious options of increasing the dose, reducing the dose, and bridging to/supplementing with another med. In the end, an incredibly cautious taper with the oral version of venlafaxine was settled on.

 

With the mini windows, they're nothing definitive, and I've been deeply cautious of embracing them, as small things quite easily throw me off. In that sense though, I wonder if I'm going to upset the metaphorical apple cart by doing this newly suggested taper. I am frankly very nervous about what might happen. I've decided on an 'assessment period' of 2-4 weeks for the first change, which should hopefully should make reversing the decision not so destabilising if it brings chaos.

[Greatful]

@Combitone  It's nice to see you found a doctor that is on board with withdrawal from these meds....I guess it will take the powers that control these drugs to go through this experience before more is acknowledged about it.....I hope your doctor can stand up to his peers to educate them too....

 

I hope the taper will go okay for you....I hope you are leaving some room for some upticks in symptoms....If you can go slow and wait out the discomfort you should be able to get  off.  

Here is what Baylissa Frederick says about it 

Down Regulation:

In the  cases of both antidepressants and benzodiazepines, the longer the drug is taken, the more the receptors change to accommodate the raised levels of neurotransmitters.  They become desensitized (less sensitive) or ‘down-regulated’ and remain this way during the time the drug is taken.  When the drug is discontinued, the cells then take time to readapt to the changes or to ‘up-regulate’.  During this period of readjustment withdrawal symptoms can be experienced. 

 

Set up your plan, dig down deep for some confidence that you can do this and really try to take it one day at a time....

Trust yourself that you can do this......🌞

 

 

 

[Combitone]

On 9/10/2022 at 8:11 PM, Greatful said:

@Combitone  It's nice to see you found a doctor that is on board with withdrawal from these meds....I guess it will take the powers that control these drugs to go through this experience before more is acknowledged about it.....I hope your doctor can stand up to his peers to educate them too....

 

I hope the taper will go okay for you....I hope you are leaving some room for some upticks in symptoms....If you can go slow and wait out the discomfort you should be able to get  off.  

Here is what Baylissa Frederick says about it 

Down Regulation:

In the  cases of both antidepressants and benzodiazepines, the longer the drug is taken, the more the receptors change to accommodate the raised levels of neurotransmitters.  They become desensitized (less sensitive) or ‘down-regulated’ and remain this way during the time the drug is taken.  When the drug is discontinued, the cells then take time to readapt to the changes or to ‘up-regulate’.  During this period of readjustment withdrawal symptoms can be experienced. 

 

Set up your plan, dig down deep for some confidence that you can do this and really try to take it one day at a time....

Trust yourself that you can do this......🌞

 

 

 

 

Yeah, trying to work out whether the current upturn in symptoms is due to stress (which has in the past triggered such), or caused by changing over from the modified release capsules to the immediate release oral solution at the same 37.5mg dose. It's only been a few days so far, but I have given 4 weeks to this transition, so I guess we'll see.

 

The main concern is working out whether the symptoms that result from a transition between doses are ones that will level off, or will see me stumbling blindly into another horrible, prolonged experience similar (though probably less severe) to the reinstatement. The last few times I attempted to push through were catastrophic, and has left me extremely wary.

[FindRest]

I’m sorry you are having an increase in symptoms. I see that you have recently switched from XR to a liquid. Are you aware that the liquid must be taken twice a day (half of your total dose each time), 12 hours apart? 

 

Also, I’ve found that it is not uncommon for those switching from xr to an oral solution to have a difficult time. That’s one reason, I believe, that we don’t see many on here and other groups who use liquid Venlafaxine to taper. 
 

Have you been keeping a daily record of your symptoms and what time(s) they are occurring?  Doing this has helped me figure out what is most likely causing my symptoms. Stress and anxiety can be a big player, as switching over (and the worries that come with it) is scary. But, the switch itself could very likely be causing some upset too, especially with a sensitized CNS from a previous fast taper.  
 

I’m sorry you know this struggle. @Greatfulhas given you some good advice. 

Edited September 14, 2022 by FindRest

[ChessieCat]

8 minutes ago, FindRest said:

Are you aware that the liquid must be taken twice a day (half of your total dose each time), 12 hours apart? 

 

FindRest is correct.  Thank you for drawing Combitone's attention to this fact.

 

From Post #1 of the Tips for Tapering Effexor topic:

 

  

On 5/6/2011 at 1:01 PM, Altostrata said:

Make a liquid suspension of immediate-release venlafaxine tablets

 

...

• Because its half-life is so short, immediate-release venlafaxine is taken 2 or 3 times a day.

 

Edited September 14, 2022 by ChessieCat

[Combitone]

On 9/14/2022 at 10:40 AM, FindRest said:

I’m sorry you are having an increase in symptoms. I see that you have recently switched from XR to a liquid. Are you aware that the liquid must be taken twice a day (half of your total dose each time), 12 hours apart? 

 

Also, I’ve found that it is not uncommon for those switching from xr to an oral solution to have a difficult time. That’s one reason, I believe, that we don’t see many on here and other groups who use liquid Venlafaxine to taper. 
 

Have you been keeping a daily record of your symptoms and what time(s) they are occurring?  Doing this has helped me figure out what is most likely causing my symptoms. Stress and anxiety can be a big player, as switching over (and the worries that come with it) is scary. But, the switch itself could very likely be causing some upset too, especially with a sensitized CNS from a previous fast taper.  
 

I’m sorry you know this struggle. @Greatfulhas given you some good advice. 

 

 

Sorry, don't seem to be getting alerts for these replies, but thanks for the response.

 

Yes, I was aware about taking doses 12 hours apart - before I switched to XR, I was on immediate release tablets, and those came with GP instructions to do so. I assumed the same would be true of the liquid, as it's immediate release by nature.

 

I've not been keeping notes of late, but I did do a large stint of tracking and rating symptoms so before the transition, which is what lead to deciding to do it in the first place. Stress is definitely a big factor for me, and being aware of circumstances is worth it, but there are so many factors in the mix right now, that even finding correlations is a full-time job. I was almost totally burned out before my 2021 taper, and now I'm barely running on the last wisp of fumes. 

[Combitone]

Also worth mentioning that I've been following split Xr and IR doses to smooth the transition since the 14th, as I found the initial wholesale jump from XR capsules to the IR liquid resulted in some real destablisation of mood (though I can't discount some exterior stress in and around that time as well). The recommendations I'm following are from SA: 

 

[Combitone]

It's been a very strange time lately. Some windows appeared, and lasted for a short time. They weren't really upturns as such, but small moments of feeling less crushed by this experience, so I'll take what I can get.

 

The lows haven't changed, mind you. When the window went away, it was a lot further down to fall, and I've been reeling from a bad spell. I don't know if things will change, but I haven't felt as if the window buoyed me up when the lows returned - in fact, it made me more desperate to escape them, because I've tasted something a bit better now. The symptoms of itching, headaches, nausea and aching muscles are still there, if not as severe as last year. The anxiety is still crippling, though. Despite having felt it for so long and so often during this experience, it's always fresh and potent somehow. SI has been present and correct during a lot of it.

 

I started writing this on my birthday, which I've not enjoyed celebrating a while now. It's a marker in the year, and it lends itself to reflection. If I reflect, it brings home how slow progress has been. No matter how many coping strategies I use, the suffering is hard and persistent.

 

Still, I stand at the edge on my second taper attempt. Do I feel great? No, I'm straight-up scared. If not now though, when? If there's any lesson life has taught me, it's that no time is the right time. You just have to do it. I've completed a rocky transition to the liquid version of the Venlafaxine from the capsule version, and I have my SA-endorsed tapering spreadsheet ready to go. I don't expect an easy ride, but I wonder how it will be. I would love if there was some positive impact, like a symptom reduction at some point. Who knows? I suppose I'll see.

[Combitone]

Tapering down from 37.5mg Venlafaxine...for the second time

 

Hi all,

 

I've just started my second taper off Venlafaxine, after my first doctor-advised attempt (down from 225mg to 0mg, and back up to 37.5mg within a few months) was such a disaster. I have the oral version, several different sizes of syringe, and the SA taper spreadsheet, so I'm about as compared as I could be.

 

I'm taking the hyperbolic approach, and reducing by 5% of the previous dose, but I have already felt my symptoms go up quite a bit barely a day into it. I expected this, but  I may revise if it persists past a week or so, because I understand that from 0mg to 37.5mg is where Venlafaxine does most of its work, and it's considered one of the toughest parts of the process. 

 

For any of you actively tapering in that range, I wanted to ask what your experiences of it have been so far...?

 

Edited November 9, 2022 by ChessieCat
added topic title before merging with intro topic

[ChessieCat]

Q:  Have you changed from tablet to liquid in one go AND made a reduction at the same time?

 

If yes, then it may not be the reduction but the change to all liquid that is causing the issues or a combination of both.  When there is more than one variable it confuses things.

 

If you have done both things at the same time I would suggest going back to the previous dose and returning to the tablet hold for at least 2 weeks and then do a cross over.

 

cross-over-changing-form-eg-tablet-to-liquid-of-drug-or-changing-brand-of-same-drug

 

Also, check the dosing instructions for liquid venlafaxine.  I think the liquid needs to be dosed at least twice per day.

[Combitone]

15 hours ago, ChessieCat said:

Q:  Have you changed from tablet to liquid in one go AND made a reduction at the same time?

 

If yes, then it may not be the reduction but the change to all liquid that is causing the issues or a combination of both.  When there is more than one variable it confuses things.

 

If you have done both things at the same time I would suggest going back to the previous dose and returning to the tablet hold for at least 2 weeks and then do a cross over.

 

cross-over-changing-form-eg-tablet-to-liquid-of-drug-or-changing-brand-of-same-drug

 

Also, check the dosing instructions for liquid venlafaxine.  I think the liquid needs to be dosed at least twice per day.

 

 

Answer: No. I spent two full months switching over, with the final switch occurring over a month ago.

 

I am dosing twice a day, something I have been asked here multiple times here (previously by you), and have answered.

 

Also, why did you move this from the Taper subforum? I'm looking to source other peoples' experience of this particularly difficult stage, and now it's hived off in this thread where most people won't see it. 

[FindRest]

On 11/9/2022 at 8:01 AM, Combitone said:

For any of you actively tapering in that range, I wanted to ask what your experiences of it have been so far...?

I’m currently down to around 4mg (need to update my signature). I was on ven for 20+ years. Was CT’d off once I got down to 37.5. Eventually reinstated 9mg 6 months after the CT and after trying a host of other ADs. 
 

I was very sensitized after the CT. Since Mar 2020, I have only been able to go from 9mg to 4mg. I can only taper 1 tiny bead (Effexor name-brand) every 3 months or longer. Due to other health reasons and life events, there were times I had to hold for 4-6 months. I’ve learned to never taper while I was still having intolerable symptoms.

 

I’ll admit that tapering has been very difficult. I don’t think it would have been this bad had my dr not CT’d me and crushed my nervous system. Reinstating diminished a lot of the symptoms, but I still had plenty left. As the years have gone by, I continue to get better. 
 

You’re right in that the last 37.5 is the most difficult. Many say that below 10mg is the worst. I still get WD symptoms after every 1-bead taper. But, I know from experience that they will diminish if I just give it enough time. 
 

Remember that tapering experiences are different for everyone, as we all have a different past relationship with the drug and/or other drugs. Plus, our bodies and life circumstances play a big part in our tapering journey. Your experience tapering will be different than mine and everyone else’s. 
 

I follow these principles: Listen to your body, don’t get into a rush to get off, go as slow as needed, and never taper until the increased symptoms from your previous taper have been gone for at least 2 weeks. 

 

I wish you the best. 
 

Edited November 11, 2022 by FindRest

[Shep]

21 hours ago, Combitone said:

Answer: No. I spent two full months switching over, with the final switch occurring over a month ago.

 

I am dosing twice a day, something I have been asked here multiple times here (previously by you), and have answered.

 

Also, why did you move this from the Taper subforum? I'm looking to source other peoples' experience of this particularly difficult stage, and now it's hived off in this thread where most people won't see it. 

 

Please note the moderators are helping many people every day. We can't be expected to read back through entire threads of information for everyone. This is why we rely so heavily on signatures. The site is run by volunteers, many of whom are also going through withdrawal and / or have outside jobs, volunteer work and family obligations.  

 

If you find yourself being asked things multiple times, you may want to put that information in your signature (such as noting that you're dosing twice a day). 

 

Your thread was moved into your introduction thread to keep all of your information in one place. We had problems in the past with people going to the tapering section and asking questions instead of in their intro thread. This caused a lot of extra work for the staff so now when you start a new thread in the tapering section, your post has to be manually approved by a moderator. Many new threads get moved to the members' intro threads. It helps keep us organized. This is especially important as the site has gotten larger over the years. 

 

To read other peoples' experiences of tapering this drug, you can search by tags. Most of the intros are tagged with drug names. You can search by brand name and by generics to get more search hits. You may also want to search the Success Stories for folks who are completely off a particular drug - if you post on their success story, they may answer your question if they're still responding to questions on their thread. 

[angela9985]

Hi, hope you are getting better! Just wanna ask are you functional in the past year? Can you go to work? Can you social, or watch TV or movie or something? If you can, when did you start to be able to do these things? Thank you so much!

[Combitone]

On 11/11/2022 at 11:13 AM, Shep said:

 

Please note the moderators are helping many people every day. We can't be expected to read back through entire threads of information for everyone. This is why we rely so heavily on signatures. The site is run by volunteers, many of whom are also going through withdrawal and / or have outside jobs, volunteer work and family obligations.  

 

If you find yourself being asked things multiple times, you may want to put that information in your signature (such as noting that you're dosing twice a day). 

 

Your thread was moved into your introduction thread to keep all of your information in one place. We had problems in the past with people going to the tapering section and asking questions instead of in their intro thread. This caused a lot of extra work for the staff so now when you start a new thread in the tapering section, your post has to be manually approved by a moderator. Many new threads get moved to the members' intro threads. It helps keep us organized. This is especially important as the site has gotten larger over the years. 

 

To read other peoples' experiences of tapering this drug, you can search by tags. Most of the intros are tagged with drug names. You can search by brand name and by generics to get more search hits. You may also want to search the Success Stories for folks who are completely off a particular drug - if you post on their success story, they may answer your question if they're still responding to questions on their thread. 

 

I guess that explains why the majority of the posts in the other subforums are between 5 and 10 years old. As far as I can see, the only subforum that sees regular posts is the Introductions and Updates subforum. It's an utterly bizarre way to run a forum overall, and I don't think it does much to foster a sense of community if nearly everything is siloed around individuals. In particular, trying to get a sense of someone's journey is laborious when there's pages and pages of posts including other peoples' replies to wade through. I've done enough searching on here to know how difficult it is to find much of use outside of pinned posts.

[Greatful]

@Combitone  Stopping by to see how you are doing.

[Altostrata]

Hello, @Combitone, how are you doing?