10ofPentacles: Effexor withdrawal - having difficulty and needing support

[10ofPentacles]

I was prescribed effexor when I was 17 with no warning of what sort of drug it was and how hellish it would be to quit. I have used it for 20 years (I'm 37 now) and after getting stable and quitting my other addictions, I finally wanted to quit them all and discover who I am without substances or pills. I have spent the majority of my life on Effexor or some drug or another, and I just want to be free of it. I have read online that dropping Effexor is on par with quitting heroin. I believe it.

 

I tapered down for 2 years, and after 4 months on 37.5mg, I took my last dose on September 18 2022. I am now 15 days 'clean' and I'm having a really rough go. On saturday night I had a total meltdown/panic attack. The first I'd had in half a decade. It was shocking and distressing for everyone around me. Nevertheless, I've just completed the first 15 days of Effexor withdrawal and I feel trapped. If I go back on Effexor it will be a return to zombie land. No happiness, no sadness, not caring about anything, no ambition. I don't want to live that way. Plus, if I ever want to try to quit again in the future I'll have to endure the brain zaps, nausea, fatigue, vertigo, etc. etc. again and I don't want to ever do that.

 

The drug companies lie and say after 14 days you'll be fine. Hah, what a laugh. I'm currently struggling really hard because I don't want to go back to a wet blanket muting every feeling I have, but the road ahead looks like Hell. I just want to know who I am without these chemicals. I looked online and it seems that it takes at least 6-8 weeks before the nervous system normalizes and even then there's a high chance of a rebound withdrawal in 3-4 months. I'm doing everything I can to make things right: I meditate daily, I exercise to dripping sweat daily, I have a therapist (for now), and a loving partner. I'm doing my best.

 

But I'm just exhausted already. I want this to be over. I'm only 15 days in and from what I can see it won't get better until day 45-60. I just want to be able to smile at lovely things and frown at sad things. I want to know who I am without these pills and chemicals. I can't believe they gave this drug (and others) to a teen instead of asking me why I wanted to take my own life. No one ever gave a damn about me to ask. Now I give a damn about me and I want to see this through, but it's so, so, so hard. Waves of anxiety, shame, guilt, sadness... it's unreal.

 

I could use any/all words of encouragement or advice.

 

edit: i learned about opening the pills and taking out beads just now. Is it a good idea to do that after 15 days of cold turkey off 37.5mg? Please advise.

[10ofPentacles]

Update, October 4 2022: I couldn't take it anymore. It's pure hell. I took my 37.5mg capsule again and bought a digital milligram scale. My current plan is to get stable again and then slowly, SLOWLY, taper down from there. Last night was the final straw. Unable to sleep, heart beating out of my chest, guilt/fear/shame waves, and panic that woke me out of the light sleep I'd achieved.

 

I'm really upset that my doctor told me to just stop taking 37.5mg because "it's such a low dose it's probably placebo by now After 2 weeks you'll be fine!" which is... no. Not at all. Thanks to the advice I got in r/antidepressants and the reading I've done here I'm going to take my 37.5mg again until I get stable.

 

I can't believe how hard this still is. I'm in Hell.

[10ofPentacles]

October 05  2022 - back on meds and stabilizing. Talked to doctor and she wants to bump me up to 75mg next week. Sigh. What a shitshow.

[getofflex]

Hello, and welcome to SA.  We are a volunteer-run community of people who have been or are getting off of psychiatric drugs.  I'm very sorry to hear about all that you have been through on this Effexor.  By the way, congratulations for becoming sober.  You are on the right path, and you will be able to get off Effexor.  The secret to this, is to taper off extremely slowly, and go to an extremely low dose before you jump off to zero.   I sounds to me like your nervous system has had too many drug changes recently, since you got off marijuana and haldoperidol just a few months ago, and then just recently quit the Effexor.  I will give you more specific advice at the end, after sharing some basic info with you.  Please rest assured, there is a way to taper off this without going through hell, with a great deal of patience and caution.  

 

Can you please give us more information about your tapering history for Effexor, such as the date (as best you can recall) and dose of each decrease?  

 

Here is some important information about how these drugs actually work.  This explains why we get symptoms from going off of these medications, and why it's so important to taper slowly and carefully, and be very cautious about changing our doses: 

 

How Psychiatric Drugs Remodel Your Brain

 

 

This helps you understand what withdrawal syndrome is: 

 

Video on Recovery from Psych Drugs

 

Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

Tapering is best done extremely slowly, and we generally taper by 10% of the current dose no more than once every 4 weeks, so that the reduction becomes exponentially smaller.

 

 Why Taper by 10% of my Dosage  

 

In your case, with your history, I would suggest a gentler method of tapering called micro-tapering.  Here is the link about that: 

 

Brass Monkey Slide Method of Micro Tapering

 

Tips for Tapering Effexor

 

Here is a link with checklists of common WD symptoms: 

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen Withdrawal Symptom Checklists

 

 

Here are some techniques to cope with symptoms: 

 

Non Drug Ways to Cope with Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Stability is really important when we are tapering off psych meds.  Please read the link about stability:

 

Keep It Simple, Slow, and Stable

 

 

We don't suggest many supplements, but 2 that many of us find helpful are magnesium and omega-3 fish oil. Here are the links for info about those. It is suggested to add one at a time, and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

I'm really glad to hear that your reinstatement is stabilizing you.  This will take time. It takes a week for it to fully get into your system, and then a month or two for it to be fully effective.  I strongly suggest that you stay on this 37.5 mg dose of Effexor for a long time, as in at least several months.  Your nervous system needs a chance to adjust to all the drug changes you have recently made.  If it were me, I would wait at least 6-9 months.  It will make you future taper easier, and you will suffer less.  Rushing a taper will not get you off the drug faster, and it could crash your nervous system, which can take many months to years to recover from.   Here is some information about reinstatement.  

 

About Reinstating and Stabilizing to Reduce Withdrawal Symptoms

 

 

On 10/5/2022 at 10:57 AM, 10ofPentacles said:

Talked to doctor and she wants to bump me up to 75mg next week

 

If it were me, I would not take this advice.  Most doctors have been trained to treat people with drugs, and we hear about stuff like this all the time.  Jumping up to 75 mg puts you at risk of kindling, which would make your symptoms even worse.  Here is a link about kindling.

 

Hypersensitivity and Kindling

 

You can and will heal from this, with proper tapering, and proper self care!  You were on the drug a long time, but you are still young.  I was on Paxil and then Lexapro for 15 years when I started my taper, and I just got off of it a few months ago.  I'm now 61.  Yet, I feel better now, than when I was in my 40's and on these drugs.  Please keep in touch, and let us know how you are doing.