Teachols Posted August 29, 2023 Posted August 29, 2023 Hello, I'm new here and in desperate need of help. I tapered off Effexor for 4 years and 5 months, started at 150mg. (At the bottom is a glimpse of my tapering that I have pieced together.) However, upon going off, I had some increased dizziness and felt like I was in withdrawals. I went back on after being off for about 10 days. I started back at just 1mg, but realized it was immediate release instead of extended (I had a doctor that compounded for me at the end, but I didn't realize she switched it to IR.). A few weeks later I got an XR prescription so I could go back to beads, and started at 6 beads, about 2 mg. However, I am feeling worse now than I did on the 1 mg. I have been on this dose for a week. Do I need to give it more time at this dose? Do I go back to 1mg or go off? (2/20/19) Started tapering off 150 mg. First dose was 112.5 mg. (I started with bigger jumps and then decreased them, because the lower doses are much harder to adjust to.) (9/19) After 7 months at about 62.5 mg (5/20) After 15 months at about 40 mg (1/21) After 23 months at about 17 mg. (1/22) Stayed at about 13 mg for several months (9/22) Started dropping about 1.25 mg every month or so (2/23) At 5 mg started compounded dose and decreased a mg every month, but at one point went back up to 2 from 1 because of increased anxiety. (7/18/23) Last 1mg dose after tapering 4 years and 5 months (8/1/23) Restarted 1mg Immediate Release (8/23/23) Started 6 beads, about 2mg
Moderator Emeritus Onmyway Posted September 3, 2023 Moderator Emeritus Posted September 3, 2023 Hi @Teachols are your symptoms worse after you take your drug or before? This would be a judgement call. It could be that your system was sensitised going off and reinstating 2mg was too much for your system. If you wish to go to 1 mg you would wait for a few weeks for things to stabilise at 1mg. It is important to make consistent percentage drops at the low end. You started decreasing progressively more in terms of percentage as you went down your doses. Try not to change manufacturers. 1mg may be 3 beads for one manufacturer but 7 for another. Have you measured your drug beads with a scale? Omw "Nothing so small as a moment is insurmountable, and moments are all that we have. You have survived every trial and tribulation that life has thrown at you up until this very instant. When future troubles come—and they will come—a version of you will be born into that moment that can conquer them, too." - Kevin Koenig I am not a doctor and this should not be considered medical advice. You can use the information and recommendations provided in whatever way you want and all decisions on your treatment are yours. In the next few weeks I do not have a lot of capacity to respond to questions. If you need a quick answer pls tag or ask other moderators who may want to be tagged. Aug 2000 - July 2003 (ct, 4-6 wk wd) , citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn, wellbutrin for a few months, trazodone prn Dec 2004 - July 2018 citalopram 20 mg, xanax prn (rarely used) Aug 2018 - citalopram 40 mg (self titrated up) September 2018 - January 2019 tapered citalopram - 40/30/20/10/5 no issues until a week after reaching 0 Feb 2019 0.25 xanax - 0.5/day (3 weeks) over to klonopin 0.25 once a day to manage severe wd March 6, reinstated citalopram 2.5 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 mg for sleep 2-3 times a week Apr 1st citalopram 2.0 mg (liquid), klonopin 0.25 once a week (off by 4/14/19- no tapering) citalopram (liquid) 4/14/19 -1.8 mg, 5/8/19 - 1.6 mg, 7/27/19 -1.5 mg, 8/15/19 - 1.35, 2/21/21 - 1.1 (smaller drops in between), 6/20/21 - 1.03 mg, 8/7/21- 1.025, 8/11/21 - 1.02, 8/15/21 - 1.015, 9/3/21 - 0.925 (fingers crossed!), 10/8/21 - 0.9, 10/18/21 - 0.875, 12/31/21 - 0.85, 1/7/22 - 0.825, 1/14/22 - 0.8, 1/22/22 - 0.785, 8/18/22 - 0.59, 12/15/2022 - 0.48, 2/15/22 - 0.43, 25/07/23 - 0.25 (mistake), 6/08/23 - 0.33mg Supplements: magnesium citrate and bi-glycinate
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