Naneek: Withdrew venlafaxine, now on escetalapram. Am I still experiencing withdrawal from venlafaxine?

[Naneek]

The only way in the end that I could come off venlafaxine was to go on another drug. It has never occurred to me that I am experiencing, nearly a year later could be withdrawal. I assumed this was taken care of by the new drug. However my anxiety has never  recovered and is very bad, even on escetalapram. Do I up the dose, try another drug, or is what I'm feeling a reaction to withdrawing from venlafaxine? I am wanting to taper off escetalaprin but feel very nervous as my experience with wd from venlafaxine was quite simply unbearable.

Edited January 11 by Emonda
Name to title

[Emonda]

Welcome @Naneek

 

Thanks for including your signature. Sorry to hear of your journey.

 

It's quite possible you have WD symptoms (anxiety) from going off Venlafaxine a year later. What I don't know is how quickly you went off it. Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Have you seen this list of potential WD symptoms: Daily Checklist of Antidepressant Withdrawal Symptoms (PDF) 

 

Did you notice your symptoms change at all when you switched to Escitalopram? Did anything get worse? Did anything get better?

 

6 hours ago, Naneek said:

my anxiety has never  recovered and is very bad, even on escetalapram.

 

Have you looked at these links:

 

Windows and waves pattern of stabilization

 

Emotional Spirals

 

Non-drug coping strategies

 

Have you tried either of the two recommended supplements? Some of us find them helpful. Add one at a time and start with a low dose to see how it affects you. 

Magnesium

Omega 3 Fish Oil

 

Are you drinking alcohol? This is very unhelpful to your recovery - I cut it out completely and had a noticeable improvement.

 

How's your caffeine intake? From time to time when my anxiety is elevated, I have to eliminate it.

 

6 hours ago, Naneek said:

Do I up the dose, try another drug,

 

I'm sure your doctor would recommend this. Changing drugs has risks, as you've already found out. This site exists to help people very slowly taper off their ADs.

 

6 hours ago, Naneek said:

or is what I'm feeling a reaction to withdrawing from venlafaxine?

 

Other than anxiety, do you have other symptoms? Can you relate to some of the times on the WD checklist above?

 

6 hours ago, Naneek said:

I am wanting to taper off escetalaprin but feel very nervous as my experience with wd from venlafaxine was quite simply unbearable.

 

We all feel nervous at the start, I know I certainly did. I've had many failed CT attempts (before finding this site), I've also experienced the trauma of switching from one AD to another.

 

I can say that following the slow taper recommended on this site works for me and many others. Have a read of some of the success storied for a boost of confidence.

 

If you are very sensitive to change, you might like to read up on the The Brassmonkey Slide Method of Micro-tapering It's a slower taper, and I find it more tolerable than the 10% hit each month.

 

I hope this is enough info to help initially. Once you've digested the links, feel free to ask quesitons.

 

Please post any updates here in your thread.

 

Once again, welcome to S.A.

 

Emonda.

[Naneek]

Thank you very much for your reply.  I am digesting all the material, it fits very well with a form of psychology I am doing ACT therapy , Acceptance and commitment therapy.  Interestingly I have been finding that although I have had times when the therapy has been effective I feel like I have been "failing" as the symptom I experience - health anxiety - get very overwhelming and I can't seem to use the tools that I have.  It never occured to me that I may have been fighting an uphill battle against withdrawal symptoms so have been very hard on myself for not getting better.

I felt like I came off Venlafaxine slowly, but it was definitely more than the 10%, and as I said I couldn't manage doing it really well with the capsules and had no idea about the process of managing that. 

Yes the withdrawal symptoms are right up there for me.   I certainly had them while going off venlafaxine, but they seem to have come back lately - stomach issues, shaking, crying, deep depression, agitation and anxiety.  There are times when I don't have these so the waves aspect makes sense.

What doesn't make sense is why I am having these experiences while I am on a new drug - surely they should mask these feelings/symptoms - well that is what I have been telling myself and I think I am a bit stuck on this.

Once I have digested more of this I will talk with my psychologist who I know will help me with the process of coming off escetalapram, but I would appreciate your thoughts on the above issue - ie withdrawal from a drug when I am on another - how does this work?