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Can a long hold pull you out of a taper gone amiss?


Penstemon

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Hi Guys, it has been a long time since I have posted and know I need to update my information. will do asap. prior to finding online help in May 2013, I made some poor tapering choices-especially with a benzo. So it is very hard to know just what and when things got bad for me. I just know that I am having a very uncomfortable time with no change in my baseline for the past 6 months.

 

My question is this: has anyone gotten relief from doing a long hold despite having a messed up taper from possibly months prior to feeling badly?

 

Also, I hear a lot of mixed opinions on long one should or rather should not hold for. Any comments.

10/10- lithium(300mg)-began taper ~2/12 at 10% per 10 days to 2 wks
12/10- emsam(12mg patch)-began taper 12/12 over 4 months
1/11- lamictal(150mg)-began taper 12/12 tapered rapidly over one month
2006-seroquel(250mg max dose)-began taper 10/11 at 10% per 10 days to 2wks until current dose of 50mg.
10/12-viibryd-began taper 4/27/13 and ended in 47 days
1989- temazepam 30mg began taper 12/12

3/10 Ativan .5-2mg prn began microtaper 7/11 from 1.5mg

3/13 trazadone(100mg) added for sleep

26 yrs polypharm. ECT

Seroquel 50mg  Ativan1.66mg  trazadone 72mg  crossed temaz to Ativan 3/14. held 2 mos
 

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What's been happening with the Ativan taper that you started in September?

 

I highly doubt that holding will harm you, but I've seen people who've taken very long to recover after getting messed up during too-aggressive or unstable tapers. It doesn't look all that different (in terms of symptoms) from when people CT or taper all the way off a med too harshly and end up in protracted withdrawal. It's just that people end up in that same shape without actually having come all the way off the meds.

 

It's up to you if you want to continue to taper, or updose a little, or continue to hold and see if things improve and wait to finish the taper when you're more stable.  I don't think anyone can say how long it will take; I can't, anyway.

 

The only useful advice I can give at this point is to only change one med at a time, and any changes you do make, make them very small and very slow. 

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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As Rhi said, these things are unpredictable for any individual.

 

If you've thrown yourself into chaotic withdrawal syndrome by ill-advised experimentation, holding is probably preferable to further decreasing or quitting altogether.

 

You need to bring some order to the chaos. If you hold at one level (of all your drugs), you are at least giving your nervous system some stability. Given the constants -- which still may be causing adverse effects, etc. -- your nervous system will regroup over time.

 

Once you see some consistency in symptom pattern, you can carefully adjust dosage of one drug at time to see what will help.

 

If you have been tapering systematically and run into a rough spot, holding can help you get past it. At least, when you hold, you can track your symptom pattern and see what the balance of waves and windows might be. If windows are gradually getting longer and more frequent -- a positive sign -- your nervous system is adjusting to the cumulative decreases and you will eventually be in a position to continue tapering.

 

If during a hold the windows pattern is not promising, a slight updose may be called for, as Petu said.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Thanks Alto, Petu, and Rhi,

To answer your question Rhi, I tapered lorazepam down to 1.0mg and holding as of 1/4/13.I also tapered trazadone from 100-75mg 10/26-1/4/14.also holding now.

 

I have decided to do a long hold on all drugs in hopes of finding some relief from my mental sx's. I don't think that they have really gotten substantially worse since July 2013 but they never get better either. I do get very small windows as in a lift in mood on occasional evenings. But the lows are really low.I would not call myself functional. With my murky tapering history, it's impossible to sort out what has led to what.

 

I like what all of you are saying and will keep holding and try to "bring some order to the chaos".

 

Do you have opinions about how long one can/should hold for? I hear people advise against holding beyond xxxx months but it just never makes sense to me that a hold can be too long.

10/10- lithium(300mg)-began taper ~2/12 at 10% per 10 days to 2 wks
12/10- emsam(12mg patch)-began taper 12/12 over 4 months
1/11- lamictal(150mg)-began taper 12/12 tapered rapidly over one month
2006-seroquel(250mg max dose)-began taper 10/11 at 10% per 10 days to 2wks until current dose of 50mg.
10/12-viibryd-began taper 4/27/13 and ended in 47 days
1989- temazepam 30mg began taper 12/12

3/10 Ativan .5-2mg prn began microtaper 7/11 from 1.5mg

3/13 trazadone(100mg) added for sleep

26 yrs polypharm. ECT

Seroquel 50mg  Ativan1.66mg  trazadone 72mg  crossed temaz to Ativan 3/14. held 2 mos
 

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Who is giving you this advice about holds being dangerous if they're too long? 

 

Also, if you have just been cutting lorazepam and trazodone as recently as this very month, you have not been holding. Holding means holding, not changing, not tapering. With your history holding since 1/4 isn't really a hold at all.

 

I think a hold is a very good idea for you right now, a real hold, not changing anything for at least three to six months.

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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Thanks Rhi,

 

Various online groups warn against holding for too long and putting yourself back in tolerance. Doesn't make sense to me as I am already in tolerance on my 2 benzos.

 

I was doing a daily taper of my lorazepam and trazadone so when I said I had been holding since 1/4, I just meant that I stopped tapering.

 

When I looked back at my journal, I realized that I have not had any windows or lift in sx's since Xmas so I went ahead and updosed lorazepam from 1.0mg to 1.06mg over a period of a few days.I have been having a horrible time with deep(suicidal)depression and anxiety.

 

I plan to hold for as long as it takes to get some relief.

 

I do have concerns that the trazadone is increasing my anxiety as it's(unfortunate) addition seems to correlate with the time my anxiety escalated.

 

As always, I appreciate your help. Sorry that you are experiencing some yucky stuff.

10/10- lithium(300mg)-began taper ~2/12 at 10% per 10 days to 2 wks
12/10- emsam(12mg patch)-began taper 12/12 over 4 months
1/11- lamictal(150mg)-began taper 12/12 tapered rapidly over one month
2006-seroquel(250mg max dose)-began taper 10/11 at 10% per 10 days to 2wks until current dose of 50mg.
10/12-viibryd-began taper 4/27/13 and ended in 47 days
1989- temazepam 30mg began taper 12/12

3/10 Ativan .5-2mg prn began microtaper 7/11 from 1.5mg

3/13 trazadone(100mg) added for sleep

26 yrs polypharm. ECT

Seroquel 50mg  Ativan1.66mg  trazadone 72mg  crossed temaz to Ativan 3/14. held 2 mos
 

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oh it got worse, Friday night I went roller blading and I fell and hit my tailbone hard and ouch! And tragically since I can't bend over and pick stuff up off the floor, it has ruined my plans to clean house this weekend, oh well.

 

Well, just to stop tapering IS a hold. So you have only been holding since 1/4. It's too bad we don't have tone of voice in writing, because I mean this in a teasing way: You have to hold until it's at least a different MONTH before you get to start worrying about if your long hold is going to be a problem.

 

;-)

 

Hold for a few months, it's worth it.  Going slow will never get you into the kind of trouble going fast gets you into. Give your brain some time to heal.

 

All that tolerance stuff is mostly red herring and BS, you can read a discussion about it in the members benzo section. I was on benzo boards while that paradigm was emerging and it came out of pretty much smoke and hot air, but urban legends die hard. That's most of why I quit those boards. (Also because people in benzo withdrawal are not really very nice. Speaking as one who has been there I know why.)

Started on Prozac and Xanax in 1992 for PTSD after an assault. One drug led to more, the usual story. Got sicker and sicker, but believed I needed the drugs for my "underlying disease". Long story...lost everything. Life savings, home, physical and mental health, relationships, friendships, ability to work, everything. Amitryptiline, Prozac, bupropion, buspirone, flurazepam, diazepam, alprazolam, Paxil, citalopram, lamotrigine, gabapentin...probably more I've forgotten. 

Started multidrug taper in Feb 2010.  Doing a very slow microtaper, down to low doses now and feeling SO much better, getting my old personality and my brain back! Able to work full time, have a full social life, and cope with stress better than ever. Not perfect, but much better. After 23 lost years. Big Pharma has a lot to answer for. And "medicine for profit" is just not a great idea.

 

Feb 15 2010:  300 mg Neurontin  200 Lamictal   10 Celexa      0.65 Xanax   and 5 mg Ambien 

Feb 10 2014:   62 Lamictal    1.1 Celexa         0.135 Xanax    1.8 Valium

Feb 10 2015:   50 Lamictal      0.875 Celexa    0.11 Xanax      1.5 Valium

Feb 15 2016:   47.5 Lamictal   0.75 Celexa      0.0875 Xanax    1.42 Valium    

2/12/20             12                       0.045               0.007                   1 

May 2021            7                       0.01                  0.0037                1

Feb 2022            6                      0!!!                     0.00167               0.98                2.5 mg Ambien

Oct 2022       4.5 mg Lamictal    (off Celexa, off Xanax)   0.95 Valium    Ambien, 1/4 to 1/2 of a 5 mg tablet 

 

I'm not a doctor. Any advice I give is just my civilian opinion.

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Hold for a few months, it's worth it.  Going slow will never get you into the kind of trouble going fast gets you into. Give your brain some time to heal.

 

All that tolerance stuff is mostly red herring and BS, you can read a discussion about it in the members benzo section. I was on benzo boards while that paradigm was emerging and it came out of pretty much smoke and hot air, but urban legends die hard. That's most of why I quit those boards. (Also because people in benzo withdrawal are not really very nice. Speaking as one who has been there I know why.)

 

I totally agree with the above on holding, I don't think it could ever hurt anything, only help. (Adverse reactions and allergies, excluded)

 

I agree with Rhi and Tezza.  I cross tapered from clonazepam to diazepam, then off. Lengthy holds never hurt me a whit, and one of those holds was very LONG. The tolerance WD fable is a bunch of hooey. Somehow we think of other meds as having side effects which can start months or years into the drugging, but when people get side effects from benzodiazepines they are summarily labeled 'tolerance withdrawal.'  I shudder to think of how many thousands of people have been hurt on the benzo forums because of this myth.

As always, LISTEN TO YOUR BODY! A proud supporter of the 10% (or slower) rule.

 

Requip - 3/16 ZERO  Total time on 25 years.

 

Lyrica: 8/15 ZERO Total time on 7 or 8 yrs.

BENZO FREE 10/13 (started tapering 7/10)  Total time on 25 years.

 

Read my intro thread here, and check the about me section.  "No matter how cynical you get, it's almost impossible to keep up." Lily Tomlin

 

 

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Various online groups warn against holding for too long and putting yourself back in tolerance. Doesn't make sense to me as I am already in tolerance on my 2 benzos.

 

I don't understand the putting yourself back in tolerance.  I am having trouble with "getting things" lately with the WD, so I don't get what this means. 

 

During a Lexapro taper, holding was always for the better.  There were two occasions where I actually felt better dropping a dose...Why I don't know.

 

Holding give a nice respite to back in the sun for a while.

Intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1902-nikki-hi-my-rundown-with-ads/

 

Paxil 1997-2004

Crossed over to Lexapro Paxil not available

at Pharmacies GSK halted deliveries

Lexapro 40mgs

Lexapro taper (2years)

Imipramine

Imipramine and Celexa

Now Nefazadone/Imipramine 50mgs. each

45mgs. Serzone  50mgs. Imipramine

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thanks all for your responses. Rhi, I hope that you heal from your accident. I love rollerblading but the falls can be brutal!

 

I went back and reread the thread on tolerance w/d and finally was able to wrap my benzo brain around what you were all saying(I think). I am not going to concern myself with holding too long. will hold as long as I need to- to hopefully pull out of this intolerable state that I'm in.

 

will check back in awhile. wish all of you well!

10/10- lithium(300mg)-began taper ~2/12 at 10% per 10 days to 2 wks
12/10- emsam(12mg patch)-began taper 12/12 over 4 months
1/11- lamictal(150mg)-began taper 12/12 tapered rapidly over one month
2006-seroquel(250mg max dose)-began taper 10/11 at 10% per 10 days to 2wks until current dose of 50mg.
10/12-viibryd-began taper 4/27/13 and ended in 47 days
1989- temazepam 30mg began taper 12/12

3/10 Ativan .5-2mg prn began microtaper 7/11 from 1.5mg

3/13 trazadone(100mg) added for sleep

26 yrs polypharm. ECT

Seroquel 50mg  Ativan1.66mg  trazadone 72mg  crossed temaz to Ativan 3/14. held 2 mos
 

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  • 2 years later...
  • Moderator Emeritus

I'm finding that doing long holds every few drops is working very well for me.

 

I held for 10 weeks from October 2015 , and have had no trouble with cuts since then.  

I can obviously function better , do more and enjoy things , when I'm not anxious about getting symptoms.

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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  • 8 months later...

Can a long hold help me out? I've been tapering slowly for past 4 years and even slower this past year as I was getting lower in dose.

This past week I started having intense dreadful anxiety. I'm at 8mgs of Effexor. Please anyone?

Started Effexor August 2012 Sept'12-150mg=extreme anxiety Oct'12 cut half-75mg severe wds

Feb 2013 68.5mg. Mar'13- 65mg. Apr'13-59mg. May'13-57mg. June '13-52mg Aug'13 49.75mg.

Sep'13-48.75. Nov'13-47mg Dec'13-45..5mg

May 2014 42mg. Jun'14 40mg (depressive mood started). Aug'14 -40mg/ started brintellix 2.5mg

Oct '14 -39 Nov'14 36.89 Dec'14 34.45

Jan 2015- 31 Feb'15 29mg. Mar'15 26.72. Apr'15 24.48. May'15 22.31mg. Jun'15 20.30mg

Aug'15-18.89. Oct'15 16.96. Nov/16- 16.10. Dec/15- 15mg

Jan 2016-14.22. May'16 11.45. Aug'16-9.60. Sep/16- 8.88mg. Oct/16- 8.39mg. Nov/16- 8.13. Dec/16- 7.89

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Hi Lexy,

 

I just wanted to offer support.  I have been tapering for close to 2 years and have found that my original pattern of withdrawal symptoms changed as I have gotten to the lower doses. 

It just seems a bit more random.  It used to be I'd make a cut, have 3 or 4 bad physical symptoms, then 4 days of emotional symptoms and then I would level out.

 

Now it seems I'll have few good and then a few bad days.  I don't think it means anything is wrong, I think it's my brain and body trying to manage things.

 

So I'm not sure I can answer your question but I wanted to share my experiences.

 

You are not alone. 

9/2013-4/2014:  After moms death, was prescribed a series of meds for short periods of time that didn't work. Zoloft, Lexapro,  Nortriptyline, Liquid Prozac, Cymbalta. 

1/2014-9/2014. Clonzapam: Given Lamictal, stopped Clonzapam at .125mgs  

1/2015-4 2017 Remeron: 41.25 -0.025mgs

7/2015-11/2018 Lamictal: 200mgs-0.05 mgs Had paradoxical reaction to Lamictal wd, broke my heart to take a benzo but wasn't sleeping. 

3/28/2019 -2/5/ 2021  Clonazapam: 0.625mgs-.00115 Med Free 

July 27th, 2022**Severe Setback due to surgery/ anesthesia. 

9/7/22-10/4/22 Trazadone 50-100mgs for sleep, 10/13/22-11/13/22 Trazadone 1 mg to stabilize

10/4/22-11/20/22 Remeron 7.5mgs (for sleep doesn't work) 11/20/22 7.3 - 12/31/22 6.3 

2023: 1/18/23 6.1 - 6/6/23 3.6  6/16 3.4  6/28 3.0 7/12 2.7  7/28 2.5 8/11 2.2 8/23 2.0  9/5 1.8  9/16 1.6  9/30 1.4  10/13 1.2  10/26 1.0  11/9 0.8  11/22 0.6  12/6 0.4  12/23 0.2.

2024 1/4/24  Remeron/Mirtazapine free 

Additional Support:  Armour Thyroid 75mgs, Magnesium Glycinate 300-500mgs,  L-theanine 

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Thanks Hibari

I will put a longer hold from now on.

Started Effexor August 2012 Sept'12-150mg=extreme anxiety Oct'12 cut half-75mg severe wds

Feb 2013 68.5mg. Mar'13- 65mg. Apr'13-59mg. May'13-57mg. June '13-52mg Aug'13 49.75mg.

Sep'13-48.75. Nov'13-47mg Dec'13-45..5mg

May 2014 42mg. Jun'14 40mg (depressive mood started). Aug'14 -40mg/ started brintellix 2.5mg

Oct '14 -39 Nov'14 36.89 Dec'14 34.45

Jan 2015- 31 Feb'15 29mg. Mar'15 26.72. Apr'15 24.48. May'15 22.31mg. Jun'15 20.30mg

Aug'15-18.89. Oct'15 16.96. Nov/16- 16.10. Dec/15- 15mg

Jan 2016-14.22. May'16 11.45. Aug'16-9.60. Sep/16- 8.88mg. Oct/16- 8.39mg. Nov/16- 8.13. Dec/16- 7.89

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I've just finished an 8 month hold which made a huge difference to my ability to taper well.  I'm also on effexor, and previously had trouble with drops of 1.3% monthly (even when split into 4 micro-drops over the month).  Now I am able to taper by about 4% monthly, with barely any symptoms at all.  I feel loads better, and much more positive about tapering in general. 

2010  Fluoxetine 20mg.  2011  Escitalopram 20mg.  2013 Tapered badly and destabilised CNS.  Effexor 150mg. 

2015 Begin using info at SurvivingAntidepressants.  Cut 10% - bad w/d 2 months, held 1 month. 

Micro-tapering: four weekly 0.4% cuts, hold 4 weeks (struggling with symptoms).

8 month hold.

2017 Micro-tapering: four weekly 1% cuts, hold 4 weeks (symptoms almost non-existent).

2020 Still micro-tapering. Just over 2/3 of the way off effexor. Minimal symptoms, - and sleeping well.
Supplements: Fish oil, vitamin C, iron, oat-straw tea, nettle tea.

2023 December - Now on 5 micro-beads Effexor. Minimal symptoms but much more time needed between drops. Symptoms begin to increase.

2024 April - Updosed to 6 microbeads - immediate increase in symptoms for 4 days. Decreased to 5 microbeads.

 'The possibility of renewal exists so long as life exists.'  Dr Gabor Mate.

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I may be a bit like you, KarenB, with effexor.

I cut 10% per month from 225mg last few months, no problem and lots of optimism.  However, at 150mg, I was not ready to do another cut, due low mood, worse fatigue.

I have been holding nearly 6 weeks now.

Gloomy, dark days probably not helping.  Maybe get the SAD light out, though it did not seem to have any noticeable effect last several years.

 

Similar stories from others help, but this vile drug likes to kick you in the ##### when you feel you are making progress, no?

Born 1945. 

1999 - First Effexor/Venlafaxine

2016 Withdrawal research. Effexor.  13Jul - 212.5mg;  6Aug - 200.0mg;  24Aug - 187.5mg;  13Sep - 175.0mg;  3Oct - 162.5mg;  26Oct - 150mg 

2017  9Jan - 150.00mg;  23Mar - 137.50mg;  24Apr - 125.00mg;  31May - 112.50mg holding;  3Sep - 100.00mg;  20Sep - 93.75mg;  20Oct - 87.5mg;  12Nov - 81.25mg;  13 Dec - 75.00mg

2018  18Jan - 69.1mg; 16Feb - 62.5mg; 16March - 57.5mg (-8%); 22Apr - 56.3mg(-2%); CRASHED - Updose 29May - 62.5mg; Updose - 1Jul - 75.0mg. Updose - 2Aug - 87.5mg. Updose - 27Aug - 100.0mg. Updose - 11Oct 112.5mg. Updose - 6Nov 125.00mg

2019 Updoses 19 Jan - 150.0mg. 1April - 162.5mg. 24 April - Feeling better - doing tasks, getting outside.  7 May - usual depression questionnaire gives "probably no depression" result.

Supps/Vits  Omega 3;  Chelated Magnesium;  Prebiotics/Probiotics, Vit D3. 

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I too thought that being on my med longer than needed would have made some irreversible changes and make me permanently incapable of going off the med... this is how I reasoned some time ago when I was highly anxious and eager to get off the med. I actually read some forums (in my native tongue) and there it read that "if you're on these meds over 2 months it's impossible to get off them". Yeah right.

A year ago I was not in a position to cut my dose. I was anxious already, even at 10 mg olanzapine. I slept poorly, often waking up between 4-5 am and not sleeping after that. Now I sleep (relatively) well and I'm at 3,6 mg, and I am not anxious like last year.

 

So my advice: take your time to taper and don't listen to "doomsayers" in the internet.

 

(Also, find ways to manage your stress, at least in my case it might have been a big reason why I was unable to reduce my dose last year)

2015 Started on Olanzapine 10 mg, 2016:18th January Down to 7.5 mg (from 9,38 mg) 1st of June 6.75 mg (began 10% taper!) [...] 1st December 3.65 mg

 

2017: 1st Jan. ~3.3 mg, 1st Feb 2.95 mg, 22nd Feb 2.65 mg (began 3-week taper) 15th Mar 2.38 mg, 5th Apr 2.14 mg, 26th Apr 1.94 mg  17th May ~1.74 mg (began 19-day taper) 5th June ~1.56 mg 24th June 1.4 mg (began 17-day taper) 11th July 1.26 mg 30th July 1.13 mg 24th Aug 1.0 mg(!)

17th Sept 15 mg 11st Oct 13.5 mg 26th Oct 11.75 mg 18th Nov 10 mg 15th Dec 9 mg

2018: 12nd Jan. 8.1 mg 15th Feb 7.5 mg 1st Apr 6.75 mg 1st Apr 6.08 mg 1st Jun 5.48 mg 1st Jul 5 mg 15th Aug 4.6 mg 15th Sep 4.4 mg 18th Nov 4.3 mg 16th Dec 4.2 mg

2019: 16th Jan 4.1 mg 28th Feb 4.0 mg [...] (began 0.1mg per 2.5 months taper!) 1st Oct 3.7 mg 15th Dec 3.6 mg

2020: 1st Mar 3.5 mg (began 0.1mg per 3 months taper!) 1st Jul 3.35 mg (<-- trying a larger drop) 4th Sep 3.25 mg (started 0.1125mg / 2 months) 10th Dec ~3.1125 mg

2021: 1st Feb 3.0 mg 26th May 2.9 mg 1st Sep 2.8 mg

2022: 1st Mar 2.7 mg 1st Aug 2.6 mg | 2023: 1st Jan 2.5 mg 1st Sep 2.4 mg
Other medications: Temazepam for sleep, don't want to use it (has too many side effects). Melatonin too, except that doesn't work for me with high doses of olanzapine.

Haven't used any sleeping medications for a long time. Temazepam caused withdrawal symptoms when I last tried it.

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