Laura1981 Posted March 14, 2015 Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hi all, thanks for having such an amazing and helpful forum!!! I was prescribed Venlafaxine (Effexor) for anxiety and depression (moderate in my opinion). I started taking it. I'm so stupid... I had read about withdrawal symptoms, but I wasn't imagining it as so awful. After 5 days I got bleedings from the uterus, even though my period wasn't due. They were about as strong as a normal period, but more painful. The GP (doctor) made me stop Effexor. After 2 days I started to have the symptoms everyone reports: Crying, suicidal, self harming, fits of rage, nausea, dizziness, heart racing, trouble breathing. My GP didn't know anything about withdrawal symptoms and wanted to admit me to the psychiatric hospital. I sent him a bunch of information and finally convinced him to leave me alone and deal with it myself. I think he feels a bit guilty now, but that doesn't help me.... It's day 9 after stopping and my brain is still totally messed up. Question to you all: Do you think I need to go back on Venlafaxine and taper down slowly to prevent lasting damage to my brain? I also got some Sertraline from the GP, which I could use to switch to temporarily. I think even if the bleeding comes back, I can handle it. Iron values are ok. I had thought that after just 5 days of taking Venlafaxine, the withdrawal should be short and mild. But after reading a lot, I'm getting a bit scared. Any advice welcome! Laura PS: I really think I had a guardian angel who sent me those bleedings and made me stop before I took the medication for longer. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus peggy Posted March 14, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hi Laura, I am sorry you are feeling like this after such a short period on it - It is mighty powerful stuff! What dose were you taking? Are the withdrawal symptoms lessening at all? It might be worth trying to reinstate a small amount - like a quarter of a pill or capsule to see if you get any relief from your withdrawal symptoms - but i am sure someone with more knowledge will come along soon to help you. Started in 2000 - On 150mg most of the time, (but up to 225mg at highest dose for 6 months in the beginning)Reduced off easily first time - but got depressed (not too much anxiety) 6 months laterBack on effexor for another 9 months.Reduced off again with no immediate w/d - suddenly got depressed and anxious ++ again 3 or 4 months later.Back on effexor - this time for 3 yearsReduced off over a month - 6 weeks later terrible anxiety - back on.Rinse and repeat 4 more times - each time the period before the anxiety comes back got shorter and shorterJan - July 2012 75mg down to 37.5mg;, 8/3/12 - 35mg. 8/25/12 - 32mg. 9/11- 28mg, 10/2 - 25mg, 10/29 - 22mg, 11/19 - 19.8mg; 12/11 - 17m,1/1- 15.5mg; 1/22 -14mg, 2/7 14.9mg, 2/18 - 17.8mg - crashed big time: back to 75mg where i sat for 2 years.... 4th March 2015 - 67.5mg; 31st March - 60mg; 24th April - 53mg; 13th May - 48mg; 26th May - 45mg; 9th June - 41mg; 1 July- 37.5mg; 20 July - 34mg; 11 August - 31mg; 1st Sept - 28mg; 1st Dec - 25.8mg; 28th Dec - 23.2mg; 23rd Jan-21.9mg; Feb 7th- 21mg; March 1st - 20.1mg, March 30th - 18mg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted March 14, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 14, 2015 Welcome Laura, I'm sorry to hear about your awful experience with venlaxaxine, I'm not surprised though, I took it for one day, my doctor had given me several kinds of ADs to sample. This one had me feeling like my head was stretching further and further away from my body, I was terrified and couldn't leave my couch until the effect wore off. Is it right that you took it for 5 days, and have been off it now for 9 days? If this is correct, I would not advise you to start taking it again. It sounds like you had an adverse effect from it. You will recover and get back to normal, it may take a little while though. When people have a bad reaction when starting to take an antidepressant, it can often look similar to some of the symptoms of withdrawal. Regardless of whether this is an adverse reaction or withdrawal after taking it for just 5 days, its obvious your nervous system is in a sensitized state, not stable and I wouldn't advise you to start another drug, it could make things even worse. You sound like the kind of person who shouldn't ever take psychotropic drugs. There are healthier and more natural ways to manage anxiety and depression. We have a lot of useful ideas here: Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms and here: Mood Master I'd highly recommend reading Anatomy of an Epidemic by Robert Whitaker. Psych meds can cause harmful side effects and long term, they can worsen health, increasing the risk of other illnesses. Please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing. Petunia. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 14, 2015 Author Share Posted March 14, 2015 Hi Petunia, Peggy, thanks so much for your quick answers. It helped me a lot getting your opinions! @Petunia: It's correct that I took it for 5 days, and have been off it now for 9 (10 today). It's good to know that adverse reactions exist and they resemble withdrawal symptoms. I was very surprised to get withdrawal symptoms of such a magnitude after taking Venlafaxine for only 5 days. I took the smallest dose 37.5mg. I noticed that the medication was manufactured by some generics company in Slovenia. The pharmacy removed the leaflet, so I had no information at all. I still can't get over my lapse in judgement of taking them... You're totally right: There is no way around using the non-drug techniques for me. I won't ever take an anti-depressant again unless it's so bad that my life is in danger. I'll continue my CBT which is actually helping a lot, go through the material you recommend and if I have to change job to cope again, I'll do so. Although: I don't recommend changing jobs in the middle of a depression if the current one is not too bad. I changed jobs, ended up in the middle of a bully team and this is what tipped me over the edge. Thanks to you all, I'll keep you posted on how the symptoms evolve. Today I had heartracing, nausea and fainting all day, but the suicidal and self harming phase seems over. Best, Laura Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted March 15, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 15, 2015 With such short time of use, this is likely to be a severe adverse reaction, rather than withdrawal. Basically, this drug just doesn't agree with your system, so I would not recommend taking it again. Time needed to recover from these reactions can vary greatly between individuals, so it is impossible to predict how long your symptoms might last, however people do eventually recover, so hang in there, it will get better. It sounds like you have some good self-help tools like CBT which should be useful to help you through. 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 16, 2015 Author Share Posted March 16, 2015 Thanks all! Your support has been incredibly helpful! I'm starting to get better slowly. I still have the heart racing, dizziness and nausea, headaches and weepiness, but the good moments seem to increase. I'm so glad I had this adverse reaction and didn't take the medicine for any longer. After reading everyone's stories about the hell of antidepressant withdrawal and getting a personal sneak peak into this horror, I have a strong urge to do something about this. I'll research a bit in the "Events, controversies, actions" section of the forum to see if I get any ideas. Best, Laura Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 18, 2015 Administrator Share Posted March 18, 2015 Welcome, Laura. Sometimes people simply cannot tolerate these drugs. You were wise to stop. However, it does sound like you might have withdrawal symptoms. Do you have any tablets left, or did the Effexor come in a capsule with tiny beads inside? Taking a tiny crumb or a couple of beads now and then might help you get past the withdrawal symptoms. With any luck, you will feel much better in a few weeks. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 18, 2015 Author Share Posted March 18, 2015 Hi Altostrata, thanks a lot for your reply! Yeah, I do have some Effexor left. I keep looking at them and wondering should I take a couple of beads. But on the other hand I keep thinking "I'll just drag this nightmare out for even longer" or "If my body really doesn't react well to it, maybe I'll make it worse". I guess the only way is trying. I've read about taking a single dose of Prozac. I have a doc's appointment tomorrow, so I could ask him. What do you think about this method? Thanks a lot, Laura PS: I have new symptoms: Feels like someone is squeezing my heart. And I'm shaking. Could it be anxiety without me actually being anxious about anything? Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 21, 2015 Author Share Posted March 21, 2015 Update: I didn't dare to take beads of Effexor because my initial reaction to it was so bad and the doctor was really against it. I somehow started to hate the pill... just could't do it. Couldn't bare the symptoms any more this morning. So I made an experiment: I had Sertraline (Zoloft) 50mg tablets at home. They have little bit longer half life than Effexor, so in my mind they seemed safer. I split one tablet in 15 relatively equal pieces and took a piece. I'm not sure if the change in symptoms was caused by the Sertraline or not. But I stopped shaking and started getting more of a headache. I also got a little more anxious than I already was. Well...it was worth a try. Maybe I'll try taking some beads of Effexor next time I'm desperate. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 21, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 21, 2015 That's okay Laura. You know what they say , you don't know till you try. And "stopped shaking" sounds promising. You may have a better response to Effexor. Stick with a small dose , in case it backfires. But remember , it takes 4 days to reach a steady level in your blood stream , when it starts to really kick in. Sometimes an initial increase in side effects is worth ploughing through to see if you get some consistent relief with reinstating. Do keep us posted , Fresh 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 Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 23, 2015 Author Share Posted March 23, 2015 Just posting an update for future tracking: Thanks Fresh! You're right, "stopped shaking" was so good that I decided to keep the Sertraline experiment running for a little bit longer. I'm taking 1mg a day. I crushed the pill and dissolved it according to the instructions in the Tapering section. The anxiety and shaking has reduced considerably. If it gets bad I do a couple of pushups and it gets better. I don't burst into tears any more and feel quite stable. Today was the first day I could focus a bit on my college homework. By far not how I used to be able to, but at least a tiny bit. It doesn't come without a price though. My eyeballs feel like they want to explode with increased pressure. I feel a bit annoyed with the world and restless. So not feeling particularly great, but at least not totally de-stabelized either. Strange that 1mg can change things around so much. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 25, 2015 Administrator Share Posted March 25, 2015 Laura, that's good news. Good for you, you figured out titration. Believe it or not, it could be 0.5mg Zoloft is a better dose for you. You may be extremely sensitive to these drugs. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Good idea Alto! I tried that. Result: My mood is a bit down, a bit teary, but I can handle it. Today is the first day where I feel like I can think a bit clearer. The headache is less. Only minor heart racing and anxiety. I went to see a new doctor today to see if she could be my GP. Unbelievable. She's like "I'm sorry you're having such a hard time. It's very unusual react like this to the medication. Other patients come off way easier. I would recommend you Lexapro. I withdrew a (1!) patient from it and the patient had no problem". I'm sooooo enraged!!!! I want to feed all the doctors with 300mg of Effexor per day for a couple of weeks and then lock them in a room together and stop the medicine. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 25, 2015 Administrator Share Posted March 25, 2015 Almost all of them think that way, Laura. At least she believed you were having withdrawal symptoms. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Yeah, true... at least that. Just got hit by a wave of nausea, brain was trickling, all sounds went weird. Almost fainted. Maybe I need to up the dose a bit again. I just took 1ml of my mix (0.125mg). So the total for today would be 0.625mg Maybe it's better to split the dose into twice daily, so the drops of drugs in my system aren't that abrupt? D***, I feel like a heroin addict racing home to get to my drug Cheers, L Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 25, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 25, 2015 I think you're onto something Laura. Some drugs are better in divided doses to avoid inter-dose withdrawal (is that the right term?). Try the Tapering section to see if it's recommended with Zoloft. 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 Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 25, 2015 Author Share Posted March 25, 2015 Thanks Fresh! The Zoloft section doesn't say anything about dividing the dose. I'll do a self experiment. Bigger part of the dose in the morning and smaller part in the evening. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 Help! I'm getting brain zaps non stop now. I didn't get them so much before and they are intensifying. Is that normal for them to show up now? I'm down to 0.625mg with my dose. Apart from the zaps my mood is quite low, I'm anxious and frustrated. My head hurts and the shaking started again. I'm so scared that I'm making things worse by continuing with the sertraline. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted March 27, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hey Laura , it's been a bit of trial and error , but you're getting there. You felt improvement with taking 1mg for 2 days , then a little worse when you went down to 0.5mg , right? It seems to me you might be best to sit on 1mg for a bit. Things are too shaky at 0.625. Your withdrawal symptoms seem to be increasing , and the idea of reinstating is to stop that happening. You need to give it 4 days to get into your bloodstream. Then , if it helps , you could stay on that for a few weeks maybe to give your brain a break , a chance to stabilize. I'm scared that if you stop the sertraline abruptly you'll get very sick. 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 Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 27, 2015 Author Share Posted March 27, 2015 You're totally right Fresh. I just hate the thought to have to stay on that stuff for a couple of weeks longer. I just want off. But I guess that's just not an option right now. I just spoke to my therapist. She doesn't believe me that I'm having symptoms and refuses to look up the antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. She tells me not to obsess about it. It's so frustrating. How can I work with somebody who just ignores my pain and tells me not to obsess about it. Did anybody manage to convince their therapists? Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus mammaP Posted March 27, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted March 27, 2015 Hi Laura, I'm sorry that you are going through this after such a few effexor capsules. It is an evil drug and one that some have nicknamed 'the devil's tic tacs' . Thankfully I started seeing a CBT therapist when I was tapering. She was a psychiatric nurse who had retrained to be a therapist and told me that she had NEVER seen anyone who had managed to taper off effexor. Everyone who tried had to go back on and she told me of cases where patients were very ill with withdrawal and had to be taken into hospital while they were medicated and stabilised. She was amazed that I had got down to 4 beads from a capsule and was doing well. She talked about the debilitating side effects and said that she "better not let the psychiatrist or the effexor rep hear her say that" . A few weeks ago I had a routine appointment with the practice nurse at the surgery and I told her how I had tapered effexor over 3 years. She was also surprised and congratulated me saying I must be a first. Of course I am not a first, many others have done it before me on this forum but it just shows how addictive the drug is when even the professionals don't know of any successes, yet they still believe that it is the illness returning and don't believe withdrawal! I think I would be saying goodbye to your therapist, if she can't take you seriously how can you possibly benefit from her? Let us know what you decide to do about the doses, but remember that STABILITY is most important for you now, whatever you do you need to stick with it. You felt better until you changed the dose, and the more changes here are the worse things get, your nervous system needs to stabilise and that means the same dose every day until stable, then hold for a while, at least 4 weeks. I know that you want to be off the poison right now, but if you stabilise on a small dose then it will be better for you to taper from that dose very, very slowly. Rushing it will mean more withdrawal. If you can stay stable and taper that has to be better than suffering withdrawal! Many people find fish oil helps with the brain zaps, and magnesium is calming and helps sleep for many people. http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1300-magnesium-natures-calcium-channel-blocker/ http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/36-king-of-supplements-omega-3-fatty-acids-fish-oil/ **I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge. Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem) 1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat 2002 effexor. Tapered March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads. Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013 Restarted taper Nov 2013 OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015 Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014 Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg July 2017 30mg. May 15 2018 25mg Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33 Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 Thanks so much MamaP! I loved your post. It restores my confidence that I'm not just some edge case as all the doctors say. Effexor is evil. And you're right, it gets more and more clear to me that I need to stabilise. I decided to go up to 0.875mg as I didn't like how I felt on 1mg. I got other side effects. I'll stay there for at least 4 days. If the withdrawal doesn't go away or gets worse I will go back up to 1mg. With a bit of luck I can stabilise on 0.875mg. Fingers crossed. Thanks so much for everybody's support. I would really be lost without you. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
geminigirl Posted March 28, 2015 Share Posted March 28, 2015 Hi Laura, I read your post. So sorry about what your going through. I hope you fully recover. You were only on it for 5 days so you are so smart to get off it, although I understand you had bleeding. Anyways, I think because you were only on for 5 days you are still lucky. Best, Yana 2010 started 10 mg celexa, 2011 went up to 20 mg 06/2014 started tapering (20 mg,10 mg alternate days) 19/09/2014 crashed at 10 mg 20/09/2014 updosed to 20 mg to try and stabilize- Never stabilized and CNS basically plummeted August 31 2015- Started my 5% taper anyways May 3 2016- At 14 mg the tapering caught up with me- Withdrawal included severe anxiety, feeling like im on speed, suicidal and homicidal ideation, akathesia, feeling like I was on heroin, memory loss, PGAD, feeling like I was on an acid May 4 2016- Updosed to 15.5 mg to try and stabilize June 4- Started taking 2 mg 5 times a day which adds up to 10 mg because of akathesia when taking my full dose. Akathesia symtpoms smaller July 27th- Dropped from 15.5 mg to 10 mg because could no longer tolerate taking drug- bad side effects mainly akathesia and emotional deadness. Oct 11- Improved a lot since May 4th after my crash. Withdrawal symptoms still left- DR/DP, emotional anasthesia, akathesia, tingling in head, feeling like my body and face disappears, messed up sound interpretation, perception and difficulty reading social and emotional cues during DR/DP, apathy, inability to tell if I am in dream or reality, disturbed sleep. Started having few windows Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 28, 2015 Author Share Posted March 28, 2015 You're right Yana! I sometimes think I had a guardian angel that sent me the bleeding so I have to stop the medication. I'm distressed and annoyed with the symptoms, the anger at the doctor and because I had to drop some important responsibilities. But compared to what some people here on the site are going through, my experience seems to be a light version. I was also very lucky to recognise the symptoms as withdrawal. My doctor wanted to admit me to the hospital because of rage and self harming. Who knows what further meds they would have put me on. Best, Laura Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 28, 2015 Administrator Share Posted March 28, 2015 Laura, it takes 4 days for your system to fully register any new dosage level. Please keep notes on paper of your daily symptom pattern relative to when you take the drug. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 29, 2015 Author Share Posted March 29, 2015 Just a quick update. Today is day 3 of taking 0.875mg. Brain zaps and brain fog are lifting. Anxiety, headaches and weird/racing thoughts are increasing. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted March 30, 2015 Author Share Posted March 30, 2015 Great.... I started bleeding heavily again. Waiting for call back from doctor. Seems like my body really doesn't like antidepressants. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted March 30, 2015 Administrator Share Posted March 30, 2015 You may wish to reduce to 0.5mg. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted April 2, 2015 Author Share Posted April 2, 2015 Hi all, I just wanted to update how I'm doing. I was too scared to drop straight down to 0.5, so I tapered quickly and today I arrived at 0.5078mg. I feel the Sertraline has eased some of the symptoms: shaking, tremor and mood swings, but it's sapping the life out of me. I get more and more passive, can't get myself to do anything the longer I'm on it. Also my anxiety is getting worse and worse. I don't have many brain zaps anymore or images going blurred or sounds going weird. I've gotten the bleeding under control. Probably a combination of eating lots of spinach (vitamin K, helps blood coagulation) and the dose reduction. I got two sessions of acupuncture. I feel this is making quite a good impact. After the first acupuncture I managed to sleep the whole night. A first one since I took the Effexor. Cheers, L Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted April 6, 2015 Administrator Share Posted April 6, 2015 Does the anxiety follow any daily pattern? Please keep notes on paper about your symptoms, when you have them, and when you take your drugs. 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. Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 The anxiety always started short after taking the dose of Sertraline and remained for 8 hours or so, reducing as I reduced the dose. I kept reducing pretty quickly because of the bleeding, the anxiety and the overall worsening of my health. I arrived at 0.1mg today. The mood swings are worse, some racing thoughts but I can still handle it. The anxiety is almost gone. I'm a bit dizzy and my heart feels weird (burning?), but I'm getting my energy back. I can get out of bed. I can even laugh and joke around. I can think clearer. If things keep going like this I hope I'm getting somewhere. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted April 6, 2015 Author Share Posted April 6, 2015 Oh, here's the taper I followed, just in case it's useful for the common knowledge gathering: 21/03/2015 1.mg 22/03/2015 2.mg 23/03/2015 1.mg 24/03/2015 0.9375mg 25/03/2015 0.75mg 26/03/2015 0.625mg 27/03/2015 0.875mg 28/03/2015 0.875mg 29/03/2015 0.875mg 30/03/2015 0.8313mg 31/03/2015 0.7585mg 01/04/2015 0.5501mg 02/04/2015 0.2962mg 03/04/2015 0.1643mg 04/04/2015 0.1095mg 05/04/2015 0.1095mg 06/04/2015 0.0548mg Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Songbird Posted April 7, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted April 7, 2015 That's good news. You may still have some symptoms for a while, but hopefully you will recover quickly. 2001–2002 paroxetine 2003 citalopram 2004-2008 paroxetine (various failed tapers) 2008 paroxetine slow taper down to 2016 Aug off paroxetine2016 citalopram May 20mg Oct 15mg … slow taper down2018 citalopram 13 Feb 4.6mg 15 Mar 4.4mg 29 Apr 4.2mg 6 Jul 4.1mg 17 Aug 4.0mg 18 Nov 3.8mg 2019 15 Mar 3.6mg 21 May 3.4mg 26 Dec 3.2mg 2020 19 Feb 3.0mg 19 Jul 2.9mg 16 Sep 2.8mg 25 Oct 2.7mg 23 Oct 2.6mg 24 Dec 2.5mg 2021 29 Aug 2.4mg 15 Nov 2.3mg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted April 8, 2015 Author Share Posted April 8, 2015 Thanks Songbird! I'm hoping so too. Today was a bit worse again, my mood plummeted and I had chest pain. But that's probably my body adjusting to being drug free. I'll see the doctor about the chest pain, just to be sure. I watched Yolande Lucire's video explaining that some people just can't metabolize antidepressants. I'm wondering if I may be one of them. In Germany, they offer a self test to find out if you're a poor metabolizer of antidepressants. I'm curious to do it, but it's 400€... a bit much money just to satisfy my curiosity. I'm not planning to touch any antidepressant again anyway. Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Laura1981 Posted April 10, 2015 Author Share Posted April 10, 2015 Update: I had to go to the hospital due to really bad chest pain yesterday. They said it's caused by the stomach. I wonder if the Sertraline has messed up my stomach. I read some other people who got stomach ulcers from it. I also got hit with a strange feeling. I feel like I want to rip my skin off my body. It's really hard to describe. Will this nightmare ever end? One thing after the other and the doctors keep telling me "Oh, it may be related to the anxiety you took the antidepressant for... maybe you should try another one". I can't hear that anymore! It's sick..... Feb 2015 Took venlafaxine for 5 days only... experienced withdrawal that made me completely non-functional Mar 2015 took under 1mg of Sertraline for 10 days in an attempt to combat Venlafaxine withdrawal. Got adverse reactions. After stopping Sertraline, withdrawal got much worse. New, horrific symptoms. June 2015 Still non-functional but slowly getting better. Still brain zaps, migraines, sweating, heart racing, depression, crying spells September 2015: 24/7 brain zaps, twitches in the face, no concentration, bad memory, language skills deteriorating. Profile feed: http://goo.gl/3g2GRn Sign this petition for a blackbox warning on Prozac in Ireland: https://www.change.org/p/leo-varadakar-hpra-the-lack-of-a-blackbox-warning-on-prozac-in-ireland-and-its-use-by-the-hse-in-under-18-s?recruiter=63289046&utm_source=share_petition&utm_medium=facebook&utm_campaign=share_for_starters_page&utm_term=des-lg-no_src-no_msg Link to comment
Lexy Posted April 10, 2015 Share Posted April 10, 2015 I feel for you. I was on effexor for 7-8 weeks and erroneously thought withdrawals would soon end since I hadn't been on these meds before. Was I wrong. You can read my signature to see how long I've been tapering and still have symptoms after I halved my dose. It may take awhile before you start feeling better in the meantime if I were you I would taper a little slower than how you are currently decreasing. 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 Link to comment
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