Woodhull Posted April 18, 2019 Author Share Posted April 18, 2019 Hi MMMM! Please excuse me for the late reply! Was having trouble with my password. I am hanging in there. Do you mind giving me a quick back round of your story.... That would be AWESOME. 150 mg Effexor xr for 2 years. (2015-2017) Tapered to zero (04/2017-05/2017) Was off effexor for about a month then the storm hit. Reinstated 25 mg effexor (06/2017. Last micro dose of Effexor on Nov 25 2017. Been off Effexor for 11 months and still feeling AWEFUL. I feel DEAD. Link to comment
MMMM Posted July 25, 2019 Share Posted July 25, 2019 Hi @Woodhull, sorry for my very late reply. Ha. I actually just clicked into your thread as I saw another comment from you (or maybe it was your signature about feeling dead) that I related to, and came over here and then saw that there was actually a message for me here of all things... Background of my story is that I did a doctor approved too fast taper off cymbalta in Dec 2017... and went from thriving, loving life, doing really well to basically being in hell. Reinstated and have messed around with dosages since then, and am still in hell. Feel like **** every day, have zero desires, can't feel emotions, can't really think any longer, am barely holding on with work (working from home as I couldn't really show up any more) depressed, bad physical sensations, feel ruined. Somehow holding on to hope that I can enjoy living again some day. How are you? Has the dead feeling improved at all? - 2003 to 2015: celexa, 20 mg, ~12 years - 2015: easy switch off celexa and onto cymbalta, 30mg (over a decade of fantastic years in here, with one anxiety/depressive episode brought on by a breakup, which I got through with therapy, tools, etc) - 2017: Nov/December: tapered off cymbalta, 20mg --> 0, over 1.5 mo. in conjunction with my (former) psychiatrist. Zero date: 12/15/17 (I was just sort of curious to try being off meds after so many (great) years. I wondered the degree to which meds may have been affecting my sex drive/orgasm/access to deeper emotions. After going off was ok for about 3 mo... then: horrible anxiety, panic attacks (first time in 14 years and way stronger than I ever had before), agitation, suicidal depression, crushing physical sensation, anhedonia, dp/dr, emotional numbness. Horrible.) - 2018, July 21: Tried going back on celexa, 5mg (HORRIBLE adverse reaction, discontinued after 10 days, stopped 7/31/18, thought I would need to be hospitalized) - 2018, Aug 3: Tried remeron, got up to 15mg for 14 days, then tapered back down to 3.5 mg/d (super sedating, couldn't think and could feel even less) - 2018, Sept 7 - Oct: Restarted Cymbalta, ~4mg (sept 9, stopped the 3.5 mg of remeron). Went up to 13 mg Cymbalta, then right back down to 4.5mg. (Now see it as withdrawal and am wanting to get off and heal.) Link to comment
Woodhull Posted August 1, 2019 Author Share Posted August 1, 2019 Hi MMM, OH YES! I understand exactly how you are feeling. I have been off Effexor now for 1 year and 7 months. I am medication free. My biggest complaint for awhile was feeling dead. I had zero energy and did not feel any pleasure what so ever. Everything was a chore. Shaving my face was a chore. I would have weeks where I would only shower once a week. Everything SUCKED. I had no patience. If someone said hi to me I would find a reason to get angry over the way they said it or something. And yes everyday was hell. Zero sex drive or drive to live. I felt dead. I would tell my wife all the time, I just feel dead I have nothing. I could go on and on about all the symptoms I had and still have but that not why I am replying. I am replying to tell you than I am 10x better than where I was. I would not go to any family get togethers. No xmas, no thanksgiving. I would not answer my phone, only if it was my boss. And I would try my hardest not to make up a reason why I couldn't answer. Another massive frustration I have had is that I do not speak the same currently and thinking of words or replying to texts or emails was and still is frustrating. It was so bad I had to have my wife reply for me. My brain just wouldn't work. I used to give myself a 1-2 out of 10 on how I felt and how my brain was functioning. I know give it a 5-6. The progress is SLOOOOOW but I will take any progress at this point. Another thing that I have noticed is I am extremely sensitive to processed food. Last night I had frozen yogurt. Shortly after I have a very hard time thinking of words. I feel very tired, depressed, agitated and just horrible. This usually lasts for 4-6 hours. IT SUCKS. Last year I spent around 10,000 dollars trying to figure out what was off and how I can fix it. After much money, doctors, specialists, medications and supplements I have come to the conclusion I just need time and patience. I need to get 7-8 hours of sleep. Exercise when I can motivate myself to get to the gym and most importantly I need to eat CLEAN and SIMPLE. I have been following an AIP diet recently that has been helping a lot with my food sensitivities. Are you off all medications? Fill me in, whats the latest. 150 mg Effexor xr for 2 years. (2015-2017) Tapered to zero (04/2017-05/2017) Was off effexor for about a month then the storm hit. Reinstated 25 mg effexor (06/2017. Last micro dose of Effexor on Nov 25 2017. Been off Effexor for 11 months and still feeling AWEFUL. I feel DEAD. Link to comment
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