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Purplerain: introducing myself - tapering off Effexor 37.5mg


Purplerain

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@Purplerain

Somehow I forgot to congratulate you -- so sorry for the omission.

 

On 5/27/2022 at 8:07 PM, Purplerain said:

I qualified as a child counsellor and started working in April.

 

CONGRATULATIONS!! 

This is huge! You completed an entire educational program while in withdrawal and landed a job at the end of it. So impressive. Well done!

 

I am sure the children you work with (and their parents and your colleagues) are very lucky to have you. <3

1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs)

2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?)    Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg  -->  July 2018 - 0mg

2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg    2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg  -->  July 2021 - 0mg

March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT)  -->  April 28th, 2021 - 0mg

supplements: magnesium powder (dissolved in water) as needed throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil w/ morning meal; 2mg melatonin 

August 1, 2022 - 1 mg melatonin

 

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.  - Karle Wilson Baker

love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.  - Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are.  - text on homemade banner at Afiya house

 

I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. 

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  • 2 weeks later...

Hello @Purplerain

Thinking of you <3

1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs)

2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?)    Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg  -->  July 2018 - 0mg

2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg    2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg  -->  July 2021 - 0mg

March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT)  -->  April 28th, 2021 - 0mg

supplements: magnesium powder (dissolved in water) as needed throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil w/ morning meal; 2mg melatonin 

August 1, 2022 - 1 mg melatonin

 

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.  - Karle Wilson Baker

love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.  - Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are.  - text on homemade banner at Afiya house

 

I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. 

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  • 4 weeks later...

@Purplerain

Thinking of you and sending healing vibes <3

1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs)

2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?)    Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg  -->  July 2018 - 0mg

2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg    2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg  -->  July 2021 - 0mg

March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT)  -->  April 28th, 2021 - 0mg

supplements: magnesium powder (dissolved in water) as needed throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil w/ morning meal; 2mg melatonin 

August 1, 2022 - 1 mg melatonin

 

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.  - Karle Wilson Baker

love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.  - Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are.  - text on homemade banner at Afiya house

 

I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. 

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  • 5 weeks later...

Hi there purplerain,

Thinking healing thoughts in your direction <3

1996-2018 - misc. polypharmacy, incl. SSRIs, SNRIs, neuroleptics, lithium, benzos, stimulants, antihistamines, etc. (approx. 30+ drugs)

2012-2018 - 10mg lexapro/escitalopram (20mg?)    Jan. 2018 - 10mg -> 5mg, then from 5mg -> 2.5mg, then 0mg  -->  July 2018 - 0mg

2017(?)-2020 - vyvanse/lisdexamfetamine 60-70mg    2020-2021 - 70mg down to 0mg  -->  July 2021 - 0mg

March-April 2021 - vortioxetine 5-10mg (approx. 7 weeks total; CT)  -->  April 28th, 2021 - 0mg

supplements: magnesium powder (dissolved in water) as needed throughout the day; 1 tsp fish oil w/ morning meal; 2mg melatonin 

August 1, 2022 - 1 mg melatonin

 

Courage is fear that has said its prayers.  - Karle Wilson Baker

love and justice are not two. without inner change, there can be no outer change; without collective change, no change matters.  - Rev. angel Kyodo williams

Holding multiple truths. Knowing that everyone has their own accurate view of the way things are.  - text on homemade banner at Afiya house

 

I am not a medical professional; this is not medical advice. 

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  • 4 weeks later...
On 8/4/2022 at 7:14 AM, Ariel said:

Hi there purplerain,

Thinking healing thoughts in your direction ❤️

 
Ariel, thank you so much for keeping me in your thoughts and all your wonderful and helpful advice. It means more to me than I can express in words.
 

The last couple of months have been some of the hardest of my life, hence not being on here. I got a puppy in the midst of my grief, which has been both challenging and rewarding. She was born four days before my friend left this world. I have made connections with neighbours I have never met through her, and she gets me out of the house daily so that meets the need for exercise and being in nature that I find so healing but rarely had the motivation to engage in before. My daughter adores her and it’s been special sharing in the journey of looking after her together.

 

The most life-altering and distressing thing that’s happened since I last posted is that my daughter’s father has relapsed in his drug addiction after nearly a decade in recovery. So as well as having to be a solo parent now (we have not seen him in three months), I feel constantly worried. His addiction is very serious, to the most dangerous of street drugs, and there is so much potential for disastrous consequences here. Thankfully his work are paying for him to go into a detox, but he is still waiting on a date for that.
 

I am struggling to process so much loss in such a short space of time. Despite his flaws I have never stopped loving this man, I have loved no one else for an entire decade. My daughter misses him terribly. She keeps asking when she can see him, which breaks my heart. She is only 7 so explaining addiction to her is hard and she doesn’t fully understand. The weird outcome of all this stress is that I don’t really notice my withdrawal symptoms as much. They’re definitely still there, but perhaps not as intensely noticeable amid all the stress. I have also found people are more understanding of me not being fully functional as they recognise that I am under stress (whereas my gut feeling is that they believe a lot of my withdrawal symptoms are in my head). I’ve started smoking again after a decade so that’s obviously not great but something had to give and it’s helping for the time being. All I can do that helps is pray, meditate and continue to engage in my 12 step groups where I feel held. I am on schedule to be completely off Venlafaxine by the start of the New Year, God willing. What a crazy journey this has been. 

2008 put on 75mg Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) after breakup with long term boyfriend

2009 Dose increased to 150mg

2010 Dose increased to 300mg plus 25mg Quetiapine added to aid sleep and control hypomania

2011 first attempt to withdraw. Taper much too fast on psychiatrist's advice (300-0mg in 1 month) suffer first and only psychotic episode. Put back on 75mg generic Venlafaxine (no more Quetiapine)

2014 reduce dose to 1/4 of a 37.5mg Venlafaxine tablet during pregnancy. Suffer extreme social anxiety/agoraphobia

2015 Daughter is born. Advised not to breastfeed due to Ven being present in breastmilk. Suffer PND and go back to taking 37.5mg tablet daily. Start to experience heavy fatigue each day after taking Venlafaxine tablet.

14th June 2017 - start 10% monthly taper reduction method. June 2018: 10mg June 2019: 4.5ml June 2020: 2mg June 2021: 0.9mg June 2022: 0.35mg Jan 23: 0.14mg Feb 23: 0.12mg March 23: 0.1mg April 23: 0.08mg May 23: 0.06mg June 23: 0.04mg July 23: 0.02mg

Officially free of all psychiatric medication as of 1st August 2023 :):)

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  • Moderator Emeritus
8 minutes ago, Purplerain said:

I am on schedule to be completely off Venlafaxine by the start of the New Year

 

Because of the large amount of stress that you are experiencing I think it would be a good idea to hold on your current dose.  However, if you do decide that you want to keep tapering, then my suggestion would be to only make very small reductions.  Even though it might add more time to your taper, it would still be heading in the direction of you getting off and would hopefully keep withdrawal symptoms to a minimum.  As you stated, you might not be feeling the withdrawal because of the stress, which means that if you keep tapering or tapering too fast for the current situation, you might end up with bad withdrawal as well as having to deal with what your current circumstances.

 

When I was right at the end of my taper I had other health issues that I was dealing with as well as changing my diet, so I went a bit more carefully and took a bit longer than I had planned.  I didn't want to confuse withdrawal and the other things.

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

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  • 8 months later...
  • Administrator

Hello, @Purplerain, how are you?

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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  • 3 months later...
On 5/25/2023 at 9:40 PM, Altostrata said:

Hello, @Purplerain, how are you?

 

Hello Alto, thank you for checking in and apologies it's taken me months to get myself together to write a response.

 

I finally finished my taper on 1st August this year. It ended up taking me just over six years in total (twice as long as I initially predicted!) I have to say that since stopping taking the Effexor, I have not felt any extra withdrawal symptoms compared to what I was feeling for the last couple of years of the taper. I by no means feel good exactly, but I am for the most part stable and able to live my life - certainly not fully, but to an adequate enough level to function. I just read over what I'd written on here over the last six years and realised that my jaw is no longer clenched for the first time in over a decade!

 

Life continues to be incredibly challenging. My daughter's father is still in relapse and using crack and heroin daily. I have only seen him once in the past year. He is in no fit state to be a parent, so I am effectively a solo parent now. My parents help me with childcare while I work (I also use the after school club) but they are riddled with various health problems and physical ailments so I don't like to ask for anything extra above what they already do. This means I have very little social life, but I keep in touch with my 12 step friends daily over WhatsApp and am able to organise some social time for myself on my days off while my daughter is in school. She is 8 now, and obviously devastated by the loss of her father. I am able to be a safe and supportive space for her for the most part. I still find I "flip my lid" far more than I would like when her behaviour is difficult, but she is getting older and more mature now. I genuinely love hanging out with her a lot of the time, she is sweet and hilarious and is the only thing in my life that consistently brings me joy. I do still feel incredibly lonely at times and long for a partner to share in life's struggles with. There is just no space in my life for dating currently, even if I did feel mentally capable (which I don't). I feel deep sadness and grief that antidepressants have robbed me of the ability to have a stable romantic relationship, and that this all happened over the years of what should have been the prime of my life. Thankfully, I no longer feel longing for my daughter's Dad, so that's something. I pray that one day I will be healed and able to attract and step into something healthy with someone. I no longer feel a desperation to have another child, and am comfortable in the fact that I will most likely not have another in this lifetime. This is an immense relief, and feels like a burden has lifted. As my daughter grows up I am now beginning to see a bit more freedom on the horizon.

 

My current state of being is something like this. I feel a constant, low-level anxiety whenever I am out in public or travelling somewhere. I no longer wake up with cortisol surges, but I do wake feeling extremely down, often with intrusive suicidal thoughts, even after my meditation practice which I do every morning. About 90% of the time, the dark feelings dissipate as the day goes on. My mood is lifted by being outside, walking my dog, doing something fun with my daughter, exercise (particularly, at the moment, swimming), social contact with good friends, laughter. When I say my mood is lifted, I do mean I just feel OK/acceptable/relatively content rather than happy. I am painfully aware of my anhedonia. But compared to how awful I could feel - I am experiencing the world without medication for the first time in 15 years, after all - I feel like I've got off pretty lightly. It has been a long and painful slog to get off these drugs. I am so relieved I never have to dissolve another tablet in water again, painstakingly measuring and syringing out oral doses twice daily.

 

Reflecting on my past and my childhood and the sensory and social struggles I have always had (but which were somewhat numbed by medication), and after a lot of researching I have realised it is likely I have Level 1 Autism and have been "masking" since childhood. Withdrawal has made it difficult, sometimes impossible, for me to continue to "mask", hence the social struggles I have been experiencing and continue to experience. I have not sought out an official assessment due to financial barriers and years-long waiting times on the NHS, but it is something I may consider in the future. The knowledge is helping me forgive myself, and challenge the internalised family message that I am "bad".

 

To everyone who has read this, thank you. And thank you @Altostrata from the bottom of my heart for creating SA. It is very possible I would not be here without it. The effects of your work are wide and far-reaching and I appreciate you and everyone here who has provided emotional support, shared information or their story, empathised with a struggle. You are all angels and I extend to you endless love and gratitude. x L

 

2008 put on 75mg Effexor XR (Venlafaxine) after breakup with long term boyfriend

2009 Dose increased to 150mg

2010 Dose increased to 300mg plus 25mg Quetiapine added to aid sleep and control hypomania

2011 first attempt to withdraw. Taper much too fast on psychiatrist's advice (300-0mg in 1 month) suffer first and only psychotic episode. Put back on 75mg generic Venlafaxine (no more Quetiapine)

2014 reduce dose to 1/4 of a 37.5mg Venlafaxine tablet during pregnancy. Suffer extreme social anxiety/agoraphobia

2015 Daughter is born. Advised not to breastfeed due to Ven being present in breastmilk. Suffer PND and go back to taking 37.5mg tablet daily. Start to experience heavy fatigue each day after taking Venlafaxine tablet.

14th June 2017 - start 10% monthly taper reduction method. June 2018: 10mg June 2019: 4.5ml June 2020: 2mg June 2021: 0.9mg June 2022: 0.35mg Jan 23: 0.14mg Feb 23: 0.12mg March 23: 0.1mg April 23: 0.08mg May 23: 0.06mg June 23: 0.04mg July 23: 0.02mg

Officially free of all psychiatric medication as of 1st August 2023 :):)

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  • Administrator

Thank you, @Purplerain I can see how hard this is for you.

 

On 9/4/2023 at 12:45 PM, Purplerain said:

The knowledge is helping me forgive myself, and challenge the internalised family message that I am "bad".

 

Please please forgive yourself, forgive yourself every minute if you need to. 

 

You are very strong, please hang in there, withdrawal syndrome will very gradually improve. Please let us know how you're doing. 

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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