LarryS: tapering off venlafaxine / Effexor 225mg

[LarryS]

Four weeks at 36 mg

Since my previous post I have felt stable and believe I’m ready for another 10% drop.  So, beginning today, March 23, 2020, I will drop to 32.5 mg.  I’m utilizing a 75 mg capsule that contain beads of about 1 mg each.  I’m also utilizing a 37.5 mg capsule that contains about 100 beads which gives 0.37 mg per bead.  I will use 32 (1 mg) beads, and 1 (0.37) mg bead to get as close as possible to the current recommended drop.

Looking back at my previous symptom table presentations, I have come to realized that they have not been all that useful.  Therefore, I will simply present my 28 day average as an indicator of my current status.

Anhedonia                  4.11

Insomnia                     2.28

Fatigue                        4.68

Headache Pressure     4.28

Back Pain                    7.21

Neck Pain                    4.18

My back pain is a bit higher, than previously, for this period, due primarily to doing necessary tasks that I believe are best done by myself, rather than hiring someone else to do them.  Even though my back and neck pain are primarily a physical manifestation rather than antidepressant related, pain significantly effects my ability to objectively rate the other symptoms, the worse the pain symptom is.  Said in another way, the pain can affect the other symptoms.

I cautiously, but courageously, move forward on my journey.

[LarryS]

Dropping to 29.2 mg venlafaxine today, April 20, 2020.

[LarryS]

Dropped to 26.3 mg Venlafaxine May 18, 2020.  As far as I can tell, tapering is going smoothly.

Back and neck pain have been causing considerable fatigue.  

I only go out to shop for food now due to COVID-19 pandemic.

The highlight of my day is going out for a walk around the neighborhood.

[LarryS]

Dropping to 23.7 mg Venlafaxine today, June 15, 2020.

Was able to enjoy a dinner out for the first time in months due to COVID-19 pandemic.  We celebrated 50^th wedding anniversary.

Also was able to go fishing with my brother.

Back and neck pain have decreased substantially since having two cortisone shots in my back June 5.

Will be able to begin massage treatments again June 25.

The following average ratings for the previous 28 day period are:

Anhedonia      4.42

Insomnia         1.92

Fatigue            5.03

Headache pressure     4.21

[LarryS]

Dropped to 21.3 mg Venlafaxine July 6

Other than grocery shopping, medical visits and short drives, have stayed home.

Anhedonia     4.00

Insomnia        2.52

Fatigue           4.66

Headache/ pressure  3.42

[Altostrata]

Hi, Larry. It doesn't seem that you're having withdrawal symptoms.

 

You've done a good job keep an eye on your symptom pattern. What we need to know is if you have anything that departs significantly from your symptom pattern.

 

You will have ups and downs in emotions, that's normal.

[LarryS]

Lately I have been experiencing lots of ongoing fatigue throughout each day.  I have been waking up more at night and having some difficulty falling asleep occasionally.  I have also been experiencing some low grade headache symptoms.  I am so fatigued I have difficulty thinking.  I think my recent reported symptom scores are lower than what I am truly experiencing.  So, after re-evaluation, the scores are now being input as more severe, which is a higher number than in the past.

In reflection back over my past two years of experience, I was having quite a few symptoms which drove me to get started on my journey to taper off venlafaxine.  Between  150 mg and 75 mg, the journey was not that difficult.  As I have gone below 75 mg the journey has become increasingly difficult.

Currently at 21 mg/ day, I am experiencing more severe symptoms, as mentioned above.  Depression has always been my diagnosis.  I just re-read a pamphlet I have called “Sleep & Depression”.  The pamphlet lists seven (7) symptoms of depression.  If one has two or more of these symptoms, then one is categorized as being depressed.  I have the following four (4) symptoms.

1.     Loss of interest or inability to experience pleasure in things that generally had been pleasurable before.

2.     Loss of energy.

3.     Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

4.     Anger outbursts, irritability, nervousness.

My current symptoms are worse than they have ever been in the past.

I am considering going to talk to psychiatric nurse practitioner.

I am genuinely concerned that tapering may not be for me.  However, I have put a lot of thought and effort into getting to where I am today.  I need again to assure myself of my direction. 

I am not sure how long I can continue to live with my symptoms.  Something needs to change.

I am retired, can relax and sleep all I want.  I am not anxious about anything.  The only responsibilities that I have are taking care of my wife, the home, and preparing meals for us.  Life is good in basic human terms.  I have much to be thankful for.

I am going to hold where I am at for a while until I can figure out my direction.

Feedback welcomed.

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, LarryS said:

I am retired, can relax and sleep all I want.  I am not anxious about anything.  The only responsibilities that I have are taking care of my wife, the home, and preparing meals for us.  Life is good in basic human terms.  I have much to be thankful for.

 

Q:  Are you bored?

 

It might be that you aren't as stimulated by mental and physical activity and purpose like you were when you were working.

 

Another thing to consider is the time of life you are now in.  It can make you feel like you don't contribute or have as much value as you did or that it is worth doing things.  We can also look back over our lives and have regrets, or pine for what once was.  We can also be concerned about what will happen to us in the future (financial, health, accommodation, marital situation), which are things we don't usually think about much when we are younger, and it  can also be a time when reality hits that we aren't going to live forever.

[Altostrata]

2 hours ago, LarryS said:

I think my recent reported symptom scores are lower than what I am truly experiencing.  So, after re-evaluation, the scores are now being input as more severe, which is a higher number than in the past.

 

What does this mean? What scores?

 

2 hours ago, LarryS said:

1.     Loss of interest or inability to experience pleasure in things that generally had been pleasurable before.

2.     Loss of energy.

3.     Difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

4.     Anger outbursts, irritability, nervousness.

 

Yes, the definition of "depression" is so elastic, it can be diagnosed in just about anyone who feels down. Ultimately, it's your choice if you want to modify your internal sensations with psychiatric drugs. They are elective.

 

2 hours ago, LarryS said:

As I have gone below 75 mg the journey has become increasingly difficult.

 

Some people find Effexor to be stimulating. If you remove the stimulating effect, you might feel like you're "slowing down".

 

How has your symptom pattern changed since you reduced below 75mg? How has your symptom pattern changed since your last reduction July 6?

 

2 hours ago, LarryS said:

I have also been experiencing some low grade headache symptoms.  I am so fatigued I have difficulty thinking. 

 

Headaches are not characteristic of "depression". Do you have allergies or could something else be causing headache? Do you drink caffeine? What times of day?

 

What is your regular exercise routine? How has your daily routine changed since mid-March? Have you taken any other drugs or made any other drug changes since then? Have you accidentally skipped any dosages? What times of day do you take your drugs, and their dosages?

 

On what dates did you have cortisone shots? Please look up adverse effects of cortisone shots.

 

 

[LarryS]

Thank you for your replies, input, questions and advise.  I will work on a response.

[LarryS]

Q:  Are you bored?

 

It might be that you aren't as stimulated by mental and physical activity and purpose like you were when you were working.

 

ChessieCat:  Your question seems reasonable, but my first reaction is, No I am not bored.  I have plenty to do. 

I may not be living an exciting life, but it is a good life.  The symptoms I described are physical things that I feel.  I have pain in my back and neck which can cause the headache.  The pain can also drain my energy.  I feel so fatigued, it is difficult to concentrate and think.  The pain comes from arthritis, a common malady of the mature aged ( age 72).

Due to the pandemic, the government has shut down the gym I attend.  I substitute a 2 mile walk most days which is energizing.  I also do some lawn mowing and other yard work which I find rewarding and energizing.  (Sometimes doing yard work brings on elevated pain, so I must be careful to balance my activity.)  Any benefit from energizing activity fades quickly back to fatigue.  I wake up in the morning, and I can already feel the fatigue one hour after arising. 

My sleep doctor says I am doing everything I have been instructed to do, therefore nothing to add.

All the above makes it difficult to know how profoundly tapering venlafaxine affects me.

The doctors can find nothing wrong with me by their testing and observation.  I get glowing reports of health, but feel constant fatigue, pain and difficulty concentrating.

Based upon experience, I felt better between 75 mg and 150 mg of venlafaxine.  But this may have nothing to do with my current physical symptoms.

Going backward would be a big decision. 

THE ISSUE:  DO MY PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY TAPERING SLOWLY OFF VENLAFAXIN.

Do you know anyone else on this website that have had similar issues, that I may want to read about?

[LarryS]

Altostrata:  The types of symptoms I deal with have been the same since the beginning of tapering.  The severity of my symptoms has slowly increased over the time I have been tapering.  There have been occasions when a symptom will increase in a short time and then subside to a more tolerable level.

My current headaches are caused by arthritic pain in my neck.  A hot bath usually relieves the pain.  I agree, my headaches have nothing to do with tapering.  In the beginning I felt what I called head pressure.  In the beginning I thought this might be related to tapering.  Now, perhaps I can blame it on my physical neck pain.

Prior to the pandemic I went to a gym three times a week and exercised over a one and one-half hour period.  I also did physical therapy exercises at home two to three times per day.  I also maintained my yard.

Since the pandemic I have not been able to go to the closed gym.  I have substituted walking two miles a day, which does not provide the same level of exertion.  I can not jog due to my back pain.  The physical therapy exercise and yard work remain the same.

No drug changes and no skipped doses.

I take my drugs and supplements with breakfast and dinner.  Venlafaxine is taken with breakfast.

I received two corticosteroid injections June 5, 2020, into my lower right back for significantly severe pain.  I had two injections into my lower left back August 30, 2019.  I had a single injection July 25, 2019 into S1 joint.  Received one shot in low back September 23, 2011.  My doctor does discuss the side effects of corticosteroid shots.  I know to spread them out over months and to only use them when I have no alternative.  I understand why you believe my current symptoms and corticosteroid injections may be related.  I will talk to my doctor about my current symptoms.  Thank you for pointing this out.

[LarryS]

Dropping to 19.2 mg Venlafaxine on August 4, 2020.

My average symptom scores for previous 29 days are (10 is worst):

Anhedonia  5.76

Insomnia     4.10

Fatigue        6.45

Headache    4.79

[LarryS]

On 7/31/2020 at 9:53 AM, LarryS said:

THE ISSUE:  DO MY PHYSICAL SYMPTOMS HAVE ANYTHING TO DO WITH MY TAPERING SLOWLY OFF VENLAFAXIN.

 

Cortisone Injections

Altostrata suggested that I investigate the side effects of recent cortisone shots.  So, I read some information from the web.  The first link is a medical article about “Dexamethasone”, one of the two drugs injected into my low back.  I found a little article about “Triamcinolone” the second drug utilized in the injection but will not provide the link. The second article is more general about “cortisone” injections.

 

https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ebs/picmi/picmirepository.nsf/

 

https://healthprep.com/conditions/8-horrific-side-effects-of-getting-cortisone-injections/10/?utm_source=google&utm_campaign=1648305011&utm_medium=search&utm_term=cortisone shot&utm_content=65965703987

 

It is evident that my symptom issues of insomnia, irritability, difficulty concentrating, hypertension, frequent headaches, and depression like symptoms; are like listed side effects of cortisone injections.

I discussed my symptoms with the doctor who has been giving me the injections for my arthritis pain.  The doctor was very convincing when telling me that any symptoms from the injection would not last more than a week. They are spaced out months between shots.  I believe and feel most of my symptoms, other than my decreased level of pain, where not changed after the injection.

The doctor believes my symptoms are the result of my physical condition, and I agree.

The doctor has assigned me to do some work with a physical therapy doctor.  I am looking forward to learning what I can do for my physical condition.

[LarryS]

The first link above does not take you to the exact article.  Here is a more exact link to "Dexamethasone".

 

https://www.ebs.tga.gov.au/ebs/picmi/picmirepository.nsf/pdf?OpenAgent&id=CP-2011-PI-02528-3&d=201912071016933

[LarryS]

On September 1, 2020 I dropped to 17.3 mg of Venlafaxine (Effexor).

For the record, my average symptom scores are listed below.  The score average covers the previous 28 days from August 4, 2020  to August 31, 2020.

Scoring is from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating the worst possible symptoms imaginable.

Anhedonia   5.64

Insomnia      3.82

Fatigue         7.00

Head Pressure   5.68

Back Pain     6.50

Neck Pain     6.32

[QueenElisabeth]

HI Larry,
We are on similar road. I just didn't taper recently due to the hard withdrawal symptoms.  I hate the anhedonia that is pretty much always there.
How do you determine when you make a cut?  I was told not to taper while having waves, and I am having waves since June  and it never ends. I wonder  if you just stick to  a pace now.... ?
What made you go back up before and what is making you continue now?  
gr . Lis

[LarryS]

On September 29, 2020 I dropped to 15.5 mg of Venlafaxine (Effexor).

 

For the record, my average symptom scores for the previous period are listed below.  The score average covers the previous 28 days from September 1, 2020  to September 28, 2020.

Scoring is from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating the worst possible symptoms imaginable.

Anhedonia   4.46

Insomnia      2.61

Fatigue         6.11

Head Pressure   4.46

Back Pain     6.18

Neck Pain     5.93

 

My constant arthritic back pain causes considerable fatigue.  These two symptoms also effect how I perceive the other symptoms listed.

[LarryS]

On October 27, 2020 I dropped to 14.0 mg of Venlafaxine (Effexor).

For the record, my average symptom scores from previous period are listed below.  The score average covers the previous 28 days from September 29, 2020  to October 26, 2020.

Scoring is from 1 to 10, with 10 indicating the worst possible symptoms imaginable.

Anhedonia   4.78

Insomnia      3.42

Fatigue         6.78

Head Pressure   4.61

Back Pain     6.86

Neck Pain     5.75

My back pain has been at a significantly high level.  This affects my level of fatigue.  This past 28 days have been a difficult period.  These two symptoms also effect all the other symptoms I have listed.

[LarryS]

I am experiencing more fatigue and anhedonia for several months now.  I did two three week holds and then slowed to a four week hold this time, ending February 1, 2021.  My worsening symptoms could be caused from the recent shorter holds.  However, I am unsure, because I am also having low back and upper neck pain that I believe is contributing.  It is likely a combination of the two.

I am at the low level of 9.2 mg of venlafaxine.  I have been re-reading information about tapering and how low to go before getting completely off.  Also, reading success stories.  I am remined that I should go back to at least four week holds, possibly longer as I get lower in dose.

My current method of tapering is counting beads.  I am fortunate to have 75 mg capsules that have about 200 small beads in them.  This translates to about 0.375 mg per bead.  I am beginning to evaluate if I can utilize this method all the way to near zero.  It appears that the bead method may work ok down to about 3 mg.  At 4 week holds, this will take another 11 months to get to 3 mg.  That is the way it must be.  I will continue to evaluate symptoms all the way. 

Going below 3 mg, with the current beads, the jumps become progressively bigger beyond 10%.  I have re-read about my options for going below where the bead method no longer can be used.  I have plenty of time to figure out which method I will use.

[Dejavu]

Hi Larry. Please take it from someone who cut too fast/too much and ended up in a wave that has been going on for 7 months now. Slow down!!!! Do not ignore those warning signs. I had them too - increased anxiety, a few shakes here and there, sleeping a hour less than normal. I thought "no big deal - they're not too bad," and I sailed right through all the yellow lights. A month later, things got real bad real fast and I crashed. Your body is trying to tell you to cool it for a while. If I had it to do over again, I would have sat still for a good 2-3 months before resuming my taper. If I had done so, I would have saved myself a ton of misery and still would have been 4 months (and counting!) to the good. It's just not worth it. Please...take a break. Just my .02.

[LarryS]

Thanks Dajavu,  I'm slowing down.

Question for any moderator:

I have read the recommendations for tapering.  Has anyone on this forum successfully tapered venlafaxine extended release to zero by using small beads of 0.375 mg each, or other similarly small mg beads?

I've read a few success stories, but have not come across any one yet.  Thought I might cut the search just by asking.

[ChessieCat]

tips-for-tapering-off-effexor-and-effexor-xr-venlafaxine

 

 

I did 2 different searches in the above topic.  The first one for beads and the second one count:

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=beads&quick=1&type=forums_topic&item=272

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=count&quick=1&type=forums_topic&item=272

 

If you find a member who is bead counting then you could go to their intro for more information.

 

I am aware of a member who, when they got very low in dose, was sizing their beads as small, medium and large.

 

Possibly in this topic:

 

counting-beads-in-a-capsule-versus-weighing

 

These are the search results in the above topic for Effexor:

 

https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/search/?q=effexor&quick=1&type=forums_topic&item=1461

[ChessieCat]

Here it is.  I was sure it was a moderator but couldn't remember which one.

 

counting-beads-in-a-capsule-versus-weighing

 

It was mammaP - from her intro topic, so you could go backwards from that post to see how she managed it.

  

On 1/19/2015 at 3:50 AM, mammaP said:

I decided to drop to one bead.

1 BEAD about a week ago!! 

 

 

[LarryS]

Thanks ChessieCat, I am encouraged that I may be able to count beads all the way down to zero.  It is interesting that MammaP had to use different sized beads below 4 beads to get down lower.  This was a work around that worked out.

I also read that BrassMonkey had to do a work around at the end of his taper.  He was using the weighing method.  But when he got down real low, he had to visually divide up his pill powder.

I figure I will have to carefully do a work around also, as I get real low on my venlafaxine dose.

[ChessieCat]

I've had to do a work around with my drug earlier in the piece, being limited to the lowest compounded capsule dose of 0.125mg.  Very thankfully I recently discovered that I can use the contents of a compounded capsule to make a liquid.  But I cannot use a chopped up tablet because it goes gluggy.  However, it would not make sense to use a tablet even if it worked or I crushed it myself because the lowest dose I can get is 50mg so I would need to weigh it.  Using the contents of a compounded capsule is so much easier and definitely more consistent and probably more accurate.    

[LarryS]

Today, March 9, 2021, I am dropping down to 8.3 mg venlafaxine.  I have stayed at the previous dose for five weeks.  My symptom numbers indicate a little tougher hold period than some of my previous holds, but not wildly different.  I look forward to doing this drop in dose.  I am actually dropping only two (2) small beads, the equivalent of 0.75 mg.  My average bead accounts for approximately 0.375 mg.  My symptom score ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst possible symptom imaginable.

Anhedonia      6.17

Insomnia         2.97

Fatigue             6.28

Head Pressure 5.25

Back Pain        6.68

Neck Pain        6.25

[LarryS]

Recently I came to the realization that I was getting down to an exceptionally low dose, so I started reading about other experiences related to dropping small amounts.  I have been using the “Gab Taper.xlsx spreadsheet found on this web site, which is utilized to calculate each percentage drop for a selected period of days.  It is a particularly good tool to have available.

I have decided to continue with my bead counting method, hopefully all the way to zero.  I am fortunate to have been supplied with the generic venlafaxine manufactured by “Aurobindo Pharm Limited”.  Their capsule designated E 74 has plus or minus 200 beads in a 75 mg capsule.  As stated above, each bead accounts for approximately 0.375 mg of venlafaxine.   On the taper spreadsheet I have calculated the number of beads at each drop.  Then next to that I list the actual number of beads I will use at each drop. 

In the future, when I drop below three milligrams of venlafaxine, the bead value will become greater than the drop value in milligrams.  Said in another way, the percentage of drop will become progressively larger than 10% of the previous dose.  My current thinking is that perhaps by extending the time of each drop hold, this would allow my brain the necessary time to heal.  The hope would be that extended time to heal would overcome the larger percentage drops at these extremely low doses.  I still have at least nine months before I get down to 3 milligrams.  The worst that can happen is that I must start a different method of dropping doses.  No big deal.

[ChessieCat]

1 hour ago, LarryS said:

In the future, when I drop below three milligrams of venlafaxine, the bead value will become greater than the drop value in milligrams.  Said in another way, the percentage of drop will become progressively larger than 10% of the previous dose.  My current thinking is that perhaps by extending the time of each drop hold, this would allow my brain the necessary time to heal.  The hope would be that extended time to heal would overcome the larger percentage drops at these extremely low doses.

 

That was what I had planned to do before I realised I could create a liquid using my compounded capsules.

 

My drops would have been 0.125mg at a time and each reduction I was going to hold for an extra week.

 

It will be very important to listen to your body/symptoms and hold for longer if needed.

[H8FXR]

Good luck with this most recent cut Larry and thank-you for sharing this info. Thanks to your post I sighted another generic with beads: Aurobindo Pharm Limited. rkeep us informed on how you do!

 

H8

[LarryS]

Dear Elder Senior,                                                                              April 2021

It has been on my mind for some time to write about how I am currently feeling, physically and mentally, as it relates to my tapering off venlafaxine, and other factors going on in my life.  I am currently 73 years old and have physical issues associated with normal aging.  I have also lived this past year through a pandemic of COVID-19.  I have also been picking up extra duties, due to  my wife having short term memory loss, due to dementia. Some of my extra duties are grocery shopping, planning and making meals, and helping my wife in various ways.  We live in our own suburban home, close to city shopping and amenities.

Winter has just ended, and now the beginning of spring has come.  I have recognized for a number of years that I experience seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winters in the northwest, Washington, USA.  I sit in front of a high powered “HappyLight” each morning.  I have been able to escape the northwest, for at least a few weeks during the winter, in past years.  Not this year.  I have been experiencing a higher level of anhedonia, than I can ever recall having before.  I know part of it could be from tapering the venlafaxine.  But I also know that other factors are contributing.  Contributing factors are, “SAD”, constant physical pain, fatigue, and general lack of energy.  I do not have any long term goals or plans.  I live from one day to the next, day after day.  Accepting things, the way they currently are, has been difficult at times, but I do not think I have a great deal of anxiety going on.

I track “insomnia”, but I rate it low.  I generally can sleep at least six hours a night.  When I get seven hours of sleep, I feel that is as good as I can expect.  As we get older, we tend to sleep less, but make up for it with nap(s).

Fatigue has gradually worsened over the years since my mid 30s and is nothing new to me.  I sleep with a CPAP machine due to sleep apnea. I believe my fatigue is a major factor in how I feel during the day.  I also think it is tied to the anhedonia I feel.

I have been tracking what I call “head pressure”.  It feels like there is a constant dull pressure in my head, which I did not feel prior to starting my taper.  I do not categorize this feeling as a headache. 

I have constant low “back pain” and upper “neck pain”.  It is more difficult to rest when you are in pain.  The neck pain can sometimes cause a low grade headache.  More recently my hips and knees are starting to feel the aches and pains of age.  I have been trying to faithfully walk, up to two miles, but I have had a few setbacks.

Getting back to my feelings of “anhedonia”, which have been quite pronounced, it is hard to feel pleasure and care about what is going on.  I have a hard time laughing, which is sad, but thankfully my wife can still get me to laugh occasionally.  I truly would love to enjoy my retirement more.  I do enjoy swimming, walking, sunshine, flowers, and the beauty of the great northwest.  Lately we have made it a point to get out of the house for a short drive to escape the house and see the beauty around us.   I also do what I know, I must do, to get by, but not a whole lot more.  We can hire help for house cleaning every other week.  I also hire teenagers to help me with yard work.  Otherwise, I push myself, as needed, as I always have.

What am I trying to express?  And why?

Perhaps some other senior like me is going through similar circumstances and is wondering if they can keep on keeping on.  Keep going.  And continue to hope for at least a clearer head and enjoy at least the small pleasures of life.  It is difficult now, but that is my hope.  That is all I have is hope.  Hope also comes from my understanding that God is for me and is my long term hope.

Dear senior, hang in there with me.  We have overcome many challenges in the past.  We can do it again.  I am talking to myself as well.

Sincerely,

LarryS

[LarryS]

PROGRESS

I have noticed lately that my anhedonia has decreased, and I am feeling a cognitively clearer head.  This is of course very encouraging to me; in that I am experiencing progress toward feeling like my previous self.  This is the last day at 6.7 mg, prior to the next 10% drop.

[LarryS]

Today, June 1, 2021, I am dropping down to 6.0 mg venlafaxine.  I have stayed at the previous dose for four weeks.  My symptom numbers indicate improvement since the previous hold period.  However, the previous period had the highest total score since May 2020.  I look forward to doing this drop in dose.  I am dropping only two (2) small beads, the equivalent of 0.75 mg. My symptom score ranges from 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst possible symptom imaginable.

Anhedonia                  4.2

Insomnia                     4.7

Fatigue                        6.0

Head Pressure             4.2

Back Pain                    6.5

Neck Pain                    6.1

I am satisfied with how my slow taper is going.  I have been retired for 7 years and have learned to take each day as it unfolds.  My energy is slowly fading so I also try to rest when I feel the need to.

[Jonathan93]

Hello Larry S. I read through your tapering story with big interest. I am also tapering effexor xr and Im currently at 42 mg. Are you tapering the extended release or immediate release?

Keep up the good work!

Best wishes (from germany) 🙂

[LarryS]

Jonathan93:  I am tapering using "Extended Release" capsule, which has about 200 small beads in it.

[LarryS]

I decided to stop 5 mg Amlodepine May 24, 2021.  This is a high blood pressure reducing medication.  I believe that I kind of got myself on this medication a number of years ago, when I was experiencing some high blood pressure.  I asked my primary care doctor at that time if he could recommend something for me, and he gave me this small dose of Amlodepine.  I have been monitoring my blood pressure since stopping, and do not have similarly high blood pressure readings, which previously got me on the medication.  I figure that my current primary care doctor, who gets a blood pressure reading every time I see him, will have ample opportunity to put me back on the medication, should I need it.