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izzy403: feeling Irritable and a little depressed tapering off Effexor


izzy403

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Been on the taper process for about a month now. Was on effexor for about a month before the taper  after my citalopram completely stopped working. hated how effexor made me feel. Felt tired and emotionless on it and i no longer wanted to live. so i talked to my doctor and i told him i wanted off antidepressants completely. the process had been good. can sense my emotions returning slowly.

 

 went down from 150mg to 35 mg with barely any issues, lightheadedness here and there and only about maybe 10 brain zaps overall . But  now im down to 40 beads from the 37.5mg capsule and i feel like im starting to feel down and mildly depressed , i feel like i want to cry which is kinda weird as i haven't felt like ive wanted to cry for about 6 years. I also have a low patience tolerance for some reason unlike when i was on the meds. I get frustrated at myself very easily. i dont know if this is the person i am or if its coming from withdrawals as the last time i wasnt taking anything antidepressants was about 6 years ago.

 

Does anyone here have any first hand experience with tapering off this drug? or suffer from a similar situation as i have been experiencing? i hope this fades away even though id take this over being a emotionless zombie with no care or ambition with life what so ever

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to izzy403: feeling Irritable and a little depressed tapering off Effexor
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi izzy and welcome to SA,

 

What you are experiencing is withdrawal symptoms from reducing your drug too quickly.

 

SA recommends tapering by no more than 10% of the current dose followed by a hold of about 4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  Why taper by 10% of my dosage?


If we try and go too quickly we can experience withdrawal symptoms:  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

Q:  What made you think that citalopram had stopped working?

 

Q:  Do you have any citalopram left?

 

Once we have your drug history we will be better able to offer suggestions.

 

Please create your drug signature using the following format.   Keep it simple.  NO diagnoses or symptoms please - thank you.

  • details for last 2 years - dates, ALL drugs, doses
  • summary for older than 2 years - just years and drug/s

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature

 

 

This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

* 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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Hi Izzy,

 

Yes have had experience coming off this drug twice now. I came off way too quick on the second time around and it hasn't been much fun. There are a couple of us on here that have been through (or going through) Effexor withdrawal, you can find some introduction threads using the search. Mine is

 

Paroxatine - 2004-2006

Effexor XR 75mg 2006 - 2016 (Discontinued Feb 2016) - Withdrawal for 6 months.

Effexor XR 75mg Re-instated June 2017 (Discontinued Dec 2017)

Effexor XR 2-3 mg Re-instated March 10 2018 - 1 day (Didn't work)

Effexor XR 2mg Reinstated (Again) May 11 2018. 6 Beads

July 2018 - 0.0mg of Effexor. Zilch

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Hello friend, I have been reducing effexor for 9 months from 150mg to now about 56mg, it is not being too difficult although it is annoying and very confusing, after three years in this drug the mind does not adapt quickly to less doses, it takes time and a lot patience. Now that you are at 37.5mg I would reduce maximum 10% every month or more, maybe less than 10% if it is too annoying. Apart from the low state of mind my difficulty is the foggy mind, it is difficult to think clearly and organize ideas in the mind, to memorize is also complicated, anyway it is not extreme and I know that it is because I am going slowly, if I had gone quickly I do not want to imagine hell ... Much encouragement and if you want to talk I am available.

Mayo 2018: Venlafaxina 150 mg y toma 64mg Diciembre 2018: Venlafaxina xr 56mg 

Diciembre de 2018: Venlafaxina xr 58mg Enero de 2019: Venlafaxina xr 56mg

Febrero 2019: Venlafaxina xr 37,5 mg + 40 perlas Mayo 2019: Venlafaxina xr 37,5 mg + 7 perlas Mayo 2019: Venlafaxina xr 37,5mg

Octubre 2019: venlafaxina xr 18mg aprox.

Enero 2020: 50 perlas Febrero 2020: 40 perlasMarzo 2020: 30 perlas 

Abril 2020: 35 perlas (en crisis)

Agosto 2020: 25 perlas, 23 perlas Noviembre: 03/11/2020 26 perlas 05/11/2030 22 perlas, 22/11/2020 24 perlas.Diciembre: 40 perlas (5 días) , vuelvo a 30 perlas.

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