DogLover: Effexor 12 months in

[cathnz]

On 10/4/2019 at 4:28 PM, DogLover said:

Update: After a harrowing 9 months I am doing great. 

 

Background: Around June 15th, 2018 I started tapering Effexor and went completely bonkers by the following February. (I went from 150 mg to about 10 mg WAY too fast.) February, March, April and May of 2019 were hell. I went from running a successful business to being unable to write checks, talk on the phone and accomplish anything. I was an embarrassing hysterical wreck. 

 

The Change: Due to data I was able to see from a spreadsheet that another user had posted I decided to updose and level off. Being mostly paranoid about everything, I was afraid to updose and further aggravate symptoms, but at that time decided to increase my dosage by one-three beads of Effexor (.6mg) per day. Seeing quick improvement, I stopped after reaching 90bbs by June. 

 

The difference: At 90bbs I leveled off and was doing OK. Not good, but OK. I still had anxiety and depression, but could function at a half hearted way. In my studies I came across 3 things I'm convinced made my life completely different. 

 

1. Mensah/Walsh protocol: After dumping $400ish dollars on a test from the Mensah Institute I was told I had pyrrole disorder and undermethylation. They proscribed me the following supplements: B6, VC, SAMe, Methionine, Zinc, Calcium and Magnesium. 

2. After reading the Mood Cure I added tyrosine, and 5HTP 

3. After taking an Organic Acids Test I started taking Biocidin (a cindida fighting blend), a GI detox, CoQ10 and L-Carnitine.

 

I started #1 and #2 at the same time and felt an amazing lift of my sinking depression that had plagued me from childhood. It took about two weeks for symptoms to begin to lift, but after about a month I no longer felt the horrible. I didn't feel great, but I no longer felt life was not worth living. 

 

I also came across the Organic Acids Test and decided to shell out another $350 to take it. The results came back positive for candida, mold, lack of vitamin C and a problem with fatty acid oxidation (not sure what this is all about). About two weeks after starting the supplements to treat these (#3), the inner anxiety and anxiousness began to fade. After about a month or more, I can say for the first time EVER I feel like doing stuff, getting up in the morning, talking to people and just living. 

 

I'm still taking and tapering Effexor, but I'm doing it slowly with the 10% per month solution. I'm at 58 bbs (34.8mg/day). 

 

Placebo Affect: After trying just about everything to treat my depression over decades, I became jaded. You name it I tried it: Career change, girlfriend changes, Meds, therapy, yoga, meditation, diet, exercise and on and on. I always felt tearfull, tired and negative. I honestly didn't think the supplements would work, but after months changes happened. From what I know about myself, blacebos work right away. You take a pill and the next day you feel great and that feeling lasts a few days until you can no longer convince yourself you are doing better. The changes I feel are not like that. They didn't start until weeks after taking supplements. I'm still not 100%, but I'm getting close!!!

 

God love you all and good luck.

 @DogLover  after years of substandard success with ssris I'm about to start a similar protocol, with the hopes that I can improve my deep depression and anxiety enough to get stable and one day taper. May I ask how you're doing these days?