Melcar: tapering off Effexor

[Melcar]

Drug from topic title:  Effexor

 

I’m a mess....   I think I tapered too fast.   My mood swings, temperament, and emotions are all over the place.   I quit my job... don’t have a new one...doing irrational things.... trying CBD oil, SunSoil, meditation but not consistent enough!   I’ve got a full plate at home too... the stress is making things worse.   Trying to find a good therapist in the area.   Are these symptoms normal???

 

Edited March 1, 2019 by ChessieCat
deitalised font/added drug name

[ChessieCat]

Hi Melcar and welcome to SA,

 

It definitely sounds like you may have tapered too fast.  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?

 

When the drug is taken away too quickly we can get withdrawal symptoms:  Dr Joseph Glenmullen's Withdrawal Symptoms

 

It will depend on when you last took your drug whether reinstatement is an option.  Please read Post #1 of this topic, 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms, and let us know if you would like to try reinstating.  We can suggest a dose once we have the information about your drug history.  If it has been more than 1 week since you stopped taking your drug, our suggested reinstatement dose will generally be less than the dose you were last taking.  It is better to start with a small amount and increase if needed, than to risk taking too much.  Taking too much might make things worse.

 

This topic explains how to get the dose you need:  Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

 

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

 

 

I will provide some more information in the next post.  This is your own introductions topic where your can ask questions about your own situation and journal your progress.

 

Edited March 1, 2019 by ChessieCat
change link to Effexor tips topic

[ChessieCat]

Here's some additional information which might help you to understand what is happening:

 

Recovery isn't linear it happens in a Windows and Waves Pattern

 

Withdrawal Normal Description

When we take a psychiatric drug, we are adding chemical/s to the brain.  The brain then has to change to adapt to getting the chemical/s.  It might have to change something to do with A and then once that change has been made it affects B so another change has to be made and so on down the line.  It is a chain reaction, a domino effect.

 

The same thing happens when we take the drug away.  That's why it's possible to experience such a vast array of withdrawal symptoms, and they can change, and be of different intensity.

 

are-we-there-yet-how-long-is-withdrawal-going-to-take

 

These explain it really well:

 

Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

 

On 8/31/2011 at 5:28 AM, Rhiannon said:

When we stop taking the drug, we have a brain that has designed itself so that it works in the presence of the drug; now it can't work properly without the drug because it's designed itself so that the drug is part of its chemistry and structure. It's like a plant that has grown on a trellis; you can't just yank out the trellis and expect the plant to be okay. When the drug is removed, the remodeling process has to take place in reverse. SO--it's not a matter of just getting the drug out of your system and moving on. If it were that simple, none of us would be here. It's a matter of, as I describe it, having to grow a new brain. I believe this growing-a-new-brain happens throughout the taper process if the taper is slow enough. (If it's too fast, then there's not a lot of time for actually rebalancing things, and basically the brain is just pedaling fast trying to keep us alive.) It also continues to happen, probably for longer than the symptoms actually last, throughout the time of recovery after we are completely off the drug, which is why recovery takes so long.

 

AND

 

On 12/4/2015 at 2:41 AM, apace41 said:

Basically- you have a building where the MAJOR steel structures are trying to be rebuilt at different times - ALL while people are coming and going in the building and attempting to work.

It would be like if the World Trade Center Towers hadn't completely fallen - but had crumbled inside in different places.. Imagine if you were trying to rebuild the tower - WHILE people were coming and going and trying to work in the building!  You'd have to set up a temporary elevator - but when you needed to fix part of that area, you'd have to tear down that elevator and set up a temporary elevator somewhere else. And so on. You'd have to build, work around, then tear down, then build again, then work around, then build... ALL while people are coming and going, ALL while the furniture is being replaced, ALL while the walls are getting repainted... ALL while life is going on INSIDE the building. No doubt it would be chaotic. That is EXACTLY what is happening with windows and waves.  The windows are where the body has "got it right" for a day or so - but then the building shifts and the brain works on something else - and it's chaos again while another temporary pathway is set up to reroute function until repairs are made.  

 

[JackieDecides]

10 hours ago, Melcar said:

My mood swings, temperament, and emotions are all over the place.   I quit my job... don’t have a new one...doing irrational things

[JackieDecides]

It's hard to hold a job when in withdrawal 😟

 

You have a lot to do but take it one step at a time, start with the things chessie cat asked you to do.

 

This is a great site but it takes some getting used to.

 

[Carmie]

Hi Melcar, 

 

I wanted to welcome you to SA too. Yes, your symptoms certainly sound like withdrawals. Withdrawals can affect us physically and emotionally. 

 

Could you please put in your drug signature so that we can see how long you have been on Effexor and how quick you tapered. Thank you. Please read the links that ChessieCat gave you too. There may be a chance that a small reinstatement might help, but we need a bit more information. It doesn’t always help, and occasionally it can make things worse, but it has helped a lot of people. It is up to you though whether you want to try it. If you do you would only go on a tiny amount to start. Please read the link on reinstatement above. 

 

I’m really sorry you are in this predicament. Everyone on this site is going through withdrawals, or has been through withdrawals. We all heal eventually, but it can be a long road. We have to find the best coping strategies that help us personally while going through this. I’ve always found distractions are my best coping skill. I have a million different distractions I can occupy myself with depending on how I’m feeling. 

 

Wishing you all the best in your healing journey 💚