Owen: Venlafaxine 300mg

[Owen4220]

Hi to everyone. My name is Owen and I'm from the UK. I'm looking at possibly tapering off my medication. I've been on Venlafaxine (Effexor) for about 17 years, since I was 30, Prozac before that.

The thing is I feel as bad as ever right now, so clearly the medication isn't helping. But is it actually making me worse? That's what I don't know. Is it possible I could go through years of tapering only to feel just as bad.

So I'm just throwing that out there to see what people think.

All the best

 

Owen

[Shep]

Hi, Owen.

 

Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants. 

 

Yes, it's likely the drug is making you worse. Please see:

 

Now Antidepressant-Induced Chronic Depression Has a Name: Tardive Dysphoria

 

But with a careful taper and learning so non-drug coping skills, you can come off this drug and feel a lot better. 

 

Here is some information on withdrawal to get you started: 

 

Tips for tapering off venlafaxine (Effexor)

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

How psychiatric drugs remodel your brain

 

Healing from antidepressants. Patterns of recovery video (4 minutes)

 

The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

 

 

You may find some helpful information to handle your symptoms here: 

 

Non-drug techniques to cope with emotional symptoms

 

 

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