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Hefy: getting off Effexor


Hefy

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Hi! I have been tapering so slowly from 75 mg of Effexor since April of 2019. When I got to 37.5 I started only removing 1 bead( 1mg per my manufacture)  I got really sick. I last tapered  on February 18, 2021 and I am still suffering. I have lost 13 pounds and I can barely get out of bed. I updosed back to 37.5 4 weeks ago and last night I added 3 more beads. I researched a compound pharmacy and the cost was crazy! It’s not something I can afford each month.  I have waited in between my tapers at least 4 weeks, 6-8 if I was still having withdrawals. My question is how will I ever get off if 1 mg does this to me? I know the percentage goes up the lower I go but I’m so discouraged. I’m not sure what to do now. I have been on Effexor over 20 years, I was up to 225mg and did a fast taper in 2017 at the advice from my doctor ended up in the hospital and went back to 75. After a year and a half I started a slow 5% reduction. I thought I was doing everything right, am I stuck on it forever? Thanks !

Heffy

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Hefy: getting off Effexor
  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Hefy and welcome to SA.

 

In order to assess your situation we need to know more about how you have tapered.  That is, the dates you made the reductions and what doses in mg you took.  It sounds like you have been tapering carefully but there may have been a time/times when you made a reduction which was too large or you have gone up and down in doses.  We also need to know what other drugs and supplements, previous and current; include these in your drug signature requested below.

 

Please create your drug signature following these instructions.  We also need to know other previous and current drugs and supplements.

 

So that we will be notified, please make a post stating that you have made your signature.  Thank you.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

And no, you are not stuck on Effexor forever.  It is possible to be drug free, however it may take much longer than you would like or have expected (I can state that for myself) and you will need to patient.  Check out these:

 

Success stories: Recovery from withdrawal

 

I will give you a few more links to check out while you are waiting for a response:

 

Tips for tapering off venlafaxine (Effexor)

 

Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Much of Post #1 of this topic relates to updosing as well as reinstating:

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

This is your own Introduction topic which is the best place to 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. I have only ever been on Effexor. I’m sorry I cannot remember exactly when I got on. My doctor put me on it for menopause symptoms. But I know I have been on over 20 years. I went up to 225 mg for probably 10 years. I take omega 3s, magnesium glycinate at night, magnesium maleate in the morning. I am also on Prilosec, atorvastatin, and relaxafine( for bones) multi vitamins and sublingual b12. I tried to get off it in April 2017. My doctor dropped me 50 mg every two weeks. I dropped completely off at the end of May 2017. As a reduction I became very sick and ended up hospitalized. After 4 months I reinstated to 75mg and slowly stabilized. In April of 2019 I began a 5% reduction by removing beads with the help of an on line support group. I reduced every 4-6 weeks depending on my symptoms. On 2/18/21 I was down to 30 beads. My brand ( teva) is 1 bead = 1 mg. On the 18th I dropped to 29 beads after being at 30 beads for 4 weeks. The only thing That was different was I had received my second covid vaccine on February 4th. I did not have any side effects from the vaccine and I was only experiencing neck and shoulder pain when I dropped to 29. I was told my pain was from a bulging disc in my neck and a shoulder tear from my doctor. ( I have no idea how this happened) I had a MRI for ths diagnosis so I didn’t think it was withdrawal symptoms. My symptoms started within 2 days of the drop.

Heffy

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I forgot to add that I went back up to 37.5 on March 11 and then went up 3 more beads on 4/11. Yesterday and today ( 4/13) I have been feeling slightly better 

Heffy

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hello Hefy.  It would help a lot if you could click on the link above that ChessieCat provided for you, and create your drug signature  according to those instructions.  It would help us moderators to help you.  If it's in your signature, instead of a post, it will be automatically included in each post, and we can help you as a team.  Thank you. 

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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  • Moderator Emeritus
On 4/13/2021 at 8:55 AM, ChessieCat said:

Please create your drug signature following these instructions.  We also need to know other previous and current drugs and supplements.

 

So that we will be notified, please make a post stating that you have made your signature.  Thank you.

 

Instructions:  Withdrawal History Signature

 

Please respond to these requests.  It means that the staff do not have to read through your posts to get the information.  Thank you.

* 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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  • Administrator

Hello, @Hefy

 

We do need your signature. 

 

Now you're feeling better? You will need to stabilize again before tapering.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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Started Effexor in 2001 at 75

increased to 150 in 2010

increased to 225 in 2012

started doctors taper in April 2017, decreased to 150 mg.

two weeks later decreased to 75

two weeks after decreased to 37.5

after two weeks went to zero

September 2017 reinstated 37.5

october 2017 increased to 75 mg

began micro taper in April 2019

decreased by 5% every 4-6 weeks

February 2021 reduced to 29 mg

March 2021 increased to 37.5 due to unmanageable withdrawals.

3/11 increased to 40 mg

April 2021 slowly stabilizing 

I have never been on any other antidepressants or mood altering drugs.

Heffy

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  • Administrator

Please put that information in your signature. Instructions are here Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

All postings © copyrighted.

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I’m sorry , I don’t understand what I’m supposed to do. I only have an I pad, I’m not sure what to do in my signature?

Heffy

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Do you know how to copy and paste?  These instructions are for an apple iPad.  Go to your prior post with your drug history.  Tap and hold your finger on the screen over the text section for a few seconds. You should see an area hilighted in blue.  Put your finger on the top blue dot, and keeping finger on the iPad screen move it to the beginning of the section of text.  Do the same for the second blue dot, and move that to the end of the section of text.   It should give you a list of options.  Selec "copy".  

 

Now, click on this link: 

 

Create Your Signature in "Account Settings".

 

You should see an empty box there.  Touch and hold your finger on the iPad screen inside the box for a few seconds.  You should see several options.  Select "paste".  Then hit save.  Done. 

Please do not private message me.  Only tag me for urgent questions about tapering and reinstating - thank you.  

 

***Please note this is not medical advice.  Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a doctor who understands psych meds and how to withdraw from them, if you can find one.

 

Lexapro   Started Apr 15 2010 - 10 mg;  started taper August 2017, recent taper info: Apr 2 '20  0.18 mg; Jul 16  0.17 mg, Aug 23  0.16 mg, Oct 7  0.15 mg, Nov 8 - 0.14, Jan 16 '21 - 0.13, Feb 7 - 0.12, Feb 22 - 0.11, Mar 26 - 0.10, May 21 - 0.09, June 15 - 0.08 Aug 16 - 0.07, Oct 6 - 0.06, Nov 21 0.05, Dec. 17 0.04, Jan 14 '22 0.03, Feb 19 0.02, Apr 18 0.01, May 15 0.005,  Jul 8, 0.00.  Psych Drug Free as of July 8, 2022!!  Woohoo!!!

other meds: Levothyroxine 75 mg

magnesium in small amounts at 4 AM, before bed

suppl AM: fish oil, flax oil, vit C, vit E, multivitamin, zinc

suppl 8 PM: magnesium 350 mg, extended release vitamin C, melatonin 2 mg

 

Paxil 2002 - 2010, switched to Lexapro 2010 

Trazodone 50 mg. 2002 - 2019, fast tapered in 2019 

Xanax 0.5 mg as needed 2002 - 2019, up to 3x weekly 

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