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Bego82: withdrawal hell and best wishes to all


Bego82

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Hi @Bego82

 

Well done on starting the tapering, but sorry you're having a few symptoms.

 

I have only done 2 x 10% drops on my taper so far so this is all still new to me too.

I will be starting 2.5% drops as per the Brassmonkey slide method at the end of this month. My 10% drops haven't been too bad (although hard to ignore at times) but I am hoping to minimise them further by making smaller cuts.

 

I hope someone more experienced can chime in with any suggestions as I have also been wondering how people know whether still to continue dropping weekly, or stick with the drop another week.  

 

I hope your symptoms subside soon x

Sertraline (Lustral):  2014. Sept 50mg. Oct 100mg. Dec 150mg. 2015-2019. 150mg. 2019  Apr-May 0mg. Beg May 150mg. End May 100mg. Late June 125mg. Late Aug 100mg. 2020 Jan 75mg. April 50mg.

2022  50mg. 1Jan 45mg. 1Feb 40.5mg. Water T24Feb 39.5mg. 3Mar 38.5mg. 18Mar 38mg. 25Mar 37.5mg. 22Apr 37mg. 5May 36.5mg. 18May 36mg. 1Jun 35.3mg. 15Jun 34.5mg.  30Jun 34mg. 15Jul 33.5mg. 22Jul 33mg. 5Aug 32.5mg. 19Aug 32mg. 1Sept 31.5mg. 1Oct 31mg.  27 Oct 30.5. 16 Nov 30mg. 30 Nov 29.5mg. 14 Dec 29mg

2023. 2 Jan 28.5mg. 6 Feb 28mg. 10 Mar 27.5mg. 1 Apr 26.5mg. 1 May 26mg. 1 Jun 25.5mg. 1 Jul 25mg. 1 Aug 24.5mg. 17 Aug 24mg. 5 Sept 23.5mg. 9 Oct 23mg.

 

Desogestrel:  2014 -  present:  

Supplements Magnesium. 400mcg  Vitamin D. 10mcg.  Multivit/min. 1 tab. B Complex

 

Certirizine:   2022 May 10mg. Dec 20mg. 2023. 15mg.

 Omeprazole.:  2016 20mg. 2022  20mg.  15Jan 15mg. 9Feb 10mg. 25Feb 6.5mg. 15Mar 3mg. 3Apr 1.5mg.  15Apr 0mg   2023. 20mg. 15 Sept 15mg.

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Dear @Kiasofia,

I am about to reduce the dose of Mirtrazapine a little bit more, and I was wondering whether to stabilise on the dose that I’m already in or going for a further 2.5% reduction… I’ve been experiencing some anxiety and mad palpitations as I wake up since my first reduction, so I’m unsure about what to do… it’s gotten slowly better every day but I’m scared that the new reduction is going to be too much, and the withdrawal symptoms from the Venlafaxine are going to come back…


As my symptoms are exactly the same that I used to have before starting the Mirtrazapine (which is why I started taking it on the first place) but with less intensity, I’m guessing that the reduction is unmasking the withdrawal from the SNRI…

 

I’m sorry for taking your time but I’m a little bit between a rock and a hard place, wanting to withdraw from this drug but without affecting my current stability that’s so delicate and has taken so long to achieve…

 

Please forgive me if I don’t express myself too clearly, I’m always squeezing my brains to make it shorter but English is not my first language.


How are your palpitations? I hope that they’re going away and that you’re feeling a bit better.


Thank you x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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Never would have guessed English was not your first language!

 

My palpatations are the worst when I awake (early morning cortisol spike) and then throughout the day I get a tightness in my heart. I'm steel feeling very off and out of it. Feels like my last withdrawal episodes and so it may take a long time to clear up...but will continue to hope for the best.

 

If your worried about reducing then give it more time before the next cut. I understand the dilemma and fear all too well.

 

Have you connected with any others who are tapering mirtazapine? (Faure, Bestill and Slowphie are ones I've seen recently) There is also a Facebook group. I have mixed feelings about being a part of a Facebook group. The advice can be very random. But it can give some insight into exactly how people are tapering and reacting to your specific medication. 

These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I have learned, not medical advice.

 

Drug history

2002-2019 Citalopram/Escitalopram, Lamictal
2019 April Escitalopram, quit at 10mg (withdrawal), Oct Escitalopram 10mg reinstated, quit after a few days (adverse reaction)

2019 Oct Lamictal cut from 200mg to 100mg
2019 Dec Lithium 83x2 mg

2020 Aug-Nov Lamictal tapered to 50 mg

2020 Nov 24 Lithium taper started, 30 Jan off Lithium

2021 15. March-31. May Lamictal tapered to 32.5 mg (holding)

2022 10. Jan started taking 25mg+5mg+2mg+0.5 liquid, 22. Jan went back to taking 25mg+5mg+half 5mg

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Oh thank you, I live in the U.K. but I’m Spanish.

I’m sorry that you’re still suffering from them @Kiasofia. You can try the holy basil in the mornings as it lowers cortisol… It will make you sleepy at its worst but not for too long. If it’s not potent enough I’ve also tried something called Seriphos (phosphorylated serine) that actually gets you to sleep through the morning cortisol spike if you take it right before bed without making you sleepy... It is truly amazing and the only natural remedy that I’ve found that lowers cortisol along with the holy basil but stronger. The problem with this one is that first, it slows adrenal function after a month so you have to stop taking it for a couple of days after 28 days or so and second, you can only find it in online shops from the U.S. But I can send you some if you don’t live there and want to sample first, it’s no hassle. 
 

I haven’t contacted anyone else in the forum no. My issue is mainly with my previous SNRI-withdrawal symptoms that have been masked by the Mirtrazapine so far and might start causing me struggles as I taper off the Mirtrazapine (which they have by reducing only 0.75mg!). And I am terrified of what might happen if both withdrawals overlap 😰, so I really don’t know who to ask as my situation is very unique as I might be at risk of suffering serious complex withdrawal issues if I don’t tread very carefully.

 

 

Many thanks

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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Hi @Blossom71

 

I am new on this as well but I guess that switching to Brassmonkey’s slide is wise if you’re experiencing symptoms, I’ve learnt the hard way that caution is key.

 

As I was just telling @Kiasofia, who has been kindly advising me all along, the symptoms that I’ve been experiencing so far with just a 2.5% drop are very unlikely to be related to the Mirtrazapine withdrawal. You see, I started taking the current antidepressant just to help me smoothing a horrible withdrawal syndrome that I was already experiencing from stopping an SNRI too abruptly. I could no longer withstand it as it was putting my life in danger, so I started taking the drug that I’m currently trying to reduce.

 

As you see I’m in a different situation than you so I’m hoping that your withdrawal will be much easier, or at least more straightforward than mine… 

 

I hope that your symptoms have subsided x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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Ah @Bego82yes, a very different situation so I understand now why you have to tread much more carefully.
I so hope you get the help you need as it’s an awful situation for you to be in. My heart goes out to you x

Sertraline (Lustral):  2014. Sept 50mg. Oct 100mg. Dec 150mg. 2015-2019. 150mg. 2019  Apr-May 0mg. Beg May 150mg. End May 100mg. Late June 125mg. Late Aug 100mg. 2020 Jan 75mg. April 50mg.

2022  50mg. 1Jan 45mg. 1Feb 40.5mg. Water T24Feb 39.5mg. 3Mar 38.5mg. 18Mar 38mg. 25Mar 37.5mg. 22Apr 37mg. 5May 36.5mg. 18May 36mg. 1Jun 35.3mg. 15Jun 34.5mg.  30Jun 34mg. 15Jul 33.5mg. 22Jul 33mg. 5Aug 32.5mg. 19Aug 32mg. 1Sept 31.5mg. 1Oct 31mg.  27 Oct 30.5. 16 Nov 30mg. 30 Nov 29.5mg. 14 Dec 29mg

2023. 2 Jan 28.5mg. 6 Feb 28mg. 10 Mar 27.5mg. 1 Apr 26.5mg. 1 May 26mg. 1 Jun 25.5mg. 1 Jul 25mg. 1 Aug 24.5mg. 17 Aug 24mg. 5 Sept 23.5mg. 9 Oct 23mg.

 

Desogestrel:  2014 -  present:  

Supplements Magnesium. 400mcg  Vitamin D. 10mcg.  Multivit/min. 1 tab. B Complex

 

Certirizine:   2022 May 10mg. Dec 20mg. 2023. 15mg.

 Omeprazole.:  2016 20mg. 2022  20mg.  15Jan 15mg. 9Feb 10mg. 25Feb 6.5mg. 15Mar 3mg. 3Apr 1.5mg.  15Apr 0mg   2023. 20mg. 15 Sept 15mg.

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Hi @Kiasofia

 

I’ve been reading your story, hoping you don’t mind me, and I’ve found it so astonishingly similar to my own… the difference is that I started at 15 instead (I am slightly older) and that I had lots of different antidepressants instead of CBT and Lithium (I was also wrongly diagnosed but my mother was too proud as she herself is a doctor). I didn’t have much help, it was my own mother who put me on these medications at such an early age so I had none else to turn to as my father passed away… I now think that I’ve spent all my youth suffering intermittently from withdrawal while being gaslighted into thinking that I was the problem! Pretty brutal our experiences.

 

You’re lucky you got support from a humble psychiatrist, what a rarity! And I hope that your poor brain has fully recovered.
I’ve also seen that your tapering journey is quite recent, so hang in there, you’ve almost done it…

 

Bests x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment

Dear @Blossom71

 

Thank you for your kind words, I truly hope that we can find the much needed answers to our questions. How have you been feeling lately? I will visit your profile now and then to see how you’re doing on your own tapering journey. 
 

I send you my warmest thoughts x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment

Hey @Bego82 I was just reading your story. I’m so sorry you’re going through this. Venlafaxine is known for causing brutal withdrawals, and that reduction was so fast. I’m so sorry you’re in this situation thanks to poorly informed doctors. I guess most of us are. 😞

 

I‘m obviously not a mod, but I personally wouldn’t continue tapering Mirtazapine if you still feel like you have a lot of symptoms from the Venla withdrawal. I came off a benzo myself… ‍😩 and I started tapering Mirta using the brassmonkey slide method, when most of my benzo withdrawal symptoms had faded - I keep notes everyday. I have a feeling Mirtazapine is also strongly negatively impacting my vision, so as a designer, I felt a bit desperate to start gradually reducing the dose of this drug. I was pretty nervous about it, but so far… I mostly feel a steady state of crappy. 
 

Have you ever heard of Chris Paige? He’s a trauma therapist who went through horrible withdrawal from Klonopin and was put on 4 drugs in detox - Gabapentin, Hydroxyzine, Mirtazapine and Quetiapine. He managed to drop Gabap  and Hydro pretty quickly, but remained on Mirt and Quet for several years before slowly beginning to reduce them. I’d highly recommend reading his story, it gave me a lot of hope. His case very very extreme, but he still healed while holding two other drugs, and is very slowly tapering them off now. 

2015-16 - Desvenlafaxine 35.7mg for 10 months, rapid taper without incident.

September 2021 - December 2021 Lorazepam peak 2.5mg, jumped from 0.25mg

October ‘21 - November ‘21 - Milnacipran up to 100mg for 3 weeks, rapid tapered off in one week at my insistence, horrible side efffects on medication, including two days of Akathisia. 
 

November 2nd - November 12th ‘21 - 7.5mg Mirtazapine 

November 13th ‘21 - February 8th ‘22  - Mirtazapine 15mg

2022: 07/02 - 14.7mg 14/02 - 14.33mg 21/02 - 13.97mg 28/02 - 13.63mg 07/03 - 13.29mg 14/03 - 12.96mg 21/03 - 12.64mg 28/03 - 12.3mg 04/04 - 11.99mg 11/04 - 11.63mg 18/04 - 11.28mg 25/04 - 10.94mg 16/05 - 9.98mg 30/05 - 9.09mg 13/06 - 8.82mg 27/06 - 8.3mg 03/07 - 8.05mg 18/07 - 7.5mg 12/08 - 6.75mg 16/10 - 4.85mg 05/12 - 3.5mg // 2023: 02/01 - 2.94mg

// 2024: 12/02 - 0.98mg
Supplements: Magnesium glycinate, Omega-3, Zinc, Lysine, Vitamin D, NAC, Probiotics, Grapeseed extract, Phosphatidylserine 

 

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12 hours ago, Bego82 said:

How have you been feeling lately?

I’m doing pretty good overall. Thanks for asking@Bego82. I’m 3 weeks into my last 10% drop and my symptoms have levelled off so fingers crossed I can do my next one on 1st March

 

Sertraline (Lustral):  2014. Sept 50mg. Oct 100mg. Dec 150mg. 2015-2019. 150mg. 2019  Apr-May 0mg. Beg May 150mg. End May 100mg. Late June 125mg. Late Aug 100mg. 2020 Jan 75mg. April 50mg.

2022  50mg. 1Jan 45mg. 1Feb 40.5mg. Water T24Feb 39.5mg. 3Mar 38.5mg. 18Mar 38mg. 25Mar 37.5mg. 22Apr 37mg. 5May 36.5mg. 18May 36mg. 1Jun 35.3mg. 15Jun 34.5mg.  30Jun 34mg. 15Jul 33.5mg. 22Jul 33mg. 5Aug 32.5mg. 19Aug 32mg. 1Sept 31.5mg. 1Oct 31mg.  27 Oct 30.5. 16 Nov 30mg. 30 Nov 29.5mg. 14 Dec 29mg

2023. 2 Jan 28.5mg. 6 Feb 28mg. 10 Mar 27.5mg. 1 Apr 26.5mg. 1 May 26mg. 1 Jun 25.5mg. 1 Jul 25mg. 1 Aug 24.5mg. 17 Aug 24mg. 5 Sept 23.5mg. 9 Oct 23mg.

 

Desogestrel:  2014 -  present:  

Supplements Magnesium. 400mcg  Vitamin D. 10mcg.  Multivit/min. 1 tab. B Complex

 

Certirizine:   2022 May 10mg. Dec 20mg. 2023. 15mg.

 Omeprazole.:  2016 20mg. 2022  20mg.  15Jan 15mg. 9Feb 10mg. 25Feb 6.5mg. 15Mar 3mg. 3Apr 1.5mg.  15Apr 0mg   2023. 20mg. 15 Sept 15mg.

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  • 3 weeks later...

Dear @slowphie thank you br getting in touch. Sorry for my late response but I’ve been pretty desperate since I started reducing the Mirtrazapine, the same horrible effects that I had from the Venlafaxine withdrawal have come back and I am in a terrible shape, this is being brutal… I had only reduced 2.5% (0.75 mg) and I am like this, I don’t know what I’m going to do… I wanted to reduce the Mirtrazapine because ive got migraines and circulation problems that gets worse with it, and it also makes me a bit mental and strange…
I am reinstating the normal dose again tonight, 30 mg hoping this extreme depression will subside because I can’t continue like this. I can’t live like this it’s been a year now and I’m still so extremely depressed and anxious and desperate.

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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Same withdrawal symptoms after a year of stopping Venlafaxine. Please help

 

Dear experienced members of this forum,

 

I wonder if I could kindly use your help to guiding me a little, hoping I won’t be taking too much of your time…

 

I withdrew from Venlafaxine a year ago and I’m still having the same symptoms.
They’re partially disguised by the Mirtrazapine that I’ve been taking over the past few months, thankfully, but they’re still there. The depression is massive, and also the palpitations and the fear and the anxiety which I barely keep under control with GABA, L-taurine and L-Theanine all together and I’m desperate, especially in the afternoons after the time that I used to take the Venlafaxine…

I recently tried to reduce the Mirtrazapine for a number of reasons. I reduced only a 2.5% and it was almost as if I had reduced half of the dose or more, the awful Venlafaxine withdrawal symptoms crept back up almost as strong as the first day, so after two weeks of trying to cope with it I had to reinstate the normal dose back again.


I wonder whether this is the right course of action or not and also if the symptoms will subside at some point… The Mirtrazapine is helping me a lot, but it’s still tough and now I am stuck with another antidepressant medication (on top of my horrible withdrawal) which I don’t even know whether it may be harming my delicate nerves even further…

 

I was seeing a psychiatrist (talking to her on the phone), the one that prescribed me the Mirtrazapine, but in our last consultation she was adamant that it couldn’t be withdrawal, that after so long it must be depression and panic disorder, so I can’t trust her anymore obviously as I’ve been in this forum long enough to know better and I know myself well enough to know that this is actually withdrawal.

She also suggested taking the Venlafaxine again and prescribed it in an 18mg dose or so, but I decided not to take it following this forum’s advice as it had been a while since I stopped it and it was nasty anyway… It lifted my mood which is tempting but at a very high price… At least at a 225mg dose.
 

But after a year of withdrawal hell I wonder whether my brain will be able to heal “on its own”, if it will stop giving me such a hard time for not being taking Venlafaxine anymore. Maybe it’s not capable of it, I withdrew quite fast (following doctor’s advice) from 225mg to nothing in just 5 weeks after years and years of taking it and maybe it just can’t… So I’ve found myself considering whether it would be a good idea to take it again as I’m so exhausted and hopeless…


I just don’t know what to do. Doctors only make things worse, the last one I saw got me hooked on propranolol until I could barely walk and then didn’t want to help me tapering off it when I told her it was giving me mad palpitations, and just because they think they know better... I’ve been and I am so desperate and so alone and so in the dark about this…

 

Thank you in advanced

 

Edited by ChessieCat
added Intro topic title before merging with intro topic

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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  • Moderator Emeritus

2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

 

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


Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist

 

Tips for tapering off fluoxetine (Prozac)

 

Stability

 

WDnormal

 

And Brassmonkey talks more about it here:

 

tao-of-the-brassmonkey

 

* 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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  • 3 weeks later...

I am considering reinstating the Venlafaxine after one year of going through this... I don’t feel that I can do this anymore, I don’t want to give up on my life but I don’t want to make things even worse by taking it…


Is it a very bad idea? Are there any cases of success at reinstating Venlafaxine after such a long time, or is it more like the opposite and people do get worse?

 

I’m seeing a psychiatrist on Monday and I don’t know what to tell her. She advised me to reinstate Venlafaxine a while ago but I didn’t. Now she’s probably going to ask me again. 
I am beyond desperate between a rock and a hard place. Between going on like this with my life at risk or taking Venlafaxine and putting my sanity at risk or making things even worse mood-wise…

 

I just want to find a place where living is not pure agony.

 

Many thanks.

 

 

 

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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On 9/3/2021 at 9:13 PM, brassmonkey said:

We can lose many friends in the process, but because we lost them it proves that they were not that important

 


I’ve been reading through a lot of what you’ve written and I’ve found so much solace in your words… thank you. Honestly.
 

May I ask you what would you’ve done if a small dose reduction just wouldn’t stabilise? I barely removed 1mg (2.5%) out of 30 of Mirtrazapine but I had to reinstate the full dose again as I wouldn’t WDnormalise after 4 weeks or so…

 

I hope that you’re feeling well.

 

B x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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  • Moderator

@Bego82-- There is a reason that the baseline taper we recommend is for a minimum of four weeks between reductions. Because it takes that long for a basic reduction to start to stabilize. Many people find that it can take even longer. I personally recommend 6 weeks, but we have members who frequently take 8 or more weeks to stabilize after a reduction.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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On 4/2/2022 at 8:46 PM, brassmonkey said:

@Bego82-- There is a reason that the baseline taper we recommend is for a minimum of four weeks between reductions. Because it takes that long for a basic reduction to start to stabilize. Many people find that it can take even longer. I personally recommend 6 weeks, but we have members who frequently take 8 or more weeks to stabilize after a reduction.


I’m sorry I’m confused. I thought that your method was reducing 2.5% every week and then 2 of stabilisation, not reducing 2.5% every 4 weeks? 
 

I reduced 2.5% and reinstated the full dose shortly after because I couldn’t handle it, but I was planning on reducing that same amount every week for four weeks and then two of stabilisation… At least that’s what I thought the slide method was.

I certainly couldn’t handle that for 3 years, which is how long would it take me to reduce 30mg of Mirtrazapine at 2.5% every four weeks. 

 

B x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment
  • Moderator
11 hours ago, Bego82 said:

I’m sorry I’m confused. I thought that your method was reducing 2.5% every week and then 2 of stabilisation, not reducing 2.5% every 4 weeks? 


His method is essentially that, yeah.  

By "baseline method" he's referring to the common 10%/mo rule.

I am not a health professional - your actions are your own.  

Please do not seek tapering support via private message - "Any reason to hold is a good one"

My taper visualised as a graph   |   My intro thread

Backdrop:  2003 10mg olanzapine | 2004 2-3mg risperidone | end 2014 3wks aripiprazole

2015: olanzapine  10 -> 7½ -> 6⅔ -> 5mg  by crude pill cutter

2018:  Mar 5.00mg -> water titrated taper -> Aug2.5mg tablet and hold

Jan 2019 2.50mg water titration -> Jan 2020 1.214  -> Jan 2021 0.44 -> 2 Oct 0.205 ->3 Oct ZERO🥂

Jun 2023 💉150mg paliperidone "loading" depot shot, 100mg 1wk after Jul 100mg Aug-Dec 75mg/4wks

Jul 2023 2.50mg aripiprazole/day attempt to lower prolactin^

Jan-Feb 2024 cross taper off shots to 1mg risperidone

 

Ask not what you can do for your country, but what your country did to you"  -- KMFDM

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  • Moderator

Thanks Hayduke,

 

The baseline taper we have established is 10% of the previous dose every four weeks. Going any faster or larger than that will cause problems. It is the starting point we give everyone and then modify from there.

 

When it comes down to it, the Brassmonkey Slide Method is the same thing stretched over six weeks. Four weeks reducing at 2.5% a week and an additional 2 week hold to let things stabilize. From there some people make modifications by doing smaller reductions and/or adding longer hold times. So, it sounds like you are doing it right. 

 

Having WD symptoms is part and parcel of tapering. They are going to happen with every reduction. The Brassmonkey Slide was developed to reduce those symptoms to a more manageable level by spreading the reductions out over several weeks instead of doing it all at once. A person still gets symptoms, but not nearly at the level of doing the reduction all at once.

 

The severity of those symptoms is totally an individual thing. There are so many factors involved it is impossible to predict how any one reduction will behave. From reading you signature it would appear that your body is quite sensitive and still rather unstable from the CT you did in March 2021. Venlafaxine is one of the hardest drugs to taper that we work with. Having CTed it has left your body in a highly sensitive state, then add in the various additional drugs and dose changes over the last year and you body is crying out for stability. That means that you will probably experience fairly strong symptoms with any reduction.

 

My suggestion would be to stay put at the 30mg for at least six months to let things stabilize. Once you are stable then you can start your reductions.  Being stable at the start should help reduce the symptom load for the entire taper and the symptoms will decrease the lower your dose goes. It is going to take a long time, but it shouldn't all be suffering.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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  • 3 months later...
On 4/7/2022 at 8:13 PM, brassmonkey said:

 

My suggestion would be to stay put at the 30mg for at least six months to let things stabilize. Once you are stable then you can start your reductions.  Being stable at the start should help reduce the symptom load for the entire taper and the symptoms will decrease the lower your dose goes. It is going to take a long time, but it shouldn't all be suffering

Dear Brassmonkey I’ve just seen your reply and wanted to thank you for your fabulous input, I can’t express you how helpful it is.

 

I will hold on to the 30mg for another 3 months to stabilise a little bit more then.
I still have tough withdrawal symptoms from the Venlafaxine withdrawal in the mornings (after a year and a half!), should I wait until they fully disappear to start withdrawing from Mirtrazapine?
As this can take years…
 

I just don’t know how to tell whether my body is stable for tapering or not but I don’t want to compromise it by withdrawing too early again either. It’s just that I want to be free of drugs, and the Mirtrazapine is numbing me up while making me aggressive 😔 don’t like it.

 

Also, do you know if dose changes from aminoacids and other supplements may affect stability? I’ve changed the dose of my 5HTP, L-Theanine, L-Taurine and also from Lithium Orotate and Valerian quite a lot. 

 

Many many thanks and I hope that your upcoming eye appointment goes really well,

 

B x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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  • Moderator

I am answering the questions you asked on my intro thread here so you can have a better record.

 

"I will hold on to the 30mg for another 3 months to stabilise a little bit more then.
I still have tough withdrawal symptoms from the Venlafaxine withdrawal in the mornings (after a year and a half!), should I wait until they fully disappear to start withdrawing from Mirtrazapine?
As this can take years…

 

As you pointed out, this could take years. No, you don't have to wait for the symptoms to disappear, but rather to stabilize. Thei would mean their being consistent day to day with no big swings up or down.

 

 

Also, do you know if dose changes from aminoacids and other supplements may affect stability? I’ve changed the dose of my 5HTP, L-Theanine, L-Taurine and also from Lithium Orotate and Valerian quite a lot. 

 

Every one of those supplements is psychoactive and needs to be taken in a consistent manner. When it comes time to stop taking them, they will need some sort of taper.

 

 

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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  • Moderator

@Bego82  I posted my answers on you intro thread so you will have them in a more available place.

20 years on Paxil starting at 20mg and working up to 40mg. Sept 2011 started 10% every 6 weeks taper (2.5% every week for 4 weeks then hold for 2 additional weeks), currently at 7.9mg. Oct 2011 CTed 15oz vodka a night, to only drinking 2 beers most nights, totally sober Feb 2013.

Since I wrote this I have continued to decrease my dose by 10% every 6 weeks (2.5% every week for 4 weeks and then hold for an additional 2 weeks). I added in an extra 6 week hold when I hit 10mg to let things settle out even more. When I hit 3mgpw it became hard to split the drop into 4 parts so I switched to dropping 1mgpw (pill weight) every week for 3 weeks and then holding for another 3 weeks.  The 3 + 3 schedule turned out to be too harsh so I cut back to dropping 1mgpw every 4 weeks which is working better.

Final Dose 0.016mg.     Current dose 0.000mg 04-15-2017

 

"It's also important not to become angry, no matter how difficult life is, because you can loose all hope if you can't laugh at yourself and at life in general."  Stephen Hawking

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  • 3 weeks later...
On 7/29/2022 at 7:17 PM, brassmonkey said:

@Bego82  I posted my answers on you intro thread so you will have them in a more available place.

Thank you x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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  • ChessieCat changed the title to Bego82: withdrawal hell and best wishes to all
  • Moderator Emeritus

I've moved the conversation from Brassmonkey's success story.  This keeps Brassmonkey's topic about himself and also keeps you history in one place.

* 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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On 8/18/2022 at 9:18 AM, ChessieCat said:

 

I've moved the conversation from Brassmonkey's success story.  This keeps Brassmonkey's topic about himself and also keeps you history in one place

 

We had already done that, if you read his post before my response, thank you.

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment
  • Moderator Emeritus
4 minutes ago, Bego82 said:

We had already done that, if you read his post before my response, thank you.

 

Yes, Brassmonkey started posting here in your topic.  I moved all the other preceding posts which were in his topic to your topic.

* 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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  • 1 month later...

Hi Bego!

 

I wanted to pop in and say hi. I have such compassion for all you have been going through. Although we have taken different drugs, the experience of suffering awful withdrawal from one drug whilst being put on another drug by doctors to fix those problems (which it doesn’t!) and then feeling trapped is very familiar to me. 
 

Although I am currently going through hellish withdrawal due to a too fast taper off sertraline, I wanted to let you know that after a very difficult period i really do now think that most of my withdrawal from the paroxetine has subsided. It was why I felt strong enough to rush my sertraline taper.

 

I wanted to tell you this to give you some reassurance that your Venlafaxine withdrawal will pass even though it’s horrible. And please please don’t rush your taper, even though I get the frustration and misery. I don’t want you to make my mistakes!

 

hang in there you are getting better all the time!

 

xx

2002 approx: Prescribed 30mg of Citalopram which made me instantly extremely ill including suicidal ideation and auditory hallucinations, discontinued in a few weeks and symptoms subsided.

2004 - 2010: Prescribed short bouts of Paroxetine (Paxil/Seroxat) with no noticeable side effects or withdrawal issues.

2010-2020: Prescribed 40mg Paroxetine for almost a decade, initially positive impact but over time noticed less effectiveness and increased side effects (constant sleeping/nightmares/night sweats, and weight gain).

2020: Tapered down from 40mg - 0mg in 2-3 weeks on doctor's advice. A few weeks later severe withdrawal symptoms began (suicidal ideation, rapid weight loss, hypothermia, etc.).
May 2020: Went back on 10mg of Paroxetine, tapering to 0mg over 2-3 months. Severe symptoms began again after dropping from 5mg to nothing on doctor's advice (so I could 'clear my system' to start Sertraline).
June 2020: Started on 50mg Sertraline to manage Paroxetine withdrawal on doctor's advice. New severe symptoms, worse than before (worst was suicidal ideation, but also extreme noise sensitivity, muscle cramps, stomach issues, etc.).

Early 2021: Increased Sertraline dosage from 50mg to 75mg in desperate hope it would relieve ongoing symptoms. It did not.

2021-2022: Began a gradual taper from 75mg down to 1.6mg of Sertraline, following advice given on this site (though on reflection still tapered too quickly). Severe recurrence of symptoms, now restabilising at 2mg and holding for now. 

 

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  • 4 months later...

Dear @Spenitate 

 

Thank you for your kind words of hope. I’ve just read your post as I’ve been disconnected for a while, been feeling poorly. What a nice birthday present (my birthday is on the 27th of September 😊).

 

How are you feeling? I’ve read on your thread that you were not well back in December… Have you had more windows than waves? I hope so.

 

It’s exactly like you mention, doctors put us on more meds when we need to come off them. I agreed to take the Mirtrazapine though, as I was in such a poor state due to Venlafaxine withdrawal that I wasn’t even eating or sleeping, and my partner was undergoing brain surgery at the same time so I had to be strong.

 

I’m about to start reducing the Mirtrazapine. I tried it once last year, but I was so unstable that even a 2.5% reduction was too much for me, so I had to stop. 
I hope I get better luck this time! In an ideal world I’ll be able to reduce 2.5% every week until I quit it completely.

 

Sending you lots of love and support, I’ll keep an eye on the forum this time x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment

 

Hello everyone,

 

Sorry for not updating for so long but as you all know it’s been a fight.


I’ve been through many set of waves, the last one being a month long but fortunately ending up in a window. So I feel encouraged to try reducing the Mirtrazapine again.
 

I am scared though. I tried a 2.5% reduction last year, but I was so unstable that even that was too much, and had to stop after a week. Plus I have migraines and many other undesirable side effects that I hope won’t get worse as I go…

 

I never thought that I’d wish to be out of a drug in 10 months more than anything else!

 

Please feel free to drop me a line.
I hope that you all are well, or at least getting there.

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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  • 3 weeks later...

Hello,

 

Is anybody reading? Moderators, please, I’m about to start taking Prozac, and I’m scared…

 

I saw a psychiatrist last week that a family member brought in out of the blue, and although he believed me and is familiar with AD withdrawal he advised me to take Prozac. He arrived at a time when I was really struggling, it was completely unexpected, and it felt great. He assessed me and said that I clearly don’t have depression, just going through a horrible antidepressant withdrawal syndrome, that I barely have any serotonin left in my brain and 2 years of enduring this should be enough... He seems great and believes a 100% in protracted AD withdrawal, but also sees Prozac as the only way to stimulate serotonin production back in my brain. But now that I know how wrong psychiatrists are and how dangerous these drugs are too I just can’t trust them…

 

I’ve really really fought during these past two years, without noticing great improvements. I’m still very critical and my life is still very much in danger. But I’ve been on this forum long enough to know how terrible these medicines are. So I’m torn between a rock and a hard place.
I want to live free of daily excruciating pain but I don’t want to damage my brain any further 😖.

 

Oh, he also said that the Prozac would help me with the Mirtrazapine tapering off that I was about to start. His approach would be:

 

1st week: starting with 10mg of Prozac.

2nd week: increasing at 20mg Prozac and maintaining that dose.

3rd week: reducing the Mirtazapine from 30 to 22mg. His Mirtazapine withdrawal protocol initially was 30mg to 15 mg, but I protested.

4th week: reducing Mirtazapine from 22mg to 15mg.

5th week: review 

 

After reading and reading threads here I can definitely say that I trust moderators way more than I trust doctors, so if you’re happy to shed some light please feel free to do so, I’d sincerely appreciate it…


Please feel free to ask questions too.

 

Thank you x

 

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment
  • Mentor

My advice would be to trust the moderators and what you have read in this forum. From your dr’s tapering schedule alone, it’s very obvious how little they know about safe tapering. Plus that dose of Prozac after you’ve been off Venlafaxine for so long is dangerous, in my opinion. After my Effexor CT, just 5mg of Prozac gave me akathisia. 
 

if you are wanting to go back on antidepressants, I think you’ll need to go to some other forum. The moderators here are volunteers and spend their time helping people get off AD’s and will not help anyone get back on them.

Edited by FindRest

1988-1996  Various AD’s, all classifications.  1996-2019  Effexor XR 37.5mg to 150mg. Jan 2017 onward, 37.5 mg.

2019  Apr 11 - July 24: Trials of Latuda then Rexulti. CT'd off per dr.  Jul 24: CT Effexor (per dr)  Sep 9-19: Viibryd, CT (per dr).  Sep 23-27: Trintellix. CT (per dr).  Sep 28 - Oct 24:  Prozac 10mg.  Oct 24:  Stop Prozac, began Pristiq 25mg->50->25mg.

2020  Feb 1: CT Pristiq. Feb 1: Reinstated Effexor XR (10 large beads) gradually increasing to 22 beads (15L+7M) or 9.072mgai on Mar, 2020.

2021  Started Jan w 21 beads (13L+8M) or 8.47mgai ended Dec: 17 beads (7L+9M+1S) or 6.19mgai. Severe COVID + TIA.

2022  Ended yr w 14 beads (3L+5M+5S+1XS) or 4.5mgai. Major jaw injury during year + family tragedy.

2023  Jan: 13 beads (2L+5M+5S+1XS) or 4.2mgai; Feb: 12 beads (2L+4M+5S+1XS) or 3.9mgai; Mar: 11 beads (2L+4M+4S+1XS) or 3.6mgai, Apr: 10 beads (2L+3M+4S+1XS) or 3.3mgai; Jun: 9 beads (2L+3M+3S+1XS) or 3mgai,

 

Current: July, 2023: Effexor XR -  9 beads (2L+3M+3S+1XS) or 2.7 mgai

Other current meds: Ambien 10mg 3.935mg , clonazepam .125mg .107mg, omeprazoleSynthroid, Premarin.  Supplements: D3, C, probiotic, K2-MK7, Mg Glycinate

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Hi @FindRest

 

Thanks for your heads up, I also thought that was a high dose.

 

That's not either nice nor fair. I obviously don’t want to go back antidepressants or I wouldn't be saying a word in here. And I’ve been here long enough to know how this forum works, thank you very much.

 

I'm on my own, so don't judge me. If you've gone through a similar kind of hell - which looks like you did - you should know a little bit better... Otherwise you'd have offered help or encouragement about quitting the other drug, but where were you?

 

If I wanted to be judged I wouldn't be here sharing my life with strangers. I obviously don't have any other devices, as I'm alone in the world, what about you? If you're kicking me out of this forum maybe you're one of the lucky ones. Or maybe it's you who shouldn't be here at all, as this is a place of COMPASSION.

 

Good luck and please don’t post here again.

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

Link to comment

Hi Bego82. Sorry to hear you’re feeling so desperate. It’s very lonely going thru this. I suggest you tag a moderator like brass monkey who has posted on your thread before. 

HISTORY

1995 - 2006: One at a time I've tried Zoloft, a MAOI for a short time, Cipramil, and Effexor for a short time (hell)

Lexapro career began 2006: 10 mg. 2014↘️tapered over months to less than 5 mg by cutting tablets and skipping doses. GP convinced me to ↗️to 10mg. 2018↗️20 mg. 2022↗️30 mg. 2021 Occasional 75 mg Lyrica for anxiety. 
Dec 2022: Trial 5 mg dextroamphetamine once a day. Began Lex taper Dec 22: 30 mg↘️20 mg (no symptoms). Jan 2023 dextroamphetamine 5mg x 3 daily. Switched to 40 mg Lisdexamfetamine Aug 23 due to international travel.

CURRENT

Daily: Lisdexamfetamine 40 mg once a day, Doxycycline 50 mg for skin (am) Supps: Fish oil. Magnesium and Turmeric, Women's 50+ multi (pm)

Occasional: Panadol/Nurofen/Meloxicam for headaches/arthritis; doxylamine for sleep

Lexapro taper 2023 16 Jan ↘️10 mg, (bad physical WDs) 27 Jan↗️15 mg 13 Feb↘️12 mg. 6 Mar↘️10 mg 20 Mar➡️crossover to liquid 31 Mar↘️8.5 mg. 24 Apr↘️7.25 mg. 17 May↘️7 mg. 31 May↘️6 mg, 6 week hold Switch to slide 10 July↘️5.8↘️5.6↘️5.4mg 7 Aug↘️5.2↘️5.1↘️5mg. Crossover to generic tablets from 4 Sept 23. Still holding at 5 mg, 27 Dec 23.

 

Anything I write here is my opinion based on my experiences. It is not medical advice.

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1 minute ago, Fifree said:

Hi Bego82. Sorry to hear you’re feeling so desperate. It’s very lonely going thru this. I suggest you tag a moderator like brass monkey who has posted on your thread before. 

Thank you darling 🙏 it is indeed.

I don’t know why I assumed that they’d be reading my thread, I’ll give him a chap then.

How are you? I’m here for you too x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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I’m fine for now thank you. I’m still very early on the discontinuation journey tho! 
 

i think the mods are super busy - they’re supporting a lot of people and can’t read all the threads just-in-case. 
 

so just make another post and tag brass (hit the @ and then start typing the name) and that will let him know you need help. I think they prefer that to direct message. 

 

i feel for you truly. If you can wait, I would not take the 10 mg Prozac until you’ve heard from a mod. 
 

PS effexor is a truly dreadful drug. I was only on it for a short while but I’m still scarred. 
 

all the best to you. 

 

HISTORY

1995 - 2006: One at a time I've tried Zoloft, a MAOI for a short time, Cipramil, and Effexor for a short time (hell)

Lexapro career began 2006: 10 mg. 2014↘️tapered over months to less than 5 mg by cutting tablets and skipping doses. GP convinced me to ↗️to 10mg. 2018↗️20 mg. 2022↗️30 mg. 2021 Occasional 75 mg Lyrica for anxiety. 
Dec 2022: Trial 5 mg dextroamphetamine once a day. Began Lex taper Dec 22: 30 mg↘️20 mg (no symptoms). Jan 2023 dextroamphetamine 5mg x 3 daily. Switched to 40 mg Lisdexamfetamine Aug 23 due to international travel.

CURRENT

Daily: Lisdexamfetamine 40 mg once a day, Doxycycline 50 mg for skin (am) Supps: Fish oil. Magnesium and Turmeric, Women's 50+ multi (pm)

Occasional: Panadol/Nurofen/Meloxicam for headaches/arthritis; doxylamine for sleep

Lexapro taper 2023 16 Jan ↘️10 mg, (bad physical WDs) 27 Jan↗️15 mg 13 Feb↘️12 mg. 6 Mar↘️10 mg 20 Mar➡️crossover to liquid 31 Mar↘️8.5 mg. 24 Apr↘️7.25 mg. 17 May↘️7 mg. 31 May↘️6 mg, 6 week hold Switch to slide 10 July↘️5.8↘️5.6↘️5.4mg 7 Aug↘️5.2↘️5.1↘️5mg. Crossover to generic tablets from 4 Sept 23. Still holding at 5 mg, 27 Dec 23.

 

Anything I write here is my opinion based on my experiences. It is not medical advice.

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Thank you dear @Fifree, I’ll do as you advise and text Brassmonkey to see what he says 🙂 it does freak me out going back on AD, but this psychiatrist guy was so sure that I couldn’t do this on my own… and it feels like I can’t. But I was on Effexor for sooo long and in very high doses. I’m sorry that you were on it as well but I’m glad it wasn’t for long!

 

If you were taking Lexapro your journey should be shorter than mine right? They say that’s a muuuch easier drug to quit from, so I truly hope you do.

 

I truly don’t like drugs, I barely take any painkillers and I suffer from cluster migraines. I can see how lightly people take the use of medicines and always campaign against them… But once you’ve been depleted from your serotonin by a drug, then what can you do?

 

All the best to you too x

At 15 years old: unknown antidepressant.
2005-2007: Venlafaxine. Overdosed on benzos.
2011- 2012: Fluoxetine.

2013: started Duloxetine. Overdosed on Zolpidem.
2015: started Venlafaxine 225mg prolonged release after crashing from stopping Duloxetine.
2021, 5th March: Venlafaxine crash from withdrawal begins (from 225mg to 37.5mg in 6 weeks then cold turkey by doctor’s advice).

2021 July: started taking 5HTP, GABA, LTheanine, LTaurine, multivitamin, fish oil, magnesium, holy basil and lithium Orotate, following Julia Ross’.
2021 August: doctor put me on beta blockers 40mg twice a day as I refuse to touch any psych medication. Currently tapering from 10mg.

September: hospitalised.

2021, 8th October: Mirtrazapine 15mg

2021, 18th October: Mirtrazapine to 30mg

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