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Polarbear: Completed Effexor withdrawal a year ago :)


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Polarbear's Intro Topic:  Polarbear: Almost Done and Enjoying Life

 

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Hi everyone,

I took my last bead of Effexor the 26th of March 2021, more than one year ago. As you can see, I did very very very slowly... I didn't feel withdrawal reactions when I stopped.

I can say this episode is behind me now.  Unimaginable how difficult and long all this process has been. 

My strengths are still improving since. I could say I am back to normal except that I still have digestive issues. However, I already had irritable bowel syndrome before I began antidepressants. Anxiety is present too, but I couldn't expect it to be gone ;) I decided to live with it, and try to take care of it the best that I can. 

I wish all the best to you, who struggle with the medication and withdrawal. I profoundly understand what you are going through. I wish these trials of life wouldn't exist.

 

Edited by getofflex

Effexor XR 150 mg started in 2006

Doses reduction during pregnancies then back to 112,5 mg
Fall 2013 : started withdrawal : 75 mg x 3 months, 37.5 mg x 3 months, 24 mg x 1 month, 12 mg x 1 month, then zero : absolutely dysfunctional, complete anergy and anhedonia. Reinstated at 18 mg, then 37,5 mg. 
Sept. 2015 : Second attempt : Cut 1 mg every week until 10 mg in february 2016 : affective dissociation and cognitive issues, up to 15 mg : way too high : lot of irritability and fatigue
Known Surviving Antidepressant, thank you.
From march 2016 : 4-5% cut every 4-6 weeks, still very difficult.
October 2016 : 10,2 mg, beginning a hold.

Slowly decreasing with pauses...

September 1st 2019 : 1,6 mg (6/20 of 37,5 mg a week, divided in 7 days), November 17th : 5/20..., January 25th 2020 : 4/20..., May 23th : 3/20..., July 5th : 2/20..., September 13th : 1 big bead a day, February 15th 2021 : 1 small bead a day in descending order

March 27th 2021 : Done, 0 Effexor !!! :)

 

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  • getofflex changed the title to Polarbear: Completed Effexor withdrawal a year ago :)
  • Moderator Emeritus

Congratulations for successfully eliminating Effexor!  This is a huge accomplishment.  It's great that you didn't have any symptoms when you jumped off - it's because you tapered so slowly.  I believe a certain amount of anxiety is just a part of life. Thanks for coming back to let us know that you are successfully off and doing well! We wish you the best.  

Edited by getofflex

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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  • getofflex locked and unlocked this topic

Amazing, did you experiencing any anhedonia?

Zoloft, November 2019.  I worked up to 50 mg and stayed there until 1 year later. I tapered for 3 months, which should consider to be cold turkey.
Tapering schedule:
Month 1: 37.5 mg

Month 2: 25 mg

Month 3: 12.5 mg

Month 4(Half the month): 6.75 mg
Month 4(Other half): 0 mg December 9, 2020

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  • 2 weeks later...

The withdrawal was so slow in the last two years that I didn’t have a lot of anhedonia and even though I was withdrawing, I was going slowly better. 

However, initially, when I was withdrawing faster, I had anhedonia, but with so many other symptoms. I was a lot more worried about anergy, brain fog, digestive issues, hypersensibilities...

Anhedonia has been there for a long time before it improves. I remember, when I was going a little better, being pushing myself to make jokes and funny absurd faces with my family to get out of this state. In the worst period, I was spending time with my kids, just trying to be attentive and present. At times, presence was the only thing I could give, with few interactions. It was hard to deal with guilt but at least, I was there. 

Effexor XR 150 mg started in 2006

Doses reduction during pregnancies then back to 112,5 mg
Fall 2013 : started withdrawal : 75 mg x 3 months, 37.5 mg x 3 months, 24 mg x 1 month, 12 mg x 1 month, then zero : absolutely dysfunctional, complete anergy and anhedonia. Reinstated at 18 mg, then 37,5 mg. 
Sept. 2015 : Second attempt : Cut 1 mg every week until 10 mg in february 2016 : affective dissociation and cognitive issues, up to 15 mg : way too high : lot of irritability and fatigue
Known Surviving Antidepressant, thank you.
From march 2016 : 4-5% cut every 4-6 weeks, still very difficult.
October 2016 : 10,2 mg, beginning a hold.

Slowly decreasing with pauses...

September 1st 2019 : 1,6 mg (6/20 of 37,5 mg a week, divided in 7 days), November 17th : 5/20..., January 25th 2020 : 4/20..., May 23th : 3/20..., July 5th : 2/20..., September 13th : 1 big bead a day, February 15th 2021 : 1 small bead a day in descending order

March 27th 2021 : Done, 0 Effexor !!! :)

 

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  • 1 month later...

Congratulations on getting off the poison that is Effexor.  The anhedonia is a terrible thing to suffer through.

2013 - Jan 4, 2021 - Sertraline 50mg 

Jan 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg (1/4)

Feb 2021 Mar 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg

April 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg, Amitriptyline 2mg (4/20), Clonazepam 2mg

May 2021 - Venlafaxine 75mg (5/16 - 0mg), Amitriptyline (5/1 - 1mg, 5/16 - 0mg), Clonazepam 2mg

Aug 2021 - Sertraline 25mg (re 8/20), Clonazepam 2mg 

Sep 2021 - Sertraline 50mg (up 9/3), Clonazepam (9/29 - 1mg), Diazepam (9/29 - 2.5mg)

Oct 2021 - Sertraline 50mg, Clonazepam (10/14 - 0.9mg, 10/24 - 1mg), Diazepam (10/6 - 1.25mg, 10/14 - 0mg), Trazodone (10/03 - 50mg, 10/17 - 25mg, 10/21 - 12.5mg), Mirtazapine (10/17 - 15mg)

Nov 2021 : Current - Sertraline 50mg, Clonazepam (4/22 - 0.975mg, 5/22 - 0.9125mg, co 6/22 - 0.25mg, co 8/22 - 0.5mg, co 1/23 - 0.25mg),

Diazepam (co 6/22 - 12mg, 7/22 - 11mg, co 8/22 - 5mg, 9/22 - 4mg, 10/22 - 3mg, 11/22 - 2mg, 12/22 - 1mg, co 1/23 - 5mg, 2/23 - 4.5mg, 3/23 - 3.5mg, 4/23 - 3mg), Trazodone 12.5mg, Mirtazapine 15mg

 

Supplements: 1/2 Multivitamin, Fish Oil 2000mgProbioticMagnesium Chelate 280mg, Vit C 500mg. Melatonin 5mg/3mgXR

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