Hi I'm Matt - working hard to taper off Effexor. :(

[MattH]

How come Alto?

 

I got told today to go back up to 150mg from the psychiatrist, so now I've gotten conflicting reports. I can't really go to 50mg though as I've only got 75mg capsules.

[Narcissus]

^When the nervous system is destabilized it often becomes more sensitive to, well, just about everything, including medications. This means that 150 mgs may be too much for your now highly sensitive nervous system, in which case it would benefit from a lower dose of the medication. Add to this the fact that your nervous system will have adjusted some to lower dosages of the drug while you were withdrawing.

 

This was the case for me. I found that I was not able to go back up to my full 150 mgs of Effexor after going into withdrawal. Updosing to 150 mgs made me even more destabilized. I learned that I did much better at 75 mgs, which is where I'm at now.

 

If reinstating to 150 mgs did not make things better, as you say it didn't, it's likely that reinstatement won't work for you, and with the higher dose you risk destabilizing yourself further without any real gain. This is why a lower dose would make more sense for now.

 

As Alto says here,

 

Sometimes reinstatement not only does not work, it causes an adverse reaction from a nervous system sensitized by withdrawal. If this happens, I would reduce the dosage.

I wouldn't put much faith in your psychiatrist's advice, as psychiatrists usually know very little about withdrawal and are just following drug company guidelines.

 

I apologize if I gave bad advice before. I myself am grateful that I tried going back up to my initial dosage, as it showed me that this was not a way out of withdrawal. That being said, that doesn't mean it's necessarily worth trying.

 

You say that going back up to 150 mgs didn't make anything worse, but you also say that you woke up with anxiety so bad that you had to call a hotline. Is it possible that this new surge of anxiety came from the higher dosage?

[MattH]

The anxiety has been steady throughout, I went up to 150mg thinking it might sort it out but it was just the same. It didn't get any worse, rather I was just at the end of my tether.

 

The psychiatrist did have some good advice with withdrawing after I stabilise for a good period, he suggested a year to ween off and gave me several options, such as being able to liquefy the pill and go down 1mg at time, or going onto other antidepressants that have a longer half life, etc. I'm really not sure what to do now - all advice sounds reasonable but I'm not sure which one to choose.

[basildev]

Hi Matt,

 

all you can really do is choose a dose and stick to that. Whatever you do, you have to give it time.

 

Alto has a wealth of experience on these matters. She's given you her recommendation, but ulitmately you have to decide for your self.

 

Only you can make the choice that is right for you.

[Narcissus]

The anxiety has been steady throughout, I went up to 150mg thinking it might sort it out but it was just the same. It didn't get any worse, rather I was just at the end of my tether.

 

The psychiatrist did have some good advice with withdrawing after I stabilise for a good period, he suggested a year to ween off and gave me several options, such as being able to liquefy the pill and go down 1mg at time, or going onto other antidepressants that have a longer half life, etc. I'm really not sure what to do now - all advice sounds reasonable but I'm not sure which one to choose.

 

That's pretty reasonable advice.

 

It's up to you whether you stick at 150 or drop to something lower. As Basildev said, probably the most important thing is to try to be consistent and stabilize somewhere. If going up to 150 didn't alleviate your symptoms I would try to stabilize at a lower dose. You can always go back up later. On the other hand, if you stay at 150 you will have to taper from that point no matter what, and you'll lose whatever progress you've made.

 

In the end you have to feel your own way through withdrawal, so pick whatever advice seems right to you.

[Meimeiquest]

Do you think there's a way to change the title of your thread? You are Matt: Working Hard to Taper Off Effexor (or something like that)

[basildev]

Great Idea Meimei!

 

Matt I changed your topic title.

 

Your journey is far from over

[MattH]

Thanks guys,

 

I got admitted to a respite house today because my anxiety is uncontrollable... now I'm being given an antipsychotic that starts with Q.

 

I'm at a loss. I feel like my life is over.

[Meimeiquest]

Oh, Matt, it's not over at all! I had taper attempts that didn't work out, I developed bipolar disorder from Cymbalta, etc., etc. I didn't know it, but they were all learning experiences. I'm just glad you got the help you need. Get stabilized, wait awhile, and then you can move very slowly towards whatever seems best for you. I'm just glad you're okay.....it scares me to read of people increasingly struggling and then not hear from them. Right now you are...working hard. Please keep in touch!

[basildev]

Hey Matt,

 

I'm so sorry you're struggling so badly.

 

But you WILL stabilize - then you'll be able to see things more clearly.

 

Withdrawal is a horrible, horrible place to be and I really feel for you.

 

I hope you feel better soon.

[MattH]

Is it truly withdrawal, though?

 

Everything has stabilised apart from the anxiety, I don't understand how everything else is fine, but the anxiety prevails.

 

I know I must sound like a broken record, I'm just trying to find a reason.

[basildev]

Hi Matt,

 

Yes it is withdrawal.

 

And don't be surprised if your symptoms come and go. Please see this excellent post that describes what many of us go through:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/82-the-windows-and-waves-pattern-of-recovery/

 

Most of us have one or two really troubling symptoms that seem to stick around. Mine is insomnia. I also had anxiety. hot flushes and night sweats. Everything has settled down for me except the insomnia.

 

I updosed just over 5 weeks ago.

 

Hang in there and be patient!! You will get better

[Altostrata]

When withdrawal symptoms appear, the tendency of many doctors who don't know what they're doing is to over-react and throw large dosages of multiple drugs at them.

 

High anxiety is a very, very common withdrawal symptom. You have had difficulty giving reinstatement enough time to take effect. You only went off Effexor March 21!! You're in severe withdrawal!!!

 

If your anxiety increased when you started taking Effexor again, it's a side effect of Effexor, and taking more Effexor is not going to help.

 

Throwing quetiapine (Seroquel), the famous shut-up antipsychotic, at such symptoms compounds the problem.

 

If you continue to consider your withdrawal symptoms an emergency and seek psychiatric care for them, almost always you can expect more drugs, because prescribing drugs is all most psychiatrists know what to do.

 

Sometimes people need to take a few turns in the psychiatric barrel before they learn the lesson that to deal with withdrawal syndrome, you need to treat your nervous system gently and not pound it with drugs.

[MattH]

I am worse today... I took quetiapine or whatever and now I feel like a zombie

 

I can't do this anymore... I'm at the end

[Altostrata]

I'm sorry, Matt, it's a very hard lesson to find that a simple pill is not going to cure withdrawal syndrome.

 

Please consider stopping the q drug, being patient, and letting reinstatement work.

[basildev]

Matt,

 

I'm so sorry you're struggling. I wish I could take it all away from you - but I can't, and neither will another drug, or a higher dose of an existing drug.

 

Please, do hang in there - we're here for you and many people on this forum know EXACTLY what it is like to go through what you're going through.

 

The updose of your Effexir may have been a little too high, which is why the anxiety is worse.

 

I know it's hard to hear but all you can do is wait it out.

[MattH]

How do I wait it out? I thought I had tools for this kind of anxiety but nothing is working... the pain in my arm and heart.... it's too much to bear, i want to end it all

[Edted]

Dear Matth:

Ending it all is a permanent solution to a temporary problem. Please, please listen to the people who have been where you are and found their way through, not just to a tolerable life, but a good life. This situation, as horrible as it feels, will pass if you will listen. Know this is just the drugs, not you. Drugs are a *****, but there are ways to handle them and beat them. We all need lifelines some times... take the line being offered. I lost my kid brother to this crap and although it's been many years, I still feel so horrible that he didn't realize there were people who would have helped.

Keep posting and listening to what people are telling you.

We care,

Ed

[Meimeiquest]

Matt, I had a weird experience...I was pulled off Cymbalta and started on other classes of drugs. So I went through SSRI withdrawal, but did not know it. I thiought I had horrible bipolar disorder....because that's what I was told. So reinstating was not an option, it was "known" to be all me. The anxiety was really, really bad. I had one day of suicidal thoughts, and I had young children, and I personally wouldn't consider hurting my family that way. But the thoughts were unrelenting....from somewhere outside me. And eventually, it just ended. To be followed by depression, which also eventually ended. And I had picked up some nasty new drugs. But I was still mostly OK. Now, I am withdrawing ( finally) with knowledge. Those symptoms are NOT me!

 

Now I try to find my angry place when it gets bad (hmmm, not exactly acceptance). Drug, you want to do that...well, Game On! I can lay on the couch one more day than you can make me sick...

 

Chattering again, but please keep posting..we're pulling for you!

[LostaDecade]

Welcome and hang in there, Matt! Been off 7 months (didn't taper at all after 10 plus years on- I don't recommend this - simple case of "I don't need these" & ran out of the other stuff I was on and no insurance so stopped) but I can tell that it DOES KEEP GETTING BETTER although a double edged sword. Becoming more aware makes me FEELS so much more and it does make life harder but it's definitely in a good way - I never had angry issues so I can't relate to that - to me, the brain zaps were the worst part although I will say that my irritability did increase for a time and is more gone. My answer to your question of how long it takes to feel "normal" is both positive and negative - the bad news first - I still don't feel perfectly normal. However, the good news is, every WEEK since I went off, I DO experience positive changes. As I've said before, meds saved my bro's life. However life is better when we're not on meds we shouldn't be on! Hang in there!

[Narcissus]

Matt, I went through what you're going through with Effexor, and am now on my way to a full recovery. It may seem like it will never end but I promise it will. Hang in there, post when you feel like you can't bear it any longer.