Sufilizard: Finally getting off this roller coaster

[Sufilizard]

Hi!

 

I stumbled across this site a while ago and it planted the seed to try to ween off of antidepressants altogether. I'm finally doing it and registered here today.

 

I've been on some sort of antidepressant for years now. After suffering frequent, severe panic attacks for years and just trying to deal with it, I finally had a doctor prescribe Lexapro because of prolonged, severe insomnia. Not only did the insomnia clear up, but I stopped having panic attacks! I had been having several a day, every day for years. It was horrible. After a year or so, I changed jobs and my new insurance didn't cover as much so my Lexapro got more expensive than I could afford so I ended up switching to a much cheaper generic citalopram. I was told it was very similar chemically. I noticed some depression symptoms after the switch. In hindsight I think I've had episodes of moderate depression since childhood, but it was never a major problem until I was on antidepressants (ironically). But I was still not having panic attacks and I was so terrified of going back to that nightmare, I didn't even consider stopping. I also started noticing major symptoms if I would miss a couple of doses -- there were a few times when I needed my doctor to call in a new prescription, but it was the weekend so I went a couple of days without. At the time, I wasn't aware of the propensity of these drugs to cause such negative symptoms if you missed. I had wild mood swings including full-on rage over things that should have been minor irritants. Eventually the depression symptoms got bad enough I talked to my doctor about trying something else. Two days after switching to a low dose of Prozac, I got up at about 1am because I couldn't sleep and ended up taking our washing machine apart to try to fix something that didn't require that much disassembly. So that wouldn't work. We eventually settled on nortryptaline which actually helped me get to one of the best places I had been in a long time emotionally. Of course that didn't last and it also had some physical side effects (constipation) that were getting so bad I had to make another change. I ended up on generic Effexor XR less than a year ago. I've had splitting headaches if I took my daily dose even a couple of hours later than usual - it was the least-forgiving of all the antidepressants for me so I was pretty nervous about weening off, but I was determined to stop being a slave to these drugs.

 

I waited until after all our family Christmas gatherings and since I was on the lowest dose available, I thought I'd try just going every-other day. (Now that I look through this website, I see that's not really a recommended way to do it). But surprisingly, I wasn't really having problems. The splitting headaches that usually came after just being 2 hours late taking my daily dose, didn't come until the second day when I was planning to take my next dose anyway. After two weeks I wasn't getting the headaches at all! So I just stopped altogether early this week. Surprisingly I wasn't having any major symptoms at first. I was just feeling a little otherworldly/lightheaded. That lightheaded feeling seems to be getting worse though. I'm hoping it will go away soon.

 

My other concern is that I'm starting to have some very minor "panicky" feelings creep up now and then. I'm really praying that I don't go back to those multiple-daily panic attacks. That was just horrible. But I also don't want to be dependent on these awful drugs for the rest of my life either....

 

Fingers crossed.

[Rhiannon]

I would highly recommend you reinstate part of your dose, wait a month or two to make sure you're going to stay stable, and then taper the way this site describes.

 

Sadly, you can't gauge how withdrawal's going to go by how you feel the first few days. Withdrawal symptoms tend to unfold and change over weeks; some people don't get hit hard until months out from a CT or aggressive taper. (Usually they're then diagnosed with a "relapse" and put back on meds.)

 

You may do okay with what you're doing, but in my experience people with histories like yours (many years on ADs with multiple changes over those years and previous withdrawal symptoms) need to do more regulated, stable tapers. It's up to you, of course, but this early you could probably reinstate successfully and possibly save yourself a huge amount of suffering in the future. 

 

Some people do come off the meds easily. I don't mean to say you can't. But given your history I would not expect you to be one of the lucky ones, and the suffering can be so extreme that on this forum we generally don't advise experimenting with fast tapers and rapid discontinuation.

 

Good luck to you, whatever happens.

 

Here's a link to the thread about reinstatement:

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3079-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-stop-withdrawal-symptoms/

[Sufilizard]

Thanks for the advice! I should have found this site again FIRST, before I started the taper. We'll see. How do I go down from 37.5mg when that's the smallest dose and its XR? You can't just break an extended release capsule in half

[Petunia]

How do I go down from 37.5mg when that's the smallest dose and its XR? You can't just break an extended release capsule in half

 

 

Most people taper Effexor XR by opening the capsule and counting the little beads which are inside, here is some information about how to do that:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tips-for-tapering-off-effexor-and-effexor-xr-venlafaxine/?hl=effexor

[Lexy]

Welcome

I wish I would have came across this forum before cutting effexor dose in half. People here have helped me more than my doctor has. If I could go back and start over I never would have decreased by 50%. Please consider going back on your dose and taper slowly.

[Karma]

Hi and welcome to the forum

 

I second Rhi's advice.  I am slowly weaning off of effexor and the withdrawals can be quite nasty.  Unfortunately if you don't get hit with severe withdrawals until 3 months out, there is little we can recommend because the window for re-instating successfully is relatively narrow. 

 

I use immediate release effexor and have it compounded into a liquid so that I can taper off of it at just 7% a decrement.  I do 7% because that is what works for my body.  You may want to monitor your symptoms if you decide to taper so that you can tell what is working for your body: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/1779-rate-symptoms-daily-to-catch-withdrawal-early/

 

As Petu points out many people on effexor XR break open the capsules and remove a few beads at a time.[/url]

 

When you get a chance please provide a brief history of your drug withdrawal history in your signature.  That way when you post your signature will show up and mods and members will be able to see your history without going all the way back to the start of your thread.  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

Karma

Edited January 11, 2014 by Altostrata
ungarbled link

[mammaP]

I am tapering effexor too and it is a NIGHTMARE drug to get off!

 Karma has the best method, making a liquid from tablets would be more precise and easier

than counting beads. Bead counting can be a bit hit and miss because beads can vary in size

and the little blighters have a mind of their own, they are like those little polystyrene beads in

bean cushions, they get everywhere and jump around all over the place!  I managed by counting

beads but am sure it would have been easier to make liquid. 

 

Venlafaxine liquid is available in some places if you can get hold of it. 

[Sufilizard]

Just an update. One of the problems I've had for years is not trusting myself. As someone who has had HUGE problems and withdrawal symptoms in the past, I was really concerned about weaning off Effexor, but something just felt different this time. So despite the warnings here (which I appreciate by the way) I decided to roll the dice and ride it out. So far so good. It's been most of a month and the dizzy/high feelings have gone away. I've had some minor panic symptoms -- which was why I went on antidepressants all those years ago in the first place -- so that's disappointing, but so far I don't consider them serious enough to go back. Insomnia hasn't been bad and I haven't had any of the nausea or flu-like symptoms I would get just from missing a dose before!

 

I'm hoping the panic/heart palpitations will improve with some more time - we'll see. But overall I'm doing well.

 

Thanks for the advice (even if I ignore it) and support!

[mammaP]

Hi Sulfilizard, I'm glad you are feeling ok and hope it lasts for you.  You could still be hit by withdrawal

symptoms, I was off for just over a month and was feeling great when withdrawal kicked in. It took 

months to settle again enough to start tapering again. I felt better within days of reinstating but had 

some very bad waves before stabilising. Not trying to scare you, just want to warn you that it could

happen. I hope you stay well but it you do get withdrawal, please reconsider reinstating, there are many

people here who left it too late, or withdrawal started after several months. 

 

Thank you for updating.

[Sufilizard]

Thanks. Some of my anxiety symptoms seem to be getting worse, but it's been a pretty stressful time - horrendous weather and family problems. I'm sure it's a combination of withdrawal and reaction to stress. An annoying new development is tinnitus - that could also be related to all the ibuprofen I've been taking because of severe tooth pain (I'm having a root canal on Friday)

[Altostrata]

Please back away from the ibuprofen. If your system is sensitized by withdrawal, even ibuprofen-induced tinnitus can become a much larger problem.

[Designgirl732]

Hey there! I'm new too and feel the same way you do. I am coming off effexor xr-i'm on the 25 mg TABLET which next week i'm cutting in half. I've only been on effexor since november though. I'm also on Citalopram to kind of 'ease'  any withdrawal and take B vitamins. Are you taking any vitamins to help with your nervous system?

Yes, the winter doesn't help. But TRUSTING yourself is a great thing-I think I started on these meds b/c of my lack of self esteem and confidence in who i really was/am. reading about buddhism, meditation, etc. I'm starting to give myself the 'tools' when things get bad.

 

And if you have anything like benzos to help you through, then do what you need to do- one battle at a time.

 

keep us posted!

[Skyler]

And if you have anything like benzos to help you through, then do what you need to do- one battle at a time.

 

With all due respect SD, it's best to stay clear of benzos unless WD Sx are so severe you can't see your way clear without them... benzos are often trickier to taper than ADs and have their own perils. They are a slippery slope, and more than one or two prn doses a week (on a regular basis) can cause physical dependence. Read my sig, been there, wish I had not.

[Jose]

Hello Sufilizard,

for panic attacks my solution was breathing techniques, I've never had one again.

it takes a lot of practice to master (seems silly bearing in mind we're talking about breathing, but believe me it's true), but once you have done it several times it works like a charm.

As simple as breathing in consciously and fully, holding the breath for a few seconds, and relesing the air slower (much slower) than inhaling.

Do this while you count to 10 (one every inhale/exhale pair) and then count backwards from 10 to 1.

as you become more aware of your breathing and the effect that it has on your body and mind, it works beter and better. And it does work rigt from the first time!!

Best wishes