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WalkingoffthePsychBoom tapering Effexor, Keppra, benzo cocktail

WalkingoffthePsychBoom

By WalkingoffthePsychBoom
in Introductions and updates

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WalkingoffthePsychBoom Newbie

WalkingoffthePsychBoom

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Currently have a TBI, other medical conditions that "require" medication intervention, and psych drugs that I am tapering, without help from anyone.

 

Keppra 500 mg BID for Mood Control, potential seizure - does not need the liver to process, just kidneys

Klonopin 2mg, TID - leaving for now (have been on for 10 plus years)

Effexor XR 225mg QAM - began tapering this difficult one April 20- April 23 to 150mg, began April 24th to 75mg until April 26th today is last day. Then tomorrow, will have no anti-depressants. Initial taper was hard, but on the 23rd, after sleeping those days off, my mind was much more "clear in thinking, speech not stuttery, words came more quickly." The 75 mg dose has left me somewhat tired, but I forgot to add my Klonopin yesterday morning and was overly anxious, exerting too much energy. Weird dreams, but did watch the complete "NOAH" movie which took generous Hollywood liberty of creativity. Will take the am 2mg klonopin today, should be alright.

 

Noticing that clothes fit better, have a bit more interest in things I had lost. Meds interfering with TBI. Ran a Drug Contraindication list and Venlafaxine, when combined with all my "necessity meds," creates confusion, dizziness, disorientation, etc. Will be seeking an Endocronlogist as medicare does not cover TBI Cognitive rehab, which is what I need. I lost my career from this last TBI.

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westcoast Newbie

westcoast

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Hi. Welcome. How is it going?

2009: Cancer hospital said I had adjustment disorder because I thought they were doing it wrong. Their headshrinker prescribed Effexor, and my life set on a new course. I didn't know what was ahead, like a passenger on Disneyland's Matterhorn, smiling and waving as it climbs...clink, clink, clink.

2010: Post surgical accidental Effexor discontinuation by nurses, masked by intravenous Dilaudid. (The car is balanced at the top of the track.) I get home, pop a Vicodin, and ...

Whooosh...down, down, down, down, down...goes the trajectory of my life, up goes my mood and tendency to think everything is a good idea.
2012: After the bipolar jig was up, now a walking bag of unrelated symptoms, I went crazy on Daytrana (the Ritalin skin patch by Noven), because ADHD was a perfect fit for a bag of unrelated symptoms. I was prescribed Effexor for the nervousness of it, and things got neurological. An EEG showed enough activity to warrant an epilepsy diagnosis rather than non-epileptic ("psychogenic") seizures.

:o 2013-2014: Quit everything and got worse. I probably went through DAWS: dopamine agonist withdrawal syndrome. I drank to not feel, but I felt a lot: dread, fear, regret, grief: an utter sense of total loss of everything worth breathing about, for almost two years.

I was not suicidal but I wanted to be dead, at least dead to the experience of my own brain and body.

2015: I  began to recover after adding virgin coconut oil and organic grass-fed fed butter to a cup of instant coffee in the morning.

I did it hoping for mental acuity and better memory. After ten days of that, I was much better, mood-wise. Approximately neutral.

And, I experienced drowsiness. I could sleep. Not exactly happy, I did 30 days on Wellbutrin, because it had done me no harm in the past. 

I don't have the DAWS mood or state of mind. It never feel like doing anything if it means standing up.

In fact, I don't especially like moving. I'm a brain with a beanbag body.   :unsure:

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Fresh Newbie

Fresh

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Posted

Hi Walking , welcome to the site.   Your post was moved here to Introductions.   This is your personal thread now.

 

I'm so sorry you've had to decide how best to manage on your own till now.

I'm extremely concerned about your taper from Effexor 225mg over 7 days.    It's fairly likely that you'll develop some serious withdrawal

symptoms over the next week or two.   This site recommends tapering with 10% cuts every 3 to 4 weeks in order to avoid these symptoms.

You may be able to avoid this process by reinstating part or all of the dose , then tapering off in a safe manner.

 

A couple of questions:   is TBI Traumatic Brain Injury?  and what is QAM (effexor)?

 

If you click FOLLOW THIS topic at the top right of this page , you'll receive an email each time someone posts.

 

You'll find alot of support and information here Walking.

Good to have you on board ,  Fresh

1987-1997 pertofran , prothiaden , Prozac 1997-2002 Zoloft 2002-2004 effexor 2004-2010 Lexapro 40mg

2010-2012Cymbalta 120mg

Sept. 2012 -decreased 90mg in 6months. Care taken over by Dr Lucire in March 2013 , decreased last 30mg at 2mg per week over 3 months. July 21 , 2013- last dose of Cymbalta

Protracted withdrawal syndrome kicked in badly Jan.2014 Unrelenting akathisia until May 2014. Voluntary hosp. admission. Cocktail of Seroquel, Ativan and mirtazapine and I was well enough to go home after 14 days. Stopped all hosp. meds in next few months.

July 2014 felt v.depressed - couldn't stop crying. Started pristiq 50mg. Felt improvement within days and continued to improve, so stayed on 50mg for 8 months.

Began taper 28 Feb. 2015. Pristiq 50mg down to 45mg. Had one month of w/d symptoms. Started CES therapy in March. No w/d symptoms down to 30mg.

October 2015 , taking 25mg Pristiq. Capsules compounded with slow-release additive.

March 2016 , 21mg

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mammaP Newbie

mammaP

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Hi Walking, welcome to SA.  I too am very concerned about your very fast taper of effexor. It is a notoriously difficult to get off without suffering from withdrawal unless it is a very slow and careful taper.  Very few manage to be free of it without problems and they tend to be people who have taken it for a short time. 

 

How long were you taking effexor and keppra?  We recommend tapering no more than 10% of the current dose with 4 weeks between cuts.

 

Here is the topic for tapering effexor  http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tapering-off-effexor-venlafaxine/

 

We don't have a topic for keppra but we advise the same 10% rule for antiepileptics like keppra. Here is a topic on tapering multiple drugs, if you read the first page you will find it discusses why we recommend tapering the antidepressant first. 

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/2207-taking-multiple-psych-drugs-which-drug-to-taper-first/

**I am not a medical professional, if in doubt please consult a doctor with withdrawal knowledge.

 

 

Different drugs occasionally (mostly benzos) 1976 - 1981 (no problem)

1993 - 2002 in and out of hospital. every type of drug + ECT. Staring with seroxat

2002  effexor. 

Tapered  March 2012 to March 2013, ending with 5 beads.

Withdrawal April 2013 . Reinstated 5 beads reduced to 4 beads May 2013

Restarted taper  Nov 2013  

OFF EFFEXOR Feb 2015    :D 

Tapered atenolol and omeprazole Dec 2013 - May 2014

 

Tapering tramadol, Feb 2015 100mg , March 2015 50mg  

 July 2017 30mg.  May 15 2018 25mg

Taking fish oil, magnesium, B12, folic acid, bilberry eyebright for eye pressure. 

 

My story http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/4199-hello-mammap-checking-in/page-33

 

Lesson learned, slow down taper at lower doses. Taper no more than 10% of CURRENT dose if possible

 

 

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