Mikey9672 Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 Hi I was wondering if anyone could shed some light was tapering off 75mg of Effexor 10% every 6 weeks was doing better than ever got over half way and crashed did realise I was tapering 10% off total amount so drops got higher instead of lower tried to go back to last amount on taper felt awful went back to 75 mg felt awful after 4weeks doctor upped to 150 felt better after 2 weeks after 4 weeks dropped 75 for one day felt crap for two weeks after 7 weeks started feeling crap again thought the dose might be too high dropped to 75 for two days bad crash went to doctor who said I need to stabilise on the 150 can't understand why the 75 didn't work after 4 week as it has done before still feel crap can you help altostratA Link to comment
Pugknows Posted May 2, 2015 Share Posted May 2, 2015 I'm not Alto, but dropping 50% probably destabilized your nervous system. I hope you find the stabilizing "sweet spot" soon. Hugs. Pug January 2012 - Prescribed 900mg gabapentin and 30mg Norco for lower lumber spinal stenosis pain. September 2013 - Spinal fusion surgery, 6 levels. Hospital ramped up meds 1500mg gabapentin, 100mg Norco, 80mg Oxycontin, 25mg Fentanyl patch. January 2014 - Sever nausea daily and with back pain every 4 hours. 2 trips to ER. First endoscopy found ulcer. Treated with Sucralfate and PPI. Second endo in May found no ulcers. Doctors said it was the opiates causing the nausea. CT'd Oxycontin, Fentanyl patch. July 2014 - Lost 48 lbs. due to not eating because of severe nausea. GP prescribed Prozac 20mg and Ativan 2mg prn. Tried for 4 days, quit. Two week followup GP said keep taking Prozac. 4 days, quit again. Ativan taken rarely prn for anxiety and appetite. August 2014 - Went to detox. Off opiates. Still nauseous, helmet head, drugged feeling. Doctor CT'd gabapentin. Ended up in ER. Found 2 gallstones. Gabapentin reinstated at 900mg. Tried botched up and down taper to get off Gabapentin. No tapering advice from doctor. Said to just CT again. September 2014 - Coded on table during gallbladder surgery. Developed liver biloma due to CPR by doctor. Had bile bulb inserted for 2 wks to drain. October 2014 - Gallbladder removed. Still nauseous, 3am cortisol surging, drugged helmet head, vertigo, breathlessness, whooshing head, heart palps. November 8th, 2014 - CT'd gabapentin suggested by family and 4 different doctors. Was told no withdrawal is associated with gabapentin. Have been in hell ever since. No windows, just one big tsunami every day with same symptoms for 4 months. December 26, 2014 - Found SA. At least I know I'm not insane. My family thinks I'm doing this to myself. Akathesia has become unbearable. March 10, 2015 - In absolute daily hell with no relief. Currently taking magnesium 200mg before bedtime. Link to comment
Administrator Altostrata Posted May 2, 2015 Administrator Share Posted May 2, 2015 Welcome, Mikey. I can't tell you why 75mg didn't make you feel better. If I were you, I think I might have been happy to stabilize at 150mg, since that seemed to work. Have you posted on this site before? This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner. "It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein All postings © copyrighted. Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Petunia Posted May 3, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 3, 2015 Welcome Mikey, Are you back on 150mg now? What symptoms are you having? Once the nervous system becomes destabilized, it often becomes unpredictable and paradoxical reactions can occur. See: The rule of 3KIS: Keep it simple. Keep it slow. Keep it stable. I'm not a doctor. My comments are not medical advise. These are my opinions based on my own experience and what I've learned. Please discuss your situation with a medical practitioner who has knowledge of tapering and withdrawal...if you are lucky enough to find one. My Introduction Thread Full Drug and Withdrawal History Brief Summary Several SSRIs for 13 years starting 1997 (for mild to moderate partly situational anxiety) Xanax PRN ~ Various other drugs over the years for side effects 2 month 'taper' off Lexapro 2010 Short acute withdrawal, followed by 2 -3 months of improvement then delayed protracted withdrawal DX ADHD followed by several years of stimulants and other drugs trying to manage increasing symptoms Failed reinstatement of Lexapro and trial of Prozac (became suicidal) May 2013 Found SA, learned about withdrawal, stopped taking drugs...healing begins. Protracted withdrawal, with a very sensitized nervous system, slowly recovering as time passes Supplements which have helped: Vitamin C, Magnesium, Taurine Bad reactions: Many supplements but mostly fish oil and Vitamin D June 2016 - Started daily juicing, mostly vegetables and lots of greens. Aug 2016 - Oct 2016 Best window ever, felt almost completely recovered Oct 2016 -Symptoms returned - bad days and less bad days. April 2018 - No windows, but significant improvement, it feels like permanent full recovery is close. VIDEO: Where did the chemical imbalance theory come from? VIDEO: How are psychiatric diagnoses made? VIDEO: Why do psychiatric drugs have withdrawal syndromes? VIDEO: Can psychiatric drugs cause long-lasting negative effects? VIDEO: Dr. Claire Weekes Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Yes back on 150 but it's been 7 weeks but obviously me keeping trying to drop has had a detrimental effect I do have little spurts of my old self coming through Ocasionally it's just whenever I took 75 before it was four weeks of feeling bad then great never got better then went downhill again it seems odd Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 And no never posted before have used this site for info but thought it was time to become part of the community thanks to altostrata Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 My main symptoms are anxiety headaches insomnia and lack of appetite the doc gave me lorazepam but don't wanna take em I am drinking a couple if glasses if wine a night as it relaxes me enough to eat which I know is not good but I fear benzodiapines I know they are addictive Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 My main problem is OCD intrusive thoughts and I believe people are on much higher doses for this condition but I did well for years on 75 so I don't know what is going on Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 I am off work with this at the moment and worry about losing my job and I have plans to start a family how long should I give it to make a difference by 7 weeks you think I would be in remission the doctor has suggested remeron if this doesn't take effect but I hear a lot of good and also horror stories about that medication Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 I asked the doctor to try buspirone but he won't prescribe it as he says it's addictive but I see people online having good results taking it long term I feel if my anxiety was under control life would be sweet it seems odd he won't prescribe the buspar but is willing to hand me benzos which are highly addictive I believe I don't know maybe he's right maybe I just need to give the 150 more time Link to comment
Moderator Emeritus Fresh Posted May 3, 2015 Moderator Emeritus Share Posted May 3, 2015 Hi Mikey , welcome to the site. Lots of people find magnesium helpful , there's a thread in Symptoms and Self Care. It seems that the changes in the brain over time on antidepressants mean that what once worked in one way , changes. A dosage that was alright previously may no longer do the trick. I'm sure there are far more technical answers , but what you've been through is fairly common. Perhaps you could try filling in our signature so we can understand your history better. Best wishes , 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 Link to comment
Mikey9672 Posted May 3, 2015 Author Share Posted May 3, 2015 Thank you fresh I appreciate yours and everybody's help Link to comment
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