Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 1096316

Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.

 

My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Mission7 on December 11, 2017, at 21:33:35

My journey quitting Effexor XR.

Why did I quit? 1.Curiosity. 2. Don't like that I'm risk of suddenly running out of pills. 3. I wanted to reduce my contact to the medical industry.


Drugs: Effexor 150mg for 20(ish) years, Lorazapam p.r.n. rarely use, weekend booser not too heavy.

Yes, the withdrawls stories were true for my case, but they were by no means unmanageable. I started popping open the caps and splitting up the little white BB's and diminishing the dose. At first all was good, but after a week the swooshy head ringing started. If it got bad, I would spike my dose by just a tad. I take just enough to keep the withdrawls at bay for a few a day or two, then reduce them again. Now after about 3 weeks I'm down to 4-6 little Bbs/day. If the head ringing gets bad I take a couple more.

So, In my case, not that bad. But, I would by no means expect to quit cold turkey. The actual withdrawls don't interest me as much as my psychological state after being on a AD for so many years and quitting. I'm keeping a daily journal an will update you all on anything interesting. So far so good.

Cheers! Love to all the strugglers!

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by rjlockhart37 on December 11, 2017, at 23:23:28

In reply to My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Mission7 on December 11, 2017, at 21:33:35

I've been on Prozac for 13 years, the withdrawal is not as horrid as effexor, i've heard of horror stories of people withdrawing from effexor, its the most intense, so definitely congratulations on you

i've been on wellbutrin, cymbalta, for a short time, wellbutrin i've been on twice, it helped with just getting a little going in the morning, but i had anxiety issues with bupropion, cymbalta i was on for about 3 months and went off because i was switching on other meds.....i wnet on prozac in 2005, it just makes things feel "ok" instead of that dreading feeling of slargegy and gloom, suttle feeling that im slightly content, when im not on prozac im depressed severely.....that's just the raw answer

but keep us posted about your logs of status of withdrawl, your not alone

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by beckett2 on December 19, 2017, at 21:01:29

In reply to My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Mission7 on December 11, 2017, at 21:33:35

> My journey quitting Effexor XR.
>
> Why did I quit? 1.Curiosity. 2. Don't like that I'm risk of suddenly running out of pills. 3. I wanted to reduce my contact to the medical industry.
>
>
> Drugs: Effexor 150mg for 20(ish) years, Lorazapam p.r.n. rarely use, weekend booser not too heavy.
>
> Yes, the withdrawls stories were true for my case, but they were by no means unmanageable. I started popping open the caps and splitting up the little white BB's and diminishing the dose. At first all was good, but after a week the swooshy head ringing started. If it got bad, I would spike my dose by just a tad. I take just enough to keep the withdrawls at bay for a few a day or two, then reduce them again. Now after about 3 weeks I'm down to 4-6 little Bbs/day. If the head ringing gets bad I take a couple more.
>
> So, In my case, not that bad. But, I would by no means expect to quit cold turkey. The actual withdrawls don't interest me as much as my psychological state after being on a AD for so many years and quitting. I'm keeping a daily journal an will update you all on anything interesting. So far so good.
>
> Cheers! Love to all the strugglers!

Cheers to you too! That's a worthy effort, kicking effexor. I've done it, but not after twenty years. That's big. So good going on the taper. I found taking an anticonvulsant helped with the swooshy feeling.

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Mission7 on December 24, 2017, at 15:05:35

In reply to Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by rjlockhart37 on December 11, 2017, at 23:23:28

Update:

Quitting EffexorXR has been uneventful. My advice to anyone worried about quitting Effexor is, muh, take it slow.

The possibility of sinking back into depression was a bit spooky, but it hasn't happened. I have a few theories as to why it hasn't happened and without going too far into the weeds I blame the media. I know that sounds crazy, but hear me out.

I've nearly stopped interacting with media a few years back: TV/News/Movies/Pop Culture, all of it and it has made such a wonderful change in my general outlook.

I believe the media to be a major contributing factor of mental illness and here's why. From day one we are plopped in front of a TV that tells us we are supposed to be rich/glamorous/beautiful/amazing super humans and no one is able to measure up. We are given an unattainable standard.

Media is also a constant source of agitation. Bad guys are out to shoot us, the weather is going to drown/freeze/cook us. Products are going to kill us. Cell phones are going to give us brain cancer. It never stops.

Merry Christmas and enough of my rant.

Love you all, especially those in pain.

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Lamdage22 on December 25, 2017, at 6:09:55

In reply to Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Mission7 on December 24, 2017, at 15:05:35

That is wonderful that you now are drug free. I am withdrawing several meds as we speak. I started in 2016 with withdrawal.

I have come down from 25 mg Zyprexa to 17.5mg and from Trazodone 75mg to 50mg.

Merry Christmas.

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Mission7 on January 2, 2018, at 20:12:32

In reply to Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Lamdage22 on December 25, 2017, at 6:09:55

You are reducing the Zyprexa/Trazodone and not the others? Are you experiencing withdrawls? I remember trying Venlafaxine and Prozac many years ago and quitting, but I do not recall any physical withdrawal symptoms.

UPDATE: I still need a few BBs every other day. Started noticing a slight "down-ness" from time to time. Hope it's just post holiday quietness.

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Lamdage22 on January 7, 2018, at 3:49:03

In reply to Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Mission7 on January 2, 2018, at 20:12:32

Hi there,

right now i reduce the Seroquel.

This is the schedule i followed so far:
Maximum 25mg Olanzapin
22,5mg Olanzapin since 12.7.16
21,25mg Olanzapin since 2.2.17
20mg Olanzapin since 4.3.17
Maximum 75mg Trazodon
67,5mg Trazodon since 5.5.17
60,8mg Trazodon since 6.9.17
54,7mg Trazodon since 7.9.17
50mg Trazodon since 8.28.17
45mg Trazodon since 10.11.17
50mg Trazodon since 10.25.17
17,5mg Olanzapin since 10.30.17
Maximum 950mg Quetiapin
850mg Quetiapin since 1.5.18

> You are reducing the Zyprexa/Trazodone and not the others? Are you experiencing withdrawls? I remember trying Venlafaxine and Prozac many years ago and quitting, but I do not recall any physical withdrawal symptoms.
>
> UPDATE: I still need a few BBs every other day. Started noticing a slight "down-ness" from time to time. Hope it's just post holiday quietness.
>

 

Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years.

Posted by Mission7 on January 8, 2018, at 11:20:37

In reply to Re: My Journey Quitting Effexor after 20- years., posted by Mission7 on January 2, 2018, at 20:12:32

Needed three BBs. After about three days with no EffexorXR, I took 3 BBs to remove swooshing and ear ringing.

(NOTE: This is after tapering off for a month and a half.)


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