better yet...... only prescribe AFTER everything else is tried.... within reason ofc fda, gov, drug companies its all a fing joke. pushing drugs not for cures. but to have lasting life long patients.......... its a very sick, cruel world atm
Biggest thing for me right now after stopping antidepressants for Six days is swinging from anger to wanting to cry and feel ok again in under a minute.
Did you managed to quit? I know that, for me, the worst part of the withdrawal came after 3 months. Horrible moments :P I didn't quit cold turkey, but even if I lowered slowly, it kick me after 3 months :P
"try not to be on the medication more than six months to a year" Ha, yeah tell the doctors that. They just put you in and forget about you. 15 years later and I'm finally off this ****.
I was taking effexor for approximately 5 years. Side effects kept building up and all of a sudden I was having extremely negative and self destructive thoughts.
@ashok0049 And stay away from too much caffeine. It made me feel worse. Find whatever you like to drink like coconut water, power or Gatorade, herbal tea, etc.
I want to listen to this, I really do, but I can’t the music is so distracting why do people make these really good videos smother with pointless music
@@Crazydoglady. No, it’s frustrating. ESPECIALLY if, say, you’re going through med withdrawals and looking for information. Her videos are very helpful and informative-but would be easier to process without the distraction is all. Cheers.
I don’t understand why there is music on teaching videos. I have trouble staying focused anyway 🙃I love this Dr and all of the teachings they are so helpful. Thank You so much for your help and support ✔️💯
Me. I am on week 2 of withdrawl of citalopram..been on it for f**** 10 years :(. The insomnia and fatigue are the worst. My anxiety is bad. But i wanna push through
If you have access to a sauna, definitely take advantage. Making yourself sweat will help pull out all of the toxins from your body. I have been using my infrared sauna 30 to 45 minutes daily, and I can say that it has definitely helped with all of the withdrawal symptoms.
Me! It’s miserable withdrawing/recovering from Effexor. I’ve been weaning with guidance from my physician and it’s still horrible! These drugs are damaging to the brain! SMH
as someone who has struggled with addiction and also weaning off effexor... it certainly feels like addiction. dont care what kind of differentiation that drs like to make. I am addicted to my antidepressant.
I’m weaning myself off Effexor too!! I was on 75 for a year or so and then 37.5 for 4 years. I just started taking out 10 beads at a time . I’m going to go slow so hopefully the withdrawals are minimal. How’s your taper going ?? I want off this med!!!!
@@anaksunamoon8618 how are things going with you? I’ve been on it for about two years with 75 mg. Did you notice a difference when you drop Straight to the half dose of that
This Venlafaxine / Effexor drug is a trap and a nightmare. It seems helpful and effective at first, but then you find out what happens if you miss a dose or try to get off of it. Nobody told me about this. If I knew what was coming, I never would have started taking it. The withdrawal is much worse than the condition that led me to using this medication in the first place. It's not even a rare occurrance to have such an awful experience during withdrawals and I don't understand how a drug like this is even legal and commonly prescribed. I'm on 75, I wanted a lower dose to see if it easier to get off of it. My doctor claims 37.5 doesn't exist and 75 is the lowest dose that works...
Ive been tapering off of paroxetine for over two years now. Im at 3.6mg, down from 40mg/day. I was put on this medication at age 10 and stayed on it for decades. Each time i tried to get off, the withdrawals were so intense, the docs' belief that I should stay on the drug was reinforced. They (nor I) knew anything about how intense the withdrawal really is. At age 30, my dose was doubled from 20mg to 40mg/day and i went manic and suicidal for the first time in my life. It last months and it was terrifying. I engaged in dangerous activities and had bizarre behaviors very unlike myself. This experience sent me on a journey of learning how to get off this drug for good. Meditation, healthy diet, no alcohol, lots of therapy, cold showers, good relationships, etc. Thia stuff has changed my life. Its just a shame that so many people feel stuck on these drugs because of how hard they are to get off. SSRIs should not be used long-term.
I'm so sorry for all the pain and suffering caused by paroxetine. I'm very glad you are taking charge of your health. I agree that SSRI's should never be used long-term. The suffering is unimaginable. I wish you much success in your taper and may your life be filled with peace and happiness once this med journey is completed. You sure deserve a break. Age 10. Ugh.
@@Jannietime1 Thanks so much for your support and encouragement. It's been a tough road but also a journey that's taught me a lot. I joined a support group which has really helped me avoid feeling sorry for myself or getting stuck in victim-mode. Life comes with difficulties but those challenges shape us and cause us to grow. I look forward to my future- good stuff ahead! All the best to you.
I really wish there were many doctor's like you who actually know about this. I've been on antidepressants for 20 years and none of my docs ever even considered getting me off of them. When I finally decided to get off of duloxetine I was tapered off to fast by my doc and have been suffering withdrawal symptoms for two months and counting. Thanks for posting this info.
I've been off Citalopram since October 2022, I started to wean off them since June 2022 and the dizziness side effects are still there, I was only on them from January 2022... Is this still a side effect or what is it
Hey how are you now? Did symptoms end? I gave up duloxetine ~3 months ago after ~9 years use and then I used fuloxetine for one month. I did all these with my doc. After 3-4 weeks then, my withdrawal symptoms (nausea, headache, fatigue, dizziness etc) started and still goes on. I cannot go away from home for so long because of those symptoms.
My nephew, who is a family physician, discussed with me how very , very tiny the increments of decrease must be to avoid problems. And if symptoms occur at any point, the patient must go back up to the last dose that was comfortable and may have to stay at that dose for awhile. Unfortunately, the capsules I take are extended-release and contain minuscule coated granules within. These granules are of different strengths and different release times, of which I am ignorant. So, for example, I can’t open a capsule and take nine-tenths of them and expect that I have taken nine-tenths of the capsule dose. At least in my area, a compounding pharmacy would be needed to custom create these doses and that would likely not be affordable for me and, I’m guessing, not covered by insurance either.
@@97k01 I took it for about 8 months. I am off now. I am not sure about bupropion. According to google, it is possible to have withdrawls. Have you talked to your doctor or pharmacist?
Been on it for over 10 years! Tapered off for 1 month /6 weeks without it and I felt great! Decided to go back on it and it's a whole new monster! Dizziness, amxiety,and mood swings! Horrible SHIT!!!!!
I just went through agonizing symptoms, all of the ones in FINISH, these past two months. I was being monitored by a doctor (but I don't think he knew much about this) and going off Paxil gradually, but not nearly as gradually as you are saying. I had been on Paxil for 26 years. It's been awful. Really, really awful. I have been off totally for two weeks and am feeling better, but I would never have done this if I had known! Thank you for making people aware of this. I wish you could have talked to my doctor before I started this!
I am sorry that you had to go through this. I am glad to hear that you are feeling better now. If you need further support, you can call me for a free phone consultation www.levelheadedmind.com/contact. Take care 🙏🏽
Darcy, I am going through the same thing. Switching off Paxil has been miserable. I've had to take a leave of absence from work because of it. I had no idea that it was high risk to get off of. I'm glad you are improving though.
@@yyyallison After six weeks off Paxil I had to go back on it. I was miserable and having dark episodes of depression. During the withdrawal and the six weeks completely off I was taking Buspirone. It didn't seem to do anything. I am feeling back to myself again and will never go off Paxil again. Hope you feel better soon.
I tapered myself off of lexapro in July n August. It is November. 14 years on Lexapro and Klonopin. Tapered off off Klonopin last December. Probably did it too fast. Too late. It's done. Presently tapering off of xanax. Was on 1mg at night from January- July. Decided to taper off. It was at that time that I began slowly to realize what I had gotten myself into... I discovered in August the epidemic of people trying to withdraw off these meds and the extreme distress it causes. I realized how BMS burning mouth syndrome, tongue thrusting, the debilitating dizziness and so much more had happened to me. And yes, I am having brain zaps. In fact it started in October and here mid November it seems to be increasing. Sigh. Heaven help us. Have mercy. I wish I had never, never been offered these meds.
How are you feeling now? I stopped lexapro over a month ago now I'm still really struggling. I hated being on it being numb and not feeling anything but now I'm feeling everything a million times worse. Did you get anger episodes and really upset? I do not wanna go back to the lexapro but if this doesn't I'll have to, please let me know if the lexapro withdrawls are better or not for you
@pilwespoisu Hey man, I'm doing great. Back to my normal social self, I can talk to anyone again, rarely any depression anymore. Sleep is mostly back to normal and I'm not dulled out and numb from gje Lexapro anymore. I went through WD for probably 3-4 months from it, panic attacks, anxiety, worse depression, but now I feel better than ever. I started using ketamine 1-2 times a week with testosterone replacement therapy and I'm kinda back to my old self. Still have tons of back issues from a car wreck and surgeries, but the ketamine and test have me back in the gym. Ketamine is amazing man, re wires your brain and undoes years of trauma almost immediately.
@pilwespoisu It got worse in December and I was hospitalized. I am better now. Still have vestibular issues, burning mouth, neuropathy. But the anxiety is mostly gone. I have been completely off the benzos for some months now and know it will take time to heal from this. It really messed with my neurological system. Thank you for checking on me.
These doctors are so quick to prescribe these, I am 6 months off Zoloft, was on them 3 years and never again! but I'm still having a difficult time. can't sleep feeling anxious and depressed!
I'm trying to go through this paxil withdrawal before the collapse of the united states I don't want to go through this when we are going through some bull 💩.
I’ve been on Effexor for about 15 years! 75 mg daily. Made the switch to 37.5 for a few months. Really felt no different. Then gradually came off by taking one pill every other day. Then licking my fingers and taking a few beads and then quit. The first few days was good! I could actually feel again! I could watch a movie and cry or laugh! The 2 nd week it hit me! The headaches, nausea, GI issues, aches and tingling! It’s been 4 weeks since that last little dose and I still feel horrible!
I wish you the best in your recovery. Some people find relief with free form amino acids and b complex vitamin as long as your doctor approves, try that.
@@kimschlosser2854 Too many medication interactions with St John's Wort, but it could he'll, just run it by your doctor. 5Htp can also help and no interactions. But still run it by your provider.
I’ve tapered off fluvoxamine at my drs direction. When I had a 6-7 days of 25mg twice a day he had me stop. He did increase buspirone to 15mg twice a day before I stopped the other. I’m also on 0.25mg Ativan twice daily. But man, only 4 days off and I’m having bad zappy dizziness/disorientation whenever I move my head or eyes. I can actually hear the zap sounds in my ear. Now I’m extremely nauseous and just I’ll feeling. I’m also battling some heart rate problems the last few months. So trying to deal with both issues is debilitating. I pray this goes away soon. I can’t drive and have already been off work two weeks. Waiting on cardiologist referral, thinking I might have POTS after having COVID. This is so rough and scary.
Was on for 22 years... almost 5 months down and still having issues. Chronic fatigue and severe cognitive issues one day, and the next, I'm manic and can't handle the anxiety. Way way worse than I've ever experienced.
I haven’t even gone cold turkey… i have been tapering lower and lower with my paroxetine and up until half a pill (15mg) i was doing fine. About a week ago I reduced it to a quarter (7,5mg) and have suddenly been experiencing an anxiety and exhaustion spike that has been ongoing until now. I wish my doc had told me how this stuff would be a horror to let go of.
I'm coming off paroxetine cold turkey. It's been about a week and I feel absolutely dreadful. Constant panic attacks, trembling, anxiety etc. I'd rather feel like this than completely numb, though.
I stopped Lexapro cold turkey 7 months ago. Sensitive spot of my forehead when touched lightly and weird headache pulses every few mins. Torture. Hope they resolve soon. Good video
@@lilgr4 months. Came off of them For a few weeks Started having Anxiety Try to use Wellbutrin Started having terrible headaches so I stopped taking that As well period
I've been on sertraline for 15 years to treat panic disorder. Took through three pregnancies....went up after my second and third births as I had some scary postpartum anxiety after my first birth. 6 years after having my last baby I was into meditation and wasn't having anxiety much....was feeling really good. I decided I should try going off of it, as I'd heard its not great to be on it long term. I'd dropped my dose to only 50mg for the last year, so I finally weaned off in mid April. Its mid July now and I'm just not feeling like myself. I'm so easily triggered, especially by my family. I'm feeling depressed, sad, hopeless, fearful of things I once enjoyed, on the verge of anxiety and wanting to cry all the time. Its a horrible way to feel. I'm torn between going back on or seeing if waiting it out a few more months makes a difference. I so want to be normal and feel normal without the medication.
@@Jayy-xoxo Not really. The first couple of weeks I felt a little light headed. I never did experience that buzzing brain people talk about. I'm no longer waking up soaking wet with sweat. Certain foods don't taste as good as they used to. I feel extra sensitive to certain noises. I've had crazy sensitive reflexes in my knees and now they are just normal reflexes again. But my anxiety is actually a lot better now than when I wrote my original post. So thats been nice! I've been feeling a lot more balanced, emotionally.
“Be in touch with your provider” let me tell you- he decides IF he sees patients… and then decides when. It took me two months to meet with him to which I’m finally going to in 1.5 weeks. My GP and psych both tell me to talk to him…. Long story short, if I come off of them… it’s gonna be a free fall as my psychiatrist seems to have no interest in being readily available By the way, my psychologist convinced me to stay on them ongoing almost indefinitely. She felt like it was necessary, so even though I have wanted to stop for 5 months or so, she insists I continue taking them. So does my GP. His reason? “Some people have lower serotonin. They’re born that way”. Your video does not speak to the reality of the mental health system. You’re living in a fantasy land where people are well informed and available… sorry. Nice video though, I still found it informative
totally get it. my pychiatrist blows off my concerns of effexor withdrawals. he thinks it is all b.s. so no help from my doctor. so scared. wish i never went on these meds. want off so badly.
I've got the flu-like systoms, vivid dreams an nightmares and the imbalance. I was fine yesterday but it's back today... I'v only been on the SSRI since May, so i;m hoping the withdrawl doesn't last too long.
The tapering advice on this video does not apply to those who have been on antidepressants for decades. I'm 14 years off and still suffering brain damage following a one year taper. I have healed a long way but not done. It may take years to do a very gradual taper. This just breaks my heart after reading the comments. There are so many of us suffering silently on account of "medicine". So sad.
Just call it homeostasis, a dirty word for the drug industry. Is there a diagnostic for serotonin levels? No. It's not a custom compounded drug to match your needs. So.... pseudoscience. Make up your own mind about it.
The way I look at it, all the symptoms of withdrawal represent the level of help the drug WASN'T providing. Let me explain using an example with made-up numbers. Let's say your natural serotonin is 75, then you take SSRIs briefly and you feel a little bit better. Let's say you feel like serotonin is now 100. But after you take if for a while, your body will become accustomed to it and your serotonin levels (and mood) will drop. Let's say at that point your serotonin level is X. Well, once you withdraw, why do you feel like crap? Well, because your effective serotonin level is now really low. Let's say it's now 50. So what was X? Well I think it's fair to guess that the body, over the long period of taking the drug, was seeking the 75 that it started off at. Your body was that way in the first place because that's the level of serotonin that it thought you needed anyway. So when you artificially increased it to 100, the body adapted naturally to try to bring it back down to 75 by naturally producing only 50. Then, when you withdrew, you body's natural serotonin was only 50 until the body's homeostatic mechanisms realized the problem and tried to take it back up to 75. Personally, I think my journey with escitalipram has been overall helpful, but no doctor has ever encouraged me to take less or get off it. It was treated as if I should be on it forever. And I'm fine with that, except for the logic I've presented above. So what I've decided to do is to try to get off for the periods of my life when I am feeling more in control and ok, and then increase the dose again for the periods of my life when I'm starting to feel overwhelmed and overly depressed and anxious. This year, I started at 20 mg/day, but I reduced it to 20mgs/week, but then I started going through some really hard stuff, so I increased it back to 10mgs/day, then 20mgs/day briefly, but now I'm trying to go back down to 20mgs/week. We'll see how it goes. I'm just here trying to decide how quickly I should go from 10mgs/day to 20mgs/week. Maybe I'll try 40mgs/week for a month, then reduce it again to 20mgs/week.
Holy crap some of you are doing rapid tapers! You can get serious withdrawal. Most doctors taper too fast. They don’t seem to know how to get us off these meds safely or without withdrawals.
Same. I'm off venlafaxine and it's hard. They never helped me anyway and now I have to struggle with stupid symptoms. I wish the doctors warned us it would be really hard to come off of them.
@@canyouspellophthalmology I hope they realise maybe some people want to eventually stop taking them and need to be mentally prepared for the hell you have to go through.
I forgot to take my 225 mg of Venlafaxine yesterday. I felt awful all day, it was like if I had an elephant foot pressing my head towards the ground, if I no longer had skin in my body and everything even a small breeze could hurt me, like a burn or an electric shock, I couldn’t concentrate at all at any task and I slept so bad last night. I woke up like 7 times with vivid dreams, extremely thirsty and nauseous. I noticed yesterday’s pills over the counter this morning when I was going to take my dosis for this day and in the blink of an eye everything just made sense. I’m watching this videos while I wait today’s dosis to kick in. I hope this doesn’t happen to anyone 😢
looking to come off venlafaxine. i took a dose 3 hours late and felt so sick, headaches, flu like, etc. my dr. said withdrawal is not real....so no help from pychiatrist....want to get off so badly.
Been on the poison for 14 years and i have now tapered down to 5 mg from 20 mg over a two year period, and even though i go so extremely slow it's a nightmare, and it gets harder the lower i come, i'm worried that i will never be able to come off it.
I'm sorry you're having a difficult time. I wish you well on your taper and sometimes when you get towards the end you have to go slower, so give yourself grace.
Which poison? I would be curious to hear how you did. Sounds like you are doing great for someone who has been on it for so long. May I ask, why did you decide to come off?
I recently tapered off Paroxetine under the guidance of a doctor and fully quit three weeks ago. The withdrawal symptoms have been quite severe, including high levels of anxiety and even panic attacks, making me feel unstable. I believe I have passed the peak of the withdrawal symptoms, but I am still experiencing a low level of anxiety.
@@Randompancakes12345 it was horrible. It took about six weeks for the sides effects to go away. Once I went back to working for corporate again all my anxiety and depression came back and the doctor put me back on the meds.
I also had some nausea, dizziness and body aches but I’m getting over it after about 2 weeks and feeling fine. Don’t give up on SSRIs if you really need them. It’s not weakness. It’s a real illness.
I am having the worst and scariest withdrawal symptoms from taking cymbalta since the drug hit the market. I’m on week 6 of 8 in tapering completely off. The symptoms have been utterly horrifying to say the least. I lost my 5 year old daughter to a rare childhood cancer battle of 2 years of chemo and radiation and a liver transplant and my other daughter has a rare clotting disorder in which she almost lost both legs due to claudication and complete occlusion of arteries from her groin to ankles so she has continuous stents the length of both legs. One might say these events could cause anxiety and depression but I’m living proof it has caused those well earned unfortunate diagnoses. I’m having all of the symptoms you just mentioned and a slew more of them like severe heart palpitations, whole body zaps and stupor, blurred vision, horrid nightmares and many many more changes in my body. Cymbalta must have stopped working years and years ago because my depression was worsening and I’ve had to quit working as a registered nurse. It has affected me in my home life as well. I found your video doing some research about this topic. You seem so much like the person I would love to talk to in depth. Cymbalta has ruined my life. Thank you so much for your videos so keep up the right information coming out for those who need to be educated on this topic as myself. God Bless you. Self edited for spelling corrections
Thanks for sharing your experience. Unfortunately I hear this all too often which has led me to focus on deprescribing and helping patients get off this stuff! God bless you too and hope you have a full recovery 🙏
For many people, Depression is not temporary or situational. Whether you’re born with the family history or it is activated by your environment growing up, suggesting you can “get over” depression in 6-12 mos is not realistic. I spent decades doing everything I could from therapy to exercise to journaling to meditation to natural therapies etc etc … and I still struggled. Finding the right anti depressant combination changed my life. I would recommend to anyone struggling with persistent depression: keep looking for the right combination of medication WHILE meditating etc. Trying to “go it alone” is not worth the years of struggle.
I have antidepressant discontinuation syndrome. I have been off venlafaxine for 10 weeks now. There has been progress but I am still not my self. Any idea how long until I’m back to my normal happy self? I have changed my diet, taking vitamins, and exercising.
This will vary person to person. Continue vitamins, exercise, hydration, and also consider free form amino acids as they can help your neurotransmitter system to reregulate and heal.
I actually help patients come off these medications. The ones I put on know the risks as I explain it thoroughly. I also advocate for short term use and always use skills before pills.
@Levelheaded Mind you know these drugs really don't work and cause more harm than any benefit right ? If you properly informed patients I really didn't they'd take them
I had Discontinuation syndrome for many months and didn't know what was happening to me. Derealization, high, high anxiety, claustrophobia, skin rashes and more. Fortunately, resolved immediately once i reinstated Zoloft.
So you take. It depression meds and that causes your serotonin receptors to work even worse than they did before bc now they don’t need to work since you’re getting it syntheticly?
Currently going through withdrawals rn. I'm on a moderate risk medication and being tappered off (3week period) but i already experienced side effects while on the meds (why I'm coming off). Now i get random episodes of itching, depressive and suicidal thoughts, waves of anxiety, flu like symptoms, extreme tiredness and very vivid dreams. I just want this to be over honestly. I was hoping this video would talk about the 40 something percent that do experience withdrawal. And i know this is minimzed cus of the tapering as I've gone cold turkey before, had to call an ambulance not fun. But thank you for the information❤
@@nataliedvorackova3325 hey yeah I am, but it's a bit of a slow process but the further along you get the better it becomes. I still felt out of it for about 2 weeks after but nothing compared to the 3 weeks coming off it. Hope this helps
I want to come off Lexapro because it doesn’t take my depression away. Plus I still have crazy symptoms on it. I wish I never got on this pill because it hasn’t helped and I know the withdrawals will be horrible.
I was on diazepam for 10 years and stopping that was nothing compared to Paxil. I thought I was dying from some sort of disease. I was only on that for two months because it didn't work for anxiety.
Talk therapy is better. Call it what you want whatever syndrome you want, it’s addictive and I wish I had never gotten on it. Still trying again again thirty years and many efforts. Horrible withdrawal. I say unless you are severely depressed and can’t function try it but try counselling first, and be aware that you will have horrible symptoms of withdrawal. I may have to take it for the rest of my life not because i need it but just to not feel bad. Meanwhile the pharmaceutical companies are making millions of people who can’t get off and are physically addicted.
You forgot Hypo sexuality Anedhonie, emotional blunting, genital anesthesia, anorgasmia, erectile dysfunction I took paroxetine during 4 weeks on 2016 and it left me with cognitive and sexual disorder also known as PSSD recognize by EMA ( European medical agency) since 2019
I just wish I could get off these horrible pills Effexor. I have been on them over 30 years and tried many times to taper off. The longest I went was 3 weeks and the swishing in my head was still so annoying that I returned on a maintenance dose. I am trying to get off again and tapered off and and went 4 days and took 19mg and now I went two days and already feeling swishing . I don’t know if I will get off I just would say don’t use them
Was on venlafaxine for a year 150mg, elevated my hr for 10-15bm and was anxious because of that and decided to tamper off slowly over 6-7 weeks, now third day without and im having vivid nightmares, dizziness, i hope it will stop soon, because my heart rate is back normal and thats reason to fight through
@@user.47221 didn’t have any. Was talking 200-300 mg each time. For around a month. Started a week b4 my last dose to get my body used to it b4 I stopped the antidepressant
Many people, like me, had no success with a cross taper to prozac. It only works for some people. A hyperbolic taper is the best advice. For me by day 4 of making a small cut, the withdrawal was most pronounced. Wait somewhere around 2 weeks minimum to 2 months for some people to be stable before taking next cut.
Thank you so much for this video. I had a really bad experience coming off of 150 mg sertaline a year ago after tapering even slower than my doctor told me to. It was so bizarre- three months after I had completely stopped the medication, I randomly had a huge spurt of vivid, horrific nightmares and a resurgence of mood swings. Almost like the last of the drug was leaving my system. Does this sound at all possible? I’m getting ready to taper off of 10 mg lexapro after being on it for about a year. I’m really nervous about it so videos like this help a lot.
I'm currently coming off sertaline and I'm having constant vivid dreams including nightmares. It's really exhausting because I feel like I'm living 10 extra lives in my sleep and wake up in the morning like i haven't rested at all.
I've been Paxil CR for years. I've been trying to come of lt for about 3 months now with no success. The brain zaps(oh sweet Jesus) nausea and mood swings an insomnia are beyond horrible. I don't think I've gotten 8 hours worth of sleep the entire week.
No way Cymbalta is just moderate risk. That medication is a nightmare to withdraw from and lawsuits are still ongoing regarding false advertisment and downplaying of side effects.
I've been on 10 mg Celexa for 25 years. I started getting Parkinson's-like symptoms that I attributed to the SSRI so a year and a half ago I started to very slowly withdraw using a liquid titration method. I titrate by .01 ml (I crush a 10 mg tablet in 100 ml water) every 6 days and after a year and a half I am down to 2 mg so far. I don't feel any emotional discomfort. No brain zaps. But about 6 months ago I started feeling REALLY BAD. I thought I developed Long Covid but now I'm wondering if my symptoms are actually due to the slow withdrawal. I've always been an insomniac, but now it is through the roof. I also experience sudden, overwhelming bouts of irresistible sleepiness during the day. It's almost like Narcolepsy. It only happens on the days when I've had enough sleep. I also experience roving dull pain in my limbs. Could these symptoms be due to withdrawal? If so, will they ever go away. I'm suicidal because of the lack of sleep and useless days of sleepiness on the days I do sleep. I can't go much slower than I'm going. I will hold for a few months at 2mg. Any advice would be enormously appreciated. Maybe it's Long Covid. God knows what's happening but it is unbearable. I feel for everyone else suffering along with me.
Took asentra and have had severe symptoms+bad sleep for nearly 3 weeks. I sleep somewhat decently now with the help of some natural sleeping medicine. Still going through symptoms but it gets better with time.
Day 45 and I’m still having awful headaches and nausea. The heartburn which was really bad is finally beginning to settle down some. I am sleeping well. But I can hardly function with the headaches and nausea! I haven’t found an OTC drug to help with headaches!
Exactly..these meds do much more harm than good. The problem is how to get alternative help for depression and anxiety especially when it's chronic and severe
@@garysimone4977 I just weaned off Effexor. Took 15 months. Had to do it myself. Drs can’t help. They can only wean you by 50%. Too much to tolerate. I also don’t agree with adding another drug in to get off of it. I’ve been off totally for 11 days. More symptomatic at night. Getting better every day.
Mines is I feel like I have to throw up 24/7… this other is my libido is higher and also I have nightmares a lot.. I’ve been take Zoloft for 9-10 years. I’m literally trying by not taking them completely
I have taken escitalopram, quetiapine, and clonazepam for 8 months, and stopped like a month ago. At first it was just insomnia. After a while, I felt like I have the worst and longest hang over in my life! I feel nauseous every time. When I try to walk, Id feel dizzy. When I lie down, I’d feel the same thing! I wish I’d get this over with soon. I really really wanna get back on my feet.
Hello, I have a question. I stopped taking Cipralex 8 months ago, and I was experiencing terrifying withdrawal symptoms, including anxiety, dizziness, muscle tension, and dissociation from reality. Now I have improved, but my short-term memory does not work. I forget a lot. I cannot create new memories. Please, do you know about this, and will it last? With me all my life ، I am a 24 year old young man.Note: There is an improvement in memory, but little improvement
My provider made quit venlafaxine cold turkey when a month ago when i was on the lowest dose already. What i can say is that my anxiety and panic attacks came back harder and feel so dizzy and weird almost everyday including brain zaps. When i say doc about my symptomps he almost doesnt believe. I kinda feel helpless..
same here. it is horrible to have a dr. that acts like you are the weird one for having withdrawal symptoms. my dr. has this attitude, like i am totally over reacting and just looking for problems. trying to wean off venlafaxine. no help from anyone. feeling very scared and alone.
Ive been on Prozac 40mg for the last 10 years....i have told my doctor i dont feel the benefit no more...only bad side effects...yesterday he prescribed me trintellix He said taper down Prozac to 20mg for 2 weeks....then take trintellix 10mg...is it a good idea im already anxious about switchind meds
You can try that cross taper, it may be just fine since Prozac has such a long half life. You can also look at switchrx.com to see what they recommend and present that to your provider if you prefer to go slower.
Very informative! I'm glad this video ended up in my feed because I'm sure I have been experiencing AWS. And it just so happens that the antidepressant/anxiolytic I take is venlafaxine. The symptom I experience the most is "brain zaps". =\
I was on 150 mg of Effexor. Had been on this same drug for six or seven years. Recently, it seemed as if the drug was no longer as effective as it had previously been. So I was put on Wellbutrin and then increasing dosages with that medication. Meanwhile, my nurse practitioner put me on 75 mg of Effexor for one week, and then 37 1/2 mg for the second week. This has been a disaster for me, including the thought of harming self. The people that put us on these medications need to know how to get us off of these medication‘s without killing us. The withdrawal is a bit different for each person, but what I know for sure is that it takes me longer than two weeks to get off 150 mg of Effexor!
This is so so helpful!! Thank you for sharing your knowledge. I’m tapering off and on half my dose now, I think it’s been 5-6 weeks to get to this point. My symptoms have come back so I need to just stay on 50% - didn’t know this before I came to your video! The other thing I learned was the vivid dreams are a part of it. Unfortunately I have had a hard time finding a therapist, but I am doing self therapy so I hope the tools I learn from that will be helpful in tapering off further when I’m ready. Thank you so much for making this information accessible!
I’m going through a complete nightmare over this stuff…it’s been almost two months trying to quit Effexor…I employee you to be careful…I’ve damaged my brain…had a heart attack…dark places in my mind…extreme anxiety….
So I am feeling more stressed about withdrawal and how long it will continue after this. I was on 300 of Effexor for at least 15 years, could be longer, it just kept getting increased to assist with depression and anxiety. I dropped 75 about 18 months ago which was horrible. So now I’ve been decreasing. Initially 75 less for around 2 weeks, then 37.5 for 2 weeks. I’m now on 75 and it’s really horrible. In 2 weeks I’m supposed to drop another 37.5 but take prestique 50 with it then after one week drop the 37.5 of Effexor. I have felt horrible for weeks and weeks. Not sure where I’m supposed to go after that ! That’s a long time to be on these meds. I’m finding with each reduction it’s days 4, 5, 6 and 7 are the worse and either way I end up having to take at least 2 days off work so it has eaten away at sick leave and Rec leave. I am in Australia, has anyone else had to come off such high dosage of Effexor ?
I was on Escilalopram for 6 months. My doctor advised me to taper off 25% for the next 4 months (25% monthly), - 10 mg, 7,5,mg, 5mg, 2,5 mg. It's been over 6 weeks now and I'm still having all the withdrawal symptoms. Does it really take that long?
Worst headache of my life day 3. Cymbalta seemed so harmless but this headache in my jaw and ears and even forehead is the worst! Tylenol, aspirin, ibuprofen with caffeine headache medicine helps for a short time. I'm at the ice pack point. I can't taper off because they're capsules and I'm at 30mg already. I could try dumping out half the powder then close it up again. I have to lay my head down to give my neck a break
Hi dont know how your doing but i been on pills 44+ years and im tapering of cymbalta. They r extremely hard to get off. I joined a Facebook group called cymbalta hurts. That group has taught me how to do the duloxetine, cymbalta taper. Its the best advice u will find anywhere and still its so hard. Ive been tapering over a year now and down to my last few granules now and this bit is the hardest. Cymbalta hurts has all the questions and answers there that i need and i can ask questions too if i need to. I hope this info helps you.
Wish my gp knew about cross taper. By time she did too late. I even returned meds and unwilling to get it again. Effexor should never be gp initiated. Lexapro was started after 3 weeks of severe discontinuation syndrome from Effexor (unintentional discontinuation due to gp shortage and delay in prescription, this was during Covid) and lexapro was a life saver. Unfortunately maxed dose lexapro to 20mg quick even though 15mg worked (cost reasons). I took 6-9 months to come off after being on it for 1year. Currently just on vyvanse for last 10months but dr has prescribed lowest dose lexapro again due to gad returning (note vyvanse helps anxiety with reduced intrusive thoughts, but I have not pure adhd). So have the meds and nervous to start again. But I at least know what I’m signing up for. With Effexor I did so was not informed consent. Let’s ok it helps if I choose to take again. Don’t worry I’m talking with my doctors openly
I had a horrible experience when my doctor tampered me off Lexapro over the course of two weeks. Now I am back on it and I don’t know how to tamper off.
Honey I am learning to love the symptoms. The pill never helped me anyway and I want to completely cut it off. The brain zaps become eh after a day or two, but the gi tract is dead. Wish me luck.
Today is the 62nd day without medicines. I used vortioxetine for almost 4 years and in the last year I accompanied it with Quetiapine and Trazodone. (I had a lot of É anxiety and panic attacks). After starting feeling better, with my provider started a decreasing path towards the withdrawal. Today I feel better, but I have a lot of mood issues, irritability, I get down super easy, anxiety there is but very different anxiety of the one that I was experiencing before and during the treatment. I think I’m on ADS. Is it the case? Thank you 🙏
Video should start with what exactly antidepressants are to better understanding. They are neurotoxic poisons according medicine and science itself, so no need to be coward to say that (if you want to be exact and scientific🤷♂️).
This is really helpful, and today is my first day of not taking Venlafaxine medication from 37.5mg to 0mg, what are the withdrawal symptoms with coming of this medication? for good?, I would really appreciate anybody who has been on this medication and has been through the side affects?, thank you and good luck everybody ☺️
You may need to taper slowly from 37.5 to 0. Some people are ok and some become disabled. What are your symptoms like now? I've been taking effexor for 24 years and tapering down to 20 mg. per day from 225. I'm healing and can tell you it will get better. Time foes help to heal.
@@dianemorrell9638 Thank you for your helpful advice but I’m off Venlaflaxine now and the withdrawal symptoms were really hard coming of this anti depressant at the time, and that medication make me feel so manic with my mental illness anti depressants do not work well with me, and my depression has got so much more better! then what it use to be, I now take natural supplements to help with my low mood and depression and they really work really well! for me, and I hope that things get better for you ☺️
Unfortunately, I've been taking venlafaxine for about ten years now 😕 I can't stop taking it. Venlafaxine is very addictive :/ Any advice on how I can taper off of it?
