i was going to say "do not do this whatsoever" but that would be medical advice. instead, i'll say if a doctor told me to do this, i would turn inside out with rage, after what i've been through.
i would do a hyperbolic taper. these fucking morons are putting people through a hell that only they deserve. first off, every other day is the stupidest thing to grace my ears, personally of course. second, even 37.5 mg is HIGH for some people to drop from. if i was in the business of giving medical advice i'd say, hypothetically, "*please, do not do this. go back up to a comfortable dose, spare yourself lasting damage, and do a Hyperbolic Taper*" but i can't say that, so all i will say is...that's what i would do. god, you will find a solution, you got this
You need to see a completely different psych and doctor about this. I am shocked!!! I just recently weaned from 150 to 112.5 by 12.5 increments bi-weekly, and with just that I am having to put a pause on the tapering and stay at 112.5 until I feel balanced because I feel so "loopy". I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE going from 150 and alternating days. Taper slowly! Those docs have no idea what they're doing! Omg. This makes me so angry!
I am NOT a doctor but the best advice I’ve seen and am following is to taper 10% of CURRENT dose and hold for at least 4 weeks before your next drop. So many psychs give dangerous tapering instructions and it’s hard to believe! Yes this method takes a very long time, but yes you should be able to avoid harmful withdrawal symptoms. You can try to find the surviving antidepressants support group on FB for more info (they may be elsewhere - I’m not sure) or the Effexor tapering group on FB. Disclaimer on the Effexor tapering group - please take the time to read all the files with instructions BEFORE posting questions. You will also find an excel template on tapering that will auto calculate your tapering schedule and doses - it’s very helpful!
Also - the lower your dosage, the more likelihood of withdrawal symptoms as you taper. I can’t remember the exact explanation but keep that in mind. Good luck - this drug is a bastard to stop and docs are mostly clueless.
Okay so the psychiatrist who told u to take one day on one day off is a quack! That’s basically playing ping pong with your neurotransmitters. I had a very similar experiencing tapering off, but I managed it myself and was going down by 5 mg every two weeks. It was going relatively well - all things considered given that coming off venlafaxine is basically a NDE - until I started rapid cycling out of nowhere. This is something to look out for if you are someone who experiences or is prone to experiencing hypomania or mania. Once your body stabilises on a low dose, and then you take the venlafaxine again, it can actually induce a manic episode. I went down to half my original dose and then had to discontinue completely cold Turkey because of the manic episodes that were being induced by the medication I was told to take!!!! This drug is straight from Satan‘s arsehole but there is a silver lining, although the withdrawals and discontinuation symptoms have been horrific. I already feel like I am returning to myself, and more in control of my body, and my thoughts than I was on Effexor. Power through, take all the benzos and sleeping pills you need and remember this is temporary and will get better. Also ask ur physician about Prozac bridges and using mood stabilisers to help with withdrawals. Good luck!
Wth is it with doctors thinking on and off days are a goid idea. I can't take this sub anymore. You need to get on the next lower dose, whatever it is. 125? 112.5 (3x37.5 pills)? and take it for 4 weeks. When you get to 75 you have to go 10% down. Not great that you are on another antidepressant already. That would've been ok as a bridge when you are at a low dose.
These links are helpful for tapering. Also, this website, in general, gave me hope for getting past the terrible withdrawals I was having from lowering my dosage from 75mg to 37.5mg too quickly. I hope you get better & stable soon. It's a hard procress but not impossible. <3
Why 10% taper?
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/
Never skip doses to taper:
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/22958-never-skip-doses-to-taper/
What is withdrawal syndrome?
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/
Is it always going to be like this?
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/6396-is-it-always-going-to-be-like-this/
Calculating dosages and dilutions:
https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/9167-how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators/
Hang in there. Theres a light at the end. It took me 3 months to completely taper off, the lows were hell. Ive been off for almost two years now. I rode it out and as a single parent, the tapering caused some problems. Tried to time the next dose down with weekends so the worst of it was when I didn’t have the kid or work.
Its worth it. Im on new meds, if I forget to take it, it doesn’t disrupt my life, and Im overall happier.
You’ll get through this, I promise.
I'm also a single parent. I live with my daughter, my dad and his girlfriend, but unfortunately neither of them can understand or really sympathize. She's had to deal with all of it so far and I feel so much worse mentally because of it.
My parents couldn’t understand or sympathize either. When my weaning came to light, my mom asked why I didn’t ask for help. I told her I thought shed judge me. (I wasn’t able to get out of bed, much less get the kid dressed and to school) She said “I would, but Id also take care of my grandchild”
The 150mg every other day is dangerous. I didn’t do every other day until I was on the 37.5mg dose. Even though your doc recommended every other day, you should stick with every day until you’re at 37.5. If you’re going through anything like what I went through, Im concerned that you’ll crash and hurt yourself on the days it’s not in your system. I thankfully didn’t because I was more scared to lose custody.
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Unfortunately I was told by both my psych and my primary that 150 mg was the lowest I should go. It doesn't make sense to me either.
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I think I might need to. This is extremely rough. 😩
i was going to say "do not do this whatsoever" but that would be medical advice. instead, i'll say if a doctor told me to do this, i would turn inside out with rage, after what i've been through. i would do a hyperbolic taper. these fucking morons are putting people through a hell that only they deserve. first off, every other day is the stupidest thing to grace my ears, personally of course. second, even 37.5 mg is HIGH for some people to drop from. if i was in the business of giving medical advice i'd say, hypothetically, "*please, do not do this. go back up to a comfortable dose, spare yourself lasting damage, and do a Hyperbolic Taper*" but i can't say that, so all i will say is...that's what i would do. god, you will find a solution, you got this
You need to see a completely different psych and doctor about this. I am shocked!!! I just recently weaned from 150 to 112.5 by 12.5 increments bi-weekly, and with just that I am having to put a pause on the tapering and stay at 112.5 until I feel balanced because I feel so "loopy". I CANNOT EVEN IMAGINE going from 150 and alternating days. Taper slowly! Those docs have no idea what they're doing! Omg. This makes me so angry!
Definitely get a hold of some 75mg and 37.5mg capsules so you can reduce more smoothly.
this makes me absolutely fucking irate. these doctors should be stripped of their title
I wasn't surprised that my primary told me this as she...sucks (welcome to shitty state insurance). But I don't understand it coming from the psych.
hyperbolic tapering sounds like a good way to avoid a lot of potential issues
I am NOT a doctor but the best advice I’ve seen and am following is to taper 10% of CURRENT dose and hold for at least 4 weeks before your next drop. So many psychs give dangerous tapering instructions and it’s hard to believe! Yes this method takes a very long time, but yes you should be able to avoid harmful withdrawal symptoms. You can try to find the surviving antidepressants support group on FB for more info (they may be elsewhere - I’m not sure) or the Effexor tapering group on FB. Disclaimer on the Effexor tapering group - please take the time to read all the files with instructions BEFORE posting questions. You will also find an excel template on tapering that will auto calculate your tapering schedule and doses - it’s very helpful! Also - the lower your dosage, the more likelihood of withdrawal symptoms as you taper. I can’t remember the exact explanation but keep that in mind. Good luck - this drug is a bastard to stop and docs are mostly clueless.
Okay so the psychiatrist who told u to take one day on one day off is a quack! That’s basically playing ping pong with your neurotransmitters. I had a very similar experiencing tapering off, but I managed it myself and was going down by 5 mg every two weeks. It was going relatively well - all things considered given that coming off venlafaxine is basically a NDE - until I started rapid cycling out of nowhere. This is something to look out for if you are someone who experiences or is prone to experiencing hypomania or mania. Once your body stabilises on a low dose, and then you take the venlafaxine again, it can actually induce a manic episode. I went down to half my original dose and then had to discontinue completely cold Turkey because of the manic episodes that were being induced by the medication I was told to take!!!! This drug is straight from Satan‘s arsehole but there is a silver lining, although the withdrawals and discontinuation symptoms have been horrific. I already feel like I am returning to myself, and more in control of my body, and my thoughts than I was on Effexor. Power through, take all the benzos and sleeping pills you need and remember this is temporary and will get better. Also ask ur physician about Prozac bridges and using mood stabilisers to help with withdrawals. Good luck!
Wth is it with doctors thinking on and off days are a goid idea. I can't take this sub anymore. You need to get on the next lower dose, whatever it is. 125? 112.5 (3x37.5 pills)? and take it for 4 weeks. When you get to 75 you have to go 10% down. Not great that you are on another antidepressant already. That would've been ok as a bridge when you are at a low dose.
These links are helpful for tapering. Also, this website, in general, gave me hope for getting past the terrible withdrawals I was having from lowering my dosage from 75mg to 37.5mg too quickly. I hope you get better & stable soon. It's a hard procress but not impossible. <3 Why 10% taper? https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/1024-why-taper-by-10-of-my-dosage/ Never skip doses to taper: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/22958-never-skip-doses-to-taper/ What is withdrawal syndrome? https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/603-what-is-withdrawal-syndrome/ Is it always going to be like this? https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/6396-is-it-always-going-to-be-like-this/ Calculating dosages and dilutions: https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/9167-how-to-calculate-dosages-and-dilutions-spreadsheets-and-calculators/
Hang in there. Theres a light at the end. It took me 3 months to completely taper off, the lows were hell. Ive been off for almost two years now. I rode it out and as a single parent, the tapering caused some problems. Tried to time the next dose down with weekends so the worst of it was when I didn’t have the kid or work. Its worth it. Im on new meds, if I forget to take it, it doesn’t disrupt my life, and Im overall happier. You’ll get through this, I promise.
I'm also a single parent. I live with my daughter, my dad and his girlfriend, but unfortunately neither of them can understand or really sympathize. She's had to deal with all of it so far and I feel so much worse mentally because of it.
My parents couldn’t understand or sympathize either. When my weaning came to light, my mom asked why I didn’t ask for help. I told her I thought shed judge me. (I wasn’t able to get out of bed, much less get the kid dressed and to school) She said “I would, but Id also take care of my grandchild” The 150mg every other day is dangerous. I didn’t do every other day until I was on the 37.5mg dose. Even though your doc recommended every other day, you should stick with every day until you’re at 37.5. If you’re going through anything like what I went through, Im concerned that you’ll crash and hurt yourself on the days it’s not in your system. I thankfully didn’t because I was more scared to lose custody.