3rd Effexor Update - Feeling Bad - Mar 3

March 3, 2026··

Posted in:Effexor (Venlafaxine)Support

taper update

Something happened this morning that caused a tremendous amount of anxiety, so I'm really struggling at the moment.

Catina’s taper progress

View full journey →

Dose (mg)

Mood (/10)

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

6 Replies

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Based PsychiatristStaff5mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Sorry to hear Catina! Do you have any coping skills like meditation etc to help?

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

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CatinaStaff5mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Thank you. I like to do deep breathing exercises, which help. I also love EFT Tapping. Other things that help my anxiety are exercise and a warm bath. I will try to do some of these things today.

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Based PsychiatristStaff5mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Awesome those sound lovely. Wishing you the best!

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

Bettoben5mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

I see that Effexor is not only a serotonin reuptake inhibitor but also a norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor which seems relevant, because for those of us taking Zoloft, norepinephrine tends to get overly activated during tapering. Because in the absence of serotonin, I understand that norepinephrine spikes to fill the serotonin gap… I questioned the AI and this is what I got: "Zoloft tapper: serotonin drops: norepinephrine tries to compensate: excessive activation in some cases. Effexor tapper: serotonin and norepinephrine drop together: less norepinephrine “rebound,” but symptoms are more intense and appear faster due to its short halflife " I understand that those of us tapering off Zoloft experience that spike in anxiety, and you likely have the added fatigue.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

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CatinaStaff5mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Thanks for your input Bettoben. The anxiety that I experience with tapering Effexor can feel severe at times, and it may have something to do with the Epinephrine. It's tough.

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CatinaStaff5mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"Awesome those sound lovely. Wishing you the best!" — @Based Psychiatrist

Thank you so much! You're a great encouragement to us here.

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