Hi, I'm Gigismom

Hi @Gigismom ! Welcome to the TC! 🙂 You'll find you're in good company here, seems Effexor is the most popular drug. You're having depression symptoms now, but were you feeling ok (that way) before you started tapering? If so, your probably just having some WD and exercise, healthy living, positivity, being interactive, all that stuff can take care of depression. I would be cautious about starting a new AD. It's not your Drs body and mind, he's not the one who has to live with these effects. Eventually youll have to defeat this illness the right way, best to do asap before more drugs cause more problems. Here's a TC DB article you'll find helpful too. https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-taper-off-effexor-xr Blessings and best wishes 🙏

Welcome to Taper Community! Yes, as HopeNeverFails mentioned, we have many members tapering Effexor, including me! You're in good company. The safest way off any drug, in my experience, is to slowly taper it without trying to "bridge" onto something else. It comes with risks and unknowns. Sometimes it works, but sometimes it doesn't and can really complicate things. https://taper.community/resources/blog/bridging-with-prozac-for-ssri-tapering We recommend Hyperbolic tapering - monthly reductions of no more than 10% of the previous month's dose. The reductions will therefore get smaller and smaller as time goes on. The greatest changes in receptor occupancy happen at very low doses, so tapering this way is safer and easier on the brain. Some members can only taper by 5% or even less. Everyone is different in what their own body can handle. They key is to listen to your body and adjust your taper accordingly. If you go to the Tapering Protocols, Symptoms & Self-Care, and I Need Support sections of the forum and click on the Guides tab, you'll find lots of helpful advice and tips. The Resources section also has lots of helpful information. Please reach out if you have any questions. We look forward to supporting you on your tapering and healing journey! Catina 💜