Hi, I'm Sialia

Welcome, Sialia. There's lots of good info in the ‘Guides’ tab, the individual threads on the Tapering forum and educational stuff in the resources section, too. There are also some good threads about how to manage symptoms in the ‘Symptoms & Support’ forum. It can be worth reading up on the Surviving Antidepressants site as well (it’s no longer active, but still readable), as there’s a wealth of experience and knowledge there, as it was active for a long time. The most important thing is not to rush into anything and read up and settle in before starting to taper or going any further in your taper. Safety, and not speed, is the winning ticket. I'm also older (early 60s), and I've been tapering my AD for several years already, with more to go - something that's good to be aware of is that at our age, we can be more sensitive to drugs and withdrawal; basically, an ageing nervous system is harder hit, so it pays to proceed with caution and consider going lower than some in your taper, at least till you know how you handle the reductions.

Hi @Sialia, welcome to Taper Community! I have also been on and off antidepressants over the years and have now found myself having to taper Effexor. Yes, it can be a difficult drug to taper, but the key is going slow and not rushing things. I'm taking many years to get off this drug because I've tapered too fast in the past and regretted it. I am confident that we both will be able to taper off this drug! I started at 75 mg and have gotten all the way down to 17.28 mg. If you can't find a provider in the Find a Clinician section of the forum on the left sidebar, here are some helpful tips on finding one: https://taper.community/resources/blog/finding-a-taper-friendly-doctor If you need to discuss the subject of tapering with your own doctor, here is some helpful information to help you do that: https://taper.community/thread/dbb2cdbb-bb3d-4bb9-93ab-b33de4a3fd0b https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-tapering If your doctor refuses to help you, here are the steps you need to take: https://taper.community/resources/blog/what-to-do-when-your-doctor-refuses-to-taper-you If worse comes to worse, many people just taper on their own with the guidance they receive here. We recommend Hyperbolic tapering here at Taper Community - 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. Here are some helpful links about Effexor: https://taper.community/drugs/effexor https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-taper-off-effexor-xr 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. I know I've just given you lots of information, but just take things one step at a time. Please let us know how we can help you or if you have any questions, and we'll be happy to help! Catina 💜