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Community AnchorEffexor

I'm really sorry you're going through such a challenging time, but I'm glad you're able to take some time off to rest and take care of yourself. ❤️ When you get a chance, can you make a Drug History Signature for yourself? It will give your fellow members an overview of your situation. It will appear at the bottom of all your posts. See mine as an example. You can do this in Settings. Thank you! I am including a couple links that I hope will help! https://taper.community/thread/c981af8f-22d3-43c0-8342-11303c5a442c https://www.reclaimyourinnerlife.com/p/how-to-work-through-depression I really hope you feel better soon. Be gentle with yourself right now. You're doing the best you can.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 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.

K

Kitty6d ago

Welcomer

Thank you Catina. It was very difficult. My psychiatrist called me back today and told me to go back on the 1 mg dose of prolixin and then very slowly taper off 0.1mg at a time. I agreed. Tonight I took the 1mg dose of prolixin. That was the dose I stopped taking completely about 4 weeks ago. The muscles below my neck felt more relaxed so far. I wonder if I will sleep throughout the night. My sleep has been interrupted and restless almost all the nights. I hope one day my posts can help someone.

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

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Catina6d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

How are you doing today Kitty? Did you sleep okay? It's good your psychiatrist seems a little informed about the need to slowly taper, so that's good. It might be best if you didn't start the taper until you feel more stable. It will make any future reductions easier. How often did your doctor instruct you to make those reductions? Slow and steady wins the race!

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 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.

anne noni moss6d ago

LighthousePaxil · holding

Hi @Kitty let us know how you are when you can!

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

K

Kitty5d ago

Welcomer

Hi Catina. I slept six hours last night. Yesterday I did feel better. MY mother in law was angry at me irrationally telling me that I can’t take care of myself and telling me put on my coat before I go outside. I wasn’t going to go out without my coat. I learned to communicate asertitively in my DBT group therapies and to told her to stop telling me what to do and that she’s annoying me and bothering me. She said ok. Last night, I just kept thinking about how annoying she is. It’s just thoughts of all these years I lived with her and her pestering me and making slight comments and passing judgements. It’s so condescending! I got through the anger with reading my book and pausing to pray and rationalizing with myself. I think the anger is overproportioned to the situation. I figured out to just assert myself if she starts telling me what to do again.

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

K

Kitty5d ago

Welcomer

I am at work for three hours now and it’s actually better in a way. I took two days off work. I am stressed out but it’s ok. I only have a little less than 4 hours left of work then I will go to my GI specialist and relax there for an hour before I see them. It’s good that I get away from my mother in law for awhile. I know i am partially the issue here but she is also part of my problem. I just feel flustered and stressed out. It’s as if my body is burning. It’s kind of a funky feeling.

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

K

Kitty5d ago

Welcomer

Hi Anne. Thanks a lot for checking in with me. I managed to go to work today. My body feels like it’s stressed out. I am flustered and a bit annoyed at everything. I slept about six hours last night. Which is not bad considering some nights I only sleep two hours. I have therapy on Monday and a psych md follow up on Tuesday. I have some right sided back pain. That’s weird. It’s usually the hip or groin area, or my feet, neck or shoulders or arms. I guess pain just travels around. I wonder if I should go get a massage either tomorrow or Saturday

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

K

Kitty5d ago

Welcomer

Hi Catina. I just reread your response to me. She didn’t say exactly when she will reduce the dose or the time interval between tapering. I think the most immediate goal is to stabilise me currently and then decide on what the next steps are once I feel like myself again. I still am not quite myself yet. I wonder if it’s my pmdd causing all this stressful restless and irritability. It’s going to be at least another two weeks of crappy mood if this cycle is the same as last months.

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

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Catina5d ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"I wonder if it’s my pmdd causing all this stressful restless and irritability" — @Kitty

It could very well be. I suffered from very severe PMDD like clockwork for two weeks out of every month. It was horrible. Have you seen this? Hope it helps! https://taper.community/thread/02e5be8d-ebd0-417c-939d-bdf9cb269b19

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 16.64 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Synthroid - 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.

H

HopeNeverFails5d ago

LighthouseZyprexa · active

"My body feels like it’s stressed out. I am flustered and a bit annoyed at everything. I slept about six hours last night. Which is not bad considering some nights I only sleep two hours...I have some right sided back pain. That’s weird. It’s usually the hip or groin area, or my feet, neck or shoulders or arms. I guess pain just travels around" — @Kitty

Sounds like my days and nights pretty dead on lol. Except I see you also suffer from PMDD...ugh. You have my sympathies, but we'll get through this! 🙏

Zyprexa started at 2.5mg in late April26 — 0.63mg at Nov 2026— actively tapering
Doxepin (Silenor / Sinequan) — started at 2mg in June26 - 0.3mg at Nov 2026— actively tapering

K

Kitty4d ago

Welcomer

Hi hopeneverfails. I actually feel better tonight. My mother in law actually listened to me and stopped bothering me and getting into my business and commenting/judging/criticizing me. She left me alone today. It made me feel a lot better. I am glad I advocated for myself. No one taught me to communicate assertively growing up. My mother was taught to be the obedient daughter in law even though my grandmother was awful to her. I think my mother in law wants my attention but instead of supporting me, she criticizes and passive aggressively communicates and condescends and judges and criticizes me. I used to just ignore her but she doesn’t stop. I loathe seeing her and hate being in the same room with her. But she’s like my other daughter. She follows me around and purposefully get closer to me physically. Like there’s the whole house filled with floors and she will just wipe the floor around me. She’s pushing her presence onto me. I feel like she’s mentally sick in a way. But I am glad she listened. Maybe in a week she will get back to her old ways but I will keep repeating myself until it’s drilled into her head. A big load came off of me when she left me alone today. It feels amazing. Yes, she’s probably forcing herself to not comment about me to me and stay away from me but I am glad. I shouldn’t be feeling so very uncomfortable in my own home.

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

H

HopeNeverFails4d ago

LighthouseZyprexa · active

"mother in law" — @Kitty

Sorry to hear of your problems. My mother in-law and I don't have those problems. Woman passed on about 12y ago - we get along just fine now! 🙂

Zyprexa started at 2.5mg in late April26 — 0.63mg at Nov 2026— actively tapering
Doxepin (Silenor / Sinequan) — started at 2mg in June26 - 0.3mg at Nov 2026— actively tapering

K

Kitty4d ago

Welcomer

I am happy that you never suffered from your mil. I feel a lot better today!

Prolixin 1mg—> 0mg for three weeks—-> 0.5mg for 3 days—->1mg

anne noni moss4d ago

LighthousePaxil · holding

"I have some right sided back pain. That’s weird. It’s usually the hip or groin area, or my feet, neck or shoulders or arms. I guess pain just travels around. I wonder if I should go get a massage either tomorrow or Saturday" — @Kitty

I have this too! It moves around which makes me suspect.............................................THE MEDS !

atypical in presentation of side effects, super sensitive to small doses and general delayed responder. never took a psych med that didn't' make me sick immediately with infections and restless legs. have never been able to tolerate being on them, but have never had support to get off so I've been bouncing back and forth. i don't like capital letters. sorry.

Paxil — 1 mg — 2 yrs — holding until Oct. 7 doc appt.
Seroquel — 50 — planning taper |
trileptal -75 planning taper
prasozin 1 mg planning taper

started my psych med saga in 2001 and wish I never had. I had some difficulties with sleep and anxiety, but NOTHING like what was in store for me after trying every med out there. My last treatment center promised to "get me totally off" in 2022 but it was a lie. They just switched drugs and added more and more in a desperate attempt to help me "stabilize," so they could call me a "success story" once insurance stopped paying. I agree with those who state that this industry needs to change. AND I'm working on not being resentful about my suffering because it doesn't help anyone.

been on an off cocktails since 2001. Most recent mixture, prescribed in 2024: 20 mg Paxil, 150 Trileptal, 50 Seroquel, 2 mg prasozin, (for PTSD/nightmares.)

immediately went to 1 mg prasozin, and after 3 months cut to 10 mg paxil. No felt effects. Then went to 5 about 3 months later, (though I didnt' keep track so I'm rusty.) No felt effects. So, I've roughly been on 5 mg for a year and a half.

Side effects always force to to start tapering RIGHT AWAY.

I didn't start keeping track of my Paxil taper until this year. I went from 3mg to 1 in 10 months, using a liquid Maudsley-ish slow taper. Again, no felt effects until now.

October 2026...sleeping less and feeling more sedated during the day. Having trouble managing my social life without getting over-stimulated. Must set boundaries according to my body and not my heart.

Holding 1 mg paxil until blood work done and evaluated, and to see if build a social life that doesn't make me lose sleep. Sounds silly as I type it, but actually, nothing is "silly" on this ride! Everything is WILD!!!! LOL

Keeping all other meds the same. Sorry so long.

I have to take a medical leave of absence

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