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BasedStaff

Effexor · Mar 6, 2026

Tapering: Effexor

989 posts

Europe

Meet the Team

March 6, 2026

TaperCommunity exists because SurvivingAntidepressants.org (the community that helped thousands of people through psychiatric medication withdrawal) went read-only in early 2026. We built this so that knowledge, peer connection, and support would continue. We are not a clinic. We are people who understand what psychiatric medication withdrawal actually looks like; because we've lived it, researched it, or spent years supporting others through it. Based Psychiatrist Clinician TaperCommunity is part of a broader effort to build infrastructure for the deprescribing movement. Connecting patients with clinicians who take withdrawal seriously and giving people tools to taper safely. I built this platform because the resources that existed were fragile and the need was real. I am a clinician. I'm someone who saw a gap and decided to fill it properly. Catina Community Lead I have been a part of the withdrawal community since 2021. I served as a peer Mentor at Surviving Antidepressants where I gave emotional support and guidance to fellow members. I am currently tapering Venlafaxine, a drug that has caused me great harm. I have a passion for helping others during their tapering and withdrawal journey. I'm honored to be a part of Taper Community, and I'm excited to see the impact it's going to have in the field of safe deprescribing. Domagoj Community Support I was prescribed diazepam for a back injury — short term, no real conversation about dependence. When I stopped, months of withdrawal followed before I understood what had actually happened. Around the same time I discovered my grandmother had been on benzodiazepines for years, prescribed the same way. That's when I decided to start helping others navigate what the prescribing conversation missed. Steve Community Support I've been on multiple psychiatric medications and I've lived through the side effects and withdrawal that come with most of them firsthand. That experience is what drives my passion for this work. I'm currently tapering venlafaxine myself, so I know exactly what it feels like to be in the thick of it. I'm interested in modern approaches to deprescribing like metabolic interventions.

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

18 Replies

eje91Mar 9

Welcomerother · researching

Thank you for making this website! I appreciate each one of you and your helping other people on their tapering journey.

other — 300 mg. — 5 months — researching taper | with clinician

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BasedStaffMar 9

Community AnchorEffexor

"Thank you for making this website!" — @eje91

Thank you for joining us! Please share with a friend in need!

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

eje91Mar 11

Welcomerother · researching

Okay. I will share this website with a friend.

other — 300 mg. — 5 months — researching taper | with clinician

YuliawithhopeApr 14

NavigatorLexapro · holding

You are an amazing team! Glad I am here.

Lexapro — 2,2 mg — 5 — holding | without clinician

Roy EApr 15

LighthousePristiq · active

Thank you for starting this website, I was heartbroken to see Surviving Antidepressants shut down and made read only recently, it helped so many people over the years, I really hope many can find their way here in future

Pristiq — 30mg — 17 Years — holding | Seroquel — 400mg — 17 Years — holding | Valium — 2mg once or twice a week — 10 years — supporting others | other — Modafinil 200mg — 3 Months — supporting others | with clinician

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CatinaApr 24

Community AnchorEffexor

"You are an amazing team! Glad I am here." — @Yuliawithhope

Thank you! We're glad to have you. 🩷

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.28 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.

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CatinaApr 24

Community AnchorEffexor

"Thank you for starting this website, I was heartbroken to see Surviving Antidepressants shut down and made read only recently, it helped so many people over the years, I really hope many can find their way here in future" — @Roy E

Everyone at SA was heartbroken that it couldn't continue. I'm grateful for this community too!

Gigi‎Sep 25

LighthouseZoloft · active

All I can say is, thank you for this space. It is so needed.

Withdrawal is not a preview of who you are without the drug.
Zoloft — 10 years, 50 mg — currently 21.5 mg — actively tapering

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BasedStaffSep 25

Community AnchorEffexor

Happy to have you @Gigi.0809 you will be a phenomenal addition to the community. Makes me feel so great to see others collaborating and supporting eachother

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

HannaPotSep 25

NavigatorMirtazapine · active

I am just so glad I found this place! I really apreciate all of you ❣️

Mirtazapine — 30mg — 12weeks — actively tapering

Overthis66Sep 26

WelcomerValium · active

I want to thank you all. Being scared and tapering, you guys give a safe place to land with so much guidance and wisdom. May each of you be blessed. ♥️

Valium — 10mg — 2 months — actively tapering | without clinician

MashaSep 26

LighthousePaxil · holding

Blessed!

Paxil — 20 mg — 20 years. Went off now back on — holding
Trazadone 25 mg
Buspar 5 mg two times a day
Ativan .25 at night

anne noni mossSep 27

NavigatorPaxil · holding

Appreciate you all. Let me know how I can help. I love the organization of this site.

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.

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BasedStaffSep 27

Community AnchorEffexor

"Appreciate you all. Let me know how I can help. I love the organization of this site" — @marz

Thank you! Please welcome new people to the community, and share your experiences with others!

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

Peggy WallaceOct 4

NavigatorCymbalta · holding

Wow! Thanks so much for this much needed support. I’ve felt so alone, and learning as well as helping others is in my wheel house! I think that I’m coming through withdrawal, but I’m not saying DONE for a long time. Folks who have literally lived through this with me without understanding have been comforting and patient with me. They tell me that I am clearer than I have been before all this started. That’s good to hear. But, I live in this body. They don’t.

In my life, have been on Prozac, Wellbutrin, Amytriptiline, Ambien, Seroquel, Zoloft, pamelor, Nortriptiline, Clonazepam, Suboxone (for insomnia), Effexor, Valium, Trazadone, Zanax, and Gabapentin. These, I remember.
Currently on,Duloxetine 60 mg — 2 yr — holding | without clinician

Polly's FarmOct 4

Trusted VoiceTrintellix · researching

Thank you so much for making this site, it's fantastic. No matter what problem you're having, there's an article that covers it. It's amazing to have so much information in one trustworthy place. So thank you a million times. I really think you're changing people's lives.

Trintellix — 15mg — 4 years, 9 months — researching taper | Risperdal — 0.25mg — 4 years, 9 months — actively tapering | Depakine — 1000mg — 12 years — supporting others | with clinician

WeLiveInHope6d ago

Prozac

Thanks for being here to continue this work in some way now that the SA website is archived.

Fluoxetine 10mg (liquid) - Holding since 2018 after taper from 20mg Paroxetine (tablets). On and off Paroxetine for over a decade. During taper, intense withdrawal symptoms of pain at 10mg and psychiatrist and I agreed to swap to 10mg fluoxetine.

Quetiapine 25mg (tablet) - Taking this since 2023 as aid for sleep.

Lamotrigine (tablet) - Tapering. 4mg October 2026. Started 25mg circa June 2026, titrated to 100mg, intense pain developed, possibly side effects/withdrawal symptoms from original Paroxetine taper. Abrupt withdrawal due to the pain, resumed at 25mg 3 weeks later in September 2026. Began rapid tapering 2 weeks later due to intense pain. Started this medication as developed persistent depression with distressing suicidal type thoughts from circa February 2026.

*Levothyroxine (liquid) - Adjusting dose for hypothyroidism (October 2026). So you have an accurate picture, I have a strange autoimmune thyroid disease where I naturally oscillate between hypothyroidism and hyperthyroidism, though of course at times it can be with due to over medication of levothyroxine or anti thyroid drugs. Allegedly, this have antibodies for both Graves and Hashimoto diseases. Diagnosed circa 2023. Given my family is riddled with the disease it’s possibly I had this all along and was misdiagnosed with bipolar. I remain open minded including that psychotropic drugs caused this harm to me too.

OTC - Omega 3, Nac, Coq10, multivitamin. These I take regularly. Occasionally, I also take folate, b12, iron with vitamin c when I need to increase my levels. There are a few others I take very occasionally such as CBD and feverfew for pain.

Others - As per bio, I have been taking and come off other psychotropic drugs as well as sleeping tablets throughout the last two plus decades. For a fuller drug history, see SA website under the same username here https://www.survivingantidepressants.org/forums/topic/28665-weliveinhope-not-there-yet/

I am based in England UK and my tapers are largely self managed without clinicians, though I tend to keep clinicians informed about my tapering decisions.

Tealrobin3d ago

WelcomerTrintellix · holding

Thank you so much for creating this space. I’m so glad I found it!

Citalopram - 40mg to 20mg in 1 week then 0 June 2026 | Trintellix 5mg 4 weeks, 10mg 17 days, 5mg 5 weeks, 3.75mg 4 weeks, up dosed to 5mg 13 Oct 2026 — plan to holding and to taper slower in future

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