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BasedStaff

Tapering: Effexor

954 posts

Europe

New To Tapering? Start Here — The Most Important Things To Know

February 24, 2026··

Whether you're planning your first reduction or three years into a slow taper, this is a good place to get oriented. The single most important concept: withdrawal is not relapse. When symptoms emerge after a dose reduction, the instinct (and often the doctor's advice) is to assume the underlying condition is returning. In most cases during an active taper, it's not. It's your nervous system adapting to a lower dose of a drug it has reorganized around. The difference matters enormously because the response is opposite: Relapse → may need to increase dose or change medication Withdrawal → needs time, stability, and patience. Often: do nothing. A few principles that guide most successful tapers: Hyperbolic tapering — reduce by a percentage of your current dose, not your original dose. 10% of 20mg is 2mg. 10% of 10mg is 1mg. The steps get smaller as you go lower because receptor occupancy works on a curve, not a line. The Learn section has a full module on this. Hold when symptomatic — if you're in a wave, the answer is almost never to keep reducing. Hold your current dose until you've had 2-4 weeks of stability. Slower is faster — people who rush almost always have to slow down or reinstate. People who go slowly almost always finish. Resources in the Learn section worth reading first: 1.2 Withdrawal Is Not Relapse 1.3 The Wave-and-Window Pattern 2.1 Hyperbolic Tapering in Practice Post your questions here or start a thread with your drug name in the title. When you log a check-in in My Taper, it appears here. See what symptoms others are experiencing at different doses and stages. When you're wondering if what you're feeling is normal — someone else's check-in will probably answer it. — TaperCommunity Team

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

33 Replies

HoneyApr 29

WelcomerCelexa · active

Hi, I was on 30 mg of citalopram for 10 years. I reduced to 25 mg for 6 months and now I’m on month 4 of 20mg. I was planning on reducing by 5mg every 6 months but not so sure after reading about hyperbolic tapering. I bought a pill cutter for the 10mg tablets but it’s hit and miss how it cuts them. Wouid you recommend crushing and weighing instead? I have the mg digital scales. I definitely felt off the first week of reducing from 30mg to 25mg and 25mg to 20mg but then things levelled out. Not sure if I should jump down from 20mg to 15mg for the next 6 month phase or take it down by 2.5mg instead. These stories about akathasia terrify me! Just to add, I’m 47, female. I was on citalopram for 6 months at the age of 21 and then again at 34 for 6 months. I stupidly went cold turkey both times and it was truly brutal but I recovered after a couple of weeks. Any insights would be appreciated. Thanks for setting this site up.

Celexa — 20mg — 10 years — actively tapering

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BasedStaffMay 6

Community AnchorEffexor

Hey @Honey ! Sorry i missed this. If you dont have access to a compounding pharmacy I would dissolve the pill in water, and extract your % with a syringe, and spray it into your mouth. i hope that helps!

Creator of Taper Community, here to help you.

KrysSep 10

Cymbalta · active

What is the best way to taper off of Cymbalta 60mg?

Cymbalta — 60 — 4years — actively tapering | without clinician

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CatinaSep 10

Community AnchorEffexor

@Krys, the best way to taper off any psychotropic drug is by doing a Hyperbolic taper. You can learn about this in the Resources section. You'll want to taper by no more than 10% each month from the previous month's dose. The doses will get smaller and smaller as time goes on. The greatest changes in serotonin receptors actually happen at very low doses. https://taper.community/drugs/cymbalta https://taper.community/resources/blog/cymbalta-tapering-guide Let us know if you have any other questions and we'll help the best we can. Catina 💕

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.

KrysSep 10

Cymbalta · active

Thank you!

Cymbalta — 60 — 4years — actively tapering | without clinician

ClaraSep 14

Welcomer

Hello can anyone recommend some accurate scales as the cheaper ones I've tried are all over the place . It's such a minimal amount when your tapering isn't it ! How much do u need to spend to get it accurate ? I'm in the uk . Clara

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 14

Community AnchorEffexor

"can anyone recommend some accurate scales as the cheaper ones I've tried are all over the place" — @Clara

Which scales have you used so far Clara? I have the Gemini-20, which many people like and use.

ClaraSep 14

Welcomer

Hi I did wonder if these were any good as they are relatively cheap £37 ... 🤷‍♀️

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

ClaraSep 14

Welcomer

Also what does tramodol come under for tapering schedule ?

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 14

Community AnchorEffexor

"Also what does tramodol come under for tapering schedule ?" — @Clara

Like most drugs, a 10% monthly Hyperbolic taper is recommended to start. If you find you can do more, great. If not, you can always reduce by less. It's whatever your own CNS is able to handle. Does that answer your question?

ClaraSep 15

Welcomer

Thank you 👍🤗can you give me a taper programme then ? I cut out 50 mg pill yesterday as told to by pharmacist .. what a joke ! My body shut down on my post delivery I couldn't walk up steep drives , I got the worse restless legs and I was eating porridge ten pm at night ... they are clueless !😡😡😡😡😡

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

ClaraSep 15

Welcomer

I'm suppose to do another 50 mg drop in two days 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 15

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi @Clara, Yes, many doctors (and even pharmacists) are clueless when it comes to safe tapering. Do you need help with discussing the subject with your healthcare providers? https://taper.community/thread/dbb2cdbb-bb3d-4bb9-93ab-b33de4a3fd0b https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-talk-to-your-doctor-about-tapering Here are some tips to help you create a tapering program for yourself. You can also use the Taper Plan feature on the left sidebar of the site. https://taper.community/resources/blog/how-to-calculate-a-taper-schedule

ClaraSep 17

Welcomer

Hi catina . No hope of discussing tapering with doctors . This is why they ve referred me to a pharmist . Tramodol preparations are not possible . And he s told me not to touch or empty my capsules at all .. so no there is no help from my health care providers !! 😞

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

ClaraSep 17

Welcomer

Sorry just to get this right if I'm on 150 mg a day am I cutting 15 mg of this daily ... for a month ?

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 17

Community AnchorEffexor

"Sorry just to get this right if I'm on 150 mg a day am I cutting 15 mg of this daily ... for a month ?" — @Clara

No need to apologize! It would be 10% reductions each month in a Hyperbolic manner. Each monthly reduction will be 10% less than the previous month's dose, not the original dose. The reductions get smaller and smaller as time goes on. Here is what the schedule would look like: | Month | Daily dose | Reduction that month | |---:|---:|---:| | 0 | 150.00 mg | — | | 1 | 135.00 mg | 15.00 mg | | 2 | 121.50 mg | 13.50 mg | | 3 | 109.35 mg | 12.15 mg | | 4 | 98.42 mg | 10.93 mg | | 5 | 88.58 mg | 9.84 mg | | 6 | 79.72 mg | 8.86 mg | | 7 | 71.75 mg | 7.97 mg | | 8 | 64.58 mg | 7.17 mg | | 9 | 58.12 mg | 6.46 mg | | 10 | 52.31 mg | 5.81 mg | | 11 | 47.08 mg | 5.23 mg | | 12 | 42.37 mg | 4.71 mg | | 13 | 38.13 mg | 4.24 mg | | 14 | 34.32 mg | 3.81 mg | | 15 | 30.89 mg | 3.43 mg | | 16 | 27.80 mg | 3.09 mg | | 17 | 25.02 mg | 2.78 mg | | 18 | 22.52 mg | 2.50 mg | | 19 | 20.27 mg | 2.25 mg | | 20 | 18.24 mg | 2.03 mg | | 21 | 16.42 mg | 1.82 mg | | 22 | 14.78 mg | 1.64 mg | | 23 | 13.30 mg | 1.48 mg | | 24 | 11.97 mg | 1.33 mg |

ClaraSep 18

Welcomer

Thank u soooooo much ur a star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️😘🤗🤗

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 18

Community AnchorEffexor

"Thank u soooooo much" — @Clara

You're welcome! I hope it helps. 💜

ClaraSep 18

Welcomer

Soooooo ... I bought a Gemini 20 scale .. it wouldn't calibrate just said cal and didn't recognise the 10 g weight ... anyway read the manuel said u don't have to do this step if new ....: so pit 50 mg capsule on the scale ... says 0.097 ??? 🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️I'm confused ... shouldn't it say 0.050 ? Ughhhhhh

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 18

Community AnchorEffexor

"50 mg capsule on the scale ... says 0.097" — @Clara

The 50 mg is how much medication is in the capsule. The 0.097 is simply how much that capsule weighs.

ClaraSep 19

Welcomer

Hello I did weigh the capsule too so it wasn't that . But I just had a thought 🤗it would be the fillers wouldn't it as it's not just tramodol in capsule I read ... so I guess I just weigh out 15 mg out of it ? Thank u for replying .. I've had more help from u than anyone in 25 yrs !😘😘

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 19

Community AnchorEffexor

@Clara, just to clarify...is your Tramadol tablets or capsules?

ClaraSep 19

Welcomer

It's a capsule tho a small one . It is tricky to pull apart !

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

ClaraSep 19

Welcomer

I came off the slow release a few months ago .. same dose 50mg but went to standard one of 50 mg . O m g the withdrawal from that was hard for few weeks ! So depressed and eating Everything in sight . Even tho I was still on the same dose

150 mg — 20 plus years — researching taper | without clinician

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CatinaSep 19

Community AnchorEffexor

What is the name of the manufacturer for your Tramadol?

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