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jmorris106

Tapering: Viibryd

researching

3 posts

Midwest

Side-effects/withdrawal OR Original condition

August 17, 2026··
Hi all, I'm new here, but unfortunately not new to this situation. I've been through several psych withdrawals and a few adverse reactions over the past several years. One question I keep coming back to is, are these symptoms side-effects or reactions to the drugs? Or, are they the original condition that I started taking these drugs for to begin with. The reason I ask is because I went through a horrendous protracted adverse reaction to Pristiq and subsequent withdrawal from benzos (prescribed) in 2009-2013. I ended up being okay and went on to live a really good life for many years. Then I had a depressive episode in 2016 which lasted about a year. I recovered, but it was bad. I have been doing really good from 2017 - 2025, but woke up one morning and was back in the "s#it". It was as if I was right back in withdrawal. but years later. I ended up taking a number of SSRIs and Buspar and Abilify to try to treat this episode, but nothing really worked that well. I'm trying to figure out if I just have depression and anxiety really bad and I got hit again HARD, or if what I'm experiencing now are side effects or withdrawal from the meds I tried. I'm so confused...

Viibryd — 10mg — 8 months — researching taper | Seroquel — 25mg — 5 days — researching taper | without clinician

3 Replies

Catina
CatinaStaff6d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
Hi @jmorris106, welcome to Taper Community. Really nice to have you with us. It sounds like you have a very long and complex history with psychiatric drugs. Given everything you've described, it's hard to give a clear-cut answer as to what is causing what since withdrawal symptoms and side effects can mimic the very "disorders" you were trying to treat. In 2025 - before you suddenly woke up and felt like you were back in "withdrawal," can you think of anything that happened right before this scenario? Did you have increased stress, start a new drug or supplement, or have a large amount of alcohol? Sometimes any of those things can churn up withdrawal symptoms that you thought were long gone. The CNS can stay in a hypersensitive state for a very long time after an adverse reaction and benzo withdrawal. Is it your goal to be free of all psychiatric drugs? What symptoms are you dealing with at the moment? If you're feeling especially unstable or fragile right now, it might not be the best time to taper. You want to taper from a stable place. You've only been on Seroquel for 5 days. Are you going to continue it? The longer you stay on the harder it could be to come off. I'm sorry if I haven't been able to give you exact answers about what is causing what, but it's a very complex situation with many factors. One thing that would be helpful to us is if you could add a more detailed summary of which drugs you've been on with the dates. You can do this in Settings. Make sure to save your edits. You don't need to figure everything out right now. The most important thing is to try and be stable. After you feel stable enough, then you can think about starting to taper if that's your wish. We're here to support you no matter what you decide! 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.

J
WelcomerViibryd · researching
Thank you for the reply. I'm so confused right now. I don't know which way is up. And you're right, my history is very complicated with these drugs. I will say that I've never felt 100% myself while I've been on this medications. I think the hardest part for me is just understanding what's me and what's the medicine.

Viibryd — 10mg — 8 months — researching taper | Seroquel — 25mg — 5 days — researching taper | without clinician

Catina
CatinaStaff5d ago
Community AnchorEffexor
"I've never felt 100% myself while I've been on this medications" — @jmorris106
Well, that might be the root of what all your issues are. These drugs are very powerful and everyone reacts differently to them. They can actually cause people to feel worse. And then if you factor in withdrawal and adverse reactions, it's no wonder you're struggling. I'm so sorry! I think if you can free yourself of psychiatric drugs and find more holistic ways to treat any mental health difficulties you'll be better off in the end. That's just my opinion of course, but I'm a person who has been on these drugs for a very long time myself and I don't think they've benefitted me at all. They don't heal or cure anything...all they do is create physical dependence. Keep us updated on how you're doing and what you decide to do for yourself. Our brains have an amazing capacity to heal, so I think you have every reason to be hopeful. 💝

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.

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