Effexor Taper & Withdrawal (Important Update)

Effexor Taper & Withdrawal. An important update regarding Effexor and akathisia.
#antidepressants #mentalhealth #effexor #withdrawal #anxiety #lymedisease #healing #healingjourney #nevergiveup #akathisia

[@nathandriscoll5499]

Glad to see you're still plodding along here mate. I wanted to have a chat to you to share some things that helped me but I will try list them here. One of the worst withdrawal effects I had was uncontrollable shivering episodes that would last about 40 mins. Also these moments of terror that would wake me up just as I was falling asleep. Best I can describe is a feeling like you're about to be murdered but amplified 10 fold. Bizarrely, I found that certain foods brought these on, especially mushrooms (just normal ones) and chocolate. Every extreme bout of shivering and terror was after eating mushrooms or chocolate. When I looked into it, it seemed to be related to glutamates and I found many articles linking them to issues with SSRI withdrawl. I then cut glutamates out as much as I could (very difficult) as so many things have them. But I managed it and my symptoms became a lot more manageable. That aside, the other thing that helped is that when I was feeling my worst and felt terrible/hopeless/angry, I would pause for a moment and tell myself it's ok, let it happen, I will get through this one day. Relax and go with it. Anyway, I hope there's something helpful in there for you. Nathan.

[@MaikenJakobsen-b8e]

I fully understand your decision 👍 and why you make these decisions especially because of your story and experience in pain for so long. I wish you the very best and hope you get love and support in all this 🙏. I am in psyk drug hell myself (before that hormones etc which destroyed me) and nobody understands it, if they have not experienced it themselves. And how frightening it is to make these big decisions on the way to get better. God bless you. I hope you get well soon 🙏♥️.

[@SLAMUELDUNK]

Hey, I’m just here to say that I know exactly what you’re going through. I’m currently in the process of restoration as I’m now 5 months off of antidepressants. Everything that you say I can relate to and have experienced fully. My journey has been a extremely hard one, was off and on 7 antidepressants over the past 2 years and I was just trying to find something that would make me feel okay again and make all the pain go away. I experienced what words cannot describe as well. Pure suffering and pure mental agony. A complete lost sense of who I am and self. Horrible Dissociation. So many horrible side effects. And just overall feeling so horrible mentally and suffering so greatly mentally the average human mind really can’t even begin to even comprehend the depth of suffering I went through. I’m just here to say you’re on the right path. The most important thing I want to say is just don’t give up, and it will get better. It just takes a long time for your brain to heal itself and get back to normal, especially with how powerful psych meds are. Don’t give up, keep pushing. Even when it is hard, you just have to keep pushing and know that one day it will get better. Also very important how you feel when you get off the medication is not how you will feel forever that’s the lie that you have to dismiss. You’ve taken something that’s caused extreme damage to your brain and you will feel horrible for a while but your brain WILL heal and things WILL get better. If it did for me it will for you. If I can do it I know you can too . Much love man , God loves you so much

[@nathandriscoll5499]

Well done Samuel. I can relate also to what you've written here. Like you, I cannot fathom how our minds can create the horrendous feelings, thoughts and sensations and or how we managed to get through it! It's like absolute hell on earth. The dissociation was horrible. Also I couldn't exercise, I'd go for runs and get so unwell and weak I considered calling an ambulance. Bouts of claustrophobia when in bed. The neverending shivering fits. Panic attacks that came on for no reason at any time. Moments of terror as I was about to fall asleep. I managed 4 months off, I fought so f*cking hard but in the end it was basically die or go back on. I then weaned off over a year by counting the beads. Towards the end I really struggled and started using lorazepam occasionally which helped, but then I needed it every day and then I had to stop and that was another shocker (another story). Once off everything I still wasn't coping and tried a hoard of other meds inc, propanol, pregabalin, Mirtazapine, bupropion and even a low dose of Risperidone. That all made me feel worse. Funnily enough only another SSRI escitalopram made me feel somewhat normal again. I'm now in the process of reducing that which seems to be going ok. Time will tell!

[@SLAMUELDUNK]

@@nathandriscoll5499 so sorry to hear that you were a victim of psychiatric medication as well. I truly wish the best for you and know that things will and do get better. It just takes time and you have to trust the process being off of everything and know that you can and will feel okay again one day. Takes a long time for your brain to heal and get back to normal, and longer the longer you have been on medication. Be strong and never give up you are worth it

[@redkhamelejoon1599]

good luck on your journey