Taper cocktail done wrong
Name
Barbara B
I was taking Effexor, 225mg for about 7 years. I decided to go off because it wasn’t helping my depression and anxiety all that much anymore. I found a psychiatrist and she supposedly helped me taper.
She immediately told me to take one less 75mg a week.
By the 2nd week, she added Wellbutrin as a bridge.
I could not tolerate it. I had vivid nightmares and made a mess of my night table all while sleeping. The doctor then changed the bridge medication to Celexa.
I ended up in the ER.
The third week I went off the Effexor totally. I was a zombie. Dizziness, brain fog, restlessness, no appetite, insomnia and just a general feeling of not really being here. I had a visit with my primary and he was very disturbed by how I looked and acted.
He insisted I reinstate starting with 75mg. Once I did, however, the tremors started. I figured I just needed more meds. I increased to 150mg. I wanted to stay at that dose, but with the tremoring, I thought maybe I needed my old full dose. So I went back to 225mg. The tremors never went away.
A year later, I started once again to taper with a new psychiatrist. I began doing it hyperbolically. However, by this time my neurologist decided to give me a DAT scan to determine whether I showed signs of Parkinsonism. The test was inconclusive which made him think the tremors were drug, or lack of them so drastically were drug induced. I am now taking Sinimet, which is for Parkinsons, because I was unable to function. It is helping but there is a chance that this Parkinsonism was caused by this horrible drug, Effexor. I am appalled and angry. Doctors should also learn how to taper these drugs correctly. What they think is fine to do, is deadly. They dont get it at all
Medications
Effexor
