This group, a previous forum that ran for 15 years (survivingantidepressants), and in general most prescribed harm support groups do not recommend sporadic benzo and beta blocker use. Are you taking benzos regularly at a consistent dose, or ad hoc? If you're taking a consistent dose, this may need to be tapered- don't just stop. If you're taking them randomly on and off, we'd recommend not continuing to do so, but it would be good to discuss this in more detail.

As for the antidepressants- when you say you've been having symptoms when you make cuts, what tapering schedule/plan have you been following? It looks like a lot of changes have been made in the last year or so, I wouldn't be surprised if this significantly contributing to symptoms and causing instability.

 

You are very welcome here and I hope you find the site supportive.

I relate to a good portion of this despite my med history being relatively short. But all in all everyone’s experience is going to be different and alike in some regards. My best advice is learning to lay low, keep chore/busyness expectations down, literally baby yourself gently as long as possible because the nervous system is hella fragile, avoid triggers like overstimulation, kinda relearn life till things even out again. I’m about 7 months out from lexapro and found it a BIG detour from the original problem. Look up waves and windows, it’s very accurate.

13 hours ago, freerunnerrr said:

I’ve been on psychiatric meds for around 10 years and have tried escitalopram, fluvoxamine, venlafaxine, sertraline, vortioxetine and others. I was on sertraline up to 100 mg and tapered off slowly. Vortioxetine was used as a buffer around 4 mg, and now I’m around 3 mg after reducing from 4 mg.

Every reduction seems to trigger delayed symptoms, usually worse around day 8–14: intense inner agitation/akathisia-like restlessness, brain fog, derealization/depersonalization, vivid dreams, morning intrusive thoughts, burning/tingling sensations, numbness-like feelings in limbs, muscle twitches/fasciculations, nausea, OCD-like fear loops and chest/sternum tightness.

One of the strangest symptoms is a racing heartbeat that stays around 90–100 bpm at rest and does not easily come down, even when I don’t feel anxious. It appears randomly during tapers, often fades after 3–4 weeks after a reduction, but feels almost chronic when I reduce every 3 weeks. Benzos don’t really stop it, and it usually settles at night if I don’t take a beta blocker. I’ve been checked many times by cardiologists, but I still fear “this time is different” and that it could be heart-related.

I also get badly overstimulated from longer stimulation like PvP games, doomscrolling, arguments or too much screen time. During it I feel this internal pressure/urgency, like my nervous system is rushing to finish something under a deadline. After I stop, I feel derealized, foggy, tense and mentally awful, like my system overheated and can’t calm down.

I’m very sensitive to medication changes and small reductions feel huge to me. I’m not asking for a diagnosis, just wondering if others had similar withdrawal/adaptation symptoms from tapering SSRIs/vortioxetine after long-term use and how long it took to stabilize.

As you already have a thread on here I have merged this with your existing thread, please keep all your posts about your journey here in your intro thread.

Is Trintellix/brintellix homogenous and does dry cut down taper method works if scaled with pharma scale?

14 hours ago, freerunnerrr said:

Is Trintellix/brintellix homogenous and does dry cut down taper method works if scaled with pharma scale?

The tablets are generally not mixed on a perfect microscopic level, but they should be mixed enough to a level that dry cutting works as a method of tapering.

Also i merged your new topic to your existing thread, please do not open new threads and just ask questions on your introduction thread, thank you 🙏.

6 hours ago, Lighty said:

The tablets are generally not mixed on a perfect microscopic level, but they should be mixed enough to a level that dry cutting works as a method of tapering.

Also i merged your new topic to your existing thread, please do not open new threads and just ask questions on your introduction thread, thank you 🙏.

I mean, im asking because i can cut perfectly and scalw miligrams like lets say 75 mg of tablet waight to be equal to ~2.5mg of active subatance. My worry is that if i take it like that one day i can consume 2.5 mg other day 1 mg, other day 5 mgs, other 3.5 if its not homogenous mix, or it will be more like 0.1-0.5 difference and not that big fluctuation. I ask because no psychiatrist or pharma have the answer tho this.....

Just now, freerunnerrr said:

I mean, im asking because i can cut perfectly and scalw miligrams like lets say 75 mg of tablet waight to be equal to ~2.5mg of active subatance. My worry is that if i take it like that one day i can consume 2.5 mg other day 1 mg, other day 5 mgs, other 3.5 if its not homogenous mix, or it will be more like 0.1-0.5 difference and not that big fluctuation. I ask because no psychiatrist or pharma have the answer tho this.....

I wouldn't worry about it too much, either way no tapering method or compounding is 100% accurate, dry cutting is accurate enough and tends to get more non accurate on the smallest tablet weights, but again it should be okay overall. I am telling from experience, I don't think you should worry too much. maybe if you want, on the lowest doses you can move to liquid tapering.

On 6/18/2026 at 8:01 PM, freerunnerrr said:

One of the strangest symptoms is a racing heartbeat that stays around 90–100 bpm at rest and does not easily come down

Hey man , I’ve had this for months!