Hello! I'm glad to have found this community so that I don't have to go through the struggles of withdrawal alone 🙂 I've been combing through the old SA site and learning so much. 

 

Here's a bit of my story/experience with psych drugs

I've struggled a lot in my life with depression and suicidal ideation, and I had these struggles long before taking ADs. I was first prescribed escitalopram, and it helped a bit but not enough, so my doctor kept upping the dose till we were at 20mg. Still not doing great, and I ended up in the hospital from a suicide attempt. The resident psychiatrist switched me to venlafaxine, and put me immediately up to a high dose of 225mg (increased over a short time, maybe a month). He also told me that my depression would only get worse, and that I would have to take this medication at this dose for the rest of my life...

 

The venlafaxine helped a lot more, but I still struggled with daily functioning, so I pursued an ADHD diagnoses and got medicated for that too (concerta). This combo helped A LOT and over a number of years I was able to implement a number of major life changes that have all been very beneficial. I did a lot of internal mental work like a lot of CBT/DBT, emotional regulation techniques, building new internal thought patterns, learning acceptance, practising mindfulness, etc. This was all information I had been given in therapy/had researched myself in the past, but I had been so deeply depressed I was unable to apply any of it. I also changed a lot of my external daily life; the venlafaxine gave me a lot of nausea which forced me to always eat regular, high protein, nutrient dense meals. I got a dog which has been my life long dream, and she brings me an immense amount of joy, and gets me out for daily exercise and fresh air. She also reminds me when dinner time is. I still struggled with depression, and the suicidal ideation came and went, but I had much better coping mechanisms and a reason to live, so I felt I was doing well. 

 

Since taking venlafaxine there were also a lot of side effects, and they were all worth it to me... until they weren't. I've developed a lot of autoimmune and autonomic dysfunction type symptoms, nothing sticking long enough or severe enough to get any diagnoses. Some things that are new, and some things that I have had intermittently prior to these drugs. Having a lot of food intolerance was part of this, and in spring 2025 I did an elimination diet. Not the first time I had tried something like this, but this was the first time I saw successful results, and a lot of my brain fog cleared. I realized just how impaired I had be for most of my life. It too me quite a few months to even consider reducing my dose of venlafaxine, because I had been told I would need this for the rest of my life. But over the last year the autonomic dysfunction got worse, and I kept feeling like my body was just off, but symptoms kept changing, going away, popping back up, which made it difficult to keep track. The insomnia and nightmares were pretty bad the whole time I was taking these and I had to self medicate with cannabis to be able to sleep most nights, took some breaks but used it pretty regularly most of the time I was on venafaxine. I've also gained a lot of tolerance for these meds, and I think there are a lot of areas of my life that have suffered over time. For example, I think I've struggled to be creative and finish projects, been a little foolish with money, lost some friends, apathy, ... a lot of the usual story here. Time to get off these psych drugs before they do more damage.

 

Then in January this year I developed sudden severe light sensitivity. I knew this as one of the known side effects, and in hindsight I think I had experienced it as a mild version in summer times throughout my use of venlafaxine, one of the many side effects. To my memory these side effects seem to be worsening over time, but I can't say for sure. The light was suddenly just SO BRIGHT everywhere all the time and it was making it really hard to function. This is when I decided I should talk to my doctor about reducing my dose, and to potentially consider getting off these meds altogether. Had been taking high winter time dose of 300mg (in hindsight my body was telling me this was too high, the past fall/winter was very different for me), I reduced it back to my regular 225mg. Then, because I couldn't see due to how bright everything was, I hit my head and got a concussion. Felt awful. Decided to go ahead and drop my dose to 150mg, and to plan to get off this drug. Lots of withdrawal symptoms, but so many of these align with concussion symptoms I really have no idea what caused what. Held dose at 150 for a while, and both the withdrawal and concussion symptoms improved. Dropped dose to 112.5mg Mar 1, 2026. Had a lot of emotional effects that REALLY tested the skills I had built, but things have mostly stabilized for me now, so I intend to continue reducing. The light sensitivity is still pretty bad and I am worried about developing further issues like seizures or eye damage. 

 

Currently focused on reducing my venlafaxine dose first, but I want to get off the methyphenidate too. I stopped using cannabis, and have also cut out caffeine in the last two months. I stopped eating sugar and a lot of other inflammatory foods a year ago, stopped drinking two years ago. I'm also keeping a log of all my symptoms now. If anyone has experience or insight with tapering these two psych drugs and balancing the taper, please let me know! Love to everyone dealing with this struggle ❤️

Welcome to the forum!

 

This is a volunteer-run, community forum aimed at helping those who are tapering and/or experiencing difficulties with psychiatric medications and withdrawl syndrome. We are not medical professionals and cannot offer medical advice. We simply offer support and opinions which you could use as talking points with a medical provider knowledgeable in withdrawing off psychiatric medications.

 

Please familiarise yourself with the forum rules and the disclaimer located here: Guidelines

 

Please make sure your signature is kept up to date with your drug history. This will allow members to see some basic information about your drug history and situation so that they may help you best. Information on how to do this is located in the FAQs section above, but here is a direct link: Update Signature

Once this is done, future posts made by you will have this signature turned on by default. For this reason please keep it clear but condensed as possible.

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Hello! I'm glad to have found this community so that I don't have to go through the struggles of withdrawal alone 🙂 I've been combing through the old SA site and learning so much. 

Im glad you found us and SA too! 🙂 You are certainly not alone!

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Here's a bit of my story/experience with psych drugs

I've struggled a lot in my life with depression and suicidal ideation, and I had these struggles long before taking ADs. I was first prescribed escitalopram, and it helped a bit but not enough, so my doctor kept upping the dose till we were at 20mg. Still not doing great, and I ended up in the hospital from a suicide attempt. The resident psychiatrist switched me to venlafaxine, and put me immediately up to a high dose of 225mg (increased over a short time, maybe a month). He also told me that my depression would only get worse, and that I would have to take this medication at this dose for the rest of my life...

Im very sorry hear this. That must had been a real struggle for you. Unfortunately there is, still even today, a myth that there is a condition that needs to be treated, potentially for life. This isn't true. These states of depression and feelings of hopelessness are normal human reactions to our life events, and unresolved trauma. Often if left alone they resolve, for others changes need to made to life, trauma addressed and coping skills built. Drugs can numb these feelings for us, but don't get to the route cause. Unfortunately the side effects can be great, and long (or even short term use) can cause much harm.

 

Looking at your signature you were on the Lexapro in increasing amounts for a few years before your hosptial admission. I wonder if you were having a reaction to the drugs and also changing doses, and this added to things rather than helped things? I suspect this may have been the case. Alot of what you are explaining here can be adverse effects from medication. Perhaps something you haven't considered?

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

The venlafaxine helped a lot more, but I still struggled with daily functioning, so I pursued an ADHD diagnoses and got medicated for that too (concerta). This combo helped A LOT and over a number of years I was able to implement a number of major life changes that have all been very beneficial. I did a lot of internal mental work like a lot of CBT/DBT, emotional regulation techniques, building new internal thought patterns, learning acceptance, practising mindfulness, etc. This was all information I had been given in therapy/had researched myself in the past, but I had been so deeply depressed I was unable to apply any of it. I also changed a lot of my external daily life; the venlafaxine gave me a lot of nausea which forced me to always eat regular, high protein, nutrient dense meals. I got a dog which has been my life long dream, and she brings me an immense amount of joy, and gets me out for daily exercise and fresh air. She also reminds me when dinner time is. I still struggled with depression, and the suicidal ideation came and went, but I had much better coping mechanisms and a reason to live, so I felt I was doing well. 

Im glad you felt that Effexor and Concerta helped you. I assume they 'dialled' your emotions back enough to be helpful for you at this time?  As I said above I do wonder if some of this (not reducing the suffering you were feeling naturally) was from the drugs, adding to the distress.

 

Its so great to see you were able to work on your non drug coping/healing techniques, so important 🙂 Im sure they have helped a lot in your journey?

 

Glad you got that dog! Such sweet animals! 🙂

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Since taking venlafaxine there were also a lot of side effects, and they were all worth it to me... until they weren't. I've developed a lot of autoimmune and autonomic dysfunction type symptoms, nothing sticking long enough or severe enough to get any diagnoses. Some things that are new, and some things that I have had intermittently prior to these drugs. Having a lot of food intolerance was part of this, and in spring 2025 I did an elimination diet. Not the first time I had tried something like this, but this was the first time I saw successful results, and a lot of my brain fog cleared. I realized just how impaired I had be for most of my life. It too me quite a few months to even consider reducing my dose of venlafaxine, because I had been told I would need this for the rest of my life. But over the last year the autonomic dysfunction got worse, and I kept feeling like my body was just off, but symptoms kept changing, going away, popping back up, which made it difficult to keep track. The insomnia and nightmares were pretty bad the whole time I was taking these and I had to self medicate with cannabis to be able to sleep most nights, took some breaks but used it pretty regularly most of the time I was on venafaxine. I've also gained a lot of tolerance for these meds, and I think there are a lot of areas of my life that have suffered over time. For example, I think I've struggled to be creative and finish projects, been a little foolish with money, lost some friends, apathy, ... a lot of the usual story here. Time to get off these psych drugs before they do more damage.

I understand. Suffering so much, it must have been a compromise you were willing to make, as you said until it wasn't.

 

It is amazing how diet can effect our mental health so much. I do think that if we were better trained as a society about food, we might save so much suffering, just from looking to what we put into our bodies. Half the battle perhaps?

 

I can see it became time to look to a drug free life.

 

I can see from your signature you have also had some problems getting supply of Concerta in 2023, resulting in what I think is periods of taking no drug. This will have upset your nervous system I suspect a bit.

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Then in January this year I developed sudden severe light sensitivity. I knew this as one of the known side effects, and in hindsight I think I had experienced it as a mild version in summer times throughout my use of venlafaxine, one of the many side effects. To my memory these side effects seem to be worsening over time, but I can't say for sure. The light was suddenly just SO BRIGHT everywhere all the time and it was making it really hard to function. This is when I decided I should talk to my doctor about reducing my dose, and to potentially consider getting off these meds altogether. Had been taking high winter time dose of 300mg (in hindsight my body was telling me this was too high, the past fall/winter was very different for me), I reduced it back to my regular 225mg. Then, because I couldn't see due to how bright everything was, I hit my head and got a concussion. Felt awful. Decided to go ahead and drop my dose to 150mg, and to plan to get off this drug. Lots of withdrawal symptoms, but so many of these align with concussion symptoms I really have no idea what caused what. Held dose at 150 for a while, and both the withdrawal and concussion symptoms improved. Dropped dose to 112.5mg Mar 1, 2026. Had a lot of emotional effects that REALLY tested the skills I had built, but things have mostly stabilized for me now, so I intend to continue reducing. The light sensitivity is still pretty bad and I am worried about developing further issues like seizures or eye damage. 

It sounds from what you are saying that you had been moving your Effexor dose to suit each season? This isn't a good idea. All these big shift make our nervous systems angry. It is important to take the same consistent dose each day, regardless of the season.

 

It is possible/likley that the increase in symptoms you were getting, was down to juming doses around. I can see from what you have said, that you are trying to taper off much much too quickly, which will worsen you.

 

Also Cannabis ontop of everything your nervous system is experiencing, isn't a good idea. You are wise to no longer continue with this.

 

Could you please update your signature with dates of all your dose changes this year? Would help us understand where you are at the moment.

 

I suspect you need to hold your current dose for a good while at this point to allow your nervous system to settle down. You need to find a base line WD state from which to plan a much more gradual taper. Be good to look at that updated list of dose reductions for 2026 first.

 

Here are some topics you should read:

 

Tapering Information

 

Hypersensitivity and kindling

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Currently focused on reducing my venlafaxine dose first, but I want to get off the methyphenidate too. I stopped using cannabis, and have also cut out caffeine in the last two months. I stopped eating sugar and a lot of other inflammatory foods a year ago, stopped drinking two years ago. I'm also keeping a log of all my symptoms now. If anyone has experience or insight with tapering these two psych drugs and balancing the taper, please let me know! Love to everyone dealing with this struggle ❤️

It is certainly possible to taper two drugs at once. The way to approach this is get your first drug taper going 'well' and then add in the second one on top. Often it is best to taper them both at lower rates, then you might if you were to taper one at a time.

 

Other ways to approach a taper, you could reduce some of once drug, hold that for a while and reduce the other. This can be particularly good if the side effects of one drug start to become greater as you taper the other. So reducing them in a tag race style to keep you in 'balance'.

 

Lots to talk about. But first thing is first, it is really important to slow everything down, and get as stable as possible now. Slow is the new fast 🙂 

 

I would suggest trying a Micro Taper from here. Much more gentle on the nervous system Micro Tapering

 

Some info on making up small doses here for you: Preparing Doses for Tapering - Weighing & DIY Liquids

 

In the mean time this is what I would do if I were you:

 

-Stay Hydrated 

 

-Eat a good clean whole food diet, avoiding processed foods and sugars.

 

-Stay away from caffeine, alcohol and antihistamines and any other psychoactive substances.

 

Supplements are to be avoided initially, as they often irritate our nervous systems. Try to get your nutrition through food.

 

Down the line, you may wish to introduce Fish Oil and Magnesium. Those who can tolerate them have found them calming to the nervous system. Be careful try one at a time and start low and see how you get on should you choose to try them.

 

A daily walk is very important as much as you can manage, if you can manage it. Gets you your fresh air and Vitamin D does wonders for your mind!

 

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

 

Chippy

Hi Chippy, thanks for reading my post and replying to me!

 

18 hours ago, Chippy said:

Looking at your signature you were on the Lexapro in increasing amounts for a few years before your hosptial admission. I wonder if you were having a reaction to the drugs and also changing doses, and this added to things rather than helped things? I suspect this may have been the case. Alot of what you are explaining here can be adverse effects from medication. Perhaps something you haven't considered?

Hmm this is possible, its too far back and memory too murky for me to say for sure. I don't think I ever felt worse than before lexapro, it was more that the suicidal ideation continued to build up/persist. It was definitely there before any drugs. Still, can't rule it out, and I will never truly know what caused what. 

 

18 hours ago, Chippy said:

Im glad you felt that Effexor and Concerta helped you. I assume they 'dialled' your emotions back enough to be helpful for you at this time?  As I said above I do wonder if some of this (not reducing the suffering you were feeling naturally) was from the drugs, adding to the distress.

Good question! My recollection is more that the drugs "agitated" my nervous system out of a very depressed state. I found executive function easier and as such I was able to do more of the daily basic tasks; getting up out of bed, showering, eating, getting groceries, once in a while socializing. The gap between knowing I had to do something and actually doing it became much more manageable. And then as time went on and I continued to do those things, I was also able to apply a lot of the mental changes I had learned in therapy and build a better foundation for myself. In a sense the drugs gave me artificial energy to keep going. I don't think that they really dialled back my emotions in a helpful way, I was still pretty numb to most things, and overall had a negative outlook. 

 

18 hours ago, Chippy said:

I can see from your signature you have also had some problems getting supply of Concerta in 2023, resulting in what I think is periods of taking no drug. This will have upset your nervous system I suspect a bit.

Yes, I agree. Having been looking into these two drugs recently, its very frustrating to me how differently they are treated by medical professionals. Because Concerta is a schedule II substance one doctor I had would not prescribe it to me and forced me to do a cold turkey withdrawal. Once I managed to find my previous prescription records, she wrote prescription so that I could only renew it once I had used them all, which, coupled with pharmacy delays and my own struggles with executive function, meant that I continued to skip doses at times. It seems very likely to me this contributed to my CNS sensitization. 

 

18 hours ago, Chippy said:

It sounds from what you are saying that you had been moving your Effexor dose to suit each season? This isn't a good idea. All these big shift make our nervous systems angry. It is important to take the same consistent dose each day, regardless of the season.

Yes, I am very seasonally affected. (I get suicidal regularly at both solstices, and I get emotional at the equinoxes and a couple other points of the year). Multiple doctors told me this dosage alteration was perfectly fine to do, so I did it. Can't change the past now unfortunately...

 

18 hours ago, Chippy said:

Could you please update your signature with dates of all your dose changes this year? Would help us understand where you are at the moment.

Oh yes good catch, thank you. Will do that right after my reply. Took a lot of my focus to make my account, intro post, and set up signature yesterday so I missed those details. I'll also add the supplements I am taking (which I have been taking long term, since before taper, so I think its best to continue what my body is used to)

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Hmm this is possible, its too far back and memory too murky for me to say for sure. I don't think I ever felt worse than before lexapro, it was more that the suicidal ideation continued to build up/persist. It was definitely there before any drugs. Still, can't rule it out, and I will never truly know what caused what. 

As you say, hard to know. Some thoughts there though, I suspect it was the start of your nervous system getting sensitised. 

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Good question! My recollection is more that the drugs "agitated" my nervous system out of a very depressed state. I found executive function easier and as such I was able to do more of the daily basic tasks; getting up out of bed, showering, eating, getting groceries, once in a while socializing. The gap between knowing I had to do something and actually doing it became much more manageable. And then as time went on and I continued to do those things, I was also able to apply a lot of the mental changes I had learned in therapy and build a better foundation for myself. In a sense the drugs gave me artificial energy to keep going. I don't think that they really dialled back my emotions in a helpful way, I was still pretty numb to most things, and overall had a negative outlook. 

It is very interesting to see your perspective. So essentially you found the activating properties of the drug worked to make you more 'up' and be more productive in the day. You recognise the 'dulling' of emotion but didn't see that as particularly helpful, and still found your outlook to be negative, rather than indifferent. Thanks for sharing. It is good to understand different peoples experiences, apprieciate it. 

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Yes, I agree. Having been looking into these two drugs recently, its very frustrating to me how differently they are treated by medical professionals. Because Concerta is a schedule II substance one doctor I had would not prescribe it to me and forced me to do a cold turkey withdrawal. Once I managed to find my previous prescription records, she wrote prescription so that I could only renew it once I had used them all, which, coupled with pharmacy delays and my own struggles with executive function, meant that I continued to skip doses at times. It seems very likely to me this contributed to my CNS sensitization. 

Sorry, unfortunately this isn't an unusual problem to have experienced.....

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Yes, I am very seasonally affected. (I get suicidal regularly at both solstices, and I get emotional at the equinoxes and a couple other points of the year). Multiple doctors told me this dosage alteration was perfectly fine to do, so I did it. Can't change the past now unfortunately...

 

No, hindsight is, as they say, 20/20

 

5 hours ago, callieflower said:

Oh yes good catch, thank you. Will do that right after my reply. Took a lot of my focus to make my account, intro post, and set up signature yesterday so I missed those details. I'll also add the supplements I am taking (which I have been taking long term, since before taper, so I think its best to continue what my body is used to)

Thanks for updating. Yes lots to do when you first join! You did well. 🙂 

 

Good to see the supplements in there, and of course no need to change anything if you are tolerating them well.

 

Ive added in the % decreases for you to your 2026 reductions. We don't suggest you reduce more than 10% of your previous dose each month as a general rule.

 

Now Venlafaxine has quite the plateu in the higher dose ranges, so this is why your recent reductions have been ok. You actually are following the Maudlsey guidelines, kind of, atm. For most, those guides tend to be a bit quick. If you can tolerate this then that is fine, but as you get lower you will need to go more slowly. I would actually consider, if I was you, starting to micro taper each months reduction in little daily drops. Its good to start early, and can help make a taper smoother in the long run. Happy to help you figure all this out if you want. Just let me know.

 

Chippy

9 hours ago, Chippy said:

🙂 

Ive added in the % decreases for you to your 2026 reductions. We don't suggest you reduce more than 10% of your previous dose each month as a general rule.

 

Now Venlafaxine has quite the plateu in the higher dose ranges, so this is why your recent reductions have been ok. You actually are following the Maudlsey guidelines, kind of, atm. For most, those guides tend to be a bit quick. If you can tolerate this then that is fine, but as you get lower you will need to go more slowly. I would actually consider, if I was you, starting to micro taper each months reduction in little daily drops. Its good to start early, and can help make a taper smoother in the long run. Happy to help you figure all this out if you want. Just let me know.

 

Chippy

Interesting, I'll see if I can get a library copy of that Maudsley book to read more about it. The 1/3 reduction was a bit hasty, but also concussion, many things were not ideal. I think have tolerated the 1/4 reductions mostly okay. I hope to do one more slightly larger reduction (maybe 20%), before focusing on 10%. I'm not sure, I'm still thinking it over. Have been able to be online for longer periods without pain in eyes or significant impact on sleep the last two weeks so I've been doing a lot of research, and lurking on here/SA. I'm not sure about the micro taper since I think I want to have larger steps and longer holds to be able to see how I am affected (maybe that makes me a little masochistic). At least in the higher numbers, micro taper might be good for the far future when I really get down to lower dose. Or maybe I'll find 10% too abrupt. Trying not to plan too far ahead since I really don't know how it will go. 

 

Thanks for reading my posts and replying so thoughtfully, it means a lot! And I see how much love and labour you are putting into this site and I really appreciate it ❤️

12 minutes ago, callieflower said:

Interesting, I'll see if I can get a library copy of that Maudsley book to read more about it. The 1/3 reduction was a bit hasty, but also concussion, many things were not ideal. I think have tolerated the 1/4 reductions mostly okay. I hope to do one more slightly larger reduction (maybe 20%), before focusing on 10%. I'm not sure, I'm still thinking it over. Have been able to be online for longer periods without pain in eyes or significant impact on sleep the last two weeks so I've been doing a lot of research, and lurking on here/SA. I'm not sure about the micro taper since I think I want to have larger steps and longer holds to be able to see how I am affected (maybe that makes me a little masochistic). At least in the higher numbers, micro taper might be good for the far future when I really get down to lower dose. Or maybe I'll find 10% too abrupt. Trying not to plan too far ahead since I really don't know how it will go. 

 

Thanks for reading my posts and replying so thoughtfully, it means a lot! And I see how much love and labour you are putting into this site and I really appreciate it ❤️

You can get a copy from Amazon. If you pm me I’ll send you some taper guides from it. 
 

Yeah I’ve not got it in front of me. Your are probably good for another bigger drop. Perhaps 20% is a bit much though. It’s much better to be careful. It’s hard to unravel wd when it kicks in. Better to prevent it. I assume you understand the hyperbolic curve now? 
 

A lot of people do micro taper later when they get into trouble or on the lower doses. I’m of the belief that for most they should do it from the start. It’s so much better I think for most to do this. Just my thoughts. I think it sets you up for a smoother experience getting off. 
 

Happy to help with a taper plan if you need. I’ve got micro taper calcs we’ve made to help with working the reductions out. They are all available in the tapering section. 
 

It’s a pleasure. Good to give back to the community as much as I can. 
 

Chippy

16 minutes ago, Chippy said:

You can get a copy from Amazon. If you pm me I’ll send you some taper guides from it. 
 

Yeah I’ve not got it in front of me. Your are probably good for another bigger drop. Perhaps 20% is a bit much though. It’s much better to be careful. It’s hard to unravel wd when it kicks in. Better to prevent it. I assume you understand the hyperbolic curve now? 
 

A lot of people do micro taper later when they get into trouble or on the lower doses. I’m of the belief that for most they should do it from the start. It’s so much better I think for most to do this. Just my thoughts. I think it sets you up for a smoother experience getting off. 
 

Happy to help with a taper plan if you need. I’ve got micro taper calcs we’ve made to help with working the reductions out. They are all available in the tapering section. 
 

It’s a pleasure. Good to give back to the community as much as I can. 
 

Chippy

I'm a very rare person who doesn't have an amazon account lol. I will pm you for the charts, thanks. I believe I have till ~75mg where the drug is acting primarily on serotonin, as at higher dose changes its impacting primarily noradrenalin and a small effect on dopamine. This is partly why I want to reduce more in the next bit. I live in Canada, and knowing myself, as the days get longer and the sun is out so much more, it has a very activating impact on me so reducing will likely be tolerated okay at this time of year. 

 

And yes thanks for checking, I understand the concept of a hyperbolic taper. 

 

Appreciate your input regarding the microtapering, I will keep that in mind for sure. 

3 minutes ago, callieflower said:

I'm a very rare person who doesn't have an amazon account lol. I will pm you for the charts, thanks. I believe I have till ~75mg where the drug is acting primarily on serotonin, as at higher dose changes its impacting primarily noradrenalin and a small effect on dopamine. This is partly why I want to reduce more in the next bit. I live in Canada, and knowing myself, as the days get longer and the sun is out so much more, it has a very activating impact on me so reducing will likely be tolerated okay at this time of year. 

 

And yes thanks for checking, I understand the concept of a hyperbolic taper. 

 

Appreciate your input regarding the microtapering, I will keep that in mind for sure. 

Pleasure.
 

From memory the curve starts to get steep around 75mg, I think you are right. Careful though. The hyperbolic response of the sert curve is only one part of the puzzle and only one explanation as to why 10% style tapers work. It’s not an exact science, although I think the data is useful and I use it myself all the time I take it with a pinch of salt. The nervous system can be unpredictable and I’ve seen people react to drops and doses I’d never imagine they would react badly too. 

 

I’ve just got your pm. I’ll send you some info tomorrow. 😀

15 minutes ago, Chippy said:

Pleasure.
 

From memory the curve starts to get steep around 75mg, I think you are right. Careful though. The hyperbolic response of the sert curve is only one part of the puzzle and only one explanation as to why 10% style tapers work. It’s not an exact science, although I think the data is useful and I use it myself all the time I take it with a pinch of salt. The nervous system can be unpredictable and I’ve seen people react to drops and doses I’d never imagine they would react badly too. 

 

I’ve just got your pm. I’ll send you some info tomorrow. 😀

Thank you! And your words of caution are noted and appreciated, I promise to keep them in mind.

Just now, callieflower said:

Thank you! And your words of caution are noted and appreciated, I promise to keep them in mind.

Pleasure @callieflower we see so much suffering daily, when we get a member who is doing ok from the start (many get here after some terrible times as im sure you know), we do try our best to help them stay that way! 😀

13 minutes ago, Chippy said:

Pleasure @callieflower we see so much suffering daily, when we get a member who is doing ok from the start (many get here after some terrible times as im sure you know), we do try our best to help them stay that way! 😀

I hear you on that! I've been blessed/cursed with a very sensitive nervous system my whole life. There have been multiple periods of mysterious inflammation/pain/illness coming and going, due to stress and environmental factors. I am very sensitive to chemicals, scents, pollens, synthetic fabrics, etc. These periods of ill health have been since I was very little, long before any psych meds. I'm very grateful to already have my diet figured out and to have spent many long years eliminating one factor at a time, slowly building routines that work for me, and most importantly learning to listen to my body. 

8 hours ago, callieflower said:

I hear you on that! I've been blessed/cursed with a very sensitive nervous system my whole life. There have been multiple periods of mysterious inflammation/pain/illness coming and going, due to stress and environmental factors. I am very sensitive to chemicals, scents, pollens, synthetic fabrics, etc. These periods of ill health have been since I was very little, long before any psych meds. I'm very grateful to already have my diet figured out and to have spent many long years eliminating one factor at a time, slowly building routines that work for me, and most importantly learning to listen to my body. 

Sounds like you are very intune with yourself. Thats gonna help loads. 😀

Welcome to the forum.

 

@Chippy has already provided you with a lot of help and there's not a lot for me to add.

 

The only thing I will add is you may wish to also have a look at this thread from SA:

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

18 hours ago, Luke said:

Welcome to the forum.

 

@Chippy has already provided you with a lot of help and there's not a lot for me to add.

 

The only thing I will add is you may wish to also have a look at this thread from SA:

Taking multiple psych drugs? Which drug to taper first? - Tapering - Surviving Antidepressants

Thank you Luke! I really appreciate the work you have put into this forum ❤️ since I don't even know how to reduce the concerta tablet without messing with the the extended release coatings, I have decided to just focus on the venlafaxine first. 

On 4/12/2026 at 4:04 AM, callieflower said:

Thank you Luke! I really appreciate the work you have put into this forum ❤️ since I don't even know how to reduce the concerta tablet without messing with the the extended release coatings, I have decided to just focus on the venlafaxine first. 

 

That makes sense, I hope it goes well.

 

I'm glad to hear that. @Chippy puts a huge amount into this forum too.

Hi Callieflower

When I look at your Venlafaxine taper (in your signature), I feel like saying that you should be careful. I tapered off Venlafaxine myself (and Brintellix as well), and I am still having major problems because it all went far, far too fast.

I reduced from 300 mg to 225 mg daily in October 2023, and within two months I went from 225 mg to 0 mg (March–May 2024).

I know you cannot necessarily compare two tapering cases. For example, I had been on Venlafaxine for at least 8 years before tapering off, and as you can see from my signature, I have also been through other major tapers/medication switches where I was advised by my doctor and psychiatrist.

A national medication advice service here in Denmark later told me that coming off Venlafaxine really takes time and planning, because reactions can sometimes show up months after what seemed like a successful taper.

I am just saying this... please be careful.

Meant in the best possible way

9 hours ago, recov70 said:

Hi Callieflower

When I look at your Venlafaxine taper (in your signature), I feel like saying that you should be careful. I tapered off Venlafaxine myself (and Brintellix as well), and I am still having major problems because it all went far, far too fast.

I reduced from 300 mg to 225 mg daily in October 2023, and within two months I went from 225 mg to 0 mg (March–May 2024).

I know you cannot necessarily compare two tapering cases. For example, I had been on Venlafaxine for at least 8 years before tapering off, and as you can see from my signature, I have also been through other major tapers/medication switches where I was advised by my doctor and psychiatrist.

A national medication advice service here in Denmark later told me that coming off Venlafaxine really takes time and planning, because reactions can sometimes show up months after what seemed like a successful taper.

I am just saying this... please be careful.

Meant in the best possible way

Thank you, I appreciate it ❤️ I definitely intend to take things much slower from here, and even slower once I reach the 75mg mark. I'm currently trying to sort out my plan for what method I will use for the next part of the taper eg how I will count and measure the beads. 

Hey @callieflower

Finished verion of the post is ready, thought I would let you know.

Tapering Capsules That Contain Beads

Thanks @Chippy !

I'm very numb to emotions these past few days. I'm also very restless and bored, and the minutes seem to go by SO SLOW, yet I'm also exhausted. Nothing sparks joy and I am just going through the motions. Physically mostly ok, some body aches and tinnitus, and muscle weakness since these drugs seem to have deteriorated any strength I had, so everything makes me tired. I can't remember my purpose. Am I a real person? I know I can get through this, but the seconds and the minutes sure drag on...

47 minutes ago, callieflower said:

I'm very numb to emotions these past few days. I'm also very restless and bored, and the minutes seem to go by SO SLOW, yet I'm also exhausted. Nothing sparks joy and I am just going through the motions. Physically mostly ok, some body aches and tinnitus, and muscle weakness since these drugs seem to have deteriorated any strength I had, so everything makes me tired. I can't remember my purpose. Am I a real person? I know I can get through this, but the seconds and the minutes sure drag on...

Hey @callieflower sorry to read, I thought you were quite stable. Is this all recent?

13 hours ago, Chippy said:

Hey @callieflower sorry to read, I thought you were quite stable. Is this all recent?

Hi Chippy. I still consider myself to be stable, as in pretty consistent day to day, not that impeded in daily functioning, and most importantly better than how I felt before I began my taper. The mental numbness is a recent small bump/wave, and slowness of time feeling is newish I think. I attribute it at least partially to the longer days with more sunshine, and also to my brain continuing to heal (its probably a good sign to feel bored, and the days used to blur past very quickly), though I need to figure out how to manage these feelings. I've been meaning to update my thread with more of the symptoms I've had over the last few months, I'll get to that soon hopefully.

2 minutes ago, callieflower said:

Hi Chippy. I still consider myself to be stable, as in pretty consistent day to day, not that impeded in daily functioning, and most importantly better than how I felt before I began my taper. The mental numbness is a recent small bump/wave, and slowness of time feeling is newish I think. I attribute it at least partially to the longer days with more sunshine, and also to my brain continuing to heal (its probably a good sign to feel bored, and the days used to blur past very quickly), though I need to figure out how to manage these feelings. I've been meaning to update my thread with more of the symptoms I've had over the last few months, I'll get to that soon hopefully.

That’s good. 😀

We are always having to learn new ways to deal with the ever ebbing flow of these symptoms!

I’m glad the taper has helped. That’s great news.

1 minute ago, Chippy said:

That’s good. 😀

We are always having to learn new ways to deal with the ever ebbing flow of these symptoms!

I’m glad the taper has helped. That’s great news.

Its alwaya ever-changing!!

Yes, taper is definitely the right path for me, not sure if I became over sensitized from chnages, or if I hit tolerance, but each taper step I've done brought WD symptoms but also so much relief.

Just now, callieflower said:

Its alwaya ever-changing!!

Yes, taper is definitely the right path for me, not sure if I became over sensitized from chnages, or if I hit tolerance, but each taper step I've done brought WD symptoms but also so much relief.

Yes it could be tolerance or just some adverse effects. Either way your body is responding well to bringing the drug load down, just balancing that with the Wd symptoms. Hopefully now you are in front of it, it won’t be too difficult a task. 😀