Hi everyone!

In 2011, my husband and I moved with our 2 young boys to Knoxville, TN. I started to feel really tired and anxious, so I went to the doctor. He told me I was having anxiety related to this major life change and he started me on venlafaxine. I can’t remember if I started lower than 75 mg. I might have, but all I remember really ever taking is taking 75 mg. Anyways, I continued to not feel well over the next several months. I went back to him and requested labs. Come to find out, my thyroid levels were significantly off and I had Hashimoto’s. I stayed on the venlafaxine because even missing one dose made me really sick and I had a job and two little kids.

Life moved along until a screeching halt in August, 2023 when my mom died. Her death was traumatic and horrible and my step dad did not allow any funeral, or for us to have her ashes or any belonging. I was shattered. In addition to her death, I had recently started therapy to deal with childhood trauma that resulted in me pushing down difficult feelings and always acting like everything was fine. Well, those habits blew up with the loss of my mom. I started having panic attacks, so I went to the doctor. She said, “well, the venlafaxine isn’t working, so we are going to get you off it.” I knew and know better, but I think I was in such a vulnerable state and just wanted to feel better. I went down to 37.5. After a couple weeks, she said, “I feel like we are prolonging your suffering, so let’s stop. You’re gonna have a rough few days.” Well, a rough few days was 5 weeks of absolute hell. I couldn’t work, my husband stayed home with me. I wanted to die and thought I was going to. I lost a bunch of weight, wanted to come out of my skin, and was anxious 24/7. I went back to her and begged her to put me back on it. She told me it was my depression coming back (depression I had never had) so she put me on Lexapro 10 mg and Deplin 15 mg. I have MTHFR mutation, so she said I needed the Deplin. I continued to feel like I was dying, so then she added Rexulti 0.5 mg daily. After about 5-6 weeks after stopping the venlafaxine, I was actually able to function. For the next 14 months, my feelings and moods were up and down. There was always an underlying anxiety, poor sleep, and a significantly decreased ability to handle stress. As a family practice NP, it has been tough. So, in August 2025, I decided to get off Rexulti. I weaned it slowly and actually did okay with it, I thought. In January 2026, I started having significant GI issues. No appetite, diarrhea, nausea, weight loss. I went through TONS of tests that all came back negative. Furthering the belief I’d had on and off now for years that I was crazy. The symptoms abruptly improved in March. I felt good for a month, then symptoms returned. I saw a naturopathic doctor who was irate that I was put on Deplin 15 mg with neither a folate of B12 deficiency. She believes the mega dose could be a huge reason for my chronic anxiety and sleep issues, and new GI issues. She advised me to try tapering. Because I’ve learned, I have so far done 10% x 2 months. I feel like crap. I haven’t felt like me in 2 years. Is it because I stopped Rexulti? Did that cause the venlafaxine withdrawal to worsen? Am I still grieving my mom because my whole grief has been messed up by medication garbage? Is it lowering the Deplin? My PCP wants to put me on more meds bc of how I’m feeling. He said he thinks I have a mood disorder. Maybe I do. I truly think I have severe PTSD from this whole thing. Thanks for listening.

Hi @Aleshas20

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.

 

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I'm so sorry to read about the tough time you've had recently you will find plenty of support here for sure.

It sounds to me like you never done on well with venlafaxine in the first instance. However you were on it a long time and built up physical dependance to it. Coming off an Antidepressant needs to be done slowly, especially as you were on it so long term. Tapering Information

 

When you come off to quickly you get WD symptoms, simply the brain missing the drug. This is often, frankly almost always, mismiagnosed as an underlying 'mental health' condition worsening. More drugs are then introduced to fixed the problem. What is seen, is once you taper off a drug too quickly, your nervous system becomes destablised, and adding in more drugs and moving doses around makes things worse. You actually start to build up an injury or CNS brusing. Hypersensitivity and kindling

It sounds like, dispute much complaining, your nervous system did settle down to some extent, on the new regime of drugs. You note things were not great, but you were, at what I would call WD Normal. A base line if you like. Tapering off Rexulti too quickly will have upset your nervous system, upset the balance you have achieved by holding those doses steady.

You most certainly do not have a 'mood disorder', or any other disorder that a doctor might like to throw at you. Dealing with trauma and lifes difficulties is normal, we respond with emotions, it is not a fault! Have a read: Being a human, and dealing with emotions in WD

How would you rate your symptoms out of 10, 10 being the worse, before you started your Rexulti taper? How would you rate them over the last few months since stopping? Is anything getting better?

It is very likely the best course of action for you, is to hold your doses where they are now. You need some stablity. This will likley take some months, and you will, and have likley already, experienced symptoms in a non-linear up and down pattern we call waves and windows. The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization

Once stable I would look into tapering off your other drugs slowly and carefully, we can help with this of course. Once off all the drugs, your nervous system can heal from all this, and you can go on to have a normal happy life. These drugs are not the answer to lifes normal problems. They only numb things at best, over years of using them this benefit is reduced through tolerance, so we get locked on them through dependance, everytime we try to come off things get worse, but this is not because the drug is helping us. Long term use of these drugs causes all sorts of issues. Now your system is sensitive they are really not your friend. But of course you must come off them slowly.

We all here understand what you are going through only too well. More and more understanding is happening in main stream medical circles, as to the true dangers of these drugs, the UK is making big, but still slow, strides in the right direction. The US is still wowfully behind I am afraid, so please be aware your doctors won't likley understand any of this!

Glad you found us. Look forward to hearing back from you.

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

Welcome to the forum.

When there have been a number of medication changes, it can be difficult to unpick what has caused what. What is clear, is that your body has not tolerated at least some of it, if not all of it.

It would seem likely to me that stopping an antipsychotic in December, and then beginning to have issues in January, are directly linked. GI symptoms are common in withdrawal. It might have been exacerbated by past venlafaxine use/cessation, but it's hard to say.

You've two options in my mind (others may feel differently):

1. Reinstate a low dose of Rexulti (likely far lower than you'd think): Reinstating an Antidepressant  - Tapering - The Antidepressant Harm and Recovery Forum

2. Wait and hope for improvement over time, whilst staying psychiatric-drug free

Could you please describe how you are now, your symptoms since December and how they've progressed/changed between December and now in more detail?

How would you rate your symptoms out of 10, 10 being the worse, before you started your Rexulti taper? How would you rate them over the last few months since stopping? Is anything getting better?

I would say my symptoms were about a 3 before the Rexulti taper. They never worsened during or after the taper. I thought I successfully got off the med. The symptoms that started in January seemed so out of the blue. They weren’t mental symptoms to begin with, just absolutely zero appetite, bowel stuff, and weight loss. I thought something was wrong physically. That’s when the naturopath I saw became concerned it was too much Deplin. I know not many people have talked about Deplin, but it is exactly the same as other psych meds. Decreasing that dose too quickly sent me into severe withdrawal again. The symptoms presented within 1 day of decreasing. I have since returned to my normal dose of 15 mg and instantly felt better. So, I’m thinking in Feb and April, the appetite and weight stuff was due to withdrawal from Rexulti, or maybe still venlafaxine, then I made things worse by trying to decrease my Deplin during a wave.

So, while all of this was going on, I reinstated the Rexulti. I have taken 0.5 mg for 8 days now. I feel pretty good physically. The appetite issues have once again stopped and I’ve put a little weight back on.

Here’s the thing. I feel SICK to have started this med again. Sick in the sense of I was off it. I did it, and now I’m on it again. The thing is though, I am an NP. I work full time and am the primary financial support of my family. I am putting my youngest boy through college. I have to function! I am awake right now at 3 am and just feeling so angry about just everything that has been done. You all are the only people who understand. The change to life, the questioning of your sanity, the judgment from others, not being believed. I am scared that I did the wrong thing by reinstating. I feel ashamed that I did. Did I do too high of a dose at 0.5? Should I decrease to 0.25 or is it too late now? Im scared to death of kindling.

Thanks so much, Alesha

21 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

I would say my symptoms were about a 3 before the Rexulti taper. They never worsened during or after the taper. I thought I successfully got off the med. The symptoms that started in January seemed so out of the blue. They weren’t mental symptoms to begin with, just absolutely zero appetite, bowel stuff, and weight loss. I thought something was wrong physically.

Hi @Aleshas20 Thanks for your reply. It is not uncommon for WD to be delayed by days, weeks or sometimes months.

22 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

That’s when the naturopath I saw became concerned it was too much Deplin. I know not many people have talked about Deplin, but it is exactly the same as other psych meds. Decreasing that dose too quickly sent me into severe withdrawal again. The symptoms presented within 1 day of decreasing. I have since returned to my normal dose of 15 mg and instantly felt better. So, I’m thinking in Feb and April, the appetite and weight stuff was due to withdrawal from Rexulti, or maybe still venlafaxine, then I made things worse by trying to decrease my Deplin during a wave.

Would you be able to add Deplin to your history with dates of these dose changes just so we can see clearly? But yes reducing this too quickly whilst in WD from other drugs is likley what made all this worse for you and put in in WD from Deplin, RI it helped by the looks of things, but you still felt bad just better than before the Deplin drop?

24 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

So, while all of this was going on, I reinstated the Rexulti. I have taken 0.5 mg for 8 days now. I feel pretty good physically. The appetite issues have once again stopped and I’ve put a little weight back on.

This is good. RI seems to have helped you a lot. Has it resolved things for you mostly now would you say? Again can you add the dates to your signature?

25 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

ere’s the thing. I feel SICK to have started this med again. Sick in the sense of I was off it. I did it, and now I’m on it again. The thing is though, I am an NP. I work full time and am the primary financial support of my family. I am putting my youngest boy through college. I have to function! I am awake right now at 3 am and just feeling so angry about just everything that has been done. You all are the only people who understand. The change to life, the questioning of your sanity, the judgment from others, not being believed. I am scared that I did the wrong thing by reinstating. I feel ashamed that I did. Did I do too high of a dose at 0.5? Should I decrease to 0.25 or is it too late now? Im scared to death of kindling.

Don't feel bad you have RI the drug, you did what you thought was the right thing, and judging from what you have said I think it was! You are not stuck on it, you just need to taper more carefully in the future.

People unfortunately do not understand the harms of these drugs, that is a very common theme. I also understand the responsibility you must feel with your work and family.

On paper you did RI too high, but this is on paper, if you think the dose is fine for you, then maybe it is fine. Not everyone suffers from an issue with a too high RI, it may have been just what you needed. Do you feel ok on the dose and is it you are just perhaps a little anxious about it?

Chippy

How do I update my signature?

I have honestly felt pretty good since increasing the Deplin back to 15 mg and restarting the Rexulti 0.5 mg. I think seeing all of the recent news coverage about antidepressants and other psychiatric meds has been a bit triggering, though I’m so thankful it is getting attention. I think, at this point, I’m going to hold steady for a while. I just need to let my brain heal and relax. Thanks so much for your reply. I felt like I failed bc I restarted the Rexulti, so your response made me feel much better.

13 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

How do I update my signature?

https://antidepressantrecovery.org/settings/signature/

13 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

have honestly felt pretty good since increasing the Deplin back to 15 mg and restarting the Rexulti 0.5 mg.

Good.

13 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

. I think seeing all of the recent news coverage about antidepressants and other psychiatric meds has been a bit triggering, though I’m so thankful it is getting attention. I think, at this point, I’m going to hold steady for a while. I just need to let my brain heal and relax.

This is a very good idea. You need some time to stabilise. Then you can look to taper plan that doesn’t cause you so much problems. We can help. But holding for sometime is a good idea for sure.

14 minutes ago, Aleshas20 said:

Thanks so much for your reply. I felt like I failed bc I restarted the Rexulti, so your response made me feel much better.

No. You have not failed. Being on these drugs isn’t ideal. Tapering off too quickly is worse. RI is a good tool to elevate symptoms and settle things down. No shame what so ever!

To echo what @Chippy said, you haven't failed.

The priority is to maintain your wellbeing as much as possible. A "successful" taper or coming off of these drugs, is at a pace that you can manage and maintain this.

Once you have held steady for some time and feel stable, we can talk about possible next steps down the line, but in the meantime I hope that you are able to stabilise and do ok.