I am two weeks effexor free and still not feeling well,,. The dizziness and nausea persist. I am very very depressed. The only thing that helps is sleep. I am sure am grateful that I am retired. I couldn't do this otherwise. I can barely function.

Here is the dilemma,

I would say that getting off a unproductive med is a desirable thing. However, it is important to take the big picture in mind. Depending on the diagnosis and co-morbid conditions going totally med free can be a perilous thing.

People with a diagnosis of depression as a condition that is NOT temporary (loss of spouse event etc) have to recall that it is generally s part of their neurobiology.

Individuals that go off meds because they feel fine and decide they don’t need it are making that choice during a good lucid phase. Going off the med MIGHT lead to a resurgence of the symptoms later on indicating that managing the condition via pharma very well could have been stopping the dips. Bipolar people are frequently tragic examples of this.

That’s why understanding the full diagnosis and any comorbid features is critical, because often with depressive conditions there is more than one.

I would urge some therapy like cognitive based therapy and mindfulness that helps you identify the stressors and triggers that lead to depressive thinking. That has a huge benefit to battling how you can slide into that spiral.

But, I personally don’t think abandoning meds is wise if you have true depression of any kind. It may be difficult to find the right one and I despise Effexor. But making sure you and the psychiatrist are on the same page with med-free risks and total diagnosis is wise.

It will depend on what else is going on in your life. My therapist and psychiatrist don't actually agree on what my underlying problem is. As of last week the psychiatrist was suggesting lexapro (which I understand comes with its own titration issues - wheeeee) and then possibly wellbutrin. My therapist thinks ADD is the underlying problem - not depression. Tomorrow I'll know what they decided for the next try...or maybe I just stay drug free a bit longer.