@cp6401
"Is my current suffering still due to my taper from 75 to 37.5 2–3 months ago?"
It could be. If you are tapering too fast, withdrawal symptoms are the big tip off. If they're intolerable, the recommendation is to go back to the level where you felt good (or where at least your withdrawal symptoms were tolerable), stabilize at that dose for weeks (or even months) before tapering again (but reduce by only 5-10%, or less). Rushing the process may mean you ultimately can't get off Effexor because the withdrawals are too awful.

It sounds as if you are finding the anxiety, OCD and circling/intrusive thoughts very distressing. Are you under a doctor's care? Is your doctor on board with your trying to go AD-free? You could ask your doctor about a "Prozac bridge." Adding fluoxetine (Prozac) "softens the blow" when withdrawing from short half-life drugs (like Effexor). The half-life of Effexor is 5 hours and 99% of it is out of your body in one day; Prozac's is 4–6 days and it takes 25 days for 99% of it to be out of your body. Essentially, the Prozac cushions the effect of no Effexor and lets you "ride out" the withdrawal process. You add 20mg of Prozac to any other antidepressant and then get off the original drug; then, you taper off the Prozac. Re the Prozac, one source said you may need to take a second 20mg dose of Prozac; another said you take 10–20mg Prozac (fluoxetine) for a short period (weeks, a month) until your WD symptoms resolve, then taper off the Prozac over 2–3 weeks.

You mentioned that you've been on ADs of some sort for 25 years, or more. Effexor gets stored in body tissues when you've been on it for a long time--that may lengthen the time you should taper.

Even if you get off ADs, you may need to medicate for your OCD.

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