Hello, all. Going to add in my experiences here in the hope that it will be helpful. I’ve been taking Effexor since 1998. I’ve tried to go off it three times. The first time (2001) I tapered down from a dosage of maybe 225 or 250 over a month. It was a horrible experience and I ended up in the emergency room of the local hospital because I was so freaked out and hardly able to function. Luckily, I was connected with a great psychiatrist and good counselor who helped me tremendously over the next few years. Much later, married, with a family and steady work and in pretty good emotional shape, I tried once again, under a doctor’s care (2008 or 9). We titrated me off over about 6 months. But once off the meds, it was a very short time period (I think two weeks or so) before I felt all of the deep darkness of depression returning. Having experienced a fairly normal, satisfying life for several years, I decided that taking meds was a better option than living in that darkness. I went back on Effexor at a 150 dose and stayed there until just prior to the pandemic.

A few different factors caused me to want to try again recently: worries about dependence on a drug that might not always be available, self criticism about using drugs as a crutch, and a long, long period of basically being “okay”. Once again, I started to feel that maybe I didn’t need to take meds anymore. I spent almost a year titrating down from a dose of 150 mg daily (XR). I experienced no real side effects from titrating down that slowly except for some sleep disruption on the lower doses.

However, at 37.5 mg every other day, I began to realize I was again deeply affected by depression. But it had arisen so slowly, and so subtly over time that I didn't realize what was happening. Much like the frog dropped in a pot of boiling water that jumps right out (Yikes!Hot!) vs. the frog in a pot of water that starts at room temp and is slowly warmed to boiling. The second frog never jumps out, just stays until it begins to cook cause the heat increases so gradually, the frog fails to notice it’s getting hot. The frog just stays where it is and dies.

About two weeks ago, I suddenly realized that I was, indeed, “cooking” and that the water I was in was effing hot! Oh no! I quickly conferred with trusted friends to get some perspective and found yes, I was extremely depressed again. It had happened so gradually, I just thought it was normal to feel like this every day.

Due to work pressures and a host of responsibilities this month, I haven’t connected with my PCP yet about needing to increase dosage. However, I’ve been dealing with Effexor long enough that I know what to do in terms of slowly increasing. Then, after Thanksgiving, I plan to connect with my PCP and also find a psychiatrist to review my experiences and make a plan. It’s likely that my long term dosage of 150 mg daily will again work fine for me.

Getting off meds is fine for folks who experience situational depression or who find they can, after a period of time on meds, recover their mental equilibrium. For me, I’m having to accept that depression is something that will always be with me. Effexor has worked for me. I’m certain it has kept me alive to reach the age of 55 just this week. I don’t like being dependent on it. But I try not to judge myself in the same way that I don’t judge my father, a diabetic dependent on insulin, or my sister, who takes thyroid medication and without it barely has energy to get through her days. If you do want to go off, titrate slowly - more slowly even than doctors will currently advise. It takes time, but can be done with a minimum of disruption to your physical and mental wellbeing.

Best wishes and true feelings of empathy out to all of you.