Anyone tapered off Effexor and used Prozac as a bridge?

My doctor originally advised the same thing which I refused to do because I had already done enough research to learn that a slow taper is the only way. I am currently counting beads in my 75mg capsules which I know Mayo Connect does not endorse, but what choice do we have? I have decided against the Prozac bridge because I don't want to have to taper off another drug when my Effexor hell is over. How are you doing now? Are you now completely free of Effexor with no more symptoms? I certainly hope so. Do take care.

How difficult is it to taper off Prozac after you've used it as a bridge to taper off Effexor.

I've tapered down from 150 mg Effexor daily to 37.5. The last taper caused awful withdrawal syndrome so I'm back up to 75 mg daily. I now think that using Prozac as a bridging med will help. Any advice on tapering off Prozac would be great. Thanks.

“Venlafaxine is the most difficult anti-depressant to wean. Doctors that advise to drop from 75 mg to 37.5 mg in a week for long time”

Please tell us the source of this information. I don’t believe either statement is correct. Who says “the most difficult”? “Doctors”? All doctors? You may mean well, but your writing is irresponsible and potentially feeds hopelessness and dangerous decision making on the part of fellow Effexor users.

As a person who has weaned off Effexor I can attest it’s pure hell to wean off. I weaned off in a month and was physically and mentally sick. My doctor wanted me to go back on in a low dosage. Since I had stopped taking it I refused and paid the price. While I believe it’s the hardest drug to wean off, the truth is antidepressant’s are difficult to wean off.

I agree. Effexor is known by the medical community to be the most difficult to wean off.

You don’t go from 150 to 37.5. You go from 150 to 115mg first. Then 75mg then 37.5 for about a 1 year.

Paxil can be extremely hard to taper also.

That's the wisest advice I've had so far. I'm back up to 75 mg and will taper down to 37.5 over the next 12 months. Thank you.

Yup. I know it’s really really difficult. I have watched people try for many years. My problem with what the writer said is that they said “it’s the hardest”. I’ve been off Cymbalta for 8 months and it’s hell. This person’s assertion that one is harder than another is not a proven fact.