Zapping My Way Down On Effexor

[coffeeandweed]

Hey all. Started another drop the other day on my way to find an ideal level on the Effexor. I started the drop last fall when I went from 375mg down to 225 but I had to put a halt to it when I tried 150. By that time we were right at the shortest days of the year and my nerves wanted me to get comfortable before carrying on.

So this week I brought it down again. The days are getting longer and I go back to work at the farm next week. It would be nice to do it in relative lucidity. But that being said, I forgot my Concerta today and the hyper focus went nuts with me but I made a lovely modification to my crossbow project. That and I've been in the clouds all day. Can't forget that when it's foremost in my perception of everything. And today the brain zapping hit hard. Good thing I'm not doing hard work today.

Just something to share since I've been laying low lately. That's why. Time to put the craftwork down. Have a good night everyone.

[Daydreamin]

Oh the brain zap’s! I remember those too as i once was on Effexor and stepped down to change to a more effective combo for me. Effexor just didn't work for me, so I moved to taking Lexapro, Vyvanse, and a Adderall IR daily. My medicine combination works, but it must be taken consistently and with no breaks, otherwise I experience the most undesired withdrawal symptoms and it takes a couple days to get leveled back out with everything. One would think taking medication consistently would be an easy task, however in my area in the United States the pharmacies have implemented rules that counter doctors recommendations on taking medication. In an effort for the pharmacy to reduce liability of someone abusing medication, if I go to pick up my medication and they are out of one of them I have to wait to fill the second usually about a week before they get it in. So I am constantly a week off of having my long acting stimulant and my short acting so I have to make adjustments on my own. When I was coming off of Effexor I remember meeting with a psychiatrist who I went to to help me get off the drug as my general practitioner prescribed it. The psychiatrist said after I told him I was having the brain zaps that I shouldn’t be having them and I should be able to quit cold turkey on that medication. He was insistent and ignored what I was telling him.

In addition to my Herculean effort to take my medication at the same time every day, I also have to struggle with the daily challenges we face having the gift of ADHD and the Co-morbid’s that travel with it.

I have to think there is a better way to control the issues that the DEA is attempting to when it relates to diversion and other miss use of needed medication.

One that does not negatively affect the patient as much as the current restrictions do. The doctor and the pharmacist both put their hands up and say I’m sorry I wish I could help you. When I asked if there is anything that can be done about the pharmacy running out of medication and having to stick to the timelines.

So if the regulations and restrictions are meant to protect people. What about the patient in which the medication was designed for? Excuse my rabbit hole i went down lol.

[coffeeandweed in reply to Daydreamin]

Oh I know where you're coming from, my friend; I knew there would be someone here who could commiserate. Doing doing some hard zapping today -expected- along with my Concerta crash, which for some reason is unusually hard since the Effexor decrease.

I should do a retro-time to the best of my memory to see what med is doing what. I'm on Effexor and Concerta as well as on Tegretol. All these work on noradrenaline plus each has its own specific neurotransmitter besides; I was in massive overload and like you say, the system sucks.

Screw the system. I have a B.Sc. that gives me a working knowledge of basic biology and chemistry (before going into a different direction) and the wonderful ability to do my own research. I studied up on neurotransmitters and drug interactions over the winter and I well know how to change variables in experiments. Yup, screw the system. My pharmacist is behind me in it because she seems to confidence in what I'm doing. Therefore she's the one I'm giving my progress to. As long as I don't have to increase anything I'm OK baw haw haw.

I had to come in from the backyard to sit in front of a science documentary on YouTube. Not that it's a bad thing, but I go back to work tomorrow and today it's beautiful out haha. I'm working on a crossbow and I made some wonderful progress the past few cold rainy days with some modifications and today I was fine-tuning it. As long as my hands are going I'm OK.

My Pet Project for This Month

[coffeeandweed]

So after a couple weeks down to 150mg of Effexor and another pattern of side effects, I figured out maybe I should move things around a little. I got off work a couple days ago crashing off either it or the Tegretol. Not good. I went off the pavement twice and almost took down a sign.

So now that I have a few days off I'm going to go back to taking those two in the night and try the Concerta in the morning; it would be nice to have a decent brain out in a vegetable field. I started yesterday but it was hard to get a feel on it because it felt like a bit of pollen sensitivity or something on me.

This morning I'm feeling a bit better and I took the Concerta when I got up. Just waiting for it to kick in so I can take stock of my wits.