Long term medication

[Roostergirl]

I've taken effexor and propranolol for over 20 years. I don't even know if I still need this medication. Is anyone else in this situation?

[brokenlight]

I am not, but is it something that you can discuss with your doctor?

[Hidden]

I had been on Effexor 75mg for about 10 years. It helped tremendously but I tired of feeling quite emotionless. January first I started to slowly weaned and have been off completely for 3 weeks now and feel great! That said I have made an appointment with a therapist to work through some things that now bother me, that I honestly just was able to put aside before. I prefer to just work through them now with therapy. Before, my life was crazy with caring for an elderly parent and young grandchildren. Now, it’s me and hubby and I feel better able to work through depression related things.

I was on a 75mg capsule once daily. When I told my doctor I wanted to wean, he switched me to 25mg tablets 3 x a day. I stayed on that dose for a month to be sure I did ok and then when to 1/2 pill for the afternoon dose. After one month, halved the evening dose, another month then halved the morning dose. And so on until I was at 1/2 dose morning dose which I stayed on for a month before stopping completely.

When the pandemic started I paused the weaning for a bit....felt like there was enough going on.

With each decrease I noticed now and then a day I felt especially irritable. But it would pass the next day. Thankfully I have a very supportive husband. He encourages me and reminds me that I am truly feeling some emotions I have not felt in a long time. Honestly, I overall feel wonderful. That said, if at any point I’m at a place of not wanting to get out of bed, I won’t hesitate to start something again. But I’ll see if that can be something different than Effexor.

My advice if you start would be to go slowly in order to give yourself the best possible results. And do it with your doctors approval and the support of a trusted friend or family member.