Antidepressants

I was going through a hard time a couple of weeks ago and my GP increased my dose of Venlafaxine 37.5mg twice a day to 75.5mg modified release. For the last year or so I had been getting by one 37.5mg once a day and things were okay. I have to be honest, a lot has gone on. However, I want to get off of antidepressants. I am a creative person and as someone who has been on them for nearly 2 years, I feel like they are just making more and numb every day. I have spoken to family but they seem to be reluctant to support my decision to withdraw as they said the tablets keep one level. Please can someone offer some advice?

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Hi. I’m on these drugs. I too would love to come off them but they aren’t a very friendly drug so be careful. It surprises me you’ve been on 37.5mg as a normal dose as the recommended therapeutic dose for adults is 150mg. I won’t go up to that much because of the side effects. 37.5mg is usually used for weening off. I’m on 75mg from 2009. I came off them in 2015 but was straight back on them after a relapse and still am. This wasn’t necessarily the drugs as a big life event happened at the same time so it was more than likely that.

What I did to come off was, I went onto 2 x 37.5mg tablets and cut them into quarters. For one month at a time I reduced a quarter. It took about 10 months if I remember rightly but didn’t get any withdrawal symptoms.

Be certain you’re in a good place mentally if you do. These drugs clearly work if you’re on a level and it’s without you realising but make sure your life doesn’t need them. Any stresses you get day to day are currently blotted out by the drugs as it’s their job so if you don’t have a clear head at the point of withdrawal, you ‘could’ relapse as you’ve nothing in your brain to take it away.

I see both sides of the situation. Your family see you well, but you hate the drugs. Same as I did. Just clearly think over the path you want to take and go for it. Good luck.

[penny5]

I’ve been taking venlafaxine for 4 years now for anxiety and depression. I’m on a high dose (225mg slow release). I also take mirtazapine at night. I think if you feel ready to come off venlafaxine you should get some support. Like with all meds you should reduce the them ever so slowly. I’ve heard they’re difficult to come off but maybe not so on a lower dose. Good Luck!

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Thank you for that! Very helpful!