SSRI support group - tapering while on benzo's or after recovery

[[...]]

Hi everyone 

 

There seems to be huge differences from one individual to another... AD withdrawal can be as bad as benzo withdrawal. It seems a lot of people manage to come off ADs with more ease than benzos, but that is an over-generalisation. Some ADs seem to cause more trouble than others (Seroxat, Paxil, Effexor, Prozac...), again, an over-generalisation...

 

With benzos we have some theory with GABA receptors having to upregulate, etc, but what goes on when we take SSRIs or SNRIs? I don't have a clue. What is that withdrawal about?

 

Anongirl, I am so sorry you are going through such severe withdrawal, what you describe is similar to what I've read here from benzo withdrawal as you may know yourself.

I believe Prozac has a longer half-life so "loading time" will take more than a few days, how are you feeling now? Did you say you reinstated 1mg?

 

GreenCup, well done on your Pristiq taper  Did you go with the 10% rule?

 

In addition to Klonopin and Valium, I am also on Escitalopram (Lexapro) and Effexor  I was always tired and emotionally numb but the tiredness turned into exhaustion seemingly overnight in 2014. That's when I started tapering off K... I had tapered Escitalopram from the initial 60 mg down to 15 mg without any trouble... I guess that's my luck.

I now realise all those drugs are evil (I still have the exhaustion to this day), so as controversial as it might have been, as long as my body allowed it... I cut to 10mg Escitalopram in November 2016. Some anxiety and heart palps which all resolved itself within a couple of weeks.

I think I am going to attempt a new cut...

 

Take good care of yourselves!!

Julz x

[[an...]]

Anongirl, I am so sorry you are going through such severe withdrawal, what you describe is similar to what I've read here from benzo withdrawal as you may know yourself.

I believe Prozac has a longer half-life so "loading time" will take more than a few days, how are you feeling now? Did you say you reinstated 1mg?

 

Hi Julz  --

 

I did reinstate (doing reverse taper) with 1mg for the past 7 days. Haven't felt changes at all yet ... think I'm getting worse and worse as days go by. I have a huge rash/hive going on around my neck, tingling skin 24/7, insomnia, burning skin, now I'm getting eye floaters.... it's never ending :'( I am 4 months out since I CT'd in September. I don't trust my current psychiatrist anymore. I called a few doctors today in hopes that they are knowledgeable about AD withdrawal. I can't go on like this ...

[[Ki...]]

Anongrl - I'm sorry you're suffering, this is a difficult road to travel.

 

I have cold turkeyed, rapid tapered and 10% tapered my SSRI (Paxil). My full history is in my signature, if you're interested.

 

By and large, a slow taper was much easier than the other methods. I was able to go from 60mg to 15mg without "too many" problems. It still wasn't great, but it isn't/wasn't like benzo w/d.

 

In general, it's my opinion that SSRI tapering should be just as slow/careful as a benzo taper in an effort to minimize sx. When I did a rapid taper or c/t I had sleep starts, nightmares, supreme irritability, crying fits, dizziness, weakness, stomach issues, brain zaps, muscle pain, etc, etc. On a scale of 1-10, the sx were about a 7-8 and interfered with every part of my life. When tapering, slowly, they were about a 3-4.

 

If I were in your shoes, I would reinstate at the lowest possible dose to find stability. Stability, to me, does not mean free of sx, but rather a level at which you can function. Once you get there, I'd start a very slow taper. I used a compounding pharmacy and they've been amazing.

[[Gr...]]

anongirl- One thing I'm sure of with ADs is that they take longer to have any effect in a positive manner.  I don't know how long you waited in between cuts, I waited a month,and went down by 25% each time.  25% is more than the advisable amount, I know, and I think the only reason I got away with this is because I wasn't on these drugs very long-l only 5 years total - switching ADs each year or two.  So basically I was on Pristiq for about a year, and I took four months to taper down.  I am about 2 weeks out from my last dose and I'm feeling okay. I definitely don't feel like I'm done with this withdrawal, but I do feel much better.  With each cut I always felt much better after waiting a month on the same dosage. 

 

I think maybe you just need to give it more time at the same dosage.  Wait until you feel like you can deal with life again.  I can't tell you what dosage that will be, but I think changing it in either direction just messes everything up for 1-3 months at least.  You have to give your body time to try and balance everything out again.

[[an...]]

anongirl- One thing I'm sure of with ADs is that they take longer to have any effect in a positive manner.  I don't know how long you waited in between cuts, I waited a month,and went down by 25% each time.  25% is more than the advisable amount, I know, and I think the only reason I got away with this is because I wasn't on these drugs very long-l only 5 years total - switching ADs each year or two.  So basically I was on Pristiq for about a year, and I took four months to taper down.  I am about 2 weeks out from my last dose and I'm feeling okay. I definitely don't feel like I'm done with this withdrawal, but I do feel much better.  With each cut I always felt much better after waiting a month on the same dosage. 

 

I think maybe you just need to give it more time at the same dosage.  Wait until you feel like you can deal with life again.  I can't tell you what dosage that will be, but I think changing it in either direction just messes everything up for 1-3 months at least.  You have to give your body time to try and balance everything out again.

 

I haven't tapered yet. I am doing a reverse taper - I'm starting at a very low dose and working my way up to a dose where I feel stabilized. So when I do reach stabilization, I can start the actual tapering and hopefully do this the right way. I am seeing a psychiatrist this weekend to go over a slow taper plan. Do your symptoms decrease as you go lower? I am getting confused with this because many people say their symptoms got worse as the dose went down but some people said theirs got better... I don't get it 

 

Also, congrats on finishing the taper! What symptoms did you have while tapering and what symptoms are you having now?

[[Gr...]]

Well I actually felt pretty good for a while on Pristiq, and the reason I went off was truly because of a scary migraine headache from serotonin syndrome.  I was going to wait until I was done going off the benzos but it just didn't work out like that.

 

So I had some side effects while on Pristiq but nothing really that uncomfortable.  I did feel like my metabolism was messed up but I never could really pin it down.

 

I went off one day, c/t- but srsly, like only for one day.  I could not believe how awful I felt the next day.  I wasn't even sure that it was withdrawal, it was unreal how intense it was.  I basically cut my time-released pill up, and took 1/4th of it that 2nd day and waited an hour and I felt SO MUCH BETTER.  I took 2 more fourths spread out through the day and that was my first cut to 3/4th of a 50mg pill. 

 

While tapering, I had anxiety, anxiety attacks, trouble breathing- hyperventilation, insomnia, restless legs,  extreme anger,  irritability, more headaches of course,  digestive issues, lots of gas,  especially burping, paranoia, memory loss and a general sense of confusion. 

 

Now, I still have a lot of fog on my brain and I am very forgetful.  I don't really remember the last 8-10 years very well at all.  I do not have agoraphobia, however, which is what I had when I started taking any of these drugs.  In fact, my original issues of anxiety and panic disorder are completely different now and I can't help but think all I have now is a drug problem.  I do feel like the antidepressants changed me in a good way from my anxiety, though I feel like they could have done it in less time.  I bet I could have just taken them 3-6 months and it would have been better.  Hindsight is 20/20. 

 

Anongirl- when is the last time you felt stable? 

[[an...]]

Well I actually felt pretty good for a while on Pristiq, and the reason I went off was truly because of a scary migraine headache from serotonin syndrome.  I was going to wait until I was done going off the benzos but it just didn't work out like that.

 

So I had some side effects while on Pristiq but nothing really that uncomfortable.  I did feel like my metabolism was messed up but I never could really pin it down.

 

I went off one day, c/t- but srsly, like only for one day.  I could not believe how awful I felt the next day.  I wasn't even sure that it was withdrawal, it was unreal how intense it was.  I basically cut my time-released pill up, and took 1/4th of it that 2nd day and waited an hour and I felt SO MUCH BETTER.  I took 2 more fourths spread out through the day and that was my first cut to 3/4th of a 50mg pill. 

 

While tapering, I had anxiety, anxiety attacks, trouble breathing- hyperventilation, insomnia, restless legs,  extreme anger,  irritability, more headaches of course,  digestive issues, lots of gas,  especially burping, paranoia, memory loss and a general sense of confusion. 

 

Now, I still have a lot of fog on my brain and I am very forgetful.  I don't really remember the last 8-10 years very well at all.  I do not have agoraphobia, however, which is what I had when I started taking any of these drugs.  In fact, my original issues of anxiety and panic disorder are completely different now and I can't help but think all I have now is a drug problem.  I do feel like the antidepressants changed me in a good way from my anxiety, though I feel like they could have done it in less time.  I bet I could have just taken them 3-6 months and it would have been better.  Hindsight is 20/20. 

 

Anongirl- when is the last time you felt stable?

 

I think I also had serotonin syndrome while I was on Prozac last year because there was a point I increased my dose from 20mg to 40mg due to CTing and having withdrawals but I mistook the symptoms as worsening anxiety. So I thought I needed to increase my dose -__- I was SO dumb! That 40mg dose led me to have a VERRRRY severe panic attack. Had to rush to the ER where I was trembling uncontrollably, BP was at 150/100, eyes were SUPER dilated, and anxiety shot up through the roof! That feeling lasted the whole entire week after that. It was f***ing horrifying.

 

I had side effects on Prozac too but I stupidly did not attribute it to the drug. I had chronic fatigue, constipation, and I developed an irrational paranoia while driving. Why did I not question the drug? UGH! Never had these side effects before in my life.

 

Have a lot of the symptoms you had during your taper gone or decreased? Seems like the Pristiq really caused quite a problem for you. However, I also agree that my time on the Prozac could've been shorter ... like 3 months. or even 2. Hindsight IS 20/20 

[[Gr...]]

I hope someone out there does some studies about taking ssris for less time and with a plan to GO OFF the meds.  I'm feeling a lot of anger this week.  I have been trying to figure out if I am actually angry about something or if this is just part of withdrawal.  I have no idea why I am so angry. 

[[an...]]

I hope someone out there does some studies about taking ssris for less time and with a plan to GO OFF the meds.  I'm feeling a lot of anger this week.  I have been trying to figure out if I am actually angry about something or if this is just part of withdrawal.  I have no idea why I am so angry.

 

I've been having this same exact thought this week too, Green cup. Yesterday I was crying so much from the pain but I wasn't depressed. I was just SUPER angry! I mean I am sad still about my situation but my anger is just overpowering.

 

Maybe you're anger is from WD since you don't have an idea as to why you feel this way. I think my own anger isn't from WD because I have control over it. But that's what I think...

[[Th...]]

I'm a bit foggy and did not read all the pages of posts but I'm really interested if anyone did a slow SSRI taper along with the Benzo taper? I'm still at 1.75 Klonopin and 75mg Zoloft. I figure I have about another year to come off Klonopin. I'm a long holder and now am going below 10% cuts. I was contemplating maybe doing 1mg of zoloft every 2 or 3 days. So slow maybe my brain can adjust. Has anyone tried this? is it a bad idea even if it's slow. I have been on SSRIs for 20 years now.

[[Gr...]]

Hey thirdtime-  I did not taper ssri at the exact same time.  What I did was I tapered the ssri before I finished tapering klonopin, and basically just kept the benzo at the same dose for 3-4 months while I tapered the ssri.  Tapering the ssri is so much messier than tapering benzo, imho.  I had time released pills, so even when I was taking cut up pieces, spread throughout the day, it was never really exact.  That said, I was able to adjust and feel somewhat stable after my cuts. 

 

I think going down on zoloft every 2 or 3 days is too fast.  You won't really adjust.  Of course, maybe the 1mg is so small you won't notice?  I'm actually super curious if that would make se's lessen or just happen all the time. 

 

I don't think it matters which one you taper first, or in the middle, but I would hold one and taper the other, definitely not both at the same time.

 

 

[[Th...]]

Hey thirdtime-  I did not taper ssri at the exact same time.  What I did was I tapered the ssri before I finished tapering klonopin, and basically just kept the benzo at the same dose for 3-4 months while I tapered the ssri.  Tapering the ssri is so much messier than tapering benzo, imho.  I had time released pills, so even when I was taking cut up pieces, spread throughout the day, it was never really exact.  That said, I was able to adjust and feel somewhat stable after my cuts. 

 

I think going down on zoloft every 2 or 3 days is too fast.  You won't really adjust.  Of course, maybe the 1mg is so small you won't notice?  I'm actually super curious if that would make se's lessen or just happen all the time. 

 

I don't think it matters which one you taper first, or in the middle, but I would hold one and taper the other, definitely not both at the same time.

 

That is something I never considered; holding and than doing the SSRI. I think I'm reading too many boards and adding anxiety. I went to the surviving antidepressants site and they seem pretty confident doing the benzo first is a bad idea, but that does not seem right to me. Guess I'm just having a really hard time taking it slow

[[Ki...]]

ThirdTime,

 

I tapered my benzo first, as that made the most sense to me, and am happy I did. I've been on my SSRI for 15 years so I thought it was best to leave that alone for the time being. I'm 18 months off benzo and will start my SSRI taper soon.

 

As with any psych med, slow is best. Tapering an SSRI should be treated with the same respect and caution as a benzo, IMO.

 

If you want drop 1mg every few days, I would still advise that you don't taper more than 10% per month. 1mg from 75mg is only 1.3% so, theoretically, you should be ok. BUT keep in mind, you aren't tapering from a stable place right now (unless you are sx free from your benzo taper) so you may need to slow down further.

 

Keep us posted 

[[Ir...]]

Does anyone know the extent of SSRI withdrawal symptoms?

 

I can't find many on the survivingantidepressant website that have my main symptom. A lot have it on here though... I've never taken a benzo.

[[Ki...]]

Does anyone know the extent of SSRI withdrawal symptoms?

 

I can't find many on the survivingantidepressant website that have my main symptom. A lot have it on here though... I've never taken a benzo.

 

Hi Irish,

 

We've talked on the 18-30 thread. It's my belief, through much reading and researching, that there is not much difference between recovery from SSRI or benzos. It seems as though any psych med has the ability to cause a myriad of withdrawal sx long after cessation of use.

 

I spent a lot of time on PaxilProgress when the site was still active and most people recovered witching 2-3 years, just like benzos. Some healed quicker, some longer. Just like benzos. i know your balance/boatiness is having an impact on your daily functioning and I'm sorry. It's hard to live like that day in, and day out.

 

Have you seen the thread for dizziness/balance/disequilbruium here on BB? Maybe you could find some coping tips there?

[[Ir...]]

Does anyone know the extent of SSRI withdrawal symptoms?

 

I can't find many on the survivingantidepressant website that have my main symptom. A lot have it on here though... I've never taken a benzo.

 

Hi Irish,

 

We've talked on the 18-30 thread. It's my belief, through much reading and researching, that there is not much difference between recovery from SSRI or benzos. It seems as though any psych med has the ability to cause a myriad of withdrawal sx long after cessation of use.

 

I spent a lot of time on PaxilProgress when the site was still active and most people recovered witching 2-3 years, just like benzos. Some healed quicker, some longer. Just like benzos. i know your balance/boatiness is having an impact on your daily functioning and I'm sorry. It's hard to live like that day in, and day out.

 

Have you seen the thread for dizziness/balance/disequilbruium here on BB? Maybe you could find some coping tips there?

 

Hi Kiddo!

 

Thanks for the reply I feel like I'm bugging everyone in every thread I can find haha I just need reassurance that this is withdrawal because it feels so real. It's not so much affecting my ability to function - that was the struggle for the first 10 months of this or so. It's just something that reminds me that I'm unwell everyday and haven't recovered which makes me worry, depressed and sad. It's also exhausting basically having this entity following you and rocking you all the time - mentally and physically.

 

I'm at 1 year 7 months now. However withdrawal didn't really kick in till 5 months after stopping the drug.

 

I could wait the 2 - 3 years as long as I was guaranteed it would go away...

 

[[Ki...]]

Hi Irish,

 

I totally get what you're saying. It's my understanding that SSRI withdrawal follows a slightly different timelines than benzos in the sense that withdrawal symptoms are often delayed. I'm not at all surprised that you didn't get "hit" until 5 months later.

 

With that being said, I believe this symptom, just like all the other will go away, given enough time. How long that "time" is, well, that's the frustrating part. No one knows. It could be tomorrow, it could be 3+ years. We just have to hang on until that day comes.

 

Have you been to the doctor to rule out other sources for your sx? It may be worth it, even if it's just to set your mind at ease.

[[Jo...]]

I have stopped Effexor twice with sensible tapers.  Both times the brain zaps went away after a couple of weeks for the most part, as well as the boatiness. 

 

The first time, years ago I got slammed in the 2.5 to 4 month range.  At the time my Cl. dose remaned unhcanged.  I reinstated back the, not knowing what was going on.  This winter I had stopped the Ad again while trying to taper the benzo.  I reliazed the AD was causing me to be more anxious as I tapered the benzo. 

 

Again, this winter I got slammed at about the three month mark off the AD.  I reinstated for 4 weeks without changing my benzo dose, and and after two weeks the anxiety started to get worse again, so I tapered and stopped a six weeks ago, again.  Now, I know that the issues I was having were caused by the AD wd.  I have steadied at 8 mg V. and will sit here until I am sure I am well and clear of the AD wd. 

 

It seems that the effects of the ADs on the brain take awhile to go away.  It stands to reason there is a lag period since when you start them it takes a few weeks for them to 'work'.  So for now, I am staying the course with the benzo. 

 

I hope this is helpful to someone undergoing what seems to be delayed wd from ADs. 

[[ga...]]

Jorges, Thanks for your post.  I still have 5 mg of Valium to taper before I start my taper off of 60 mg of Cymbalta, which is similar to Effexor.  How did you do your Effexor taper?  Cymbalta is difficult since it requires counting beads in the capsules.  I am under a time crunch to get off of the Valium since I go on Medicare Oct 1 and the prescription programs don't cover benzos.  Also, my doctor is anxious for me to get off of the Valium since it's a controlled substance although he's very patient about my taper and understands that it must be at a symptoms-based rate. But, the Medicare clock is ticking so I do feel pressure.

 

There is a Facebook page called Cymbalta Hurts Worse and while it's great in offering support and guidance, I must say that the stories scare me.  The tedium of counting hundreds of beads each week over 1 or 2 years coupled with frightening withdrawal symptoms is a lot to take on.  How was the Effexor withdrawal for you?  I'm glad you had the Valium to back you up...I won't have that. 

[[Gr...]]

I am now passed the three month mark off of SSRIs and wow, it's weird.  I definitely feel like my head is in a weird space.  Sometimes I feel manic, others kind of depressed.  I am not looking forward to resuming my benzo taper.  I have been holding at .25mg klonopin a day since November, so that's about six months now.  I still don't feel healed from benzo tapering either, and of course not, cause I'm still taking them.  It feels like it never ends.

[[Th...]]

I'm on Zoloft and think it's not helping at all. If it is helping I'm a lot worst off than I thought. I really hope at the end of this I can taper off that too. Depression before it does not compare to now so I wonder what the F it's doing for me. I jus feel addicted to another drug that stopped working.

[[Jo...]]

Jorges, Thanks for your post.  I still have 5 mg of Valium to taper before I start my taper off of 60 mg of Cymbalta, which is similar to Effexor.  How did you do your Effexor taper?  Cymbalta is difficult since it requires counting beads in the capsules.  I am under a time crunch to get off of the Valium since I go on Medicare Oct 1 and the prescription programs don't cover benzos.  Also, my doctor is anxious for me to get off of the Valium since it's a controlled substance although he's very patient about my taper and understands that it must be at a symptoms-based rate. But, the Medicare clock is ticking so I do feel pressure.

 

There is a Facebook page called Cymbalta Hurts Worse and while it's great in offering support and guidance, I must say that the stories scare me.  The tedium of counting hundreds of beads each week over 1 or 2 years coupled with frightening withdrawal symptoms is a lot to take on.  How was the Effexor withdrawal for you?  I'm glad you had the Valium to back you up...I won't have that.

 

Sure,

 

The Withdrawal was incredibly nasty in the winter... after 2.5 months off.  I basically stopped sleeping, was chronically anxious, and had lots of panic attacks, and muscle tension.  Now, I was trying to taper the benzos at the same time.  From 8 mg V. down to 5.5.  But I honestly think the bigger issue bynfar was the AD. 

 

After reinstating for 4 weeks in February with 75 mg E., I switched over to P again, tapered very quickly and stopped.  This time I held the V. at 8 mg and allow myself occasional rescue doses on bad days.

 

Each time I tapered by crossing to Paxil and just cutting the pills.  Maybe I should have used Prozac but I had used Paxil before (the evil you already know and all that).  Switching from the SNRI to the SSRI served two purposes. 

 

1) It got rid of part of the effect at a time.  Allegedly, SNRIs act on two different brain systems.  The Paxil should only act on one system (there is no real science to back this up).

 

2) By switching to a solid pill I avoided the bead counting nonsense.  Nearly a year ago I crossed from E. to P.  .The orginal reason was I was finding the E. to be too stimulative and thought the P. would be better... it wasn't.  With a reduced benzo buffer, for me, the ADs are all too stimulative.  Once on the P. I tried to get to 20 mg but couldn't get above 10 mg it so I started to taper.  I went the entire summer cutting it down slowly and stopped in late October.  It was sort of unintended. 

 

This time, I have no doubt going back to 8 mg V. helped mitigate the symptoms, EVEN though it is really a low dose of Benzo.  As I said, every few days I may updose a little (2-4 mg) but am finding it less necessary as the AD wd effects lessen. 

 

My intention is to hold at 8 mg V. until August or so, when I will be a few months completely free of the ADs, and then see if I can taper the V.  As I said, the dose is so low by any normal standards I am in no hurry. 

[[Pa...]]

Hi All,

 

In my case ADs have helped me with depression but have not worked too well for anxiety. In 2010 I switched from Paxil and Clonazapam to Cipralex only and I was great for 2 years. In 2012 depression began to set back in and then anxiety. I tried to increase Cipralex but it did nothing. I've spent the last 5 years trying trying different ADs. In March I switched to Zoloft and currently increasing it to 150mg. I'm at 125mg now for the last 2 days.

 

In the meantime I'm taking between 6mg and 10mg of valium to help me get through.

 

I don't think that the ADs have hurt me over the years but I do think that lorazapam and clonazapam have made my anxiety worse. I recently tried to taper offer by switching lorazapam to valium but I think I went to fast as my anxiety spiked and the disappointment made me very depressed. I reinstated to a higher dosage the last three days and my depression has been relieved and my anxiety has been much better.

 

I will do whatever I can to feel better. I'm not going to become depressed with death wishes just to get off benzos.

[[ga...]]

Jorges, Thanks for your post.  I still have 5 mg of Valium to taper before I start my taper off of 60 mg of Cymbalta, which is similar to Effexor.  How did you do your Effexor taper?  Cymbalta is difficult since it requires counting beads in the capsules.  I am under a time crunch to get off of the Valium since I go on Medicare Oct 1 and the prescription programs don't cover benzos.  Also, my doctor is anxious for me to get off of the Valium since it's a controlled substance although he's very patient about my taper and understands that it must be at a symptoms-based rate. But, the Medicare clock is ticking so I do feel pressure.

 

There is a Facebook page called Cymbalta Hurts Worse and while it's great in offering support and guidance, I must say that the stories scare me.  The tedium of counting hundreds of beads each week over 1 or 2 years coupled with frightening withdrawal symptoms is a lot to take on.  How was the Effexor withdrawal for you?  I'm glad you had the Valium to back you up...I won't have that.

 

Sure,

 

The Withdrawal was incredibly nasty in the winter... after 2.5 months off.  I basically stopped sleeping, was chronically anxious, and had lots of panic attacks, and muscle tension.  Now, I was trying to taper the benzos at the same time.  From 8 mg V. down to 5.5.  But I honestly think the bigger issue bynfar was the AD. 

 

After reinstating for 4 weeks in February with 75 mg E., I switched over to P again, tapered very quickly and stopped.  This time I held the V. at 8 mg and allow myself occasional rescue doses on bad days.

 

Each time I tapered by crossing to Paxil and just cutting the pills.  Maybe I should have used Prozac but I had used Paxil before (the evil you already know and all that).  Switching from the SNRI to the SSRI served two purposes. 

 

1) It got rid of part of the effect at a time.  Allegedly, SNRIs act on two different brain systems.  The Paxil should only act on one system (there is no real science to back this up).

 

2) By switching to a solid pill I avoided the bead counting nonsense.  Nearly a year ago I crossed from E. to P.  .The orginal reason was I was finding the E. to be too stimulative and thought the P. would be better... it wasn't.  With a reduced benzo buffer, for me, the ADs are all too stimulative.  Once on the P. I tried to get to 20 mg but couldn't get above 10 mg it so I started to taper.  I went the entire summer cutting it down slowly and stopped in late October.  It was sort of unintended. 

 

This time, I have no doubt going back to 8 mg V. helped mitigate the symptoms, EVEN though it is really a low dose of Benzo.  As I said, every few days I may updose a little (2-4 mg) but am finding it less necessary as the AD wd effects lessen. 

 

My intention is to hold at 8 mg V. until August or so, when I will be a few months completely free of the ADs, and then see if I can taper the V.  As I said, the dose is so low by any normal standards I am in no hurry.

Thanks, Jorges.  What kind of crossover schedule did you use when you bridged from Effexor to Paxil?

[[ga...]]

Has anyone tapered off of Cymbalta after finishing a Benzo taper?