Psychotropic medication discussion thread

Charles Patel said:I don't give a damn about textbooks or academic papers. I can find all that junk in a library or online if I really wanted to. What I actually care about is real-world experience.

So, how do you actually get off Xanax, and what kind of hell am I looking at during the detox?

Dreading this stuff is an understatement. If I miss my dose by even a little bit, I'm done for—panic attacks, dizziness, feeling weak, nausea... it's brutal.

Well, maybe you could try searching online if hearing from someone who’s actually survived it (like myself) isn't enough for you. I did respond to your question, but perhaps you missed it or simply didn't find it relevant.☕

Charles Patel said:I don't give a damn about textbooks or academic papers. I can find all that junk in a library or online if I really wanted to. What I actually care about is real-world experience.

So, how do you actually get off Xanax, and what kind of hell am I looking at during the detox?

Dreading this stuff is an understatement. If I miss my dose by even a little bit, I'm done for—panic attacks, dizziness, feeling weak, nausea... it's brutal.

Right here is a tapering schedule for alprazolam (Xanax); check your daily dosage and the timeline for reduction. As you'll see, you could drop by 0.25 mg every week, though I'd suggest opting for the longer route—your body will adjust much more smoothly that way...

As for what to expect? If you go slow with small increments, the side effects won't be nearly as brutal... you might consider switching to Ativan if things get rough... personally, I was a heavy user for 15 years (I even hit 6-8 Xanax pills at 0.5 mg a day)... but my process was different from what I'd recommend to you...🙂

And here is a protocol developed by a doctor in London who uses a substitute medication to help bridge the gap while tapering off Xanax...

Good luck!!!

Since they finally pulled Ladiomil off the market, I’ve switched over to Effexor—I started taking it this past Thursday, and so far, so good... at least I haven't been hit by any of those dreaded side effects yet. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

I’m not totally sure if this is the right spot for this—I didn't see a specific thread dedicated to Velafax, so I figured I'd just toss it in here!

I honestly feel like I owe it to you guys to share my experience with Velafax!
I really hope everyone currently using this—or even just thinking about picking it up—takes a second to read this!
I was on it for three years straight—running that higher dose, you know, the 2x75 mg split!

So, here’s the deal—the reason my doctor put me on this is because I’d been leaning way too hard on Xanax to deal with my social anxiety. It was getting to that point where I was worried about getting hooked, you know? So, they basically told me we need to pivot and introduce an antidepressant into the mix instead to keep things steady.🤷 Classic story—happens every single time!
And just like that—it actually started working! Honestly, I feel like a whole new person. These last two years have been absolutely incredible—just pure bliss. Things that used to totally wreck my mood or throw me for a loop? They don't even phase me anymore. It’s wild—I’ve got this newfound drive, this crazy energy, and just straight-up courage! It’s like my entire personality underwent a total makeover or something. Classic story, right? But man, I am loving it!🤷

So, I’m officially hitting my three-year mark on Venlafax—and man, things have definitely shifted lately! It’s like everything just feels... different. Not necessarily bad, just a total change in vibe from how things used to be when I first started.
Ugh, I’m seriously starting to feel this exhaustion hitting me—and it just keeps getting worse. It’s reached a point where these waves of fatigue and sleepiness during the day are so intense that I don't even have the energy to change out of my work clothes—I literally just "collapse" onto the bed in whatever I'm wearing and pass out!
And then—bam—the depression just hit me like a freight train, and man, it only kept getting heavier from there.
So, my doctor finally agreed that the meds had basically stopped working—and honestly, they were starting to do more harm than good—so we decided it was time to pull the plug. I didn't just quit cold turkey, though! Oh no, definitely not. I played it super safe and tapered off really, really slowly over the course of six whole months.

It’s been three months now—and man, those first two months were just brutal. I was basically stuck in bed the whole time, dealing with this absolute agony... just total, deep clinical depression that honestly hasn't let up yet.
Of course, I jumped straight to a second AD immediately—and honestly? Nothing worked. Then I even tried a third one—still nothing! It’s pretty obvious that once you've been hit by something that intense, everything else just feels like a total letdown.🙂
So, I’m officially on my third round of Wellbutrin today—man, what a ride! Honestly? I’m feeling just "okay" enough to actually get out of bed, which is a win, I guess. Not sure if it’s the meds finally kicking in or if I’m just finally moving past that whole Effexor phase, but hey, I’ll take it!

So, what I’m really trying to get at after everything that’s gone down is this:
I honestly feel so cheated—like, I was never actually depressed! It was always just massive social anxiety that felt like a total impostor. Public speaking jitters, turning bright red whenever eyes are on you... yeah, that stuff is rough. But honestly? It’s nothing compared to the crushing depression I’ve been dealing with. It’s this absolute nightmare that I can’t even put into words—just this heavy, constant weight I’ve been dragging around hour after hour, day after day, for months on end. Compared to social anxiety, the depression is just on a whole different level of intense.
Look, I’m totally not against antidepressants—honestly, I take them myself—but in my humble opinion, prescribing stuff like Paxil or other heavy-duty meds should really only be for the absolute toughest cases!!!
If I had any idea what he was actually going to do to me back then—seriously, if I’d seen it coming—there is absolutely no way I would have ever gone for him!!
Oh, and here’s the kicker—the whole reason they put me on V. was actually to help me taper off my old anti-anxiety meds. But then, get this, they went ahead and prescribed me a completely different anxiety med at the exact same time! Like, hello? What kind of logic is that even supposed to be??🤷

I know some people are gonna jump in and say that everyone reacts to ADHD differently—and hey, they aren't wrong! But for those who need a little reality check, here are a few facts to keep things in perspective:
So, I was catching up with this one friend of mine—we were totally comparing notes on everything—and it turns out she went through the exact same thing I did! We sat there analyzing every single detail, and honestly? It was like looking in a mirror—the whole timeline played out identically. Seriously wild!
So, on one of those old-school health forums, there was this one guy who basically made it a "public secret" to roast Velafax—he described it as just being some weird combo of half white and half yellow pills. Honestly, though, if you’ve been popping those things for years at a higher dose, you know exactly what I mean!
Look, seriously—just hop on YouTube and search for "Effexor withdrawal" or something similar to get up to speed. That’s basically just the doctor's way of saying Venlafaxine. It’s worth doing a little digging yourself so you actually know what's going on!
I can't even begin to describe how stoked I am about this! Honestly, my mind is just blown—it’s one of those things that makes you realize how much we actually take for granted sometimes. Just absolutely incredible! http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/effe...I2UR28DFD3N759

I know some people are gonna jump down my throat and say I was probably just genetically wired to spiral into depression, but honestly? I’ve actually done the homework on that—I really dug into it!
How many times have you guys scrolled past articles saying people only develop certain disorders—like bipolar or psychosis—right during or even after they start taking antidepressants? I feel like I’ve lost count! Seriously, I see it everywhere.

I’m honestly not even mad at my doctor. I get it—he’s helped tons of people out there and basically given them their lives back. I wouldn't trade him for anything, especially since so many other docs out there are way worse—like, they barely know what they're doing and just rush you through an appointment because of insurance paperwork. It's all "quick check-in, sign here, bye!" without actually listening. My guy actually answers my questions and doesn't try to force anything on me, which is huge. But let's be real for a second: most psychiatrists just don't know nearly enough about medication and they prescribe stuff way too easily. They basically just skim a manual and call it a day. Honestly? Sometimes patients end up knowing more than they do! We actually take the time to research because our lives are literally on the line, whereas for them, it's just another 9-to-5. At the end of the day, they can't truly wrap their heads around what we're actually going through.

At the end of the day, I just really wanted to ask you guys—is your situation actually bad enough that you're willing to gamble on those kinds of consequences?
And look, let's be real here: if it works, it *definitely* works. But—and this is a huge but—it doesn't last long at all.

Leaking such highly sensitive information from internal sources is honestly just unnecessary and exhausting.
We’ve got certain people constantly hammering us with nineteen different theories about medications!!!! Ugh, it's draining.
Hey, someone tell rejo to please stop with all this constant copy-pasting... 🙂

Tapering off 0.25 mg of Xanax daily is basically no different than giving up your morning Nespresso—if anything, it's actually easier.

Eric Jackson11 said:Leaking such highly sensitive information from internal sources is honestly just unnecessary and exhausting.
We’ve got certain people constantly hammering us with nineteen different theories about medications!!!! Ugh, it's draining.
Hey, someone tell rejo to please stop with all this constant copy-pasting... 🙂

Tapering off 0.25 mg of Xanax daily is basically no different than giving up your morning Nespresso—if anything, it's actually easier.

Well, just skip the reading material then... because let's be real, tapering off Xanax is definitely not a piece of cake...🙄

Bryan Reyes60 said:I’m not totally sure if this is the right spot for this—I didn't see a specific thread dedicated to Velafax, so I figured I'd just toss it in here!

I honestly feel like I owe it to you guys to share my experience with Velafax!
I really hope everyone currently using this—or even just thinking about picking it up—takes a second to read this!
I was on it for three years straight—running that higher dose, you know, the 2x75 mg split!

So, here’s the deal—the reason my doctor put me on this is because I’d been leaning way too hard on Xanax to deal with my social anxiety. It was getting to that point where I was worried about getting hooked, you know? So, they basically told me we need to pivot and introduce an antidepressant into the mix instead to keep things steady.🤷 Classic story—happens every single time!
And just like that—it actually started working! Honestly, I feel like a whole new person. These last two years have been absolutely incredible—just pure bliss. Things that used to totally wreck my mood or throw me for a loop? They don't even phase me anymore. It’s wild—I’ve got this newfound drive, this crazy energy, and just straight-up courage! It’s like my entire personality underwent a total makeover or something. Classic story, right? But man, I am loving it!🤷

So, I’m officially hitting my three-year mark on Venlafax—and man, things have definitely shifted lately! It’s like everything just feels... different. Not necessarily bad, just a total change in vibe from how things used to be when I first started.
Ugh, I’m seriously starting to feel this exhaustion hitting me—and it just keeps getting worse. It’s reached a point where these waves of fatigue and sleepiness during the day are so intense that I don't even have the energy to change out of my work clothes—I literally just "collapse" onto the bed in whatever I'm wearing and pass out!
And then—bam—the depression just hit me like a freight train, and man, it only kept getting heavier from there.
So, my doctor finally agreed that the meds had basically stopped working—and honestly, they were starting to do more harm than good—so we decided it was time to pull the plug. I didn't just quit cold turkey, though! Oh no, definitely not. I played it super safe and tapered off really, really slowly over the course of six whole months.

It’s been three months now—and man, those first two months were just brutal. I was basically stuck in bed the whole time, dealing with this absolute agony... just total, deep clinical depression that honestly hasn't let up yet.
Of course, I jumped straight to a second AD immediately—and honestly? Nothing worked. Then I even tried a third one—still nothing! It’s pretty obvious that once you've been hit by something that intense, everything else just feels like a total letdown.🙂
So, I’m officially on my third round of Wellbutrin today—man, what a ride! Honestly? I’m feeling just "okay" enough to actually get out of bed, which is a win, I guess. Not sure if it’s the meds finally kicking in or if I’m just finally moving past that whole Effexor phase, but hey, I’ll take it!

So, what I’m really trying to get at after everything that’s gone down is this:
I honestly feel so cheated—like, I was never actually depressed! It was always just massive social anxiety that felt like a total impostor. Public speaking jitters, turning bright red whenever eyes are on you... yeah, that stuff is rough. But honestly? It’s nothing compared to the crushing depression I’ve been dealing with. It’s this absolute nightmare that I can’t even put into words—just this heavy, constant weight I’ve been dragging around hour after hour, day after day, for months on end. Compared to social anxiety, the depression is just on a whole different level of intense.
Look, I’m totally not against antidepressants—honestly, I take them myself—but in my humble opinion, prescribing stuff like Paxil or other heavy-duty meds should really only be for the absolute toughest cases!!!
If I had any idea what he was actually going to do to me back then—seriously, if I’d seen it coming—there is absolutely no way I would have ever gone for him!!
Oh, and here’s the kicker—the whole reason they put me on V. was actually to help me taper off my old anti-anxiety meds. But then, get this, they went ahead and prescribed me a completely different anxiety med at the exact same time! Like, hello? What kind of logic is that even supposed to be??🤷

I know some people are gonna jump in and say that everyone reacts to ADHD differently—and hey, they aren't wrong! But for those who need a little reality check, here are a few facts to keep things in perspective:
So, I was catching up with this one friend of mine—we were totally comparing notes on everything—and it turns out she went through the exact same thing I did! We sat there analyzing every single detail, and honestly? It was like looking in a mirror—the whole timeline played out identically. Seriously wild!
So, on one of those old-school health forums, there was this one guy who basically made it a "public secret" to roast Velafax—he described it as just being some weird combo of half white and half yellow pills. Honestly, though, if you’ve been popping those things for years at a higher dose, you know exactly what I mean!
Look, seriously—just hop on YouTube and search for "Effexor withdrawal" or something similar to get up to speed. That’s basically just the doctor's way of saying Venlafaxine. It’s worth doing a little digging yourself so you actually know what's going on!
I can't even begin to describe how stoked I am about this! Honestly, my mind is just blown—it’s one of those things that makes you realize how much we actually take for granted sometimes. Just absolutely incredible! http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/effe...I2UR28DFD3N759

I know some people are gonna jump down my throat and say I was probably just genetically wired to spiral into depression, but honestly? I’ve actually done the homework on that—I really dug into it!
How many times have you guys scrolled past articles saying people only develop certain disorders—like bipolar or psychosis—right during or even after they start taking antidepressants? I feel like I’ve lost count! Seriously, I see it everywhere.

I’m honestly not even mad at my doctor. I get it—he’s helped tons of people out there and basically given them their lives back. I wouldn't trade him for anything, especially since so many other docs out there are way worse—like, they barely know what they're doing and just rush you through an appointment because of insurance paperwork. It's all "quick check-in, sign here, bye!" without actually listening. My guy actually answers my questions and doesn't try to force anything on me, which is huge. But let's be real for a second: most psychiatrists just don't know nearly enough about medication and they prescribe stuff way too easily. They basically just skim a manual and call it a day. Honestly? Sometimes patients end up knowing more than they do! We actually take the time to research because our lives are literally on the line, whereas for them, it's just another 9-to-5. At the end of the day, they can't truly wrap their heads around what we're actually going through.

At the end of the day, I just really wanted to ask you guys—is your situation actually bad enough that you're willing to gamble on those kinds of consequences?
And look, let's be real here: if it works, it *definitely* works. But—and this is a huge but—it doesn't last long at all.

It's awful! There are so many stories floating around about Effexor... I was on it for just one week, and I couldn't sleep for three weeks while trying to get off it—imagine, one week of use, and three weeks of hell!!! And some people are on it for years!!! The official prescribing info clearly states Effexor is meant for treating
SEVERE depression...

There's even a dedicated thread on this forum about Effexor...

They're even suggesting using Prozac to help taper off Effexor!

Using Prozac for withdrawal due to its longer half-life

Some websites claim that switching from venlafaxine to Prozac during the final stages of tapering allows for a reduction rate that prevents withdrawal symptoms. This is attributed to Prozac's long half-life (four days, plus eight days for its intermediate metabolite—check the note in Section 5). Because of this, the drug level in the system drops gradually, allowing the body to adjust as doses are removed. This decay rate was originally used as a model to determine how to step down venlafaxine levels. While switching to Prozac was considered, it would mean introducing a completely different medication and a new learning curve. Furthermore, the Prozac website notes that about 7% of patients can't metabolize the drug properly, which causes concentrations to spike dangerously. It was felt that this posed an unnecessary risk if the taper could be handled safely through other methods.

http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk...awal-symptoms/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Venlafa...ation_syndrome

Larry Lewis said:Since they finally pulled Ladiomil off the market, I’ve switched over to Effexor—I started taking it this past Thursday, and so far, so good... at least I haven't been hit by any of those dreaded side effects yet. We'll just have to wait and see how this plays out.

Faverin is my absolute favorite... it works wonders for anxiety. You might feel a bit drowsy at first while your body adjusts, though... break a leg!😍

I have to admit, even if I feel like Eli Lilly's meds are pretty mediocre, they actually helped me during the transition away from Valfax. Honestly, I didn't deal with nearly as many 😱 side effects as some people on here; and I managed that for a long time.
But then, being an idiot, I decided to just quit all those "chemicals" cold turkey. I thought, "whatever, it's just going to hurt me anyway," and I let some "energy healer" talk me into it😵. Seriously guys, don't do that if you actually value your life🙂.
Just be straight with your doctor; take it slow and do it right.🙂

@adri k

So, tell me—how long did it take you to finally break away from Velafax? Was it a slow, gradual process to get untangled from him?

Chris Cruz8 said:I have to admit, even if I feel like Eli Lilly's meds are pretty mediocre, they actually helped me during the transition away from Valfax. Honestly, I didn't deal with nearly as many 😱 side effects as some people on here; and I managed that for a long time.
But then, being an idiot, I decided to just quit all those "chemicals" cold turkey. I thought, "whatever, it's just going to hurt me anyway," and I let some "energy healer" talk me into it😵. Seriously guys, don't do that if you actually value your life🙂.
Just be straight with your doctor; take it slow and do it right.🙂

You need to be extremely careful and approach all these bioenergetic healers, chiropractors, yogis, gurus, and godforsaken "spiritual healers" with a massive grain of salt. Wherever people are desperate and broken, these types swarm like flies around garbage. Out of all of them, maybe not even 1% actually possess any genuine ability to help someone heal. And while these corrupt charlatans look ridiculous with all their little magic tricks, they can be incredibly dangerous to your health if you take them seriously for even a moment. Remember that psychopath Pavlov? During the war, columns of desperate people would show up at his "clinic" in suburban Chicago, only for him to torment them—forcing them to jump into a frozen Central Park or snatching glasses off elderly patients and crushing them under his heel, all while insisting they just imagined their vision loss. He’d follow it up with his signature line:
-"You don't have anything, you're just messing around..."-
If a poor retiree realized after a day or two that "Dr." Anti wasn't exactly all there—and that he actually needed medical treatment more than the patient did—while the back pain and migraines persisted, he'd end up having to pay for new glasses on top of everything else...

I can't help but feel like everyone has suddenly developed this massive collective phobia regarding Prozac, and now there’s this sudden rush to distance themselves from it 😁, am I right? :P

On a different note, do you think it’s actually a good idea to downplay what I’ve learned—like things I might have picked up here on the forum—when talking to my shrink? I suppose I worry they might just give me that look, you know? Like, "Oh, look at him, he thinks he's an expert on depression and medication just because he spent a few hours reading stuff online," acting all high and mighty. Or do you think they'll actually listen to me like a normal person?

Kenneth Scott41 said:I can't help but feel like everyone has suddenly developed this massive collective phobia regarding Prozac, and now there’s this sudden rush to distance themselves from it 😁, am I right? :P

On a different note, do you think it’s actually a good idea to downplay what I’ve learned—like things I might have picked up here on the forum—when talking to my shrink? I suppose I worry they might just give me that look, you know? Like, "Oh, look at him, he thinks he's an expert on depression and medication just because he spent a few hours reading stuff online," acting all high and mighty. Or do you think they'll actually listen to me like a normal person?

There might be some truth to that observation. I actually went without it for two days recently, and frankly, it was miserable. If I had stayed off it any longer, I honestly think I would have ended up in the emergency room at a local hospital.
The withdrawal from Velfax is absolutely brutal, no question about it. 😬

fadedbear92 said:@adri k

So, tell me—how long did it take you to finally break away from Velafax? Was it a slow, gradual process to get untangled from him?

Yeah, super gradual. It dragged on for a few months, honestly.
It was a mix of things—I was on a pretty high dose (150mg), plus I was the one insisting on being extra cautious about coming off it.
I actually know someone who was put on Lexapro just to help them transition away from the V, and even now that they've switched, they aren't feeling great at all.

I should probably mention that I can handle a decent amount of discomfort—I dealt with side effects while I was still taking it too, like crazy night sweats, those super vivid dreams, having zero appetite, and just feeling like I had a constant low-grade fever (always around 99°F)... but man, none of that compares to how I felt once I stopped taking it.

Let’s be real though, there are definitely people out there for whom this stuff worked perfectly and they hopped off without any drama.
But I have no clue what doses they were on, how long they were on it, or what the actual ratio is between the "happy campers" and us "unhappy ones." Someone really needs to track this kind of thing—like, compile some actual statistics or something.
Psychiatrists?

If getting off Visa is proving to be this much of a struggle, I suspect my psychiatrist isn't going to hand over a new prescription quite so easily. I've been on Visa for well over six months now, and I suppose I'm just feeling a bit curious about whether switching over to Prozac might actually make a difference.😁

fadedbear92 said:Right here is a tapering schedule for alprazolam (Xanax); check your daily dosage and the timeline for reduction. As you'll see, you could drop by 0.25 mg every week, though I'd suggest opting for the longer route—your body will adjust much more smoothly that way...

As for what to expect? If you go slow with small increments, the side effects won't be nearly as brutal... you might consider switching to Ativan if things get rough... personally, I was a heavy user for 15 years (I even hit 6-8 Xanax pills at 0.5 mg a day)... but my process was different from what I'd recommend to you...🙂

And here is a protocol developed by a doctor in London who uses a substitute medication to help bridge the gap while tapering off Xanax...

Good luck!!!

Thanks, fadedbear92! 🙂

I don't really have much to worry about since I'm only on 0.25 mg a day, but I'm terrified of waking up one morning on 3x3 mg doses.🙄

Basically, if I've got this right, the easiest way to quit Xanax is by switching to Ativan first?!

Charles Patel said:Thanks, fadedbear92! 🙂

I don't really have much to worry about since I'm only on 0.25 mg a day, but I'm terrified of waking up one morning on 3x3 mg doses.🙄

Basically, if I've got this right, the easiest way to quit Xanax is by switching to Ativan first?!

The antidepressant should actually be introduced right at the start of treating panic disorder...

In cases where someone is hooked on Xanax, you might introduce another benzodiazepine instead—but that’s strictly for actual dependency issues (which, in my case, was the situation)...

Like I mentioned earlier, panic disorder is treated with an antidepressant and psychotherapy; anxiolytics (like Xanax, Ativan, or Klonopin) are basically just given for those first 3-4 weeks. After that, they should be tapered off gradually because the antidepressant should already be kicking in and helping stabilize things—meaning fewer panic attacks...

Xanax and stuff like that are just quick fixes to calm you down, but they don't solve the underlying issue long-term...

There's no need to be scared—you haven't been on it for long...

Try doing it this way: use a knife to break off a quarter of a pill and take that for a week or two, then take another quarter—so you're down to half a pill, or 0.125—and just taper off from there... It's slow enough that your system won't freak out too much...

Good luck! 😉

Hey everyone, good evening!🙂

Quick question for anyone who’s been on Wellbutrin:
Roughly how long does it take to actually feel a difference after bumping up the dosage???

I’ve been sticking to my starting dose (150mg XR) for about a month and a half now, but since I haven't felt any real improvement, I decided to double it starting today.😢😢>😢

Please, if anyone knows 😢 help a person out 🙏🙏🙏... seriously, this waiting game is driving me crazy.

Hope you all have a great night!

Bryan Reyes60 said:Hey everyone, good evening!🙂

Quick question for anyone who’s been on Wellbutrin:
Roughly how long does it take to actually feel a difference after bumping up the dosage???

I’ve been sticking to my starting dose (150mg XR) for about a month and a half now, but since I haven't felt any real improvement, I decided to double it starting today.😢😢>😢

Please, if anyone knows 😢 help a person out 🙏🙏🙏... seriously, this waiting game is driving me crazy.

Hope you all have a great night!

Let's be real here—upping the dose isn't some magic guarantee that you'll suddenly feel better. I was on 300 mg for over a month and honestly, felt nothing. But, if you don't notice a shift within two weeks at most, that's usually when you need to talk to your doctor about adjusting the dosage or trying something else entirely.

blackx, thanks for getting back to me!

So, after those few months on 300mg, did you stick with it—maybe even bump the dose up?
Or did you decide to call it quits and switch to a different antidepressant altogether?