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Wolf2mo ago

Community AnchorProzac · researching

My god. It was as severe as you say. The heart should agree with 100 bpm as long as you do not have that many more problems stacked on top of it. I experienced tachycardia, and it's worrying, and incredibly uncomfortable, and it comes and passes, but in theory the norm goes up to even 100 bpm. So ideally it would be under 100 bpm. The "uncontrolled noradrenergic activity" as you mentioned in the previous post is known to cause dry mouth.

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

W

Wolf2mo ago

Community AnchorProzac · researching

What makes you think Rivotril is a good idea?

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

⭐

CatinaStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"I am currently quite traumatized. I cannot even get out of bed without my heart rate rising above 100 beats per minute. I had an appointment with a psychiatrist who recommended increasing sertraline back to 50 mg, which I found difficult to accept, and I ended the consultation." — @Bettoben

I'm so sorry you went through such a scary experience! You've been tapering pretty consistently for some months. An option would be to give your CNS a nice long hold. Perhaps the effects of the previous reductions caught up with you. That happened to me once. I'm so glad you held your ground and knew better than to go back to 50 mg! That would have been too much of an updose for your sensitive nervous system to handle. In the meantime, you can try some EFT Tapping and breathing/grounding exercises or anything else that can calm you down. I know splashing ice cold water on your face is good for panic and can immediately slow down our heart rate. Hang in there, you're going to be okay. Keep us updated on how you're doing.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

W

Wolf2mo ago

Community AnchorProzac · researching

I will leave it for more experienced people to comment.

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

⭐

CatinaStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

How are you feeling today? I hope you're hanging in there okay! I created this document about Heart Issues and wanted to share it with you. I hope it helps! https://taper.community/thread/a6fcd727-db10-4e30-bb01-98fa1342898e

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

⭐

SteveStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor · active

Yes those crisis are scary, i‘m sorry you had this experience. I would also tend to a protracted experience due to the consistent tapering. I had a hard time to accept this can happen but sometimes it does. Would also be very interested in how you are doing now?

off Stimulants (2000-2013)
off Fluoxetine (2010-2013)
off Lamotrigine (2013-2016)
off Quetiapain (2016-2020)

currently Effexor — 33mg — 13 years (from 300mg) — actively tapering | with clinician

Bettoben2mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

@Wolf @Catina @Steve I’m not doing very well, guys. I’ve been taking 0.25 mg of Rivotril three times a day and 5 mg of sertraline for a week to see if things stabilize a bit more. I literally swing between being completely sedated and falling asleep (55bpm), and then having adrenaline surges and becoming overly anxious. There have been some improvements these days. Before, just concentrating while sitting on the edge of the bed would raise my heart rate to 150. Now it seems to go up to around 100, and I can go to the bathroom more calmly. The good thing is that my heart rate increases with movement, but if I stay still for a while, it goes back down. What worries me now is not only stopping sertraline, but also having to stop Rivotril. I’ve called a few psychiatrists to see if they can help me with this, but the ones I’ve found have been quite unprofessional. A friend of mine is very motivating and keeps telling me I’m in the final stretch, that I can’t give up now. And thank you for replying. I’m reading this, but I barely have the motivation to respond.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"I’ve been taking 0.25 mg of Rivotril three times a day" — @Bettoben

I'm sorry you're having such a hard time Bettoben. A benzo like Rivotril is highly addictive and can present its own separate issues with both side effects and withdrawal effects. I'm sure you're aware of this.

"I’ve called a few psychiatrists to see if they can help me with this, but the ones I’ve found have been quite unprofessional." — @Bettoben

Doesn't surprise me! They're not much help when you want to come off anything. How long have you been on the Rivotril now?

"There have been some improvements these days." — @Bettoben

That's a great sign! You probably just need to give yourself time to stabilize from all the Sertraline reductions.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Bettoben2mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

"How long have you been on the Rivotril now?" — @Catina

I haven’t been on it for long, I don’t think it’s even been a week, but I was given 7.5 mg of diazepam as an emergency measure. Then the next day I had another episode and I took 1 mg of Rivotril in an emergency. That’s when the emergency doctor came to my home and told me that to stop these crises we would need to prescribe Rivotril to keep things under control. That’s why I was put on 0.25 mg three times a day. I’ve been on it for about a week. According to the AI, it says that in the morning and at night—when I feel most exhausted—I could reduce the dose by half, taking 0.125 mg in the morning, 0.25 mg in the afternoon, and 0.125 mg at night. That way we would slightly reduce the total daily dose, making future withdrawal easier. It would also help address the issue of being sedated all day.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

I personally am very concerned about you adding in a benzo to deal with your Sertraline withdrawal. My own opinion is that this is going to complicate matters. I can't tell you what to do, of course, but I feel that I need to voice my concern. Do you feel like the benefits are outweighing the risks right now?

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Bettoben2mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

"Do you feel like the benefits are outweighing the risks right now?" — @Catina

If I hadn’t started taking Rivotril, we wouldn’t have been able to stop the crisis, and once you start with one dose, the next day withdrawal symptoms kick in and you have to take another dose.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

SteveStaff2mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor · active

I want to emphasize i also had these sudden heart rate changes, but not for long. People describe it as „POTS-like“ symptoms. I‘m really sorry you endure this at the moment. I would suggest you try to stabilize the next 2 weeks and see how it is then. Sadly the benzos will give similar symptoms when you taper them, so after feeling stabilized you should first try to reduce the benzos and stabilize again. Stay strong brother and let‘s see how this progresses. I often thought the „symptoms are permanent now“ and i‘m also quite desperate in my check-ins sometimes. But it did always resolve.. 🫂💪

off Stimulants (2000-2013)
off Fluoxetine (2010-2013)
off Lamotrigine (2013-2016)
off Quetiapain (2016-2020)

currently Effexor — 33mg — 13 years (from 300mg) — actively tapering | with clinician

W

Wolf2mo ago

Community AnchorProzac · researching

I would be extra careful about a benzo in this situation just like @Catina says Hence my previous question 🫂

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

⭐

CatinaStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"If I hadn’t started taking Rivotril, we wouldn’t have been able to stop the crisis, and once you start with one dose, the next day withdrawal symptoms kick in and you have to take another dose." — @Bettoben

I understand you were in a crisis situation. When I was in my own crisis situation I did take lorazepam short-term, but I didn't know better at the time. If you can find non-drug ways to manage these symptoms you'll be better off in the long run. My concern is coming from a good place, I hope you know that. ❤️

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

W

Wolf1mo ago

Community AnchorProzac · researching

@Bettoben did you get better?

Prozac — 40 mg — 6 months — holding | Zyprexa — 20 mg — 6 years — holding | Depakote — 600 mg — 8 months — **tapering** | Buspirone — 20 mg — 8 months — holding | with clinician
"If life is painful, start a rebellion and make it good."

Bettoben1mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

"better" — @Wolf

Yes, I’m stable, but as I already suspected, I think I’m developing dependence on Rivotril. Every time it’s close to the time to take it, I become tense. Tomorrow I have an appointment with a psychiatrist who seems to be quite good. My hypothesis is that she will increase my sertraline dose so that I can first taper off the Rivotril, and then, once I’m off the Rivotril, gradually reduce the sertraline. I’ve calculated the percentage reductions I’ve made in my sertraline dose over the past few months, and in a single month I exceeded a 20% reduction. I think I’m paying the price for that now. At this point, I have to come off both Rivotril and sertraline. My advice would be: don’t rush the taper. However, the unexplained tachycardia episodes are no longer happening.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"My hypothesis is that she will increase my sertraline dose so that I can first taper off the Rivotril, and then, once I’m off the Rivotril, gradually reduce the sertraline." — @Bettoben

Hi Bettoben, my advice to you would be to tread very carefully. You've already been making steady reductions of your Sertraline over many months, which your nervous system may still be adapting to. If you feel stable now, though, do you really see the benefit in increasing the Sertraline? The could put added stress on your nervous system, and if it doesn't go well then you'd have to allow time in order to stabilize before you could start reducing the benzo. I'm not saying this will definitely happen, but it's good to keep in mind. Things always get complicated when another drug is added. Most doctors are not properly trained in how to handle tapering and withdrawal issues. Whatever you decide, be careful and conservative in your approach. We're just looking out for you! I'm glad to know that your heart issues have improved though! Keep us updated on how things are going for you. ❤️

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Bettoben1mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

"Keep us update" — @Catina

I’m really on the verge of quitting, and I don’t want to go backwards. However, stopping Rivotril is going to be very difficult with how sensitized my nervous system is right now. I’m currently on 5 mg of sertraline and 0.75 mg of Rivotril. I’ve already contacted several psychiatrists. Some have suggested increasing the sertraline to 50 mg, others to 25 mg, but honestly, none of them have really asked much about my history or taken into account the progress that took me two years of hyperbolic tapering to achieve. Right now, I’m at the threshold of being able to stop, but without Rivotril my system completely derails. That’s why I’ve been giving it more time, hoping my body would adapt to 5 mg of sertraline. However, judging by how things are going, I’m not doing very well. I struggle to go outside, I struggle to walk, and even sitting for long periods of time is difficult. Tomorrow is my appointment, so we’ll see what they tell me. I’ll try to keep the situation updated. Thanks for being there guys <3

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

"I’ve already contacted several psychiatrists. Some have suggested increasing the sertraline to 50 mg, others to 25 mg, but honestly, none of them have really asked much about my history or taken into account the progress that took me two years of hyperbolic tapering to achieve." — @Bettoben

Keep in mind what I said about most psychiatrists being in the dark about tapering and withdrawal issues. If your nervous system is highly sensitized right now, any major changes in dose could have unexpected results. They do not know better than you in this instance. They think increasing the dose or adding more drugs is always the answer, when in reality it can make things much worse. More of something is not necessarily better. I'm sorry you're struggling right now. Please keep us updated on things! 💝

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

Bettoben1mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

@Catina @Steve @Wolf I had my appointment today with the new psychiatrist, and it was another disappointment. She wanted me to increase my dose to 50 mg. Honestly, she didn’t seem to pay much attention to what I was actually telling her. It almost makes me start thinking conspiratorially, as if they want people to stay dependent on these medications for life, because it simply doesn’t make sense to me. Right now I’m doing well on 5 mg, and I’ve managed to come all the way down from 100 mg to around 5 mg with very few problems. So why would you recommend 50 mg instead of some intermediate dose? Everything became clear to me when she told me that discontinuation syndrome doesn’t exist. From that moment on, I mentally checked out and lost all hope in the consultation. As a final question, I asked her whether I would be able to come off Rivotril while staying on 5 mg of sertraline. She told me it would be extremely difficult. After the appointment, I spent some time thinking, and maybe I do need a slight increase in sertraline in order to get off Rivotril. But I’m not going to make such a huge jump. I might increase to 7.5 mg or 10 mg and then see how I feel. If I feel stable, I’ll begin tapering the Rivotril. Once I’m completely off Rivotril, I can resume reducing the sertraline again. It’s a great disappointment when professionals treat you like boxes on an assembly line rather than as individual human beings.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

Hi Bettoben, I'm really sorry your doctor was lacking in knowledge and didn't truly listen to you. It's disappointing, but not surprising. I'm sure she doesn't have evil motives and is not trying to harm you, but she obviously does not understand anything about safe deprescribing. You said you're doing well at 5 mg, so that means you're stable. If you're feeling stable, then I don't see why it would make sense to increase the Sertraline. When you feel ready, you could test the waters with a small decrease in the Rivotril to see how you do first. The less changes you need to make with your drugs the better off you'll be. Of course, this is just my own opinion. Everything is going to be based on how you feel and react to things. You're doing so well right now, so give yourself some credit! With the knowledge you have now, I think you'll do just fine. Just proceed slowly and cautiously and make sure you feel fully stable and ready before you make any changes.

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

⭐

SteveStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor · active

Oh man thats horrible, i learnt to fear those „physicians“. I‘m sorry you got such a bad (regular) one 🫂 Do you have the possibility to find another one? I understand why you want to dose up for the rivotril but Catina has a point. I‘m unsure myself. In such Situations i guess i would wait some time until the decision what to do hardens.

off Stimulants (2000-2013)
off Fluoxetine (2010-2013)
off Lamotrigine (2013-2016)
off Quetiapain (2016-2020)

currently Effexor — 33mg — 13 years (from 300mg) — actively tapering | with clinician

Bettoben1mo ago

Trusted VoiceZoloft

@Catina @Steve @Wolf This is bad, guys. Today I took my morning dose of Rivotril, and I couldn’t even make it halfway through the morning before the tachycardia started. At first, I managed to get it under control for a while, but as time went on, the episodes became more and more uncontrollable. It’s clear that 5 mg of sertraline, especially while tapering, is not enough to help with the Rivotril withdrawal. That’s why I ended up being taken to the emergency department, where they increased my sertraline to 50 mg and told me to continue taking Rivotril three times a day. This is a huge disappointment for me. I would have preferred to try 25 mg, but perhaps that wouldn’t have been enough either to get off the Rivotril, so we’re essentially going backwards. Two years of tapering progress feel lost, and I blame myself for pushing the process too hard over the last few months. In the month before everything collapsed, I had reduced my dose by 22% in a single month. In hindsight, that was probably too much. The doctors still think this is simply anxiety, but they don’t really understand that I’ve spent the last two years tapering sertraline. Using Rivotril as a rescue medication turned out to be a very bad decision. Now I have to increase the sertraline to 50 mg so that I can eventually come off the Rivotril without experiencing those infernal tachycardia episodes, which they believe are just severe anxiety attacks. I’m feeling pretty defeated, but I’m going to cooperate with the treatment. I’ll take the Rivotril for as long as they recommend, I’ll take the sertraline at the dose they prescribe—which in this case will have to be 50 mg—and when I’m stable again in the future, I imagine I’ll begin another taper. This time, though, it will be extremely careful. Maybe I pushed too hard this time and ended up losing two years of progress. Please, all of you, go very slowly with your tapers.

Sertraline/Zoloft:
▸1/2021>100mg, ▸11/22>50mg ▸6/23>25mg (Psychiatrist told me to take half the pills until I finished the box)
✘ Clean 3 Month till massive fall
▸9/23>100mg, ▸1/24>50mg, (I started tapering on my own, because the intention was to have me on 100mg for 5 years) ▸9/24>25mg, ▸7/25>12mg,(starting parabolic with tablet dissolution in water) ▸10/25>11,5mg, ▸11/25>10,3mg, ▸12/25>8,7mg, ▸1/26>8mg, ▸2/26>6,9mg ▸3/26>5,967mg ▸4/26>4,8mg ▸5/26>3,73mg ▸6/26>3,53mg
7/26 back to 50mg

⭐

CatinaStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor

I'm really sorry to hear this! Do what you need to do to get stable, and then you can proceed from there. Don't beat yourself up to much Bettoben - many people have gone too fast and made all kinds of other mistakes during this process, including me! We learn from it and move forward the best we can. Slower really is faster for many of us! Hang in there.... 💜

Venlafaxine (tapering) - Current dose 17.92 mg
Trazodone - 50 mg
Levothyroxine - 25 mcg

“Your brain and body know how to heal. Trust the process and keep going.”

Please Note: I am not a healthcare professional. Any advice given is based on personal experience and that of others in the lay withdrawal community.

⭐

SteveStaff1mo ago

Community AnchorEffexor · active

I‘m so sorry this happened to you my friend 🫂 But i understand, those symptoms are horrible. I also learned and learning the hard way how difficult the tapers are. I hope you stabilize soon and have at least some relieve! ❤️‍🩹

off Stimulants (2000-2013)
off Fluoxetine (2010-2013)
off Lamotrigine (2013-2016)
off Quetiapain (2016-2020)

currently Effexor — 33mg — 13 years (from 300mg) — actively tapering | with clinician

Massive Crisis 3.5mg > 5mg

Bettoben’s taper progress

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