Symptoms: Akathisia, brain zaps, insomnia, suicidal ideation, severe anxiety/panic
I missed a dose of Effexor 75 mg back in 2019 and experienced severe headaches, dizziness, and nausea for three entire months. Then, when attempting a “slow” Hyperbolic taper of 10% reductions per month, I got down to 12 mg and my entire nervous system destabilized causing terror-level anxiety, akathisia, and insomnia. The suffering was so severe that I almost took my life and ended up in a psychiatric ward for a week.
After that I updosed by too large an amount, which caused increased activation and constant heart pounding. I held for two years, trying to stabilize. I finally reached a point where I felt like I could taper again, but I’m scared to reduce by any more than one tiny bead per month. It’s going to take me many years to be able to taper off this horrible drug. After that, I want to taper off Trazodone.
As a result, my nervous system has been injured and does not function normally. It has prevented me from being able to socialize with people, travel, or handle the least amount of stress. The last six years of my life have been extremely challenging. However, there have been some improvements, so I’m hopeful that one day I’ll be able to heal.