How to Get Off Antidepressants Effexor/Pristiq (Venlafaxine/Desvenlafaxine)

by Natasha Tracy | Sep 12, 2011 | 106 Comments

Or other bothersome antidepressants.

Generally, following the rules I wrote about last week on how to stop antidepressants while minimizing withdrawal work, and most people can successfully withdraw from antidepressants with few side effects.

Some Antidepressants Are Hard to Get Off Of

Unfortunately, some antidepressants are not so easy to get off of no matter what you do. Some antidepressants:

Resist a taper strategy
Have intolerable withdrawal effects anyway *

People Have Trouble Withdrawing from these Antidepressants

Any antidepressant can feel impossible to withdraw from, but the antidepressants people have most trouble withdrawing from are:

Paroxetine (Paxil)
Duloxetine (Cymbalta)
Venlafaxine (Effexor, any version)
Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq)

But by far, venlafaxine and desvenlafaxine (Effexor and Pristiq) are the ones I hear about. In my opinion, these two drugs are a nightmare to come off of for most people. ^ (I’m not saying everyone has trouble with these antidepressants, just that many do.)

Here are tips on how to get off of horrible~ drugs like venlafaxine (Effexor) and desvenlafaxine (Pristiq).

Antipsychotic Warning, Saffron for Depression, Polypharmacy – 3 New Things

by Natasha Tracy | Sep 8, 2011 | 2 Comments

It’s a bit of a short week what with the holiday and all, but still, there is time for three new things about mental health. Today’s three new things are:

A safety warning on the atypical antipsychotic drug asenapine maleate (Saphris)
Saffron and depression
Multi-drug (polypharmacy) treatment of mental illness

How to Stop Antidepressants While Minimizing Withdrawal

by Natasha Tracy | Sep 6, 2011 | 20 Comments

While antidepressants can absolutely be life-saving medications, sometimes antidepressants aren’t the right medication at the right time for you. Or sometimes, it’s just time to try to get off of antidepressants. (For simple depression, this is often done if you have been stable for 6-12 months.)

But the key to getting off antidepressants successfully is to minimize withdrawal symptoms because otherwise you may feel like you’re trapped on the antidepressants. Additionally, the withdrawal symptoms may get mistaken for returning illness symptoms, which you do have to watch for, but if possible, it’s best not to get withdrawal and returning symptoms confused.

So, here are some tips on the best way to get off antidepressants while minimizing withdrawal.

New Antipsychiatry Discussion, L-Theanine, Rapid Cycling Markets – 3 New Things

by Natasha Tracy | Sep 1, 2011 | 2 Comments

This week’s three new things include:

A new supplement that may help brain health and mental illness: l-theanine
A poor comparison between rapid cycling bipolar disorder and the financial markets
A new discussion of antipsychiatry

Bipolar Disorder – When to Get Off Antidepressants

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 31, 2011 | 19 Comments

I try not to give medical advice here because I am not a doctor. But so many people ask me about this I felt I had to address getting off antidepressants without withdrawal. So many people with bipolar disorder (depression and others) need information about getting off psych meds and they are not getting it from their doctors.

This is the first in a three-part series:

When to Stop Antidepressants in Bipolar Disorder
How to Stop Antidepressants in Bipolar Disorder While Minimizing Withdrawal
How to Stop Taking venlafaxine (Effexor) and Desvenlafaxine (Pristiq) – as they are particularly nasty to get off

Selling True Hope to People with a Mental Illness

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 29, 2011 | 23 Comments

The Bipolar Burble doesn’t sell anything, not to people with a mental illness, or anyone else.

It will one day. One day soon it will be selling my book. And then another book after that. We writers do stuff like that.

And maybe one day there will be ads here trying to sell you other things too – therapeutic lights or omega-3 supplements for mood.

But one thing I do not now, nor will I ever sell:

Hope.

I will never, ever try to sell you hope, true or otherwise. Hope is free and selling it is a lie.

Linky-Madness, Drugging Children and Anxious Hat Makers – 3 New Things

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 25, 2011 | 4 Comments

In my line of work I come across the most obscure information, which is why I love sharing it with you. This week’s three new things about mental illness include:

A weekly mental health link-party
How scientists want to drug children who might get a mental illness
How hat makers used to experience social phobia

How could you not want to know the details about that?

Bipolar Blog Feedback – Update

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 24, 2011 | 3 Comments

Hi all.

You might recall, I’m taking part in a reader engagement and feedback program through WEGO Health.

Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to give me your opinion, but there’s more to do. Only about half of the people who have clicked on the survey have filled it out. We can do better than that!

So, Please Take One Minute to Fill Out This Survey

The goal is to find out more about you, my reader.

The more information I can gather, the better this blog can be for you because I want this to be a place that you find useful and engaging.

: Click Me!

Hate something? Love something?

That’s what I want to know.

A Bribe

Two of you will be the first to receive my new ebook – for free!

Please take 60 seconds and fill out the survey. I appreciate it.

– Natasha Tracy

PS: And not to worry, this is the last nag article :)

Mixed Bipolar Disorder – How to Treat Mixed Mood Episodes

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 23, 2011 | 23 Comments

In the final installation of my mixed moods series, I talk about how to treat mixed moods in bipolar disorder. If you need a refresher on mixed moods in bipolar 1 or bipolar 2, see the first three articles in this series:

Safety Warnings for St. John’s Wort

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 21, 2011 | 14 Comments

Including the Dangers of Using St. John’s Wort to Treat Bipolar Depression

I mentioned last week that St. John’s wort has been shown ineffective at treating mild depression as well as moderately severe depression (major depression).

Nevertheless, St. John’s wort is the most well-known alternative treatment for depression and many people take it. However, there are absolutely some dangers in taking St. John’s wort that you should know about, especially if you’re bipolar.

Alternative Medicine Resource, Fad Diagnoses, St. John’s Wort – 3 New Things

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 19, 2011 | 4 Comments

In today’s 3 New Things series I talk about:

A great resource for alternative medicine information
A New St. John’s Wort and depression study
A new “fad” diagnosis up for consideration in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Version V (DSM-V)

Polypharmacy Treatment Requires As Much Faith As Science

by Natasha Tracy | Aug 18, 2011 | 24 Comments

As I’ve said, mental illness treatments often don’t work. And you have to keep trying treatment anyway. Because without doing anything new, you are condemned to being stuck in the same mental illness mire you are currently in.

But in all honesty, mental illness treatment requires faith. Trying psych med after failed psych med requires a belief that something will work in spite of the evidence to the contrary. It requires a belief that is not based on proof.

I hate that.