[AbbyNormal2]

Hello fellow forum friends,
I want to share my medication change experience as it was so dramatic. In order to start my new medication I had to come off of all antidepressant medications for two weeks. I have been on SSRI's, SNRI's and a Tricyclic over the past 25 years. Because I have had little success with these medications I wanted to try a MAOI and my doctor was willing to make the switch. I am currently in a partial outpatient therapy program learning DBT During this therapy I see the psychiatrist weekly and I have been closely monitored.
The medications I had to taper off were Effexor 225mg and Welbutrin 150 mg. I did not want to taper slowly which is not recommend for Effexor but I did it anyway. I had my husband watch me closely. I tapered off of everything within a week. Flu like symptoms for approximately 4 days. Tylenol did not help at all. The dreaded brain zaps constantly. IBRUPROFEN helped immensely with the zaps. They would actually go away completely until the dosage wore off. After 4 days (mostly on the couch) I was very tired, low energy, some zaps, and low mood for about another week. Then for the second week of no medication I began to have a better almost euphoric mood. I am not bipolar but I have periods of higher than normal moods and this was even more so. I was very giggly and thought things were hysterical. The most incredible things I noticed were that I was so desensitized to EVERYTHING when I was on the antidepressants. This is what I noted:
High Energy, body heat regulation returned to normal (I was always the hottest in the room for the last 7 years and I didn't realize it was the Effexor. I would wear 3 deodorants to keep from sweating), sad is sadder, happy is happier, not irritable, orgasms are easier and more pleasurable, I fell full after a meal, gross out factor returned (nothing grossed me out on antidepressants) and now suddenly I'm sweeping dead worms of the porch and it gags me!, my thoughts are clearer, creativity is over the top, lights can be too bright, noises too loud, and I feel pain ( I had a huge threshhold for pain on antidepressants).
I know this is such a long post, but I think it is so interesting that you don't realize this is going on because you go from one medication to another for so long it becomes a way of life. I have already noticed some desensitizing on the MAOI for one week and I hoping it is not as severe as the other classes of drugs. I really like DBT instruction and I'm determined as we all are to find a combination of medication and therapy so that I have a full life.
Has anyone else had similar or bizarre situations while tapering off all antidepressants?

[Dan208]

I tried coming off lexapro a few years ago and got the brain zaps. Horrible experience. My doc dropped my dosage of wellbutrin about a year ago to see of it was causing my increased anxiety and the depression returned with a vengeance.

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[AbbyNormal2]

I didn't know you could get the brain zaps from lexapro as well. I took Lexapro years ago but it was immediately replaced with Effexor. I am getting a bit of a headache on the parnate and I am following the diet. I really need to start my food diary so I can tell what bothered me. It is so hard as we are all well aware. When something doesn't work tapering off then starting over. Really sucks.