Example of how a taper can go:

Question:

I had been taking Effexor XR for close to 9 years before tapering off.  I used the plan from The Road to Recovery to withdraw from 225 mg per day over a 10 week period.  The withdrawal went quite well with few side effects.  I have been off Effexor completely for 3 weeks now and the withdrawal symptoms are awful: brain zaps, irritability, headaches, body aches, and I am so emotional I begin to weep at the drop of a hat.  I am continuing to take the supplements as directed in the plan, but things seem to be getting worse instead of better.  Suggestions?  I need help.

Answer:

How much Omega 3 are you taking each day?

Give me a breakdown of what you are doing.

Somewhere at the time you were doing good and you began to not feel well we will find the item to address.

Response:

Answer:

Response:

I have been taking the cherry concentrate 3x / day as you suggested for five days now.  I have definitely seen a reduction in side effects.  I am feeling much better, thank you! 

I have been completely off Effexor for four weeks. I would like you to know how much I appreciate your book and the help you have given me.  It is so wonderful to feel alive again. I have so much more energy and interest in the activities going on around me. I have accomplished more in the past few months than I have in the past few years.

Below are common withdrawal side effects associated with most psychotropic medications. It is vital you never let them start. The withdrawal program you implement must address the withdrawal side effects before they can begin.
 

1. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Anorexia – No longer having a desire to eat.
    

2. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Apothous Stomatitis – Painful red and swollen open sores on a mucus membrane of the mouth commonly called a canker sore.
    

3. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Ataxia – Loss of the ability to move the body with coordination.
    

4. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Arterial Fibrillation – A condition of abnormal twitching of the muscles in the blood vessels that moves the oxygenated blood from the heart to the rest of the body.  The unusual twitching is rapid and irregular and replaces the normal rhythm of contraction of the muscle, which sometimes causes a lack of circulation and pulse.
    

5. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Blood Cholesterol Increased – An abnormal condition where there is a greater amount in the blood of the oily/fatty substances known as cholesterol.   Cholesterol is a necessary part of living cells (along with proteins and carbohydrates).  Because cholesterol only slightly dissolves in water, it can build up on the walls of the blood vessels, therefore blocking/decreasing the amount of blood flow, which causes blood pressure to go up.  If not corrected, this condition is associated with coronary artery disease.
    

6. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Blood Creatinine Increased – A greater than normal number of creatinine or muscular chemical waste molecules in the blood.  Creatinine plays a major role in energy production in muscles.  Since creatinine levels are normally maintained by the kidneys, Blood Creatinine Increased is an indicator of kidney malfunction or failure.
    

7. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Blood in Stool – The blood that is in your bowel movement usually comes from any place along your digestive tract (from your mouth to your anus).  The stool can appear black and foul-smelling (usually from the upper part of your digestive tract) or red or maroon-colored (usually from the large intestine area).  Hemorrhoids are the usual cause for blood in the bowels.

8.    Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Bundle Branch Block Right – These are specialized cells in the upper right heart chamber and are the heart’s pacemaker.  They send electrical signals to the heart that keeps it beating or contracting regularly.  Normally the signal goes to the lower heart chambers at the same time through the bundle of His (hiss) on both the left and right sides of the heart, so the lower chambers contract at the same time.  When the bundle is damaged on the right side, the signal does not fire at the same time as the left, which changes the pace of blood flow.  This can lead to a person fainting.

9. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Cardiac Failure – A heart disorder where the heart does not function as usual and may completely stop working.
    

10. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Cardiac Failure Congestive – The body is asking for the heart to supply more blood than it is capable of producing and maintaining.  Normally, a body can tolerate an increased amount of work for quite some time.  The condition is characterized by weakness, shortness of breath, and a fluid build-up in the body tissues causing swelling.
     

11. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Cold Sweat – The skin is clammy and moist and you feel chilled.  This is a reaction to a shock or pain as well as to fear and nervousness.
     

12. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Colitis – A condition where the large intestine becomes irritated from the use of the drug.
     

13. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Coronary Artery Disease – A condition where the blood vessels that mainly carry the blood away from the heart become clogged up or narrowed usually by fatty deposits.  The first symptom is pain spreading from the upper left body caused by not enough oxygen reaching the heart.
     

14. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Dehydration – An extreme loss of water from the body or the organs of the body as in sickness or not drinking enough fluids.
     

15. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Diplopia – The condition where a person is looking a one object and instead of normally seeing just the one object he sees two.  This is also call double vision.
     

16. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Diverticulitis – There are pouches or sacs on the inside of the intestines that look like fingers.  This increases the area for the body to absorb nutrients as they pass through the intestines.  These sacs become irritated and swollen and end up trapping waste that would normally be eliminated, causing pain and constipation.
     

17. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Dysarthria – The inability to control the mouth muscles when forming words so the words are not clearly spoken and heard.
     

18. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Dyslipidemia – The normal fat metabolism in the blood is interfered with.
     

19. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Dysphagia – Trouble swallowing or the inability to swallow.
     

20. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Ecchymosis – When a blood vessel breaks and creates a purple discoloration of the skin.
     

21. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Edema – An abnormal build up of excess fluids in the cells, tissues, and the spaces between the tissues creating swelling.
     

22. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Edema Peripheral – The abnormal build up of fluids in the tissues of the ankles and legs causing painless swelling in the legs, ankles, and feet.  If you squeeze the swollen area it leaves an indentation on the skin for a few minutes.
     

23. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Ejaculation Delayed – The man is not able to release sperm either during sexual intercourse or with manual stimulation in the presence of his sexual partner in spite of his wish to do so.
     

24. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Ejaculation Dysfunction – A condition where the man has one or more of the following symptoms:  He is not able to have an erection, not able to have an orgasm, has a decreased interest in sex, is sexually inhibited, or it is painful to ejaculate sperm.
     

25. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Erectile Dysfunction – Incapable of having sexual intercourse.  Even though a man desires sex he is inhibited in his sexual activity and is unable to have or maintain an erection of the penis.
     

26. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Erythema – a skin redness caused by the swelling with blood of the tiny blood vessels of the skin as in burns.
     

27. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Erythematous Rash – Redness of the skin from the swelling of the tiny blood vessels with skin irritation (itching, burning, tingling, pain) and breakouts (eruptions).

 

28. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Esophageal Stenosis Acquired – The tube that moves food from the mouth to the stomach narrows.
     

29. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Exfoliative Dermatitis – The unusual and not normal condition of scaling and shedding of the skin cells.  The skin is usually red colored.
     

30. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Face Edema – The tissues of the face become swollen.
     

31. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Feeling Jittery – A physical sensation of nervous unease.
     

32. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Gastric Irritation – An inflamed and sore stomach.
     

33. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Gastric Ulcer – An open, irritated, and infected sore in the wall of the stomach.
     

34. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Gingivitis – Sore, swollen and red gums in the mouth that bleed easily.
     

35. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Glaucoma – The delicate nerve to the eye, the optic nerve, becomes easily damaged with the build-up of excess fluid pressure within the eyeball.  The first sign of glaucoma is loss of peripheral (side) vision.  It can progress to total blindness.
     

36. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hepatic Steatosis – Excessive amounts of fat in the liver.
     

37. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hyperhidrosis – The triggering of an excess of sweat being produced on the soles of the feet, the palms, or the underarms which can cause embarrassment or losing grip on a pen or other items.
     

38. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hyperkeratosis – An abnormal enlargement of the skin tissues causing the skin cells to increase in size.
     

39. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hyperlipidemia – An abnormally high number of fat cells in the blood.
     

40. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hypertriglyceridemia – Too many triglycerides in the blood. 

Triglycerides are three fatty acids bound together in one molecule stored by the body and available to create high levels of energy when used. 

41. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Hypoesthesia – A partial loss of sensation or general loss of awareness.
     

42. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Impaired Gastric Emptying – The contents of the stomach are not passed into the intestines as normal due to the stomach losing the muscular strength to do so.
     

43. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Increased White Blood cell Count – This is an increase in the number of cells in the blood that are responsible for the removal of bacteria and other unwanted particles.  They fight disease and infection by enclosing foreign particles and removing them.  An example of a disease that would increase white blood cell count would be Leukemia.
     

44. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Insomnia – Not able to fall asleep or sleeping for a shorter time than desired, thus not being able to properly rest and feeling un-refreshed.  As a result, a person can become irritable, have difficulty concentrating and feel a lack of energy.  This can be caused by stimulants such as by caffeine or drugs or by mental anxiety and stress.  Mental stress can be communicated and relieved.
     

45. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Irritable Bowel Syndrome – A painful condition where the either the muscles or the nerves of the lower intestines, are not responding normally.  This results in an alternating condition of diarrhea followed by constipation, back and forth.
     

46. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Keratoconjunctivitis Sicca – A condition where the outer coating of the eyeball is dry because of a decrease in the normal amount of tears in the eye.  As a result, the eyeball and inside of the eyelid thickens and hardens sometimes causing the vision to be less sharp.
     

47. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Leukopenia – An unnaturally low number of white blood cells circulating in the blood.
     

48. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Loose Stools – The bowel movement is runny instead of formed.
     

49. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Lower Abdominal Pain – A hurtful irritation of the nerve endings in the area of the hipbones housing the lower digestive tract.  Pain usually means tissue damage.
     

50. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Lymphadenopathy – The lymph nodes, where the immune cells are located, become larger than is normal because of a high concentration of white blood cells.
     

51. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Macular Degeneration – The gradual loss of central vision, which is the sharpest vision while peripheral eyesight, is unaffected.
     

52. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Maculopathy – An abnormal condition of the yellow spot of the eye, which is located in the center of the inner lining of the eyeball and connected to the main nerve to the eye and is responsible for sharp vision.
     

53. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Mania – Unusually irrational, excessive and/or exaggerated behavior or moods ranging from enthusiasm, sexuality, gaiety, impulsiveness and irritability to violence.
     

54. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Melena – Abnormally darkly colored stools as a result of hemorrhaging in the digestive tract where the blood has interacted with the digestive juices creating the dark color in the bowel movement.
     

55. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Micturition Urgency – A sudden desire to urinate usually followed by leakage.
     

56. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Mood Swings – An emotional shifting as from a state of happiness to a state of depression for a period of time.
     

57. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Myocardial Infarction – The blood going to the heart is delayed or stopped causing middle muscle tissue in the heart wall to die.
     

58. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Nasopharyngitis – Irritation, redness and swelling tissues in the nose and the tube leading from the mouth to the voice box as well as the tubes leading to the ears.
     

59. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Nephropathy – An abnormally functioning or diseased kidney.
     

60. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Nervousness – Jumpy, jittery, anxious, and troubled with an irritable temperament.
     

61. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Night Sweats – The water-salt, waste product the skin releases is called sweat or perspiration.   With night sweats you become wide awake in the middle of the night shivering and cold and wet with your sheets/pajamas soaked in perspiration making it difficult to go back to sleep.
     

62. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Nightmare – Dreams that make you afraid or leave feelings of fear, terror, and upset long after waking up.
     

63. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Orgasm Abnormal – Unable to have an orgasm with normal sexual stimulation.
     

64. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Oropharyngeal Swelling – A swelling in the area from the soft part of the roof of the mouth to the back of the mouth.
     

65. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pain in Extremity – A painful feeling in the legs, arms, hands, and feet.
     

66. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pharyngolaryngeal Pain – Pain in the area of the respiratory tract (organs of breathing) from the throat to the voice box and above the windpipe.
     

67. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Photopsia – A condition where a person see lights, sparks or colors in front of your eyes.
     

68. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Photosensitivity Reaction – An exaggerated sunburn reaction that is not normal in proportion to the amount of exposure to the light.
     

69. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pollakiuria – Urinating much more frequently than normal – as often as once every five to fifteen minutes.
     

70. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pressure of Speech – A condition where the individual cannot voice his ideas fast enough with the pressure of there being not enough time to say it.
     

71. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pruritic Rash – Extremely itchy, red, swollen bumps on the skin.
     

72. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Pyrexia – Fever or the increase in body temperature that is usually a sign of infection.
     

73. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Retinal Detachment – The thin layer lining the back of the eyeball (the retina) detaches from the back of the eyeball.  This thin layer is like the film of a camera because it sends the images a person views to the brain.  When it detaches it causes a reduced ability to see.
     

74. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Rigors – Shivering or shaking of the body as if chilled, preventing normal responses.
     

75. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Skin Ulcer – An open sore or infected skin eruption with swelling, redness, pus, and irritation.
     

76. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Sleep Disorder – These are a list of sleep disorders such as teeth grinding, insomnia, jet lag, sleep walking, abnormally falling asleep during the middle of a conversation after a full night’s rest, uncontrolled body motions keeping one awake, etc.
     
77. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Suicide, Completed – An attempted attack on oneself that is life threatening results in death.
     

78. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Upper Respiratory Tract Infection – Where the organs of breathing near the mouth such as the nose and sinuses, become infected and are usually treated by antibiotics.
     

79. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Urinary Hesitation – Hard to start or hard to continue emptying one’s bladder.
     

80. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Urinary Incontinence – Urinating without intending to do so because of a weakening of the muscles in the hip area from the drug affecting the nerves or the drug blocking a persons thinking process.
     

81. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Urinary Retention – The inability to completely empty the bladder despite having the urge to do so.  This can lead to infections or damage to the urinary organs.
     

82. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Urine Flow Decreased – Dehydration of the body causing a lesser flow of urine than normal with the body reabsorbing the waste.
     

83. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Urine Output Decreased – A condition where the output of urine produced in a 24-hour period is less than 500 ml.
     

84. Psychotropic drug withdrawal - Weight Decreased – Unintentional weight loss.
     
85. Psychotropic drug withdrawal – Weight Increased – An unusual, usually rapid weight increase.