yes, i too have read arduous tales regarding discontinuation of Effexor.

Discontinuation syndrome with Effexor is very much context-related. The degree to which it occurs depends on how long you've been on the med, and the dosage taken. So, if you tried it for a short while, and say it didn't work out, discontinuation is NOT going to be a big problem.

You've had a bad experience with Prozac, and it has a long half-life (not a med you can change levels of quickly). so, while trying it again at a low dose seems reasonable, it would not be my first choice. rather than re-trying it, i'd perhaps prefer to suggest you trying Zoloft - it being a total unknown but EASILY-pilotable SSRI, as opposed to Prozac - bad history with you, and long half-ilfe (not so easily pilotable.... gotta wait it out...)

i too cannot do all SSRIs... Paxil makes me MANIC - at BEST!!!...... i had HORRIFIC problems with it (manic once, EPS another time, psychomotor crisis at lower dose... nasty nasty...)

But Zoloft, in the right dose at the right time, i can do....... i mean i am taking a pretty hefty dose of it right now, without even a moodstabilizer. and i have another friend who is bipolar, who has also done that.

Have you ever tried Zoloft? The trick in investigating it is to start it slooooow. in your case, i'd actually recommend, if you try it, stepping it up by only 12.5 mg per week (half a 25mg pill) - this is what my first pdoc did with me, the first time i took it to evaluate my reaction.

the nice thing about Zoloft is it has a very convenient half life (~ a day) such that you can cut back on it quick if you have problems..... ie.... skipping a dose, you can halve blood level in 1 day.

Effexor did not agree with me, but that does not mean it won't agree with you. The problems i had with it were not so much activation, but specifically, night sweats, light sleep, sleep paralysis. we are all different and there is NO reason to think you'd have these same problems.

so you could try out the Effexor. again, the discontinuation nightmare is not something of anywhere near immediate concern.

~ waves ~