Posted by ed_uk on December 5, 2005, at 15:47:49
In reply to Re: Effexor and shortness of breath » ed_uk, posted by bigcat on December 4, 2005, at 21:01:05
Hello Matt my friend :-)
>But, could you explain your reasoning?
You're falling into the trap of making too many changes to your regimen too quickly! You've been there before Matt!
75mg-150mg is the usual 'target' dose for the first few weeks. If, after several weeks, 75-150mg has not been adequately effective, increasing the dose can help.
Effexor XR is claimed to be suitable for administration as a single daily dose. In practice, some people find that they need to take it twice daily in order to avoid withdrawal symptoms - which can occur between doses.
>Since the Effexor kicked in immediately, could it still need time to settle in?
Yes, definitely. You need to give it time. Don't keep increasing the dose based on the expectation that a higher dose will be immediately beneficial - it most likely won't be :-(
>So Ed, you think I should back off on the dose?
If you're worried about decreasing to 75mg, you could decrease to 150mg. Take 75mg in the morning and 75mg in the evening. You need to maintain a constant level of Effexor in your body. Don't be tempted to increase the dose any further until you've been on 150mg/day for at least a month. I know it's hard (impossible!) but you *must* be patient :-)
>Is this (600mgs) an extremely high dose of Lamictal?
No, it's high but not extremely high. Take care though, you need to determine the effect that Effexor is having on your depression. You won't be able to do this unless you remain on a constant dose of Lamictal!
>I wonder if the Effexor and Lamictal are playing off eachother, and the Effexor is finally helping the Lamictal do something.
It's certainly possible. Effexor + Lamictal can be a very useful combination.
Love
Ed
poster:ed_uk
thread:584758
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20051203/msgs/585805.html