Posted by SLS on March 15, 2005, at 19:53:44
In reply to Re: About the Effexor XR Withdrawal » SLS, posted by winddancer on March 15, 2005, at 15:31:23
> Thanks Scott, that,s what I needed to know. I had to go out this morning before breakfast, when i usually take the med and started feeling really yuky - hard to explain - headache, upset stomach, etc - didn't know if it was from withdrawal or from not eating b-fast until later and then later coming home and taking the meds (plus supplements) That was an hour ago adn I still have the headache.
Do you mind being a guinea pig?
When I use the flexible dose taper method, I try not to allow the withdrawal symptoms to persist any longer than 1/2 - 1 hour. As soon as you are convinced you are beginning to enter the withdrawal syndrome, that is when it is time to take your next dose. There is no reason why you should have to suffer unnecessarily. Don't be afraid of Effexor. It is still your friend. Effexor will help you get off of Effexor if you use it the right way.
I would be interested to see how you would do taking 1/4 of the 75mg capsule (18.75mg) once every eight hours (56.25mg per day). If you find the results to be satisfactory, I would then have your doctor prescribe 25mg tablets to work with. Then you can give 12.5mg once every 8 hours or until withdrawal symptoms appear. When you are stabilized at 12.5mg once every 8 hours, you could try something pretty cool. Use 6.25mg on an as needed basis. Wait until the withdrawal symptoms just begin to appear, and then take your next dose. Towards the end of the taper, I would simply nibble a very small piece off of the tablet whenever I needed it. I believe it is important to allow the withdrawal symptoms to appear first, so that the amount of drug in the system is always kept toward the threshold of insufficiency. In this way, it forces the brain to adjust to the reduced exposure to the drug without being traumatized and producing an intense episode of withdrawal. The less time spent in the withdrawal zone, the sooner the withdrawal symptoms will disappear after the drug is completely discontinued, and the more mild will be the withdrawal syndrome.
You have nothing to lose by trying a flexible dosing schedule. I would be quite excited to see you try it. NO GUARANTEES! - Of course. But I like the odds.
Good luck!
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:469497
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050228/msgs/471484.html