Posted by SLS on June 14, 2005, at 7:57:58
In reply to Re: How long do Effexor XR withdrawals last?, posted by apenname on June 13, 2005, at 10:25:50
Hi Meg.
> Query: how long before the medicine is completely "flushed out of your system"?
Most of it will be gone in 5 half-lives of the drug. The half-life is that period of time necessary for the body to eliminate 1/2 of the drug from the blood stream. The half-life of Effexor is roughly a day, so your pharmacist was quite correct to tell you that only one week would be necessary.
The goal of reducing the intensity and length of the withdrawal syndrome is NOT served by "cleansing" the system. It is served best by tapering the dosage gradually - more gradually than you did. You can do several things as remediation of your current state; the best among them being the reintroduction of Effexor using a flexible-dosing strategy or substituting it temporarily with Prozac. Prozac is much easier to taper, and it shouldn't take more than 2 weeks. It sounds to me like you will not entertain either of these ideas, though.
Alternatively, you can try taking Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over the counter antihistamine/antcholinergic, to reduce the intensity of the withdrawal symptoms. Exercise is supposed to help also. You might also want to ask some questions on the "Alternative" PB board and find out what supplements people suggest. If you do that, please come back to this board and post what you learned. It would be much appreciated.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:486906
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050611/msgs/512475.html