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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 6 of 6. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jgarner@kodiaksales.com on July 18, 2001, at 11:00:40
I have told my doc I want to get off effexor xr he told me to quit cold turkey, well that lasted a day dizzyness and other sides set in, so I am going to try 37.5 mg for two weeks then cold turkey, in this same two weeks im going to kick caffine as well. Anyone have any expierience with this situation or any advice. thanks in advance
Posted by Janelle on July 18, 2001, at 16:17:45
In reply to quiting effexor xr , posted by jgarner@kodiaksales.com on July 18, 2001, at 11:00:40
Hi - I don't have direct experience, but I got so bad as I increased EffexorXR that my doc had me go back to half (75mg/day). I still feel agitated, caffeinated (and I stopped drinking coffee months ago), jittery, the shakes, etc. I plan to go off EffexorXR, but NOT cold turkey. I am going to do what you are - 37.5 mg/day for a week or two while titrating up on a different a-d.
Sometimes these docs seem not to know what they're doing, as in the case of yours telling you to quit EffexorXR cold turkey and mine following the advice of another had me quit Paxil in 4 days when it should have been more like 4 weeks. I went through HORRIBLE withdrawal; I was soooooo sick. I found info about Paxil withdrawal online and I educated the doctor on it
Just my humble opinion, but I would think that your idea of 37.5 mg/day Effexor for 2 weeks would be a good taper off. Being a capsule, it would be tricky to then cut that dose in half, like you could with a tablet.
Good luck,
Janelle
Posted by Jocor on July 19, 2001, at 9:20:25
In reply to quiting effexor xr , posted by jgarner@kodiaksales.com on July 18, 2001, at 11:00:40
Hello,
I quit Effexor from 150mg VERY slowly...I had the nausea and dizziness every time I decreased by 37.5 mg. When I quit the last 37.5 mg I had horrible withdrawal x1 week (nausea+++, dizziness, head "explosions", etc.). I does go away though.
Good luck
Jocor
Posted by delna on July 19, 2001, at 14:43:15
In reply to Re: quiting effexor xr , posted by Jocor on July 19, 2001, at 9:20:25
hi
i am also in the process of quitting. i have cut down from 300 to 75mg in a week. i know that sounds drastic but what i find is that withdrawal gets bad only when i try to reduce from 37.5 to 0. what i have found r eally helpful, even with paxil which took me ages to come off, is to stay on 37.5 for a while (like u are planning to). then however keep cutting the dose by a bit at a time (eg 1/4 of a tablet at a time). then taking the smallest possible dose (like 1/4 a tablet) every 2nd day for 2 weeks then every 3rd day for 2 weeks till u can just stop.
i know that XR is a capsule but for me it has been worth switching to immediate release just to withdraw (as it has been shown in studies that the incidence of withdrawal reactions is the same with XR or IR.). meaning that using XR doesnt make the withdrawal any less severe. i have personally found this the only statergy that has worked for me in the ppast- mainly going from 37.5mg to 0 in really small steps.
anyway, just my personal experience.
good luck with withdrawing
delna
Posted by girlie on July 19, 2001, at 15:28:34
In reply to Re: quiting effexor xr , posted by delna on July 19, 2001, at 14:43:15
I was on 300mg/day and for the past week and a half I have been at 225. Some days I'm fine, some days I sit here and cry, others I shake, this is no fun and I'm only just beginning. After reading everything here I know that I'm not alone, but I also know just to get it over with instead of stringing it out over months. I just put a call into my doctor to talk about withdrawals and getting off quicker than we had talked about.
For those of you who made it Effexor Free, how do you feel now?
Posted by Janelle on July 19, 2001, at 16:37:03
In reply to Re: quiting effexor xr » delna, posted by girlie on July 19, 2001, at 15:28:34
I have yet to make it EffexorXR free (I've been at 75mg/day because higher made me even worse), but I can tell you that bad advice from a good pdoc caused me to go through horrible withdrawal from Paxil - I went off it in 4 days(!) when it should have been more like 4 weeks. In hindsight however, I'm glad to have gotten it over and done with - knowing that what I was going through was (meaning knowing it was withdrawal from Paxil) made me less anxious about what I was going through and I just rode it out. Whatta ride, but I'm Paxil-FREEEEEEEE now for months!!!!!!
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