Posted by Cam W. on February 13, 2001, at 16:35:57
In reply to Med change--need help AndrewB, JohnL, CamW, posted by Lorraine on February 13, 2001, at 15:54:11
Lorraine - Give your doc's regimen a try. Yes, many people have some problem coming off of Effexor, there are several ways to minimize the withdrawl symptoms. First and foremost, be sure that your doc prescribe the XR (long-acting) version of Effexor, as it has less propensity for causing withdrawl symptoms (lasts longer in the body).
Consult with your doctor on the following weaning program when discontinuing the Effexor XR. To minimize withdrawl symptoms, taper to the smallest dose you can (to the point of intolerable side effects). Then add 10mg of Prozac daily for a week or two, tapering and then stopping the Effexor XR during this period. Then continue taking Prozac 10mg for another week or two (during the second week you may want to take the Prozac every second day) and then stop the Prozac. This greatly diminishes the withdrawl symptoms caused by the Effexor.The are other methods, but I have seen the best results with this one. There is a lot of misinformation about Effexor in the lay press, usually because studies are interpreted with some bias, rather than with a neutral perspective. It is true that Effexor is the worst offender for causing withdrawl symptoms, but this is because the body eliminates it too quickly. To a lesser extent the same syndrome can be seen with Paxil and sometimes even Zoloft. Many doctors are not aware of the severity of the withdrawl symptoms of Effexor and this is another reason improper weaning from the drug occurs (thankfully this problem is now being eradicated as docs are being educated on this topic).
Approached properly, weaning from Effexor can be done with minimal discomfort.
Hope that this helps - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:53901
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010212/msgs/53907.html