Posted by SLS on March 31, 2001, at 9:49:21
In reply to Re: Started Effexor XR Today » SLS, posted by Cam W. on March 30, 2001, at 13:22:26
Hi.
Are most of the people in this thread using Effexor XR? I wonder if using the original preparation of the Effexor tablet (without the extended release) could be used as a tool to more precisely fine-tune the last stages of the weaning process. When I was coming off Effexor, I also experienced many of the withdrawal symptoms, including the bolts of lightening episodically shooting through my head. What I began doing was to wait until these symptoms *began* to reappear, and then use smaller and smaller pieces of the Effexor tablet to relieve them. My goal was to use less and less Effexor and try to maintain or extend the time between the emergence of withdrawal symptoms. One can get Effexor into their blood stream immediately by letting it disolve under the tongue (sublingual). At some point, one must take the last step of discontinuation. For me, this last step wasn't too bad. The withdrawal symptoms were mild to moderate and lasted less than a day.
Maybe this is a bad idea, I don't know. As has been discussed, there are other strategies such as using Prozac as a temporary bridge. A few people have used Benadryl (diphenhydramine), an over-the-counter drug used as an antihistamine, to greatly ease the withdrawal symptoms. I don't know how universally effective this is.
EFFEXOR:Effexor is a good drug that is considered by many physicians to be generally more effective than the SSRIs. I have not yet asked around enough to qualify if this trend is based upon an impression that Effexor gets more people well, gets the same number of people more well, or both. I think doctors tend to report in terms of how many people are successfully treated.
Hearsay:I was told by a source I deem reputable that a large-scale investigation comparing Effexor to the SSRIs has just been completed and the data analyzed. He said that it clearly demonstrates the superiority of Effexor. I am not sure if and when the study will be published, although I can't imagine that it would not be. Since I forgot to ask him specifically about a publication date, I don't feel that I can confidently comment on the authors' intent. I'll let you folks know if I find out anything more.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010327/msgs/58199.html