Posted by shar on August 8, 2002, at 22:53:22
In reply to Discontinuing Effexor, posted by HMK on August 8, 2002, at 10:06:13
I have stopped taking Effexor in the last few weeks. I went down in dosage, like you are doing and stayed on 37.5 for 10 days. I think now I might do it for longer if I could go back in time.
I'd never had a lot of trouble stopping AD's, and did not expect much from Effexor. Was I ever surprised! I had physical symptoms (flu-like, nausea, cold sweats, achey, dizziness) and a heavy duty emotional roller coaster ride, including pretty intense rage reactions. They scared me, because I'm not used to them. I was also crying all the time, but I'm pretty used to that. My head felt like it was stuffed with chopped brown paper and very fuzzy, not alert.
My pdoc suggested add 100 mg to my Wellbutrin for a couple of weeks or so, and, for the rage reactions, I took .5 mg of Klonopin.
Part of the surprise was the intensity of it all, and feeling so sick, and that it went on for a good couple of weeks before trailing off. I think now I'm sort of back to normal, no big rage reactions, still a little physically unstable (not quite 100%).
Some people add Prozac for a while (starting before being completely off Effexor and continuing for a while after being off Effexor).
I would also get Phenergan for the nausea, because I hate nausea so much.
I would have a plan, just in case. And, I know the archives have lots of Effexor withdrawal posts, so it might be worthwhile to read some of those.
Good luck!
Shar
poster:shar
thread:115662
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020807/msgs/115752.html