Posted by jannbeau on October 17, 2002, at 11:16:40
In reply to Re: need info on side effects - help, posted by cab on October 17, 2002, at 10:30:47
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Hi, Cab!I, too, live in the "allergy capital" and I, too, do the nasal irrigation thing, per my allergist. Not only have I been able to discontinue most allergy meds or to use them less frequently, but I seem to be getting fewer colds. My husband (who does NOT do the nasal irrigation) is 3 for 3 colds to which we both have been exposed. I, on the other hand, have caught 1 of the 3 and that was when I did NOT do the nasal irrigation thing. My allergist prescribes hypertonic saline buffered with Arm and Hammer baking SODA. He also suggests using a water-pic like instrument to irrigate. The allergy shop on Jefferson Ave in Austin sells a nasal irrigant tip for the Water Pic). Cheap and works like a charm. No morning headaches and I can breathe at night, too.
I also agree that discontinuation syndrome is guaranteed to occur when going off Effexor. I think, like you, that dropping the dose slowly and dividing the capsules will ameliorate these difficulties.
Cheers,
jannbeau
Two things relevant to the eye pain/stopping effexor thread, for what they're worth:
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> 1) I've had the behind-the-eye pain on and off my whole life, and the only thing that has worked is flushing my sinuses with warm salt-water once or twice a day (using a "netti-pot" which you can get at a health food store). It's a yoga thing; you basically just tilt your head and pour the salt-water into one nostril and let it flow out the other. I'm not particularly into home remedies, but someone convinced me to try it and it really works. It hasn't completely eliminated the pain, but I get it much less often and it lasts for a shorter period of time -- and I'm no longer taking allergy medication, although I live in the "allergy capitol of the world" (Austin, TX). I don't know if it will work for you, but it might be worth a try -- it doesn't hurt (although it feels a little weird having water go in one nostril and out the other til you get used to it). For me it's now so routine it's like brushing my teeth.
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> 2) If you do decide to go off effexor, it's not necessarily going to be a problem. I was on 37.5mg, and just stopped last week. For a few days I opened the capsule and poured some of the medication out, closed it back up, and took it. Then I stopped completely. I had no withdrawal effects whatsoever. Of course, that's not to say you definitely won't have a problem; I'm just trying to help give a balanced view here -- some people have trouble getting off effexor, and some don't. In any case, one should do it slowly.
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> cab
poster:jannbeau
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20021012/msgs/124005.html