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OK, here's how I did it (Effexor withdrawal). » janner

Posted by MB on July 16, 2003, at 13:21:54

In reply to Re: please tell me the withdrawl goes away, posted by janner on July 16, 2003, at 9:11:45

> anyone??? any ways to lessen symptoms?

Yes, sometimes it takes a while for someone to respond, and when you're feeling bad, it can seem like an eternity. I've been there. Anyway, here it goes...here's how I got off of Effexor:

First of all, I wasn't taking the extended release capsuls, I was taking the tablets. I thank God I had the tablets instead of the capsules, because it's really hard to do a taper (slowly decreasing the dose) with a time release capsule.

Anyway, if you have the capsules, *try* to get (beg) from your doctor some 37.5mg tablets.
My experience was that the taper didn't get really bad until I got down to the lower doses. I decreased my daily dose by 1/4 of a 37.5mg tablet a day until I was taking a quarter tablet three times a day (of course, you might want to taper more slowly than this, if you start to feel sick). This is where it got difficult for me...when I was only taking three 1/4 tabs a day. I stayed on this dose (9.375mg three times a day) until I felt "comfortable" (no brain shivers, no dizzyness, no nausea, etc.)

Then I quit taking on a *scheduled* basis, but I carried around a bottle of 1/4 tablets with me everywhere I went. Whenever the withdrawal got really bad, I would dissolve a 1/4 tablet under my tongue (tastes yucky) and I would feel better within an hour.

What happened as I did this (as I took 1/4 tablets *only* when I really needed them) was that the time between each tablet slowly grew longer until one day I realized that I had only taken two...then I noticed a while later that I had only needed one that day...then a little later, I'd feel dizzy, take a 1/4 tab and realize I hadn't had one for two days. This went on until I was past the withdrawal. I stil had a few brain shivers now and again. And I had some frightening dreams once and a while as I would fall asleep, but for the most part, the experience was reasonably manageable.

I hope this helps.

MB


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