Posted by jodigirl on March 5, 2005, at 13:08:38
My psych said I should withdraw from Effexor XR in order to be able to start Cymbalta. I was successfully on maintenance dose 150 mg Effexor XR (with 300 Topamax) for treatment resistant major unipolar depression. I was in remission for 5 years. (Yeah!!!) Then one event snapped me and the Effexor XR was not effective at an increased dose. I tried to withdraw last year after 4 years remission and I had all of the classic horrible side effects. (But I did get down from 350 to 150 mg!!!) Here is what worked for me --- (1) One week before I started the tapering, I started every morning taking (a) 280 mg Milk Thistle extract, (b) a capsule of GNC (no, I do not work for them lol) PepZin GI and (c) three times a day, I drank ginger root tea (using the actual ginger root -- not commercialized tea). (2) Then, the day I started tapering, I used "Nux vomica" for motion sickness every morning and throughout the day as needed. I found it in a homeopathic product by Hyland's called "motion sickness." (3) I initially tried Benedryl for motion sickness but Benedryl makes me sleepy and did not take away the motion sickness. Some people swear by Benedryl. You might want to try that at night. (4) I also drank tons of water and green tea to get rid of toxins and flush my body. The first time I tried to get off Effexor, I used over the counter "flu" products. But this time, I consulted an actual chinese doctor for advise. The motion sickness (nux vomica) stuff is awesome. It stops the "spins" and the wacky sick stomach feeling. Amazing.
GO FOR IT!!!
poster:jodigirl
thread:466982
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050228/msgs/466982.html