Posted by SLS on March 16, 2005, at 7:43:34
In reply to After taper, how long does withdrawal last?, posted by Dauphine on March 15, 2005, at 14:59:21
Hi.
> How long did it take you to stop feeling withdrawal after having no drugs in your system?
For me, the period of withdrawal syndrome only lasted for about a day, and was relatively mild. However, I continued to taper using even lower dosages than you did. I used a flexible dosing strategy: I took as little Effexor as was necessary to prevent withdrawal symptoms from appearing for 6-8 hours. I used approximately 3mg three times a day for a few days. Then 3mg twice a day for a few days. At these low dosages, once a day dosing doesn't work. If you find that 3mg twice a day does not prevent withdrawal symptoms from appearing and lasting for 3 hours or more, then you can stop completely. With any luck, the withdrawal period will be mild and last no more than a few days.
Using this flexible dosing strategy, I was able to taper from 300mg to 0mg in less than two weeks. I use the same taper strategy with other SRI antidepressants as well as with benzodiazepines.
Since you have already come this far in your withdrawal period, perhaps you should continue as you are. Because you tapered gradually to 17mg a day, you might find that you don't have to suffer for more than a week. If, by the end of a week, the withdrawal symptoms have not lessened, or perhaps even worsened, you might want to take a temporary course of Prozac treatment. A few days at 20mg doses might be all you need to set up for a mild withdrawal period. Prozac has such a long half-life, it exits the system very, very slowly. This equates to an extremely gradual taper.
Good luck.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:471369
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050228/msgs/471595.html