Posted by Dauphine on March 19, 2005, at 20:15:44
In reply to Re: After taper, how long does withdrawal last? » Dauphine, posted by SLS on March 16, 2005, at 7:43:34
Thank you SLS for vigilantly providing your insight and opinion on this board. still feel funny, but no vomiting only that fuzzy/spinny feeling in my head. crying less for no reason and even laughing uncontrollaby sometimes -- nice to experience another side of the emotional spectrum.
Dauphine
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:Dauphine
thread:471369
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050228/msgs/472984.html