Posted by SLS on June 14, 2005, at 15:49:16
In reply to Re: How long do Effexor XR withdrawals last? » SLS, posted by apenname on June 14, 2005, at 13:06:49
Hi Meg.
I'm glad you opted to continue to taper the Effexor.
I have suggested to others an Effexor discontinuation method that I discovered works well for me. It is a flexible-dosing strategy that manages to establish a taper rate that matches the brain's rate of compensation for dosage reductions. It involves taking several very small doses of Effexor throughout the day. You might want to look back on some of my earlier posts in the "Previous Periods" archive at the top of the page.
Once you reach 75mg or less of Effexor:
Briefly, you end up using small amounts of Effexor as needed (PRN) in much the same way as you would use aspirin for a headache. You wait for the withdrawal symptoms to reappear before taking your next dose. Ideally you take the amount of Effexor that will allow you to remain symptom-free for 6-8 hours. This takes a bit of experimentation, but precision is not really necessary. You don't have to be exact in cutting up tablets or counting the pellets inside a capsule. An approximation is good enough because your dosing time remains flexible. At some point, it will not be possible to reduce the dosage any further and remain without symptoms for 6 hours. This is when you discontinue the drug entirely. Hopefully, the withdrawal syndrome will be mild and brief.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:486906
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050611/msgs/512658.html