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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 15 of 15. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
Hi,
Anyone have experience with going off half a dose of Effexor a week?I take 21/2 tablets of effexor (not xr) 75 mg a day.
My psych. told me to go off half a dose a week.Does anyone have experience ,good or bad, with going off half a dose a week,i.e. is that slow enough?
I freak because I also feel the fuzzy head feeling after missing one dose a day so I am scared to go off too quick.
Thanks for any feedback.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by girlie on January 15, 2002, at 8:24:45
In reply to Effexor and how to go off it, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
10mg of Prozac/day is the only thing that has allowed me to get off of Effexor relatively withdrawal free. This is day 9 for me with no Effexor and 10mg of Prozac. I tried to get off, slowly, without the help of Prozac and it was horrible. I only made it to day 5 when I went back on 25mg of Effexor. The Prozac has helped tremendously!
girlie
> Hi,
> Anyone have experience with going off half a dose of Effexor a week?
>
> I take 21/2 tablets of effexor (not xr) 75 mg a day.
> My psych. told me to go off half a dose a week.Does anyone have experience ,good or bad, with going off half a dose a week,i.e. is that slow enough?
> I freak because I also feel the fuzzy head feeling after missing one dose a day so I am scared to go off too quick.
> Thanks for any feedback.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by cmcdougall on January 15, 2002, at 11:02:17
In reply to Effexor and how to go off it, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
Posted by Raga on January 15, 2002, at 11:26:40
In reply to IMHO - not slow enough - take months.... (nm) » babyface, posted by cmcdougall on January 15, 2002, at 11:02:17
Frankly, I think this Effexor withdrawal thing is a bit overblown. It -is- the case that many people experience withdrawal symptoms. However, -many- people experience no or very minor withdrawal symptoms.
I suggest that a quick discontinuation be tried first (reducing dose over a period of a few days instead of weeks or months), and then if that creates uncomfortable withdrawal symtoms, then go off it more slowly.
The main reason for this is that most of us want to get off Effexor as soon as possible so that new drugs may be tried soon, or living without Effexor or any drug can be commenced -- we want to get on with our lives.
I was one of the lucky ones, discontinued over a few days with absolutely no withdrawal symtoms. I believe -many- people are the same and spend weeks reducing dose for nothing.
Raga
Posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 11:54:36
In reply to Try it quickly at first, posted by Raga on January 15, 2002, at 11:26:40
>
> I was one of the lucky ones, discontinued over a few days with absolutely no withdrawal symtoms. I believe -many- people are the same and spend weeks reducing dose for nothing.
>
Thanks,
How long were you on Effexor though?
I've been on it for two years approximately
and I do feel weird after forgetting one or two doses. Did you experience anything like that ever?> Raga
Posted by mr.scott on January 15, 2002, at 13:29:04
In reply to Re: Effexor and how to go off it » babyface, posted by girlie on January 15, 2002, at 8:24:45
Did you go right from effexor to Prozac the very next day, ordid the Effexor wash out a bit?
Posted by Raga on January 15, 2002, at 14:12:24
In reply to Re: Try it quickly at first, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 11:54:36
> How long were you on Effexor though?
2 1/2 years at 225mg
> I've been on it for two years approximately
> and I do feel weird after forgetting one or two doses. Did you experience anything like that ever?Actually I did once, felt minorly dizzyish. But then again I've felt minorly dizzyish once in a while without skipping a dose...
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 15, 2002, at 22:33:06
In reply to Effexor and how to go off it, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
Posted by girlie on January 16, 2002, at 10:32:28
In reply to Re: Effexor and how to go off it » girlie, posted by mr.scott on January 15, 2002, at 13:29:04
I took the Prozac for 10 days with the Effexor, and then reduced the effexor again for 10 days, then went off effexor. Today is day 10!
girlie
> Did you go right from effexor to Prozac the very next day, ordid the Effexor wash out a bit?
Posted by mr.scott on January 16, 2002, at 11:54:21
In reply to Re: Effexor and how to go off it » mr.scott, posted by girlie on January 16, 2002, at 10:32:28
Is it true that the hardest part of Effexor withdrawal is when you get down to 75mg and below?
Posted by girlie on January 16, 2002, at 17:30:21
In reply to The hardest part » girlie, posted by mr.scott on January 16, 2002, at 11:54:21
75mg was OK for me, but lower than that was hard. The lowest that XR (extended release) comes in is 37.5. I went to 25mg, which is a tablet and is not XR. You may end up going thru mini withdrawals every afternoon, as I did for a while. It was worse when I tried to split them to 12.5.
I actually had a hard time going from 300mg to 225mg. When I went to 150mg I had no problems at all, and very few when I went to 75mg, after that it was dicey!
girlie
> Is it true that the hardest part of Effexor withdrawal is when you get down to 75mg and below?
Posted by Mr. Scott on January 16, 2002, at 21:57:17
In reply to Re: The hardest part » mr.scott, posted by girlie on January 16, 2002, at 17:30:21
Posted by anniebananie on January 17, 2002, at 16:21:15
In reply to Effexor and how to go off it, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
I've been on both regular & extended release effexor. Quitting the regular version took longer, not sure if that was because it was the first time or because of the difference betwwen the two.
Getting the dose down was not bad at all, but I finally ended up carrying around a capsule and taking a few grains of it whenever I got that dizzy feeling which happened less and less frequently over time. It took me six months & I did feel a bit like a drug addict, but it worked. I think I got off the xr in about six weeks. Hope this helps.
Take care,
Annie> Hi,
> Anyone have experience with going off half a dose of Effexor a week?
>
> I take 21/2 tablets of effexor (not xr) 75 mg a day.
> My psych. told me to go off half a dose a week.Does anyone have experience ,good or bad, with going off half a dose a week,i.e. is that slow enough?
> I freak because I also feel the fuzzy head feeling after missing one dose a day so I am scared to go off too quick.
> Thanks for any feedback.
>
>
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Posted by meme on April 13, 2003, at 12:27:10
In reply to Effexor and how to go off it, posted by babyface on January 15, 2002, at 7:47:08
I have been on EffexorRX for about 5 or 6 months now. I started out at 75 mg a day. Then soon went up to 150 mg a day. I was having great success. Feeling very good most days. But then, i assume, my body got use to it and my doctor bumped it to two 150 mg a day. Equaling 300 mg a day. All was fine and dandy till my insurence ran out. Since i cannot afford $230. a month for the perscription, i needed to get off of it. Withdraw was horrible!!! For me that is. My head feels very fuzzy, dizzy, headache, feels like my brain is bounzing inside my head. =( Luckly i had 2 more perscriptions left. So i managed to find the money to buy them. I dropped myself back down to 150 mg a day. Just so i could spare the pills. But now i have about 2 weeks worth left. I am SO dreading the feeling of withdraw. It was so bad working becaming ddifficult. I really do not know what to do???
Posted by maryengland on July 6, 2003, at 1:01:37
In reply to Try it quickly at first, posted by Raga on January 15, 2002, at 11:26:40
> Frankly, I think this Effexor withdrawal thing is a bit overblown. It -is- the case that many people experience withdrawal symptoms. However, -many- people experience no or very minor withdrawal symptoms.
>
> I suggest that a quick discontinuation be tried first (reducing dose over a period of a few days instead of weeks or months), and then if that creates uncomfortable withdrawal symtoms, then go off it more slowly.
>
> The main reason for this is that most of us want to get off Effexor as soon as possible so that new drugs may be tried soon, or living without Effexor or any drug can be commenced -- we want to get on with our lives.
>
> I was one of the lucky ones, discontinued over a few days with absolutely no withdrawal symtoms. I believe -many- people are the same and spend weeks reducing dose for nothing.
>
> Raga
>
Raga, You really were lucky. The majority of people on effexor do have withdrawl symptoms and the longer you are on the more quilckly they come when missing a dose.
This is the end of the thread.
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