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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by meliss337 on April 15, 2005, at 18:10:28
Hi, I'm new to this board. I've been browsing some of these threads for the past hour, and was wondering if I could submit my past and some questions for someone to answer. :)
I've been on Effexor for about 18 months now - before that I was on Celexa but it stopped working somehow. Anyway, Effexor doesn't really give me any problems... other than sleepiness. And lately I've just gotten entirely sick of it. I can essentially sleep for 12 hours if given the option, and getting up in the morning (or afternoon) is SO HARD. It makes me unmotivated and lazy and sleepy and I just want OFF of it.
I've done research on the internet and it seems like Effexor is one of the hardest antidepressants to go off of. I'm on 150 mg, and my doctor (who has continually told me "It seems to be doing fine, why go off of it if it's working? Why mess with a good thing?") has finally listened to my telling her that I can't take the sleepiness anymore, and told me to start tapering off, starting with 75 mg for a week or so, and then "if I want," to taper down further.
From reading this board, and from other websites, it seems like I should be tapering down in MUCH smaller increments than that... should I just do it in 37.5 increments?
Also, was sleepiness a big side effect with anyone else? Was there any real remedy for it?
I would appreciate ANY advice. I'm scared about going off of this stuff. I tried going off celexa, and it was hard enough.
Thanks!
-Melissa
Posted by Dizzy In Dixie on April 16, 2005, at 21:22:13
In reply to tapering off effexor, posted by meliss337 on April 15, 2005, at 18:10:28
Hi Melliss and Welcome! I too am new to this board but I thank God that I stumbled across it in my search for help! I was also on 150mg per day. I was told by my Dr to take it every other day as the way to taper! Ha! No way! By last Friday I was so sick I went to work and walked right back out, went home and slept until about 4! Yes, I sleep alot. Again, I thought this was just my way of "coping" with things. The more I read the more I am realizing that all these things I thought were "normal" are actually side effects of Effexor! Maybe as we come off this drug, we wont sleep quite so much! Good luck and keep reading!
Posted by canadiangirl3 on April 18, 2005, at 15:14:55
In reply to tapering off effexor, posted by meliss337 on April 15, 2005, at 18:10:28
Hey Melissa,
Once I decided I wanted off this drug, I couldn't do it fast enough. The tapering gave me bad withdrawal symptoms and was painfully slow. I am in a group and both my facilitators (psychs) as well as my therapist recommended a small dose of Prozac be introduced into the tapering. At first I said no way- NOT ANOTHER MED- but then I tried it and I was able to taper off 150 mg in no time with little no side effects. I'm been effexor free for 10 days now and slowly feeling back to normal. Good Luck with whatever you decide! There are lots of opinions out there to consider.
This is the end of the thread.
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