Posted by SLS on May 7, 2005, at 8:44:38
In reply to Re: Getting off Effexor » SLS, posted by meliss337 on May 5, 2005, at 18:37:46
My first recommendation, as you mentioned, is to take smaller doses of Effexor several times a day, as this will help mitigate withdrawal symptoms. It might be advantageous to use the 25mg tablets to taper further, although I have done it using the contents of 150mg capsules. You really don't need to be too exacting with dose size if you remain flexible with the dosing period. In other words, you can wait until you feel withdrawal symptoms coming on, and only then take a small dose of Effexor to make them disappear. The rule-of-thumb that I have had success with is to take only as much Effexor as is necessary to last 6-8 hours. You will be dosing 3-4 times a day. When you are sure that the withdrawal symptoms are returning, take your next dose. Ideally, you will find that you can use less and less Effexor to last the 6-8 hours. There really are no "steps". Each day, the brain makes small adjustments based upon the dosing of the day before. This allows you to make similarly small adjustments subsequently. I think it is important to try to use the minimum amount of drug necessary. One way of doing this is to use the appearance of withdrawal symptoms as a dosing guage. Purposely allowing withdrawal symptoms to begin to reappear is a good way to do this. Try not to let the withdrawal symptoms persist for more than an hour, though. The idea is to discontinue Effexor comfortably and completely rather quickly and incompletely.
> I decided to go off due to sleepiness while ON the pills... and after reading some other people's stories, I bet the stomach problems I seem to have acquired in the past 3 years (was on Celexa 40 mg. for 18ish months before Effexor) were because of these antidepressants. Also, I'm graduating college, and want to start this new "lease on life" pill-free.
Go for it!
Is there any history of mental illness in your family? If for some reason you find yourself experiencing recurrent episodes of major depressive disorder in the years ahead, you might need to consider a more indefinite period of treatment. Hopefully not.
> Anyway. Does it sound like, so far, I'm doing this okay?
Yes. Very much so.
If you feel comfortable staying at 75mg for a week or two before continuing with a flexible-dosing strategy, that might give you a point of stability from which to work. I would take 25mg three times a day. Alternatively, you can wait to invoke the flexible dosing method until you get down to 37.5mg (12.5 three times a day) if you prefer to keep a more rigid schedule. Near the end of a taper, I actually estimate and nibble off smaller and smaller pieces of the tablet throughout the day. Whenever the withdrawal symptoms reappear, I nibble off some more. Sounds simple? I hope it is as simple for you as it has been for me.
Best wishes.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:493580
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050424/msgs/494819.html