Posted by SLS on June 6, 2005, at 16:59:47
In reply to Re: How long do Effexor XL withdrawals last?, posted by Margie24 on June 6, 2005, at 12:58:40
Don't be so "brave". It will just cause you great stress and discomfort. Imagine what your baby is experiencing from these withdrawal effects.
If your system responds as mine does:I would restart the Effexor and take small amounts several times a day when you feel the withdrawal symptoms appear. This is a flexible-dosing strategy. Use small amounts of the drug as if it were aspirin to treat a headache. When the headache appears, take enough aspirin to last 6-8 hours. Wait until the headache reappears, then take more. You will see that you can take smaller and smaller amounts to get you through the 6-8 hours. You will eventually reach a point when a further decrease in the dose no longer gets you through 6 hours. At that point, just stop taking it. You will go through a mild withdrawal that lasts only a few days at the most.
Your other option is to switch over to Prozac for a few days. Its long half life will act as a naturally gentle taper.
Either of these two methods should have you free of medication in 2-3 weeks.
Again, don't be a hero. Continue to use medication as a tool to gently remove them.
Good luck.
- Scott
poster:SLS
thread:486906
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050519/msgs/508664.html