Posted by margie75 on July 22, 2005, at 1:11:54
In reply to Re: Effexor XR withdrawals » angelbean, posted by apenname on July 17, 2005, at 21:23:50
This is margie24 (had to change name, forgot password).
I've been working on no effexor for 3 months now. I'm down to 11 of the little beads and you'd think I'd feel CLOSE! I'm so anxious to just STOP, but if I get a wild hair and try to stop (even on 11 beads) I get sick. I'm now 12 weeks pregnant! (time flies) I thought I'd be off this by now. I tried really hard to stop when I found out, but it impossible.I read all your posts and I feel for you. I know how it is. I actually locked myself in our guest bedroom for 3 days when I first started withdrawling. Then I realized I was trying to be a hero or something and everyone was suffering for it.
Scott, I tried flexible dosing for a month and 1/2. I, personally, couldn't make any progress with it because the amount and times I needed to take it stayed the same. For example, I'd take maybe 20 beads just as I felt the dizziness, and then need another 20 maybe 6 hours later. Problem was I'd do the same thing day after day. If I reduced anything I'd feel the same as if I was just reducing the dose gradually. (?) Did I miss something.
Anyway, once I got down to 25 mg (I guess) I did the bead counting thing, and went down one by one.
(I had taken effexor for 2 years at 150 mg.) Tapering down to 75mg was not bad for me, it's when the numbers get small that was hard for me.I would DEFINETLY NOT try to stop effexor any other way than tapering slowly. I tried cold turkey several times (I thought if I just wasn't a wimp, I could tough it out.) I was incapacitated. And even scarier, suicidal.
And quite frankly, what doctors recommend for their "reduction plans", are about as painful as cold turkey. Mine told me to take 150 every other day for 2 weeks, then 75 " ". then stop. They really have no idea. And that's what infuriates me. They have no idea.
Well, I promised myself I would come back here and spread the good news once I got off effexor, be another light at the end of the tunnel. I thought i would have sent that post by now, but this thing is bigger than me and I have to play by it;s rules and count one DAMN bead at a time (and even then, sometimes I have to repeat a number for a day or 2). I WILL be back to tell you I made it, and you all will too.
Oh, about bead counting strategies. I sat down one afternoon and broke apart 75mg capsules (which had 200 beads (I think)) into piles of 50 beads. Then I folded the 50 in foil. I put my little foil packets (or acid, like I called them), in a bowl. That worked for me.
Very very best to everyone.
Margie
poster:margie75
thread:486906
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050712/msgs/531376.html