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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by LoneWolf69 on August 3, 2006, at 17:36:07
Hello all,
I am placing a copy of this thread in the "Withdrawal" section as recommended by another member. I placed it in the wrong section to begin with and I apologize if you have already came across it in that section.My doctor started me on Effexor XR about 3 weeks ago for some mild depression due to some current life situations and because I have been unable to sleep well for a long time. My doctor started me on a dosage of one (1) 37.5mg capsule, once per day for a week and then my dosage went up to one (1) 75mg capsule per day. I was very reluctant about starting this medication and he convinced me this was not dope and there were no bad side effects and it was not habit forming like so many other medications are. He said it would just help me to deal with everything going on in my life right now and also help me get some way overdue sleep my body is needing. Well, I am into my third week now and I absolutely hate the results I am experiencing since I started taking Effexor. I feel a lot worse now than I ever did before I started taking it and now ALL I want to do is sleep. I believe I could sleep 20 hours per day now and I feel terrible when I am awake. Anyway, after reading several of the nightmares here people have experienced trying to quit taking this medication I am wondering what is the best way for me to quit taking Effexor XR. Do I need to taper my dosage down since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks or can I just quit taking it or do I need to try taking one every other day for a few days and then just stop or what? Also, since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks am I going to experience some of these horrible withdrawal effects others who have been taking it for a long time experience or will I be OK since I have been on it for such a short time. I am sorry to ramble on so much but I am really scared of this medication and I want off of it as soon as possible with as little side effects as possible because I am all alone here trying to take care of my 5 year old son.
Thanks very much to all of you for your input on Effexor XR and for any advice you can give me to help me get off of it.
Take Care All and Have A Great Day!
Posted by SLS on August 6, 2006, at 9:03:17
In reply to EFFEXOR XR - Need advice quitting, please!, posted by LoneWolf69 on August 3, 2006, at 17:36:07
Hi.
This is probably too late, but...
Stuff starts happening in the brain after about two weeks of being on Effexor beyond which there will probably be some withdrawal effects resulting from its discontinuation. However, I would still go ahead and gamble that you won't experience much in the way of symptoms and simply discontinue it. You might profit from going a few days at 37.5mg, but I wouldn't continue the drug any longer than that.
Whatever you do, do not skip days. Do not take the drug every other day. This will only prolong the situation and might even sensitize you to more intense withdrawal symptoms.
Please let us know what happens.
- Scott
> Hello all,
> I am placing a copy of this thread in the "Withdrawal" section as recommended by another member. I placed it in the wrong section to begin with and I apologize if you have already came across it in that section.
>
> My doctor started me on Effexor XR about 3 weeks ago for some mild depression due to some current life situations and because I have been unable to sleep well for a long time. My doctor started me on a dosage of one (1) 37.5mg capsule, once per day for a week and then my dosage went up to one (1) 75mg capsule per day. I was very reluctant about starting this medication and he convinced me this was not dope and there were no bad side effects and it was not habit forming like so many other medications are. He said it would just help me to deal with everything going on in my life right now and also help me get some way overdue sleep my body is needing. Well, I am into my third week now and I absolutely hate the results I am experiencing since I started taking Effexor. I feel a lot worse now than I ever did before I started taking it and now ALL I want to do is sleep. I believe I could sleep 20 hours per day now and I feel terrible when I am awake. Anyway, after reading several of the nightmares here people have experienced trying to quit taking this medication I am wondering what is the best way for me to quit taking Effexor XR. Do I need to taper my dosage down since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks or can I just quit taking it or do I need to try taking one every other day for a few days and then just stop or what? Also, since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks am I going to experience some of these horrible withdrawal effects others who have been taking it for a long time experience or will I be OK since I have been on it for such a short time. I am sorry to ramble on so much but I am really scared of this medication and I want off of it as soon as possible with as little side effects as possible because I am all alone here trying to take care of my 5 year old son.
>
> Thanks very much to all of you for your input on Effexor XR and for any advice you can give me to help me get off of it.
>
> Take Care All and Have A Great Day!
Posted by LoneWolf69 on August 6, 2006, at 13:02:30
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR XR - Need advice quitting, please! » LoneWolf69, posted by SLS on August 6, 2006, at 9:03:17
Hey Scott,
Thank you so much for your reply and the information you provided me. Actually, I haven't taken any more of the Effexor since the day I first wrote this asking this question and LUCKILY so far I haven't had too many withdrawal symptoms. The ones I have had haven't been nearly as bad as the ones I have read about here which some of these poor folks on here have had to endure and none of them have been as bad as the effects of the medication itself. I am hoping this terrible medication will be totally out of my system REAL soon and can just be a BAD memory for me. I am going to direct my physician to this website so he can read some of the horrible effects caused by this medication so maybe he will at least THINK a little before he just hands out any more samples of it. I don't think he is at all aware of the habit forming nature of this medication or the difficulty of discontinuing it from the comments he made when he gave me these samples. Anyway, Thanks again to you and to everyone else here who has participated on the site for all of the great information and help you are providing people who are having such a terrible time with this medication.My thoughts and prayers will continue to be with each of you and I wish everyone the best of luck.
> Hi.
>
> This is probably too late, but...
>
> Stuff starts happening in the brain after about two weeks of being on Effexor beyond which there will probably be some withdrawal effects resulting from its discontinuation. However, I would still go ahead and gamble that you won't experience much in the way of symptoms and simply discontinue it. You might profit from going a few days at 37.5mg, but I wouldn't continue the drug any longer than that.
>
> Whatever you do, do not skip days. Do not take the drug every other day. This will only prolong the situation and might even sensitize you to more intense withdrawal symptoms.
>
> Please let us know what happens.
>
>
> - Scott
>
>
> > Hello all,
> > I am placing a copy of this thread in the "Withdrawal" section as recommended by another member. I placed it in the wrong section to begin with and I apologize if you have already came across it in that section.
> >
> > My doctor started me on Effexor XR about 3 weeks ago for some mild depression due to some current life situations and because I have been unable to sleep well for a long time. My doctor started me on a dosage of one (1) 37.5mg capsule, once per day for a week and then my dosage went up to one (1) 75mg capsule per day. I was very reluctant about starting this medication and he convinced me this was not dope and there were no bad side effects and it was not habit forming like so many other medications are. He said it would just help me to deal with everything going on in my life right now and also help me get some way overdue sleep my body is needing. Well, I am into my third week now and I absolutely hate the results I am experiencing since I started taking Effexor. I feel a lot worse now than I ever did before I started taking it and now ALL I want to do is sleep. I believe I could sleep 20 hours per day now and I feel terrible when I am awake. Anyway, after reading several of the nightmares here people have experienced trying to quit taking this medication I am wondering what is the best way for me to quit taking Effexor XR. Do I need to taper my dosage down since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks or can I just quit taking it or do I need to try taking one every other day for a few days and then just stop or what? Also, since I have only been taking it for 3 weeks am I going to experience some of these horrible withdrawal effects others who have been taking it for a long time experience or will I be OK since I have been on it for such a short time. I am sorry to ramble on so much but I am really scared of this medication and I want off of it as soon as possible with as little side effects as possible because I am all alone here trying to take care of my 5 year old son.
> >
> > Thanks very much to all of you for your input on Effexor XR and for any advice you can give me to help me get off of it.
> >
> > Take Care All and Have A Great Day!
>
>
Posted by SLS on August 6, 2006, at 19:58:06
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR XR - Need advice quitting, please!, posted by LoneWolf69 on August 6, 2006, at 13:02:30
I'm glad to hear that things seem to be going well for you so far. The more severe withdrawal symptoms usually hit 72 hours after taking the last dose.
I hope you have no further need of psychopharmacology. If you do, please stop by and pay us a visit.
Good luck!
- Scott
This is the end of the thread.
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