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Venlafaxine - dosage of beads within prolonged release capsules

Posted , 14 users are following.

lucy159
lucy159

Hello...i need to taper down really slowly...over years i suspect...from venlafaxine as i've had no success with more conventional/faster methods. My plan was to remove one little bead, see how it goes for a week, then two etc...However, they're all different sizes! Does anyone know if the size is related to the dosage of drug or to the amount of coating (i.e. the the bigger beads relase their drug later than the smaller ones)?

Thanks smile

2 likes, 29 replies

29 Replies

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  • abby897
    abby897 lucy159

    Posted

    This is what I just read on a reduction website...

    "If you have been opening the capsule and trying to sort and count the balls to reduce the Effexor XR please take special note. The people that have tried this approach seem to do ok until the second or third reduction and thereafter have a very difficult time with withdrawal. Knowing which balls contain what is impossible. We strongly urge you to avoid this approach"

    Best approaches suggest reducing by skipping one capsule every 3 days ie:

    If you are currently taking 3 x 75mg daily, you would reduce to just two capsules every third day so it would look like this:

    Day1:3 capsules

    Day2:3 capsules

    Day3:2 capsules

    Day4:3 capsules

    Day5:3 capsules

    Day6:2 capsules

    And so on...

  • leanne61579
    leanne61579 lucy159

    Posted

    I was going to do this but you have no idea as to which is which inside of capsule. That is why I went to a pill of less mg.  You could be taking out the wrong ones or maybe too much of one thing or another.

    Leanne

    • anne240
      anne240 leanne61579

      Posted

      I went onto generic pills too, and cut them into smaller and smaller doses, and this worked very well for me.  It took me 10 months to withdraw from 150mg capsules, but I had no side effects, and that was a year ago.  Have you withdrawn yourself?
    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 leanne61579

      Posted

      Thank god for my husband he was a great help! I don't think I could have doe it with out him . I have about 10 days to go and I'm done. Hear it takes a couple of weeks after that . To feel "normal" whatever that is ..again. I just hope the weight loss follows !! 
    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 anne240

      Posted

      Maybe I should ask my dr for the 37.5 mg tabs when I see her nex week. Cut them accordingly. We thought the time released balls were all the same they look that way.  Still have   minor side effect still enough to prevent me from doing things I would normally do.    

      Thanks everyone! Thank god for these blogs!

    • leanne61579
      leanne61579 ncoules49

      Posted

      The 37 mg come in a tablet and not the time released like the 75 and 15 mg.  I just started on them today and hope this works out for me. Good luck to you
    • leanne61579
      leanne61579

      Posted

      I meant 150 mg and not the 15
    • leanne61579
      leanne61579 anne240

      Posted

      Hi,

      I got so sick that it was terrible as I was naucious, light headed, just couldn't function at all. Hard to beleive a little pill can effect you so much. I beleive it does take a few months to come off it all together by doing it very gradual.

  • ncoules49
    ncoules49 lucy159

    Posted

    Hi lucy159,

    I was on Effexor I am in Us. Not sure if the doses or time release caps are different . My husband has been a big help to me. I  got up to 150 mg over a period of 13 years. Sick of being 35 lbs over weight and pretty much a slug with help from my husband I slooowly have been decreasing the dose . My husband tried to take a 10th out at a time if you have capsules . He eye balled the amount and decreased 10 caps at what he judged to be 10% at a time . We decrease every 10 days. It is not easy but you have to hold it to the light to make sure the caps are equal. It's been about 2 1/2 months and I have about 13 days left to go. I still have crying spells , but don't have severe brain zaps that most have . I repeat I still have withdrawals. I have read blogs of people who have decreased by 1/3 each time and let me tell you . As hellish as it's been I would do it this way if I had to again. Coupled with counseling and my husband reassuring me it the withdrawal symptoms it's not me I'm not crazy and that I'm not going to stay like this it's going well . I wish you the best and hope you can find or have someone to help you get through this I t will be worth it in the long run. Try it it's well worth it hit. Just when I think I'm in the clear I get the side effects of getting off the drug but keep going.  Hope this has helped I'm on my phone and typing on my phone isn't easy for me good luck!! We can all conquer this!! And take it from there!

    • anne240
      anne240 ncoules49

      Posted

      Hello I withdrew over 10 months by cutting generic pills to smaller and smaller doses, and had no withdrawal symptoms.  It is a year now and I have lost all the weight I put on whilst taking Effexor.  I had no withdrawals at all by taking it really slowly.  It can be done.  
  • lucy159
    lucy159

    Posted

    Thanks so much for all your comments, it's given me a lot to think about!!
  • anne240
    anne240 lucy159

    Posted

    Last year I tapered down very slowly from 150mg daily and had no withdrawal symptoms at all.  In UK capsules go down to 37.5mg dosage and because of this I went onto the generic Venlafaxine as they are poills.  I then bought a pill cutter on line and cut the pills into smaller and smaller amounts.  I don't think the method of taking out the beads is easy as, like you say, you do not know how this affects the withdrawal.  I do recommend my method as it really worked well.

    I know it took me a long time, and you may wish to do it quicker.  I found with the pill cutting I could regulate how fast I went, and I did it really slowly just cutting off a little at a time, until in the end I was taking a tiny amount on my finger tip.  Your doctor will be able to prescribe the Venlafaxine pills.  My doctor got me so far with reducing from 150mg capsules to 37.5mg capsules,but was not sure how to proceed after that, so I decided for myself, and the doctor prescribed the generic.

    I know this method does work, and I wsas on Effexor for 9 years and I am 73 years of age, so I believe if I managed to withdraw without any side effects, it can be achieved.  I am not a strong person, but I was determined.  It is a year now since I stopped, and so far no depression, but I admit anxiety has come back, but not too bad.

    I hope this helps.

    • leanne61579
      leanne61579 anne240

      Posted

      Hi,

      I was taking 37 mg for about 3 years and then 75 for a few years and then 150 for a couple years. I wanted to go off and tried cold turkey and found myself so sick. Then I went to 75 mg for 2 weeks and then every other day for 2 weeks.  Once again I was sick and now am going on 37 again for 2 weeks and then every other day for 2 weeks. I cant beleive this drug is so addictive to our system that it causes this much trouble. Hopefully now this will work and I can finally be off for good. As I have stated before mine was for hot flashes over the years day and night and not anxiety, where I was luckier than so many.

    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 anne240

      Posted

      It wasn't easy taking out the time released balls but I had just gotten a 90 day prescription filled. 😁 My husband did the reducing and wasn't so hard for him do. 

      Just suggestions you need to do what's best for you for you . Best of luck!! 

    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 leanne61579

      Posted

      Keep trying you can do it . These pills mess with our minds . Maybe reduce in smaller  doses. Do you have pills or capsules . Sounds like the pills are easier to cut . My dr also gave me Xanax. I didn't want to get hooked on those so I woul take a 1/2 or 1/4 when things got bad. Hang in there I'm not done yet but it does get better. Think of how great we are going to feel when we are off this crap!! I'm looking forward to the weight loss. Keep up the good work!!
    • leanne61579
      leanne61579 ncoules49

      Posted

      I too am waiting and looking forward to the weight loss. I have about 30 extra LB and I always diet and exercise and while on these pills nothing works.  Good luck to all of us.
    • lucy159
      lucy159 anne240

      Posted

      Thank you so much Anne, this is really helpful...and gives me a lot of hope!! It sounds like you're a very strong person by the way...this is the first post i've ever come accross where someone has said they experienced no side effects!! x
    • ncoules49
      ncoules49 leanne61579

      Posted

      I work out 5 days a week and eat right too. I just want to be a normal weight and healthy.

      Good luck! We can do this!

    • anne240
      anne240 leanne61579

      Posted

      Hello, I think perhaps if you reduced slower you would not get the side effects.  I reduced over 10 months, which sounds a long time, but it worked for me.  2 weeks on each dose is quite a short time.  I was on months on each dose, gradually reducing by cutting up generic Venlafaxine pills.  Try taking each dose for months rather thasn weeks, then cut pills to smaller and smaller doses until you are taking a tiny amount.  Reduce really slowly over months.  Hope you have managed to withdraw without too many side effects.  I took HRT for hot flushes.  I am in UK so do not have to pay for medication because of my age, but if you are in America I can understand that it will be costly for you to do as I did.   Let us know how you are
    • anne240
      anne240 lucy159

      Posted

      Thank you Lucy.  No most people withdraw too quickly and that is when they experience side effects.  Slow, slow, slow, and you should be all right.  Yes I lost all the extra weight too.
    • lucy159
      lucy159 anne240

      Posted

      I reduced my dose from 550 beads (inside the capsue) to 540 beads per day for one week. For the first few days i had nausia, buzzing in my head and night sweats. This has mainly stopped now (day 6) but i couldn't believe I was still getting withdraewal effects at such a small reduction. If i reduce at a rate of ten beads per week i should be off them in around a year...though i suspect it will take a bit longer as there will be times when i'm busy at work etc...when i wont be able have side effects and work as well! 
    • froggy2
      froggy2 lucy159

      Posted

      Cool to know that I could lose some weight.. I put on 15kg when I first go onto the VF, then went back by 5kg. Cholesterol is going up, but I suspect that it is an age bias cause i was straight down the middle with blood tests until 40, then went up by exactly 1 each year.

      RE: med mods.

      I got the doc to give me 150's , 75's, 50's and 25's over a period of time.

      Instead of splitting the atom, I then went

      period, dose

      1 150

      2 150

      3 150

      4 75

      5 150

      6 75

      7 75

      8 75

      9 50

      10 75

      11 50

      12 50

      13 50

      14 25

      15 50

      16 25

      17 50

      18 25

      19 25

      19 25

      19 25

      19 0

      19 25

      19 0

      19 25

      19 0

      19 25

      19 0

      19 0

      19 0

      19 0

      BUT if I missed on of the combinations, or took the wrong dosage, then I had an issue and had to back up one dose for a couple of weeks.

      A change no matter if planned or what still hurt me. This is my 3rd week cold turkey, and I'm stll getting issues with reaction, but it is the same reaction that I can but into the background 'noise' just like my ringing ears.

      Hope this helps.

    • lucy159
      lucy159 froggy2

      Posted

      Thanks...hope you start feeling better soon!
    • barbchristine
      barbchristine anne240

      Posted

      Hi Anne, 

      I am in Canada and only have capsules as well. I have been looking everywhere for tablets. I talked to the pharmasist and called the company and was told capsuls are only sold in the US and Puerto Rico. 

      I am on 75mg of effexor and I'm trying to wean off. Today is my first day on just one capsul and I'm just waiting for the withdraw to hit. I would live to reduce slower than a whole 37.5 mg at a time! 

       

    • BeeG95
      BeeG95 barbchristine

      Posted

      Hi Barbchristine

      I'm also in Canada. Maybe you could try 75 mg one day, and go down by a few beads less per day until you get to about 37.5 mg, to do it more gradually?  

      I've gone from 225 mg to 150 mg to 75 mg without much incident.  But from 75 mg to 37.5 mg daily, was another story. I had all the withdrawal symptoms but found that Omega 3 and a multivitamin did help a lot.

      I then took 37.5 mg every second day and after that, started reducing the beads in the capsules by about 10 per day.  Luckily I have been on vacation since going on the reduced bead schedule because this is where I am having a bit of difficulty (but also forgot to pack the Omega 3 and vitamins).  I find I'm itching most of the time, forgetful and a bit weepy, but luckily no brain zaps. 

      Unfortunately for my poor husband, I'm also quite quick to snap at him, so I try to bite my tongue when I can.  I go back to work in 3 days, so that might also be part of my issues right now.  I'll be glad to be done with this.  I was put on Wellbutrin to help get through it. 

      This will be my third time on Effexor XR and it has been a great help every time, even with the withdrawal symptoms.  I'm trying to make some life changes to avoid needing it again because I'm 57 and am hesitant to take it a fourth time. 

      I hope you can find what works best for you.  My doctor told me to stop after one week of the 37.5 mg capsules every second day, but I physically could not.  That is when I started reducing by 10 beads/day.

      Good luck to you!

       

    • lisa1965.
      lisa1965. ncoules49

      Posted

      You will definitely lose weight.  I was taking Abilify and Effexor and gained over 40 lbs.  My weight is going down.  I'm off the Abilify.  It didn't start going down until I began to wean off Effexor.

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