IS THIS NORMAL?
Posted , 3 users are following.
I have been on Effexor xr for about a month and a half. I started out on 37.5mg for about 30 days and got bumped up to 75mg, and been on that for about two weeks now. I couldn't stand the side effects and I don't believe it's the medicine for me.
So today I told my doctor I don't want to be on it any longer. So she called today and said "go back down to 37.5mg....then after that, a few days later, just stop taking it."
A few days???
I thought the tapering process took longer, but I don't know. I know it's only been a month and a half, but I've read countless testimonies that the withdrawals are hell. Is my doctor doing the right thing?
0 likes, 4 replies
lorrainr71886 ryan06165
Posted
Stick with the 75mg dose it get betters..75mg is still.low dose I have been on 225mg and or definitely helped
Your Dr might want to try a different pill so the sooner you are off the sooner you can start a new pill.
You haven't been on it long enough to have severe withdrawal symptoms.
Hope this helps.
UKSteve ryan06165
Posted
even if you have only been on the medication for a few weeks you still need to taper down slowly. If you are ok dropping back to 37.5 with no side effects then you would normally remain on 37.5 for another wean down over period of two or three weeks. Open the capsules removing beads so that you can step down to 18.25, for another week then 9.4mg and so on.You should be able to stop at around 4mg after a week. If at anytime you start to experience unpleasant withdrawal symptoms then go back up to the previous dose continue on that for another few days and then stepped down again. there are many different techniques of weaning down which you can find online fortunately you should be able to be come off over 3weeks without too much difficulty because you have only been on the tablets for 6 weeks.
stopping abruptly is never recommended unless you are switching to another antidepressant
ryan06165 UKSteve
Posted
Thank you Steve for the info! Sorry I took so long to get back to you. I have been busy busy busy. Just wanted to give an update. I went from 75mg a day to about 4mg a day now. It's been bumpy, but the worst of the withdrawal effects last for the first day. I still get lingering brain zaps, but tolerable. I have gradually gotten my motivation back. I'm a little scared to take the next step, but it needs to happen! I just wanted to thank you for your advice.
Ryan
UKSteve ryan06165
Posted
That sounds a good withdrawl the zaps usually fade away after the ladt dose over a few days.
your over the worst. since you weren't on them long enough for the fullblown withdrawals.
The last bit if you cant just stopis to either keep nibbling bits off the smaalest pill, or crush it and trick your mind with another crushed pile of similar tuff like flour or caster sugar or paracetamol out of a capsule, seitch the two pipes around so you dont know which is which , then each nich take a half of each in jam or orange juice together, the next night, only dothe same, then the next night only one of the mystery piles then the next night the other then the next night mis the both tound chose one and take 1/4 and then no more. Its tefious nut some people need to trick their brain to loose the connection between the drug and the real effect.