Venlafaxine - dosage of beads within prolonged release capsules
Posted , 14 users are following.
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
2 likes, 29 replies
abby897 lucy159
Posted
"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 lucy159
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Leanne
anne240 leanne61579
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ncoules49 leanne61579
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ncoules49 anne240
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Thanks everyone! Thank god for these blogs!
leanne61579 ncoules49
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leanne61579
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leanne61579 anne240
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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 lucy159
Posted
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 ncoules49
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lucy159
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anne240 lucy159
Posted
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 anne240
Posted
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 anne240
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Just suggestions you need to do what's best for you for you . Best of luck!!
ncoules49 leanne61579
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leanne61579 ncoules49
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lucy159 anne240
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ncoules49 leanne61579
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Good luck! We can do this!
anne240 leanne61579
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anne240 lucy159
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anne240 ncoules49
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lucy159 anne240
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froggy2 lucy159
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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 froggy2
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barbchristine anne240
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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 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. ncoules49
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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.