Posted by Wendy B on May 6, 2001, at 9:04:50
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal Diary, posted by ChipW on May 4, 2001, at 21:36:33
Hey Chip,
Sounds good, you're doing well, I like the image of you sopping up the little dots of Effexor with some velveeta.. Good idea!
Getting off Effexor is a bitch. My symptoms were nausea & dizzyness, nothing near what some people have posted that they have experienced. As you can see, getting off this drug has got to be one of THE most discussed topics for people on this BBoard.One thing, a suggestion on method: if you have got the capsules, just PULL them apart, no need to use a razor blade. I found that if you twist the cap (and it does stick a little, so keep twisting), as you ssslllloooowllly pull it, that works best.
I would then dump them into a glass of water & swallow them as best I could. Keep rinsing the glass out with more water till you swallow them all.
I also tapered much more slowly than my pdoc suggested, but it still didn't keep the nausea away, and that kept me home on the couch for at least 24 hrs every time I tapered down a notch.Good luck, man, and keep us posted on how you feel...
Wendy B.
> I have been on 150 mg of Effexor for over a year. I want to quit, and my doctor is one of the losers. I'm doing this my way, and I started Monday. I am offering this for informational purposes, and to seek advice from the rest of you.
>
> Monday
> Split a 150-mg Effexor in half visually on a plate using a razor blade to divide up the pellets without crushing them. Took half of the pellets in OJ. This was very difficult since most of the pellets stayed in the glass. I had to rinse it out several times with water, and by the end I had drunk a lot. I also had trouble getting the little pellets down without getting them stuck in my teeth, etc. I was very careful not to crush any, since I believe this would effect the XR formulation.
>
> Put the rest of the pellets back into the capsule.
>
> Tuesday
> Took the other half capsule.
>
> Side effects are milder than what I have experienced many times, 24 hours after a missed dose.
>
> The side effect(s) I experience 24 hours after a missed dose are what are commonly referred to as dizziness, lightheadedness, a strange sensation when I turn my head, tracers, vertigo, and sometimes even described as visual hallucinations. I think of all these descriptions as referring to one symptom, but that's just me.
>
> This is no where close to the clinical/psychological definition of a hallucination. I have experienced a full-blown, suspension of reality, psychotic hallucination. Effexor withdrawals don't even come close. They are what some call "visuals", and they are very mild visuals. This being said, no one want to experience this 24/7 for days. There isn't anything really fun about it anyway.
>
> I have also experienced the wide range of visual effects caused by LSD and psilocybin, and Effexor withdrawals don't even come close to these. There has been absolutely no effect on my conscious thought from Effexor that I have ever been able to detect, and that goes for the withdrawals as well. Unless constant dizziness tends to make you irritable….
>
> The point is that LSD and psilocybin do have profound effects on my conscious thought, and even the worst Effexor withdrawal symptoms don't do this.
>
> Wednesday
> Split another capsule and used small pieces of Velveeta cheese to "pick up" half the pellets. I swallowed the pellet-ridden pieces of cheese without chewing. This worked rather well. I have to admit that I tried this because it is how I give meds to my cats and dogs….
>
> Again put the remaining pellets back into the capsule.
>
> Thursday
> Took the second half capsule. My fourth dose at approximately 75mg.
>
> Side effects are about equivalent to a missed dose.
>
> Friday (Today)
> Took nothing in the morning. Side effects were quite intense all day.
>
> Took 10mg Prozac after evening meal.
poster:Wendy B
thread:61654
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010424/msgs/61764.html