Posted by marlene on February 25, 2002, at 9:23:14
In reply to just another coming-off-fxr story, posted by m3 on February 23, 2002, at 13:57:38
>
> Just posting my story for the benefit of other people who are going through/contemplating going through withdrawing from Effexor.
>
> I was at 300mg/day, like marlene, for about a year and a half. It had taken me about six months to hit that dosage after starting at 75mg. When I first started I didn't really have any side effects and it seemed to help a lot. Moving up to 150mg also produced a noticeable improvement in mood, but the next couple of dose increases didn't do much, and I eventually felt the Effexor wasn't doing anything at all, so I decided to come off. My pdoc suggested Serzone as a replacement.
>
> That was about ten days ago. My pdoc gave me a schedule for ramping down the Effexor (-37.5mg every other day, then stop) and for starting the Serzone (the standard starter pack). I was to start tapering the Effexor and start taking the Serzone at the same time (right away).
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> I found I got the zaps at each decrease of Effexor, but they weren't too bad, nothing compared to the times when I'd run out of pills and missed multiple doses (1-4 doses at a time).
>
> It was only when I stopped taking any Effexor at all that I got the full-blown withdrawal syndrome: zaps, vertigo, can't get warm but sometimes sweaty, uncontrollable shivering, uncontrollable crying, tinnitus. I also feel a rampant dread and don't trust myself to find my way back home if I go out (though I did today without any problem; don't worry, I was walking, not driving). I notice lots of people have had insomnia; I've had some in the evening but the Serzone generally knocks me out before it's too much of a problem. In fact, the Serzone is causing pretty serious hypersomnolence (like 11-14 hours of sleep several days in a row), but that discussion belongs elsewhere.
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> This is really no fun, but I'm trying to stick it out, partly due to reading posts here. (Thank you, brave souls who went before and lived to post about it.) I do have some 37.5 mg capsules left and I might eventually give in and take one, but I feel like I'd just be extending the agony.
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> I guess I have a question for those who have gone before, if they're still reading: *would* it actually be better to take a 37.5mg capsule every couple of days for a while?
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> Anyway, that's my story. I'll post a follow up when I feel better or in a few days, whichever comes first.
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> m3
m3,
On the 8 day of cold turkey, I was ready to give in and take effexor, but my spouse and I talked it through and I decided to stick it out. I also talked to a relative who went through withdrawal from valium, and he said that the symptoms I was having, he had. He said the first two weeks were the worse, and I decided that if I already did 8 days without any, then I didn't want to go back on it.
Also, when I tried to talk to my Doctor about going off effexor and on something else, he told me I had to be off effexor for two weeks before I could start something else. I can't take prozac, allergic to it.
I hope all goes well, and serzone works for you.
Good Luck
poster:marlene
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020222/msgs/95419.html