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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by jealmy on May 7, 2003, at 18:26:16
I'm currently taking Effexor XR 75mg. I've been on it for almost 2 years. I tried to get off it last year but the withdrawl was awful. It's hard for me to describe the dizziness I had but it was nothing like any dizziness I had ever had before. It was like a woosh woosh in my head. I also had headaches and nausea. I want to get off it now but I don't know how to do it without having those awful withdrawl symptoms. I even tried tapering off when I did it last year but I still had withdrawl. Another thing that I had was really bad anxiety after stopping it. Almost like panic attack. I really want to get off it but don't know what to do. HELP!
Posted by jack smith on May 7, 2003, at 21:02:44
In reply to Trying to get off Effexor and having a hard time, posted by jealmy on May 7, 2003, at 18:26:16
First, the fact that getting off Effexor causes panic and anxiety may indicate that you still need to use an antidepressant but it may only be a withdrawl symptom. The only to find out is to successfully withdraw and see how you do on no drugs.
The most effective way to get off effexor is by cross tapering with Prozac. Move down to 37.5 mg of Effexor and add 10 mg of prozac. Stick with this for a week. Then stop Effexor altogether and take 15-20 mg prozac for another week or two. Then stop prozac altogether.
Prozac has an extremely long half life so it takes weeks to eliminate it from your body. Withdrawl symptoms with Prozac are therefore minimal because seratonin receptors slowly, over the matter of weeks, adjust to less and less seratonin.
Effexor on the other hand has a very short half life, it is eliminated by your body within 5-11 hours, so seratonin receptors have to adjust immediately to the absence of the amount of seratonin that you had for two years.
I have not heard of anyone on this board failing when this method is used.
JACK
Posted by lia mason on May 7, 2003, at 21:52:26
In reply to Re: Trying to get off Effexor and having a hard time, posted by jack smith on May 7, 2003, at 21:02:44
I've also heard celexa used when tapering off effexor.
Lia
This is the end of the thread.
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