The ABC Homeopathy Forum
Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help Page 83 of 140
Page 12345678910111213141516171819202122232425262728293031323334353637383940414243444546474849505152535455565758596061626364656667686970717273747576777879808182 83 84858687888990919293949596979899100101102103104105106107108109110111112113114115116117118119120121122123124125126127128129130131132133134135136137138139140
This is just a forum. Assume posts are not from medical professionals.
i went from 3-75mg's to 2 75's and a 37.5 for a week and then down to two 75's for a week. then one 75 and one 37.5............
no side effects.
no side effects.
elaamacy123 last decade
I don't know this to be fact of course, but I would take into account the length of time that you've been on the drug. I was on it for 14 years, and I have been weaning myself from 300mg since September. I'm down now to 15mg per day, and should be completely Effexor free by June.
I have gained 160 pounds during this time, with about 100 pounds of that being just in the past 3 years since being bumped up to 300mg. I gained 67 pounds in the first 8 months that I was bumped from 150mg to 300mg. All these years, instead of questioning if the Effexor was the cause of all of my symptoms (the weight gain, confusion, lethargy, short term memory loss, foggy brain, etc.) they've just been looking at all other aspects. Diagnosed with Adult ADD, thyroid disease, clinical depression, and the list truly goes on and on. I truly believe had they just taken me off this crazy drug years and years ago, I would still be going to the gym 5 or 6 times a week, working full-time in a successful career, and living life.
Anyhooooo -----
My point was - if you've been on it for 8 years, it MAY take a little longer for you to taper down than someone who has only been on it for 2 or 3 years.
I have gained 160 pounds during this time, with about 100 pounds of that being just in the past 3 years since being bumped up to 300mg. I gained 67 pounds in the first 8 months that I was bumped from 150mg to 300mg. All these years, instead of questioning if the Effexor was the cause of all of my symptoms (the weight gain, confusion, lethargy, short term memory loss, foggy brain, etc.) they've just been looking at all other aspects. Diagnosed with Adult ADD, thyroid disease, clinical depression, and the list truly goes on and on. I truly believe had they just taken me off this crazy drug years and years ago, I would still be going to the gym 5 or 6 times a week, working full-time in a successful career, and living life.
Anyhooooo -----
My point was - if you've been on it for 8 years, it MAY take a little longer for you to taper down than someone who has only been on it for 2 or 3 years.
three33 last decade
elaamacy123 last decade
My major weight gain was after the 3rd pill also. I never seem to get anything done anymore. My house is a wreck and my Ebay business is shot to Hell. Do you think I should half my 3rd pill for a while before dropping it?
pennyadam last decade
Penny,
You and I should probably email and talk off line. We seem to have a LOT in common.
'Wreck' is definitely not the word used to describe the state of my home. It's truly pathetic.
Not only did I have a very successful eBay business (I was a PowerSeller) go bust, but I was declared disabled and unable to work a public job.
As for your taper ... ABsolutely you should split that first pill that you drop off.
Email me if you want to vent or talk further.
Pam
You and I should probably email and talk off line. We seem to have a LOT in common.
'Wreck' is definitely not the word used to describe the state of my home. It's truly pathetic.
Not only did I have a very successful eBay business (I was a PowerSeller) go bust, but I was declared disabled and unable to work a public job.
As for your taper ... ABsolutely you should split that first pill that you drop off.
Email me if you want to vent or talk further.
Pam
three33 last decade
Pennyadam,
225mg eh? Do you take them all together at the same time in the morning?
Side effects are unavoidable if you don't teach your body to boost up the serotonin production. Your glands are lazy right now. Try this and then get back to us:
day 1: 175mg
day 2: 200mg
day 3: 200mg
day 4: 200mg
day 5: 200mg
The 175mg dose will be a minor jolt to the system and hopefully get your glands pumping again. Going back up to the 200mg will help you avoid the withdrawl.
You will be able to speed this up a bit after you get your body rev'ed up again. So try that drop to test the waters. One of the big mistakes people make is reducing doses while having withdrawl side effects. You have to wait until they are all gone before the next step.
If you need help splitting your capsules with some precision, check this post out:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/
UPDATE: We're doing great. Although there is some moodiness. Nothing like depression though, so that's good. Using Omega 3 suppliments. So far so good!
225mg eh? Do you take them all together at the same time in the morning?
Side effects are unavoidable if you don't teach your body to boost up the serotonin production. Your glands are lazy right now. Try this and then get back to us:
day 1: 175mg
day 2: 200mg
day 3: 200mg
day 4: 200mg
day 5: 200mg
The 175mg dose will be a minor jolt to the system and hopefully get your glands pumping again. Going back up to the 200mg will help you avoid the withdrawl.
You will be able to speed this up a bit after you get your body rev'ed up again. So try that drop to test the waters. One of the big mistakes people make is reducing doses while having withdrawl side effects. You have to wait until they are all gone before the next step.
If you need help splitting your capsules with some precision, check this post out:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/
UPDATE: We're doing great. Although there is some moodiness. Nothing like depression though, so that's good. Using Omega 3 suppliments. So far so good!
mikemo last decade
Thanks for the advice guys. If I do mikemos trick then what side effects should I wait for to stop before going below 200.
three33---I would email but have no address.
three33---I would email but have no address.
pennyadam last decade
pennyadam last decade
Penny,
I think clicking on the username will take you to their email address. Not sure if it will work everytime, but I clicked on your username and got an email address.
I just emailed you - so we'll see if it was the RIGHT email address.
I think clicking on the username will take you to their email address. Not sure if it will work everytime, but I clicked on your username and got an email address.
I just emailed you - so we'll see if it was the RIGHT email address.
three33 last decade
Mikemo; Back from vacation and ready (ugh) to start going down from the 150 mg caps. Am side-effect free from the 300mg to 150 right now. So I am tolerating it. I have the 150 mg capsules. How much should I split and what's the program again? You are so helpful with all of this!!! Thanks and hugs, Mary
maystamper last decade
UPDATE:
I am down to 6 little balls. I am so excited that it is almost over!! I cried the other day for the first time in 2 years. WOW, I do have emotions.
Shelly
I am down to 6 little balls. I am so excited that it is almost over!! I cried the other day for the first time in 2 years. WOW, I do have emotions.
Shelly
elaamacy123 last decade
AWESOME!!! Keep at it Shelly! That's a great feeling, eh? To not have that 'barrier' that prevents you from getting emotional over things that you really WANT to be emotional over!
We're about two weeks into 'complete freedom' and a major ';tired' mode is kicking. She's keeping up with healthy living. Waiting for the energy levels to return. No depression, though!
We're about two weeks into 'complete freedom' and a major ';tired' mode is kicking. She's keeping up with healthy living. Waiting for the energy levels to return. No depression, though!
mikemo last decade
Shelly, Here's your first step:
130 (20mg drop for ONE day)
145 (back up 15)
140 (back down 5)
140
140
140
Make all 6 doses tonight and put them in a pill minder box.
That is 6 days. Start this tomorrow. If you need help with the splitting method, I can help with that, too, just ask!
You've GOT to go to Walgreens and ask the pharmacist for 3 empty, unused prescription bottles. Also, buy a 1 week 'pill minder' (you know those things that have a compartment for each day of the week). All of this will help you keep track of your 'leftovers' from pill splitting. Don't just dump leftovers into the walgreens bottles, though. Dump them into new gelcaps in KNOWN amounts. Then label the bottle by writing the dose on a little tab of paper and put it in the bottle with the pill. It may come in handy later on in the program.
There is just a lot of 'keeping track' to do. get a special paper to write the dose amount down on with the date. I made a homemade calandar that fit 2 months on one side of a page. Then I kept a record of the doses, and comments on wierd happenings or feelings. You will learn what your body can handle that way. Stay connected to this thread!
Mike
130 (20mg drop for ONE day)
145 (back up 15)
140 (back down 5)
140
140
140
Make all 6 doses tonight and put them in a pill minder box.
That is 6 days. Start this tomorrow. If you need help with the splitting method, I can help with that, too, just ask!
You've GOT to go to Walgreens and ask the pharmacist for 3 empty, unused prescription bottles. Also, buy a 1 week 'pill minder' (you know those things that have a compartment for each day of the week). All of this will help you keep track of your 'leftovers' from pill splitting. Don't just dump leftovers into the walgreens bottles, though. Dump them into new gelcaps in KNOWN amounts. Then label the bottle by writing the dose on a little tab of paper and put it in the bottle with the pill. It may come in handy later on in the program.
There is just a lot of 'keeping track' to do. get a special paper to write the dose amount down on with the date. I made a homemade calandar that fit 2 months on one side of a page. Then I kept a record of the doses, and comments on wierd happenings or feelings. You will learn what your body can handle that way. Stay connected to this thread!
Mike
mikemo last decade
Mikemo,
I think you have a couple of your groupies confused. Mary is the one going down from 300, Shelly (me) is on the 6 tiny balls.
Does your wife ever post on here. We hear about her but never hear from her.
Shelly
I think you have a couple of your groupies confused. Mary is the one going down from 300, Shelly (me) is on the 6 tiny balls.
Does your wife ever post on here. We hear about her but never hear from her.
Shelly
elaamacy123 last decade
My groupies! That's hilarious!
Concerning my wife, she doesn't want to think about this stuff AT ALL. When I talk too much about it, she tells me to stop! In fact, that's really why I ran the taper program, not her. She didn't want to know when the drop days were. So, as proxy, I try to contribute to the board.
Mary, sorry I goofed up your name in my post to you!
Concerning my wife, she doesn't want to think about this stuff AT ALL. When I talk too much about it, she tells me to stop! In fact, that's really why I ran the taper program, not her. She didn't want to know when the drop days were. So, as proxy, I try to contribute to the board.
Mary, sorry I goofed up your name in my post to you!
mikemo last decade
No problem! Thanks for the chart! The capsules are 150 mg each. And yes I am one of your groupies too! teehee
maystamper last decade
My husband has a pill capper set. He makes his own workout pills from the powers that he buys so we have lots of capsules and a holder etc. We have weekly reminders and lots of empty med bottles. I will get a calendar too. I will stay connected as I do know side-effects....icky!!! Thanks :)
maystamper last decade
Hi,
I have been taking 75mg E for over 10 years and have tried to wean off 3-4 times. Now because of this web site I think I can do it. I started reading this and weaning 6 days ago. Decided to join. a new doc gave me 2 weeks of 37.5 and said 'take these for 2 weeks and then stop, if yiu feel bad after that just start back up again' Well NO WAY. I want off this drug. So yesterday day 5 on 37.5 the neusea started. Today, more neasea so I took a phenegran...it helped. Please keep writing and I will keep reading. Tell me what you think.
Thank you.
I have been taking 75mg E for over 10 years and have tried to wean off 3-4 times. Now because of this web site I think I can do it. I started reading this and weaning 6 days ago. Decided to join. a new doc gave me 2 weeks of 37.5 and said 'take these for 2 weeks and then stop, if yiu feel bad after that just start back up again' Well NO WAY. I want off this drug. So yesterday day 5 on 37.5 the neusea started. Today, more neasea so I took a phenegran...it helped. Please keep writing and I will keep reading. Tell me what you think.
Thank you.
kikkib last decade
Kikkib; Hnag in there. We are rooting for you! Stay close to the web board and your friends here! It's the best support system I have found! Mikemo is the best and you too can become one of his groupies! Teehee There are other things that you can take to help with the side-effects. I can't remember what they are. (One of the drug side-effects, bad memory) but mikemo can help! Take care, Mary
maystamper last decade
kikkib,
You found the key to getting off!!! I tried a few times myself and searched the web for hours. This is the place. It will take a while but it can be done with hardly any side effects.
Keep us posted and good luck!
Shelly
You found the key to getting off!!! I tried a few times myself and searched the web for hours. This is the place. It will take a while but it can be done with hardly any side effects.
Keep us posted and good luck!
Shelly
elaamacy123 last decade
Kikkib, there is no good reason to go through difficult withdrawl. Your body has to get used to the drug not being there, and compensate by increased serotonin production. It does this at it's own pace. If you taper down at a pace that it syncronized with your body's reactions, you can avoid the withdrawl (most of it, anyway).
Unfortunatly, the pace is MUCH slower than the doc is telling you. Check this page out:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/
That said, it is great that you have made the jump to 37.5. Although it sounds like it may be rough. That's a big drop. You should stay at that dose until you can go 2 days without needing the phenegran, AND without difficult withdrawl. That might be another two weeks at 37.5mg.
Then try this:
day 1 - 15
day 2 - 30
day 3 - 25
day 4 - 25
day 5 - 25
day 6 - 25
Using the folded paper method is the only way to get those precise doses. It's really pretty easy. Check it out at the page I listed above.
-------------------------
UPDATE:
I made a stupid comment the other day. I said,'I'm really proud of how the taper program went'. My wife took offense, because SHE was the one that actually went through it.
She was right. All I do is the math. I can't pretend to understand what it all feels like, or the emotional issues involved in the depression in the first place. I can listen, and try to understand, but I don't know it first hand.
So, you can be my math groupies if you want, but truely, I don't really know what you're going through.
Unfortunatly, the pace is MUCH slower than the doc is telling you. Check this page out:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/
That said, it is great that you have made the jump to 37.5. Although it sounds like it may be rough. That's a big drop. You should stay at that dose until you can go 2 days without needing the phenegran, AND without difficult withdrawl. That might be another two weeks at 37.5mg.
Then try this:
day 1 - 15
day 2 - 30
day 3 - 25
day 4 - 25
day 5 - 25
day 6 - 25
Using the folded paper method is the only way to get those precise doses. It's really pretty easy. Check it out at the page I listed above.
-------------------------
UPDATE:
I made a stupid comment the other day. I said,'I'm really proud of how the taper program went'. My wife took offense, because SHE was the one that actually went through it.
She was right. All I do is the math. I can't pretend to understand what it all feels like, or the emotional issues involved in the depression in the first place. I can listen, and try to understand, but I don't know it first hand.
So, you can be my math groupies if you want, but truely, I don't really know what you're going through.
mikemo last decade
Thank you all for the response. Everyone agrees with mkiemos spliting system so mikemo, I will go the rest of the week on the 37.5 and hope to go 2 days without phenegran before starting the split. Please tell me how to take my left over rx of 75ms and turn them into 37.5's. I think I would just make a line of their beads and split it in 1/2 and then go from there but if thats wrong let me know. I will check in a few times a day to keep up on everyone else too. I am really happy to have found this supportive forum. Thank you all again.
kikkib last decade
By the way everyone if you really hate this horrible drug effexor, there is a petition to take it off the market. there are currently over 1300 signatures.
kikkib last decade
Yup, make a line on a folded paper and split it in half. It's nice to have a package of empty gelcaps from your local healthfood store to pour the other half into. After you get used to the folded paper method, you can get pretty creative with a calculator and a ruler.
For example, sometimes I would have an old 45mg pill, but what I needed was two 20 mg pills. 45mg divided by 5mg is 9. So I'd divide the line into 9 increments. Pour 4 increments into one gelcap (20mg), 4 increments into another gelcap (20mg), and 1 increment (5mg) into another gelcap. Eventually, I needed that little 5mg pill too!
Have fun with it! It's satisfying as you work at the table knowing that your are going to kick it's ass!
For example, sometimes I would have an old 45mg pill, but what I needed was two 20 mg pills. 45mg divided by 5mg is 9. So I'd divide the line into 9 increments. Pour 4 increments into one gelcap (20mg), 4 increments into another gelcap (20mg), and 1 increment (5mg) into another gelcap. Eventually, I needed that little 5mg pill too!
Have fun with it! It's satisfying as you work at the table knowing that your are going to kick it's ass!
mikemo last decade
To post a reply, you must first LOG ON or Register
Important
Information given in this forum is given by way of exchange of views only, and those views are not necessarily those of ABC Homeopathy. It is not to be treated as a medical diagnosis or prescription, and should not be used as a substitute for a consultation with a qualified homeopath or physician. It is possible that advice given here may be dangerous, and you should make your own checks that it is safe. If symptoms persist, seek professional medical attention. Bear in mind that even minor symptoms can be a sign of a more serious underlying condition, and a timely diagnosis by your doctor could save your life.