Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 84 of 140}

Thank you thank you I will keep checking in.

Hi Everyone: It's been a few months since I posted anything. I just wanted to let you know that I have been off Effexor since january. I have lost about 15 lbs. adn physically feel good. I have been under tremendous stress due to my mother. she almost died and is now in a nursing home. Did I consider going back on Effexor - you betcha! But...I didn't. I didn't because I didn't want to go through everything again. For me, it was better to go through the normal process of stress and actually feel the emotions I was going through. My mother is better physically, but will remain permanently in the nursing home. That's very difficult, but again, I am managing with the stress. I have let my friends into my life and they let me cry, vent, and say anything I need to get through this. We don't have to be strong...I learned I can depend on others to help me through the tough times.
You can do this...you will do this. Hang in there. It is so worth it!

Hi all,
OK I have taken 37.5 mg effexor for 2 weeks and I have benn OK then yesterday I thought I would see if I could skip day. So the next day, today, I felt wierd, like my brain was moving in my head slower than by body was going but not like an electrical brain sensation so I just took the E. Not really understanding the taper method I will read it again. Or should I just continue with every other day?

Well, skipping every other day is not a very good way to go at all. You are putting your body through the ringer!

The only one time we skipped a day it didn't work out. And that was from 25mg!

You need to read my post about splitting the capsules in 5mg increments. All you need is a few pieces of blank paper, a ruler, a pencil, a flat toothpick, and some emply gelcaps (available at your local healthfood mart). You can read it here:

http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/

Just read the first post on that page for now. Then go get some gelcaps, and try opening up a capsule as I described. When you get comfortable opening one up (without dumping it everywhere) and sliding the little balls around in the crease of the paper, you will be able to make any dose you want! It is important that you be able to do this! (so you won't be a slave to the pre-packaged doses that they want you to use so that you will fail.)

That being said, you should get leveled back out at 35mg for 2 or 3 days (to recouperate from your skipped day). Then your next week should be like this:

Monday 35
Tuesday 35
Wednesday 35
Thursday 15
Friday 30
Saturday 25
Sunday 25
Monday 25
Tuesday 25

Then tell me how it went. Please tell me how it went! You can do it! Have someone read these instructions and help if you still have some confusion. Sometimes anextra pair of eyes is all it takes!

Help.
I was on 6 little balls for over a week. I was doing just fine. I went down to 3 and it has been rough. Dizzy, headache, BLAH feeling. It is sucking.
What do you think mikemo? Back to 6? Stay on the 3 and deal?
Hows the wife?

Thanks!
Shelly

Hi Shelly! It sounds like you crossed out of what pharmasists call the 'effective theraputic dose'. It's doubtful that 3 little balls are even registering with your body. So for the most part, you are going through the final withdrawl.

When we got down this low we pretty much quit. The stair stepping doesn't work at this point, because you can't go lower than zero! My wife went through what you are going through for the first week at zero. She said it was tolerable.

This is a critical time to avoid relapsing. Understand, that the feelings you are experiencing are chemical---don't let affect your mental! If you are still at 3 balls, go ahead and quit. Then keep a positive attitude at all costs. Try to separate yourself from the withdrawls.

Thanks Mikemo! I broke down and took 6 yesterday because I coulkd not tolerate how I was feeling.
I took 3 today and then I guess I will call it quits. I had such a miserable weeknd. The withdrawls were really bad. Mentally and physically. My poor husband!!
It is just so hard to deal with when you have stress already in your life. triplet 3 year olds and getting off Effexor is NOT a good mix.
I am trying so hard to stay positive. Wish me luck. Hopefully I will be reporting back that I am OFF and doing well.
Shelly

''I broke down and took 6 yesterday because I could not tolerate how I was feeling.''

Well now, that's a different story! I'd go up to 5 balls for another week. Does it really matter if it takes you another 3 weeks to get down to zero? Try this starting tomorrow:

5
5
5
5
0 (skip a day)
4
3
3
3
3
3

Then you can decide if this is a better way to survive the drop to 3 balls. I'm betting it will be. The goal right now isn't to get to zero, it's to be happy at 3 balls.

By the way, this is the only reason where I would ever recommend skipping a day; that is when the 'low spike' would be a negative number.

Hello all.. I'm working my program here.. and am at 140mg and following the mikemo program. So far so good.. Hugs to all, Mary C.

I find that I get so tired during the day! I am now at the 130 dose. Does the tiredness go away?? I slept good last night too!

Hi All,

OK I tried to split my capsual (37.5mg) I had a little trouble keeping all the beads in line. I discared what I hope was the right amount. Either way there were less beads in the capsual I took. This is the 1st time I have gotten down sucessessfully at 37.5mg. My Dr said that amount is a NON theraputic dose but he fails to understand the addictive componets! I will keep posting as I go. Thank you to this forum.

Great Kikkib! You'll get better at the splitting with practice. The key to keeping them on the line is folding the paper and then unfolding it. But don't flatten it. Just let it sit on the table, 'curled open' like a brand new book that doesn't stay flat. Does that make sense?

Then, draw your line in that crease and mark the 1/4' spots.

Discarding the leftovers is fine, but I couldn't afford it. I saved the leftovers in store bought empty gelcaps, and labeled how much was in them.

Keep at it!

MARY: the tiredness seems to go on for a while. But like my wife said, 'I'll take that over sleeplessness any day!'

Positive spin, eh? :)

Yes positive spin for sure but hard to keep awake at work.. may have to find a chair to catch a quick cat nap for my break... Thanks, Mary :)

Hi all,
Thanks mikemo for the help and all for the support. OK, I tried again today with better luck at spliting the capsuals. I guess it will just take some more practice. I got my husband to help and he had a good idea for me. Instead of a tooth pic i used a business card to drag the 5mg off the paper and into a lg brown rx bottle and from there he poured it into an empty gelcap. Mikemo, you are so smart to save each amt so I can use it for later. Just one clarification please. The splitting page says the line should be 3.75 with 1/4 markings for a 75mg cap. I am spliting 37.5 caps so do I still use a 3.75 inch line cause I am and hope thats correct. So far so good. No side affects yet but its only been one day. I write in again tomorrow. Thank you again.

You could use a 3.75 inch line, but each 1/4' would be 2.5mg, not 5 mg, when spreading out 37.5mg over the entire length.

Your line should be 1 7/8' long. That way, when you draw ticks at each 1/4', they will be 5mg each. You will also have a little 1/8' tick at the end which is 2.5 mg.

To explain all of this, first you have to know how much is in your capsule. Let's say you have a capsule that is 20mg. If you want to divide this up, you would take 20mg divided by 5mg. That equals 4 piles. So the line would be 1 inch long, because 1 inch has 4 quarters.

If you have a 37.5mg capsule, you take 37.5mg divided by 5mg. That equals 7.5 piles. So the line would be 1-7/8 inches long, because there are seven and a half 1/4' segments.

Hope that helps! Mike

OK,
So i didn't quite get it but I still cut the med back a little. I will draw a new line starting tomorrow. It really makes sense now.
Thank you again.
Kikki

I DID IT!!!! YIPEEEEEEEE!!

Day 2 of NO Effexor. I am doing great. I took my 3 year old triplets to the park all morning and did some gardening. I can't beleive I feel this good. I could use a nap, don't get me wrong. I am just so happy to be done with the withdrawal process. Mikemo, I know I have said it many times but man, YOU ROCK!!
I don't know where I would be if I hadn't found this site with all of your great info.
I am now ready to tackle quiting smoking, improving my diet and exercising. ONE thing at a time though. I also started taking the herb MOOD ELEVATOR.
Thanks again and I will keep you updated on my progress.
MIKEMO, how is your wife? Any depression? Still exercising?
Great day all!!
Shelly

mood elevator?

do tell.

It has been reccommended by a few different people.
One person said it helped her while getting off the Effexor. I bought it right at the VERY end of my taper because I was having a rough time.
The site I got it from is www.naturessunshine.com.

Shelly

Great Shelly! Time to live life, complete with the ups and the downs.

We're doing good, thanks for asking! Getting geared up for summer vacation for the kids. Keep a positive attitude, and let the hard knocks roll off you. Roll with the punches!

Mike

OK I am on day 5 now and doing Ok. Twice now I have had a really bad headache. The first one I thought it was just sinus or something and just went to bed. Last night I had another one and it was really bad. Today I woke up all nervouse like. I am not going to give up though. I get a lot of strength from reading how you others are doing and it really give me hope that I can do this so thank you and all have a good weekend.
kikki

I'm working the mikemo program so to speak! I'm down to 120 mg and will be there for the next 3 days. I have gotten good at splitting the capsules into 5 mg increments. I do a weeks work at a time. No definate side-effects. Yea! Some sleepiness and some sleeplessness but tolerable. I need the step down chart to go down from 120 mg. Anyone have a clue where I can find it? Most days I feel better with minor ups and downs but I think that is life in general that I never noticed before becuase I was so drugged up on 300 mg of this poison! Hang in there! Mary

Great Mary! Keep at it! Here's my recommended next two weeks course:

120
120
120
100
115
110
110
110
110
90
105
100
100
100
100

always stick it out for longer than 4 days on each level before your next step down if you need to. Down 20, up 15, down 5.

Go Go Go!

My wife is having a simmilar problem with coming down from effexor. She is weening her self off but has vertigo at times and feels tired sometimes. She is taking 4-5 days off and then taking one. I wish you good luck and I hope you feel better.

Ian

Sky dog86

I don't think the days off are good. What mg is she taking?

Thanks mikemo! I'm good for the next 2 weeks now... Hugs to you! Mary