***how to get off effexor symptom free***

[Gina]

I have been trying to get off Effexor now for a month. I was on 150mg. The best way to do this is taking out the beads inside. To drop from 150 to 75 is too much to handle. I have also heard that you need to go on prozak first and then wean off of that instead of the Effexor.

[Beth]

Wellagain wrote:

Hi,
Please, any success stories from those who are Effexor free for more than a few months?
WE NEED HOPE..
thanks,
Wellagain

Hi Wellagain,
I do have a success story. However,it required huge amounts of patience (both in terms of counting beads each day and the time it took to get off the drug) but it worked. I've been off this drug for a month now with absolutely no side effects. However, I started this whole process Jan.1 -- it took 8 months to wean myself off effexor and I was only on 37.5 mg!! I used the bead method...but you can't just remove beads -- as I found out the hard way. I started with this process of removing one a day -- sometimes I felt fine, other days totally nauseous & dizzy. I couldn't figure it out at first and then was curious and opened up a few capsules and counted them. The reason for my different reactions each day? That's because the capsules contained very different amounts of beads -- from as few as 102 to as many as 140. It's like Wyeth is determined to keep people hooked! So, instead, I went the reverse, extremely time-consuming route of emptying out each capsule and starting with 100 beads, I removed only one a day. There would be points where I would have a bad headache or stomach pain, and then I'd go back to where I had been a few days earlier and stay at the amount for a few days before proceeding again. When I got as low as 20 beads, I had to move much more slowly and stay at each level for 2 or 3 days. My last 5 beads, I had to stay at each level for a week!! But, in the end, I totally weaned myself off this drug. The worse symptoms I had during the process were fuzzy head or headaches and stomach pain, and when this happened and I went back a few steps, I would be fine. I also found Dr. Joseph Glenmullen’s book The Antidepressant Solution extremely helpful in understanding the process of how to wean oneself off this drug. This is an insanely difficult process..but it can work. Best of luck to you and everyone else!

[Wellagain]

Hi Beth and others,

Thanks for the info....I am so happy for your success, this weaningis not for sissy's!

I needed to just stabiize at the 150 mark. and have not reduced any further. I will see my Dr this week, I don't think I can take the constant nausea, and headaches for months on end. I do know this will end, the sooner the better.

I am going to ask the Doc if going on a low dose of Prozac could help speed up the process. It seems every story I here is unique, no two people alike on this weaning process..

Thanks for the info, and Please keep in touch!

Wellagain

[Nicole]

You should consume NO alchol on effexor, they act to cancel each other out and can give you worse mood swings. My mother was on 150mg and comsuming alcohol and it lead to liver failure.

[Wellagain]

Hi ALL!

I have a plan with my Dr. and it's working. 75 mgs of Effexor and 20 Prozac for 1st week, and the 2nd week 37 Effexor and 20 Prozac (or higher is needed)

One drug to cancel another,.. makes no sense, only to the drug companies!

I should be off this @#@!!! in about 3 weeks...I asked my doc why do they prescribe this stuff? He answered, "I guess Doctor's just don't know"

And I agree , no alcohol..

.Kathy

[Justa Number]

artur wrote:

I used to take 75mg of Effexor XR. Now I am at about half dose with no side effects. I am amazed when I hear that people went from 75mg to 37.5 to 0. That takes some bravery and time of work or school. That would be just torturous. I came up with a much better plan. This plan is only for those who take capsules of Effexor. Every 75mg capsules has an average of 180 grains inside of it.
Each day I would count three grains less then the previous day and put them back in the capsule.
I have two little containers: One has all the little grains that I took out and the other one has all the opened empty capsules.
The best way to do this is to write how many grains you took on a calendar. The next day you see how much you took the previous day and write a number that is three grains less. This way you can keep an organized schedule on your progress.
The grains are fairly big and are easy to count. You just have to be careful because they tend to roll away. It is also a challenge to put them back into the capsule.
Putting 3 grains less in each day will take two months to get of the 75mg (180/3=60days=2 months). If you start feeling some side effects then cut back to decreasing by 2 or even 1 grain for a day or two. Same can be done with people that take larger amounts of this medication.
Important: The best way to get rid of the side effects is to start taking 1000mg of tyrosine in the morning on an empty stomach and 50mg of 5-HTP before bed.

This helped me a lot thanx :)

[Justa Number]

artur wrote:

I used to take 75mg of Effexor XR. Now I am at about half dose with no side effects. I am amazed when I hear that people went from 75mg to 37.5 to 0. That takes some bravery and time of work or school. That would be just torturous. I came up with a much better plan. This plan is only for those who take capsules of Effexor. Every 75mg capsules has an average of 180 grains inside of it.
Each day I would count three grains less then the previous day and put them back in the capsule.
I have two little containers: One has all the little grains that I took out and the other one has all the opened empty capsules.
The best way to do this is to write how many grains you took on a calendar. The next day you see how much you took the previous day and write a number that is three grains less. This way you can keep an organized schedule on your progress.
The grains are fairly big and are easy to count. You just have to be careful because they tend to roll away. It is also a challenge to put them back into the capsule.
Putting 3 grains less in each day will take two months to get of the 75mg (180/3=60days=2 months). If you start feeling some side effects then cut back to decreasing by 2 or even 1 grain for a day or two. Same can be done with people that take larger amounts of this medication.
Important: The best way to get rid of the side effects is to start taking 1000mg of tyrosine in the morning on an empty stomach and 50mg of 5-HTP before bed.

what is tyrosine ? just wondrin, cuz Im on Effexor too :( its HELL

[vanessa]

artur wrote:

I used to take 75mg of Effexor XR. Now I am at about half dose with no side effects. I am amazed when I hear that people went from 75mg to 37.5 to 0. That takes some bravery and time of work or school. That would be just torturous. I came up with a much better plan. This plan is only for those who take capsules of Effexor. Every 75mg capsules has an average of 180 grains inside of it.
Each day I would count three grains less then the previous day and put them back in the capsule.
I have two little containers: One has all the little grains that I took out and the other one has all the opened empty capsules.
The best way to do this is to write how many grains you took on a calendar. The next day you see how much you took the previous day and write a number that is three grains less. This way you can keep an organized schedule on your progress.
The grains are fairly big and are easy to count. You just have to be careful because they tend to roll away. It is also a challenge to put them back into the capsule.
Putting 3 grains less in each day will take two months to get of the 75mg (180/3=60days=2 months). If you start feeling some side effects then cut back to decreasing by 2 or even 1 grain for a day or two. Same can be done with people that take larger amounts of this medication.
Important: The best way to get rid of the side effects is to start taking 1000mg of tyrosine in the morning on an empty stomach and 50mg of 5-HTP before bed.

This helped me a lot :) thanx

[Maggme]

Hi all, I guess we all look to the Internet when we want to look up this drug we can't get off of! Boy I hate this! I have not been the same person for at least 8 years. My life is just easy breezy no mood no emotion no nothing. I never was the person who could sleep past 7am on the weekends but on effexor, I can stay in bed till 10am and wish I could sleep all day. I'm never mean to anyone, I never loose my temper, I'm the nicest person you'll ever meet, easy breezy beautiful me. I want off of this drug!! I want me back, the good, the bad, the ugly me. I was training for a marathon before I started taking this drug, now I can't imagine wanting to run down the block. Why would I want to do that? Im just content. I don't want to feel so blah content all the time. My life is just going along and I participate as little as possible. I'm happy easy breezy beautiful me. Good grief I can't wait for the class action law suit against this drug I am currently on 2 37.5 mg and tried to take myself off of this drug cold turkey and it's impossible! I thought I could just handle the side effects and there is no way, I think it really must be dangerous to quit cold turkey. One thing I have learned and can greatly appreciate is the pain of a drug addict. I will forever be changed by having experienced my own drug addiction .... to effexor xr. Can a drug company develop a drug to make one dependant thus addicted to that drug? Hmmmmm this sound like a science fiction novel or law suit in the making. Well I'm still on this drug which makes me really not care, but I will start my tapering off tonight and hopefully return to myself, my old self. Time to take my provigil to wake me up, because the effexor make me sleepy. Oh then at night I'll take trazadone with my effexor so I can sleep. La ti da la ti da what a mess. I can't wait to be drug free me.

[Elaine]

I was prescribed this vile pill a year ago for menopause symptoms. At the time, I told my doctor I didn't want to go on anti-depressants and he said it would make a world of difference. So I started taking them. I have been on 37.5 mg for a year and I am now going off of them. I was at the doctor last week and was quite proud of myself for actually knowing what I was talking about when I told him I wanted off (due to this site)! His advice was to start taking one every second day and then after a week stop taking them altogether. This is the second day of no pills and I hate the way it makes me feel. I'm on edge, have the shakes, feel nauseated, heart palpatations and feel like I'm zoned out. I am going to do the week on and off and then hell or high water, I'm going to stop taking them. If I have to take a few days off work, so be it. I am going to inform those that I work with what is happening. I'll keep you posted! Its nice to have people who know what you are going through.

[Lifesart]

Hi Maggme -

You have said exactly what I feel. I have been on 150 mg of Effexor for at least 6 years, and I am even keeled and my boss even compliments me on my calm demeanor.

That's nice, sure, but before I started taking this stuff, I was an artist and musician, and I no longer do anything much in that vein. I start something by forcing myself to paint, and then just drift off and read or watch tv or sleep sleep sleep. And here I thought sleeping too much was a sign of depression!

I am also afraid of quitting - both because of withdrawal and because of what I started this evil drug for in the first place. I was always exploding, had quit jobs, been fired and lost relationships. If I decide to finally stop taking Effexor, this site will be a big part of my process.

Good luck and thanks to everyone who posts here. Someday I will summon the courage to quit.(Wish I had done it two years ago when I was laid up with a severely broken arm, but my husband had to put up with so much at the time, I didn't think he needed me withdrawing on top of everything else!)

[kphoo]

It took me three years to get off. I had to go V_E_R_Y slow but it worked. I was very suicidal every time I tried to quit until I went very slow. I opened the cap and counted out the beads. I took out 10% and then stayed on that for 2 whole weeks and then cut down another 10%. I also found that eating orange juice and bananas with honey on an empty stomach without anything else within a half hour worked like a miracle for keeping me happy. It really builds seritonin. I never thought I would get off and frankly everyone told me to stop trying that I was stuck on the drug but I never gave up. I would have rather spent two years tapering than still be on it.

[Wellagain]

Hi All,

Interesting comments....I have tapered while under the care of a great shrink.
who perscribed 20 mgs of prozac, while tapering from 150 to 75 to 37.5 mgs of Effexor. I am now effexor free for 5 days. My symtoms of withdrawel have been minimal, some nausea, forgetfulness, teary,....I tried to go cold turkey a few months ago, and felt like I would die....Ck with a doc to see if you can supplement with a drug that is longer lasting than effexor....it may may things easier.

When we are wellagain, we will fight this and those responsible. Please just find someone who can help you taper SAFELY. This stuff will mess with you!

THANKS,

Kathy

[Jdt]

What about the initial depression that the drug was prescribed for in the first place? What about time release tablets? Can I cut them in half.

[Maggme]

Hi all, I'm posting to give an update on my tappering off effexor using the bead method. I was taking 2 37.5 mg, so I've been taking one and pouring the beads out off the second. I don't know how y'all count those tiny beads so I just estimate and pour out about 1/4 - 1/2 of the beads and take the rest. I've been feel great considering withdrawl symptoms. I've been feeling a little hyper and a smidge tension headache but not too bad to handle. I just want to keep going forward. I know I will be ok once off of this drug, a lot has changed in my life since I started taking it 8 years ago. I wanted off of this probably 6 yrs ago but when I would stop taking it I would feel awlful and crazy mood swings so I thought I must be really bad off. I can't to be done with this!

[Pam]

I was taking 75mg of Effexor and started taking out beads, but found this was going to be a long process and I really wanted to get of this drug completely. I talked with my doctor and he prescribed Prozac 20mg and Clonazapam 5mg. I stopped taking Effexor immediately and started with the Prozac and found that the withdrawal from Effexor was not too terrible. I few small brain zaps and two weeks of feeling out of sorts, but I am now starting to feel a lot better and am happy that I am finally off the Effexor.

[Marlee]

Today is my 6th day without Effexor. I was taking 150mg for just under a year, and have gone cold turkey the past 6 days. It's been intense, and I've done nothing but lay in bed and try to sleep these horrible withdrawal symptoms away.

Everything makes me feel dizzy and nauseous, I cry randomly for a while and get very emotional, and these brain zaps just never stop..

I can't wait for this to be over! Anyone have any experience with this and can give me an estimate on how much longer I'll have to go through this?

Thanks!

[Maggme]

Marlee, I hope you are ok. I tried cold turkey from 150mg and was miserable, seriously sick. I needed to go back on it just to stop the withdrawls. I cut my dose to 75mg. I'm now almost at 37mg by gradually pouring out the beads. I think the best thing to do is what Pam did and have the dr rx something else, but my insurance has changed and I'm just done with the meds. I hope you are ok, take care!

[Pam]

Have to let you all know that I am feeling great now that I have changed my meds to Prozac. It is really the best way to get off the Effexor. Takes about 2 weeks to start feeling completely well again. I was a little up and down with the moods and depression but not something unlivable. Prozac is also a lot cheaper than Effexor and I believe it is not a bad drug to get off so hope this helps others.

[Wellagain]

I also have tapered with Prozac. For almost two weeks I have been off Effexor.
I now take 40 MGS of Prozac,(NO side effects)
200 Wellbutrin SR (some mild agitation, headachy)
This combination has worked for my depression in the past, and is longer lasting and not soooo scarey if i forget a dose, which happens from time to time..
MY question: On Sunday 11/8, I had a major meltdown. Crying spells, frustration, confusion....Could it still be the Effexor in my system?
I did get a good nights sleep, and seemed fine yesterday. The episode freaked me out, and was very disturbing to me. Am I out of the woods? It was extreme, like when I was trying to withdraw on my own...
Any feedback?
Thanks, Kathy