Posted by Cam W. on June 14, 2001, at 15:07:24
In reply to I think I am fine. am I?, posted by geekUK on June 14, 2001, at 14:06:00
geekUK - I would definitely tell both your GP and therapist of the problems with Effexor withdrawl. They need to know of the potential problems some people have of coming off of this drug. My pdoc was surprized when I told him that a lot of people do complain about the serotonergic withdrawl effects. He says that he has never had a problem with people stopping Effexor; he says that he has far more problems with people stopping Paxil. I think that people just aren't telling him if they have problems (although many people do not have problems with stopping Effexor).
One method that many of our other pdocs use for people who have trouble with serotonergic withdrawl symptoms is to add Prozac™ (fluoxetine) to the lowest dose of Effexor that the person can handle. The pdocs add 10mg to 20mg of Prozac to the Effexor (after weaning to 37.5mg or 75mg) for a week,; then the patient stops the Effexor and continues to take the Prozac for another week. The long half-life of Prozac stops the withdrawl symptoms and the Prozac leaves the body slowly; in essence a built-in weaning process.
I hope that this is of some help. - Cam
poster:Cam W.
thread:66482
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66489.html