Posted by Readersleaders on April 17, 2005, at 20:19:47
In reply to Two months off of effexor-still in hell, posted by zander on April 15, 2005, at 22:11:25
Hi,
You say you tapered, but how fast did you do it? According to Dr. Ann Blake Tracy (she has worked with anti-depressant effects for the last 15 years, says if it was too fast you can suffer from withdrawal a lot worse and for a longer time. She also says figure tapering time by how long you've been on the medication and then cut that in half. I was on Effexor for 3 1/2 years before I began to taper, so it's going to take me at least 1 1/2 years and a bit more to taper slowly enough so that I don't send my body into tantrums!
Perhaps take a small dose of the Effexor again and taper down SLOWLY from there. Effexor does come in tablets so you can taper easier than with the capsules.
> It has been two months since I have stopped taking effexor (I tapered) - I still have brain zaps at least once a day (not as frequent or severe as when I was taking the effexor), and after being so shut down, it does not take much for me to burst into tears, still. I would think that there would be improvement here. My digestive system is totally whacked, I'm a walking spasm....everytime I get prescribed another med for symptoms, my body cannot tolerate it and it makes me sicker than I was...am frustrated - when will I ever feel like myself again? Or is that even a possibility? I sometimes think that the only way out for me is to take another antidepressant, which I am so strongly adverse to...
> Used tramadol to help get through the taper period, but no longer seems to work the same - no real effect, does nothing for pain - but I think that my body would freak if I decided to stop.
> I am getting depressed because I feel terrible pretty much all the time - am not able to cope very well.....I am very, very, very tired of the whole thing...
> I have not been getting answers to my questions from the docs about the long term effects other than they just don't know.
> Spring is here, and I longing look out at my back yard wanting to spend time in my garden...sometimes I can manage 1/2-1 hour of working in it (this act constitutes me sitting on the ground to pull weeds) but then I pay for it later...I feel crappy and tired, pained....I have not been able to gain back weight that I lost....
> I don't normally feel sorry for myself - In the last 3-1/2 months, I get up in the morning and make my bed...act as if I am going to go off to work - then try to do the best I can to get through the day and at least get a few things productive done, stay positive...but now am played out and don't know what to do anymore - I am VERY VERY TIRED...
poster:Readersleaders
thread:484916
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050323/msgs/485628.html