"With my doctor's consent, I started withdrawing from 150 mg. of Effexor XR on Sept. 6th. I went down by 37.5 mg. to 112.5 mg. for two weeks.

I had trouble sleeping the first week but other than that, I felt better. (I was feeling tired and depressed - the same symptoms I started treating initially). I assumed I no longer needed the medication when it was causing the same symptoms I was taking it for. The fact that I felt more awake and alert and more cheerful showed me I was on the right track.

After the two weeks at 112.5 and sleeping better the last of the two weeks, I decreased by 37.5 again to 75 mg. Again, the first week I had trouble sleeping but was feeling much better emotionally. I stayed at 75. mg. for 3 weeks to be sure I was stabalized at that level and then dropped to 37.5 mg.

Everything had gone along great until I tried to stop taking the 37.5 mg. after two weeks. I started feeling nauseous the first day I skipped the medication so decided perhaps I needed another week at the lowest strength.

The next week, I didn't take an Effexor and treated the nausea with gravol and got through two days without it but on the third day, I started feeling REALLY sick, as if I had the flu and the gravol wasn't helping the nausea at all.

I felt alternately hot and cold, was sweating and ached all over. Then I started crying - something I don't do. Eventually, about mid-afternoon, I took the *&&$# medication and cocooned in bed for the rest of the day and night.

I pretty much stayed in bed again the next day even though I continued to stay on the medication. Today, two weeks after the last episode and staying on the medication during this time, I didn't take the medication yesterday and by today - I was heaving into the toilet basin and again feeling as if I have the flu.

This is ridiculous! Over 4 weeks at this low level and when I miss a pill, I get sick to my stomach. How do you stop taking this medication? I feel I tapered down very slowly and was NOT expecting to get sick when I stopped taking this low dosage.

Does anyone have any helpful suggestions for getting off this final dosage? I don't need it for depression any more and my blood pressure is back to normal now that I'm no longer taking the high dosage but I just want to stop taking it altogether.

Suggestions anyone? Anyone else had this experience?

Good luck to all who are trying to get off this terribly addictive medication which the doctors tell you IS NOT ADDICTIVE!

end of comments by Irene

(You may need to open a capsule each day, count out the granules, and take ONE LESS GRANULE each day. That's how you reduce slowly. Also, take nutritional supplements such as Vitamin E, Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil, etc.

And drink lots of water. - Mark)

***

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