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Thread: Update on coming off Effexor..

  1. #1
    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Update on coming off Effexor..

    For those who are on Effexor XR or it likes or are simply interested my journey weaning off of Effexor has been an awakening. I found out online how to wean myself off without as many side effects. The XR comes in time released capsules. I counted all the little bead in the capsules and reduced it buy 10% each week. I first ran this idea by new shrink and she said it was fine to do this. There are approximately 400 beads in each capsule. I removed 40 beads the first week then 36 more the next week then 32 more beads the next, I kept going lower until I was at 200 beads (half).

    First I noticed an increase in energy but a little disorganization in my thought pattern, sort of scatterbrained. But the energy is definately a welcome thing as I thought and the doctor's thought I might have fibromyalgia or lupus. Now I don't go to bed immediately after coming home from school and all day on Sunday. I get up automatically every morning by 7am and can endure a whole day of hard work with energy left over at the end of each day. I have new hope that I will be able to sustain myself and be financially independent with my new career.

    Next I noticed my intolerance to bullshit. Before you could pretty much walk up and slap me in the face and I'd thank you. Now I don't tolerate anything anybody shouldn't have to tolerate. I feel like I am alive with feelings and emotions just like anyone else does. My sex drive has increased and I try to look pretty most days. I fix up and don't mind doing my make-up and hair.

    Lastly, I have started losing some weight. None of my clothes were fitting anymore. Not that I am a big girl but it's annoying to not be able to wear your cute clothes. I am 5' 2" and a half and small boned. I got up to 113 from 105 in the last year. I think part of it was do to chronic and severe constipation. I now can go to the restroom at least every other day without Miralax. I am down to 109now from 111 last week. I look forward to the future and wake up full of life in the morning.

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    God/dess jaizaine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    ^^ great to hear.
    Were u tired all the time? I find with Luvox I am tired all the time and lacking energy. I think it makes me a lazier person.

    Good to hear the weight is coming off already. I want to get off Luvox and hope I will return to my former weight pre Luvox too.

    Have u been doing anything diff re: diet and exercise or has the weight come off purely from stopping the medication??

    How long have u been off it?
    Quote Originally Posted by Corgan View Post
    when regulars turn cheap, it's time to kill em off.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    You're still a vagina.
    There are many stereotypes about the industry that I work in. Sometimes they can be true but human beings are very diverse creatures and cannot be pigeon-holed into one category.

    Some of the most effortlessly beautiful, kind, intelligent, successful, motivated, driven and ridiculously hilarious women that I have ever met have been dancers. I've met the best friends that I've ever had in this industry.

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    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    I'm not completely off yet. I am down to 75mg. I have to wait till my shrink comes back from out of town before going lower. I am doing nothing different but have finally made it below 110 this past week. Ever since I lost a lot of weight in 2002 after being overweight for a couple years I have remained within the same weight range give or take five pounds. It was just annoying b/c my clothes wouldn't fit. I know they will fit well at 107/108 b/c that's where I was when I bought them.

    My weight had just really started increasing over the last year. I have been at 75mg for about three weeks and am now starting to go to the restroom like normal and drop weight.

    I do pilates 3x weekly and try to get in some form of cardio once or twice a week. I wasn't exercising for a while at all b/c the med was making me so tired. When I lose weight I have to tone though to make the excess skin tight again.

    I don't know much about Luvox but I hope you can successfully decrease your dosage with your shrink's okay.

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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Wow congrats and good luck with getting off it symptom free. I hate effexor with an undying passion, I had a terrible time on it and coming off it, and didnt have the thought to come off it slowly. My boyfriend nearly ended up in the emergency room when he went cold turkey, he STOPPED BREATHING for a few moments. It was terrifying. Its great that you have found a safer way of doing it. If only the people prescribing the shit were half as knowledgeable about it as you are as a patient.

    Good luck!! Are you going to try a diff kind of drug or are you going to try and beat your symptoms naturally?
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    ^ I hope to be able to manage with just the 75mg until my shrink gets back from out of town and I can wean down a little bit lower. I haven't had any major depressive issues since my dosage decrease. A little anxiety but nothing unmanageable.

    As far as withdrawel side effects go, I've had none weaning off by reducing the beads 10% weekly.

  6. #6
    God/dess jaizaine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Quote Originally Posted by Flick6 View Post
    Wow congrats and good luck with getting off it symptom free. I hate effexor with an undying passion, I had a terrible time on it and coming off it, and didnt have the thought to come off it slowly. My boyfriend nearly ended up in the emergency room when he went cold turkey, he STOPPED BREATHING for a few moments. It was terrifying. Its great that you have found a safer way of doing it. If only the people prescribing the shit were half as knowledgeable about it as you are as a patient.

    Good luck!! Are you going to try a diff kind of drug or are you going to try and beat your symptoms naturally?
    No one should ever go off any SSRI cold turkey. That is so dangerous!!!
    Quote Originally Posted by Corgan View Post
    when regulars turn cheap, it's time to kill em off.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    You're still a vagina.
    There are many stereotypes about the industry that I work in. Sometimes they can be true but human beings are very diverse creatures and cannot be pigeon-holed into one category.

    Some of the most effortlessly beautiful, kind, intelligent, successful, motivated, driven and ridiculously hilarious women that I have ever met have been dancers. I've met the best friends that I've ever had in this industry.

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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Prayfully one day I'll be completely off of this medication. Congrats on your progress!



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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Quote Originally Posted by jaizaine View Post
    No one should ever go off any SSRI cold turkey. That is so dangerous!!!
    His GP is a fucking moron, he was having SEVERE side effects, so GP suggested he take a full dose every second day, so basically he went into withdrawals by the evening of the second day, and never took them the next day.

    My GP a few years ago got me to go off them cold turkey as well. I really dont think they should be allowed to prescribe them without knowing what the full effects could be. My bfs GP still insists his side effects and the withdrawals were unlucky to have been caused by effexor, after all the drug rep told him there were not likely to be side effects right

    Best of luck Greenidlady, hope you are well.
    [SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]

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    God/dess NinaDaisy's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Smart of you to taper off and I'm glad to hear it's going smoothly. Going off psychotropic drugs can be a bitch and a half, Paxil especially.
    "She has written so well, and marvellously well, that I was completely ashamed of myself as a writer...But this girl, who is to my knowledge very unpleasant and we might even say a high-grade bitch, can write rings around all of us who consider ourselves as writers"

    Ernest Hemingway on writer, aviation pioneer and horse trainer Beryl Markham


  10. #10
    God/dess jaizaine's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Quote Originally Posted by Flick6 View Post
    His GP is a fucking moron, he was having SEVERE side effects, so GP suggested he take a full dose every second day, so basically he went into withdrawals by the evening of the second day, and never took them the next day.

    My GP a few years ago got me to go off them cold turkey as well. I really dont think they should be allowed to prescribe them without knowing what the full effects could be. My bfs GP still insists his side effects and the withdrawals were unlucky to have been caused by effexor, after all the drug rep told him there were not likely to be side effects right

    Best of luck Greenidlady, hope you are well.
    This is why im against GP's prescribing SSRI's and other psychiatric drugs.
    Quote Originally Posted by Corgan View Post
    when regulars turn cheap, it's time to kill em off.
    Quote Originally Posted by Lysondra View Post
    You're still a vagina.
    There are many stereotypes about the industry that I work in. Sometimes they can be true but human beings are very diverse creatures and cannot be pigeon-holed into one category.

    Some of the most effortlessly beautiful, kind, intelligent, successful, motivated, driven and ridiculously hilarious women that I have ever met have been dancers. I've met the best friends that I've ever had in this industry.

  11. #11
    God/dess greenidlady1's Avatar
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    Default Re: Update on coming off Effexor..

    Thanks for the encouragement guys, it's still going well.

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