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Interdose withdrawal with Effexor/venlafaxine? Should I jump?


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I'm on venlaxaxine 30mg, which is 20% of my initial 150mg dose. I've been feeling very bad lately, with intrusive thoughts of self-harm. The peak of the malaise is in the morning, before taking the antidepressant with breakfast. I think the dose has become so small that even though the tablets / granules are slow-release, it's not enough for the whole day, i.e. I'm on a sort of inter-dose withdrawal. I'm avoiding splitting the dose into several smaller doses, for example one dose in the morning and another in the evening, because that would add a lot of complexity to the whole process.

 

Should I take the opportunity to jump? Is it too risky to jump at 20%?

 

Thank you in advance for your thoughts.

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magnesi, what about a water taper to help you get a bit lower? I looked up your drug and found that it IS water soluble. Here are the stats:

 

a solubility of 572 mg/mL in water

 

This would certainly seem to be enough solubility for your capsules.  So . . . what do you think?

 

Might be an easy way to taper down a bit more.

 

:smitten:

 

Katz

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Hi Kats, thank you very much. I think I can't dissolve (or crush) this drug because it includes a slow release additive (the tablets) or covering (the granules). If I did the drug would be absorbed very quickly and I would go into withdrawal even faster :(

 

:smitten:

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Hi Magnesi!

 

I'm sorry you are suffering with Effexor wd... I know that can be a nasty drug to come off of, perhaps because of it's very short half-life. I was on 75mg for over 10 years and discontinued too fast (over 6 weeks...)

 

Sounds like some kind of interdose withdrawal, even if you're on the slow-release version. Could you split your dose into 2 and see how that goes?

 

From experience, please don't rush off that one... I tapered benzos thinking they were the devil and decided ADs would be ok to get off of... not so sure about that, now 30 months drug-free...

 

I hope you find a solution that brings you more ease in your taper.

Big hugs!

Julz

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Hi Magnesi!

 

I'm sorry you are suffering with Effexor wd... I know that can be a nasty drug to come off of, perhaps because of it's very short half-life. I was on 75mg for over 10 years and discontinued too fast (over 6 weeks...)

 

Sounds like some kind of interdose withdrawal, even if you're on the slow-release version. Could you split your dose into 2 and see how that goes?

 

From experience, please don't rush off that one... I tapered benzos thinking they were the devil and decided ADs would be ok to get off of... not so sure about that, now 30 months drug-free...

 

I hope you find a solution that brings you more ease in your taper.

Big hugs!

Julz

 

Thank you Julz, I guess I needed to hear that, yes I really need to consider spitting my current dose into two smaller doses :(

How are you feeling after these 30 months?

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Hi Magnesi!

 

I'm sorry you are suffering with Effexor wd... I know that can be a nasty drug to come off of, perhaps because of it's very short half-life. I was on 75mg for over 10 years and discontinued too fast (over 6 weeks...)

 

Sounds like some kind of interdose withdrawal, even if you're on the slow-release version. Could you split your dose into 2 and see how that goes?

 

From experience, please don't rush off that one... I tapered benzos thinking they were the devil and decided ADs would be ok to get off of... not so sure about that, now 30 months drug-free...

 

I hope you find a solution that brings you more ease in your taper.

Big hugs!

Julz

 

Thank you Julz, I guess I needed to hear that, yes I really need to consider spitting my current dose into two smaller doses :(

How are you feeling after these 30 months?

 

Do you count beads? Why do you say splitting your dose would add compexity to the process? I wouldn't be comfortable advising you on the exact protocol, how to go from 1 to 2 doses, but one possibility would be taking half your total dose on morning one and waiting 12 hours for the remaining half. Your blood concentrations should even out, and hopefully that would help with the symptoms you describe. You'd want to hold for a while to see if that helps you stabilize. Then, once you're pretty sure you can resume tapering (slow often seems the best way with these darn drugs...), you will want to make sure you cut the right amount from each dose so that the total daily dose is in line with your taper rate - I'm making this sound complicated when it really isn't... words are too complicated for simple maths. You'd find plenty help on the taper-planning boards  :thumbsup:

 

I wish I could say I was feeling better at 30 months off, but bear in mind I was on high doses of 2 ADs and 2 benzos, and I crash-tapered Effexor... which is why I'm now here to tell you to please be careful with that one. Don't worry, you will get off of it, just don't do what I did  :crazy:

 

There have been lots of more 'normal things' happen in my life since I jumped, and I am relearning to be part of the world again, but still highly symptomatic, with debilitating symptoms like akathisia and severe emotional numbness. Monophobia has subsided, thank goodness, as have some physical issues. This journey has made me the strongest I've ever been...! But yes, quite clearly, some 'normal things' have happened again after 13 years living in oblivion. So I have faith for all of us.

 

Take good care of yourself, and don't give up hope. You are going to be ok, Magnesi!

 

Warm hugs,

Julz

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Do you count beads? Why do you say splitting your dose would add compexity to the process? I wouldn't be comfortable advising you on the exact protocol, how to go from 1 to 2 doses, but one possibility would be taking half your total dose on morning one and waiting 12 hours for the remaining half. Your blood concentrations should even out, and hopefully that would help with the symptoms you describe. You'd want to hold for a while to see if that helps you stabilize. Then, once you're pretty sure you can resume tapering (slow often seems the best way with these darn drugs...), you will want to make sure you cut the right amount from each dose so that the total daily dose is in line with your taper rate - I'm making this sound complicated when it really isn't... words are too complicated for simple maths. You'd find plenty help on the taper-planning boards  :thumbsup:

 

I wish I could say I was feeling better at 30 months off, but bear in mind I was on high doses of 2 ADs and 2 benzos, and I crash-tapered Effexor... which is why I'm now here to tell you to please be careful with that one. Don't worry, you will get off of it, just don't do what I did  :crazy:

 

There have been lots of more 'normal things' happen in my life since I jumped, and I am relearning to be part of the world again, but still highly symptomatic, with debilitating symptoms like akathisia and severe emotional numbness. Monophobia has subsided, thank goodness, as have some physical issues. This journey has made me the strongest I've ever been...! But yes, quite clearly, some 'normal things' have happened again after 13 years living in oblivion. So I have faith for all of us.

 

Take good care of yourself, and don't give up hope. You are going to be ok, Magnesi!

 

Warm hugs,

Julz

 

Julz,

I was at 150mg venlafaxine during more or less 10 years and, since January, I've come down to 30mg. I use a precision balance to measure the amounts I need to cut and I take the med at breakfast. Taking it twice a day would be easier if I had a very regular schedule, which I don't. But I've been thinking and maybe it would be feasible if instead of taking the med at breakfast I took it always, say, at mid-day and mid-night. Of course it will be twice the work to prepared the doses for the month :( Also, can't it disturb sleep if I take it at night?

 

I'm so sorry to know you've crash-tapered Effexor. From how awfully I felt the few times I've missed a dose, I'm sure it was not nice. But I love the way you see things, accepting that you need to relearn to be part of the world again. I feel the same. We need to find healthier ways to cope, so that we won't need these horrible drugs again.

 

:hug:

 

 

 

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