It's All About Chemistry...

[hantsbear]

I went to see my new doctor last Thursday about my anti-depressants.  Most of the time that I've been on them, I've been on one 75mg sustained release capsule a day; apart from one brief occasion when I went up to 150mg a day.  I now feel that the time is right to start coming off the medication; mainly because I feel I am coping a lot better than I was a while ago (and partly because the pile of boxes of tablets beside the bed has been getting larger over the years!)  I had spoken to Doctor Chahal at my last practice about coming off the meds last year; he suggested at that time that I should wait until February/March time so that my body could be used to being without the drug by the time September and the shorter nights came along.  So, the regime for the moment is a 37.5 mg tablet in the morning and one at night for 2 weeks, followed by 75 mg (in divided doses) one day, followed by 37.5 mg the next day for 2 weeks, then 37.5 mg a day for two weeks and finally 37.5 mg every alternate day for 2 weeks.

Whether it works, time will tell, but I am hopeful.

Comments

[furr-a-bruin.livejournal.com]

Best of luck with this, Dear Koala!

I'm glad you're being tapered off gradually; Effexor has a reputation as having one of the roughest "discontinuation syndromes" of the commonly prescribed antidepressants. Don't be afraid to go back to your doctor if you start having weird symptoms while trying to taper off the Effexor. I've heard of some people being switched to a short run on Prozac to help ease them off another antidepressant - because Prozac has a much longer half life in the system and provides a natural "tapering off."

[hantsbear.livejournal.com]

Thanks :)

I'm actually tapering off a lot slower than would normally be the case; that may well be partly me being cautious as, from conversations with other doctors, Efexor is not usually prescribed in general practice - normally by psychiatrists. I have a suspicion that it was originally prescribed on recommendation of a psychiatrist I saw about six years or so ago. I'm hoping it will all go well, but am prepared to see what happens...

[junkshop-coyote.livejournal.com]

Good luck, I know from experience that juggling the old brain candy can be a real pain in the ass. *hugs*

Brain candy in ass?

[(Anonymous)]

If you've been putting it "there" I don't think it'll work quite as well...