Stressed Posted October 9, 2016 Posted October 9, 2016 I am currently withdrawing from 225 mg Venlafaxine. I somehow didn't pay my dr bill and now I can't make an appointment to see my psychiatrist. I am a busy working mother of young kids and took my last pill 5 days ago. I would have never started this medicine if I had the first clue it would be so hard to stop. I was thinking that I would just ride out the wd symptoms but from what I have read I could be damaging my cns. Thoughts on getting a refill and tapering?
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted October 9, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Posted October 9, 2016 Hi Stressed and welcome to SA, You do not need to see a psychiatrist to get a prescription for Venlafaxine. Any general medical practitioner can write a script for it. If you cannot get to a doctor within the next day, you might want to consider going to an Emergency Room and explaining the situation and see if they will give you a script or tablets. I'm in Australia and don't know how things work over there. Sorry. If you do that it may be a good idea to take the package from your drug so that they can see that you have been prescribed it in the past. Providing you can get your venlafaxine within the next couple of days you should be okay to go back on the same dose. You would then hold on that dose for a couple of months before tapering, if that is what you want to do. We can provide the support and information that you need to do that using a harm reduction method. I'll provide additional information in another post. I just wanted to make sure that you know how to get your drug. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management
Moderator Emeritus ChessieCat Posted October 9, 2016 Moderator Emeritus Posted October 9, 2016 Okay, now for some more information. If you can't get your drug straight away and it ends up being about 2 weeks, you might be able to start taking 200mg venlafaxine, instead of 225mg. This is because your brain will make some adaptations during the time you are off the drug. Please see the Tips link below which explains how to get a lower dose. About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine) It will be helpful if you would Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature. Please include details for the last 12-18 months of all drugs, dates, doses and discontinuations & reinstatements. If you can't remember dates, please write it as "early March" or "mid-August". Please provide a summary of any drugs prior to that which can just be listed with start and stop years. Please include all prescription, non-prescription drugs and supplements you are currently taking. SA recommends a harm reduction method, tapering no more than 10% of the previous dose followed by a holding period of 3-4 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug. Before you begin tapering what you need to know Why taper by 10% of my dosage? Dr Joseph Glenmullen's WD Symptoms Checklist These helped me to understand SA's recommendations: Brain Remodelling Video: Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery This is your Intro/Update topic where you can ask questions and journal your progress. Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds. * NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA * MISSION ACCOMPLISHED: (6 year taper) 0mg Pristiq on 13th November 2021 ADs since ~1992: 25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq: 50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity) Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021 LAST DOSE 0.0025mg Post 0 updates start here My tapering program My Intro (goes to tapering graph) VIDEO: Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management
peng Posted October 9, 2016 Posted October 9, 2016 I was on that dose earlier. I would be in a worried state if I had run out of the medication 5 days ago, knowing what I know now. Take ChessieCat's, and any other mods' advice, and get back on a steady platform with this ghastly drug, before tapering sensibly. Very best wishes. Born 1945. 1999 - First Effexor/Venlafaxine. 2016 Withdrawal research. Effexor. 13Jul - 212.5mg; 6Aug - 200.0mg; 24Aug - 187.5mg; 13Sep - 175.0mg; 3Oct - 162.5mg; 26Oct - 150mg 2017 9Jan - 150.00mg; 23Mar - 137.50mg; 24Apr - 125.00mg; 31May - 112.50mg holding; 3Sep - 100.00mg; 20Sep - 93.75mg; 20Oct - 87.5mg; 12Nov - 81.25mg; 13 Dec - 75.00mg 2018 18Jan - 69.1mg; 16Feb - 62.5mg; 16March - 57.5mg (-8%); 22Apr - 56.3mg(-2%); CRASHED - Updose 29May - 62.5mg; Updose - 1Jul - 75.0mg. Updose - 2Aug - 87.5mg. Updose - 27Aug - 100.0mg. Updose - 11Oct 112.5mg. Updose - 6Nov 125.00mg. 2019 Updoses 19 Jan - 150.0mg. 1April - 162.5mg. 24 April - Feeling better - doing tasks, getting outside. 7 May - usual depression questionnaire gives "probably no depression" result. Supps/Vits Omega 3; Chelated Magnesium; Prebiotics/Probiotics, Vit D3.
Daisy Posted October 9, 2016 Posted October 9, 2016 Hi Stressed I am sorry you are going through this. Something similar happened to me a number of years ago. Would you care to share your withdrawal symptoms? Sometimes it helps to put them on paper. You are not alone. We are here to help. Daisy Effexor XL 2009-2012. CT 150mg Effexor XR 2012, Effexor XR 75mg 2012 then rapid taper to 0, Reinstated Effexor XR 13mg then updosed to 20mg, Tapered to 18mg Effexor XR 4/9/12, Off Effexor XL ?Reinstated Effexor XL 150 mgs August 2012, Crashed in November 2012, Prozac 40 mgs 2012 to Feb 2018, Buspar 60 mgs 2012-stopped 2015, Remeron 7.5 mgs as needed for sleep-stopped Feb 2017, Prozac 50 mgs Feb 2018 to March 2018, Lexapro 5 mgs March 18 2018 to May 17th 2018, Lexapro 2.5 mgs May 18th to May 26th 2018, Prozac 10 mgs May 15th 2018, Prozac 5 mgs May 19th 2018 to current day May 28th 2018, Xanax 0.25 mgs to 0.5 mgs daily for over 15 years. Increased Xanax to 1.5 mgs Sept 2012, Tapered Xanax to 0 mgs May 2013.Reinstated Xanax Feb 2017 at 0.125 mgs as needed, Gradual increase of Xanax to 1.5 mgs daily till May 22nd 2018, Xanax 1.25 mgs daily. Holding
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