cindylou03

[cindylou03]

I took some time to taper off Effexor. I decided to quit taking it after I forgot my pill one night and ended up crashing in the middle of a ski hill and being hauled down on a toboggan. I was wrecked for the rest of the weekend. My doctor recommended taking a pill every other night for 2 weeks and then stopping, but I choose to open the capsules and take out one little ball every night until there were none. I didn't have too many withdrawals symptoms and when I felt bad I just didn't remove additional balls that night. So, I off Effexor now, but I am concerned about the extra 15 pounds I am carrying. I have "emergency" xanax in case of anxiety and I am still on 10mg of lexapro. I'm an active person and my diet is generally good. I have always been small so this is uncomfortable for me. I know 15 pounds doesn't seem like a lot, but to me... it just is. 

 

I'm hoping to find experiences on here that will help me understand my situation and options. 

 

:) Thanks for listening! 

[Petunia]

Welcome cindylou03,

 

Well done for making your own decision about how to taper off Effexor, we recommend the method you used as being much safer and easier on your nervous system. Many doctors recommend the skipping doses method, but it often fails, so congratulations for successfully getting off Effexor by thinking for yourself.

 

Unfortunately, weight gain is a common side effect for many of the antidepressants, including Lexapro. It was very difficult for me to lose any weight while I was taking it. But going low carb and increasing exercise helped.

 

You may find some tips here in this thread: 

Weight gain, weight loss and appetite changes - Symptoms and self ...

  If you would like to taper off Lexapro or lower your dose to see if that helps, we can help with that. Please be careful with taking Xanax too often, it can cause dependency in as little as 2 weeks if taken regularly.

 

I'm glad you found us, please stay in touch and let us know how you are doing.

 

Petunia.