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Orion: Effexor XR Reinstatement Amount?


Orion

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Thank you so much for being here. My life is now a nightmare. People around me think I'm doing fine but living in my head and heart since I went off Effexor XR has been increasingly a complete nightmare for me. I was on 225 mg Effexor XR for 11 years. I'm 65 and creative and decided I wanted to be free of this drug so I could be fully myself and not feel that revved-up feeling I always had from the drug. I felt like the drug was a cage that protected me but it also felt like a prison and I wanted to give myself freedom as a gift for the rest of my life. I now know that the 'gradual' withdrawal I did was not gradual at all. I weaned off 37.5 every week or two until about 6 weeks later I was down to 37.5 for a week or 10 days then went to 0. I have Celiac and I had an accidental gluten attack at the same time the horrors of going from 37.5 to 0 kicked in. For a few weeks I thought I was just having a prolonged reaction to the gluten. It feels like my hopelessness and depression and wild fear of life is getting worse and worse instead of better and better with the passing of time. I'm now 3 months at 0 Effexor XR and desperately need guidance to reinstate however many beads you all think would be helpful. A kind person on the Effexor Withdrawal group on Facebook posted her success with feeling amazingly better by reinstating 5 beads a day. I started reinstating 5 beads a day 7 days ago. I feel worse but I'm sure it's not the beads that's making me feel worse, I'm sure it's just the hell I've brought on myself by going from 225 mg for 11 years to a fast and (now I realize) reckless wean. The last worst being the 37.5 to 0. Should I do more than 5 beads since I was on such a high dose for so long. Thank you thank you thank you for *any*help you can give me.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi Orion -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

I'm glad you found the Effexor Withdrawal fb group and then found your way here.  As you've realized, that fast dose reduction gave your central nervous system quite a hard bounce.

 

What's the approximate dose of 5 beads Effexor XR in mg?

 

Reinstating after 3 months is helpful for some but not all people. Easing of symptoms after reinstatement may happen immediately, after some weeks, or not at all. Reinstatement requires a balance between dose and time -- it's an art or a craft.  My suggestion is that you give it another week before making any changes in dose.

 

Reading these two topics on withdrawal and 1 on reinstatement may be helpful:

 

What is withdrawal syndrome

 

The Windows and Waves pattern of stabilization

 

About reinstating and stabilizing to reduce withdrawal symptoms

 

 

Here's our information relevant to Effexor: Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

 

 

A request: Would you summarize your history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-18 months particularly? Any drugs prior to that can just be listed with start and stop years. Please put your withdrawal history in signature

 

2 tips:

  • You may way want to follow this topic so that you get notifications when someone posts in your thread. Click the gray "Follow this topic" button. A dialog box appears: select one of the notify options, then click follow this topic in the dialog box.

     

  • Setting this web page as a bookmark or favorite in your browser will help you navigate back to it.
It's also helpful to keep track of your symptoms.  Many of our members have found a checklist makes it easier to start: Glenmullen’s withdrawal symptom list

 

Have a look around the Symptoms and self-care forum. You may find ideas for your situation. If you have any questions, please post them here.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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Now I know I shouldn't have jumped from 5 beads to 21- I was calculating 10% of my original dose. I only did the 21 beads today. I was at 0% for 3 months after tapering from 225 to 0 in 4 to 6 weeks time. I reduced in 37.5 increments about a week at a time. Then I did 5 beads for about 10 days then jumped today to the 21 beads. Any ideas are deeply gratefully received ❤️❤️❤️❤️

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The reason it took me so long to answer after my post is that I needed to get help to figure out this site. I'm tech challenged.

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Orion, it looks as if you might be using a phone or a tablet to access the site. It is a little more complicated that way. :unsure:

 

The math: 75/84=0.893 mg,  As a guideline each bead is a bit less than 1 mg.

 

84 beads = 75 mg. You're now taking 18.75 mg. Hold steady there. Give your CNS (central nervous system) time to catch up to the change in dosage. 

 

"How long?" you're probably asking. "It depends," I'm saying. "It depends on your symptoms."

 

So... keep track of when you take your doses, and when symptoms occur, intensity, weaken and disappear.  What we're looking for is stability -- no wild fluctuations.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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So you don't think it's a horrible thing that I jumped from 5 beads to 21 beads?! It's okay to stay at 21 beads and like you say, keep track of symptoms and careful dosage?! 5 beads didn't seem to help at all but unless it's my imagination I felt the tiniest bit better today. I am worried that I was reckless with the upping from 5 to 21 but it does make some sense to you given the high original dose of 225 mg for 11 years plus the way too rapid weaning process?! Thank you a million thanks for your thoughts!!!

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Orion, it's not anything we would have suggested for you to consider. If you went to a psychiatrist or GP, they'd give you a scrip for at least 37.5 mg/day.

 

Making another change tomorrow presents risks as does staying at 21 beads. You're probably best to go back to 11 beads tomorrow. It's up to you. Let us know what you decide. But give your CNS (central nervous system) 7-10 days to get used to it; bouncing doses around is a 100% guaranteed recipe for instability.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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'Probably' 11 sounds like a good idea to me! Is that what you guys might have suggested in the first place if I hadn't been so rash?! Thank you do very much for your suggestions!! I'm so very grateful to have found you!!

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Hi Orion,

 

How are you feeling today?

Effexor XR 300 (brand) mg & various SSRIs 15 yrs (Effexor XR 300 mg past 10 yrs

Clonazepam, 1.0 mg. am, .5 mg pm. - 15 yrs, 7-17-16- Began .5 three times a day

Vyvanse 60 mg, - 2 yrs, Cut to 50 mg for 6 mths, Cut to 30 mg. on 4-1-16. Tapering.

Approx. 4-1-15 began Effexor XR 300 taper, very slowly for a year. Held at 37.5 for about 3 mths. Cut to 18 mg for 2 wks to 0. WD began 2 wks later. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, low appetite, nausea.

7-14-16-Reinstated 5 beads Effx after 4 mths misery.Pooped out 10 days.

9-12-16-to present- Wide eyed terror, bedridden fear, no appetite/feeling of being full.

10-30-16- Began 15% liquid tapering of 30 mg Vyvanse. (25 mg)

11-13-16- Liquid Vyvanse 22 mg,11-27-16- Liquid 15 mg, 12-12-16- Vyvanse 12.5 for 5 days. 12-16 - 12-29, 15 mg.

11-20-16- Switched back to 1.0 clonazepam am & .5 bedtime

12-30-16- Moved to 15 mg COMPOUNDED Vyvanse.Current 4/11-4/25 7.5 mg.(10% ev 2 wks) Off Vyvanse

Current meds:Effexor XR- 3 Beads, Clonazepam-1.0 mg am, .5 mg bedtime,Vyvanse-(tapering) Estradiol- 2

mg,Progesterone 200 mg,Testosterone 30 mg/ml,Nature Throid- 48.75 mg.(12-21-16-65 mg.) (4-18-17-81.25 mg) Current supplements: Fish Oil-1360 mg, Curamin- 2706 mg.

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  • 1 year later...

Hi Orion,

 

How are you feeling today?

Effexor XR 300 (brand) mg & various SSRIs 15 yrs (Effexor XR 300 mg past 10 yrs

Clonazepam, 1.0 mg. am, .5 mg pm. - 15 yrs, 7-17-16- Began .5 three times a day

Vyvanse 60 mg, - 2 yrs, Cut to 50 mg for 6 mths, Cut to 30 mg. on 4-1-16. Tapering.

Approx. 4-1-15 began Effexor XR 300 taper, very slowly for a year. Held at 37.5 for about 3 mths. Cut to 18 mg for 2 wks to 0. WD began 2 wks later. Depression, anxiety, paranoia, low appetite, nausea.

7-14-16-Reinstated 5 beads Effx after 4 mths misery.Pooped out 10 days.

9-12-16-to present- Wide eyed terror, bedridden fear, no appetite/feeling of being full.

10-30-16- Began 15% liquid tapering of 30 mg Vyvanse. (25 mg)

11-13-16- Liquid Vyvanse 22 mg,11-27-16- Liquid 15 mg, 12-12-16- Vyvanse 12.5 for 5 days. 12-16 - 12-29, 15 mg.

11-20-16- Switched back to 1.0 clonazepam am & .5 bedtime

12-30-16- Moved to 15 mg COMPOUNDED Vyvanse.Current 4/11-4/25 7.5 mg.(10% ev 2 wks) Off Vyvanse

Current meds:Effexor XR- 3 Beads, Clonazepam-1.0 mg am, .5 mg bedtime,Vyvanse-(tapering) Estradiol- 2

mg,Progesterone 200 mg,Testosterone 30 mg/ml,Nature Throid- 48.75 mg.(12-21-16-65 mg.) (4-18-17-81.25 mg) Current supplements: Fish Oil-1360 mg, Curamin- 2706 mg.

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