Effexor xr and how to tapper off

I have been taking Effexor XR 150 mg for 2-3 years and now I have been switched to lexapro 10mg . How do I go about  tappering off the effexor and when do I start the lexapro????

[shel62]

My son wanted to get off antidepressants so the   doctor suggested he go on  prozac to counteract the wd from effexor.....(75mg) prozacs half life is 5 weeks , while effexors is less than 24 hours...so it's really hard to go  off it especially if you have been on it for a while...even if they lower the dose to wean you it's pretty bad....withdrawal is awful. He's never been on Lexapro so I can't tell you if that will do the same thing...ease the withdrawal.  My son was on prozac for 4 weeks and than the doctor stopped it Cold turkey (not sure if I agree with that method) 10 days ago. He is doing just Ok. side effects nothing like effexor though.

Hope this helps

shel

[Hensley258]

Actually, Effexor can be taken safely together with Lexapro. In fact many P-docs perscribe the two in combination.

If your goal is to eliminate the Effexor than my suggestion would be to VERY slowly taper the Effexor down, while starting the Lexapro immidiatly.

Don't rush the Effexor taper because you can take the Lexapro while reducing the Effexor. No worry about any adverse reaction between mixing the two.

[ellier15]

Been on 150mg for 6 years. Recently trying to change from Effexor XR to Wellbutrin. Dropped down to 112.5 for two and a half weeks then 75 for two weeks then 37.5 for three weeks. Three days a go I stopped. Yesterday I had leave work early because I starting feeling really nauseated and threw up. When I got home I started throwing up more, and started sweating, I felt hot(stuffy) and cold (shivers) at the same time, started having major anxiety issues, hyperventilating, and my extremities were going dumb. The nausea was extreme. My mother came over and my husband came home early to take me to the emergency room. He called my doctor and he told me to go ahead and take the 37.5. I'm going back to see him soon. I thought I took it very slow but apparently not. Is there another drug I could take to help with the withdrawal symptoms? And is there another dose lower than 37.5? With this rate I'm going to have to go down 5mg every few weeks.

[mimizmama]

i was on effexor for 12 yrs. tried coming off it cold turkey a few times but always relapsed on day 2 or 3. this time, i'm pregnant and i have to do it some how. its a very dangerous med for babies. anyway, i read about 'prozac bridging' technique. told my psych doc who actually thinks withdrawal effects don't exist and its all in my head. well first he tried to convince me to switch to cymbalta but when he found out i'm pregnant, he suddenly admitted for the first time in 12 yrs that all these drugs have withdrawals in new born babies and its dangerous to take these medicines in pregnancy. so he said i should try to wean off. he prescribed 5 mg prozac for me. 10 days ago i stopped taking my 37.5 mg effexor. i was taking 37.5 mg every other day for a year now. i took prozac 5 mg instead for 3 days, but kept getting stomach problems so doc told me i can't take it for long as it was causing the diarrhea. a week ago, i stopped taking prozac as well. in the last 10 days, i've had withdrawal effects like brain zaps, nausea and irritability but at least 80% less than before when i tried quitting cold turkey. otherwise i could never get through a week. good news is that there is hope and every day the withdrawals get milder. specially with prozac in the system, which has a half life of 1 week and gets completely out of the system in 5 weeks. i hope the withdrawals won't come back or become more severe once prozac is out of my system after a few weeks but if that happens, i'll take another 5 mg prozac once a week then once in 2 weeks, and then once 3 weeks, once 4 weeks etc. i'd suggest anyone trying to quit to be prepared for withdrawals. listen to your body. know all the major withdrawal symptoms and be ready to deal with each one of them separately. i'm not saying there are zero withdrawals with prozac bridging technique, just way less than leaving effexor cold turkey. i know i have a long way to go yet but just wanted to share what has helped me so far. i've heard vitamin B helps a lot because it helps your brain produce serotonin. i experience less nausea n brain zaps on days when i take my multi vitamin. but i'm so put off by pills that i feel nausea at the thought of taking multi vitamin as well. i'm trying to stay happy these days, counting my blessings, praying to God for help. i have no support from family and friends. i have quit smoking cold turkey in the past after smoking for 7 yrs. but effexor is harder to quit, in my view its like some street drug when it comes to withdrawals, no offense pharma ppl but pharmaceutical companies are playing with our lives. effexor has severe side effects specially on the liver, and if you are a female and ever plan of having babies, its the the drug to take. i've also read that women have a harder time trying to come off effexor for some reason. anyway, i wish you and every one else trying to quit all the best. YOU CAN DO IT! and i wish i will get through it too :)

[jmine]

This effexor is kicking my tail. Weaned off over a months time.im getting all the nasty withdrawal symptoms.