switching from effexor xr to prozac

I'm going to try switching from effexor xr to prozac. I've tried to quit taking effexor and the withdrawal or "discontinuation syndrome" was a killer. I was taking care of my mother 24/7 at that time and couldn't deal with that and withdrawal. Now Ive got nothing to lose. The drug is too expensive and it isn't doing much anyway. I'm thinking 3 to 4 weeks tapering and then a couple of days clean and then on to the prozac. I was on prozac for about 3 years and it worked well enough.
There is the possibility that it won't help but at this point I have very little to lose.

IT's common for pdocs to transition you directly from effexor to prozac, stay on prozac a while, then withdrawl off prozac. Sounds like you want to stay on the prozac, which works too. I wouldn't overlap them for more than a day or two.

I didn't like Effexor very much myself, making the cost unjustifiable.
While I didn't have problems coming off of Effexor I know how bad withdrawal is; I was taking a couple of benzos at nearly the max for sedation and got so fed up with them that I just stopped them. That was not a pleasant experience....
Good luck on your transition.

Yes, prozac is the plan as of now. Prozac has a very long "half-life" so there isn't much difficulty in discontinuing that med. Being med free would be great.
My GP writes my scrips and he wants two days between the last dose of effexor and the first dose of prozac. When the time for the transition comes up I'll probably play it by ear. I usually do lol. Fortunately my gp is a good guy and treats me as an intelligent adult and is fine with my improvisations.

So you were one of those lucky folks who didn't have the "syndrome" when coming off effexor xr? Good for you...I mean that sincerely
Having experienced the syndrome once I'm happy for anyone who doesn't experience it. I've quit a benzo too, albeit a minimum dosage. It was very tough but it didn't affect me as as bad as effexor. Props to you for discontinuing the benzos.
I do currently take a benzo...clonazopam, but at a very low dose...less than .5mg daily. That may help w/ the effexor withdrawal.
I've been opening the effexor caps and shaking out the individual "grains" for a while now. I haven't gotten to the point of counting the grains but I'm at a point where the quantity is small enough that I could count them w/o much difficulty. That will come soon. I don't want to cut the dosage down too quickly. I know that the commonly accepted institutional method of halving the dosage for one week and then halving that for another week doesn't work for me.
I suspect that it doesn't work for most folks who are susceptible to the discontinuance syndrome.
No really bad effects so far. The brain zaps are very minor so far and the headache isn't bad. If it doesn't get much worse I'll be okay.
I hope the prozac works as well as it did the previous time I used it.
Thanks for the good wish...I'll probably need it at some point
As always, good wishes to you and everyone else struggling.

I wouldn't have been able to do that with my Effexor. Mine was a generic that was in tablet form. I've found Prozac to be OK, except that it doesn't work without Cymbalta, and Cymbalta doesn't work without the Prozac. At least Prozac is pretty inexpensive as a generic.

Day...5 or whatever: feeling zombieish...had a few sensations like my brain was moving around...definitely feeling some irritability and paranoia. And the headache is still here. Would dearly love to have a pic of the doc who switched me from prozac to effexor xr. I think I have some darts around here some place...

Not a good day...my brain is doing this constant fluttering thing. Not functioning very well...kind of like a Stepford wife in need of repairs Haven't slept well lately. Had some very interesting dreams though.
Very unsettling.

(((arcangel)))

I hope that the withdrawal symptoms begin easing soon.

Best wishes to you!

Thanks Shez but I haven't taken the final dose yet. I think that the bad stuff will begin in earnest then. I hope I'm wrong about that
I'm being very cautious this time. When I began to seriously taper off I felt remarkably clear headed and not too terribly depressed or anxious. It's only the past week or so things have gotten worse. Last night I felt like I was being beaten about the head with a nerf bat That sounds funny in a way and I guess it is but after a while it was like a mild form torture. The various electrified sensations and the indescribable brain things are far worse. I fear the anger and rage that may come worse than anything. I take a .5mg dosage of clonazopam daily so that should help. And because I rarely take the full .5mg I have some in reserve.
To end on a good note...I picked up the generic Prozac scrip last week. $15 lol.
I really appreciate you keeping tabs on me

Zugzwang. I feel like I'm dying. No, that isn't accurate. I've never died so I have no idea what that feels like I feel like I'm fading out. Like Frodo, wounded by the Morgul blade

******it if there is an afterlife and my ghost is stuck in Houston I am going to be one pissed off ghost...

arcangel you have my sympathy..
I came off them back in January and it was horrific...
took ages to get rid of the withdrawal symptoms..
my tongue used to feel weird too but those 'brain zaps' were the WORST!

Good for you Tish. I am genuinely happy that it's gotten better now. Wish I could say the same. I've been three days w/o effexor. There are sensations I can't even begin to describe so I won't try.
Things I can describe: I've become ADD. I've gone from being relatively graceful and coordinated to world class klutz. I've gone from being pretty well organized to whatever. My annoyance and anger threshold are dangerously low. You think I'm usually impatient and blunt with whiners and stupidity? It is taking so much self-control to refrain from commenting on people whining about their hair dryers and cable boxes and "compassionate angels" giving them ((()))) I think I may blow a circuit.

Prozac...day one...I think I might feel a bit better. Still almost constant shock sensations and being buffeted w/ a nerf bat. And strange interesting things are happening w/ my tinnitus

it's hot...it's cold...I'm sleepy...I can't sleep...so you'd need the best digital multimeter Fluke makes to measure the electrical impulses...they're in my frikkin brain...Who said that action potentials cannot cross the synaptic cleft? They're jumping over and pitching tents. Rebel nerve impulses have hijacked every available neurotransmitter and are storming the gates.
There's no help coming...all we can do is hope they get tired and go home...

I slept some last night. Don't feel so terrible today. I'm so glad to be on such a supportive site. Blown away by the compassion...lol

Thought it was getting better but now I feel depressed and sick.
I am so ready to go. If only I weren't such a coward...

Hang in there, arcangel. Hope you'll keep posting.

only just saw this thread so im late to the party its a little out of my normal path...

I came off efexor a while ago - it had turned me intot eh walking dead - made everything an effort - I think that was the point lol

When i came off my PTSD symptoms went through the roof again - hyper vigilence - panic attacks - the thing where you do the same thing over and over - sorry my brain is fuzzy... just tired...

I went ontoCymbalta - that helps wiht my back pain as well - hang in there arcangel - the side effects will diminish - i found that overloading my system so i got tired out worked for me - reading while having the tv on or using my computer while watching tv too ....

I hope things work out wiht the prozac - I dont know much about it

I wish you luck my friend

Be assured things can and often do get better

I switched from prozac to effexor......My prozac stopped working for me after 10 years. I have been on effexor xr for 11 years. I have never had a problem with either drug. I guess I have been extremely blessed re: that!

FWIW, prozac was indeed very effective for effexor withdrawal. The brain shocks and other neural sensations abated almost immediately.

Oh how I wish I had something good to report. I guess I could repeat that the prozac was very good for the effexor withdrawal problems
Unfortunately it doesn't seem to have done anything else. I had hoped that it would be as effective as it was the first time I used it. I was 20 years younger then and still had great ambitions and time for a future. I feel so wrong. Everything looks so wrong.

It's ironic you mention this! I'm in the same boat! I actually took prozac many years ago, when I was first diagnosed with OCD! Now, I'm definitely thinking about getting off effexor, as it's done absolutely NIL for my obsessive symptoms! (And, yes, trying to withdraw from effexor...even skipping a one-night dose...is like the ancient Greek Sisyphus rolling his boulder up Everest !)

hang in there and get back to your dr and let them know its not working there are new meds out there that can help

:grouphug

Hey Valerina I've heard that some folks are able to stop effexor w/o much difficulty. If you have problems from missing one dose then unfortunately you may not be one of the lucky ones. Good luck w/ your decision and your struggles w/ your OCD

Hey Jacky I'll do the best I can but my options are very limited. So is my patience
It's good to see you back