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#1
Mar 05, 2018, 03:42 PM
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I am cross-tapering off venlafaxine and onto escitalopram (schedule set by my pdoc) and am really struggling. I have just gone down from 75 mg twice a day to 75 mg once a day, with 5 mg escitalopram. I assume it's the venlafaxine withdrawal that is giving me severe abdominal pain, dizziness and crippling headaches? Does anyone have any advice on how to get through this? I can't get hold of pdoc or my GP and I have a really busy few weeks at work so I can't afford to carry on like this
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 Anonymous50909
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#2
Mar 06, 2018, 01:53 PM
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Can you put off the taper until after your busy period? I've had to taper off venlafaxine a couple of times and it makes me pretty useless at work. Maybe you could try slowing the taper down also, like doing 1X75 on even days and 2X75 on odd days until you feel comfortable, then stepping down to 1X75?
That's a pretty aggressive taper for such a notoriously difficult drug to come off of. If you have enough on hand, maybe see if you can put the taper off and ask your doctor to prescribe you some smaller dose pills so you can taper more gradually. The smallest dose they make is 25 mg I think but you could probably even split those in half. Good luck! I hope the escitalopram works better for you! |
 littleblackdog
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#3
Mar 07, 2018, 05:43 AM
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Yeah, it's probably the venlafaxine. It's notoriously hard to come off of, something most pdocs fail to grasp. Cutting your dose in half is way too fast a taper. I think in Canada the smallest dose they make is 37.5 mg. See if you can get some at that dose, and try taking that in the afternoon for a while.
Good luck. splitimage
__________________
 "I danced in the morning when the world was begun. I danced in the moon and the stars and the sun". From my favourite hymn. "If you see the wonder in a fairy tale, you can take the future even if you fail." Abba 
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| littleblackdog
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#4
Mar 12, 2018, 06:07 AM
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Quote:
I did tell my pdoc that I was concerned about the withdrawal and her response was to add in a week of 37.5 mg after the 75, rather than just stop completely from 75 mg per day... This weekend I increased my lithium to 1200 mg per day, increased escitalopram to 10 mg per day and reduced the venlafaxine to 37.5 mg per day. I feel absolutely terrible right now, not helped by the fact that I can't work out which of my various symptoms are side effects from increased doses of two drugs, or withdrawal affects from venlafaxine
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