Using immediate-release Venlafaxine to get off Effexor XR?

I started Effexor XR 75mg in November after having been on Zoloft since I was 14 (roughly 9 years). I started tapering off a few weeks ago by alternating 75mg and 37.5mg for one week, then 37.5mg for one week, and then 37.5mg every other day. I saw my pdoc on Wednesday and told her that the 37.5mg every other day was awful-- I started to feel the withdrawal in the evening of the day I didn't take a pill, and by the morning I felt unbelievably sick and dizzy. She started to say that maybe I should go back to 37.5mg every day for another week and then try again, and that I might just have to deal with a little discomfort. I told her that waking up nauseous, shaky, and dizzy and feeling like I'm going to fall over because I feel so off-balance is not "a little discomfort."
So, long story short, I'm now taking one 25mg generic venlafaxine every day for one week, then one half (12.5mg) for one week, and then stop. She said it'll be easier this way because the half-life of the immediate release is a lot shorter than the XR. Something about that sounded weird to me-- if the half-life is shorter, won't the withdrawal be even worse? I thought the main reason that Effexor withdrawal is difficult in the first place is because the half-life is so short, so why would giving me something with an even shorter half-life help? So far, I seem to be OK, I'm just having headaches, and I get nauseous after I take the pill, so I'll try taking it with crackers tomorrow. But, I don't know, something about this method still feels wrong... Has anyone else used generic Venlafaxine to get off Effexor XR?

I' taperring off my effexor XR as we speak, started on theusday, and I feel terrible, my my doc increased my lexapro instead to 10 mg, but I still feel dizzy, all have the same type of simptomas than when I was tappening of cymbalta, its just not good, I lower my dose to 37, 5 now and my doc told me to stop in about a week, I'm scared. I'm very not productived at work, its just very frustrading to me. let me know if works for you cause I'm scared.

I had to taper off effexor once and the only thing I can say is the Slower the better. Which is why your pdoc has gone to the venlafaxine because I don't think the Extended release effexor comes in those low of doses and you cannot chop an extended release capsule in half. She is just trying to spread your withdrawal time out more slowly since you are feeling it so badly.

The half life is less on the non-extended release, but you can get down to the smaller doses--so you have a trade off that is probably worth trying.

Thanks! I dont feel the symptoms to bad today but I am so depressed that I can barealy leave my bed, my hair is dirty and I dont feel like washing and I spent most of the day watching TV in bed. I hope I can find meds that will make me normal again, I feel hopeless today and I am not evn able to cry.

Thanks Lizbeth. I'm definitely giving it a try. I'm even tempted to take one half tomorrow and see what happens-- I know I need to give it a week, but it might give me some idea of whether or not it's going to work. My pdoc has said that she recognizes that Effexor is very difficult to get off, but I don't think she really gets it. She had to look up what dosages the immediate-release came in, and she was surprised to see that it comes in 25mg, then she said she's going to give me the prescription, and hopefully they still make it because she was looking at an old book. Hmmm.... that was a little disconcerting... :-/

Peddidle: I really, really think doing exactly what your doctor says is better than trying to go faster. It takes time for your body to get used to lower and lower then off of the drug. "Jumping the line" in going lower sooner will just startle your poor body--maybe badly and will not show you what will happen if you go s l o w l y down with the doses.

Cristty25: Oh I know about days when I have to pull out my inner drill sergeant just to get out of the bed. Its a slow thing, I have to bargain with myself. i don't have a tv in my bedroom so I have to get up to watch, that helps with motivation. Then I say, "ok, I wont worry about getting dressed, but if I put on a dressing gown and go downstairs I can have coffee there. Then its "Well the coffee will really taste better if I brush my teeth. If I brush my teeth I can wash my face. Then I am kinda civilized crying infront of the TV and shouting at Dr. Phil because he gets it so wrong.
This board is nice, but please promise to call someone if you keep feeling so bad that your inner drill sergeant can't get you going.

Thanks Lizabeth! I called my mom and she thinks I'm obssessed and I should try to forget about the diasesed and leave the house a bit and stop searching the web. Oh well. I feel a bit better , I watched a movie and lwaugh a bit with my fiancee played with my son but still have not took of my pj or washed my hair
ahahah
thanks for your kind words!

Cristty25; I am glad you are feeling some better. I'm really not even going into Mums and their responses, my relationship with mine was somewhat strained and I don't have kids so its kind of out of my experience.