Unexpected meds shortage, self-management tips?

March 12, 2021 4:01 AM

How to manage unavoidable cold-turkey off Venlafaxine (Effexor?) till Tuesday.?

Would be very grateful for any practical recommendations on how to manage my mood and mood-swings / temper when I find myself unexpectedly without meds (250mg daily) till Tues. Am trying to get to an open doc's to get a temporary prescription but am in Germany where attitudes and bureaucracy hinder this. Has anyone found, dunno, strenuous cardio or any drugstore sedatives helpful in this sort of instance?

posted by runincircles to Health & Fitness (8 answers total)

When I was in this situation, I became sensitive to stimulation: everything was very bright and very loud. I needed a dark, quiet, calm environment around me. It was also hard to concentrate or process new information, so I tried to reduce the needs to do that (which meant calling out of work one day because it was just too much).

Good luck to you.
posted by shiny blue object at 4:30 AM on March 12, 2021 [1 favorite]

My SO says that if you have any left, space it out. If you have one left, take it Sunday, not today. Otherwise, just take it easy and don't expect anything of yourself.
posted by wierdo at 4:32 AM on March 12, 2021 [6 favorites]

When I was in a similar situation, I developed akathisia. I found diphenhydramine and vitamin b6 (pyridoxine) to be helpful in the mitigation of it.
posted by ruddlehead at 6:24 AM on March 12, 2021

Diphenhydramine (Benadryl) was recommended to me to help ease the symptoms in a similar situation. Drink lots of water. If the brain zaps start, moving slowly and carefully helps. For me personally, gentle yoga is a great help when my brain isn't cooperating or I'm feeling off, but it actually made the situation way worse because changing the angle of my head even slightly felt like someone was stabbing me in the brain with an ice pick. Prozac can also help with discontinuation symptoms, if it's any easier to get a short-term prescription for that than the Effexor. Good luck, hoping Tuesday comes quickly for you!
posted by Ann Telope at 6:24 AM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

Been there. Benadryl and weed helped brain zaps. Also: if you have any left and are taking the extended-action formulation, you can break them open, count the grains with a tweezer and divide by days.
posted by Morpeth at 9:59 AM on March 12, 2021 [2 favorites]

In Canada, pharmacies can "forward" you some meds if a prescription is expected. I've done this before I even had a doctor yet. If you haven't asked any pharmacies, it might be worth a shot.
posted by Gor-ella at 12:20 PM on March 12, 2021

I get vertigo and head spins, so try to stay in bed or on the couch and not move much. I would say to clear your schedule and have no real expectations of getting anything done, and to be very gentle with yourself. I definitely agree with spreading out the pills if you still have some. I find I get about 36 hours on one pill before I start getting any symptoms. YMMV on all of the above, of course. Much sympathy!
posted by gingerbeer at 1:26 PM on March 12, 2021

The good news is that Effexor stays in your system for about two days, so I usually don't notice withdrawal symptoms until the second day of going without.

Be sure to drink lots of water. Weed & CBD help. Strenuous exercise or big blood sugar fluctuations bring on withdrawal symptoms for me.

In the future, if you ever find yourself running low, it's definitely better to reduce your dosage and space it out over the time you need to cover (though it sounds like that's not possible here.)
posted by Colonel_Chappy at 8:05 PM on March 13, 2021