AboutBarbara Judge Expertise Outpatient pharmacy and general health. I have recently completed a Pharmceutical Care Certificate Program offered by Purdue University (Spring 1999 completion). I have personal experience dealing with terminally ill persons and their needs, as well as their families` needs. I graduated in 1984 from Pharmacy School and have been a Licensed Pharmacist since then. I have 18 years retail pharmacy experience. Prior to my pharmacy training I have 3 years hospital experience as a Nurse`s Aide.
Expert: Barbara Judge Date: 1/28/2008 Subject: Changing meds
Question I am currently taking effexor xr 225 mg. However, my insurance no longer wants to cover this medication, so my doctor changed me to Paxil 10mg. What I would like to know is are these comparative or equal doses. I don't want anything lower than I already take. So is this change equal? Also, I was reading about the withdrawal effects once Paxil is stopped. Are there any withdrawal effects with Effexor?
Answer You should be gradually withdrawn from Effexor over a period of several weeks to avoid the side effects some patients have if they stop Effexor rapidly. After you have stopped taking the Effexor you can begin to find the correct dose of Paxil. Paxil 10mg is the lowest available dose for that drug. There are not any exact dosage comparisons available between Paxil and Effexor since they are in different drug classes. Unfortunately your reaction to Paxil will determine your dose. If you do stop Paxil in the future it would also be advisable to stop gradually by decreasing the dose over a period of time to avoid possible side effects.
