Effexor XR help

Anyone taking or took effexor xr and got off of it? My therapist and dr said i can wean off and try just therapy since the meds make me so tired and ive been on them for 2-3 years...But taking it every other day makes me very ill and taking another type of med while wening off the effexor xr doesnt work either..I heard about counting the beads on the inside of thecapsule....but i dont know what to do and noone has any answers for me...this med is ruining my life im barely working and payng bills........thx for any help...
kellie

I was on Effexor XR (75mg) four years ago and discontinued. After trying other meds, I'm back on it at a higher dose. I didn't experience the difficulty you have. Have you told your doctor that you're feeling ill? Since taking a pill every other day isn't working, you could take half your current dose every day and stairstep your way down by in 37.5mg steps, the smallest capsule available. Ask your psychiatrist for samples of 37.5mg so you don't have to pay for a prescription you won't be using. I don't know about counting the capsule beads, but usually you can mix the contents of a capsule in applesauce to ease swallowing, so I imagine once you need to drop below 37.5mg, you could divide the contents and put half into a spoonful of applesauce. Run all of this past your doctor or at least your pharmacist. Best wishes, Kellie, and whether or not this was helpful, I certainly hope you start feeling better!