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        New Message Board Archives >> Medications, Treatments, Therapies 2003 >> Verapamil Withdrawl?
        
(Message started by: PJS on May 15^th, 2003, 8:11am)

Title: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by PJS on May 15^th, 2003, 8:11am

Hi, I have not posted since late May 2002. I am back, but not with bad news...I just need some advice.

For the past year I have been CH free however I have also been taking 160 mg Verapamil daily. Since I was HA free for so long I thought I would wean myself down to 80mg/day and then stop completely. Well, here I am at 80mg/day (for 1 week) and I am starting to feel some neck stiffness and shadow pain behind the eye and along the temple.

My question, should I expect this as I come off Verapamil and it will go away eventually OR was the 160mg/day working as a prophylactic and I am about to start a cycle again?

Your thoughts are sincerely appreciated since my neuro won’t see me for 8 months and I am kind of on my own making this decision.

Kind personal regards,

PJS

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by Hound_Dogg on May 15^th, 2003, 9:45am

PJS,

I understand your Neuro will not see you for quite some time, but I think you need to discuss this with at least, a Pharmacist.

I'm not too knowledgable on withdrawing from verapamil, since I always stay on it due to high B.P....but a normal taper of any drug is 20 percent per week. Depending on how long you have been on it.

Jim

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by PJS on May 15^th, 2003, 3:02pm

Thank you Jim.

I have spoken with my GP and he is on side. I am most interested in any experiences people have had coming off verapamil and CH's returning immediately thereafter.

Thanks again for the response!

PJS

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by Roxy on May 15^th, 2003, 3:47pm

You've been on verap a lot longer than I have, so this might not help you at all. I started verap at the end of January, 360 mg a day. A few weeks later, with no changes in my ch's I upped it to 540. I still couldn't tell any difference, so a few weeks ago, I tried to cut back to 360 a day, was going to wean myself all the way off....and I got hammered. Since my ch's come with no ryhme or reason, I'm not real sure if the cutting back caused the increases in the ch's or not. But I am very afraid to mess with the dosage anymore.

Hope this helps some,
Tracey

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by Elaine on May 15^th, 2003, 4:18pm

I got tired of all my meds and with my other health problems. I stopped taking my verapmil. I did as you tappered off. I got hit hard for a week. I used my imitrex to kill the beast. I was chronic at the time. I went for months with shadows after that and getting hit off and on. I been PF now since Sept.
Not that that is the reason, I was also taking chemo for another health problem, seems when people take chemo it runs the cluters away.

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by PJS on May 15^th, 2003, 4:56pm

Dear Tracey and Elaine,
Thank you both very much for your advice, it will helpful! I will post an update if anything changes radically. Let's hope they are only shadows and will go away.

PS Tracey, I started at 240mg/day which made the CH's worse. It was increased to 320 and it made things even more unbearable. I finally dropped down to 160mg/day and this was just right for my body chemistry. Don't be afraid to lower it a little, it might just work!

Best regards,

PJS

Title: Re: Verapamil Withdrawl?
Post by NewHeadPLZ on May 16^th, 2003, 1:26pm

on 05/15/03 at 16:18:42, Elaine wrote:

I was also taking chemo for another health problem, seems when people take chemo it runs the cluters away.

Let's all get some Chemo ::) ::)

Hope your doing okay now Elaine - wasn't tryin to make fun of you - just thought I'd drop in a bit of humor, God knows we need some.