The hardest habit to kick

Goodbye, EffexorXR. And good riddance.

In two days last month, I decreased my dose from 450mg to 150mg. In two days this week, I decreased my dose from 150mg to ... nothing. Crazy? Yes. If Paul knew, he'd kill me. But I see it as an exercise in self-preservation. It's time for me to admit that I'm physically addicted to this drug and find a way to break that tie.

Withdrawal is the pits. Going from 450mg to 150mg was very hard. And quitting completely is nearly impossible. I'm dizzy and shaky. Imagine spinning around in a circle 30 or 40 times before getting behind the wheel of your car. That's me. I've done my best to offset the effects: I've increased my doses of vitamins C (regulates neurotransmitters), B3 (treats mood disorders), B6 (balances hormones and moods), B9 (treats anxiety) and B12 (fights fatigue). I've also added a steady flow of meclizine and doxylamine (both for nausea), naproxen (for the constant migraine) and caffeine (to increase uptake speed).

Hey, that cocktail seems to be doing the trick so far. The worst movement of the day is sitting up in bed. After things kick in, I'm good to go. I visit the doc on Thursday, so we'll see what happens from there.

What else is going on in the Kate pipeline? Well ... I'm thinking about driving to Jacksonville to see Carrie. This is complicated slightly by the fact that (a.) Paul's going to Texas for, like, damn near forever to do some research; and (b.) it's a really long drive. So my plans hinge largely on whether I can secure a compadre as a reserve driver. All the pressure's on you, Jeremy. ::grins::

Carrie, Monstee and I have started PuzzleDonkey 1, which we're slowly attacking as a team via AIM. It's funny, how we all think a little bit differently -- we've each been responsible for solving some of the problems. Anyway, it's not too late to get in on this with us. Just drop me an IM tonight and I'll hook you up.

Okie dokie, time to get a move on. Peace and love, guyzos.