Long Effexor withdrawal proccess

[alb1268]

Hi,

I will like to find out if someone out there have or heard of my withdrawals proccess. I stoped taking effexor xr (was taking 75mg for 2 years and then just taper off to 37.5 for 1 week)in Feb 17.  I did not have any withdrawal symptons right away.  My symptons started almost 1 month to be exact (March 19).  This was the same with paxil about 3 years ago (stopped taking 20 mg cold turkey.  My doctor says that I probably have a very slow metabolism.  I think he is right but I like to confirm it.  Have anybody read or seen somebody like me?  Please feel free to e-mail me @ ***@****.

Thanks in advance

[carole]

I started taking Effexor XR in December.  Went from 37.5 mg. to 75. mg. to 150 to 225 mg.  In April my GYN told me to stop it.  I discontinued it abruptly.  After one day I had vivid, abornmal dreams. dizziness, double-vision.  Resumed the medication.  In June I started tapering off from 225 mg. to 187 mg. to 150 mg. to 75. mg. to 37.5 mg, a four-week period.  After stopping at 37.5 mg. I had dizziness, vision  problems and headache.  I resumed the medication at 18.5 mg. and am now to 10.5 mg.  At this level I still have some dizziness in the afternoon.  Next week I'll go 4 mg.  It's tough  breaking those capsules into so many parts.  Hopefully at that point I can stop.  I wish I had been told what this medication does.

[ATW]

I took Effexeron for 5 months for severe anxiety.  Started at the 75 mg. dosage up to 300 mg. daily. I was able to deal with the anxiety and have self medicated myself off the drug cutting down the daily dosage, and then alternately reducing the days I took the drug until 2 weeks ago, when I stopped altogether.  The anxiety hasn't returned but I am experiencing severe ringing in my ears, described by others as the sound of electrical charges going back and forth. Also associated with the phenomena is sudden head turns can cause a momentary blurring of the sound.  Has anybody else out there had these symptons?  The sound in my head seems to have started when I started taking the drug.

[crazelade]

hi, i have been on efflexor for about 1 yr. so far so good. the only problem id when i forget or runo out and miss a day. ifeel horrible. very dizzy, almost like sinus infection, and very off balance.im taking 150 mg. dont think ive had side affects like wieght gain like some said. talked to a lasy who takes lamictal and serequel and said it made her lose alot of wight. also said sha was bi-polar. dont think i am. anyone on that med and lose weight too?
best of mental health to all
cra-ze-lade

[ATW]

I took Effexeron for 5 months for severe anxiety.  Started at the 75 mg. dosage up to 300 mg. daily. I was able to deal with the anxiety and have self medicated myself off the drug cutting down the daily dosage, and then alternately reducing the days I took the drug until 2 weeks ago, when I stopped altogether.  The anxiety hasn't returned but I am experiencing severe ringing in my ears, described by others as the sound of electrical charges going back and forth. Also associated with the phenomena is sudden head turns can cause a momentary blurring of the sound.  Has anybody else out there had these symptons?  The sound in my head seems to have started when I started taking the drug.

[lizp]

I have been on 75mg of EffexorXR for 1 year.  I decided I wanted to go off it as I have been feeling well for some time.  My doctor (with advice from a friend of hers who is a shrink)has prescribed 37.5mg XR once a day for 2 wks , then 18.75mg of effexor(reg) once a day for 2 wks. I'm hoping that this tappering method will be adequate. Any comments???

[lizp]

bb

[lizp]

I have been on 75mg of EffexorXR for 1 year.  I decided I wanted to go off it as I have been feeling well for some time.  My doctor (with advice from a friend of hers who is a shrink)has prescribed 37.5mg XR once a day for 2 wks , then 18.75mg of effexor(reg) once a day for 2 wks. I'm hoping that this tappering method will be adequate. Any comments???

[hampster]

I have been on effexor for approx. 2years. when I ran out of the medication while between doctors; I experienced several disturbing withdrawal symptoms: paranoia, horrible nightmares from which it was very hard to wake, nausea, physicall weaknes and an odd sensation when  I would either turn my head quickly to look at something or stand up quickly. I am 24 and a recovering Heroin addict .I was prescribed effexor for PTSD afted a violent car accident which resulted in an amputation. The only respite I noticed in these symptoms occured after my daily 70-90mg dose of methadone. I do'nt suggest using an opiate/opiod to eleviate these problems, but state only that for 4-8 hours a day, while w/o effexor, most of the symptoms: nausea,paranoia, and the problem with standing-up, abated.
Good luck.

[princesscooi]

I have been on Effexor for about 8 months. I was up to 225mg. My psychiatrist felt that it was making me bipolar so he weaned me 150, 75 and I have stopped for 4 days. I've been sick since he cut my dose down. I've been sick to my stomache dizzy sleeping for 24hrs. Suicidaul and self hurting with one sucide attempt. I took myself into emergency because I thought I was dying. I am  now take lithium 900mg and serequel to help me sleep. Effexor should only be used in dire straights.

[Peagee]

WEAN OFF THEM MUCH MORE SLOWLY. Go back slowly to a dose that doesn't give you withdrawals and from then on shave just a tiny bit off for a while.  If you still feel relatively OK on that then shave off a tiny bit more for a while, etc.  All the best
Paula.

[wings4angels]

Hello, I have been on Effexor for about 3 years now and am trying to come off of it. I was very sick stsrting it for a good 4 weeks and now that i am coming off the med i am having the same symptoms or ever worse. i have went from 225mg to 75mg over the past 3 weeks and i still am very ill.
Any help in this area?
email me plase
***@****
Thanks!

[Peagee]

Hugs - I so hope you can work through it and that you get support and information.  Do a search. When you search, also type in side effects withdrawal support.  That should bring you up some places that will help.

Best of luck.
Paula
http://paxilsupport.homestead.com/Index.html

[squires5]

I stopped taking effexor the last week of Dec. 2001.  By Jan. 7, 2002 I had attempted suicide.  No one ever told me that this could happen when stopping this medication.  I had no insurance and was left on my own with meds.  I became horribly sick while on effexor.  The physical reactions were never discussed.  I was told it would not cause weight gain, I gained 30 lbs.  I began having physical ailments that landed me at dr.s offices from family physician to cat scans.  All of these terrible reactions were gone after I got out of the hospital from the suicide attempt.  I still feel like I suffer from withdrawals but not the physical illness.  I am on wellbutrin and celexa now.  My depression overall was alot worse after the effexor than it was before.  I am still struggling day to day just to live.

[JustSayNo]

EffexorFX - Venlafaxine (Effexor, Efexor) side effects, withdrawal symptoms, patient support
http://www.effexorfx.freeuk.com/

[JustSayNo]

SSRI's: Effexor - Severe discontinuation symptoms can occur after missing a single dose

Aust N Z J Psychiatry 1998 Apr;32(2):291-4

Withdrawal reactions associated with (Effexor/Efexor) venlafaxine.
Parker G, Blennerhassett J.
http://www.effexorfx.freeuk.com/index.htm

University of New South Wales, Sydney, Australia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this paper is to describe discontinuation syndromes
associated with abrupt and tapered withdrawal fo venlafaxine, and to
document that withdrawal symptoms may occur after missing a single dose.
CLINICAL PICTURE: We report on two patients prescribed venlafaxine. One
developed a broad range of serious side effects after reaching a dose of 300
mg a day, and a severe withdrawal syndrome (including hallucinations) during
a slow taper regime. The second had severe discontinuation symptoms during
and aborting a slow taper regime, and described withdrawal responses after
missing a single dose of venlafaxine. CONCLUSIONS: As for the short-acting,
selective serotonin re-uptake inhibitors, severe discontinuation reactions
may occur with venlafaxine, seemingly marked most distinctly by headache,
nausea, fatigue, dizziness and dysphoria, and may make cessation of the drug
extremely difficult. Two strategies for addressing the concern are
considered.
PMID: 9588310 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

Its definetly possible to have a delayed withdrawal, although it is unusual.  You have to be sure your symptoms indicate withdrawal..sometimes its the wrong conclusion, and the symptoms require some investigation.

[Keegan]

hi, it took me 4-5 days to get off effexor.  i felt like **** getting off of it.  i felt nausea.  and i said i would not ever go back on medication again.  then 2 yrs passed and i was doing fine until now i'm on paxil and i hear that isn't habit forming but, then i hear it is.  what fun!! but, for paxil i would go from you said 20mg then to 10 mg then to 5mg then stop.