Stopping Effexor XR

[rcombs70]

I have been taking Effexor XR since March, 2005. I started with 75mg and by mid April was up to 225mg. I have recently become unemployed and cannot afford the medication anymore. It's going to cost me $200 a month just to buy the medication. I've told my doctor that I cannot afford it anymore and he just tells me to 'stay on it' but he's not paying for it. I'm going to have to quit cold turkey. I only have three days left of the medication. I'm also on Clonazepam. I take three 0.5mg tablets daily. I also want to get off of the Clonazepam but decided to wait until after I get over the Effexor XR. I don't think it would be a good idea to quit both of them at once. College starts back on August 29, and I don't want to be withdrawing while I'm trying to study. The horror stories that I've read scares me, but I have no other choice. Can you please tell me what withdrawal symptoms I will experience and how long they will last?

[Roger Gould, M.D.]

You may not have any withdrawal symptoms. It varies. But you should not go off cold turkey because there is still some possibility of seizures to consider.  Space your last three pills and scrape up enough money so you can taper down over a three week period, going down to minimal dose 3 days apart for last week, then stop, and continue with the klonopin.

[ckg]

Instead of stopping the medication totally ----- If you still feel as though you might benefit from EffexorXR ... Wyeth (the drug company that makes Effexor) has a patient assistance program that I've enrolled a few of my patients in.  It's very easy to use and is available on their website.

Most drug companies have these types of programs to help people such as yourself.

Also -- have you checked to see if your college/university has a medical plan that includes RX coverage? This might be an option too.

[tberry1]

Hey all,
    This is my first time on any forum. I've been a reader but I've never logged in and shared. I'd been on Effexor to help control the pain from Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (300mg a day) but gained a ton of weight. Also I had severe itching syndrome (my own term) and would need to sleep with a hair brush (new of course) just to get through the night. Naturally that causes depression even if you're on antidepressents. And the weight gain seemed to only hurt my chronic pain condition.
    But I was also just tested for ADD about two months ago - have it by the way, and now the testing center wants me to go on Wellbutrin for both depression and ADD. In preparation I went off the Effexor even slower than they recommended. Even then the symptoms made me feel like I was going to fall off the face of the earth. I couldn't turn my head without getting dizzy, but more than that I just felt like I was helpless to funtion on my own.
Now completely off Effexor I feel a bit better, but I just had a total hysterectomy 2 weeks ago and the pain and complications due to an infection has caused a Fibromyalgia flare up and you got it - more depression.
I'm really looking forward to beginning the Wellbutrin for the depression but I'm wondering if anyone has had success with combination therapy from an ADD stimulant drug in addtion to Wellbutrin. The testing center said it's possible to do both but before I go to my doctor and discuss options I'd just like to know a bit more from people who've been there.
Thanks and God Bless

[middlepathfollower]

I just stopped taking Effexor about 2 weeks ago after 6 months of use. I decreased my dose slowly over 2 weeks before completely stopping. At first my body reacted to the corresponding decrease in seritonin by giving me adrenaline rushes during the day, I would conk out when I'd come home from work and sleep until the next morning, then things started to stablize in terms of sleep. Lately I feel kind of anxious, but mostly because I am going back to school after taking a semester off and am moving into a new place. My suggestion to you is to turn inwards and really ask yourself what you really feel- in which case you can work it out through self-analysis, meditation, writing, talking to a close friend, etc. I know a lot of my anxiety/depression was brought on because of my over active mind and my lack of self-control. I'm not sure what your unique problem is, but I have started studying Buddhism, Karate, and Yoga and they have inhanced my concentration and determination to beat this stuff without meds. Mental, spiritual, and physical excercise combined definitely helps. Good luck to you.

[bumble]

Hi: I've been trying to wean my effexor xr as well. Motion sickness pills seem to help ALOT!!!!! I have been weaning for 2 weeks and got the tip to use the motion sickness pills to help with the dizzy feeling. They are really helping.Try some, hopefully, it will be better for you as well.

[bloodsweatdesign]

I've been off of my effexor xr for about 5 days now and after talking to my pharmacist and doing some of my own research, ginger seems to help greatly with dizziness and nausea. Here is a link for the effects of ginger and how to take it. I've been chewing a 1/4" piece of peeled, fresh ginger every 4 hours and it is working miracles. Here is the link <a href=http://www.umm.edu/altmed/ConsHerbs/Gingerch.html#HowToTake>ginger</a>

[Grizzlygirl]

greetings to all! so very glad I found this forum.
        today is Day ONE for me
- trying to self-wean off of this horrid drug.
I have been on 150mg a day of XR for almost one year.
Yes, it did help me extremely thru some really, really rough times but now I believe the negative side effects outweigh the positive. (Also, no more insurance...)
I have not been able to sleep, the weight gain is disgusting,
but one of the worst side effects (and this is very hard to admit) is that this crazy drug makes me actually "crave" alcohol.
That was even hard to type :(
Am I the only one?
I want to get away from the E XR Monster.
So; I have chosen to try 75mg a day for 2 weeks and then 37.5mg a day for two weeks - Any advice on this logic? Any success stories out there?
Also interested in which vitamins might help.
Thanks to all & God bless

[justmidge]

I just want to say thank you to everyone that has shared their stories regarding the withdrawls of Effexor XR!  The stories have been a Godsend.  I truly believed that I was going insane.  I was on Prozac for 10 years and really had no side effects.  Just this past June I was experiencing quite a bit of anxiety due to many personal issues, so my doctor replaced my Prozac with Effexor XR.  I have never been so miserable in my life.  I told my doctor a month ago that I wanted off, so he recommended lowering my dosage week by week.  I started at 150mg and eventually went to 37.5mg and now nothing.  I have been having the worst side effects that anyone can imagine.  The nausea, dizziness, "shocking" sensation in my head, and many more.  I find it hard to believe that ANY Physician would prescribe this medication, let alone subscribe it and not mention the effects if and when you discontinue the use.  It's nice to know that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.  I'm looking forward to feeling "normal" again.

I will say a special prayer for all of you that are experiencing these same effects.

Take Care!!

[justmidge]

Can anyone suggest natural or over the counter items to help with the withdrawals?  Also, any input on how long it took you to get through the withdrawals would be greatly appreciated.
Thank you!!

[triplesix]

you dont have to buy the full perscription they willwork with u and give u  half or even less then that as long as u have a refil try that

[mum2two]

I was on Effexor 150 for a year and started tapering in April. I cut my 150 into a morning & evening dose of 75mg. Then I started halfing each of them, 37.5 & 75, 37.5 & 37.5, 19 & 37.5 and just recently (last week) 19 & 19 - splitting a single capsule into 2. Each reduction has led to several days of dizziness, sickness, brain zaps, memory loss.....you name it, I had it. However I have found that ginger capsules have helped alot with the nausea and dizziness. I have tried to keep at least a month in between each reduction and just hope and pray that by the time I am done that I won't need anything else, but if I do then I plan on trying the naturapathic way before I go back on any more pharmacuetical options. Over the total of 4 years that I have been on meds (started by post partum depression after the birth of my second child) I have put on over 20 lbs, most of which appeared with the effexor.

[qattus]

I WOULD LIKE TO ASK ANYONE THAT CAN CLEAR A FEW THINGS FOR ME. FIRST OF ALL I HAVE BEEN ON EFEXOR 150 FOR FOUR YEARS. NOW BY CO-INCEDENT I FOUND MYSELF ON THIS SITE WITH SURPRISINGLY OTHER PEOPLE THAT ARE ON THE SAME DRUG. I HAVE ASKED THE DOCTOR ABOUT SIDE EFFECTS BUT ALL HE KEEPS TELLING ME IS THAT AS LONG AS I'M HAPPY AND HE'S HAPPY THAT I AM HAPPY THEN EVERYONE IS HAPPY. FROM THE MAIL AND STORIES ON THIS SITE IT DOES'NT SOUND LIKE IT'S THAT OK TO BE ON EFEXOR. COULD YOU PLEASE ADVISE ME ON WHAT SORT OF SIDE EFFECTS THIS EFEXOR CAN LEAD YOU INTO. UP TILL NOW I HAD THOUGHT THAT THERE ARN'T ANY SIDE EFFECTS TO WORRY ABOUT. BY THE WAY I'M A 45 Y.O. MALE.PLEASE HELP ME BECAUSE I AM GETTING MORE AND MORE STRESSED NOW THAT I READ ALL YOUR MAIL.
THANKING YOU GRATEFULLY
P.G.

[Head Case]

My doctor put me on Effexor XR for 6 months for migraine headaches.  While on it my side effects were weight loss, decreased sex drive and ability to acheive orgasm, and frequency of urination.  The problem was getting off Effexor.  At my doctors suggestion I went from 150mg per day to 75 per day the first week, then 75 every other day the next week, to 37.5 the next week to stopping.  Immediately when I began tapering off I started having electric shock sensations, loud buzzing in my ears when I moved my head, and inability to sleep.  When I quit it compeletely I had all that plus confusion, agitation, irritability and depression, none of which I had before.  I have been off Effexor 2 months and I am still having parathesia(tingling sensation in my face and body) and shortness of breath at times.  My doctor has done an MRI and has not found any other explanation more than Effexor.   I just pray no permanent damage was done.  I'm not saying not to use Effexor and I know not everyone is affected this strongly however use caution when taking Effexor.  This is a powerful drug that might help people tremendously but I don't know of its long-term affects and neither does Wyeth! I cannot recommend it.

[Docwatty]

I am a 35 year old physician (surgeon). I developed depression while I was in medical school.  I was initially placed on Paxil which I remained on into my surgical training. Towards the middle of my residency, the Paxil began to "poop out."  My psychiatrist decided to first wean off the Paxil prior to starting another medication.  During this time I experienced many of the same withdrawal side-effects being described with Effexor.  I eventually was started on Effexor with good results as far as my depressive symptoms.  
Although not exactly sure why, I feel that I no longer require the medication.  It likely has something to do with a decrease in my overall stress level which was associated with my professional training.  
Recently, I decided it was time to stop the medication.  I was on a fairly large dose, and basically did a gradual taper over a 3-week period.  I had no withdrawal symptoms until completely stopping the medication 2 days ago.  Prior to stopping completely, the last step in the taper was around 35 mg per day.  Today is day #3 off the medication and I am definitely feeling it.  At this point, the symptoms are very much like those I experienced coming off the Paxil, so I definitely think this is something common to SSRI-type drugs.  This is what I have noticed; 1) A general sense of cognitive haziness making it more difficult to focus/concentrate, 2) A feeling of dizziness with anything more than very gradual turning of the head which many describe as "brain bounce."  I also can reproduce this feeling at time by simply blinking my eyes or shifting my focus point, 3) A heightened sense of anxiety which I think is totally understandable given the unpleasant nature of the above, 4) Some nausea, especially "car sickness" when riding, not driving, especially if I try to read something, 5) Some diarrhea, which is what you would expect after stopping a medication which has "anticholinergic" properties (You probably noticed that Effexor can cause relative constipation.  This is a typical anticholinergic side effect. Another is dry mouth/decreased salivation.  It occurs to me as write this that  I am salivating more.  Again, this "rebound effect" is what one would expect after stopping such a medication.)  I am not having a recurrence of my typical depressive symptoms, and strangely my mood is often upbeat.
Flat out, this withdrawal phenomenon is real and it  really stinks!!!  However, I am dealing with it much better (at this point) than I did coming off the Paxil because I have a sense of what to expect.  When I stopped the Paxil, I had no idea what was happening and it was SCARY.  I want to emphasize that simply knowing what to expect has, thus far, made a huge difference.  I know that what I am feeling is withdrawal from a drug, nothing more. I am not "going crazy."  Although it is more challenging, I can still function well at work and at home.  I know that this will improve (it did with the Paxil after about 3 weeks), and in the end I am confident that I will be better for it.  I hope this helps you guys, I know it has helped me just writing it.

KWW

[Docwatty]

I am a 35 year old physician (surgeon). I developed depression while I was in medical school.  I was initially placed on Paxil which I remained on into my surgical training. Towards the middle of my residency, the Paxil began to "poop out."  My psychiatrist decided to first wean off the Paxil prior to starting another medication.  During this time I experienced many of the same withdrawal side-effects being described with Effexor.  I eventually was started on Effexor with good results as far as my depressive symptoms.  
Although not exactly sure why, I feel that I no longer require the medication.  It likely has something to do with a decrease in my overall stress level which was associated with my professional training.  
Recently, I decided it was time to stop the medication.  I was on a fairly large dose, and basically did a gradual taper over a 3-week period.  I had no withdrawal symptoms until completely stopping the medication 2 days ago.  Prior to stopping completely, the last step in the taper was around 35 mg per day.  Today is day #3 off the medication and I am definitely feeling it.  At this point, the symptoms are very much like those I experienced coming off the Paxil, so I definitely think this is something common to SSRI-type drugs.  This is what I have noticed; 1) A general sense of cognitive haziness making it more difficult to focus/concentrate, 2) A feeling of dizziness with anything more than very gradual turning of the head which many describe as "brain bounce."  I also can reproduce this feeling at time by simply blinking my eyes or shifting my focus point, 3) A heightened sense of anxiety which I think is totally understandable given the unpleasant nature of the above, 4) Some nausea, especially "car sickness" when riding, not driving, especially if I try to read something, 5) Some diarrhea, which is what you would expect after stopping a medication which has "anticholinergic" properties (You probably noticed that Effexor can cause relative constipation.  This is a typical anticholinergic side effect. Another is dry mouth/decreased salivation.  It occurs to me as write this that  I am salivating more.  Again, this "rebound effect" is what one would expect after stopping such a medication.)  I am not having a recurrence of my typical depressive symptoms, and strangely my mood is often upbeat.
Flat out, this withdrawal phenomenon is real and it  really stinks!!!  However, I am dealing with it much better (at this point) than I did coming off the Paxil because I have a sense of what to expect.  When I stopped the Paxil, I had no idea what was happening and it was SCARY.  I want to emphasize that simply knowing what to expect has, thus far, made a huge difference.  I know that what I am feeling is withdrawal from a drug, nothing more. I am not "going crazy."  Although it is more challenging, I can still function well at work and at home.  I know that this will improve (it did with the Paxil after about 3 weeks), and in the end I am confident that I will be better for it.  I hope this helps you guys, I know it has helped me just writing it.

KWW

[alainb1]

I can’t tell you how happy I was to find this site. I’m a 52 year-old white male, with most of the normal complaints that come with the middle class life in America today, moderately high blood pressure, moderately high cholesterol as well as a history of depression that I believe is probably genetic. I am taking BP medications [low doses of Hyzaar and Cozaar on alternate days]; Lipitor for the cholesterol and had been taking 50 mg of Zoloft daily for about 6 years. To offset the feelings of fatigue and lethargy [could fall asleep at the drop of a hat] my GP and I started a trial course of Provigil [modafinil], 200 mg daily in the morning, a medication that was developed for narcolepsy. It actually helped quite a bit, though some might find the energizing effects a little overwhelming. It’s a new class of drug that acts on the dopamine receptor so it does not stimulate like caffeine or amphetamines, you are not “wired” but just “awake”. Biggest problem was the cost, the branded American Provigil runs around $6.00 a dose form the cheapest on-line pharmacy and it is not on the “approved” list of Blue Cross. I also take the normal panoply of multi-vitamins, SloNiacin, baby aspirin, CoQ10, and glucosamine for joints. Started seeing a psychiatrist about 3 months ago in part because I felt the Zoloft had “pooped out” and was not working anymore. He switched me to Effexor XR and I currently taking about 75 mg a day. The withdrawal from Zoloft was gradual over 2 weeks and fairly trouble free, except for extraordinarily vivid dreams. The first couple of weeks of Effexor XR seemed pretty normal; energy level was up, though I was feeling a little “off” which I attributed beginning a new drug. Because of miscommunication between my psychiatrist, insurer and drug store I had the misfortune of actually running out of my prescription and was without for a couple of days. I started feeling really, really bad, confused, anxious, vertigo, really out of sorts and I did not suspect the Effexor until the third day. I was able to refill the script and within a few hours of taking the next dose the problems disappeared. I discussed this with my psychiatrist and he “remembered” that Effexor XR has a very short life in the body, basically 12-15 hours, but since I was feeling better and my dose was so low he did not feel the need to change. 2 months later and I am experiencing all sorts of side effects. The first thing I noticed were headaches in the morning that turned out to be the result of an increase in blood pressure, which was quite odd since the meds I’m taking had me at text book 120-80. I also put on weight, my diet and weight had been stable for literally years and in 3 months I added 10lbs, first time in my life I was ever over 200 lbs. About 2 weeks ago I started overheating and breaking into drenching sweats at the slightest exertion, bending over to pick up a book. I also noticed that my vision was suffering, hard to describe, I wear glasses and have no problem seeing but it’s like one eye is out of alignment with the other. The sexual side effects are also very odd, my libido is actually up but my ability to maintain an erection and the ejaculate has almost disappeared, taking literally hours to achieve orgasm. The general caveat about SSRI’s and alcohol seem particularly cogent with Effexor, seems to amplify the effect in odd and dramatic ways, I usually have 2 beers with dinners but lately that has been a debilitating amount of alcohol.  

My question is, given the extremely short life of this drug in the system, what is the most effective strategy for withdrawal. This drug is not like Zoloft where each day lowers the amount of the drug in your system by half [If you just stopped taking the drug cold turkey, which I don’t recommend, Day 1-100 mg, Day 2-50 mg, Day 3-25 mg, Day 4-12.5 mg and so on]. My understanding is with Effexor XR that active part of the drug is completely out of your system in less than 24 hours, when you take your dose each day you are actually starting fresh. If this is true then the tapering discussed in this and other threads about Effexor doesn’t seem right. Seems to me by reducing the dose from one day to the next you are in fact going through a whole cycle of re-introduction and withdrawal each and every day, actually many mini-withdrawals. Does anyone have thoughts about a withdrawal regimen that reduces the doses but over a shorter time cycle 75 mg in the morning, 37.5 mg 15 hours later, half that 15 hours later and so on until you reach a dose so small that your body no longer reacts. Overall I’d say this is a not a good drug and would not recommend it to anyone, even at the lowest doses. It should probably not be on the market. I intend to replace it with another SSRI, something with less dramatic side effects as soon as I can figure out a way to get off of it

[offeffexor]

Hi, Thanks for the informative posts. I was on effexor only for a week and half in which time I have taken 7 37.5 and 5 of 75 tablets. Can I stop cold turkey... If I do what are the sideeffects and how long will it take for me to get rid of all the side effects. Please help....

[KathyMF]

My doctore just put me on effexor xr daily to manage my headaches and migraines.  Has anyone heard of this being prescribed for this purpose?  I can't find in anything I've read where this helps with daily management of headaches.

[texaskathy]

Dear KathyMF,

My dr, a nuerologist who specializes in new onset of chronic headaches, just prescribed Effexor XR for my daily, chronic headaches that I have had since I gave birth to my daughter in June 05.  He said take 37.5mg first week, 75mg second week, and 150 mg third and fourth week.  I have taken the 37.5 for three days now and feel very nauseated.  I am also breastfeeding and trying to wean, which concerns me but I have been told by several reliable sources that it is relatively safe.  

I am so scared now after reading all the withdrawl problems that people have had.  I wonder if there are any alternatives out there for us.

Kathy

[Rutegaard]

Thanks docwatty for sharing. Somehow it's comforting to know doctors can have mental health problems as well. (I do in no way mean to be insensitive! I'm not happy you have had mental health issues, I'm happy I'm as human as anyone.)

[dmgvrn22]

Effexor XR was recommended to me by my radiology oncologist, when I saw him in January of '05, after I told him about the bouts of sweating I had been having for the last two months. I am through with menapause but have been on tamoxifen for over four years after breast cancer. Some doctors feel it could be from this medication. He gave me a sample box of E XR with a  week of 37.5 mg and a week of 75 mg. When I saw my GP doctor, he gave me the same sample boxes, enough for five months. I took the 37.5 mg for five weeks and the 75 mg for six weeks. I began to notice strange bruises, muscle twitching, and severe cramping in my feet, legs and hands. I mentioned it to my GP in passing and brought up discontinuing the med. He said not to do it cold turkey. That is when I found your site online and began reading all the side effects and how difficult it can be to go off it. I decided I didn't need a drug like this for the sweating, although the sweating was miserable, and the med did help. It sounds like a good drug for severe depression but I was not depressed. After reading everything all of you had to say about the drug and about getting off it, I decided to wean myself off of it. I went back to taking the 37.5 for a week, then 19 mg (half a capsule) for another week, and on Oct 1st nothing. After two days, I'm experiencing the vertigo, the empty feeling in my head and the "shocking sensations" in my head as "justmidge" mentioned in her comment. I have some Meclazine for vertigo and decided to try that for the dizziness. I don't want to go back on it to wean slower so I guess I'll see it through. Physicians do not do their job when it comes to giving the facts on medications, especially the ones you can become addicted to. I am an RN and should have known better and looked into it before I agreed to take it. I guess we are always looking for a quick fix and perscription meds are not always the answer. I am hoping with the cold weather coming, I have half a chance of not sweating to death along with the embarassment and maybe getting off the Tamoxifen in January hopefully will help. Thanks for listening. It does help to talk about it and hear that others are having similar problems with this drug. Good luck to everyone.

[Rutegaard]

I hear you. It's shame you were put on such a powerful, powerful psychotropic drug simply to diminish sweating. Hopefully everything is working out for you!

[dmgvrn22]

I have been off of Effexor XR since Oct 4. A slight dizzy sensation remains and also the "shocking sensations" in my head. I only hope that these side effects aren't permanent. I hope everyone is doing well.

[goatygurl]

I have been taking 75 mg of Effexor for almost 1 1/2 years.  I have gained 20 pounds in the last year.  I have recently started weaning off it because of the weight loss, sexual disfunciton, and my depression would come and go even though I was taking this medication.

There have been a couple of times in the past that I forgot to take my medication and the withdrawals were TERRIBLE.  I went from 75 mg to a week of 37.5 mg a day and now 37.5 mg every other day.  I have done the every other day for a week now and I am on my second day of not taking it and I must say that I am not doing very well.

Besides being terribly scared that I will never be able to stop taking this medication. I am having headaches, I want to puke, I can't sleep at night, I just want to bust out into tears, I can't think and feel as if I am in a fog.  I also have these weird sensations in my head like a just took a whole handful of white cross tops.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with these unrully withdrawl symptoms?