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Effexor withdrawl

Anyone made it through the withdrawl symptoms yet?
Been completely off effexor (after gradual weaning) for 6 days now. that jolting feeling comes and goes - notice it more in the evening, the nausea has gone away but still have these incredible mood swings. they are different than depression - it's like all of a sudden i am just ANGRY or start crying and can't stop!
when does this end?
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Avatar universal
I haven’t yet.  It doesn’t sound like many have.  You almost become a drug addict even though this drug is not addictive.  It is.  The withdrawal is so bad it makes you stay on it.
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17887548 tn?1461085376
when u are in the middle of the withdrawls and u just want to die just tell yourself ok one more day get thru one more day. As I sit here and type this I am in the middle of withdrawls from Effexor. It was my decision to get off that crap. I am now on wellbuterin I went cold turkey off the Effexor.....BAD idea but I am a stuborn man and this is not gonna kick my *** I am gonna kick it's ***. Everything others have mentioned here that they are going thru or went thru I am experiencing right now. I think this drug should be banned outlawed I mean look what it has done to us. So to all of you going thru it just hang tough and see what happens if u think for a second that you might need to go to the hospital I suggest you do so don't let this beat you.
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Avatar universal
day three no effexor and lucky me i also started my period perfect... i have all symptoms and i feel so sorry for my fiance the hell he as well is going through...i cant stand this i really cant...i wish i was never on the drug
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Avatar universal
Guys you can do it easy with Prozac, no withdrawals, just switch to Prozac then slowly come off the Prozac! It works , I tried cold turkey with Effexor, was sobbing a whole day and wanted to die, the a psych friend told me to use Prozac.
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Avatar universal
I'm so grateful I found this forum.

I ran out of Venlafaxine (Effexor in US) last Thursday and can't get a new script till today, Monday.  Since then I have sweated enought to saturate the bed every night, then froze and shivered till the next attack of sweating.  I'm reeling around as if I'm drunk.  My eyes don't focus.  My stomach feels like I've eaten a whole whale without chewing.  I have these fizzy feelings inside my brain and even in my legs, like someone has filled me up with sherbet which is slowly dissolving.  And the nausea, don't get me started!  Even feeding the cats makes me puke.  Anything to do with meat - even the smell of cooking from next door's barbie - will make me nauseous.

I've been eating sunflower seeds, at least I can get them down, but a small packet of them leaves me feeling bloated and sick.  

Then there's the sudden shortness of breath and the coughing.  (One good side effect - I'm a 20 a day smoker, now down to 5!)

One other complicating factor: I'm a diabetic so the lack of food is compounding the dizziness as I'm going into hypos quite regularly.  I'm counter-acting this with glucose tablets and the occasional lolly (popsicle) which keeps me from falling over altogether.

BUT, I'm nearly there.   I know from this forum that the worst is over and I'm not going back on those horrible tablets again.  I was on 225mg at one point, got that down to 150mg, and that's what I'm withdrawing from after five years.  I won't be picking up my script today - I haven't gone through all this just to start taking them again and maybe face the withdrawal all over again sometime in the future.

Cold turkey is definitely not the way to stop taking the tablets - the physical effects are like nothing I've ever experienced.  But as I said, this withdrawal was accidental.  For those of you who are going to try and get off them in a staged withdrawal, can I recommend the following:

1.  Get some herbal tablets to help you sleep.  Don't take pharmaceutical drugs, you're only pouring more heavy duty compounds into your system.  Over here in the UK we have a chain called Holland & Barratt which sells a tablet called Peaceful Night with hops, valerian and passion flower in it.  Something like that will help you get through the worst of the sweating at night.

2.  Get some lavender or geranium essential oil.  Put it on your pillows and bedding, and smooth some on your chest before you go to bed.  It will help you relax at night.

3.  You won't be able to eat much so get in fruit to have ready when you start your withdrawal.  Your system won't react so badly to that.  (I've just had a banana and it feels like I've eaten a sofa, but that's not half as bad as the constant nausea from 'real' food like bread, cheese, meat, milk etc)

4.  Drink loads - not booze, that's just going to make you dizzier.  Tea, good English tea without milk - or herbal tea.  And real fruit juice, diluted so you don't spend your entire day in the toilet!  Cranberry juice is a good one - it'll help flush out your system.  Or lemon barley water.  The aim is to wee those toxins out asap!

5.  Have some treats.  Mine is lollies (popsicles).  Yours might be ice-cream or sweeties.  Have some sucky-sweets like barley sugar which will help with the nausea.  Be good to yourself.

6.  If you're working, phone in sick.  You are sick, very sick.  Don't force yourself into work where you'll be no use to man or beast.  You'll be clumsy and your eyes will not focus properly.  If you work with machinery or drive, you're a menace.  If you work with people in a shop or office, they'll be the ones who'll have to carry you.  So take a few days off till you're over the worse - three or four days should do it.

7.  If you're at home, read, watch comedy (someone else suggested this and it's a great idea), go on the shopping channels online and fill your basket with stuff - then delete it all and start again!  The very act of looking at things and making choices will take your mind off your withdrawal symptoms.  (Don't do this if you have a compulsive personality though - you'll end up bankrupt!).  Watch sport.  Have a small bet on the horsies - same reservations apply as for the shopping channels!  And if you follow a really bad football team like I do, shouting and swearing at the screen is a great distraction!

8.  And if you have a God, pray to Him/Her/Them.  Don't start wailing and crying about how bad it is - just ask for the strength to get by.  

If you don't have a God, remember someone who you loved and who has passed.  Draw strength from the memory of them.  (I'm crying now, but that's fine).  Take strength from whatever source you can.

8.  Don't sleep during the day.  Night time is worst.  You need to be asleep as much as possible during the night.  If you can get out and do a bit of walking or maybe go to the pool, do so.   Tire yourself as much as you can during the day.

I hope this helps some of you out there.  I haven't had particularly bad emotional side effects - just the odd fit of crying several times a day.  And, for the first time in five years, I had a sexual feeling the other day.  (Prior to this I had no libido whatsoever).  

Please see there's light at the end of the tunnel.  You can get off this drug - withdrawing is horrible, but in its own way, it's no worse than root canal treatment.  Keep things in perspective - the symptoms will pass, and the great benefit of this drug, its short half life, means you will be physically free of it in a week.  Expect emotional relapses - cry all you want without shame.  Just let it out.  Warn others to expect this and to just ignore you.  You don't need sympathy.  Because YOU'RE WINNING!   You're beating it!  How many of you haven't been able to cry for years because of this flippin' drug!  You're feeling something.  HURRAH!  Celebrate it and cry and laugh and know you're getting better.

Big love to all fellow Venlafaxine survivors.  God bless.  Es xxx





8.  

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Avatar universal
Hi Alana,  I am experiencing the horrible side affects of w/d from effexor and tempted to try the prozac.  Just wondering how you are holding up and how long it has been since you stopped?  Did you switch to any other anti-depressant?  My doc has put me on 300mg of wellbutrin and I am now on 37.5mg of effexor every 3rd day for over a month!!
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Avatar universal
Hi everyone.  I just wanted to let you all know that I have now been Effexor free for almost 6 months and am feeling like my old self again.  For all of you who are trying to get off of this drug, please read my previous messages.  I think what helped me the most was I did not rush to get off of the pills this last time.  Once I got down to 37.5 mg, I took that amount daily for two weeks.  Then I started taking 37.5 mg every other day for two weeks.  When the two weeks were up, I stopped but I made sure I still had some pills left over and carried those damn things with me for about a month.  It just gave me comfort knowing I had some just in case.  I would suggest to some of you that you may want to take a 37.5 mg dose every two days after that.....if you feel like you need to.  Like I had previously said, if at all possible, plan to take your final pill the day before you go on holidays....as it is much easier knowing that you don't have to go to work the next day and that you can sleep in if you've had a bad night.

As most of you know, Effexor makes you gain weight.  I have now lost 1/2 of the weight I had gained and hopefully can lose the other 1/2 soon.  I am going to the gym about 3 times a week and that in itself makes you feel much better.

Sandi
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Avatar universal
Im so glad im not the only one suffering this nightmare from hell trying to get off effexor.  I think I know more than the GP so that doesnt help.  He suggests strategies and they fail, like a lot of you I feel stuck on them, since Ive been on anti-depressants i feel as though I only half alive, kind of going through lifes motions but not really living it.  Anyone else feel like this.
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Avatar universal
I have been on Effexor XR 150 mg for almost 9 years now and about 5 years ago I did try to wean myself off...took the 75 mg capsule and the 37.5 mg tablet for a few weeks and though this helped to not have the crazy shakes/veritgo I did really start to have bad mood swings and crazy anxiety. At that point I did not want to have another depressive episode so I not only went back on the 150 mg of Effexor but then added 10 mg of Lexapro.

While I'm definitely stable mood wise and feel good (mentally) I am always tired, have gained weight, have the night sweats, etc. I would be fine staying like this though I don't like being dependent on drugs but have recently been thinking about becoming pregnant in the next 2 years. I'm getting older, in a great relationship and feeling pretty good.

Both Lexapro and Effexor are not ok to be on while pregnant or trying to become pregnant. So I'm going to make an appt with my psychiatrist to discuss. Very interested in seeing what he says about this. Will definitely share if I learn anything new.
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Avatar universal
I stopped taking effexor xr 150mg 7 days ago. I stopped cold turkey.  The withdrawal is horrendous. I have had severe withdrawals from nausea, vomiting, brain and eye zaps, brain tremors, insomnia even though I am so tired, massive mood swings from rage, anger, irritability, constant hysterical  crying, I am seriously suicidal several times a day, sometimes all day, struggling to keep myself from actually killing myself daily. Violent thoughts towards my most loved ones. My doctor had given me some valium to help with my severe side effects and is hoping they should subside in a few days. I am a full time uni student with essays and exams due. I am a single parent with 3 young children, my eldest child is 8 yrs old as suffers with autism. All I can say is god please help me through this and please stop  this emotional, moody, angry, suicidal rollercoaster ride. Or I will have to stop it myself.
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Avatar universal

I find it interesting that most of the people on here who have tried to go off of Effexor, ended up going on it...whether it was shortly after or a year later.  I have yet to read anyone say that they successfully weaned themselves off and STAYED off.

MY EXPERIENCE WITH EFFEXOR:
I have been on it for about 7 YEARS, I take 150mg/day. I've tried to go off of it 3 times now, by slowly weaning my prescription over several weeks, but failed to ever successfully be off of it because I had terrible mood swings, uncontrollable crying, depression and anxiety attacks.  I tried to wait it out and see how long I could go to see if things would get better. I think I went a month without Effexor, but the withdrawal symptoms did not let up so I always ended up going back on.  
The good thing about me trying to wean myself off...was that my tolerance had decreased, so it became more effective once I started taking it again. The bad news is, I'm still on it and don't know when or if I will ever be able to successfully stop taking it. :( And I'm only 25, what if I want to have kids someday :(
Effexor helps me with my depression, but it certainly does not CURE it. It decreases my energy level substantially, but I guess that is a side effect I have been willing to endure to help my depression
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1664626 tn?1303031494
hi i am just like everyone else on the site. i have just gone off 150mg cold turkey and am on my 4th day things are not good. i am going to my docs on wed to see if i can get a prescription for Prozac as i have been reading it helps with the withdrawals. any way just letting you know that i have been doing a lot of research on this and have been reading that the drug you have just started to take has almost as bad symptoms as effexor not that i have been on this drug myself just thought i would give you the heads up. good luck.
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Avatar universal
oh my does effexsor really do all that... is it really a bad drug to be on?   my doctor just put me on that yesterday and its 75mg a day.  if it is not a good drug i dont want it... i have only took one and i dont like the feeling,  i feel high and confused... i am constantly thristy and i think i am hungry but not sure its like i am totally confused..  i feel like i am going to throw up and just feel so funny... is this normal???

imput very appreciated       crazygirl (jennifer)


















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Avatar universal
After reading all these, I am really scared about this.  I've been on 150 mg for about 2 and 1/2 years now since I was diagnosed with SAD.  It helped tremendously, but I am hoping to get pregnant by year-end and everything I had read suggests that this drug is very dangerous to take while pregnant.  

I certainly had my fair share of symptoms when starting up - I remember I was foggy, had brain zaps, bad memory, and dizzy for about 3 days each when switching up.  So I do know the symptoms you all talk about and they are scary.  It's definitely not possible to live anything approaching a normal life while going through them.  

I like the drug - at least, I did before reading all this - it certainly helped my depression and I haven't had a single migraine since going on it, but I really want to get pregnant.  I've got about 7 months until I want to start trying - I've read here that a little bit of prozac helps, and I've read that vitamin D, and Omega 3 will help with symptoms.  I'm willing to try all those things.

Is there anyone out there who can give some positive news about weaning off this drug?  Is it really possible to get off this thing if you wean yourself off slowly and stay off of it with no physical symptoms afterward?  I think my SAD symptoms can be managed going forward with Vitamin D and light therapy, so I'm not worried about that, but I am terrified about how badly weaning myself off this could mess up my life.  I really wish my doctor had told me about this before putting me on it - but I appreciate that I was in a really bad state by the time I went to her and was willing to do ANYTHING to improve the depression.  

I just need to hear some good news from someone and not more of these terrifying stories!

Thanks!,
Cindy
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Avatar universal
I've been on Effexor XR 150mg for about 7 years now and I'm absolutely terrified of coming off them. Both because of the withdrawals and also because I'm afraid I'll collapse mentally without them. So far the longest I've gone without them was 6 days as some kind of self-destructive masochism and it was one of the worst experiences of my life. Constant sweating, fever, those weird brain *zaps*, dizziness, loss of coordination and balance, itchy skin, huge mood swings. I found I became a lot more emotionally aware and found myself on the verge of tears any time anything even remotely sad happened. I was ALWAYS hungry, even 10 minutes after eating a whole pizza I'd be scowering the kitchen for more food, however I didn't gain any weight despite all the food which leads me to believe my metabolism also went ballistic.

I'm afraid I've become to totally dependent on what I'm coming to see as an awful drug, and while I wont deny it helped when I started taking XR I'm not sure it does anything any more other than make me emotionally numb and I'm still not sure whether or not that's a bad thing or whether or not the things I feel when I stop taking them are because of the withdrawals or what I'd actually feel without the drug. I tried dropping down to 75mg for a week and it was almost as bad. I find myself thinking about terrible things, like I'll be walking home from work and just suddenly have an almost uncontrollable urge to scream at a complete stranger or throw myself in front of a bus.

I guess I'm just terrified of anything and everything to do with what has become the bane of my existence.
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1604515 tn?1297799655
I was on 300mg a day and because of the weight and sexual side effects decided to switch to Wellbutron.  My doctor gave me instructions on how to cut down and said I would have to be completely off of them for 2 weeks before starting the Wellbutron.  I am currently on day 3 of the two weeks without and the side effects are horrible; loss of balance, nausea, dizziness, sleeplessness, drained of energy, blah, blah, blah.  I have a full-time job and am in my last semester of my Master's degree and this is terrible.  Makes me wonder if I really want to go on another med at all.  I have fibromyalgia and take Lyrica (causes weight gain, too) and have noticiably increased symptoms while cutting down on Effexor.  Thanks for all of your posts, so I know that I'm not imagining all of this and that there is a light at the end of the tunnel.
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Avatar universal
Hi all.  7 days now without Effexor....each day  gets better and better.  

There was one important thing that I forgot to share with everyone the other day.  The first time I went off of Effexor, it was my last pill and I had none left.  That drug does weird things to your mind....all I kept thinking was....crap...I have no more pills left.  Just knowing that stressed me out big time and sure enough, within a few days I was right back on it.  This time although I have no intentions of going back on this drug I still carry a bottle of 37.5's with me in my purse...for some strange reason just knowing I have some in my purse creates less stress in my mind.  
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1546072 tn?1293662684
I am on Effexor 300 mg a day, Cymbalta 120 mg a day along with oxycotin 120mg a day , ambien nightly, and  and need to take laxatives because of the onxycotin. plus a few other medicarions, well, now my new problem, today is my 10day off effexor, cold turkey due to worker's comp not approving it when I have been on it awhile now, I am afraid of the systoms . Thanks for listening..... Hate the cold turkey withdrawals..
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Avatar universal
Ok...let's try this again!  Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all!

Crap the post I had typed up had everything I wanted to tell you....hope I am able to remember it all.

The last time I posted anything on here was in August.  I had weaned myself down to 37.5 mg and one foolish day decided that I would be able to just stop taking this drug....I figured that because it was such a low dose...it shouldn't be too hard!  I went about 4 days not feeling really too good and went back on the 37.5 dose.

I have read in someone elses post on here that it is a good idea to try to get off this drug when you know you will be on holidays and not have to work.  I couldn't agree more.  I began taking my 37.5 mg dose every other day starting December 8, 2010.  Had no withdrawls at all.  I knew that I would be taking Christmas holidays from December 24 to January 3/11.  I have not taken a pill now since December 23.  The only real difference I have noticed is that I am not sleeping as good as I usually do but because I don't have to worry about getting up and going to work in the morning...it makes me feel less stressed about not getting enough sleep.  I had a wonderful little cat nap this afternoon so it all worked out wonderful....I honestly believe that if you can get alot of sleep while you are trying to get this drug out of your system, you will be successful at getting off of it.

One thing that I reccommend is that when you are cutting back or trying to get off the drug completely it is better not to share this information with loved ones or friends.  I found that someone close to you will make some sort of little comment like..."you've been kind of cranky today....maybe you better go back on those pills".  Now....when I am trying to do something as difficult as getting off something compared to getting off of heroin....saying something like that to me is not a helpful thing!!!!!  Also...if my only withdrawl symptom is a little crankiness...well so be it!

I went and joined a gym yesterday as I believe that it is important to keep your mind busy and not give it time to collect negative thoughts.  Also, as I have been on Effexor for four years...I need to lose the 40 pounds it made me gain.


I hope I have helped anyone trying to get off of this drug and hope you can all feel as good as I do after being drug free for 5 days.  Good luck to you all :)
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Avatar universal
I just typed out a super long post and it disappeared before I could send it...so I want to make sure this is going to work before I try it again.
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Avatar universal
Nope, I stopped taking Effexor XR and some of the symptoms lasted at least three months for me.
The brain zaps, crying, etc.
Now that those symptoms are gone they have been replaced with worse ones, or at least for me anyways.
I cannot sleep, I have much worse anxiety and very deep feelings of despair and idea's of death.
I hate this and I wish I never started taking it in the first place.
When I was on Lexapro I had no side effects compared to this stuff.
I have to take Effexor XR again now so I can go back to how I was hopefully and then replace it with something else.
Then when I come off whatever is next, I will be sure to do it the right way because last time I did it on my own.
I feel ten times worse than before I started taking it.
The good thing is I know I am not alone in this and will eventually pull through and reclaim my life.
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1331182 tn?1275475604
Hi everyone!

Need to update you all. I took my last effexor in july and then took prozac for a few days then came off. I started feeling some light headedness and so I took some more prozac in early august, then I tapered off again and in late September I came off it. I was okay for about 2 weeks and then began getting high anxiety (flight or fight response causing adrenaline and hormone rushes) which made me dizzy and foggy headed. I felt sick in the stomach too. I went back to the doctors and he said to go back on effexor but I refused and said I would rather try prozac. I have been taking 20mg a day now for about a week and the anxiety is better and the foggy head has gone but I still get these massive dizzy spells that can last hours, I think this is withdraawal. I am going to stick to this though. I will not go back on effexor. While I do believe that my slow taper (over a year) and switch to prozac saved me from these "brain zaps" I am not with out withdrawal symptoms. I believe the high anxiety and the dizziness are withdrawal, because while I did have some anxiety before going on the effexor 8 years ago IT WAS NOTHING LIKE THIS! Something simple like "I still haven't tidied up that corner in the backyard" would bring on that fight or flight response with the squeezing in my chest and pounding heart. It is really frustrating because I know it is irrational but it is still happening. This is why I think it is withdrawal...thanks to the prozac though, the axnxiety is much better. It has been 3.5 months since my last effexor, and while this hasn't been easy I am still functioning and going to work etc.
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Avatar universal
thank you so much to everyone for sharing their experiences.  To read them initially was really scary for me, but as I have gone through the withdrawal process I have drawn a lot of strength from knowing that it is related to going off my drugs, even though my doctor has been dubious as to whether or not it relates.

thanks to the person who suggested ginger tea for the nausea - i am going to get some today.

I would like to suggest that anyone tapering off this drug organise some time off work... will tell you my experience.

I was on 150 mg for one year and after undertaking counselling and some of the situations i was in changing I felt ready to come off with my doctor's help.

My first step was to 75 mg - for me, the side effects were minimal, in fact i felt a lot (!) better than i had begun to feel on 150 mg... i started getting my energy back.  I had become really tired, and read somewhere online about someone who went to a sleep doctor, and discovered that the efexor was stopping them from going into the deepest level of sleep which is why they were so tired, so i was happy not to be so tired... had the occasional brain zap (where it felt like my tongue would be electric zapped) but they were not a problem.  Also I was occasionally a bit dyslexic (has never been a problem for me before)  where i would say for instance 'i'm trying to find a karp' instead of 'i'm trying to find a park'.  This went away

Two to three weeks later I tapered down to 37.5 mg.  The first day was fine.  The second day I felt a bit woozy.  The fourth day I had a headahce all day.  The 5th, 6th, and 7th day I had to have away from work because I had what I could only liken to a migraine - had a massive headache - which was made worse by being in the light.  I spent three days in bed, with a wet cloth on my head, sleeping as much as i could and listening to the tv because i was bored and the tv was to obright to watch (and i couldn't do anything else).  Any movement made the symptoms worse.. laying about made them less bad.  I felt quite sick in my belly and had loose stools and nausea  I began taking fish oil tablets (4-5 twice a day) as per advice from someone on the internet - not sure if they helped or not but i'm sure they didn't hurt!

On Day 8 I was fine in the morning, but in the afternoon became woozy again.  ON Day 9, felt a lot better and could move about again without it creating brain zaps and sick feelngs etc.  


Then two weeks after going onto 37.5 mg (so less than a week after i finished the withdrawal symptoms) I moved to 0.  I did not want to continue taking a drug that has such terrible withdrawals.  I timed this for holidays so I wouldn't need to take sick days off work...

It has been worse than the step from 75 to 37.5, but bearable with support and i see a light at the end of the tunnel.  The symptoms began on Day 3 of no tablets.  I developed wooziness, swimmy head, nausea, headaches, dizziness, etc - think massive hangover x 20 but continuous (doesn't end after a day).  I have found movement makes it worse, so try not to move around so much.  I certainly don't exercise because of this. It has not been safe for me to drive.  I have stayed out of the light as much as possible because my eyes feel sensitive and strained and achy/tight.  My mind has not been good - as in I have trouble thinking of words and my memory isn't good.  It is now day 6 and I think the worst day was day 4 this time round...  I now have some moments without sore head, sore eyes, but usually once i'm doing stuff  i get sick, tired, headahcey etc (eg doing stuff like cooking etc).  Someone on this list recommended doing something to help you through, i agree, but you need to do it within your energy and pain levels..  I have been concentrating on having good healthy eating and so this has given me something to focus on but it also makes me tired and headachey/woozy...

Something I didn't expect that i noticed yesterday was increased sensitivity to smells that made me feel nauseous (i could smell the bin from the next room).  That only lasted a couple of hours...  AND
This morning I could hear my eyelashes inside my head as i blinked!!  wow.. if that doesn't sound like coming off some full on, illegal drug i don't know what does...  

So, I'm sitting here feeling crappy, but less crappy than before... but am so happy i have come off this drug.  I am scared that there may be some permanent change to my brain that isn't so good because it is obvious, from the withdrawal symptoms, that it is a strong drug!  

I read somewhere not to count the beads because the beads all have different things in them, some are one part, others are another part - and that yo udon't know which parts you are counting out - it's random - so i didn't do that...

If you are scared about coming off, please don't be.  Please do it under the guidance of your doctor.   Please don't go cold turkey when I imagine these symptoms are unbearably worse.  Please make your change to level on a saturay and plan ahead of time with your employer to have the following week off so that you are taking care of yourself and you are not feeling bad about all the physical effects I recommend this fro the move from 70 to 37.5 and for the move from 37.5 to 0.



Then when you take the next step down, etc, again take another week (or even two if you can when you go 37.5 to 0).  I know it's not idea but it is taking care of yourself and ensuring that your employer is not left in the lurch - so keeps a good relationship.

I would suggest not going off the drugs until you have been to counselling and tried to deal with some of the issues that led you to go on it in the first place - and then continue to see your counsellor/psychologist so you are supported if the issues come up again.

Whilst it is a terrible comedown at this stage i don't reget going on efexor as it got me through a terrible time where i couldn't work or function daily properly due to some extreme difficulties in my life at the time.  However, in saying that, one of the advantages of the withdrawals of efexor is that it has made me decide to use healthy eating, exercise and counselling to ensure i never need drugs again...  that's how full on the come down has been...

good luck to everyone else, i will try to come back and let you know if the symptoms have gone away - because i know when i was looking for information - that's what i wanted to know!  how long will this last for!!
Information can help you plan so that even though you may get symptoms you are supporting yourself the best through it with fish oil tablets, good diet, rest, time off work and people around you who can drive to get thnigs for you - because for me i cannot drive yet - head too swimmy, doesn't seem safe.

will keep you posted
xxx
michelle

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Avatar universal
I have Bipolar and have been recently taking Lithium Carbonate, Effexor XR, Geodon, and Klonopin. My psychatrist has been lowering my Effexor dose over the last few months. And I have been having issues with some dizziness with each decrease in dose. A little over  two weeks ago, I took my last Effexor dose. Since then I've been having problems with severe vertigo, nausea, and "brain zaps." My psychiatrist says it can't be the Effexor, although the timing fits, since she says Effexor withdrawal doesn't generally result in dizziness.

I have had to go to the ER twice because of the inability to keep anything down. I've had a CAT scan, MRI, and blood work (esp. to check my lithium level), and all have come back normal. The ER docs suggested a neurologist appointment, but I can't get in to see one for over 2 more weeks. I am miserable, and not sure a neurologist can even help. If it is Effexor withdrawal, what could a neurologist do about it? And if the psychatrist is right, what else could it be?
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