other signs of withdrawal from effexor 75mg

[zenaprincess]

i was taking effexor 150 mg then went down to 75mg and then gradually took myself off per doctors instuctions of how to.  i took a pill every other day and every two days and so forth.  now that i  have been off them a week or so both my feet inside outside of foot are swollen and i am retaining water and i see my legs are also too like its goign up to my knees.  just wondering if thats a possible sign effect of withdrawal of this medication?

[Carol A]

Found these withdrawal symptoms on the Net from others who are trying to quit Effexor:

dizziness

brain zaps (worst thing ever)

hearing loud pops or bangs that would wake me from a dead sleep, only to find out it was nothing.

shortness of breath

nausea

decreased appetite

increased appetite for milkshakes...go figure

could hear my eyes blinking

distended feeling in stomach

weight gain...probably from the milkshakes -lost about 5/10 pounds after a couple of weeks.

headache - constant and dull

sound sensitivity - everything was so loud!

extreme emotions - happy to sad to elated to horny...

extreme anger - cannot control what you are mad at - and it's everything

tearing up at anything - kleenex commercial, etc.

sleepy all the time

depression

lack of concentration - still functioned at work tho ...sort of

antsy - uncomfortable in your skin feeling

bad chills - at night I would wake up with uncontrollable chills, would have to sleep in sweat shirt and pants with 2 blankets...I am hot natured too.

thirtsy all the time (drink lots of water!)

some suicidal thoughts, but I know I would never and that it was the effexor talking, so just beware.

memory lapses
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I was prescribed Effexor August 2005 for stress and menopausal symptoms. For me, they increased my feelings of anxiety and panic. I experienced blurred vision and sharp pains in my eyes too, but put this down to the fact that I work on a computer. The optician found nothing other than a slight deterioration in my long-sighted vision. The worst feeling though was of extreme detachment - a kind of coming apart, disjointedness. I also became acutely fatigued. My GPs solution to this was to increase the dosage!

This just made me feel worse, so I withdrew usage myself around February 2006. Then panic attacks set in very quickly. I became more depressed and socially withdrawn, had daily suicidal thoughts and spent most days in bed. I also thought I’d contracted some kind of stomach bug because the abdominal pains and extent of diarrhea were so bad, I couldn’t leave the house. Then my legs started to give way. I fell down stairs on a number of occasions and could barely stand up due to the pain and numbness in my legs and feet from below my knees. I also began to gain weight rapidly - from 10st when I stopped using Effexor in February to 11st 4lb today. Despite severe leg and ankle pains, I still walk the dog twice daily, sometimes for 3 miles (I’m determined to beat this thing) but end up hobbling around the house for most of the evening, still, although I’m eating less, I’m still gaining weight!
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Carol

[sickerandtireder]

http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/1663/72