venlafaxine withdrawal

2005 i was diagnosed with a major depression. first we tried zoloft 50mg, then 100mg then 150mg and the results were not good, so my MD decided to change it to effexorXR 150mg. 2007 drop the dosage to 75mg. and last month i started 37,5mg.

I dropped effexor xr 37,5 mg 4 days ago and i'm having one of the most horrible experiences of my life. It seems a strong flu, nevertheless i have no fever. I feel disoriented and with some balance alterations. i'm always sleepy. but the worst part is that for 4 days i'm not earing well of my right side, this also aggravates my balance and the sensation of electical shocks on the sides of my head and arms. I would like to know if all of these symptons are typical of effexor withdrawal and for how long do they persist.

also, i've read that omega 3 oils and vitamins of B complex helps during the "hangover" period. is that true.

Thank you so much

yours truly directly from Portugal

[remar]

yes, these are all the symptoms i had when going off effexor. it could take awhile for these symptoms to go away. but all people are different and you might get over them more quickly than i did. hang in there, they will go away. when do you stop the 37.5mg? you don't want to do it to quickly. take care. remar

[rikardo3m]

i did 37,5mg for a whole month. My MD said it was enough. The only thing no one told me was that this seems to be the hardest withdrawal concerning anti depressives. i understand that everyone respond diferently to withdrawal still one needs some references.. how long is a while? 2 weeks? 2 months? how long does the worst phase take? thanks

[Hensley258]

Are you swapping Effexor for another medication or are you going off all AD medication?

[rikardo3m]

i stoped AD medication!

[Hensley258]

I see. Yea, even with a slow taper Effexor can be a real bear to stop.

I was able to transition from Effexor to another AD medication, but stopping all together is really tough. It may take several weeks before the withdrawl (withdrawal) symptoms fade.

[rikardo3m]

thanks.

someone tolf me yhe first two weeks are the most difficult, and some take a whole year to return to normal.

Why is this drug still prescribed? i agree this drug help me a lot, but the hangover is terrible. i even tought on going back to effexor. that´s why so many people don't leave AD medications. I'm gonna a make it. despite the withdrawal symptoms I'm incredibly confidant and i'm leaving AD forever.  

[Hensley258]

No doubt that the withdrawl (withdrawal) effect from all AD medications is real. For me I actually had worse withdrawl (withdrawal) from discontinuing Lexapro than Effexor.

Effexor and Cymbalta seem to be the worst withdrawl (withdrawal) for most people.
I think the reason a lot of people don't leave AD medication is simply because there is no cure for Clinical Depression and if properly diagnosed then people need to stay on AD maintenence medication for life. To stop medication (If you really have a depressive dissorder) will only result in the Depression returning.

I think the main problem is that AD medication is WAY over prescribed now days. Often these medications are prescribed to people that have good reason to be down and depressed. Medication is not the best way to treat "situational types" of depression.

In fact AD medications were never even designed to be used by anyone that is not suffering from severe forms of Depression caused by a chemicaly depressed brain.

It's really sad that a lot of doctors dispense these AD meds like their handing out Pez.
They never stop for a minute to consider, "maybe my patient is depressed now because of his divorce or because he lost a loved one."

These drugs were never intended for that usage. They are only for people that actually have depression due to a chemical abnormality in the brain.

[rikardo3m]

I'm sorry but i don't believe a depression is chronic. The are several studies that indicate that changes in the way we see and stand in life and even in your nourishment can do the trick. for instance populations that feed mainly of fish and sea food have less episodes of depression. the investigators believe the reason is omega 3 oils since they're the percursors of phospholipids celular membrane phospholipids. Major Pharmaceutical companies wish people to accept some diseases as irreversible. believe me i know. i work as a medical sales representative and you don't even imagine the marketing machine behind the drugs and diseases.

present investigation sugest that endogenous depression results from cerebral lesions (reversible) that one acquires during neural development (violence at home, constant stressfull situations). Psychotherapy can help people to reverse those lesions.

Nevertheless, some continue to need drugs, since psycotherapy can't do miracles. for those that think depression is something for life and that AD medication is the solution open your eyes. Stop. Think. React.

still depressed? try to subject yourself to vagal nerve electrostimulation.

[Hensley258]

Well I guess it depends on what camp your from. I can also show you a ton of scientific studies that prove there are types of Depression and anxiety that are not at all the cause of life trama. There are hundreds of studies that clearly point to the fact that many depressive dissorders simply never respond to any type of treatment other than medication.

To say that Severe Depression or Bi-polar dissorder is not Cronic (chronic), is just the same as saying Scizophrenia dissorder is not Cronic (chronic).

Ahh the bad drug companies.... I look at it this way; No one hold a gun to the doctors heads and tells then they have to prescribe Cymbalta to every patient that walks in their office. Let's put some responsibility back in the hands of the doctors were supposed to trust. It's the free market for profit system we live in that has allowed these drug companies to develop new medications that save lives every day. I am proud that we live in such a system.

As for exerscise, natural, holistics, and diet to correct Severe Depression. All rubbish. I have tried them all with great consistancy and none produced any improvement. About the Omega 3 subject. Those studies are not at all new. I read them 18 or so months ago and for one full year I took mega doses of Omega 3 every day. Not even a minor improvement in my condition. Doesn't hold water if you ask me.

As for Vagus Nerve Stimulation treatment...... I would love to, but unfortunatly I don't have an extra $50,000 laying around. 98% of all health insurance companies refuse to pay for this proceedure. Whick basicaly makes it a therapy only for the wealthy.
I still have my denial letters from Aetna to prove it. They also shot down my appeal even with a written plea from my Psychiatrist and Cyberonics.

As for Cognative therapy...... Works great for people with situational depression. Proven to do nothing for individuals with Non-situational depressive dissorder. It's also never effective for people with Bi-polor dissorder.

If I had a nickle for every depression sufferer that has found natural remidies to be a total failure for them, I would be wealthy by now.

You name a treatment for depression and I have not just tried it, I have stuck with it for long periods and ONLY medication has worked for me. I have yet to try ECT (and never will) nor can I try VNS (Too expensive)

I know a ton of other sufferers that are also in the same boat. Trust me if other stuff worked then we wouldn't be taking medication. For most of us it was an absolute last resort.

[wally1127]

Hi i was wondering why you are comming off AD medication .has your depression gone away.
Im currently on effexor 75mg and i know when i have tried to stop i feel terrible.
The only reason i have tried to stop is i dont like taking drugs.

[rikardo3m]

for the first time since i come off Effexor i feel great... i feel no withdrawal symptoms. this is my 10th day without venlafaxine. i'm full of energy. and i feel great cause i'm beginning to win this battle. my dizziness is gone. that first days anxiety has normalized, I really believe now that it's possible to survive effexor withdrawal.

usually depression has an environmental cause. try do find yourse and fight it. the human mind is very powerfull.

unfortanetly there are those depressions that are biological... those have to do AD medication, but some habit changes like sport everyday can help reduce the dosage and therefore the side effects. be persistent. try hipnose.

[remar]

i agree with hensley258. i to have tried exercise, omega3, diet, therapy, all the natural products, chiroprators, the thing they do with your ear, sorry, i don't know how to spell it. and i still had depression and anxiety. antidepressants are the only thing that helps. i hope you are(cured) and i mean that. i'm glad to see your feeling better. maybe yours was enviromental. take care. remar

[james75422]

This drug isn't helping me at all. i wonder why they still give this medication out as well. It has been messing with my sleeping. i take it once in the morning and 2 at night and I can't sleep at all. This is what my doctor has told me to do and I'm getting tired of the less then 20 hrs a sleep a week. Alot of people are experiancing the same as I am. I take the Venlafaxine caps 75mg ER and it hasen't done nothing for me besides make me less energized and gain weight...