I am a 47 year old
femaleCondoms
Female condoms
Female sexual dysfunction. Earlier this year, my Dr. and I decided that the effectiveness of
Zoloft for my anxiety had waned after 3-4 years. He choose
EffexorEffexor
Effexor xr XR as a new med. After taking 150 mg of the
EffexorEffexor
Effexor xr XR for a little over 1 month, I decided it wasn't right for me. My libido became non-existent, I was gained weight, my digestive system seemed out-of-wack, and I'm not sure that it helped my anxiety. I'm not sure it was related to the
EffexorEffexor
Effexor xr XR, but I was bruising very easily, and I was
obsessiveObsessive-compulsive disorder
Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder about spending and "projects" during this time. I should also mention that I am on 30 mg of Adderall
(adderrall) XR for ADD.
My Dr. decided to switch me to Wellbutrin XR which would also help me quit smoking. He had me drop down to 75 mg of the Effexor for a few days, then to 37.5 for another 2-3 days. The first day off the Effexor, I experienced increasing nausea, vertigo and a "slushy" head. The next two days, the symptoms increased. There was some confusion as to whether it was the Wellbutrin or the Effexor that was causing the symptoms. I had decided that I was the getting used to the Wellbutrin, and I just had to ride it out with the help of over-the-counter motion sickness meds. My Dr. never mentioned that Effexor is associated with withdrawal symptoms.
The effects of the Wellbutrin seemed to kick in almost immediately. My libido jumped way up, and just like that I quit smoking cold turkey. I couldn't stand the smell or taste of cigarettes all of the sudden. Now without the smoking, I also found that my morning coffee was nearly forgotten. (I'm sure that withdrawal from nicotine and caffeine added to my symptoms.)
Nearly two weeks after I stopped the Effexor, I started having extreme irritability & very negative thoughts, followed the next day by nausea and vertigo. Also, I had crying spells. I phoned my Dr. who said that crying wasn't a withdrawal symptom. Since my symptoms worsened the next day, he wanted me to try taking 37.5 mg of the Effexor to see what would happen. Within one hour, I was nearly symptom free. He said that I seemed to be especially sensitive to the drug. He then put me back on 37.5 mg for one week, and then approx. 18.75 mg for another two weeks. Well, the withdrawal symptoms started all over again. Couldn't have this happening at work. I decided to go back to the 37.5 mg. and taper off very slowly - either that or take time off work to get through the withdrawals. I have literally been counting the granuals (there are about 90 in a 37.5 mg capsule). On July 20, I started at 60 granuals, and decreased by 5 every few days to where now, on August 24, I have been taking 20 granuals a day for the past week. The entire time I have been nauseous. My Dr's phone msg. reply was that vertigo, not nausea, is a withdrawal symptom. Actually, I thought vertigo caused nausea. Over Labor Day weekend, I plan to stop the Effexor I hope that any symptoms will disappear over 3 days. Please help me.
You know, everything I've read confirms what you and I know for a fact - that nausea IS a withdrawal symptom. I am feeling discouraged with my doctor. First he said that my crying episodes weren't a symptom, and then the nausea. He even insinuated that the withdrawal symptoms I've been experience probably seem more intense due to the fact that I suffer from anxiety. When I mention info. from the Internet, He says one has to consider the source.
Speaking of websites, found some helpful information on this website also - http://www.dr-bob.org/tips/venlafaxine.html.
Thanks!
I was taking 150 mg a day, so I cut back by 37.5 mg. After 1 week I cut down to 75 mg/day in two doses. Everything was ok for about ONE DAY, after which I got the ZAPPING thing so bad I could hardly get out of my chair. Before I started the withdrawal I was doing a daily yoga routine along with weight training and 30 minutes of Nordic Track; this all had to stop. In fact, it got so bad that just MOVING MY EYES was enough to ZAP me. The sensation was like the back of my head, neck, shoulders, and arms were jabbed full of needles that had electricity hooked up to them.
Finally, I gave up and started taking my regular dose; all symptoms disappeared within 24 hours.
Other comments... I didn't get the nausea some of you suffered. Also, the main reason I wanted to quit Effexor was that I didn't believe it was helping me that much. (I have been through the meds like a friggin' guinea pig... Paxil, clonazepam, Wellbutrin, Remeron, Celexa, Nortriptaline, Effexor, Imiparmine, lorazepam, and clomipramine.) Anyway, I went to another MD for an opinion and he said that 150 mg was not a clinically effective dose. He said that if I was his patient, he'd up me to 300 mg/day.
I have since done that and it has REALLY helped me a lot.
DO NOT DRINK ALCOHOL WHILE TAKING ANTIDEPRESSANTS. <<
Also, if you are taking Effexor, you might want to ask your MD if you are at the proper dose.
Good luck to all, and God bless you... I hope you can find some peace from your depression.
Regards,
H-hoggie
My husband was killed in an accident at work and because of tremendous anxiety problems my doctor put me on effexor. I have taken different types of anti-depressants one other time in my life when my father was suffering with cancer and I was maxed out. I have never, ever, ever experienced the withdrawl complications that I have gone through with this medicine. I took it for approximately 3 years and decided I wanted to experince life naturally. Face the music alone. I was taking 75mil. and reduced really, really slowly over a period of about one and 1/2 months. 3 weeks on lower levels. Everyone that has taken effexor knows the feeling you get after the second day of not taking it. Horrible nausea. Very dizzy. Well. When I went off the effexor completely I vomited so violently , dry heaves, sweating, you name it. It is horrible. I was in bed with a waste paper basket. So dehydrated but not even an ice cube would stay down. I went to the doctor after the 2nd day, so weak I could hardly stand. He gave me something to stop the nausea. For 2 months I didn't even consider a cup of coffee in the morning and believe me nothing was more important to me than my coffee. I am just now starting to enjoy the taste after, oh I don't know for sure 3 or four months ? of being off the drug. I did experience the strange buzzing in my head when I had forgotten to take the effexore for over a day but didn't feel that when I quit. I am really very concerned now though. About 2 weeks ago, I was sitting in my house and I heard a noise that sounded like a radio was on or some electrical humming noise and I searched my house for something that I may have left on. It is really quite loud. I couldn't find anything. I gave up and just turned on the stero so I didn't have to listen to that aggraviating sound. Later I went outside and oh my god....It was outside too. I have since realized that the noise is a buzzing in my head. Much more intense than what I had experinced when I was late taking the medication.. I have told my doctor so that other patients considering this drug will choose another. I am really afraid this horrible noise will be with me forever.
if anyone has any comments on this or any suggestions as to what to do of if this new approach will work for me please send a reply. i would gratefully appreciate any help i can get on this right now. i am at my wits end over this.
thanks gerbildine
anyhow anyone out there who has been in a similar situation as me please let me know how you are doing. good look to you all and keep smiling!!! and don't give up.
geraldine
I asked for more counseling because i feel 1 hour of counseling every 2 weeks does not help me a great deal. My doc said yes, good idea but...he
recently added a new medication to my current ones. This is Seroquel, 50 to 75mg per day. Dr. says this will help optimize the Effexor. What the heck is going on?????...How many more meds will be added???? Yes, i take these meds for depression...but i was not getting worse.
Quit 187.5mg of Effexor...COLD TURKEY...5 days ago.
Day 1 to 3...brain shocks and mildy depressed...but not so bad.
Day 4 and 5. Arrrrg!!!...Yesterday felt so sad...i usually don't cry...but i cried like a baby all evening. Brain shocks every few seconds and worse if i move my eyeballs. Stomach cramps. Dizzy. Feeling as if my brain is clouded. Return of panic attacks...but just slightly. Really weird nightmares, waking up constantly from these vivid bad dreams with pulse racing...i've never experienced these before.
Today, Day 5, was even afraid of getting out of bed...this is so scary!
(As you can see, i eventually willed myself out of bed and i will keep on going on will power to get through this!)
Thank God i found this site. Knowing i'im not alone helps a great deal.
I've got to get through this detox. I'm a 40yr old mother of 3 boys from 3yrs of age to 16yrs. Also raising them on my own. I'm going back to work in january and i really hope these frightening symptoms will be gone by then cause i just can't imagine being productive feeling the way i do today!
I've been reading about people who tapered thier doses of Effexor and it seems to help them a little.
I would of considered tapering the medication myself but the reason i went Cold Turkey is the high price of Effexor. Each capsule costs me 3$... here in Canada. My small budget just can't afford this anymore, even if i have a medical insurance plan. I have to dish out the cost before they pay me back and unfortunalely, at that price, i have to cut back on basic food for my kids and i....and thats out of the question!!!
For those who do not know about this kind of withdrawl...let me tell you this. I've been through broken bones, back surgery, pneumonias, gave birth 4 times...all painfull short term or long term...but this Effexor withdrawl is really something!!!
I guess all i can do is pray i get through these debilitating symptoms and never again feel this crappy....Ugh!
I'll be back and keep you posted on my progression. And thanks for this site!
For several days I couldn't identify the sensation I've been feeling, until I read the term "zapped" and the symptoms which followed. I immediately called my wife over and told her this is exactly what I'm experiencing. I've been off Effexor-XR for almost a week, and have been feeling these odd sensations throughout my body ... particularly when I stand up, or turn my head. Now I have a better understanding of what this is.
I will write more on my situation, and what lead to Effexor-XR (from Serzone), once I know this post went through. I believe the information on this site is great, and most helpful.
Thanks so much for being here.
Warm regards,
Dave
For several days I couldn't identify the sensation I've been feeling, until I read the term "zapped" and the symptoms which followed. I immediately called my wife over and told her this is exactly what I'm experiencing. I've been off Effexor-XR for almost a week, and have been feeling these odd sensations throughout my body ... particularly when I stand up, or turn my head. Now I have a better understanding of what this is.
I will write more on my situation, and what lead to Effexor-XR (from Serzone), once I know this post went through. I believe the information on this site is great, and most helpful.
Thanks so much for being here.
Warm regards,
Dave
if she goes off she should taper very slowly...Some people find that going onto Prozac when you quit effexor a while helps because there arent symptoms from going off of Prozac
The new information about the side affects of Effexor seems to come mostly from the users and the drs seems clueless which is so sad, plus everyone is different
My doc at stanford said i wont gain any weight but gained about 40 pounds....My appetite is gone plus craving for sweets so I know they were wrong
If she is suffering from withdrawals she needs to take a half dose and stay on that for awhile till she feels OK and slowly decrease
if she is on the extended release, she can guage by the granules
I was so pissed off about the whole thing I went off cold turkey and whoo hoo I wouldnt want my worst enemy to have to go thru that...you can wwrite to me at
lindamaupin @ webtv.net and i can write more if you want. You are a good daughter to search help for your Mom...bless you and your mom Linda
I've been having horrible Sweats for years and I thought it had to do with menopause. Little did I know it was a side effect of Doxepin and Effexor. I decided about 6 weeks ago to wean myself off. I was on 150 ml a day. I read about withdrawl symptoms and how to withdraw. I feel I've had great luck coming off. I found a small perfume vile and washed it thoroughly. I poured the granuals from the capsules in the vile. Used a ruler and marked every 8th of an inch. I've gone down 1/8th of an inch each week. I have two weeks to go. The first day I feel a little different but on the whole I feel so much better.
The biggest miracle is that I haven't had a "sweat" in over a week. This is when I felt like someone poured a bucket over my head as the sweat rolled and rolled. I get hot like other people but no more sweats.
I take a Benedryl to help sleep at night, maybe that's helped. I've not rushed the process and so far so good.
I've only been on since last December. I will never go on anything like this again, I'll find another way to feel better, I don't want anything controlling me like these drugs have for so long. I've had many health issues over the years and now I realize they were the results of Doxepin and now Effexor. Indigestion that suddenly started one day, out of character behavior, so many things. I've gained weight over the years as well. I hope in the next month to be free of these drugs forever.
Even stepping down slowly has given me severe brain shocks (or zaps). They are so bad that I lose my balance, and experience them with every move that I make. They really hurt. I called Wyeth today to find out what I can do to help this symptom. I didn't get a straight answer...only "withdrawal symptoms" and "sensory disturbances." I want to know what is REALLY going on. I only got bandaid answers. I was also told that this is rare. From what I have seen online, it is not.
Does any one know exactly what is causing this feeling? Is it neurons misfiring or something else? I want the biological answer so I can find a way to make this stepping down process NOT interfere with my ability to function.
If you have experience these sensory perceptions, please call Wyeth and have them take a report. This needs to be added specifically as a symptom to the prescribing information. If I had known it would be so bad, I would have asked for something else. (I experienced NO side effects from stopping Zoloft, Xanax, and Cymbalta.)
Best wishes.
Doctors, get a clue! This is not a casual drug! In fact, I think it should be a controlled substance!
First, I’m glad to know it is not just me. I threw my effexor in the trash a week ago because I felt it was the cause of many weird problems I had / have.
I started taking effexor approximately six months ago. At first it was okay (certainly better than I felt). Then things started getting weird.
1. I was playing with a puppy approximately five months ago who proceeded to bite me in play. The bites never healed. They just started to heal in the last few days.
2. My right eye would shut when I got tired. I would have to hold it open to use it.
3. I gained thirty pounds (something my doctor told me would not happen).
4. I started to live on Excedrin migraine tablets to curve (not cure) the headache.
5. The pressure in my eyes became too much to handle.
6. I kept losing track of what I was doing (makes paying your bills and general life interesting).
7. Everywhere I have nerve damage (from a wreck I was in) became irritated.
Now that I have thrown them out I still have problems:
1. I woke up to eating cake last night at three in the morning (am I doing this more than I know? Was I doing it on the pill without knowing it?).
2. I have cold and hot sweats at the same time.
3. I’m either annoyingly happy or really angry.
4. I intermittently start crying for absolutely no reason at all.
5. My left arm hurts almost all the time.
6. I’m having extreme suicidal and / or homicidal thoughts. (I know me very will so I know the thoughts are coming from the withdrawals and not to take action on them).
7. I’m starting to agree with Tom Cruise (about mental health help).
I feel like I traded one bad thing for another (and back again), but now I can not throw out the problem because I’m not taking anything. I am annoyed with my doctor because he knows, since my wreck, that I have intermittent high (very high) blood pressure and high cholesterol (hereditary) which is why I wanted something that would not make me gain weight.
How long is this going to last????
I called my doctor's office last Monday. The doc was on vacation, but a nurse called back and told me to take one pill every other day through Sunday and then take one pill every third day. DON'T TRY THIS. My right eye began twitching the first day I did without the medication. I've been fighting nausea and spells of dizziness on and off for the past week and a half, not to mention crazy crying spells. I actually left work early last Thursday, because I couldn't handle the queasiness and fight off the tears. Today, the nausea got so bad, I stopped by a Doctor's Care (urgent care/after hours) to see if something was wrong with me. Everything checked out normal and the nurse practitioner told me she was almost positive I am experiencing withdrawal symptoms from the Effexor. As soon as I told her I was trying to go off the medication, she commented that Effexor has the worst withdrawal symptoms of all the anti-depressants. I was appalled to find this out and was angry that the nurse at my doctor's office had offered such terrible guidance. I'm trying to keep in mind that perhaps not everyone may experience withdrawal symptoms like I have, but I still can't help think doctor's should be more responsible .
Thanks to all of you who have shared your experiences here. You have helped calm my fears that I am crazy and that something else is wrong with me other than withdrawal symptoms. After going the last two days without any Effexor, I'm going to start taking 75 mg a day for the next few weeks and see how that works.
Best wishes and may God bless each of you as you face this battle.
I had been on Effexor XR for 15 years prescribed because of an auto accident that resulted in head injury, traumatic brain injury and post traumatic stress disorder. Folks, anything would have felt better than the agony I was having from the pain, short term memory problems , speech problems, and cognitive issues. I'm here to tell you, "DOCTORS DO NOT KNOW WHAT TO DO WITH YOU" so they put you on what they think is a quick fix and gets you out of their office. I am in no way running down doctors, because they can't help it...no training they have had will help them deal with a Post Traumatic Stress Disorder or Traumatic Brain injured person. In fact, I was X-rayed and was allowed to what out of that emergency room with no help from the medical profession as to where to get help and how to cope with what I was about to face. Needless to say, I went to several towns, to all kinds of professionals to no avail. If you aren't busted open and bleeding they can't help you. You aren't hurt if they can't see it. I even had one doctor tell me "Unless we can take your brain out of your head and examine it, we cannot tell you what part of you brain was injured in the accident." There are no such tests. I tried to work for a couple of years, but kept loosing jobs because I would just break down and cry if someone said "boo" to me...therefore I did not get along with supervisors. Finally my doctor suggested I file for disability and just cope at home with my deficits left from the brain injury. The psychologist I was seeing only wanted to medicate me....thus the EFFEXOR XR. I got mad, I screamed at the doctor because when I told him I couldn't remember anything, he just said, "Well, you are getting older"...I informed him that I did not get older in 1 years time. Even after spending 2 weeks in a rehabilitation center didn't help, Expecially when they ask me if I was rich, because my insurance would pay no more, they released me and sent me home saying I was cured. I screamed at them too, the day they released me and told them they were just getting rid of me like all the other professionals. After that, I got all the books I could find and with the help of my hubby, relearned everything I had lost, I recovered as much as I could on my own....I did it....not the doctors, but me.
Well, now I get to the part of the Effexor XR withdrawals. I am 63 years old. have been on this stuff for 15 years, I have gained 60 lbs (yes, I too use to be thin) and have tried to come off this stuff three or four times because as I get more healed from the accident, the more I realize that this stuff just isn't good for you. Also, I was started to notice reverse symtoms. Like the help it has once given me was reversing. I mentioned to my doctor that I was ready to try again to come off of it. I was determined there was no going back. I was taking 75mg and she lowered it to 37-1/2 mg for two weeks and told me by the second weekend to go cold turkey. She said if I couldn't make it, she would prescribe Prozac, but I thought why get off one just to go on another to come off of. Folks, it has been three weeks. This past week I have not had anything and you're right...it is HELL. When they doctors tell you withdrawals won't be this or that..THEY ARE WRONG!...I have read many or you symtoms, and I can't believe out of the clear blue we all are having the same symtoms without it being directly linked to the Effexor. I have had the very realistic nightmares you are speaking of, the headaches, nausea, digestive upheaval, tightness in chest, jitters, the zaps in my head which are horrible, go to sleep at the drop of a hat, and oh, VOICES, yes....it sounds like something from a scary movie. Like somewhere above your head there is a droning voice that just briefly says something unaudible. People, I am not crazy...I am a sane, christian person with good scruples, but I will tell you, there is something devilish in this medication. I really think there is something that controls your whole being.
But, I have good news, you can break it...you can beat it...all these symtoms are getting weaker and weaker and I AM GOING TO MAKE IT THIS TIME!. You have to stay determined, you have to tell the voices to go away and you have to stay disiplined to get off this medicine. I am starting to feel like my old smiling happy go lucky self again....THANK GOD....without him I could not have made it.
Good luck to all of you trying to get off of any of this stuff. I will be praying for all of you no matter what your religion or whether you even have a religion...I will be praying for you.
Best Regards, Pearl
My doctor told me that the withdrawal symptoms should not be nausea or stomach upset, but rather they should be related to emotional side effects like angry, sad or crying. What does he know?? I'm glad i'm not alone in this and the reaction from you out there are truly real. Effector makes me agitated and restless, this is the reason I want to get off and try something new.
I'll try to get off 37.5 gradually, but it is such a pain because i feel so sick without the drug. Yes, I agree the drug company should put big notes about withdraw symptoms in the instructions. Also the company should find a solution to the problem.
Another suggestion for Nausea is drinking gingle-ale or ginger water, that should help a bit.
Good luck to everyone and thanks for your help.
Bonnie
I HAVE NO MONEY FOR THE PILLS (300-400 a month) as I lost my job and health insurance' HERE COMES THE DEPRESSION, CRYING, SUICIDAL THOUGHTS! I am so scared what will happen next!
I have been on Effexor for maybe 8 years. They put me on it when I was taking care of my mother whom had cancer. At that time I started having terrible panic attacks. The doc put me on Effexor xr.
At one time when I was still on effexor xr,( 200 mg. I think) I started being really depressed and had suicidal thoughts. The doc upped my dose to 300 mg.
This is the worst drug I have ever been on as far as withdrawl goes. I've been on all kinds of depression pills, never a withdrawl that bothered me. Now a different doc at the same clinic told me to drop to 200 mg. for a week. Did that. Today I have no pills and I feel like just crying all day! DO NOT LET THEM PUT YOU ON EFFEXOR! It worked great for my panic attacks, but the withdrawls are as bad or worse than panic attacks!
My son had the withdrawls too, only he had them worse... the brain shocks they talk about among other effects! TOLD HIM NOT TO TAKE THEM BUT HE TRUSTED HIS DOC!
When I first started on effexor xr 8 years ago they were $150.00 a month,( I had insurance ) now they are up to $415.00, quite the racket! get them hooked raise the price... (since they can't get off them) they try... but they will go back on as they have such terrible side effects! LEGAL DRUG LAWS! Sorry to ramble... just take care, docs do not even know about drugs they subscribe as they haven't taken them! Was going to tell you more facts but my eyes are getting all weird and I can't remember what I was going to say...
Can anybody help me with these withdrawls? I can't take them!
Thanks, Linda
ISide effects:
I have no sex drive at all,( I used to be a very sexual woman, now I feel like a freak) if we do have sex, no matter how long it lasts, I am feeling nothing at all...so I pretend, which makes me feel so bad because it is like a lie to my husband.
I have put on 50 pounds even tho I eat 1 meal a day!
I CANNOT sleep, doc gave me sleeping pills, still no sleep!
I go days with no sleep, then my body gives out and I drop for 16 or more hours!
I had to quit my job because I suppose I was overtired, I got so I couldn't stand anyone or anything.
Customers do not deserve that, they used to come to where I work just to see me, and after I would come back from vacation, I got so many hugs!
My blood pressure top number will not go down no matter what they give me, another side effect of effexor!
Linda
***@****
thanks!
I'm a newbie to this forum & I don't take effexor, but my girlfriend does. She has recently reduced her dose to 37.5 (about 4 weeks ago) and it's been a rough ride. My reason for being here is that she just ended our relationship & says it's the stress of being together coupled with her mom's illness. What I want to know is can anyone recommend a support group for supporters of loved ones & family who are having withdrawl/difficulties with the side effects of effexor? I do understand that she's not feeling well at all, both mentally & physically, so I'm not turning my back completely. My issue isn't to discuss our relationship, but I recognize that she is experiencing many of the symptoms that you folks are courageous enough to share with everybody. Reading your entries helps me better understand what's going on, even though I could never imagine what she's going through. Please help.
Thank you,
Gizzy514
ive done nothing but lay in bed and eat for the past 4 days! i quit my job this weekend bcus i wouldnt handle the nausea, dizziness, sweats, crying spells and vertigo. im freaking out right now!! i feel out of control. ive tried stopping cold turkey with these pills before but i always cave and reorder them so i can go back to just living my normal life. i feel they no longer serve any purpose in my life except avoiding the inevitable withdrawal symptoms!!!!!
im terrified and need advice.... should i go down to 75mg??? should i switch to Zoloft so that i wont have withdrawal syptoms (symptoms)??? my doctor suggested switching to generic to accomidate the price issue (such an expensive pill!!!!), and go down to 75mg of it to help whine me off. after reading this im even more confused and nervous though.
im seriously desperate for any advice that anyone has concerning this....
please email me at ***@**** if you have any suggestions. i feel like these symptoms are taking over my life but i cant afford to take a $3 pill everyday just to be able to function normally. it doesnt even help with my depression.
some one help please.
How can this DRUG be on the market? If your condition doesn't do you in then the withdrawal symptoms will for darn sure.
How can I find relief from these symptoms other than sleep my way through it?
How long will this last?
I hope someone has the answer because I sure as heck can't find it. I'm just about ready to throw in the towel and go back to taking a small dose just to be able to feel normal.
Desperate and seeking advice
Connie
to why I have been feeling so bad and so strange. I found this site after much searching and it has helped me realize something is more wrong than just getting older as this was originally prescribed for my menopausal night sweats. I hope we all stay supporting one another and will speak of my withdrawal experiences in a few days. Good luck to all.
hang in.
I am so "sick" of taking pills! Comments????? I am glad I am not alone! It is 3 in the morning and I don't want to go to sleep because of the dreams - they are not horrible, but I feel I don't sleep because they are so vivid and strange.
Thanks - more later . . .
I haven't seen a psychiatrist in years - my doctor just continues to write my refills.
I need to do this for myself though because besides not wanting to be on medication for the rest of my life due to major childhood depression and the choices doctors made for me when I couldn't understand the side-effects, I simply can not afford the medication anymore - nor can I afford to see a doctor to help me ease off of this.
At this moment I'm pretty scared - but it is good to know others have gone through the same thing. I'm disgusted that neither I nor my parents were ever informed of the withdrawal symptoms - nor were they ever discussed with me throughout my therapy even as the doctor continued to increase the dosage. When he mentioned cutting back once, the withdrawal symptoms were never brought up.
I doubt that anyone looking to start effexor is looking at this site now, but I wish people knew how hard and painful it is to stop before they literally get hooked on it.
If anyone is in the Washinton, DC area, I would love to meet up and form a bit of support network for this. I have told a couple close friends about what I am going through, but not having experienced it themselves it is difficult for them to understand.
Thank you thank you thank you to everyone who has shared on here and to the site managers, it is truly a relief to find others going through this.
Each time I try I experience the usual symptoms, brain shocks, vertigo, etc and I always end up giving in. I have quit smoking and drinking which was a walk in the park compared to this.
I cant understand why this drug is still allowed to be sold? we should all contact wyeth and demand it's discontinuation.!!!
Sorry, but it gets me so angry, they dont even admit to any withdrawwl effects!!. If I was only aware of this before I started taking it......
If anyone is out there reading this and is about to start effexor then, DONT.
i went to doctors yesterday, i weighed 20st, im now 17,10 lbs, i feel better , phsyicaly, mentally its hell , hard work , with drawl is hard , im getting nightmares , teary eyed, moody, but i was angery more when i took efexor im more relaxed, strange that, i also slow ar reacting to things as if my brain not the same speed as my eyes. The fight continues.....
I'm keeping a tally of days I'm off of it on a board and plan to update my symptoms on here (hope ya'll don't mind) to hold myself accountable.
I also got some 5-HTP at the advice of a friend... hopefully that will help.. I'll let you all know if it lessens the pain.
I have battled with anxiety & depression for almost 10 years, and I finally realized that depression was "really" all in my head. There was never any reason for it to begin with. See a therapist. Don't talk to psychiatrists or doctors because they are simply pill pushers for the problem. You need to find the root cause of the issue and address it... which is what I did and I've never felt better and I can't see why I will ever be depressed again. I should have seen a therapist years ago.
For everyone who is fighting withdrawal, don't give up!!! It all goes away. Your body has the ability to heal no matter what your doctors tell you. Medical research studies are based off of statistics. Don't let statistics tell you that you have a problem. The human brain is capable of anything. Like I said, withdrawal is different for everyone. I am living proof that you can get through it.
I started 2 weeks ago just skipping 1 dose every 2 days, next week I plan to skip 1 every 3 days. From the sounds of the withdrawl symptoms you all are having, I'm not too anxious to hurry through this.
Can't say I feel better yet, although the need for the naps has happened only once this week, when it used to be daily. I have felt some vertigo and nausea, but it's been managable so far. I hope by taking this very slowly I will not experience the terrible symptoms. I don't think I could handle the stress of that and carry on with my day to day activities.
One thing that I've found does help in depression and anxiety is visualization. Sometimes when I don't think I can do something I close my eyes and just try and visualize myself going through it. It helps, when you do it for real you can remember your visualization and it seems like you've done it before, which gives you confidence.
Good Luck you all - I'll post again and let you know how this works - I'm not feeling warm fuzzies about it since reading some of your posts :(
I stopped taking Effexor half way into May ’07 and it was the best decision that I made, but it was a very difficult journey. Prior to abruptly ending this madness, I weaned myself down from 150mg to 75mg (waited until the withdrawal symptoms disappeared before stopping the 75mg dose). Perhaps I should have weaned myself down to the 37.5mg dose, but, regardless, this is what you should consider doing yourself to endure the withdrawal symptoms. It’s a shame that there isn’t a smaller dose than the 37.5mg. What you’ll learn during this experience is that you have to rise above it all. Tell yourself that you can get through this everyday and resist temptation to take another dose. If you have a significant other or close friend, it helps to talk about what you’re going through surprisingly. I was fortunate enough to communicate my suffering to my significant other who comforted me all the way through this whole ordeal. May, June, and July…. what an interesting experience that was.
I can’t emphasize how good it felt when the withdrawal symptoms finally ceased, and to finally feel some sense of stability. I stopped drinking coffee and I wasn’t lethargic anymore.
Don’t let everyone’s withdrawal experience discourage you from stopping. Everyone is going to experience the withdrawal process differently. How well you tolerate the symptoms seems to be relative to your own mental threshold for pain and suffering. I kept a positive outlook as much as possible during times when my symptoms were intolerable. But, I also had support as well to get me through…. this is key. What I’m trying to get at is if 2 people experience a withdrawal symptom of the same degree of severity, what makes 1 person breakdown and take a dose of Effexor, and the other to fight through it, is your mental state. Hang out with friends, watch a movie, talk it out, exercise, engage yourself in some activity to keep your mind off of it. Don’t go at this alone.
Anyway, all I can do is be there for her if she needs me & be there for her even if she doesn't need me.
Thanks...
Take it one step at a time. Try asking her about a specific symptom first instead of asking about her overall emotional state. Perhaps you can ask her about the ‘brain zaps’ (the feeling of electrical pulses crashing into your brain and down through each appendage). This seems to be a common side effect (I know because I had it a little over 2 months). If you get her to talk about 1 symptom, that’s a good start. By taking that first step to break the silence, she may realize the benefit of getting these issues off her chest. This may also pave the way for her to talk more about her emotions. Just remember, getting to understand her pain can’t happen in 1 day. It will take time and plenty of patience. Give it a shot. It doesn’t hurt to show that you care.