scared to withdraw from effexor!!

[Dee4659]

If you withdraw from effexor slowly do you still experience the miserable side effects?  How long does it take for the side effects to subside?  Please, someone, answer my questions. I am scared stiff and my depression has gotten worse bec. I have to go off of the effexor and I'm afraid of what I will experience.  

[Dee4659]

Thank you for your advice and your personal story. dee4659

[jennyfi1234]

I just wanted to tell you, that I belonged to a group online that helps people get off the effexor. You need to understand, the MAJORITY of people go through it and are fine within a month. I will say I am one of the RARE ones, that not only went through hell for 6 months, but also over a year and half later I am still dealing with issues caused from the drug. I however, was on it for 11 years and I am very sensative to medications. My best advice to you would be to get on a GOOD QUALITY fish oil. Good so that you are not ingesting mercy etc... The fish oil helped a LOT with the ringing in the ears and the brain zaps. If you can, there is a free place online with information called the road back. Also there is a book by dr. glen mcmullen on how to safely wean off antidepressants. Just determine ahead of time your plan of action and be INFORMED. MOST people can do this in a short period of time. Also, since you are dealing with depression you MUST be in contact with your doctor. Good luck. Feel free to ask me any questions. Jenny

[muppetfan]

omg....i had to get off effexor due to a new job and having to wait for health insurance, thus i had to slowly take myself off without a dr, bc i couldn't afford dr.s and meds.....sucked. i didn't want to do it either. I  had the worse experience ever and i even cut them into halves and then 1/3ds, then 1/4s until i ran out. i had take myself off by slowly taking them out of my system. I had what I call brain wobbles and water brain where when I moved my head or eyes, it was like my brain slowly sloshed over about 2-6 seconds later, leaving me with a temporary feeling of vertigo, which is no fun while driving....you constantly have to look where you are going. I had emotional roller coaster rides, crying and going to angry within seconds. I was nauseous, throwing up, hot to cold within seconds, sweating, feverish, clammy, exhausted, overwhelmed etc and I am still having residual effects; however, I feel as though the worst is over. It took about 1 1/2 month to get it out of my system for the most part and then I still have little swimmy moments, water head feelings, etc. I don't know if this was just at the right time or not, but taking flax seed oil tablets (1000mg) 2x a day, multivitamin, , calcium, Vit. D, and drinking lots of water, seemed to help. it was almost like the flax seed helped lubricate my brain the right way......just my perception. I totally think if this is what you need to do, do it with a Dr. However, I also had many panic attacks back to back, which is why I was i taking the drug to begin with. Those have subsided, but one weekend, I slept almost all weekend and still panicked for almost 3-4 hours straight. I do have meeds that will go in and out of my system for this specifically and I would take it when necessary but I really focused on "4 square breathing" which works well with me.
Good luck and I say it is not fun and please notify your Dr. I really felt as though I was dying.

[Paxiled]

You can't predict what you'll feel, since everyone has a different experience.  It might go very easily.  Going slowly eases the transition the body has to make from depending on the drug to returning to normal operation.  Fish oil is said to help with some of the physiological withdrawal symptoms.  I would say since you're prepared, you'll probably work this out -- it's those of us who were left unprepared by our psychiatrists who suffered the worst problems.