Effexor XR Side Effects, withdrawal and alternatives

[alainb1]

52 year old male, moderately high blood pressure, moderately high cholesterol and a history of depression. Taking BP medications [low doses Hyzaar and Cozaar on alternate days]; Lipitor and had been taking 50 mg of Zoloft daily for about 6 years. Also, to offset the feelings of lethargy from Zoloft my GP and I started a trial course of Provigil [modafinil], 200 mg daily in the morning. Started seeing a psychiatrist about 3 months ago in part because I felt the Zoloft had

[diamond116]

I totally agree with you that the docs are prescribibg this med way too freely without really explaining any of the effects. I had an awful experience with this. I had the shakes and tremors, I felt spaced out half of the time, and I even got to the point where I was suicidal. I simply stopped taking it after only one month , and oh my goodness. I have never had to withdraw from anything in my life until that. I thought I was really "crazy". I was nauseated, had severe nightmares (I rarely dream at all), snapping at the slightest thing. It was the worst thing I had to experience. Now I am back on Lexapro and feel pretty much back to normal. Good luck with this...

[Aruba417]

As far as side effects go, I've been doing really well on Effexor XR. I know that unusual dreaming a side effect of Effexor, but I have taken it for 5 months now with night after night of constant dreams. I remember every single dream that I have during the night and wake up exhausted and annoyed. Could this really be a side effect even though I've been on it this long? I can't remember if the dreaming started before or after taking Effexor. I had this problem of constant dreaming a couple years back, also while on Paxil, but it went away after awhile.

[alainb1]

Quick update, decided to go cold turkey. Yeah I know, I know, but regardless of the advice on this and other forums about tapering, substitutions etc. the questions that remained were: Did I want to continue taking this drug, possibly forever and the answer is HELL NO! I fully apprecite the value of SSRI's in managing depression and I may take another drug in the future, but not Effexor. Secondly, could I tolerate the withdrawal symptoms. Well I suppose time will tell. One of the few benefits of a mispent youth growing up in the late 60's and 70's is a very clear understanding that "normal" and "reality" is a plastic concept, the brain is quite malleable and I am capable of functioning under less than optimal circumstances. As an aside, while I chose not to include the doctor that originally prescribed this med in this decision, all my MD's are on speed dial, I have a supply of the drug if the effects become unbearable. I have also completely stopped drinking any alcohol and seriously cut back on caffiene. I might also mention that I'm currently not working [not directly related to depression or meds] so I do have the time to "check out" as needed. That would not be the case in a month or so when I'm back at work, which is why I chose this time to withdraw.

Today is the third day and probably the best way to describe it is I feel very "stoned". No nausea, no crying jags, no "electric shocks" though I am experiencing some vertigo. The most dramatic effect has been on my sleep. The first 2 nights I experienced extremely vivid, but not unpleasant dreams. Like a multi-cinema with all screens going at once. Last night was different. I experienced very real nightmares, the kind where you wake up in a panic, thrashing around, flailing and I hallucinated a ghost [first for me], however after I woke up I simply lay in bed for a couple of hours watching TV and fell back asleep to vivid but not unpleasant or scary dreams. Odd as it sounds I actually believe that TV shows I watched before I fell aslseep influenced the flavor of my dreams. Before I fell asleep the first time, the last thing I remember watching was the beginning of the 2 part Godfather saga, where Vito Corrlene's family is murdered in Sicily and he immigrates to America, the last thing I remember watching before I nodded off the second time were infomercials for Girls Gone Wild. Go figure, but I guess it makes sense, what goes in effects what comes out. Today I'll concentrate on positive visualizations.
I don't want anyone think that I'm sitting around, a drooling, quivering puddle of nerves. I prepared an elaborate Mexican dinner last night and I spent some time in the woodshop. I just had to be a little more deliberate and mindful of what I was doing. I endure this experience chastened for my unquestioning acceptance of this medication from a "professional" who should have at least been more forthcoming re: side effects and withdrawal. I also draw comfort from the posts in this and other threads in the forum because its helped me know what to expect. That understanding has made the process much more bearable. I share my experience with the hope that it might also open a window for others.

[lynneuk74]

I tried to go 'cold turkey' giving up effexor - on the advice of a doc who knew basically nothing about the effects.

I felt like death warmed up - as some of you will relate to.  I got to the stage where I had to decide (after about 5 days) whether or not to carry on withdrawing or whether to go back on the tablets.  I went to another doc who couldn't really believe I'd just been told to stop them (I was on 150mg).  

He advised me to gradually lower my dose.  I was sceptical but thought that it couldn't be worse than the way I was feeling.

I basically went back onto 150mg for a month, then a month of alternate days 150mg and 75mg.  After that a month of 75mg, a month of alternate days 75mg and 37.5mg etc.

Unfortunately, for me, when I got down to just 37.5mg a day, I started to get weepy and irrational so decided to go back up to 75mg.  I am fine on that dose, have much fewer side effects than I did on 150mg and am happy to continue long term.

Everyone is different but I definitely found the gradual reduction approach MUCH better than just stopping all at once.

Hope that helps.

[skipy]

I have been on effexor xr for almost 2 weeks now.  I have not really been diagnosed with anything specifically as of yet except for OCD and depression.  My OCD habits cause alot of anxiety in my life while the actual obsession doesn't last long I think about it all day.  For the last 6 years I have become withdrawn from everyone to the point now where I do not even feel to be apart of my family.  University has so far been very difficult for me due mainly to the fact that I am unable to concintrate for more then 10 seconds before my mind either begins to race or obsess about anything at all (usually something sexual).  I am never "happy" in fact I feel nothing, the only feelings I ever get are extreme anger and hatred with violent thoughts.  I am pretty good at holding in these violent feelings physically but release them verbaly.  My main question is just how effective can effexor be to someone with my symptoms?  Anyone know?

[BMorgan]

I have been on Effexor 150mg for about a year.  Prior to that I had a terrible experience with Zololf.  I am being treated for depression.  Prior to using these medications I had some issues with job and personal life.  Little did I know that once on Effexor my problems would esculate into major issues.  My doctor didn't give me any information about these drugs nor did he seem the least bit concerned with the side effects I reported.  He just started changing the dosage which made matters worse.  In all the time I've taken these medications I have never felt worse.  I cam current coming off of Effexor and took the last 37.5mg tablet today.  My doctor wants me to start Lexapro but after reading actual patient's experiences I have vowed to take myself off of all these medications and persue counseling instead.  My wife can't understand why I had no emotions, spent days in bed with terrible headaches, and just plain didn't care about anything.  This all happened while on these medications, not coming off of them.  If I caould do it all over I would seek out counseling before ever getting into this medication nightmare.