Stopping Effexor XR

[rcombs70]

I have been taking Effexor XR since March, 2005. I started with 75mg and by mid April was up to 225mg. I have recently become unemployed and cannot afford the medication anymore. It's going to cost me $200 a month just to buy the medication. I've told my doctor that I cannot afford it anymore and he just tells me to 'stay on it' but he's not paying for it. I'm going to have to quit cold turkey. I only have three days left of the medication. I'm also on Clonazepam. I take three 0.5mg tablets daily. I also want to get off of the Clonazepam but decided to wait until after I get over the Effexor XR. I don't think it would be a good idea to quit both of them at once. College starts back on August 29, and I don't want to be withdrawing while I'm trying to study. The horror stories that I've read scares me, but I have no other choice. Can you please tell me what withdrawal symptoms I will experience and how long they will last?

[exeffexor76]

I think you should discuss things further with your Dr.
especially the side effects..
Effexor XR helped me..but its hard to get off of it
Depression is a life long battle and when you are in the midst of it .. there seems like no way out..
Effexor helped me get to the point i could start helping myself..

[Mortahia]

I've read a few of everyone's comments, and frankly, they scare me. . . my doctor just perscribed me effexor XR 37.5mg for 1 week, and then 75 mg for a month . . . i have not started taking it yet because i wanted to do some research first to see what i was getting into . . . everyone here seems to hate the drug though, so i'm not so sure now i want to start taking it. . . but i want my depression to go away [naturally] so i was wondering, what do people think? should i take the effexor XR, or should i ask my doctor about getting something else?  My doctor kind of rushed me, and just handed me the perscription, she didn't tell me about the drug, or any of the side effects, which i don't think was fair, i had and still really have no idea what i'm getting into, the only drug i've ever taken is birth control. . . and i don't know if this affects anything, but i'm a little person, 5'2 and 108 pounds, would that make it harder for me to get off the drug?? I'm just really nervous about this after reading these posts. . . i don't want my situation to get worse, i need to focus on my studies. . . so again, should i take the effexor XR, or should i ask my doctor about getting something else?

[exeffexor76]

WOW
How did it come to this?
who is responsible for our problems?
IS it our physicians who prescribed the drug and in my case never mentioned any of the side effects I have experienced..
OR is it us..a patient ..in a situation where we just really wanted to believe our dr and see the light at the end of the tunnel without looking / researching the medication further.
OR is it the drug company who obviously did not do enough testing or give enough information on how harmful this drug can be...
I have been on effexor for almost 3 years..now supplemented with wellbutrin and yes it has helped me get out of the darkness..but i have to say..I did most of the work..
I just cant believe how unfortunate it is that all of us and many more are going thru this horrible time and are not given the correct information or assistance.
I am not yet an ex effexor BUT i am in the process of weaning ..and it SUCKS!!
I am so glad I am not alone..but I would not wish this on my worst enemy..
the "electrical shocks:
nausea, Hunger ,shakes dizziness sweats, confusion sleepiness headaches itchy skin, weight gain (even if you are watching what you eat /active lifestyle) etc etc..
I dont know whether the pros outweigh the cons..
how come the drug company hasnt helped us?
is anyone aware of any contacts for help for me..?
sigh...
anyways..KEep going on..Life is a beautiful struggle..
focus on the little triumphs and go one day at a time..
Bless

[effexorhell]

Your stories all sound so familiar.

I've been taking Effexor for over five years. I've been up to 150mg/day of Effexor XR and have now been down to 37.5mg/day for two days.    I plan on staying at 37.5 for a week and then trying that amount every other day for a week.

I hope this time I can get off it for good.  Previously I weaned myself off, did "okay" for a week and then 'crashed'.  Just felt hopelessly depressed, and went back on the Effexor out of desperation.

The brain zaps are the worst, plus I'm already experiencing dizziness.   I will try the ginger as suggested above, and perhaps also try the motion sickness tablet (if necessary).

In my opinion, Effexor is a hellish drug --- and if I had known how almost impossibly difficult it is to quit this drug, I never would have started it.

Good Luck to all of us.

[flootoole]

I am sitting here writing this with tears running down my face.  I also took five weeks to dose down from 150 mg of Effexor to 75 then 37.5mg.  I am dizzy, sick, with nausia.  I compare this to stories I have heard about heroine withdrawal (oh, there goes another brain zap!)  Two weeks without this stuff and a Wellbutrin back up and I am still a wreck although the dark circles under my eyes have cleared up and I have already lost 6 pounds.  Oh, the alcoholic tendencies...GONE too.  Somebody get a lawyer to get his stuff off the market.  I am so angry and enraged that we are being duped into this drug.  Shame on the drug company.

Any suggestions to help this?  Drink a ton of water?  Wait it out...how long do these freakin brain zaps last?  I am so frustrated.

[goatygurl]

I have been taking 75 mg of Effexor for almost 1 1/2 years.  I have gained 20 pounds in the last year.  I have recently started weaning off it because of the weight loss, sexual disfunciton, and my depression would come and go even though I was taking this medication.

There have been a couple of times in the past that I forgot to take my medication and the withdrawals were TERRIBLE.  I went from 75 mg to a week of 37.5 mg a day and now 37.5 mg every other day.  I have done the every other day for a week now and I am on my second day of not taking it and I must say that I am not doing very well.

Besides being terribly scared that I will never be able to stop taking this medication. I am having headaches, I want to puke, I can't sleep at night, I just want to bust out into tears, I can't think and feel as if I am in a fog.  I also have these weird sensations in my head like a just took a whole handful of white cross tops.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to deal with these unrully withdrawl symptoms?