Hi do not give up ....I was on effexor for 10 yrs 300mg a day.From the 300 to the 75 was good but the last little bit was hell it felt like it was hanging on like grim death.
I have been off them for two months now and now in the process of trying other types of antidepressants but having too many side effects with them so on nothing at the moment.
Feel nauseous and ache all over most of the time but taking sleepers and an Endone at bedtime so at least getting about 5 hours sleep.
And now I have feelings again, dont know if that compensates though.
The Effexor treatment was triggered by tragedies in my life NOT heredity so now things have settled down cannot understand why I feel like this.
What I would like to know is does Effexor change my mind and body to rely on it is it that insidious ??????
I have been on Efffexor for 11 years and It has worked for me. However I have only just come to the realisation (and I think that many of us make this mistake) that I was in the mind frame that because the medication lessoned my depression, that this is how I needed to treat my depression for the rest of my life. My doctor said to me that i may just need to be on medication for the remainder of my life, especiallty if the depression is "hereditory". In reality, I now realise that I need to continue to re-train my mind so that it no longer continues the cycle of depression rather than relying on the medication. I believe that I can do this and that the medication will eventually no longer be needed. I no longer believe that depression can be hereditary in the way that doctors tell us. Rather I think that it is a learned set of behaviours that are passed down from our parents. If our parents live their lives with depressed behaviours and mind patterns then of course this is what we are going to learn.
I say use Effexor if it works for you, but continue to work on re-training your mind so that it no longer creates and continues your depression. Everyone who reads this please read the books written by Eckhart Tolle. They will change your life. When you think you are ready to come off the drugs accupuncture can help to ease the transition.
I know it was a month ago so you have probably got over the worst (or back on). Can only speak from my wifes experiences but:
My wife came off it over the course of four - six weeks and that was from 75mg, moving to a half dose and then none. So yes two weeks sounds quick, although you did say it was doctors advice. I think gps, being generalists may not always be right but they are better than relying on internet advice (like mine) or your own decision when you are not at your best. One of the problem with depression is its effect on decision making.
From your posts it sounds like your having the terrible withdrawal symptoms. My wife got through them in a couple of weeks and I hope by now you feel a lot better.
For my wife, know she didn't turn straight back in to the severely depressed and ill person she was before taking it. However she was susceptible to the next trigger which set depression off again a year later, again treated with effexor.
So yes you may need to go back on it, although possibly on a lower does. But no, its not the start of the slippery slope to a life you can't cope with.
Sorry if I come off sounding less optomistic then I feel. I am a fan of it and the help it gave my wife, when needed is worth the withdrawal symptoms.
sorry i keep forgetting to mention that i weaned myself off effexor xr in 2 wks, Drs instructions....i went from 225mg down to150 and then to 75 to zero....did i do it in too short of a time?
just wanted to add that i dont know whats going to happen to me now that i am off the effexor xr, will i go back to the old horrible me who couldnt open up unless i had a drink in me....and i was never happy and afraid to do everything, im the opposite of that now but will it all come to an end?im hoping that my problem is with social anxiety and adderol will take care of everything else....am i living in a dream world?i look forward to your answers.....thanks
hi...i have a lot to say about effexor xr....1st of all i was on it 4 about 5 yrs.....i went from not living to living....it was wonderful....i have always been very shy but effexor opened me right up....i had a very hard time with social anxiety and after going on effexor that all went out the window....i can talk to anyone and i can even talk your ear off.....well the anxiety stayed and the sweating was atrotious, but i was happy and fearless so i decided to stay on it....now i am working and am running around like a looney, the anxiety is terrible and the whole time i am sweating buckets, have had many crying outbursts at work because i feel i am losing control. i think people really must think i am crazy, but im not....so.....i came off the effexor and guess what??? the sweating is still with me.....it hasnt been long at all but i just thought that it would stop right away, i guess i havent given it a chance .....well im just a big old mess right now, i think its only been about a week of the effexor and now taking 15 mg of adderol and i can cry at the drop of a hat....so i guess what i would like to know is when will the sweating stop, please give me some hope.....thanks.....