PLEASE HELP ME

[HELPMEPLEASEEE]

OK so im 22 and have been taking Effexor XR 150mg for about four years.  About two years into it i was having these Indescribable symptoms.  I tried to tell my doctor about it and i think he thought i was nuts.  I was having these weird feelings in my eyes if i moved them certain ways it would shoot through my body to my feet ( which i now know as body surges), and weird swooshing noises in my ears, and terrible stomach aches.  yeah try describing that to your doctor.  So he sends me to a ear nose and throat doctor.. which of course resulting in nothing.  Recently, i was switched from the 150mg of effexor to 150mg of wellbutrin.  WOW... so my doctor tells me to just switch.. no tapering off or nothing just switch.  OMG i thought i was going to die.. my heart felt like it was going to jump out of my body, my blood pressure was through the roof and all of my old symptoms were back but way worse.  So i got on the internet and started to realize i was having withdrawal symptoms.  So i call my doctor to find out what i could do and he tells me that he's never heard of someone withdrawing from effexor.  I almost flipped because ive read soooo many people going through the exact thing as me! So i guess what im wondering is what can i do to minimize this!!! im in college and have been skipping my classes because i dont wanna get out of bed and im crying like crazy. i feel like im nuts and my life will never be back to normal! i cant deal with this.. please tell me how long this is going to last and what i can to do make it go away!!!

PLEASE HELP i feel like my life is going to end.. literally

[starr28]

Hi,

I agree that your doctor is not the best - any dr should know about withdrawl symptons especially from ads.  I took effexor for 4 years and when I came off I had horrible dizzy spells for weeks.  I switched over to prozac at the same time so that may have helped, but they were still bad enough it scared me.  You need another doctor.  Are you seeing a psychiatrist or a family practitioner?  I highly recommend a psychiatrist- mine is wonderful and knows all the details about these meds so I can trust her.  I hope you are feeling better soon!

best wishes,
starr28

[evelani]

I was on Effexor for a few years and I've since decided it is a horrible drug.  I can sympathise with your withdrawal symptoms, they make you feel awful.  Were you on the little tablets or the slow release capsules?  I was on the tablets and they are worse because even if you miss a tablet for one day you feel like you can't cope, awful eye/head symptoms. (My eyes felt like I could not control which direction I wanted them to go in).  Effexor withdrawal also causes HUGE amounts of anxiety and stress, I also felt like I was slipping into rages, and the crying is part of it too.  I feel really bad for you because it's like living through it again.  Sorry to be blunt but your doctor sounds like AN IDIOT!  He should know better but the fact that he doesn't is a warning to you that you are not receiving quality of care.  I was studying too when I was on effexor.  I want you to know that the worst symptoms WILL pass, when the effexor has finally gone out of your system, about 2 weeks for the worst stuff.  But it's dangerous going straight onto another drug as they can have interactions.  I'm now on Zoloft and I almost feel normal :)  Zoloft has hardly any side effects compared to effexor and I am coping ok.  Please get a second opinion, just see any other dr. for another opinion, it's really important.  But make sure you have caring friends/family around you and let them know what's going on.  You will get throug it and never go on effexor again.  Write to that dr. of yours and tell him what you went through!