i'm quitting Effexor cold turkey today because of side effects

[alteredchaos]

i've been on various drugs for depression and OCD since 1996. however, i've been on 300MG Effexor for about a year, and have gained about 30 pounds. i eat very, very little - and it doesn't seem to matter. i lose NO weight. 90 percent of the weight has come on in my lower abdomen area, and my butt and hips. i look as if i am pregnant...i also feel very bloated all of the time. can anyone help me on what to do to lose the weight and tell me how long it should take? gaining weight only makes depression worse - even if that isn't the core of the depression, people don't wan't to have one more thing to worry about like their weight and personal self esteem. anyone that has stopped Effexor Cold Turkey, please respond. i need all of the info i can get!

[tielfeathers]

I have been on Effexor XR for over a year at 187 mg but gotten no help from it. It made me lose weight because I started feeling nauseous around food. I said I wanted off, so they weaned me off - took a month to do it the right way. I started feeling better, but once I took the final dose of 37.5 mg, in a couple days I felt like I was freaking out, couldn't control my anger, anxiety, depression. I am angry all the time now and my doctor is on vacation. She had also said I would have to wait 2 weeks before starting a new medication, so I still have a week to wait. But the Effexor gave me so many side effects, headaches, bloating, gas, itching, diarrhea, ringing in the ears, mood and mental changes, tired. I had been making various visits to the doctor for all of these symptoms, not realizing it was coming from the Effexor. How I figured it out was when I started tapering off, these other side effects started tapering off, also. That's when I went to the internet to look it up and there are pages of side effects, which I will show my doctor when I see her again. I never want to be on that type of medication again.

Good luck to you on your withdrawal, I was warned not to stop at once, so hoping you are ok. Could have saved myself a lot of doctor visits if I had looked up the side effects first!

[calgary67]

I hope you don't crash coming off to so fast.  I gained so much weight too and in the same places as you.  I haven't lost weight but I am feeling better in my head and emotions.  I can finally cry.  Haven't done that in so long and it feels so good. I was emotionally dead.  Keep me posted as your progress. Good luck.
Calgary 67

[mr.lucky66]

It hasn't been fun for me getting off effexor but it's been worth it. Try to taper off slowly. I hope this helps you with the weight and wish you all the best.