quitting cold turkey from Effexor xr 150mg

[76heartfelt]

I have taken Effexor for 3 years now.  This summer my ex-husband helped me to aquire another medication. Celexa which was given to me by th ER doctor.  My regular doctor kept me on effexor, buspar, and celexa with ativan as needed.  These were the medications that I've taken for roughly 7 months now.  Went to my doctor for a prescription refill on my Effexor and now all of a sudden he WON'T fill it.  I've GONE COLD TURKEY!!! I was able to find some 75 mg tablets of effexor but only 3 days.  So here I come cold turkey!  I feel weird, almost spacey, have headache.  I'm just worried what else I should be prepared for. My doctor didn't put me on anything new, just told me to take my other medications.   Help me, should I switch doctors or follow my doctors advice "that I should be fine"

[DebG822]

I have been taking 225 mg of effexor for many years. I am tired of the weight gain, sweats etc. I talked to my psych. I started taking 150 mg 3 months ago. I started 2 days ago at 75 mg with 20 mg of prozac on board. This drug is the hardest thing to come off of. YOU don't have to suffer through it. Ask your dr for Prozac to take with it when you are down to a lower dose. I have had absolutely no problems. I am looking forward to dropping all this fat and getting my life back. It helped my anxiety a lot but i feel like crap. The weight gain has been 60+ lbs. I have already lost 10 from lowering the does. The weight gain and sweats is usually dose dependent. ANY one if you are stopping effexor do not do it with out Prozac on board. The shelf like of prozac is longer than effexor. Once off of effexor then you can wean off of prozac. It is a very easy med to wean without side effects. Get your life back.

[andrewm88]

effexor is known to have the worst withdrawl symptoms of the SNRI and SSRI medications, i strongly advise against going cold turkey off of them and i assure you any qualified medical practitioner will tell you the same, you need to ween yourself off of them. please go to see a doctor asap about this!

[dwt7let]

Hi
I quit cold turkey off effexor and still have some symtoms eight months later I was on them eight years 2 years on 75 mg and six years on 150 mg's. It has been the most horrendous time of my life but one thing I can say I am not sleeping all the time and I
am not like a zombie.
First I had physical symptoms nausea, IBS, agitated, palpitations and then it changed to a little bit of anxiety racing mind and now insomnia. What happens is while you take
them adrenaline is switched of then when you come off them it goes awol causing
symptoms. Your brain has been switched off for however long you have been on them
and it doesn't like sudden change so withdrawals are your brain coming back to life.
Take care
Love
Lorraine xx

[ufcfan]

I quit Paxil cold turkey without talking to my doctor and that was one of the hardest things that I've ever been through in my life!!! Find another doctor!!! I've heard that Effexor is even harder to come off of than Paxil. Good luck.

[Alisonj29]

Effexor and Celexa are both SSRI's I believe and you really shouldnt have been on both at the same time. Especially with Buspar. The combination seems off to me. However having to go cold turkey is hard as well. I think you need to seek another doctors help asap. Please dont take any meds from any source other than what you have been prescribed. Switch doctors asap!!!!!