weaning Efeffor xr

[suLean]

I have had the worst experience this god-awful drug.  Hypertension from my normal 120/60 to 160/100.  Couldn't figure the culprit, since I have been on 225 mg for about 10months.  Forgot about the packaging info, and since my shrink never said a word about monitoring my blood pressure, didn't think it was the drug.  Well now I know better, and I am willing to join a class action suit against Wyeth for this horrible, supposedly non-addictive drug, coming off it is worse than heroin!  Anyone interested?  How do we get started?

[lonewolf07]

Effexor does increase BP.  The pharmacy where you bought it or the product monogaph will tell you what side effects it  has and that is one of them.  When my dr gave it to me knowing I was taking BP meds - she prescribed them - I took it once and it made me so sick I never took it again.

It sounds like your dr is just as much to blame as .... UGH .... Wyeth.

[remar]

i agree with everything  hensley said. i ended up going to the er with my blood pressure sky high, my jaws killing me thinking i was having a heart attack, i was'nt. it was from this terrible drug. my dr. did'nt tell me about possible blood pressure changes, but every time i went to see him it was high, he did'nt even know it was from this drug. he wanted to put me on mediction to bring it down. i told him i was getting off this drug. as soon as i did my blood pressure went back to normal, no more jaw pain and no more severe ear pain. i hate this drug and i hope you get off it soon. take care. remar

[Hensley258]

With each visit your P-doc should have been checking you Blood Pressure.
It is kind of unusual that they were not checking for this while you were on the medication.

Effexor can elevate blood pressure in some people. I honestly have no clue why doctors today do not first inform patients about the withdrawl symptoms from stopping AD medication.

Truth is that just about all Antidepressant medications cause severe withdrawl symptoms if discontinued abruptly. I have changed AD meds several times and I have experienced withdrawl symptoms from each and every one of them, including Effexor.

Even with a slow taper off method, withdrawls can still be expected.