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Effexor XR withdrawls - Misery!

Posted by slash6767 on August 19, 2002, at 18:53:24

I just stumbled across this site today while searching the web for *some* miracle relief for my Effexor XR withdrawls. Its relieving to see that I am not the only one who is or has suffered through getting off of Effexor, and I am hoping someone out there can shed some light for me on what I can do temporarily to ease this misery.

Anyhow.. I am a 22 year old male who has suffered with generalized anxiety disorder since I was diagnosed with it when I was about 10 years old. Throughout the years I have been prescribed prozac & paxil, as well as a few different benzos including xanax, valium, & ativan for anxiety. I have never really been a depressed person, just someone who suffered from panic attacks (daily) & unable to sleep at night due to my heart pounding out of my chest when I would turn out the lights and lay down. This is probably mild compared to many of your stories & I can honestly say that (I FEEL FOR YOU) to those people who have not been able to work, attend school, or leave the house due to severe anxiety. Anyhow... From ages 17 - 19 I got away from the meds completely. I rarely had anxiety attacks and I had felt that maybe I had "grown out of them". This was until my worthless friends introduced me to that wonderful feel good drug called Ecstasy... (can you feel the sarcasm?) I had never been one to do drugs or follow the crowd, but for some reason I convinced myself to try it. Throughout the summer of 2000, over a 3 month period I took ecstasy maybe 6 times on different weekend parties. This was honestly the biggest mistake I ever made in my life. Everything seemed fine until 1 day while driving to work "it happened again". I started panicing for no reason. All of those old fears, and memories came back & it was horrible. I was barely able to drive myself to work & it wouldn't stop. To make a long, agonizing story short this severe anxiety "episode" lasted for 3 months! I would go days without sleeping, staying up shaking on the couch watching tv, crying. I lost over 30 pounds, my life was a complete mess. Until I finally went back to doctor to admit that I had done something very stupid. Anyway, this new Dr. introduced me to Effexor XR. It was (at the time) a new AD that seemed to do well with anxiety and suggested that I try it. Needless to say, Effexor changed my life. Within a few months I was 100% normal again (aside from the lousy sexual side effects) and after about 6 months I decreased my dosage from 75mg to 37.5 where I have been at for about 1.5 years.

Anyway... (sorry for the life story book, just in a typing mood today :).. During the last year or so I have been gaining weight. I have gained almost 30 pounds which is up about 60 pounds from where I was just 2 years ago. My diet hasn't changed, my activity level is also very close to what it has been before as well. So recently my doctor suggested that I stop taking it because it is probably causing me to retain water. (who knows). So 3 days ago I took the last pill from my prescription and within just 6 hours of missing that 37.5mg pill the withdrawls started.

Today has been 3 days effexor free and I am in complete hell. I am not feeling anxiety, but I am dizzy, lightheaded, nausiated, tired, have a head ache, I am irritable, can't focus or concentrate, depressed as hell, & can't help but just cry wishing I felt "normal again". I can't believe the withdrawl feelings could be strong on such a small dosage. I can't even begin to imagine what you poor people who stop cold turkey from 150mg or 300mg's must go through.

Does anyone know of any meds that will make me feel better - at least temporarily not so fogged up until I readjust to not taking it? Also, has any other 37.5 users stopped and how long did it take your withdrawl symptoms to go away or if you had them at all? A friend mentioned to me today that benedryl will help somewhat, but it hasn't seemed to do much other than make me maybe a bit more relaxed. I appreciate your time taken to read this.


Slash6767


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poster:slash6767 thread:116993
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020814/msgs/116993.html