Posted by DustBuster on January 3, 2005, at 19:29:58
In reply to i really really need help - effexor, posted by icantsurf on January 3, 2005, at 18:16:56
I would recommend staying on the drug, and talking to your doctor first. I was in the exact same boat as you. I panic'd after reading all the scary stories here, and elsewhere, stopped taking the effexor (75 mg) after just 3 weeks.
It took a week and a half for the withdrawl side effects to stop. And I was so angry with my doctor, that I cancelled my next appt with him. After another 3 weeks of no meds at all, I decided to try something else, and went back to him. I now realize that the Effexor aggravated my anxiety a bunch. I'm trying Lexapro now, but if that doesn't work out, I'll consider Effexor again.
Take everything you read on the net with a BIG grain of salt. Remember that people who have problems tend to look for support and complain, but there are lots of people for whom effexor works just fine, and most of them aren't searching for assistance and posting here. They're out living their lives!
It's a tough decision, but ultimately, it's yours to make. I highly recommend talking to your doctor first, though. Maybe he can give you something else for the anxiety, to help you tolerate the scary stories better. And if you do decide to quit, decrease your dosable by no more than 37.5 mg per week, and be prepared to go back a step if it becomes intolerable.
Good Luck!
poster:DustBuster
thread:437311
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20050103/msgs/437344.html