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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by Snoozy on May 8, 2003, at 11:31:43
In reply to Re: I'm going off- please help!, posted by catri on May 8, 2003, at 7:00:08
Hi - sorry you're having the withdrawl.
If I were in this position, I would go back to the original dose (75) and see if I felt ok. If I felt ok, then I would continue on a more gradual withdrawl schedule. That's just my personal preference and experience - I don't want to tell you what to do :)
jb07 has posted about Effexor withdrawl just below - cutting the 75mg tabs into quarters.
Also, someone else wrote about Prozac and Effexor withdrawl. Let's see if I can copy the link here:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030505/msgs/224984.html
If that link doesn't work, just scroll down and look for it.
When dealing with withdrawl, I think you have to be assertive in saying- your taper schedule isn't working for me, here's what I'd like to try. Unless your dr wants to nurse you and take care of your responsibilities while you're sick from withdrawl!
I can't believe after all these years and probably millions of patients, the word is not out among pdocs and pharmacists about Effexor withdrawl. <sigh>
Hope this helps - let me know how it goes!
> Hi, Snoozy - saw the doc today and he's making me drop down to 37mg/day - I have already taken a lower doasge, and I'm feeling totally weird - my eyes are going slightly mental and I'm feeling dizzy and sick! Its amazing the total lack of knowledge about this drug - I questioned my pharmacist, and he seemed to think that the only side effects from the withdrawal were going to be restlessness at night!!!!! My doc didn't seem to think that I would get all that much either, because I've only been on it for half a year. Does anyone know of any advice to help with the withdrawal symtoms?
Posted by tl on May 8, 2003, at 11:51:07
In reply to Tapering down??, posted by jb07 on May 8, 2003, at 8:59:17
I have been on effexor for almost 2 years. I started at 50mg and now am at 300mg. I am trying to get off of it because I don't like the way it is starting to make me feel. At first it worked great, I lost 20 lbs immediatley and my depression was easier to handle. But as time went on, I had to keep increasing the dosage (on the advice of my doctor) to get the same effect. The last year or so I have gained almost 25 lbs and have started drinking 5 or 6 glasses of wine a night. very unusual for me, I hardly ever drank before that. Now the pills are not working as well, the effects start to wear off in the afternoon (even though I take a 150mg in the AM and another 150mg about 2:00) so I spend my evenings sitting on the couch, drinking and feeling sad and hopeless. Two years ago I was a marathoner and spent 4 or 5 nights at the gym working out or cycling or doing aerobics. Now I can barely get out the door and run once a week, I am tired of feeling this way so 2 weeks ago I decided (without the advice of my doctor, because I am afraid he will just want to try more doses of E. or another type of medication, neither of which I want) to taper. I started by decreasing my pills to one a day, instead of 2, then I went to one dose every other day. I was feeling great until this morning. Now I feel horrible. I am dizzy, my head hurts and I have this bizzare tingling in my lips. I keep having hot flashes. I feel disorientated and very irritable. I feel like crying. My husband is mad because I won't call my doctor but I know he will just get mad at me for trying to do this on my own. Does anyone know if there are any truly serious side effects of tapering like this? Such as seizures or truly wigging out and hurting oneself?
Posted by jack smith on May 8, 2003, at 12:53:36
In reply to Re: Tapering down??, posted by tl on May 8, 2003, at 11:53:07
I have had a partial but inadequate response to 150 mg of effexor (been on it for about a month at this level following a two week taper up). Has anyone seen a more robust response at these higher levels after only getting minimal relief at 150?? Any advice appreciated.
JACK
Posted by jb07 on May 8, 2003, at 13:06:59
In reply to Re: Tapering down??, posted by tl on May 8, 2003, at 11:53:07
I too have to get off this drug. Funny, the evening drinking binges happened to me?? I guess once the medication wore off, I turned to alcohol for my escape and numb feeling??
If anybody else had the same drinking episodes in the evening, please feel free to share them with the board...I am beginning to think I am an alcoholic???
B/C this alcoholism runs in my family...and I am beginning to get scared!!!
P.S. I have tapered down to 18mg....broke open a 75 mg pill and split it into 4. I feel much better, b/c the drug is slowly getting out of my body, but am still having a few drinks every night to numb me out!!!
Posted by melley on May 8, 2003, at 13:12:23
In reply to Effexor: Better at 225 or 300??, posted by jack smith on May 8, 2003, at 12:53:36
I bumped up from 150 to 225 in the beginning of January because of being sooo tired. Now I feel like the energizer bunny (not always such a good feeling when you are trying to sleep). But it was a significant difference for me. mel> I have had a partial but inadequate response to 150 mg of effexor (been on it for about a month at this level following a two week taper up). Has anyone seen a more robust response at these higher levels after only getting minimal relief at 150?? Any advice appreciated.
>
> JACK
Posted by jack smith on May 8, 2003, at 13:32:28
In reply to Re: Effexor: Better at 225 or 300?? » jack smith, posted by melley on May 8, 2003, at 13:12:23
>
> I bumped up from 150 to 225 in the beginning of January because of being sooo tired. Now I feel like the energizer bunny (not always such a good feeling when you are trying to sleep). But it was a significant difference for me. mel
>Did it also improve your mood? How long at 225 did it take to notice the difference?
Posted by Napaba on May 8, 2003, at 13:51:14
In reply to Re: Tapering down??, posted by jb07 on May 8, 2003, at 13:06:59
I visited a website (www.effexorfx.freeuk.com) given on another post. There was a section that listed increased use of alcohol as a side effect. If I had time I'd look for it and post it, but I don't right now. Go check the site out. I don't drink anymore then I did before EXR.
I too have to get off this drug. Funny, the evening drinking binges happened to me?? I guess once the medication wore off, I turned to alcohol for my escape and numb feeling??
>
> If anybody else had the same drinking episodes in the evening, please feel free to share them with the board...I am beginning to think I am an alcoholic???
>
> B/C this alcoholism runs in my family...and I am beginning to get scared!!!
>
> P.S. I have tapered down to 18mg....broke open a 75 mg pill and split it into 4. I feel much better, b/c the drug is slowly getting out of my body, but am still having a few drinks every night to numb me out!!!
Posted by Napaba on May 8, 2003, at 13:55:45
In reply to Re: Effexor: Better at 225 or 300?? » jack smith, posted by melley on May 8, 2003, at 13:12:23
The only I noticed when going from 75mg to 150 was an increase in side effects. I've listed them before, so I won't bore everyone with them again. I'm hoping they go away as I taper off.
> I bumped up from 150 to 225 in the beginning of January because of being sooo tired. Now I feel like the energizer bunny (not always such a good feeling when you are trying to sleep). But it was a significant difference for me. mel
>
> > I have had a partial but inadequate response to 150 mg of effexor (been on it for about a month at this level following a two week taper up). Has anyone seen a more robust response at these higher levels after only getting minimal relief at 150?? Any advice appreciated.
> >
> > JACK
>
>
Posted by Maureen17 on May 8, 2003, at 21:58:04
In reply to Re: Tapering down??, posted by jb07 on May 8, 2003, at 13:06:59
You're not alone!
I thought I was becoming an alkey too...
But as I taper off, I don't drink as much. But still do to get numb.
Posted by melley on May 9, 2003, at 7:20:24
In reply to Re: Effexor: Better at 225 or 300?? » melley, posted by jack smith on May 8, 2003, at 13:32:28
> >
> > I bumped up from 150 to 225 in the beginning of January because of being sooo tired. Now I feel like the energizer bunny (not always such a good feeling when you are trying to sleep). But it was a significant difference for me. mel
> >
>
> Did it also improve your mood? How long at 225 did it take to notice the difference?Yes, it did improve my mood, and I noticed the effects of it almost immediately.
Today I am going in to see the psychiatrist in the hopes that he will let me try wellbutrin. I am dreading the weaning off of effexor. But effexor and paxil are all I've tried. Paxil's drawback was that it made me very sleepy. My cousin who is on wellbutrin says it's the only things she's found that has very few side effects.
I wish you luck. Let us know how you do when you bump it up. Melissa
Posted by delna on May 11, 2003, at 9:54:27
In reply to Re: Tapering down?? » jb07, posted by Maureen17 on May 8, 2003, at 21:58:04
I did well on 300 mg but eventually went into a manic state. Initially it did lift the depressiion and get rid of all the ocd symptoms. well later i was out of control.
i finally got off it. withdrawal was hard as my doc tried to reduce too fast. i had all the usual symptoms as well as hearing voices.
my evental tapering statergy was good. from 300 i cut drastically to 225. i realised that for me withdrawal started when the dose became very low
so every few days i dropped drasticlly. till i reached 75. i stayed put at 75 till i was used to it ( 1 weak) and then went down to 35.5.
This is when i reduces v v gradually. almost little bits cut off every few days. when the last bit was there i stayed put for a week at least. then took every 2nd day , every 3rd and so on- till i was off.
i'm bck on it now at 150 as this is the only antidep that helped me ever. ofcourse now ith a mood stabaliser.
delna
Posted by delna on May 11, 2003, at 10:00:55
In reply to Re: Effexor XR vs. Paxil and weight gain » LeeLee, posted by Napaba on May 8, 2003, at 7:52:03
for me there paxil was much more weight gaining than effexor.but paxil weight comes off rapidly wheras i hv found that effexor weight has to be workrd off
delna
Posted by Elliot on May 11, 2003, at 10:45:28
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? YES! , posted by Shel on July 18, 2000, at 1:35:45
Anyone have experience with a relatively new drug called lexapro? I'm weaning off depakote and now need to decide what's the best course of action. Have pretty much narrowed it down to effexor, wellbutrin, or lexapro.
Posted by Anyu on May 11, 2003, at 16:44:30
In reply to Effexor: Better at 225 or 300??, posted by jack smith on May 8, 2003, at 12:53:36
Has anybody went up to 300 mg. on EffexorRX ?
I'm on 225, but I'm considering to ask my doctor to go up higher.I only had one good week on 225 - I'm now "back to the circle", tired-very very tired!-,moods ups and downs etc.It would be nice to hear some assurance.
Posted by John2222 on May 11, 2003, at 17:03:27
In reply to Re: Tapering down??, doses, success , posted by delna on May 11, 2003, at 9:54:27
> so every few days i dropped drasticlly. till i reached 75. i stayed put at 75 till i was used to it ( 1 weak) and then went down to 35.5.
> This is when i reduces v v gradually. almost little bits cut off every few days. when the last bit was there i stayed put for a week at least. then took every 2nd day , every 3rd and so on- till i was off.Has anyone else tried this every 2nd day, etc. approach to reducing?
I was told after getting to 37.5 (which I've done) to then take the 37.5 xr capsule every other day for 2 weeks, then take 37.5 xr capsule every 3rd day for 2 weeks and then stop.
Has anyone actually done this and DOES IT WORK? (without all the "discontinuation" effects)?
Posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 18:44:28
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR SIDE EFFECTS!!!!!, posted by Napaba on May 5, 2003, at 9:39:21
I'm late to reading your post and haven't read any of the replies but I thought I would add in my 2 cents worth before reading any of the replies you've gotten. Hopefully, I'm not repeating what has been already said.I'm not on Effexor now, but I was on Effexor XR 367.5mg/day for more than a year. Here is the list of side effects that I had that you mentioned and what I did for them:
> 1. Severe constipation
- I ate LOTS of salads> 2. Horrible neck pain
- Tylenol with codeine and a heating pad were my best friend> 4. Blurred vision
- I now where glasses :(> 5. Vivid Dreams (I can handle this one)
- there were kinda cool, I miss them now> 6. Unrestful sleep
- 1 1/2 years later and my sleep is still screwed up and I'm off of Effexor for several months, will it EVER be normal???> 8. Headaches
- again Tylenol> 9. Brain shivers (when I'm late for even one dose)
- these were the absolute worst and the reason I came off of Effexor XR
As I said above, the brain shivers were intolerable and that was the sole reason I came off of Effexor XR. My highest dosage was 367.5mg/day. Obviously you're having a 'rough' time with Effexor. Why not wean yourself off, with doctor's supervision and try something else instead?I completely understand what you're going through and I wish you the best of luck in whatever you decide to do. Again, I hope I have not repeated anything that anybody else has already said as I come to this thread late.
Angel Girl
Posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 18:53:31
In reply to I'm going off- please help!, posted by catri on May 7, 2003, at 6:26:43
> hello, after about six months on 75/day, I want to come off it. I'm seeing the doc tomorrow, and I would really like help in deciding what withdrawal/tapering programme people have found that works best. Please help....
My highest dosage was 367.5mg/day when I decided I wanted off of Effexor XR due to the side effects. My system is VERY sensitive to medication and dosage changes so I weaned off EXTREMELY slowly, doing only 37.5mg at a time and allowing my body to adjust for at least 2 weeks before the next decrease. One time I went down 75mg because I was anxious and went straight into withdrawal. ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!! I can not emphasize more that you need to do it S L O W!!! Good luck!!!Angel Girl
Posted by noa on May 11, 2003, at 19:21:25
In reply to Re: Effexor: Better at 225 or 300??, posted by Anyu on May 11, 2003, at 16:44:30
Yes, I was, at one point. To reduce side effects, though, I lowered it to 262.5, which is the dose I was on for a long time (a number of years), until very recently, when I lowered it to 225. The 262.5 was a compromise, between the more effective 300, where the SEs bothered me more, and the not effective enough 225. At 262.5, it felt more adequate, and the SEs were slightly less bothersome. I was recently able to go down to 225 because I am feeling better, since augmenting with fish oil.
Posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 19:25:30
In reply to Re: Effexor: Better at 225 or 300??, posted by Anyu on May 11, 2003, at 16:44:30
> Has anybody went up to 300 mg. on EffexorRX ?
> I'm on 225, but I'm considering to ask my doctor to go up higher.I only had one good week on 225 - I'm now "back to the circle", tired-very very tired!-,moods ups and downs etc.It would be nice to hear some assurance.
Jack> >
> > I bumped up from 150 to 225 in the beginning of January because of being sooo tired. Now I feel like the energizer bunny (not always such a good feeling when you are trying to sleep). But it was a significant difference for me. mel
> >
>
> Did it also improve your mood? How long at 225 did it take to notice the difference?
Jack> I have had a partial but inadequate response to 150 mg of effexor (been on it for about a month at this level following a two week taper up). Has anyone seen a more robust response at these higher levels after only getting minimal relief at 150?? Any advice appreciated.
>
> JACK
I personally didn't notice ANY effect until I got to the 150mg dosage. Unfortunately it still wasn't enough for me and I gradually (37.5mg every 2 wks) increased to 367.5mg/day, which was my highest dosage. As others have said though, with each higher dosage, comes more side effects.Hopefully, you'll notice improvement with the higher dosage with minimal consequence. For me, it was WELL worth it.
Good luck!!
Angel Girl
Posted by Gretchen on May 11, 2003, at 19:50:28
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal Highly Overrated, posted by dongerue on March 19, 2003, at 21:48:28
> > I recently switched from Effexor to Welbutrin. Had no problems with withdrawal. The Dr. Had me ramp down. I switched due to sexual side effects. That was the only side effect I had, otherwise the Effexor was working great. Wish I could say the same for the Welbutrin.
>
> It may have been no problem with you but it is a purple bitch for me. I tapered off reducing dosage at the rate of 37mg per week. I then quit and I felt nausiated, headaches, general malaise, ringing in the ears, with sudden sharp disturbances in ears and eyes. I quit and switched to welbutrin for the same reason you mentioned, but as of now, I have been off all effexor for two weeks and I still feel awful. I don't know the answer yet but I will let you know. Any help would be appreciated
Hey, it is KILLING Me! I went cold-turkey for 3 days and about committed suicide - not knowing that it was effects from this. I have been tapering off now for 3 weeks and still feel the side-effects... as I write. Dizziness, vertigo, disoriented, confusion, etc. I am hoping that at some point this will end! I am now down to the smallest capsule dosage every 3 (count'em THREE) days and I still get these symptoms after about 48 hours. ARGH!! So upsetting considering I went in asking for Ambien to help me sleep, but the doctor said "oh that is adiciting - try Effexor". YA, like THIS is not addicting!! Anything that is this hard to get off of is certainly addicting! I can handle not sleeping at night, but this is rediculous!
Posted by ladylight57 on May 11, 2003, at 20:08:23
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal Highly Overrated, posted by Gretchen on May 11, 2003, at 19:50:28
I think the experience is different for everyone, but I know I suffered greatly with side effects when tapering off.
Those who can do so with no ill effects should count themselves lucky! Now that I am 3 months out from stopping completely, I feel like my old self again. I had a bit of "rebound" depression, but even that has dissipated.
Beth
Posted by Snoozy on May 11, 2003, at 20:33:26
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR SIDE EFFECTS!!!!!, posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 18:44:28
Hi - I stopped taking Effexor because of the vivid nightmares it gave me. I just wanted to let you know that it took a long time, but my dreams finally got back to normal. I truly questioned whether it would ever be the way it was before Effexor.
I know that's not the problem you're having, but I thought I would share this. There was a time when I had given up hope of returning to "normal" (sleeping-wise ;) so keep hanging in there.
> > 6. Unrestful sleep
> - 1 1/2 years later and my sleep is still screwed up and I'm off of Effexor for several months, will it EVER be normal???
>
> Angel Girl
>
Posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 22:11:04
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR recovery - yes! » Angel Girl, posted by Snoozy on May 11, 2003, at 20:33:26
> Hi - I stopped taking Effexor because of the vivid nightmares it gave me. I just wanted to let you know that it took a long time, but my dreams finally got back to normal. I truly questioned whether it would ever be the way it was before Effexor.
>
> I know that's not the problem you're having, but I thought I would share this. There was a time when I had given up hope of returning to "normal" (sleeping-wise ;) so keep hanging in there.
>
> > > 6. Unrestful sleep
> > - 1 1/2 years later and my sleep is still screwed up and I'm off of Effexor for several months, will it EVER be normal???
> >
> > Angel Girl
> >
>
>Snoozy
Thanks for your encouragement. Despite the problems I had on Effexor before, I'm actually seriously considering going back on it because my depression is coming back. I hope it's not a case of not remembering how bad it was and coming to regret my decision once back on it. I know the MAJOR reason I came off of it was the brain shivers and the very thought of getting them back does NOT appeal to me whatsoever. I also suffered GREATLY from tremors, sometimes not being able to eat because I couldn't even hold a fork or glass. I'm still undecided on what to do as I feel that this is a very big decision for me to make and I don't want to make it lightly. At least this time, I go into it knowing what is ahead of me, unlike the last time where it all turned out to be a surprise but even with all the side effects, I can NOT dismiss the fact that Effexor XR helped me. It kept me alive.
Now, if only I could resolve my insomnia. :(
Angel Girl
Posted by Snoozy on May 11, 2003, at 23:39:40
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR recovery - yes! - Snoozy, posted by Angel Girl on May 11, 2003, at 22:11:04
Angel Girl -
I keep going back and trying drugs again that seemed to help, even just the smallest bit, without side effects that were too overwhelming, so I understand why you're thinking about Effexor again. (Isn't persistence supposed to pay off :)
Did your pdoc, or anyone here, have anything to say about dealing with the tremors? The brain shivers - ugh. I was on it in the early pioneer days - (way back in '95!) and of course I had them, and had a terrible time trying to explain them to my drs. I had 2 EEGs, numerous MRIs and a whole bunch of other tests - I don't know why they didn't know it was a side effect of Effexor. But all of this was before the extended release form was available.
I'm curious if you have the brain shivers only when you're late for a dose? And did you have insomnia before the Effexor? Good luck making your decision, and I agree that going into this knowing what to expect makes a huge difference.
> Thanks for your encouragement. Despite the problems I had on Effexor before, I'm actually seriously considering going back on it because my depression is coming back. I hope it's not a case of not remembering how bad it was and coming to regret my decision once back on it. I know the MAJOR reason I came off of it was the brain shivers and the very thought of getting them back does NOT appeal to me whatsoever. I also suffered GREATLY from tremors, sometimes not being able to eat because I couldn't even hold a fork or glass. I'm still undecided on what to do as I feel that this is a very big decision for me to make and I don't want to make it lightly. At least this time, I go into it knowing what is ahead of me, unlike the last time where it all turned out to be a surprise but even with all the side effects, I can NOT dismiss the fact that Effexor XR helped me. It kept me alive.
>
> Now, if only I could resolve my insomnia. :(
>
> Angel Girl
>
>
Posted by Angel Girl on May 12, 2003, at 4:35:23
In reply to Re: EFFEXOR return » Angel Girl, posted by Snoozy on May 11, 2003, at 23:39:40
> Angel Girl -
>
> I keep going back and trying drugs again that seemed to help, even just the smallest bit, without side effects that were too overwhelming, so I understand why you're thinking about Effexor again. (Isn't persistence supposed to pay off :)
>
> Did your pdoc, or anyone here, have anything to say about dealing with the tremors? The brain shivers - ugh. I was on it in the early pioneer days - (way back in '95!) and of course I had them, and had a terrible time trying to explain them to my drs. I had 2 EEGs, numerous MRIs and a whole bunch of other tests - I don't know why they didn't know it was a side effect of Effexor. But all of this was before the extended release form was available.
>
> I'm curious if you have the brain shivers only when you're late for a dose? And did you have insomnia before the Effexor? Good luck making your decision, and I agree that going into this knowing what to expect makes a huge difference.
>
>
>Snoozy
I used to sleep like a baby BEFORE Effexor. Actually, to be honest, I slept very few hours and was quite satisfied with that. Maybe due to BP-II that I didn't know I had? But even prior to that, I slept a full night's sleep with no problems whatsoever. It seems that my insomnia started the day I started anti-depressants and even though I'm currently not on any ADs, I still wrestle with the problem as you can see by the time of this post. I haven't gotten to sleep yet even though I took my new sleep med. I guess it's safe to say it's not working any better than the last one.
As far as the brain shivers are concerned, they started as my dosage got higher. I can't recall exactly what dosage it was (maybe 150?). I had them all the time, all day long. It was HORRIBLE!!! My famly dr and pdoc understood and accepted them as fact but I once went to the ER because I couldn't take it any longer and they told me that there was no such thing. This was said to me by a pdoc at a psych hospital. Of course, I had a fight with her much to the dismay of my family in the ER. ;) They even continued for a couple of weeks after I was completely off the Effexor.
The tremors got worse as my dosage was increased. As I said before, at times it got almost impossible to eat and signing checks was next to impossible. The only thing that my pdoc suggested was to decrease my dosage down and introduce a different AD to augument the Effexor in hopes that that would help. Of course, it never did. I still have some tremors. It is hard to hold a book still in order to read it. Since I've been off of Effexor for several months, the tremors I'm experiencing now must be from my Depakote, I'm assuming. They are tolerable although embarrassing when people see my hands shaking.
I've been doing pretty good with just the Depakote for my BP-II but lately I've been getting more and more depressed. I've also gained a fair amount of weight so not only am I considering the Effexor XR for the depression, I'm also considering Topomax for the weight gain.
Unfortunately, my body does not do drug changes and/or dosage changes very well at all. So, I think I'll have to make a decision on which one of the issues (weight/depression) needs to be addressed first. Right now I would consider them equal, although the weight gain is also adding to the depression. :(
Angel Girl
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