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Posted by andie on October 9, 2003, at 22:52:01
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl » slazart, posted by Seraphim on June 17, 2001, at 18:02:36
I have read all the post and I have to tell you that getting off of effexor was horrible for me. I had been taking it for about 2 years.When I stopped it I only tapered off for about 2 weeks then just stopped all together,what an idiot I was. I had terrible night mares and night sweats. I was so dizzy and headaches constantly,and I also felt so strange I cant explain It. The bad news was that it took me about 3 months to start feeling better. I felt like I was going out of my mind. It has been 8 months now and Im back to a semi normal person again. I really dont think I would ever want to take effexor again in my life.
Posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
In reply to Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by janey on November 1, 1998, at 16:30:34
WOW! I have just read this entire thread and have gone from laughing to crying! My story is long and surely rather boring, but I feel compelled to tell it. I just want to say, to start with, if you're feeling fine on Effexor than get off this thread and don't be giving people advice about not knocking the drug. It sucks.
I have been on Effexor for about 8 years and this is day 3 without ANY. Started with a liquor and Darvocet OD at a time when there was great turmoil in my life. I was taken to a psych ward where I spent a week or so (you learn pretty quickly what it takes to get out if you want to). First they gave me Prozac and I took it for a while feeling no noticeable difference. The thing that I believe helped me more was 5 years with a good therapist. In hindsight, 5 minutes with Dr Phil would probably have done the trick. One positive about the hospitalization is that I was introduced to the concept of being an Adult Child of Alcoholics and there is no drug that fixes that. I attended ACOA meetings (12-step similar to AA) for a few years and found those helpful at all. If you believe you are depressed and it is not just some doctor's diagnosis, you owe it to yourself to seek out one of these alternatives to drugs for real help.I was told that I was in major depression and had probably been depressed since childhood. Looking back on it, I think this is an evaluation made by just another human being who may not understand that not all people are "bubbly."
Hindsight is a wonderful thing. After the five years of therapy I figured out that living with a drug addict alcoholic husband who was verbally abusive to my children (they were not his, by the way), prone to Viet Nam flashbacks, kept an arsenal of weapons, and caused me to fear he would murder someone everytime we drove somewhere was probably causing me more "depression" than any body chemistry problem and I divorced him.
Now on the upswing and in a great new relationship (of course), I was drug-free. What with trying to rid myself of "the stalker," the usual trauma of divorce and having lost custody of my younger child due to the ex-husband's abuse, I wasn't problem-free. The new relationship required massive work and my new husband and I found ourselves seeing another therapist. While he was a wonderful therapist, his suggestion that I see a psychiatrist for possible medication was an error, but trusting in the medical profession, I did as I was told.
The psychiatrist tried Zoloft and Wellbutrin on me and I felt no different on either. She then put me on Effexor, the little tabs that you can cut in half, don't remember the dose. I can recall once telling her that she seemed depressed, which she didn't take very well at all. (here's where you laugh)
A couple of times during the "effexor years," I tried to quit cold-turkey and experienced all the worst of the symptoms described in this thread including one bout where I felt like I was dying of the worst flu ever and couldn't stand or walk without help. Bad girl, get back on your medication. Ran out once more and called the shrink's office for a refill and curiously got an answering machine. The secretary returned the call to inform me that the good doctor had killed herself with alcohol, anti-seizure and pain medications. Talk about an eye-opener!
Now I had to resort to finding the effexor somewhere else because I knew by experience that I couldn't just quit. Thus began the precribing by various other medical professionals including my gynecologist who did me a "favor" by giving me a scrip for more effexor, no questions asked. Unfortunately, this also means no follow-up.
Over time I have graduated to 75 mg of XR four times a day (insurance would no longer allow for the tablets), and finally once or twice a day, whatever I felt like taking.
Symptoms while on the effexor included nightmares, some extremely amusing and enjoyable dreams (my husband says I should write a book about them), constant fatigue, migraines (sometimes two or three a week), and insomnia if I took a dose later in the day. I have also gained 40 pounds.
My wanting to get off effexor has been ongoing almost as long as I've been taking it. My husband bought into the idea that I would have to take it the rest of my life like he takes his thyroid meds. The problem for me, aside from symptoms, is the stigma. Yes, I take antidepressants therefore I must be insane.
Too late to make a long story short, I recently went on the Atkins diet after years of feeling like a fat blob and failing to lose weight on any diet or exercise program. Atkins has been working great for my husband, not so great for me, so I went back to the book and read the chapter about "metabolic resistance." Dr Atkins, rest his soul, says antidepressants are the worst offenders in causing the diet to fail, so I decided to kick the effexor, knowing what I would have to go through. And this time I am not doing it with a doctor, though I don't recommend such a perilous path to anyone else. Remember, I am only on day 3.
I am not experiencing anywhere near the severity of withdrawal symptoms that I had before, although I am so happy to see that I am not the only person whose brain rattles around inside my skull and makes me sometimes want to vomit.
In conjunction with the withdrawal, I have been working out three days a week, 30-60 minutes of walking, treadmill, etc. The first day without effexor I began taking St John's Wart, 300 mg softgels three times a day. Maybe the low-carb diet is helping also, I can't say for sure. I just know I don't feel anywhere near as bad as I did when stopping the effexor for one day or so in the past.
I realize there are people out there with actual body chemistry problems who need medication. I don't advocate that anyone else do what I am doing, I just wanted to share this story. Recently my son-in-law lost his father who was pretty much his best friend. He went to a doctor who prescribed Welbutrin. I told him he shouldn't start on any ADs. They have become the cure for everything, it seems. The death of someone close to you is grounds for depression and I can say from experience that drugs don't cure or help one to avoid a natural grief process, nor do I believe they should be prescribed for what I call "situational depression." I now believe that this was my original problem and I was much too easily led to drugs to cure what lifestyle or behavioral changes could have accomplished.
I noticed in the thread where someone said they didn't feel unhappy or mentally depressed. That's me. I'm not by nature a bubbly, high-on-life person. I am introspective, a loner and something of an artist. I want my mind clear and I want to be off effexor and I don't plan to live on St John's Wart either, will taper off that when I'm feeling better. I feel fine mentally with plenty of creative energy, just the physical self is going a difficult time. I am looking forward to the light at the end of the tunnel.
My purpose in this EXTREMELY LONG post is to thank those of you who have shared and kept this very informative and helpful thread going and also to beg you to examine your thinking, your behavior and where you are currently at in your life to see if there is another way out than this sickening, soul-murdering drug-taking. I look forward to reaching the light at the end of the tunnel.
Thanks for listening!
Posted by KimberlyDi on October 10, 2003, at 14:39:35
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
Thanks for sharing ANA! You write very well. If my memory was clear enough, I would write stories about my Effexor-dreams also.
My experience was different. Something in Effexor lifted me from suicidal depression and being unable to handle stress at work to a semi-functional person. But alas, Effexor raises my blood pressure too much so I'm tapering down. I do know what I'm in for. I've skipped 2 dosages before (on accident) that left me vomiting and so dizzy that I had to be in bed. I'm starting to feel depression again, but to be more aware of it than consumed by it, if you get my meaning. I've only tapered down from 300 to 150 daily yet so the worst is yet to come. I'm taking Batrim DS x 2 daily for a disturbing dx of Grade A Streptococcus, non-invasive type. (Acronym is GAS, believe that??? haha... in my obit, I can put that I died of GAS! ROFL. hmmm, maybe my humor is not appropriate at this moment.) Batrium's SE's can be so scary that I really don't know which one is causing me to feel awful.
I'm hanging in, one day at a time, like everyone else. Hope to see you post again.
KDi in Texas
Posted by katia on October 10, 2003, at 14:43:44
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
Hi,
Thanks for sharing such a long life history.
I just wanted to respond to some comments you made. I agree that people are overmedicated out there, but you can't throw the baby out with the bath water. There are lots of people who are undertreated and should be on medication (like myself for so many years). Is it situational depression or chemical imbalance? The chicken or the egg? If the propensity is there then a situation can throw one into a depression far from natural grief. I agree people shouldn't be medicated for natural griefing processes, but if they go on for too long and therapy is not working and it's obvious this person has fallen into a clinical depression due to life's circumstances, then medication is not such a bad idea.
I can't agree with you more about combining therapy and medication. It's a wonderful combination, as well as diet. all angles should be addressed.>Yes, I take antidepressants therefore I must be insane.
I don't necessarily agree with this above statement. I agree that there is a stigma out there, but it's becoming less and less as people become more educated about "mental disorders".
Good luck to you on your new med free life.
btw, I endured a hellish Effexor w/drawal followed by a hellish Zoloft w/drawal.
Katia
Posted by alli22314 on October 11, 2003, at 19:27:39
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news » ana, posted by katia on October 10, 2003, at 14:43:44
Effexor discontinuation can, indeed, be a very scary thing. The trick is to go VERY SLOWLY and ramp up on another AD med at the same time. I just went from 225mg to 0 over the course of several weeks. No kidding! I dropped down 37.5 every week but for the first 4 days of each week opened up a 37.5 capsule and took half of the granules (effectively, cutting down the Effexor by 18.75 every 4 days.)
I've been battling some light dizziness lately but seems I can make it diminish or go away with Benedryl.
I had no idea it was going to be this hard.
Posted by KimberlyDi on October 13, 2003, at 15:20:56
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
Makes me want to throw my hands up in the air and scream "who cares about high blood pressure" and gobble my effexor pills back up. This dizzy, sick, lightheaded feeling is too much.
Posted by MamaB on October 14, 2003, at 6:31:13
In reply to Oh heck, this is difficult!!, posted by KimberlyDi on October 13, 2003, at 15:20:56
Most research has shown that Effexor XR should be withdrawn over about a 30 day period. That's how I did it and had no symptoms, and I was on a whoppin' dose!
Posted by KimberlyDi on October 14, 2003, at 9:15:12
In reply to Re: Oh heck, this is difficult!!, posted by MamaB on October 14, 2003, at 6:31:13
> Most research has shown that Effexor XR should be withdrawn over about a 30 day period. That's how I did it and had no symptoms, and I was on a whoppin' dose!
Some of my problem is that I was also put on Bactrim for 10 days for a Streptococcus Pyogenes infection on my arms. Bactrim has some whopping side effects of it's own, so I decided to start my withdrawal from Effexor after I'm through with the Bactrim. Yet I take Effexor last night and this morning at usual dosage and feel just fine.
An apology to everyone that went through Effexor withdrawal. Even tapering down can be awful. I don't regret taking Effexor though. It made a huge difference in my life.
KDi in Texas
Posted by WakingDreamer on October 14, 2003, at 21:12:46
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
thankyou for your post ana. i've been on effexor for three years and it doesnt help but i can't get off it either, i don't know how you can work out and function at all trying to stop it, soul-sickening is understatement for how the stuff works on me.
sorry i cant respond to your whole post, i have add too so medication is a multifaceted part of my health experience.
Posted by kcg33 on October 15, 2003, at 5:58:39
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
Posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 8:10:05
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by WakingDreamer on October 14, 2003, at 21:12:46
I have only been on the effexor for about 6 weeks, for the first week or so it worked, now it doesnt seem to work and I didnt take on last night. I am only on the 37.5 the doc tried to up the dosage but it made me sleep all the time so I didnt up it. I dont want to take it any more, will I have any of these problems that yall are having if I quit taking them? thanks for the help Lyn
Posted by MamaB on October 15, 2003, at 8:35:37
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news?????????, posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 8:10:05
Lyndie, You MIGHT have symptoms, just hang in there. MamaB
Posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 9:42:38
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news?????????, posted by MamaB on October 15, 2003, at 8:35:37
> Lyndie, You MIGHT have symptoms, just hang in there. MamaB
thanks for the help MamaB
Posted by loolot on October 15, 2003, at 14:00:29
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news?????????, posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 8:10:05
> I have only been on the effexor for about 6 weeks, for the first week or so it worked, now it doesnt seem to work and I didnt take on last night. I am only on the 37.5 the doc tried to up the dosage but it made me sleep all the time so I didnt up it. I dont want to take it any more, will I have any of these problems that yall are having if I quit taking them? thanks for the help Lyn
I had the same side effects with effexor. I couldnt stay awake, and the higher the dose, the worse it got. If you like the effects otherwise you could add some provigil, which will help counteract the sleepiness (its a non stimulant, just helps you stay awake)
Otherwise, if its been 6 weeks I think this is the way it will be.
If you go off of 37.5 you will probably have the withdrawal, but it wont last as long.
Posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 15:52:57
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news?????????, posted by loolot on October 15, 2003, at 14:00:29
> > I have only been on the effexor for about 6 weeks, for the first week or so it worked, now it doesnt seem to work and I didnt take on last night. I am only on the 37.5 the doc tried to up the dosage but it made me sleep all the time so I didnt up it. I dont want to take it any more, will I have any of these problems that yall are having if I quit taking them? thanks for the help Lyn
>Hi, no about the second week I started getting very grouchy, I yell alot, and I have 2 boys , both teenagers, everyone knows boys like to play jokes and teese alot,,,,I loved that before, now all I tell them to do is to be quit, and I dont want to hear it, Im not like that with out the meds. I was put on them because I cried alot, If one of the boys got in trouble for the least little thing in school, I would cry, I couldnt handle it, so the doc put me on effexor xr and clonazepam.......wow for the first few days it was the best, no one could make me cry, then it just got bad from there,...Sorry to ramble on but I know Im going to be going right back to the crying, and I hate thate...Lyndie
> I had the same side effects with effexor. I couldnt stay awake, and the higher the dose, the worse it got. If you like the effects otherwise you could add some provigil, which will help counteract the sleepiness (its a non stimulant, just helps you stay awake)
> Otherwise, if its been 6 weeks I think this is the way it will be.
> If you go off of 37.5 you will probably have the withdrawal, but it wont last as long.
>
Posted by pixygoth on October 16, 2003, at 5:24:02
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news?????????, posted by Lyndie on October 15, 2003, at 15:52:57
Lyndie, I know how you feel. I cry at the least little thing - my main prob. is that people seem to stop taking me seriously at that point, which is ridiculous, I may be crying, but I'm still an intelligent human being...
Do your boys know about your illness? I try and try to explain my behaviour to people, and generally it helps (although those with their own problems tend to have trouble hearing me...)
S x
Posted by Lyndie on October 16, 2003, at 5:40:06
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news????????? » Lyndie, posted by pixygoth on October 16, 2003, at 5:24:02
> Lyndie, I know how you feel. I cry at the least little thing - my main prob. is that people seem to stop taking me seriously at that point, which is ridiculous, I may be crying, but I'm still an intelligent human being...
> Do your boys know about your illness? I try and try to explain my behaviour to people, and generally it helps (although those with their own problems tend to have trouble hearing me...)
> S x
My boys know, but I realy have no explination for it, the doc never told me my problem, except maybe depression, but when I cry,say like the principal will call, and Im having a great day, no meds no nothing, and he will say that my youngest is in the office, and he really has done nothing bad, he is in the 7th grade has adhd and now possible bipolar, not sure yet, anyway the minute I hear this mans voice I start crying, and that makes me madder because I know the man thinks I dumb or a sissy, but I also am a very smart person, I take care of my kids, there friends love me, Im just that kind of person, but when it comes to certain things or things my mind knows it cant handle, my brain wont even try to handle it, it just start crying, all my life my dad has called me a cry baby, now he know's not to do that,,,he know's now Its not my fault,,when Im crying I still try to talk and handle the problem and I get so mad at myself because they cant even understand me....I hate being like this,,,the effexor stopped that for awhile and I was so happy, I had a meeting at the school and I didnt cry, I blew it all off and smiled at the all, they looked at me in shock, they know I have done this for years, and all of a sudden I wasnt crying, but Im comming off the meds, all I did yesterday was cry, I hope today it better, and now I still have to figure out how not to cry and just handle whatever comes my way...I would explain to them what was wrong,,,If I only knew myself. LYN
Posted by shay_5413 on October 18, 2003, at 0:02:56
In reply to Amen (nm) » ana, posted by kcg33 on October 15, 2003, at 5:58:39
I was tapering off of Effexor, but then late last week quit cold turkey. Here is what I am experiencing. Can any of you confirm that these are the syptoms of w/drawl?
1) The feeling of being 'not all there'. It is not a dizzyness, but like withdrawls from other anti-depressants.
2) The killer-this ear thing. It is like when water is trying to get out of your ears when you have been swimming, but I can feel it in my chest and ears.
3) Faster pulse than normal
4) Horrible gas
5) Excessive crying (didn't know if it was from PMS or this)PLEASE HELP, I was beginning to think I had developed a heart problem.
Posted by Lyndie on October 18, 2003, at 8:44:20
In reply to What are the Effexor withdrawl symptoms? Need help, posted by shay_5413 on October 18, 2003, at 0:02:56
> I was tapering off of Effexor, but then late last week quit cold turkey. Here is what I am experiencing. Can any of you confirm that these are the syptoms of w/drawl?
> 1) The feeling of being 'not all there'. It is not a dizzyness, but like withdrawls from other anti-depressants.
> 2) The killer-this ear thing. It is like when water is trying to get out of your ears when you have been swimming, but I can feel it in my chest and ears.
> 3) Faster pulse than normal
> 4) Horrible gas
> 5) Excessive crying (didn't know if it was from PMS or this)
>
> PLEASE HELP, I was beginning to think I had developed a heart problem.I will confirm it,,,I only took it for 6 weeks, today is my 3rd or 4th day off of Effexor and Klonopin both....I have had all of the above...Thank God I have a family that helped me through this,,,I think today will be better, seem to have a headache and still cant sleep but the water thing in the ears and the dizziness is finally gone I think........The first 2 days is the crying for me,,,,the 3rd, well let me say driving my car was really fun,,,,,Dont know how long it will take for all the withdraws to be gone but I only took this stupid stuff for 6 weeks and I didnt think I would have any side effects.....Watch for the mussle thing too,,,felt like I pulled a mussle in my back but I didnt, couldnt hardly stand the pain,,,you can get through this though,,every day gets better...So far anyway.....Lyndie
Posted by cybercafe on October 18, 2003, at 18:31:09
In reply to Re: What are the Effexor withdrawl symptoms? Need help, posted by Lyndie on October 18, 2003, at 8:44:20
i went from miserable sick to feeling decent in a matter of minutes :)
(if i can't get at least one person to try clonazepam i am going to cry :( )
Posted by melbob on October 18, 2003, at 22:33:36
In reply to try clonazepam for effexor withdrawal , posted by cybercafe on October 18, 2003, at 18:31:09
hi...i didn't have any bad se's until i ran out of clonazepam...so taking some will prob'ly help; i cannot get more until the 1st though... :-)
Posted by melbob on October 18, 2003, at 22:40:33
In reply to What are the Effexor withdrawl symptoms? Need help, posted by shay_5413 on October 18, 2003, at 0:02:56
hi...
well, i am only off of effexor for one day, so here are my complaints:
1) feeling "not here"
2) anxiety
3) slight paranoia
4) high-pitched beeping sound (like when those big trucks back up) in my ears, but it comes and goes
5)agitation
...so i will prob'ly start crying in a few days; i thought i was pms-ing a few days ago, and am due to have my period, but nothing yet...
hope that helps?
melbob
Posted by melbob on October 18, 2003, at 22:48:13
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by ana on October 10, 2003, at 11:46:32
THANK YOU! very interesting...you should write more; you have a wonderful style.. :-)
melbob
Posted by cybercafe on October 19, 2003, at 4:40:53
In reply to Re: try clonazepam for effexor withdrawal » cybercafe, posted by melbob on October 18, 2003, at 22:33:36
> hi...i didn't have any bad se's until i ran out of clonazepam...so taking some will prob'ly help; i cannot get more until the 1st though... :-)
i feel your pain....... my doctor has disappeared :)
Posted by melbob on October 19, 2003, at 16:50:59
In reply to Re: try clonazepam for effexor withdrawal, posted by cybercafe on October 19, 2003, at 4:40:53
hi...
just came from my sister-in-law to-be...got one and a half klonopin...took the half, feel better; however, now have a killer headache! will take the whole one tonight before bed; i KNOW it will help!
thanks!
melbob
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