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Effexor comments - read what others have to say about Effexor.
EFFEXOR XR WITHDRAWAL HAVE BEEN OFF THE STUFF FOR 7 DAYS MY HANDS ARE STILL SHAKING.MY HEART POUNDS AND I CAN HEAR IT A SWOOSING SOUND IN MY EARS.I CAN NOT SLEEP.I HAVE NIGHTMARES WHEN I DO SLEEP. WHY WOULD A DR. PUT YOU ON MEDICATION THAT IS SO ADDICTATIVE.EXCUSE MY RAMBLINGS I THINK I AM LOSING MY MIND.SHE NOW HAS PUT ME ON WELLBUTRIN XR 150 MG.IF THERE IS ANY HELP OUT THERE I COULD SURE USE SOME. by nora On Tue Mar 04 11:56:52 2008
Effexor information This page has given me more information than I have ever dreamed of. I wish my doctor would have read this page before I was taken off of it.
by Adam on Fri Oct 19 13:55:35 2007 EDT
effexor hell gets better I just wanted everyone to know that it is getting better. Today is day 18 of being completely off of this crap. Most of the brain zaps are gone. I still get them randomly. The anger comes and goes also. Emotional outbursts seem to be the worst right now. I get FURIOUS over nothing. I act like a child throwing a tantrum. Then I go into the bathroom and lock the door and cry. I feel bad for my kids. I had to sit down with them and explain to them about going off this medication just so they wouldn't think their mother had turned into a monster. I do see the light at the end of the tunnel finally so hang in there everybody. Each day is an improvement, some days I feel like I am backsliding so PLEASE don't get discouraged if this happens to you. The next day will be better. I am just grateful I did not have to pick up a drink over this. I am so grateful I stumbled onto this website. If you are just getting off of effexor, don't give up. You can get through it one day at a time. by Chrissy On Fri Dec 29 13:00:42 2006
effexor xr I cannot believe this!! I have been on effexor for 2 years 150mg. It never seemed to alleviate what it was supposed to. I had side effects (night sweats, weight gain, joint pain, ), but never seemed to help with depression or anxiety...it was basically "neutral" as far as any benefit in the "mood" department. I wanted to go off it about 3 months after I started. This was after reading an article in a magazine about how people had suffered with horrible withdrawals after stopping. I cut back to 75mg for a week and then 37.5 for a week. I was fine the first day, and now the second day....i feel like im going to die! The pain in my head is so horrific and the electrical sensations are unreal. I am so scared that this will never go away. I have an appt. with my physician tomorrow. I have printed soem articles for him to read. I have trusted my doctor for 15 years....but i have to wonder why he would ever prescribe this to any patient?? He couldnt possibly know the side effects of the discontinuation of this horrible drug!! I would advise anyone to stay clear of this medication----it should be removed from this earth. If any one has any suggestions as to how I can make the tapering off easier....I would greatly appreciate it!!! chesleyjill( AT) yahoo.com by jill On Thu Dec 28 17:14:43 2006
Effexor I am in the process of trying to wean myself off of Effexor and came across this website. I have been on 75mg for about 3yrs., but really want to try to get off because of the weight gain. I have to say, this drug has been a miracle in my life. For over 30yrs. I suffered with panic/anxiety that controlled my life and made my world smaller and smaller. After years of therapy that never helped, my cardiologist convinced me that it was a chemical problem and to try medication. After two weeks on this drug I felt like I had been born again. I don't for a second regret taking this medication, and if my panic/anxiety returns, I will know that I may have to be on this for the rest of my life. I know getting off may be extremely difficult, but I'm ready to try. I would love to hear from someone who was or is taking this drug for panic/anxiety disorder and if it returned after getting off the medication. For everyone who is in such pain trying to get off, my prayers are with you. by Michelle On Thu Dec 28 09:52:40 2006
Effexor Withdrawal On 10/27/05 I had a tummy tuck, etc. after losing over 100 lbs. With that came mass quantities of pain meds, drain tubes, etc. I took everything from Oxycodene to Valium (for muscle spasms). It had been 4 days since I had taken any meds at all when on 11/08/05 I was sitting in my car and saw the bottle of Oxycodene and the thought, "I could take all of that, go to sleep, and never wake up". My sister freaked out when I told her this a few minutes later and INSISTED I meet her at a local clinic where she gets all her medical needs met. (She's on anti-depressants, too). She told me that it's just like having to take meds for diabetes or high cholestrol because my brain isn't doing what it's supposed to do and that's why I'm having these thoughts. The doctor put me on step up pack of 37.5 to 75 mg and I took it for 2 weeks and felt better yet he still upped my dose to 150mg/day I also didn't take anymore of the valium either - not yet making the connection. When I went in December to my GYN I told her about the whole experience and she suggested that I try going to 150/mg a day and see if I feel even better. I had just told her I felt fine! But, I wasn't thinking and was still so emotional from the near-suicide thought that I followed blindly. Now I have made the discovery that coming off valium/oxycodone can make fleeting thoughts seem more real than they really are. I've known this for several months now but have just discovered that weight gain can be a side-effect of Effexor. I've gained 20 lbs in less than 3 months. Other side effects are sudden mood swings, hot flashes, jittery, carpal tunnel pains in wrists (not sure that's one?) Wondering which weaning approach would be best for me? I can't imagine going cold turkey - I'm a stay home mom with a VERY active 3 yr old --- I don't want to become lethargic or crash or become wired from withdrawal symptoms. Any suggestions?
by Rhonda C On Thu Dec 28 00:43:33 2006
Starting to go off Effexor I started taking Effexor six months ago due to sleep problems. I have always been a helath nut. After gaining 20 lbs. and starting to sleep constantly, developing borderline high blood pressure, I looked up the side effects on the internet. I am blown away at all the others who are having the same problems as myself. I hope I can go off these meds without losing my mind. Has anyone contact an attorney about a class action? This is horrible not to disclose this to us!
by Cheryl On Tue Dec 26 13:50:19 2006
effexor and Christmas day Well, today was day 7 that I am taking only 75 mg. Actually, I did not even take a pill yesterday and I felt OK. I was a happy camper! Today, started off good, we opened gifts and laughed and eat a great breakfast. Suddenly, I began to feel nervous and I cried while taking a shower, and I cried after putting on my make-up. I cried while cooking! SO, I took a 75mg and after about 2 hours I felt better (no more crying!) This bothers me. I really hate this rollercoaster ride. Tomorrow I have a final I MUST complete! I must send my "work" to the prof. by Thursday "end of day". So far I have not been able to concentrate on my studies and "this is soooooo important!" If I get lower then a "C" in this class I'm in big trouble! I feel like I'm retarded! My Prof. will not CARE that I'm weaning myself off EFFEXOR. ugh! it's about 11:35pm I'm so tired, my dreams/nightmares have been too much to handle SO I stay up late hoping to fall into such a deep sleep I somehow won't dream! I will see my Dr. Tomorrow afternoon. We'll talk about my D.T.'s and crap like that... what can she do???? Nothing! I have to walk this road myself..... Once I'm "finished" I'm not sure I'll even want to "try" the Topomax. I want to begin 2007 a better person. I just don't know if I can do it without "something". This depression has haunted me since I was a kid! I've had so much therapy and I am in a relationship that is so healthy and GOOD FOR ME! I just don't want to pop a pill daily! Yet, I feel like if I don't ALL MY GOOD "STUFF" WILL GO AWAY. It's like the Catch 22. I know I need it (a pill) SO DO I REALLY NEED IT? by Lola On Mon Dec 25 23:43:00 2006
An Effective Effexor XR Withdrawal Program Good Evening to All, I have been on Effexor XR - 150 mg for about 4.5 yrs and have wanted to discontinue it for sometime. Well, I got the change after learning that I am expecting (twins!). I have also been following the "Omega-Rx Zone" (book) nutritional program by Dr. Barry Sears ( www.drsears.com ) and would highly recommend it in conjunction with the ultra-refined fish oil ( www.zonelabsinc.com )! In his book, Dr. Sears cites the 1999 landmark study done by Harvard psychiatric researcher, Dr. Andrew Stoll, who wrote a book entitled, "The Omega-3 Connection". An interview conducted with Dr. Stoll and published in "The Saturday Evening Post", May - June 2005 edition, can be read online here: http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m1189/is_3_277/ai_n13684165 (3 pages).
On Tuesday, November 28th, 2006, my psychiatrist began tapering the Effexor XR 150 mg to 75 mg for 14 days, coupled with Dr. Sears "Omega Rx Zone" nutritional program and taking 2.5 grams of Zone Labs ultra-refined fish oil, and I experienced no withdrawal symptoms, even though, it was the 12th week of 40 weeks of my pregnancy with twins. I then was further reduced from 75 mg to 37.5 mg and have taken that for 11 days with no withdrawal symptoms, and am currently at 15 weeks + 1/7 days of 40 weeks pregnancy with twins. I did increase the fish-oil from 2.5 grams to 5 grams daily and feel great. :) Yippeee!!!!!!! I plan to follow the tapering recommendations as mentioned/posted "by michelle On Mon Oct 09 22:37:49 2006". The link is: http://www.clinical-depression.co.uk/anti_depressants/withdrawal/Venlafaxine_Withdrawal.pdf for the last 15 days of my prescription beginning in 4 more days. After then, I will keep everyone posted and let you know how it all turns out. I am hoping that my success will be of use to someone else. Take care.
Effexor Comments Hi there, I stumbled across this site as I searched Effexor withdrawal sites. I am glad that I found it because I don't know if I am experiencing side effects from starting Zoloft or withdrawals from Effexor 225mg Sept, 150mg Thanksgiving week and 75mg 12/7. I started at 50mg Zoloft for 2 weeks 12/7 and then went up to 100mg on 12/15. I go back to my doctor this week where whe will further reduce my Effexor dosage. From reading other postings, it appears that Effexor is quite a nasty medicine to withdraw from. However, I am confident that we can all make through the hard times. by Aaron On Sun Dec 24 18:41:22 2006
Effexor wd.s Someone should make a movie about coming off Effexor. It could be titled The Effexorcist and could feature spinning heads and spewing vomit. Believe me, I feel like Linda Blair had a walk in the park compared to what I'm going through. Three days till Christmas and I'm not sure I'll be able to even get out of the house to finish what I need to get done. My poor kids- This is not exactly the holly jolly Christmas they signed up for. Dramamine has been helping a bit with the dizziness and nauseau (but just a bit)however, there's no remedy for the crying and rages. Why did I decide to do this now? by Laurie On Thu Dec 21 22:57:48 2006
effexor withdraw I have only been taking effexor for a few months/ 5 at the most. This week (monday night) I tappered down to one pill a night. One 75mg a night, I was taking two a night. it's only Thursday night not even one week and I already feel terrible. I am so confused and my skin is crawling. I can't turn my head quickly and just typing makes me nauseous. The holidays are right around the corner and I've gotta tell ya I can't even find a reason to "speak to anyone". the only good thing that might come out of this rotten trip is I'll lose the weight I gained on this drug, 20 pounds in no more then 5 months! WHAT CAN I DO TO STOP THESE SIDE EFFECTS? today I had to leave work an hour early because I could not sit still, I could not think straight and nothing seemed to matter to me. I had a clear head for about 15 minutes and then I became confused again AND I just couldn't communicate NOR did I even care too. Can any one give me a suggestion? Here is what I was told to do... begin this week taking 75mg, next week 37.5 (I think or is it 35.7???) what ever the case may be my doctor feels this will be long enoungh to wean me off to begin Topamax. Another doctor friend of mine told me to take 75 mg this week, the 35.7/37.5 next week every night, then the third week take the 35.7/37.5 every other day, the forth week take the above one twice a week. OK so about ONE MONTH of tappering off..... The bottom line is to begin Topamax in the furure. please forgive my grammer and possible spelling errors. Normally I care, tonight I really just can't care. I think I'll return to the bathroom to Throw-up for the 10th time today.... There is nothing in my belly.. so the action hurts but it does take the felling of nausea away for a bit. Please help me through this.... is there SOMETHING I CAN DO TO HELP MYSELF WEAN OFF THIS TERRIBLE DRUG. Thank you, Lola On Thu Dec 21 21:22:17 2006
Effexor Withdrawal Today is my 15th day without Effexor. I am finally beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. I started taking 75 milligrams in July of this year. I did not like the way it made me feel and I started gaining weight. (20 lbs. in 4 months). I decided to get off of it so my doctor put me on 37.5 milligrams a day. I took it every day, then every other day, then every 3rd day until I finally just quit taking it. I had just about every withdrawal symptom listed. Especially what felt like motion sickness and brain zaps. (miserable) I am also a recovering alcoholic (18 months sober) and had to stay really plugged into AA. I did not want to jeopardize my sobriety for the misery of getting off of this drug. Chrissy...hang in there. It does get better. I haven't had a brain zap yet today or any dizzy spells. Thanks for this wonderful site. I found it after 2 days of being off of it and it helped so much!! by Kim On Thu Dec 21 12:30:29 2006
Effexor and alcohol I have found in over 100 blogs and medical web based message boards that people have had a dramatic increase in the desire to binge drink, or to just drink alcohol. Also in most cases they have reported that they have blacked out while drinking on Effexor (as have I). As well the incidence of psychoses while drinking and on Effexor is quite high (about 70% of cases I have found). Most of the time this has been a lot less dramatic than what I have experienced myself. One study I have read seems to lead to the fact that in some cases Effexor and drinking can lead to psychoses in a permanent manner. This on top of the fact that 20% of the cases I read ended up with violent urges as well, leads me to think why is this drug on the market in the first place. By the way, there was never a warning on the bottle or from the doctor on the side effects of drinking on Effexor. There is in the USA a new warning about the heightened risk of suicide while on Effexor. One can only wonder why this drug is still on the market today. If there is a class action law suit in Canada regarding Effexor and its may side affects (as there is in the USA) I will gladly sign my name to the list. Yes by the way I did drink a lot while on Effexor and had to be put in the hospital because of my Psychoses and it was almost two months of being in and out before I was able to live on my own again. I still remember vividly the day I had to go in. Thank God for my friend, or I may have been too late in seeking help. Trust me I had many thought of suicide in this time frame. It was almost one year of pure hell. If you are on Effexor, please talk to your doctor about this dangerous drug and think about being taken off. by Dave Nicholson On Tue Dec 19 21:34:10 2006
effexor withdrawal symptoms are ruining my life I don't really feel like ranting and raving, because most of what I feel has already been expressed by other people on this site. However, I must say that I have lost all faith in my doctor who prescribed this poison...effexor. I am a 30 year-old, vibrant female. Correction: I was. Only on effexor for 3 months, I began weaning myself off of it as fast as I started on it. The sad part is, I have had to plan my Christmas holidays around it. I am relieved to find that I am not crazy. My boyfriend, an M.D., has watched dumbstruck as I cannot get out of the bed or sit through a movie. I hope it ends soon. Has anyone tried Prozac to alleviate symptoms and is it safe? by cathy On Sun Dec 17 18:44:53 2006
Effexor-withdrawal I have been taking Effexor XR 75 mg for serval months now. I recently just stop taking it, "cold turkey". I have had really bad mood swings, happy, sad, crying, but I have been really mean and ill. It is affecting the ones around me, I do not advise going "cold turkey"!! Other syptoms I have are, loose stools, headache, stomach ache, shivers, sweating, BAD DIZZINESS, BAD ANGER schzio type mood. You really need a support group and family-friends helping you with this, lower your dosage, dont come of completly! The main reason I choose to come of of this was a personal decision. I do not want to be on any type of meds for the rest of my life. The only thing that is helping me is my husband and kids and going to church a lot to pray! Happy Holidays! by Jay Court On Sun Dec 17 07:08:48 2006
Effexor Withdrawal I have been part of a clinical study for hot flashes. They said the drug is a relative of Effexor. It is desvenlafaxine succinate sustained release. I had moderate results from it on the hot flashes. Now I'm in the middle of a two-week taper off and I thought I had the flu. A smart friend suggested it is withdrawal. I called the 24-hour doctor line and paged twice and no one has answered me. So I started this internet search. Thank goodness for you all and your comments. I feel so bad and only you can understand. I took a Benadryl just now. Thanks for the tip. My "zaps" are about every 15 seconds. It is hideous. I'm going to have my husband drag me to that doctor's office in the morning. Say a prayer for me and I will do the same for all of you tonight. With love, Deb On Fri Dec 15 21:21:39 2006
Effexor nightmare OMG I cant stand this anymore. I started taking effexor xr about 3 yrs ago. It seems to be working fine, but I want off .. Im pregnant. Ive tried to stop taking the effexor a few times in the past but I get so dizzy and sick that its not worth it, untill now. I never knew what terrible withdrawl symptoms there were untill I read this. I wish I never would have started this in the first place. I have to stop , I want to stop for the sake of my unborn child, can anyone tell me how long this dizziness will last? Help!! by Jennifer On Fri Dec 15 10:11:57 2006
Effexor Hell I have been on Effexor for about 5 years. I have been on a dose of 220 for the past year. I have been weaning myself off of it w/o doctors help because they just want to push more drugs on you and I want to try and go the natural route this time. I weaned myself all the way down to 37.5 for about 1 1/2 weeks, now I have been completely off for 2 days and I am going NUTS! I thought I was crazy until I looked up the withdrawal symptoms and found this website. I just started crying my eyes out because I am not alone. I am so glad to have read everyone's comments about what they are going through. I have all of those symptoms. The 'brain shocks', headache, diarrhea, nausea, sweating, uncontrollable crying, and the list goes on and on! I feel like I can barely hold my eyes open most of the time. I don't even want to get dressed in the morning. I am scared because I have to go back to work in 2 weeks and I know I can not work like this. But I am determined not to go back on it. I am also in recovery for drugs and alcohol and I am going to constant AA meetings because the symptoms make me want to drink or use again and I have been clean and sober for years! I am so lucky to have been able to take time off but it is coming to an end soon. My poor husband and kids are trying so hard to deal with me too. I am also scared of the depression. I am scared the natural way won't work and I after all this I will end up back on something anyway. Whatever happens I know I will not ever take Effexor again. Thank you so much to everyone who shared their Effexor nightmare with me and thank you for letting me vent, for some reason I feel better already. by Chrissy On Wed Dec 13 21:39:13 2006
Effexor Withdrawals I have been taking Effexor since July 2000. I was suffering with severe anxiety and depression. After a short time taking Effexor I felt much better. However, like many others, if I knew then what I know now, I would have chosen a different drug. After several attempts to discontinue Effexor, I finally decided several months to make it happen. My husband and I want to have children in the near future making this a must. My doctor put me on Straterra and starting tapering the Effexor. Friday was my last day taking the 37.5mg capsule. Saturday I was fine, but Sunday it started. I am having severe withdrawal symptoms including headache, nausea, sensitivity to light and other stimuli, electrical shocks, palpitations, decrease peripheral circulation to hands and feet, emotional/teary. Basically, I feel like SH_T!! I knew I would have a hard time, but I just wish I knew how long this is going to last. I feel like I can't work feeling so terrible. I saw my doctor today, she put me on 20mg Prozac to help with the withdrawal symptoms. I pray this works and FAST! I'm trying to stay calm and talk myself through this. I will say it is nice to know that I am not alone! I'm just sad that we have to deal with such terrible effects from this drug! If I only knew!! by Samanth On Tue Dec 12 22:19:46 2006
Effexor withdrawals I was on Effexor XR for 4 years. Mainly because I have a history of depression and at the time they put me on it my mom was diagnosed with her 2nd cancer and her prognosis was only 3 months to live. Up until this summer I thought I was doing ok. Then my husband was complaining a lot about how I don't do anything around the house and how I was a zombie when I was at home. So he started doing research online and found a lot of websites like this one where people were talking about their problems while taking and trying to get off of the Effexor. At first I didn't want to hear about it. I didn't want to come off of the meds because I was afraid of what might happen; I was suicidal when I started taking it. After he threatened to leave me if I didn't try to get off of it I decided to look into it. I bought some books and did my own research online. I felt like I'd been cheated out of the last 4 yrs of my life!!!! I was a zombie. So I decided to come off of it. I talked to my dr about it and although he supported it, he wasn't really involved in it. I went to him for one appt to tell him what I wanted to do and that was it; I've never seen him since. I've done it on my own. I started off on 175mg a day. Every four weeks I stepped down a dosage. The first time it took 3 weeks before I felt the withdrawals; I was ill for 3 days and had to miss work because I couldn't get out of bed. Then, I missed two days a few weeks later. In about 3 weeks I missed 7 days of work because of the withdrawals. The last straw was when I woke up with the worse headache I've ever had in my life. I called my manager and told them that I needed to take about 2 months off so that I could go through this without worrying about missing so much work. After my 2nd tapering, I decided to stop taking the meds altogether and I was bed-ridden for almost 3 weeks! I could barely walk. If I was still working I would've surely lost my job! Now, here I am...almost 2 months later and I'm still dealing with withdrawal symptoms. Mostly headaches and 'eye pain'. I'm still not back to work yet; that's another story; but I can't believe that I've had to go through this! I almost lost my marriage over this and then I almost lost my job! It's ruined my life. by Katie On Tue Dec 12 00:39:45 2006
Effexor withdrawal symptoms I found this website because I wanted to find out why I was having frequent brains zaps/shocks/a case of the zzzts-zzzts-zzzts shortly after having stopped taking Effexor (3 days ago). My story, very briefly, is that I started taking Effexor XR (75 mgs/day) 5 years ago to alleviate ferocious hot flashes which started when I went on to Arimidex, an anti-cancer drug which suppresses estrogen. I had been diagnosed with Stage I breast cancer in 2001 and had an estrogen-positive tumor. After two surgeries, chemotherapy and radiation therapy, I prepared to go back to work. Then I entered hot flash country. They were terrible, making me feel as though I was being suffocated as well as miserably overheated. Effexor did the trick pretty well, although I still had the odd mega-flash so stayed on it throughout the five years of Arimidex. Last Thursday I completed my 5 years on Arimidex, stopped both medications cold turkey, and felt overjoyed and like celebrating. Friday I started having the brain zaps & sensation of dizziness that I had experienced now and again when I missed the daily Effexor dose. My heart sank. How long would this go on? When I had experienced it before (only for a day at a time) I occasionally felt unwell enough to stay home from work. Now retired, am I going to lose my usually abundant energy, ability to sleep well, joy of living etc. etc.? As with cancer, I'll have to take it a day at a time. I am naturally fairly resilient and up-beat, but have experienced short-term chemically-induced depression, so am very sympathetic to those of you who have had to endure full-blown depression for any length of time. What I REALLY want to say is that I am so outraged that all of you, whose stories I have read, are in so much pain, and in some cases despair, and in many cases because you took what you trusted was a drug that would help you. Instead, you have been betrayed. It's NOT OK WITH ME that drug companies & doctors brush us off as being under some kind of illusion as to these withdrawal symptoms. It's NOT OK for this medication to be prescribed without the patient being INFORMED about side effects and withdrawal symptoms - not all of us are computer savvy and know that we can find a huge amount of information about our medications on the Internet (thank goodness for websites like this one). The truth of the matter is that increasingly we are expected to take responsibility for informing ourselves as to side effects, withdrawal symptoms, etc. etc. Those doctors who can't take the time to help us through these difficult experiences are guilty of blaming the victim, adding insult to injury. Don't lose hope, my friends. Take life a minute, an hour, a day at a time. Remember you are not alone in this distressing situation, keep reading what others have to say, take heart that some have finally come through it all, and remember that drug companies are in business for the money - your money. Don't give them your health as well. Oh, by the way, re: drug companies and your money & health, I mentioned to a nurse practitioner last week that after having had years of low cholesterol, mine had suddenly shot up. I have always had high HDL so my doctor is not unduly worried. However, I said to the nurse that many of my women friends in their late 50s and early 60s (where I am) have suddenly had the same high readings. Why, I wondered. We all exercise, eat healthily, avoid animal fats to a greater or lesser degree. She looked at me and said, because the drug companies want you all to start taking Lipitor. You know, I had wondered if cholesterol level testing had been altered to reflect a falsely high reading so that we'd feel compelled to take a drug to protect ourselves.... What do you think? Sound too much like a conspiracy theory? Once again, hang in there, and always remember that you are not alone. Peace. by Sarah On Sun Dec 10 17:03:16 2006
effexor withdrawal After reading these comments I think I'm just gonna go ahead and check in to the local phsyco unit! I've just recently decided to try to get off all this medicine I'm taking. I started reducing my dosage of effexer one week ago. My wonderfull wife found this webbsite and insisted I read some of the comments. I currently am taking 450mg of effexer daily along with 400mg of wellbutrin, and 75mg of lamictal. My intentions are to eventually stop taking all of this stuff. I have reduced my dosage of effexor to half. I am already experiencing some of the symtoms such as blinding headaches, nausea, dizzyness, and confusion none of which are very bad except for the headaches. Please describe "brain zap". I'm not sure I understand what they are. thanks, george On Sat Dec 09 22:06:27 2006
(Brain zaps are the electrical shocks that some people feel when they're going through SSRI withdrawal. They generally start in the head and can extend all the way through the body. Extremely disturbing and irritating, they don't seem to cause permanent damage. - Mark)
Effexor Withdrawal Thanks so much for your site. I too thought I was crazy. I have been trying for almost a year to get off effexor due to it's numerous side effects. I tried weaning, cold turkey but always gave in and went back on it as I couldn't stand the withdrawal. I even think my Dr. thought I was nuts until I printed some of the comments from this site and showed them to him. Well I am on day 12 with no effexor and still suffering from the brain zaps/pulsing. I have been taking massive doses of Omega 3 which doesn't seem to be doing much. I have also tried Benodryl and Clariton D. They took the edge off a little bit but zapping/pulsing was still there. On the positive side...I feel happier, clearer headed and am sleeping better. I will NEVER will take this drug again!!! I am just trying to be patient as I know the brain zaps/pulsing will ease up sometime but it may take a few more weeks.I had a crying jag the other night over a Xmas song but it felt great. I felt like I was emotionally numb while on effexor and felt lousy from all the side effects. Good luck to all of you out there trying to get off this nasty drug. I feel as if I am over the worst of it (I hope) and am looking forward to feeling NORMAL. I was on 450mg day plus 80 mg of Paxil and went off Cold Turkey for the exception of (3) days of Prozac 40mg. Happy Holidays to everyone by Karyn On Fri Dec 08 09:22:53 2006
Scared to go off Effexor Where to start...I have been on 220 mgs for six years. About two months ago, my doc wanted me to wean myself off the 75 mg pill. WOAH. I had the terrible side effects, the same as everyone else. I couldn't do it. Since then, I have gotten married. We want to try to have kids Aug/Sept of '07. I want to breast feed. The Effexor goes through the breast milk, not the placenta....Once you stop breast feeding, the BABY goes through the withdrawals!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? I couldn't, in good faith, do that to him/her. SO today (12/4/06) I went to a new doc. She told me, for the next two weeks, take 150 + 37.5 every other night and 750 + 75 the other nights. Hopefully I can get down to 150 + 37.5 every night, then down to 150 then down even further. I am SO afraid to go off this strong medication not because of my depression, but because of the awful side effects. I sat here crying as I was reading these posts because I don't want to have to go through that again. Granted, it was only for a week but it was pure hell. I don't know what to do...I am so scared. by Julia On Mon Dec 04 18:50:19 2006
Effexor withdrawal OH man! I have been looking for reasons to my constant nausea and dizzyness for quite awhile. Believe it or not I actually requested Effexor because I heard it was sooo wonderful. Having been diagnosed as OCD I took Zoloft for several yrs. The problem was that I shook terribly and suffered from anxiety. Zoloft stopped working for me and I began seeing a psychotherapist to help with anxiety issues. I feel like a fricken junky now with Effexor. I simply cannot stand the withdrawal from it. If I forget to take a dose I know that I will be sick. This is what made me aware in the first place. I blamed it on the anxiety and not the meds. I want to stop these meds so bad, but I cannot deal with the withdrawal and function at all. The only thing that seems to help is a bit of food, or a lot of food. That worries me too since it can lead to huge weight gains. I desperately want to get off this medication. I have 3 daughters and I cannot put them through my withdrawal. This is worse than the depression and the anxiety that I thought I was having. I simply cannot even remember what it felt like to be normal anymore. Someone please help!
by Carolyn On Mon Dec 04 15:46:16 2006
Effexor xr withdrawal It can be done! I had been on effexor xr for almost four years. It really helped me get through a rough time, but I was ready to be done with it. I tried about a year and a half ago cold turkey and went through the all of the withdrawal symptoms. I tried about six months later, this time doing the tapering thing. I had the same effects. I am a wimp somtimes so back on the medicine I went. My doc had given me some sample about 3 months ago and half of them were 37.5 mg so I thought, what the heck, let's try getting off of this again. I had gone from 150 mg to 75 mg and had been doing okay there for quite a while. I was on the 37.5 mg for a month and went back to the doctor to get a new perscription. We decided to go to the 25 mg regular effexor and take one in the morning and 1/2 of one at night. I then went to 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 at night and then just 1/2 in the morning. I thought this was it. When I stopped taking the 1/2 pill or 12.5 mg of regular effexor once a day I started the withdrawal again. I went back to my doctor, who was very incouraging and supportive of me getting off the drugs and she put me on prozac. I stayed on 25 mg of effexor for three days while I took 20 mg of prozac. I then stopped the effexor and stayed on 20 mg for two more days and then went to 10 mg for 5 days and then nothing. I kept a journal of how I was feeling for about 4 weeks, but I have been feeling so good that I finally quit my "effexor" journal. I kept waiting for the after effects to kick in, but nothing. It feels so good to not be taking this stuff and even better to not have any withdrawal symptoms. It can be done!!! I am living proof of that. Good luck.
by Freeatlast On Sat Dec 02 12:21:49 2006
Effexor
One night in 1998 I considered the ease of stepping up and out the window of my 24th floor apartment. The next morning I sat in my doctors office, gladly accepting a prescription for Zoloft. It worked for a time, then it didn't. I have been on 150mg of Effexor for about six years. A week ago I stopped taking it. Cold turkey. The first few days I felt fine. With an "I'm lucky, self-congratulatory attitude", I blissfully floated upon calm waters. I crashed into the coral reef yesterday. I'm thrashing, flailing, clawing for solid ground. I came here for a compass. I know I'm not crazy, but I feel like it. I'm angry, oh you bet I am. I'm stolid one minute, sobbing with grief the next. It gives me strength and hope to read the experiences of others here. I know I'll make it today. Thank you. by Heather On Thu Nov 30 21:59:08 2006
effexor withdrawal I was diagnosed with metastisized breast cancer last year. I am in stage IV cancer and being treated with effexor and various other medications. I was out of town last weekend and I skipped two 150 mg. doses of effexor. I literally thought that I was dying of the cancer. I heard electrical charges in my head and told my sister that it sounded like a cell phone was vibrating in my neck. I was dizzy and nauseous and cried for no apparent reason. I had chills and thought I had the flu or hoped I had the flu because I knew that I had begun my decline into death. It is a constant source of worry about when I will die, but, now, I am reading about the withdrawal symptoms from effexor as I had a suspicion that this was causing me difficulty. I re-filled my prescription and the terrible symptoms are leaving me again. I am so worried about how bad I felt and how this is compromising my immune system. I am now frightened to begin the withdrawal process because I don't want it to affect my cancer getting worse, but, I feel poisoned and don't think that it can possibly help my cancer with this strong and dangerous a medication in my system. Has anyone else withdrawn from effexor and in treatment for stage Iv cancer? This is such a huge dilema. My intuitive sense is that I need to begin the withdrawal process soon. I have not had a noticeable change in hot flashes with the effexor anyway. by carol On Thu Nov 30 04:45:17 2006
Effexor My seasonal depression started to mildly effect my school work last winter. My home doctor (known in town as the Candyman for his easy pill prescribing ways) put me on Effexor without telling me any side effects. Three months later, having had to take the semester off because I was unable to sleep or concentrate and had constant headaches he switched me to Lexapro without first lessoning my dose of Effexor. I stopped taking Lexapro in the summer, but still the same effects I had on Effexor continue. I get headaches, constant thirst, dizzyness, agitation, nausea and havent had a good nights sleep in months. If anyone else has had these effects last for 6+ months I would love to know if they are planning to stop any time soon, as they are hurting my life more then depression ever did. by Todd On Wed Nov 29 16:40:28 2006
Effexor withdrawal Well it's been 30 days since I went off Effexor. I went off them pretty quickly. I took a 75mg opened it up and took half. Then I took half of what was left the next day, and so on.. In 4 days I was total off. There is hope... I was luckey that I did not have any withdrawal symptoms... I was waiting every day for them to appear... But thank god they never came. The only thing I did different was I started taking Omega 3' pills.. I feel bad for all of you who have had hell getting off these things... I almost feel guilty for not having any symptoms. I have to say that I'm so much better I'm not on these things anymore... I'm able to feel things again. And friends notice that the 'fog' has been lifted.. I'm going through a very stressful time for work right now but I'm doing fine. I don't feel depressed at all. Acutally I think I felt more depressed on these things.. anyway... for those of you who want to get off these pills but have been afraid because off all the things you have read... There are people like me who have stopped w/o any problems... That doesn't mean you won't have withdrawal, but there is a chance you might not... Just keep your head up and good luck... You will be better in the long run. by Lyn On Tue Nov 28 18:18:46 2006
***
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Read what others have to say about my FREE information. Effexor XR withdrawal after 10 years cold turkey!!! Oh my God - 7 days into cold turkey withdrawal of effexor. Total hell. Thank God I had come across this website today. So thankful I am not alone. Former energetic popular vibrant beautiful lady - now withdrawn, depressed, pathetic excuse of a contributing member of society - that's pretty much how I view myself right now - hope that will change; former teacher of special ed kids; I am warm, witty, fun to be with ( or was ... ) So fed up living like this ... have decided to go off Effexor, am dizzy, confused, off-kilter, crying jags, but music sounds better, I'm more creative (like when I used to be healthy). Not eating as much, but it tastes better, (anyone else experience this). Thank you, thank you, thank you, for this website - I am determined to hang in there. by Judy On Tue Nov 28 14:25:26 2006
effexor sucks oh my god!! i wish the docs would have told me what i was in for. i started effexor a year ago and it seemed to be ok. well then my schedule changed at work and then so did my routine at home. where i use to take my meds at the same time, i no longer did. i would feel sick and oh the feeling is undescibable. so i changed my routine to work around the meds. well, when the side effects didnt get better i decided to go off it. i went to the doctor and he said lets just change your meds. he told me with being bipolar he didnt think it was a good idea to just not take anything. again i told him i wanted to come off. he refused to help me. so here i am doing this by myself. ive started to wean my doses down the best i can but let me tell you. the withdraw is going to kill me. the brain shivers, the muscle pain. i feel like i can move and the pain is almost unbearable for me. i cant sleep and i hate everyone. the crying isnt as bad but it all sucks. i think if i would have known about all this beforehand, i would have told the doctors to kiss it. the worst part is the more i read about this stuff the worse i feel. there are people out there still feeling side effects after years. i hope like hell this stops soon. honestly, i think id rather die than feel this everyday by heidi On Sat Nov 25 12:32:17 2006
effexor withdrawals Just wanted to add my woes from taking Effexor. If i would have known what H*ll id be going thru i wouldve NEVER taken it! If Effexor does all of this stuff to you when trying to get off of it, Then am i screwed? Its like the company that makes the drug put something in it that Forces you to take it for the rest of your life. If you dont, You get to suffer the consequences. :( by christina On Fri Nov 24 17:24:36 2006
Effexor XR Withdrawal S/E My struggle with Depression began again this past April. Dr. put me on Wellbutrin 150 mg x 1 wk then 300 mg. In those 2 weeks, my moods elevated and I felt less stressed. Only drawback, it has a side effect of lowering BP and I took Inderal for Migraine prevetion. This led to BP's of 80/40. Not good. Then I started on Effexor XR tritration pack 37.5 mg x 1 wk then 75 mg. I have taken it for the last 7 months but have felt little improvement compared to the Wellbutrin. Plus I gained like 8lb in that time and have no sex drive (although not an SSRI, it still works on serotonin thus lowering libido). I decided that I would rather go back on the Wellbutrin and stop my Inderal and risk increasing the # of migraines I have than live like I was. I started out by taking it every other day (without the consent of my doctor- I am a nurse- I think we as a group are known for self-medicating!) to reduce my dependence on it. I immediately noticed that if I went much more than 48hrs between pills, I felt shaky in my extremities and had tingling sensations as well. I know this was the Effexor b/c taking one stopped the S/E. I finally talked to my doctor and he stopped the Effexor altogether and began Wellbutrin again. It is day 4 without Effexor and every time I stand up then walk about 20-30 ft, I begin to feel the tingling in my legs. I also have a headache between my eyes (definitely not migraine) and am having some blurry vision off & on. I am hoping that as time goes on, the S/E will subside. As far as my depression goes, I am already feeling better than I did a week ago. It could be that whole "power of suggestion" but I do think the Wellbutrin is helping. I hope I can lose this weight I've gained and my libido will come back. I would recommend to anyone that they try something other than Effexor. Any drug that causes withdrawal symptoms after 48 hrs when you've used it less than a year is one to keep away from! by Amanda On Thu Nov 23 22:51:09 2006
I'm In Effexor XR Withdrawal HELL! First of all, I must beg anyone even considering taking Effexor XR to PLEASE find an alternative! And from what I hear, Paxil is nearly as bad. I was prescribed Effexor XR 37.5 mg about a year ago. After a few weeks, my dosage was increased to 75mg then 150 mg. I couldn't handle the larger dose due to side effects so I was brought back down to 75 mg. After having been on the drug for a couple months, a friend of mine (who is also a therapist)warned me about the withdrawal symptoms some of her patients had experienced and suggested that I talk to my therapist about this. Even after I had been on the Effexor for a few months, I could not tell that it was really doing anything significant for my depression so I asked to be taken off of the drug. Twice, I asked the Nurse Practitioner working with my Psychologist to take me off the drug but she insisted that I give it more time. Well, I left that center and began seeing a new Psychiatrist and a Therapist recently. 6 weeks ago I suggested to my psychiatrist that I be taken off Effexor because I did not feel it was working plus I felt it might be making certain behaviors worse. However, I knew I shouldn't just go off the drug on my own due to horrible withdrawal symptoms I'd heard about. As with my former requests with the other facility, I was ignored and kept on the drug. HOWEVER, my new Psychiatrist added 20 mg of Paxil to the 75mg of Effexor XR! About 10 days ago I went back for an appointment with my Psychiatrist and he told me to stop taking the Effexor. I questioned this and suggested that I be weened off the drug due to what I've heard about it. He said "you're only taking 75 mg, you shouldn't have any problems". So... I was taken off the Effexor "cold turkey" and my Paxil was reduced to 10 mg. Well let me tell you... My life for the last 10 days has been PURE HELL. I have suffered from extremely high blood pressure, dizziness, irrational impulses, suicidal thoughts, thoughts of hurting others, intense anger and crying...sometimes all day long. I go into rages. I want to tear my house apart...and I've never been a very angry person. Physically, I feel like I'm dying. I'm a full-time student and I haven't been able to even do any school work. I've stopped caring about pretty much everything and all I want is for this to go away. Death actually doesn't seem so bad if it would make all this go away! My depression before being put on Effexor was bad. But NOTHING like it is now. What am I to do?? How can someone prescribe such an evil drug without at least giving you the statistics and the possible side effects/withdrawal symptoms so that you may make an informed decision as to whether you even want to risk it?? I am so angry right now!! I finally gave in today and took an Effexor because tomorrow is Thanksgiving and I would rather die than be around anyone who could possibly "set me off". It's been about 2 hours since I took the pill and the pressure in my head has decreased significantly. But what does this mean? Am I doomed to stay on this evil drug just so I can function? My relationship, my schoolwork, and my life in general is screwed up right now and I know that Effexor XR has something to do with it! With everything I've read and heard about this drug lately, why is it even considered an option for treating someone with depression??? by Barb On Wed Nov 22 19:02:19 2006
Effexor withdrawl I have been depressed for over two years. and I justed started to use Effexor. I have been reading the withdrawl signs and I am starting to have them. I was on the smallest dose for about 2 weeks did not do anything increased and still did not really help me. I started to have nightmares and would wake up wet from sweating. I told the doctor I wanted to go off, so I was only on for maybe 2 or 3 months and I am on my second day of not taking anything and feel like fuzzy headed, like I could just fall over if I stand up and have been crying for no reason. I felt better when I was depressed. I wish I would have know all of these signs, because I may have thought more about beening put on it. I have not been sleeping well for over 6 months and that is what finally made me talk to my doctor about going on it, my husband has been telling me I am not myself. I do not want to do anything but sleep. I have been waking up in the middle of the night and not being able to breath, so I am going to have a sleep test, maybe that is all that was always wrong. I wish someone could just tell me something. I hate not wanting to do anything unless it is going to work or playing volleyball, but that is because I have too. And if I commit to something I do it. So why can I not get back out and exercise so that I will feel better. I am looking for an answer to help with all of this. And then I started to get these lovely side effects of the withdrawl signs of weaning off of the effexor. I just can't seem to catch a break. I am glad I looked at this site. Hopeful! by kbamm On Mon Nov 20 19:56:35 2006
Effexor Comments I am now beginning week six of withdrawal from Effexor and the symptoms have decreased dramatically. I thought a couple of weeks ago that I was home free because I was not experiencing those nasty zaps or the sickening virtigo, however since then the zaps have cropped up randomly in my head and body. Certainly not with the same intensity, but it is just so very annoying especially since I thought that I was through this all. When the zaps happended again I thought is this going to be a permanant side effect from this drug? Honestly that was the first thought that occured to me when I got zapped again. I am grateful for the relief I have from the intensity and duration of these hellish symptoms, but I need to know that they are not going to return, or linger on indefinitely. I have recently responded to our webhost and provided him with some specific insights re: my withdrawal experience and how I was confident that I was mostly through the withdrawal. I can't explain how annoying it was to experience a zap out of nowhere a week or so following that post. Don't get me wrong...I am more grateful for the relief from the intensity of the symptoms than annoyed by the less intense zaps for sure. My experience begs the question...ARE THERE PERMANANT SIDE EFFECTS FROM EFFEXOR? I sure hope to God not! by Lois On Mon Nov 20 15:07:09 2006
Light at the end of the tunnel I have had MS for 15 years (still working full time so very lucky so far compared to some). In January 2004 I was given Beta-Inteferon to selt inject IM - it didnt improve the MS but gave me GAD as a side effect. To counteract the side FX of one drug i was given venlafaxine 75mg. To be honest, it really helped at first but then stopped working as I became used to it after 6 months. I was upped to 150mg which again stopped working. My GP said that I needed another increase in dose to 225mg - I said no way and decided to come off it. I have always been a healthy 10 stone weight (im 5'8'') and since going on Effoxor I gained 3 Stone in 18 months with no increase in food intake or decrease in exercise. As you can imagine, with MS the last thing you need is extra weight putting stress on your body. I cut down over 2 weeks to 18.75mg then stopped. Its been 12 days with no drugs now. The first week was the worst experience of my like (made my MS attacks seem like a right laugh in comparison!) Shaking, vomiting, runs, palpitations, wild swings in blood pressure and pulse, severe muscle pain, brain zaps, eyes bouncing along in time with brain zaps etc After 7 days, the worst was over. Still feel a little muscle sore (ibuprofen helping)and have brain zaps but they are decreasing in frequency and intensity. Even so, I feel better already than I ever did on Effexor and my weight has dropped 6 pounds in 12 days with no effort. I booked a week off work and I would recommend that anyone else who wants to quits does the same as you really need time to take care of yourself with no extra stresses and be able to rest as much as possible. Hot baths are very soothing for the aches and shakes and really helped me through. My GP also gave me a small quantity of 2mg diazepam to help me through (tiny dose, short duration so no risk of addiction or subsequent withdrawal) Other advice is to be careful with alcohol, as I find that that really set the brain zaps off so Im pretty much abstaining for a couple more weeks until this stuff is out of my body. These are just suggestions as everyone is different and need to find their own way of dealing with the withdrawal I will post again in a couple of weeks to report how things are going after 1 month. Getting off this stuff IS do-able, IS tolerable and won't last forever (it just seems like it in the first few days :-) ) A week of hell, a week of residual reduced symptoms and then you'll be free Love to all Effexor and Ex-Effexor guys and gals and I hope that this has helped those wanting to stop. by Rach On Mon Nov 20 10:53:29 2006
Effexor Withdrawal MY STORY I've never posted before but after reading Yoshi2All's story I must tell mine and see if he or anyone else can help me make sense of it. Today is day 61 w/o Effexor XR 150mg per day. Today is day 22 w/o Vicodin and Phentermine. I was prescribed Effexor by my oncologist for hot flashes a few months after I had a double mastectomy, I was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2001 and had my surgery 11-13-01. Approx two weeks from mammogram to surgery. I believe I started out on 37.5mg but did not feel anything. So it was upped to 2 @ 37.5 per day, until finally when I still did not feel anything (because many days I would forget to take the 2nd pill) I was prescribed the one a day pill @150mg. I had been taking vicodin and soma for my back prior to mastectomy (believe me I am not new to taking pills for pain or anything else,) In March of 2001 I was so out of it from a SDH, (to this day I do not know what caused it but was taking pills and drinking on top of it)I was taken to hospital by ambulance and had to have holes drilled into my head. The doctor told my sister if it had been five minutes later I would have died. You would think I would have learned my lesson, but since I was sent home with vicodin I kept taking them and here I am today. Anyways, I read Jane Pauley's book and in it she said her Dr. gave her an antidepressant and it made her bi-polar. My daughter and one of my sister's have told me they think I might be bi-polar, so I just decided to stop taking the Effexor since I didn't really think it reduced my hot flashes ever and now that I am 62 I rarely get them. Wow!!!! I didn't give it much thought, good grief I put my effexor in my pill box with my blood pressure, vitamins etc. Not like the vicodin, soma, phentermine which I hid for myself. So cold turkey September 17, 2006 except for 1 pill on 9/19 and 1 on 10/12. I still am afraid to talk with anyone or visit because of what I might say to hurt them. So basically for the last 2 months I have isolated myself with the help of my very understanding husband. I get so cold I take 3-4 baths per day seem to have all the the other symptoms you all have reported. Since I knew nothing could be worse than this I thought I would go cold turkey off of vicodin and phentermine. I have been wanting to do this for years but never thought I could. Well, what do you know I did it, with the help of Imodium caplets and NyQuil (a post I have saved in case I ever did get the courage to try and get off of opiates) Anyways that post said 1 -2 weeks on Imodium and I don't understand the time frame for NyQuil but I have been taking both for 23 days) And that is where I am at. Thank you for listening. by Carol On Fri Nov 17 20:06:50 2006 carolonbonair(AT)comcast.net
Effexor Withdrawl It's such a relief to find out that I'm not completely insane. I've been coming of this drug for 3 weeks. Started at 225mg, after a suicide attempt last may, they dropped me down to 150mg. I've tried to get off this crap but the side effects are just too painful. This time i've found a sample pack with 7 days worth of 75mg, and 7 days of 37.5 mg. I've cut down using that method. Now I've been on nothing for about a week. I'm so nausious. I can't think. I've cried at frigin' commercials on TV for no good reason. I've got the shits. I can't stop shaking. My memory is completely fried. I can't remember something my wife asks me 2 mins after she asks me a question. I've got a constant headache. I can't sleep. I wake up every half-hour terrified with nightmares. I don't know what to do now. I have a hard time dealing with bright light cause my head starts to pound. I'm really short with my wife and kids. I can't function at my job and I'm hoping like hell I don't get fired. If that happens, I've decided I'm gonna end it. Yes, I have a plan. I don't know if I should just go back on this crap or try and wait longer. It truly is hell for me. Seriously consider the withdrawl symptoms if you're gonna take this drug. For some people there's no problem. But for most, there is. Everyone is different, but to judge others by one persons reaction is unfair. To call someone a pussy because they themselves didn't have horrible withdrawls is unfair. Look at what everyone has to say about this drug and form your own conclusions. don't know if sharing my experience will help anyone, but perhaps it might. Good luck to all those suffering with this drug. I hope that everyone can get off this safely and work though their withdrawls. (Shit, I'm getting emotional now) Gotta go. by Andrew On Fri Nov 17 18:49:03 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I was amazed to see an article in the Brisbane Courier Mail recently about the withdrawl symptoms of effexor. I took effexor for a short time about 8 years ago (one of 5 different medications I tried). The withdrawl from them was absolutely horrendous!! I don't know where to begin. My blood pressure was fluctuating wildly from very high to so low I was almost passing out within the space of only a few hours, then back up again. I was dizzy, felt wiped out and spent almost 2 weeks in bed. I kept saying it was the effexor but noone would believe me. I could not stop crying I was shaking all over all the time. I had similar withdrawl effects from Luvox also, although the physical symptoms were not as severe, the emotional ones were worse and was again told it could not be the drugs. In the end I found a wonderful Psychologist and am a new person. The only thing any of the medications ever did was give me side effects which actually made life more difficult to deal with. Trust me they are NOT the answer, any healing has to come from within. You have to equip yourself with the emotional tools to cope with whatever is causing your anxiety and depression. Do not give up, find someone you trust and don't be afraid to give them the flick if they are not helping you and find someone else. Remember that which does not kill you makes you stronger. by Wendy On Fri Nov 17 01:36:37 2006
effexor withdrawal Glad to see I'm not the only one having issues from stopping effexor. Been off effexor for 3 days. Feeling the "etch a sketch" in the brain feeling. Like when you are just about to fall asleep, and you get that "falling off the edge of cliff feeling"- then realize it's the middle of the day and it's one of the withdrawal symptoms. Dizzy when standing up or turning head to quickly. Nausea. Diahreah. Difficulty falling asleep- then having to deal with the nightmares and waking up soaking wet. Sore legs at night, too. I'm a 40 year old female and in otherwise great physical health. On effexor for 4 months. Stopped cold turkey. Daily cardio and or weightlifting and healthy eating definitely helps to keep the feelings of anxiety/withdrawal at bay. Keeping busy helps too. It's when I think about it I feel anxious. It helps knowing they are withdrawal symptoms, and they will subside, then disappear. I just tell myself I will prevail. Thanks for this site, it was very helpful. by Theresa On Thu Nov 16 13:08:43 2006
Efexor comments I have with help from this site, been making an attempt to get myself off Efexor. Thanks to the comments on this site, I have for the past couple of weeks gone from 225mg to 150mg. The side effects of doing this have been mostly manageable at this stage, though I have had to come clean about the medication and its effects to lmy boss at work. That is because I broke down in the office the other day causeing quite some concern for my work colleagues. I have the support from work, which is a huge relief. I have learnt that I can not do this on my own, so I have got myself a councillor, to a) help me with the issues that cause the depression. and b) help me to get off the meds. I have let the councillor know that I am on Efexor, told her that I want to get off etc. She hadn't heard of it, but I have asked her to do some research so she is aware of it when I go see her for the first time. I have also come clean to a couple of friends who had no idea that I was even on medication, (turns out one of them is too!) and told them I have been trying to wean myself off. As for the side effects at the moment, they are pretty similar to what most of the comments have been saying. Headaches, my eyes go funny on me, nausea, non specific aches that come and go. The worst is the tiredness and inability to concentrate at work. Thanks to you all for being here and sharing your stories, they are great inspiration for me. by Steph On Tue Nov 14 22:32:07 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal I was on Effexor XR for a year and a half. It worked well for my depression/anxiety. My biggest complaint about the drug was 25 lb weight gain, and severe sweating. I recently decided to wean myself off of this drug, and did it slowly. I've been off of it for almost a week now, and it has been HELL. I haven't been able to work. I have constant brain zaps, heart palpitations, blurry vision, dizziness, body aches, and complete fatigue. Today, i started crying for no reason at all. I'm wondering when will this hell end????? Anybody else going through what i'm going through? by Stephie On Tue Nov 14 18:45:39 2006
effexor withdrawl help i have taken effexor xl 150mg in different dosages over the course of 10 years. in my research, i have found, and successfully weaned off this medication using benadryl to alleviate the horrible withdrawl symptoms. note, i said "weaned" off. cold turkey threw me into the hospital one time. don't despair. you can do this, but be patient and kind to yourself. i just used tylenol pm (generic) and it has helped...i did exactly what mark suggests about opening capsules and reducing the number of "crystals" in the capsule. try it. it works.
by tracy On Tue Nov 14 06:42:52 2006
Effexor (Waking from Dreams Problem) I read all of the posts on the effexor problems, and while I haven't tried to get off of the drug yet, I am having an unusual side effect that I have searched throughout the internet trying to find out if anyone has experienced it to. I have a twin sister and she actually did to less of a degree. It has been so bad lately, though, I'm afraid I'm going to have a seizure, stroke, something traumatic in my brain. Basically if I wake up abruptly from a dream, instead of seeing the usual boxes, shapes when your eyes are closed, I have psychidelic shapes, different colors, patterns, flying around, changing shape, etc. rapidly. I try and open my eyes and they don't want to stay in one place. Along with that, my ears rumble physically, my eyes feel like they are swelling, sometimes my heart beats more strongly, I feel suddenly cold, and my parts of my face and lips go numb. I'm looking to find out what is going on inside of me. The drug company really needs to know about this side effect. Thanks. by kerrie On Mon Nov 13 02:09:40 2006
I Surrived Effexor!!!! Hello everyone - I left a message on this site at the begining of October. I was 9 days off the Effexor and felt like I was not going to surrive, but I did!! It was hell but I made it and if I can do it, you guys can too!!! I feel like I am living and FEELING my life instad of just watching it go by. I have lost 12lbs, feel like a better mother, wife and person in general. I am not totally symptom free but I know I will be one day!! I still snap at people sometimes but at least I feel it's real feelings and I am just having to learn how to feel and cope with some things all over again. I know it sounds a little weird but I will take it over the horrible things I went thru in the first few weeks off this terrible drug. I am now 2 days off my Wellbutrin which leaves me totally DRUG FREE!!!!!! Yes free from all drugs!! This is the first time in 4 1/2 years. I am so excited about this. I feel good and I feel real again. I am sure that I will have a few more bumps from stopping the Wellbutrin but I know I will make it!!! I just wanted to put some good news and hope on this web site. I also wanted to thank Mark for creating this site!!! Mark you must a wonderful man to dedicate so much of your time and energy helping others making it thru....so from the bottom of my heart THANK YOU!!!!! Before I go, I wanted to respond to the message that Milo left regarding there being any adults left in this world...well Milo "we" the individuals putting our hearts, souls, and horrors on this website in order to help others ARE the adults. You sound as if you have some "growing" to do, in more ways than one. Maybe your side effects have left you insensitive to others pain, or maybe you lacked the sensitivity to begin with. Either way, I hope you have or will learn to have compassion for others. It will take you a lot further in this life than being so critical. And from a medical standpoint, each persons body reacts differently to medications. Perhaps, you are one of the lucky ones that surrived this medication with less intensitity and severity of withdrawl symptoms. Either way, I wish you health and happiness. by Cynthia On Fri Nov 10 17:12:52 2006
Effexor comment I only can say this: Withdrawing off of Effexor XR after taking it for at least 8-10 years is the worst feeling in the world to me. I only wish there was something I could take to combat the dizzeness and lighheaded feeling I have all the time. I can't stand this and I feel I am loosing it. I can not function with this feeling and when I walk it is very slow and I am always holding onto things. I just want to feel normal again. I have periods of hot flashes and then the chills. I am not sure if this is related to my ears or withdrawing from the effexor. I was on 300mg a day and tapered down over a few years time. I was finally down to 37.5 mg a day and stopped that after a month . Taking it then every other day to every 3 days etc.. my family doctor told me in order to go on a weight loss pill called merida I had to go off the anti-depressant pill completley.Which is what I did. I still have not started taking the pill yet. Am waiting to see what the heck I am going to do about the dizzeness here, my dr. prescribed valuim to me to combat the dizzeness. Do I want to take this valuim??NO> I feel nothing is working and I do no not want to end up dependent on antil depressants again. Is there any suggestions out there for me. Any help on what to do about the dizzeness and all these terrible effects I am havingg? I have been off the depressants for a month now and it is just getting worse. Thanks by Karen On Thu Nov 09 11:45:51 2006
Effexor withdrawal
I am 38 years old and have been on Effexor for 1 and 1/2 years now. I was having weight gain from the 75mg and talked to my healthcare provider about the issue. I told her that I really hated to change to anything else because my depression symptoms had become so much better than on anything else I had taken. No crying fits or anything. I had trouble with the sexual side effects and some concentration problems but I felt like I could deal with that. The weight gain was concerning me though because I had gained 40 pounds in yr and I had worked so hard to get off 25 of that previously. Because of the weight gain, my blood pressure is steadily rising. I get all different readings. She had done some research and told me that there was a better chance to lose weight if she increased the dosage to 150mg so I said let's give it a try. Well, I really did'nt have any trouble with the up in dosage, except for the weight was steadily going up. Last week I went to her in tears and said I've got to do something because I have now gained 57 pounds. I'm more misserable than if I just cried all the time. I told her that with weight watchers and wellbutrin I did very well. She did a little more research and said the drugs are in two completly different catagories and that she did not see any problem with changing back to the wellbutrin. Thursday (tomorrow) will be a week since I changed to the wellbutrin. I never in my wildest dreams would have expected the results I'm getting. For the first 2 days I felt kind of sluggish. I was having trouble with my blood pressure but figured that had to do with the weight gain and I have mitrovalve prolapse anyway. By day 3, I had the brain flash things going on and had somewhat expected something like that, but kept right on going. By the end of the third day the crying spells had started. That very insecure feeling as if nothing is right in my world kind of thing. Again I figure normal for withdrawal. By day 4 I have also added severe nausea and diarrhea and hot and cold flashes. By day 5 I added profuse sweating. I truly didn't think I'd make it through day 5. Today is day six and I actually made it through the day and worked all day today. It's been tough but I've kept in touch with my doctor and with the Lord guiding me through this with a wonderful husband, I'm hoping things are gonna get better. Now I know why they put drug addicts and alcholics in institutions to overcome withdrawal. I've not felt this rough in a long time. I've not been able to eat much because of the severe nausea and some vomiting (I have to be really sick to throw up!!) I've been eating maalox to settle my stomach some and living on coke I was walking 4 miles in an hour before all this started. I barely made it through the day today. Very sluggish and highly jumpy. The least little noise sends me into orbit. Jump right out of my skin. I did weigh this morning and have lost 5 pounds in one week. That is the only good thing that has come out of this whole ordeal. I wish I could have read these testimonies before I started the effexor. I researched on the drug site itself and expected the side effects of taking the drug but never imagined the withdrawal symptoms of coming off the drug. I feel like the company should direct you to this web site before you start taking any kind of effexor. One of my friends is on the same stuff and we talked about her getting off of it too. Needless to say I just got through e-mailing her this very site. To all of you who have written on this site, thank you very much. It's good to know I'm not toatally loosing my mind with the constant ringing in my ears and nasty other withdrawal effects I'm suffering right now. You all have been an encouragement to me and as I pray for myself I'll remember you in prayer also. We're gonna pull through. And some day we will be EFFEXOR FREE!!!! by hangin in there On Wed Nov 08 19:48:05 2006
effexor I have been taking 75 mg for over a year and then was told to increase with the 37.5 (I think that's what it is). I started feeling crappy with the increase and went back to 75 mg and have been severely depressed, wanting to die! I can't handle anything. I'm exhausted to the point where I feel as though I can't lift my body. My head has always been foggy on this med. It's like I have a delay. I can't think half the time if someone asks me a question. I sweat every single night to the point my shirt is soaked. It's sickening! I felt like I was going nuts until I decided to check out Effexor for myself. I never looked up the side effects, etc. because I'm married to the doc who prescribed me this stuff. It's so difficult to be in this situation. Thanks for sharing your stories and I'm not sure what I am going to do. by carole On Wed Nov 08 16:40:05 2006
Effexor withdrawal I had been on Effexor 150 mg for 2 years and was now ready to go off. In the past, I've gone off Prozac, Zoloft and Celexa with little or no symptoms. My doctor had me go to 75 mg for 2 weeks and then a 75 mg capsule every other day for two weeks. I followed it perfectly and at about week 3 of this schedule, I began to feel a strange dizziness and got what I thought to be the flu. I ached all over, was nauseated, had severe diarreah and stomach pains. I lost my appetite, began having terrible nightmares and these electric shock like sensations. I am now entering the third week of this hell. I can honestly say I've never had a malady or illness (even depression) lay me as low as this withdrawal. I went back to the doctor, convinced that I'd suffered some sort of brain damage and he assured me that it would all go away. I can't concentrate, and my hearing and vision even seem to be suffering. I have no energy and am having frightful anxiety and irritability (not part of my original depression). I haven't even been functional for 2 weeks, even though I've tried to stay the course and help myself get over this. If I'd known that Effexor would cause me to feel so sick, I would NEVER have agreed to go on it. I would have stuck with celexa or prozac. To the man who posted that people need to "just grow up" and be adults and quit crying about this withdrawal, I reply that he either didn't have it very badly or that he lacks compassion to a shocking degree. I would NEVER say such harsh words to someone who was feeling as sick as I am now. by Sue On Wed Nov 08 14:11:01 2006
Effexor CR PLEASE HELP!!! by ELIZABETH On Tue Nov 07 01:58:07 2006
effexor I've been "detoxing" from Effexor for about three weeks and found a great product called the Ultimate Meal at my local health food store. It has REALLY helped with the horrible side-effects of detoxing from the medication. Just wanted to put the word out there to anyone who is really struggling with the mood swings and dizziness. by Steph On Tue Nov 07 00:26:08 2006
HOW TO SURVIVE EFFEXOR WITHDRAWAL After 8 years on 75 mg a day, I began tapering off of Effexor this past July. The experience has been so scary and difficult that I am in awe that I have been able to experience such intensity without losing consciousness. For me, the main difficulty has been electrical surging, pulsing, and zapping. I feel like a tuning fork. I am a very persistent person, and I will absolutely not have this. I will also not go back on the poison to ease the withdrawal effects. So here is what I have done (after spending about 2 weeks hugging the floor): 1. Glutathione, a brain nutrient, 50 mg morning and night (no, I am not a doctor, but why would I trust a doctor?). 2. 64 oz of water daily. 3. Gatorade. 4. Baths in Dead Sea salt. 5. Daily exercise. I do a type designed to facilitate neurokinetic flow -- it is called T-Tapp, after its founder, Theresa Tapp. Google her. I do this every other day, on alternate days I swim 40 minutes, and on Sundays I rest. 6. I have learned a system of self-applied accupressure called 'EFT' (Emotional Freedom Techniques), which I do daily -- go to 'www.emofree.com'. 7. Also other 'energy' techniques. Google Donna Eden. 8. Other accupressure supplied by lying on vinyl balls called 'Miracle Balls' (look up Elaine Petrone). 9. Massage, reflexology, accupuncture. There is very good news in all of this. All of these things help, and I am getting better. I have come to understand each brain zap as an opportunity to clear up some disturbance in my energy system which would otherwise have continued to put limits on my experience of life. I am releasing 'emotional baggage' from the past which I had been unable to budge at all before despite earnest self-help, psychiatry, journaling, prayer, group therapy, and a wonderful husband. By the way, I'm retired and on a pension; otherwise, I'd have certainly had to quit my job in order to attend to this health issue, and then I'd have had no income to pay for all the treatments I have needed! Effexor should undoubtedly be banned from the universe. Merely warning people about the effects of this substance would be useless, because the actual experience is beyond anything that can be described or truly imagined.
by Harriette On Sun Nov 05 22:03:46 2006
Effexor withdrawal I've been taking effexor for 4-5 years now and am very curious about some possible withdrawal symptoms which I may be experiencing on occassion. I have read that if people miss one or two doses they feel dizziness, nausea and or headache. What I tend to feel is more like motion sickness. Mild nausea with a mild headache (more like a sinus headache) like one would feel from car sickness. It feels awful and nothing seems to relieve it. I can't seem to pinpoint if it directly relates to missing my meds because I often miss a day or two (If I skip breakfast I tens to forget to take my pill). I hope someone can tell me this is absolutely a side effect, otherwise, I may go crazy not knowing why this occassionly happens to me. Thanks! by Renee On Sun Nov 05 17:48:59 2006
Husband coming off Effexor My husband has been taking a combination of Wellbutrin and Effexor for depression. The Effxor is a recent addition, to replace Prozac and the Ritalin they prescribed to counteract the "sleepy" effects of something. That cocktail from hell caused him to act hypermanic, and they changed him over to just Wellbutrin and Effexor. In truth, they have never gotten the meds right since he was diagnosed 3 years ago. We were much better off before drug treatment. It was me who instigated the weaning from the drug treatment, and I am up against the wrath of his psychologist. I believe my husband is no longer capable of making an informed decision by himself, and is effectively disabled on this drug. The psychiatrist told him to go off the Wellbutrin cold turkey, and to reduce the Effexor from 100 something to 75 something, to 37 something. He is taking Provigil to counteract the sleepiness, without it he would sleep nonstop. This is not a depression sleep; it's a "can't keep his eyes open" kind of sleep. He is like a zombie, cries, can't keep a thought in his head, has numerous headaches and aches and pains. Anyway, this is the first day on the 37 something dose, and it has been pretty bad. I read him some of your postings out loud, and he was comforted. It is good to know that there are others out there who share a common experience with this process. I pity those who don't have family to see that this drug is dangerous, and to help their loved ones escape the horrible effects. How can it continue to be marketed with so many people suffering like this? Any advice from others, especially wives, would be great. Bless each of you; I am sending out good vibes to all in this Website that all of you will succeed and be healthy. by Alyson On Sun Nov 05 15:11:32 2006
simular stories on effexor I just made a comment on effexor and it's effect on me...I see and read Ron and Tynda's story and it fits me to a tee...As they say...thank God there are other's like me experiencing these atrocious symptoms.Now I know what to do and expect. My shrink will be told these stories and I will want him to find me relief and help in withdrawing...I have been on 37.5 for three years and in just a week of withdrawal i have these complaints. For those that don't know. The up take for effexor is the serotonin level which should be for everyones health benefit But tryptophan 5htp can be bought in any health store.Check out serotonin on the web and it's benefits!! Thank you all, I'm not alone!!! by dave On Fri Nov 03 22:24:43 2006
Effexor withdrawl I have been taking various doses of effexor for 10 years. I had tried getting off a few times, only to relinquish and take as prescribed. Recently, I discovered by my own research, that taking Benadryl helps relieve the withdrawal symptoms while weaning off the Effexor. It, for me, is working. Today is my first day in 10+ years that I have not taken Effexor. Yes, my head is a little fuzzy and I have had flu like symptoms, but over the course of the last two months, I have weaned myself and these symptoms are nothing compared to trying it all without the benadryl. Hope this offers you all some hope. I know my doctor just told me that "you are one of the people that may need this medication for the rest of your life", "think of it like you would diabetes". Perhaps, like myself, you can do this, too. Please be patient and forgiving of yourself and taper slowly. Use caution when driving and don't mix alchohol into the process. With love and understanding,
Effexor Thankyou just reading through some of the posts after googling effexor withdrawal through sheer desperation, I am not alone!!!I have been taking effexor for 2 1/2 years 225mgdose.I started a withdrawal programme 4 weeks ago as directed by my psychiatrist for 2 weeks I reduced to 150mg the following 2 weeks down to 75mg then nothing for the last 4 days,at first I thought I had picked up a bug as my head was banging,feeling sick and diaorrhea and going hot and cold,as the days have gone on I feel worse.Vomitting,aching all over ,fatigued ,terrible dreams and my partner says been shouting out in my sleep along with emotional bursts of tears for no apparent reason. I now know that it will get better and thank God I am getting of this awful drug, right now my brain is drained but I will not give up the fight thankyou all and may you all win your battles too. by cazie On Tue Oct 31 19:09:30 2006
Effexor Everything I have read here is so similar to the way I live! It started 4 years ago when my son was born. I experienced a severe anxiety attack. My Dr. recommended med after med (welbutrin, Zoloft, and the list goes on) Once on Effexor which due to side effects took me 2 months to get to 150mg I started to experience the problems. After 2 years I have decided I can no longer take it. I have gained about 30 lbs in 2 years (I think because of the effexor) and If I even take my Effexor one hour late I end up dizzy, and with a major headache. Not to mention the diarrhea and irritability. I snap at my helpless children for doing nothing wrong. At this point I was scared to even miss a dose. I would go to any lengths to make sure I had it everyday and on time. I then felt like a drug addict. Nothing could function as normal nor could I do anything until I had my pill. The first year or so I thought I felt happy. Now I think I am losing my mind. I have no energy, my blood pressure is sky high and I always want to sleep. Needless to say I feel like a zombie! I ran out of my Meds on Friday and it is now Tuesday. I am going to see my Dr to put an end to this madness. Thanks to all of you who commented because I thought I was losing my mind. Take care and May God Bless each and every one of you! by Staci On Tue Oct 31 12:42:22 2006
Effexor Insanity I am relieved to find other people that understand what I'm feeling~ I'm not crazy!! At the same time I am scared about how long this will take to come off of! I'm enraged that this drug company doesn't warn anybody that these withdrawal sypmtoms. This is serious stuff! I've never experienced anything quite like this or have been as terrified. I was taking 75mg then 150mg for quite a while. I decided I didn't want to take it anymore- partially b/c I've gained a lot of weight. SO I had my doc wean me off gradually reducing my dosage over the past 6 weeks. I am down to 37.5mg and hadn't taken them for the past 3-4 days. I just wanted to stop. I WAS WRONG. I felt so sick, I called the doctor and told them everything I felt and they told me to continue taking the rest of my 37.5mg. Okay, but what about when I'm supposed to stop taking them?! Insomnia, Chills, Brain Shivers, Diziness/Vertigo, Nausea, Irritablity, HOW LONG AM I GOING TO FEEL LIKE THIS?!
by Natalie On Tue Oct 31 01:45:49 2006
Milo's comments Milo- there is no need to be such a jerk. We all experience things differently,and you were just lucky! Judging by the amount of anger in your post you could probably do with some medicating anyway, im sure alot of people that read your comment would agree with me. This site is a support for people who are doing it tough, not for people like you who want to come in and make them feel worthless for something that they have no control over- ie- side effects. I am lucky- mine are nearly gone- but i still feel for every single person on here. I think it is you milo that needs to be "adult" about this topic. Grow up. by kirstin On Mon Oct 30 20:32:46 2006
Efexor withdrawl Its Day 6 after stopping efexor. I had to stop and really think then what day it was because I'm so, so foggy-headed. I have been taking this drug for 4 years now, varying doses, but more recently on 300mg daily. Weaned off by - cutting in half for week, in half again for week, then off completely. No tablets in house now so can't go back on it. Oh God, I feel awful. Suffering all the symptoms listed by other unfortunate people. May write some more, but feel too bloody awful right now. Only good thing is knowing I'm not alone in what I am experiencing and for others to know WTF I'm talking about... by Elizabeth On Sun Oct 29 20:11:29 2006
effexor Good day.... I've just started to wean myself off of Effexor. I've been on it for 2.5 years. I can say it did help me during a tough time in my life, but I'm not so sure I need to be on it for as long as my doctor has had me. Anyway, I will keep you posted on my progress. All of these web sites I've been on has me down right scaried. But then I do have to remember that more people comment on bad experiences than on good. I've always been able go some 50 or more hours after taking my last dose before I would start to feel a little 'off'. (did not happend often but my work schedule is all over the place - sometimes I would forget) So I'm hoping that tapering down will be the best method for me. Thank you for this board. It has been enlightening on what I MAY experience. I'm hoping for just a few withdrawal symptoms, that will still allow me to function. Wish me luck. by Lynda On Sun Oct 29 07:02:32 2006
Effexor Comments In reference the the post noted below by Milo Filmore: Effexor Withdrawal Tolerable Sick stories from sick people!! by Milo Filmore - hews9615@mypacks.net On Fri Oct 27 16:35:58 2006 Dear Milo - I am encouraged to hear that you are free of withdrawal from this very bad drug. I am encouraged to know that you did not pack your bags to go on a pity trip. I am encouraged to know that you have taken responsibility for your choices in your experience. Having said that, I must add that I am not encouraged by any of your comments suggesting that people sharing their experiences here are on some sort of pity trips. That is just not on!! That is a blanket statement that you need to rethink. The physical and psychological withdrawal symptoms from this drug do vary in intensity and duration (from what I have read here), within the whole context of every individual's experience. I want anyone who may feel discouraged by the comments on Milo's post to understand that it is not your fault that you were led down the garden path by the healthcare system and it's providers to this difficult and, most challenging place of withdrawl you are experiencing. It is not your fault that you may not be 'getting over it' in the same fashion or time line as others in the same boat. Continue to reach out for support and if anyone tries to undermine, or lay unrealistic expectations upon you in your process of gaining the victory over this hellish withdrawal...don't take it to heart...you have enough on your plate to deal with...just keep on believing that you are on the road to recovery and God Bless you in the process, and pity the one who would try to condemn you for that. by Lois in Canada On Sat Oct 28 13:35:49 2006
effexor withdrawal I stopped taking Effexor altogether at the beginning of July refused another antidepressant & am currently only taking Buspar. The first thing I experienced was intense anxiety, anxiety that would wake me up in the middle of the night with my heart pounding hence the Buspar. After about 2 months off Effexor I began having numbness in my hand & then strange electrical currents or twinges throughout my entire body these twinges are constant & quite debilitating. I was told by the nurse at the psychiatrists office it couldn't be withdrawal symptoms because they were occuring too late. Neurologist states not withdrawal here take some neurontin well I'm pretty gunshy about pharmaceutical medications particularly since he would not discuss with me the side effects or anything about the medication at any length.These pages bring me hope but what I want to know is are these withdrawal symptoms the fasciculation or parethesis permanent? I refuse to go back on that medication since I have been off it for almost 4 months but I cry daily from the pain of these electrical currents going off & the activities of my life have decreased considerably. I did get the psychiatrist to say if I was having these symptoms then they were indeed withdrawal whatever comfort that is. But is this permanent? Is it really withdrawal or something else. The neurologist did a nerve test & could find no reason for the numbness in my hands & feet. Psychiatrist said could last up to 3 months which means 1 more month to go Your comments would be greatly appreciated by vickie On Sat Oct 28 12:41:49 2006
effexor withdrawl I am not the best person about taking medications. I tend to forget. It seems that everytime i forget to take the effexor, by the next day I am getting headaches and feeling generally crappy. If I go back and take it, the symptoms seem to go away. I have gained 50lbs over the last two years on the med. I felt this was making me more depressed than the effexor was making me able to deal with the stress I was under. I actually thought maybe i wasnt't taking enough when things at work got really bad, so I asked my doctor and he said to go ahead and take 150mg. That didn't really help and the weight, being tired all the time and not sleeping was making it worse. I went back down to 75mg (on my own) and now have not taken a dose for 1 week. I have just read some of the comments and felt like I was reading exactly what I was feeling. Actually I was laying down about 2 hours ago and felt the zaps you were speaking of for the first time. After getting up is when I decided to look up and see if there was anything out there to tell me what is going on. Question - SO WHAT DO I DO? My daughter says to take a dose to make the symptoms go away but after reading some of the comments, I don't think that would be a good idea. Again - SO WHAT DO I DO? Please help. by charlene On Fri Oct 27 18:55:23 2006 (Some people find it necessary to take a capsule apart, count out the granules, and remove one granule per day. That's how much of a problem it is for them. On the other end of the spectrum, some people have no withdrawal symptoms whatsoever. Most fall somewhere in the middle, with tolerable withdrawal symptoms for a week or two. You never know how bad it will be until you start going though it. Counting out the granules may be the best srategy for severe cases. The problem with going cold turkey (besides any painful withdrawal symptoms) is that you don't know how much time it will take for your brain to readjust back to normal. Effexor creates much different reactions in different people.
If you've got severe withdrawal symptoms you'd be much safer reducing gradually. Others can simply stop taking it and be okay. Comparing yourself to others may not be the best idea, since there's such a wide variation in withdrawal intensity. No one can honestly tell you what is best for your unique situation. The intensity of the withdrawal symptoms may be your best guide. If it were me, I'd withdraw slowly, although many on this page quit abruptly and made it through okay. - Mark)
Effexor Withdrawal Tolerable Sick stories from sick people!! I was dumb enough to let my Doc put me on Effexor for something not in any way requiring a psycho-active drug. That was my mistake, but I'm a big boy and I take responsibility for my own actions and bad decisions. I kicked Effexor XR cold turkey when I realized what I had been taking for a year, and that I didn't need it even if it did work (which I doubt that it does.) Yes, there were withdrawal symptoms, which only proves that it should be a controlled substance. But, as a big boy, instead of having a pity party and looking for yet another drug, I just toughed it out, and in two weeks I was fine. Anyone who has no self control, or who looks for a second drug to help them kick a first drug is a fool! Just stop the drug, tough it out for a few weeks, and STOP CRYING. Aren't there any adults left in the world?!? by Milo Filmore - hews9615@mypacks.net On Fri Oct 27 16:35:58 2006
need help with effexor xr withdrawals i was on effexor xr 37.5mg for about a month, then bumped up to 75mg for about a month and a half when i started having problems. the brain zaps that i've read about, as well as feeling as though i was living a half of an emotional existence. went back on 37.5mg for two weeks, then quit... now the problems have really begun! have an excruciating head/jaw/tooth/ear ache that had me both at emergency and the dentist's office. (teeth are fine, by the way)but i have lost part of the hearing in my left ear. my left arm is also suffering with tingling and numbness, and i feel stoned all of the time!!! maybe i wouldn't have minded this sensation in my teens... but it isn't welcome now! does anyone know how long these effects go on... whether i should be concerned that it has done some damage to my brain (lungs as well, as it gave me bronchitis), or if there are any means by which to diminish the searing head pain and come down from my "not so euphoric feeling"? since my doctor doesn't really take me seriously about this, i feel that the only people i can turn to is other unfortunates who have had to endure this horror... never mind that they started effexor becuase they were initially looking for help. any and all advice, reassurance would be most welcome... and something i definately look forward to. this medication has made me (close to) non-functional, and i want some sense of myself back, as i'm sure my husband and kids do, too. thanking you in advance.... sincerely. by Jennifer On Thu Oct 26 20:38:55 2006
withdrawal effexor going to hell It is my first week withougt Effexor. Iam losing my brain not my mind I know am not in depression. I need to know where is the responsability of this to sue them. Whyeth it's has the responsability with this. On the PDR do not exist this symtoms of withdrawing Effexor.It's better be depressed than this. Please if somebody knows how to sue them write to me. by Edith On Thu Oct 26 00:31:50 2006
Effexor Comments It's me again, and I remain grateful for the support at this site, in the very least to gain an understanding that it will get better. I am relieved to have the confirmation that the symptoms I am experiencing (now day five)are indeed withdrawal from Effexor. I know it gets better and thank God for that...sure no faith in this world's systems, particularly the 'Health Care Industry'. I can say that with authority because neither my physician, my pharmacist, nor the pharmaceutical industry advised me what to expect when I came off of this drug. I certainly had an inkling though, when I thought (some time ago) I could forgo my medication a day or so (out of town). Well I was absolutely jolted, both physically and psychologically! The symptoms I experienced literally shocked me, and needless to say I arranged asap for my meds. So now in the present, I am going through this process of withdrawal from Effexor,knowing I will come out at the other end, lessons learned (cause let's face it folks this is hell at times). God Bless you and toodles for now. by Lois Marie On Wed Oct 25 16:56:32 2006
Effexor I just found this website. I only had to read a few comments before I broke down a cried. I thought I was losing my mind! I have been on 150mg per day for at least 3 years. I am also on Lamictal 400mg per day. Just last week I ran out of my Effexor and have gone down hill since. I have heart issues and a pacemaker to help. I thought I needed a new generator. My heart rate went to 117 bpm and all I did was walk a couple of feet to my car. My blood pressure has been very high and tends to fluxuate. I also feet dehydrated and can't seem to drink enough of anything. My whole body keeps swelling up on me and at times my hands go so numb it feels like they are not there. I can't move them. I thought it was carple tunnel syndrom. If that is not bad enough I also have sweats and chills and the mind thing is horrible! Monday I was at work and I could not function at all. My head has been doing all sorts of scary things. I can't even describe it. I have been very nauseous, weak, shakey. I have been so hyper to the point where I can't control it. Then when it stops...it's like hitting a brick wall. Yes..it is physically painful. I am also afraid I will lose my job over this because of all the time being out "sick". I just started this job 6 weeks ago. I have an appointment today to see what can be done. I am scared to death. I can't seem to control my emotions. I read also about eye sensitivity to light, I thought it was because I have very light colored eyes....What a dope! Thank you all for sharing your nightmares. It has helped me tremendously. And for those of you who have not had withdrawls from this...you are truely blessed by GODS grace. You have been spared from true hell. by Joyce Tucker On Wed Oct 25 09:03:21 2006
Effexor Withdrawal I am grateful for this site and very relieved that I am not alone in dealing with withdrawal from this terrible drug. I have gradually weaned from 150mg to 75mg to 37.5mg over the course of the last 3 months. The symptoms are tough...brain zaps, nausea, aching arms and legs, irritability, headache...and it has only been four days since my last dose. I just want to thank the site founder and those who have contributed their stories about withdrawal... By the grace of God I will get through this most difficult of days. God Bless you all in your journey through to the otherside of life without effexor. by Lois in Canada On Tue Oct 24 10:13:58 2006
Effexor/Wellbutrin Withdrawal I found this site and read through it briefly while doing some research for my husband, who is an attorney, for a client of his who got a DUI and said her behaviour and failure of the sobriety test was due to Effexor withdrawal. This ...click here for the rest of the story
effexor today i no longer feel alone ive been on this drug for 12 mnths 325mg aday bot recently 225mg daily ive tried to tell doctors what is going on in my head and body they wont listen ive tried suicide 4 times since ive been on effexor(buti do have a history of this)i live in brisbane australia my name is michael does someone want to start a network of support you can phone me on 0413 536171 we need to tell our stories tell the public by michael On Sun Oct 22 20:12:36 2006
EFFEXOR HE!! First, I want to say thank you for those sharing their experience with Effexor withdrawl. It is hard to believe that the doctors we trust hand this stuff out. Iw as on Effexor for 2 years (300) and actually decided to go off it because I lost my insurance. Although I had enough information from the web to taper down and not go cold turkey, I went from 75 a day to nothing. I thought it would be safe enough from this dose. Boy was I wrong. I won't go into the many horrible side effects because they have all been covered here without exageration. While my he!! was taking over my life I did web searches to investigate my symptoms and lo and behold , EFFEXOR kept popping up and then your stories. I thought I was losing my mind and all I wanted was to die in my sleep (when sleep did come). I thought I would lose my husband through this and friends were hanging by a thread. I could not blame them. Fortunatley I am blessed with a wonderful husband (ex-nurse) who is familiar with withdrawl symptoms and has been holding my hand through all of this. The nightmare is not over, but it is getting better. 7 weeks now and still having brain shocks , vomitting , blurred vision , headaches , and snapping at the people I love. What this drug has done to my brain and personality is beyond anything I ever would have imagined. How could doctors do this to people! I find myself coming back here to read your comments and stories. I want to again thank all of you for sharing. If it were not for you I would have chalked it all up to going insane and probably suicide. Thanks to you I will hold on and get through this thing. I now see a light at the end of the tunnel. I will keep getting the word out to all who will listen. They have to take this drug off the market. Walk with Christ and he will see us through. God Bless. by Judy On Sun Oct 22 11:39:26 2006
there is life after effexor I wanted to give others hope- there is life after effexor! I went cold turkey from 300mg a day about one week ago. The first 4-5 days were awful. I thought at any moment I would have a seizure! I was dizzy, nauseated, vomiting, had vertigo, insomnia, migraines, brain "zaps/shivers", diarrhea, and tremulous movements. I was unable to work or even remotely function as a human. It has been one week and most of the symptoms have subsided, I still have insomnia and some dizziness. But, I can function! Now I am trying to lose the 15lbs I gained in 2mos being on this hhorific drug. I also switched to a new psych this week. He agreed that effexor is an awful drug (with exception for a select few)! I am so happy! I made it through the fire with this drug and have a new, knowledgable pychiatrist whom will never put me back on this med. For those of you going through withdrawals, hang on! The withdrawal symptoms make you wish for death, however, it will get better! There is life after effexor withdrawal! by Amy On Sat Oct 21 16:57:54 2006
effexor side effects I was very interested to read Narelle Boyles story on Effexor. I was diagnosed with depression about four and a half years ago (am 52 years old) and was prescribed Effexor at a dosage of either 250 or 300mg once daily.I have suffered exactly the same side effects as listed in Narelles story. In fact I have mentioned to my wife on several occasions that if I could put them down on film they would exceed any horror or sience fiction movie ever produced !!Very frightening and often upon waking it is very difficult to extract yourself from them, I have felt like a Salvador Dali painting with one half of my conciousness in one place and the other half in another, have been aware of my surroundings and what is happening but have been unable to extract myself from this other "dimension"without great mental difficulty . The nightmares are atrocious. The feeling of dissociation from ones body , a feeling of being on the outside looking in , even when carrying out a conversation seems to happen frequently too. About twelve months I decided that I would try and reduce the dosage and with my GP's advice I reduced to 150 mg once daily and maintained this for about three months, further reducing the dosage then to 37.5mg twice daily, this was maintained for a further three to four months when things started to go pear shaped again.
The dosage was the increased to 150mg once daily, this seemed to rectify the emotional problems , but did nothing to aleviate the intermittent physical symptoms. Several weeks ago I suffered a number of debilitating dizzy spells coupled with nausea,and was subsequently hospitalised for several days as I was not able to stand or even move my head .Was subsequently examined by an ENT speacilist who has ruled out vertigo and Menieres disease.Am still unsteady on my feet and currently am undertaking further tests. The loud "zapping" sound in the head is also something I mentioned to my wife recently , sounds like a huge spark jumping from one side of your head to the other, with such intensity that it will wake you from a sleep and if awake will make you jump with shock, with the same intensity as if someone clapped their hands once loudly. I sympathise with her with the short term memory loss also , my memory is the worst it has ever been . All these symptoms I have had whilst still on 150mg/day! It's time to slowly wean myself right off it having read what Narelle has been through. Interestingly though the GP is keen for me to be on this dosage further 4 years , try and reduce again , if that is not successful will need to stay on it indefinately!! Definately not an option by Ron On Thu Oct 19 23:03:36 2006
Effexor Withdrawal I had been taking Efexor-xr 150mg for three months (started on Efexor-xr 75mg). I suffer from insomnia and post traumatic stress. Not long after I started on it, I began to get terrible headaches, hot sweats as well as couldn't sleep. So then I was taking valium, stilnox, headache tablets as well as efexor. Luckily my gp didn't see the sense in taking exefor anymore and advised me to stop taking it for three days cold turkey then start on 15mg Avanza at night. Well, on the third day of withdrawal (which was of course a Sunday) - I ended up in the 24hr medical centre because of one VERY concerning sympton I had. Zapping in my head, nausea, sensitivity to bright light, strange flashing lights in front of my eyes I could endure - but the most scary was when I had awoken from a nap - I couldn't see (for a few seconds only - but seemed forever). So okay - I thought this maybe was my imagination whatever, but then had another nap later on, and my vision gone again - seemed to last a bit longer this time. I was convinced that I was going blind which absolutely terrified me. Naturally my blood pressure & heart rate was up as well - so what a mess. The medical centre just sent me home and told me to take 2 valium, start the Avanza and see my normal gp the next day which I did and get a referral to see a eye specialist! I saw my gp who informed me that it would have been caused by the withdrawal. Why I wasn't told that before could have minimised my reaction. I didn't care whether I lived or died - because I genuinely believed I was losing my sight. Anyway - I have started taking Avanza which is helping me tremendously - at least I am sleeping better and the hot sweats are not as often now. On Wednesday, I was reading a newspaper article on withdrawal from Efexor - how a person had experienced same withdrawal symptoms - thank God - because from that article I was able to reach this site and read what has happened to others. Thank you, thank you as that article did so much for me!!! Your site is a tremendous help too - I wish I would have know about it earlier !! by Mary On Thu Oct 19 20:25:45 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal is hell I am 25 and came off effexor 1 year ago. The effects are still in my system. I was on 150mg everyday for 4 years. I came off the drug in the recommended way- by cutting the dose in half then half again etc over a few months, until i could no longer cut the quarters in quarters again so went off it. I felt so emotional and like giving up, but persevered. The withdrawal was hell on earth- a real spaced feeling in my head from the rest of my body. My body seemed like it was on a delay timer! I actually thought at the time i was dehydrated so drank bottles of water to no effect which made me bloated. And made the effects worse. Its a feeling i still get sometimes, especially of a morning. This drug should be banned. It is worse, im told, than any other drug- legal or illegal- to come off. Its so comforting to know that I am not alone and that this drug has affected so many people in the same way, i was beginning to think that i was unusual. Thankyou for the support and lets keep it up until this drug is off the market. by kirstin On Wed Oct 18 21:04:18 2006
Effexor I cannot believe I have discovered this web page. Thank God for all of you! I was sure that I was the only one cursed with horrendous side effects from Effexor. I am still taking 300mg of Effexor and have done so for the last 3 years to help me cope with a severe anxiety and depression disorder. I only need to forget to take my medication in the morning and by late afternoon I feel disoriented, feel like someone or something is giving me constant electric shocks, I hate it but am afraid to take myself off the medication as the alternative is soul destroying. My eyesight is also affected, flashes before my eyes, chronic headaches, I can actually relate to almost every side effect I have read on this page. To all of you, I hope things get better and you manage to gain control of your life without this medication. I do hold out hope for myself, I know that it is still a long long journey. God belss you all again for making me see that I am not alone. by Lynda On Wed Oct 18 20:22:53 2006
Life after the nightmare - side effects during withdrawl from Efexor I first added comments under my nickname of Rellie on 12 August 2006. It is now 18th October 2006 and I would like to say that there is life after Efexor - (one F in Efexor in Aust). I awoke from my nightmare. Symptoms have all but gone, exercise and a good diet will move the bit of excess weight that is hovering. I am laughing and most definitely living again. I sought to get my story out and it was published today in The Courier Mail (our major newspaper). I needed to speak of my experiences in the hope of offering some support to anyone who may find themselves in a similar situation. I haven't finished yet - the word needs to get out. There is insufficient information given by pharmaceutical companies regarding possible side effects. The medical profession can only pass on drug information that the pharmaceutical companies provide. In my case, my doctor & the pharmacists were very informative with the limited information that they had available. The information seems to be so generalised across many medications. These side effects are real and studies must be done on long term use of prescribed drugs and side effects on withdrawal. What I and many thousands of others have been through should not happen. It is unacceptable in this day and age. Keep going in your endeavours to reach your goal of no more Efexor-XR. You will get there. It is a very hard road, but at the end you will be much stronger for it, both physically and mentally. It will be worth go. Go get 'em by Narelle from Brisbane Australia On Wed Oct 18 06:20:14 2006
Effexor I have read through the comments and have FINALLY discovered I wasnt crazy. In 1999 I was put on Effexor during a period of depression and attempted suicide 6 times ( luckily I'm not that great at trying to end it all). I was in and out of Hospital for 13 months and felt like I was going more and more insane. My partner was able to pick the problem and demanded I go off the medication. I tried Effexor one more time (2 years ago) as I was told the new formula etc etc would be fine. Within 24 hours I had attempted to hang myself. I have to say that the fact that I was prescribed this medication AFTER I had told my Dr that I had such a negative response to it in 1999 has made me angry on my own and other people's behalf. It made an already depressing part of my life utterly devastating.It ruined my ability to think,my realtionship with my family, my confidence in myself. I have only started to get my self esteem back NOW in 2006. I had all the side effects - electric shocks, mood swings, aches, nausea, foggy thinking. I am just grateful I survived. I wish that ordinary GP's stopped prescribing something that needs such careful monitoring - they are handing anti depressants out with no understanding of the possible consequences. by Jules On Tue Oct 17 22:36:15 2006
Still off of the Effexor XR for 16 days Oh my what can I tell you I think I did it. The stomach cramping gone, the headaches gone, I am still having a couple of brain shivers during the day, but other than that I feel great. I can't belive that I have actually quit taking my Effexor. I am a bit moody but coming into reality is a shock to me. I took the stuff for 3 years 150mg per day. I can tell you the first week or so was difficult but it was well worth it. I can tell you from experience that the withdrawls are like coming off of a "drug" addiction. I was addicted to Meth for about a year, but look at me a successful business person with a family that I truly adore, that supports me at my every cause. Life couldn't be better for me now. by Teresa Pike On Tue Oct 17 21:25:28 2006
Effexor Helped Me I was flicking through this mornings paper and was SHOCKED to read the negative comments about Effexor. I have to say that without an ounce of doubt that Effexor is the reason I am still here today. I have been off effexor for 3 years now however when I was on it I was on 300mg a DAY and 2mg of xanax a DAY. For 3 years Doctors experimented with different medications with me and it wasnt until the combination of the 2 above and the increases in quantity that I finaly was at a place where I could start to use Cognative Theropy as well. I lived a nightmare until Effexor and Xanax came along. I have had people recently who have been on the Drug at 150mg a day and their comment to me was that they were on the highest dosage and that I couldnt have been on 300mg, trust me, I was. I also had a theropist who was with me when the decision to reduce and then eventually come off the drug was made. It was a very slow process. Close to 4 months before I was drug free. I m not saying it was the easiest 4 months but it was certainly nowhere near as bad as what I went through on a daily basis before I was put on Effexor. My theorpist was with me and followed through with me letting me know exactly what the side effects could be. My worst day was when I finished the last Xanax tablet not the Effexor. But once again I will say, It was no where near as bad as what I went through daily before I was put on them. I am greatful to wake up each day knowing I got through it. I wouldnt have gotten through it without the high drug levels and the other anti depressants didnt help at all. So whilst I am sorry to hear that others have suffered from the withdraws I wonder if they were given adequate medical advice or whether their illness was extreme enough to take it in the first place, I dont say that to minimize what they have or are going through I just know that I would rather go through Effexor and Xanax withdraws every day rather than suffer this illness in its extreme ever again.
by Robyn On Tue Oct 17 17:21:59 2006
effexor I love this website! I now know I am not alone, and these symptoms I am feeling are felt by others attempting to wean of this horrible drug. My doctor never told me about the side effects, let alone withdrawal symptoms. I am still not even quite sure why my doctor put me on this medication! I just recently went from 300mg to 150. The first night I thought I was going to die- vomiting, sweating perfusely, nasuea, insomnia, migraine, dry heaving, chills, pooping every 15 minutes, a general crappy I want to die feeling. During my sleepless hours I began looking up different websites regarding effexor and its withdrawal symptoms. Doctors deffinately need to start informing their patients of the side effects and withdrawal symptoms of this medication. Instead they are just handing out effexor like candy. I would like my doctor to give effexor a whirl- then let's see if she continues to prescribe it! :) Anyway, I plan on going cold turkey in the next couple of days, maybe tonight if I can tough it out. I just wanted to let others know they are not going crazy- we are all feeling the "brain zaps" and other excrutiating ailments. If there is one thing I have learned, it is to do my own research proir to popping the next pill any MD prescribes. Good luck to those of you weaning off as well! by Amy On Mon Oct 16 22:06:38 2006
Effexor Withdrawls So now what do I do?? I tried to stop taking Effexor "cold turkey" but I have never felt so awful in my entire life. I have been on Effexor for over six years and I want off of it!! I am going to my Dr on Friday, but I don't know if she will be in favor of me coming off this anti-depressant or not. I do feel very well while I'm taking it, but I have gained weight and I need to get rid of that. Any suggestions as to what I could do to help myself with this. I won't be able to afford this medication for many more years. Thanks to all of you for your comments, they've been a real "eye opener". by Judith On Tue Oct 17 00:42:18 2006
Effexor withdrawal I too am trying to withdraw from Effexor. I had all the horrible symptoms including, vomiting, virtigo and stomach upset. It sounds like many people on this site are withdrawing too quickly, that was my mistake. I talked to a friend who is a doctor and he told me you have to come off super slow. I asked him why they don't make smaller dosages to help people come off slowly. He said,"because the drug companies don't want you to quit, ever!" Gee, I wonder why? Daaaaaaa. So, he suggested, although tedious, that I start breaking open the 75 mg caps on a plate and counting out the granules, taking one less small white granule each day until I get down to zero. It will take you about 3 months to withdraw this way but you will not have the physical symptoms from rapid withdrawl. The other thing I am doing is taking massive doses of amino acids for my brain to replace what it needed in the first place. I got a book from my doctor(she refuses to prescribe effexor.) called, "Breaking Your Prescribed Addiction." The book is by Billie Jay Sahley Ph.D. It is helpful and you can buy the supplements on the pain and stress center web site. Effexor is dangerous and should be illegal. The withdrawl symptoms are so awful that you start to believe you really need the antidepressant. These symptoms are all drug related and will go away, but it's hard to believe when you are in the throws of withdrawl. I now understand what drug addicts go through. This website has been helpful. by Sally On Sun Oct 15 21:57:38 2006
To Denise Hi Denise, I am just went off of effexor a few days ago...I agree with you saying that the withdrawl affects are not worth the initial reason(s) for going on it in the first place. I also know what you mean by "brain zaps" except everytime I get those, I hear a clicking noise to go along with it. This is really brutal. How can a drug like this be on the market? I had to go off this drug because of the symptoms I got from being on it which is REALLY horrible and are still continuing as I go through the withdrawl. I'd also like to know how long all of this bull lasts. I feel like I'm in a fog...can't think clearly at all. by Laura On Sun Oct 15 16:22:50 2006
Effexor Withdrawal Just writing to share. I have just taken half the "granules" of a 37.5mg capsule of Effexor after not having any for 60 hours. This is the longest I have gone without any in my system. I had been taking half the "granuals" for about 10 days with barely any withdrwal symptoms. Yesterday I didn't feel that great but this morning I can hardly function with the "brain zaps" and this sensation of someone blowing up a balloon inside my ears (sound effect and all!) Should I keep on like this? i.e. just take "some" when I can't stand it, hoping to increase the hours in between? Has anyone else tried this? by Rachelle On Sun Oct 15 11:39:35 2006
I'm going cold turkey... I decided that effexor is not right for me because A)alcohol nullifies it, B)I might as well go through it now instead of later. I went through a mild xanax withdrawal after I started abusing my prescription. I flushed my supply and was taking up to 4 mg per day. It was pretty intense... hallucinations, trouble discerning dreams from reality and a mild seizure... but I'm off that crap for nearly a year now and have found other ways to deal with anxiety that aren't benzo-related. I drink regularly. I am planning on a big life change after I get through kicking the effexor, but I'm glad this site is here to help me understand this undertaking. by Jonathan On Fri Oct 13 19:09:49 2006
efffexor withdrawal This site is the best thing I have come across ever. I have been on Effexor for the past couple of years, and Risperadone for the past year. I can't believe the withdrawal symptoms when I miss just one dose. The next day I am in a real mess. The brain zaps, the shakes, inability to focus... the list goes on. Really makes me wonder what this drug is in fact doing for me. Thenks to this site and your posts I have figured a way to decrease my dose slowly to eventually get off the effexor. I am on 225mg, this week I alternated daily 225mg and 150mg, so for the next couple of weeks I will stay on the 150mg and then lower that again in a week or two. I have had slight withdrawal effects, but manageable at this stage. I am going to have to ask for a week off work for the last part of my withdrawal. My understanding is that I won't be able to function for a few days when I completely stop taking it. I was seeing a psych, but he referred me back to my GP for the meds, cause I was 'well enough'. My GP had never heard of effexor when I saw him to refill my script. So he is no support. I haven't told anyone what meds I am on, and the reaction I have when I miss a dose or what they do for me. I have taken on drinking more in the past couple of years than I ever did before. Scared myself last weekend, when I went into blackout at the races, lost myself a few hours. this is not the first time since being on these meds. I work fulltime, with family to take care of. I want desperately to come of these so called antideppressants. I admit my depression has been the best it has been for some time. But I have lost the ability to feel the good times too. With the withdrawal symptoms I have so far had just by missing a day or two, I am scared of what it will be like to come off completely, and with no one to discuss this with, your comments on this page will be a huge source of understanding and support for me. Thankyou. by Steph On Fri Oct 13 14:40:58 2006
Effexor comments I wanted to share my experience with Effexor. I took effexor xr for 6months. I was suffering anxiety, insomnia, depression, & I could no longer eat. It took about a month for it to begin to work. In the beginning my anxiety was worse so I also had to take Klonopin to cut the edge off. I began to feel better. At the end of the 5th month I wanted to stop since I felt in control again. I missed a dose and decided to stop at that point cold turkey. The weird thing is I did not feel any real withdrawel for at least a month?? I think it was at week 6 that I began to get dizzyness & headaches, & my stomach could not hold anything, mild anxiety was starting to come back. That was 4 months ago that I began to feel this way. It will come in episodes where I feel bearable for a 2 week stretch & then it hits me for about 4-6 days of the symptoms. As I read these messages I wonder how long this is going to last??? CAN ANYONE SHARE HOW LONG THIS LASTED BEFORE THEY FINALLY FELT BETTER? My anxiety is getting bad to where it is now affecting my sleep. I can get a full nights rest, I am having trouble going to sleep??? I would appreciate anyone out there that can relate to this!! This has been a terrible 4months!! by Richard On Fri Oct 13 13:36:56 2006
Follow-up on length of withdrawal I think I'm mostly through withdrawal and some info helped me to hang on. The drug takes 4 weeks to get to full power in the body, and it reasons that it takes that long to get out. My worst physical sickness was the first 2 weeks, the bulk of the anger/crying/hopelessness seemed to magically be gone after 4 weeks. Because the drug is all through our body/cells, it takes awhile to "clean out" completey.My sister experienced brain zaps for quite some time, and I get mild ones if I have alcohol. Lots of water, good vitamins, healthy food will help. Another note, because the drug was doing the work previously, it takes time for your own body's normal systems to kick in. I think that's where the extreme emotions come into play. I wish I had known this stuff when I've tried to get off effexor in the past and was told by my doctor that these emotions meant I still needed the drug. Having said that, I wouldn't want to discourage someone from getting help they really need. But I read someone's "opinion", and it's been the case in my 10+ years on paxil/effexor, that if you still need the drug you seem to experience less withdrawal symptoms if you miss a dose or try stopping. by Kristie On Thu Oct 12 10:07:08 2006
MUST READ!!! Effexor withdraw FIX! times of absolute euphoria/irritarion). >> I also have severe cronic pain in the knee, which at first I was prescribed vioxx (until recalled). Then later moved to opiates --> vicoden, then norco's, next was percacet and finally when that stopped working they moved me to oxycontin & fentenyl patches all while taking effexor. I started the pain meds 2 years ago. >> I have also been on effexorXR for 6 or so years, I was taking 375mg EffexorXR (MAX DOSAGE), told I would be on it for life because of... For the rest of the story go to effexor withdrawal fix (This post details a very interesting story. I moved it to my blog so more people would see it. I recommend you check it out. - Mark) by Yoshi2All On Thu Oct 12 09:36:36 2006
day number 3 of no effexor I am laughing at the last post of mine that Mark recently put up! I said that I was off of my effexor for 36-40 hours and i was okay!!! WELL, since then, I took one more, and now am off completely for 3 days. My husband is in Chicago until the 18th of October (which may be good, because every time I talk to him I bite his head off!) I have spent the past 2 days crying so hard my body "tremors", sweating profusely, wanting to die( not really, but hypothetically), throwing up, and ofcourse brain zapping. The strange thing is, the brain zaps pale in comparison to the crying fits!!! I have some painkillers left over from prior surgery, and take one at a time to calm down. I am hoping my dr. calls back soon, because I want to ask him if I can get some valium or xanax as a mood stabilizer. I just want this awful drug out of my system! The GOOD news is I have l ost 4 pounds!! I gained 12 pounds in four years, and for me, that is alot.( before,while on this drug,No matter how hard I worked out, it would not come off!) My family keeps telling me to call the dr., but they just don't understand that the doctors have NO idea what we are going through! My dr. will just put me on some other expensive drug that makes me fat and addicted. The ONLY saving grace in my life right now is the posts on this website. Thank You Mark!!!! by Kathryn hollyhealyphoto@AOL.com On Wed Oct 11 10:37:13 2006
Effexor withdrawal I would like to warn anyone who is taking Effexor or thinking of taking Effexor to consider another medication if possible. I recently was weaned from Effexor 75 mg to 37.5 mg and then stopped about a week ago. I have never felt so horrible in my whole life from the withdrawal symptoms! My head is buzzing with jolts of electricity that come and go, I am crying at the drop of a hat and I feel extremely down and depressed. I am currently taking Wellbutrin 150 mg and I'm hoping that after the Effexor gets out of my system that the Wellbutrin will help to stabilize my mood. Please, anyone who is considering taking Effexor get the facts before you start because the withdrawal is simply awful. by Deborah On Wed Oct 11 10:38:12 2006
Effexor reduction Found this online thought it may be able to help anyone out there trying to Withdrawal from Effexor. I have not tried it. I am considering trying it. So I can't say from experience if it does work. Its worth a try. I've been putting of discontinuation because of the withdrawl effects. Let me know if it works. michelleurswell@cox.net Dosages of venlafaxine in reduction to avoid withdrawal symptoms To be read in conjunction with notes on anti-depressant withdrawal at www.clinical-depression.co.uk. Not to be followed without consultation with your healthcase professional. by michelle On Mon Oct 09 22:37:49 2006
(Sorry - the actual dosage recommendations (presented in a chart format) didn't copy very well onto this page. Please see the website above for the specifics. - Mark)
Effexor, quitting cold turkey Ok so I have been taking Effexor Xr 150mg per day for the past 3 years for menstrual depression, due to the fact I can't have anymore children. I have not been truely faithful to taking the pill on a regular schedule. I decided that I would quit taking them I feel fine now really I do. So Oct 1st I took my last one and I felt fine until yesterday. That was the 8th day, I started to have brainshivers then I got really angy and went off on my 11 year old who only forgot to tell me that dance rehersal was from 2 to 4 and not 2 to 3. I threatened to leave her there the next time and make her walk home 15 miles. One minute I feel fine and then the next I feel like the world is coming to an end. The headaches are horrible and the stomach problems are awful the Effexor caused server constipation when I was taking it. Now it is the other way around. I am bound and determined to come off of this crap and live normal again one day..... by Teresa Pike On Mon Oct 09 21:45:35 2006
Effexor withdrawl! OMG thank you for this site i dont think im nuts anymore!!!!! I was on ok 300mg of effexor then i went to 225, then 150 then 75 and now im off its only been a few days of completly off, im losing my mind, im swearing like crazy, the brain zaps the nausea i started crying in a resturant today!!!!!!! omg thank you for not making me feel nuts! by Melissa On Sun Oct 08 23:30:15 2006
Depression, effexor and alcohol
I too like another poster have been on effexor for about 3 years. Before effexor, I was able to go out have a few drinks with friends and be fine. Even when I was on a dose as low as 75mg/day, I could do that. Now, I am up to 225mg/day. If I drink, I binge drink, get wasted, my personality changes, and it is like I am out of control. I drink till I blackout, instead of passing out. And even when blackouts occur, I keep on drinking from what people tell me. So now, instead of just getting stupid, having some fun, and passing out, I just do not remember things. Wake up the next day, have sore knuckles and no recolection, massive withdrawals from my checking account... all kinds of stuff. I also go through major withdrawals if I do tno take it. If I am off by a few hours, I can tell, and I get grumpy and down right mean. If I miss it for a day, I get naseau, tremors, and feel like I am hung over without drinking a drop. by Benny On Sat Oct 07 22:47:18 2006
Effexor Is Truly A God-Send For Me I am so surprised at all the negative comments about Effexor. I have been on it since 1998, first 150 mg. a day (Effexor XR), and until I had to stop using it cause I have no insurance any more, was on 300 mg. a day. I took 300 mg for about a year. Had to quit around July 2006 due to no insurance. Also was taking Prozac, Lithium and Risperdal, had to quit them + others not related to depression, so yes, did go through withdrawals, but I am just very, very lucky cause I DON'T suffer like so many do when they are coming off of one drug even. When I began using Effexor back in 98, it was the first SUCCESSFUL step I ever had towards a life not riddled with depression, daily suicidal ideations just to cope with getting through the day, anxiety and horrible physical distress due to those problems. I've suffered depression since I was 4, and I was 33 when I got on Effexor, and now I'm 41. I think I need my medications, but having such a hard time finding a job, and not disabled or anything so.....just trying to use my Higher Powers faiths to help me through the madness until I have insurance again. I am so glad to have found this website. Thank you. by juliet On Sat Oct 07 21:54:53 2006
effexor withdraw I thought I was going nuts, at least now I know I am only gonna go nuts for a little while, hopefully. stoped effexor about 30 hours ago and my mind feels like it can not function. Thank God for my husband he is keeping the kids away from my crazies. feels like crap and can't wain til it stops. thanks for this web site. somehow is feels better just to write this by Theresa On Sat Oct 07 13:17:18 2006
Effexor Withdraw effects Thank Goodness for this site! I actually thought I was losing my mind and all the physical effects I was going thru were in my head. What a relief to know that I am not alone. I started on effexor over 5 years ago doctor prescribed due to the fact I was going thru at the time a difficult divorce. After a few years of being on this drug I noticed something very disturbing. If I miss a dose or even if it gets as close as one to two hours before my next dose I get these brain zapz or what I term jarring effect all over my body. I get very shaky. Noises, movement just about anything sets them off. Also get dizzy, to concentrate on anything is a futile effort. I went to my doctor and told him about all about what was going on. His answer to me was why go off of it? I truly beleieve that he thinks I am just imagining such things. He told me he has not heard of such effects. WHen he said stay on it, I told him no. So I am now in the process of his advice to take one effexor every other day and to take Klopin <-Spelling? twice a day for 60 days and with three refills. I am terrified That was it! Just skip every other day till I run out and keep taking the klopin<--spelling for what I am guessing till it runs out. The brain zapping is the worse for me plus the inablility to concentrate. Being dizzy most of the time. Not sure if this is an effect but my heart feels like its skipping beats more and more and also racing to the point where its at times hard for me to breath. The anger and such I have been able thru the grace of god to surpress and keep away from others,the crying I just go away from everyone and cry, but I am afraid that this keeping the angry inside and holding it back is going to be a huge problem soon. My question to everyone and It seems to be a running theme is how long does these effects go on? Is is a weeks is it months or god forbid is it going to be with me the rest of my life. Has anyone taken Klopin has it helped? Is there anything out there that can help? I swear I feel I am going to either have a heart attack or just one mother of all breakdowns before this is all over. Anyone with adivice please feel free to email me at UnLikeNoOne@aol.com Thank you for listening to my ramblings and thankyou to everyone out there who took the time to share their effexor hell with us all. This is the first time I have felt any hope whats so ever!! I am not alone and I am not crazy!!! by Mary On Sat Oct 07 07:13:30 2006
effexor withdrawal Effexor withdrawal is rough! it's been almost a week now and every few minutes I change my thoughts from "this isn't so bad" and "it's almost over" to "help me I can't stand this"and "I want to die". Yes of course I'm being a bit dramatic but the whole thing is very dramatic. There is so much to deal with here. We've got the nasty withdrawal effects we've been reading about on all these websites. But even tougher are dealing with issues that got us on effexor in the first place, emotions that have not existed (in my case for two years) for a long time, and trying to force your disgraceful, disrespected, shatter of a self back into a life that has been going on with you. Keep in mind that all have learned to disregard your feeling, thoughts and opinions as invalid for so long! I hope I can hang in there, get it together , without to much damage to myself and or family. I need help/I'm fine. by michell On Fri Oct 06 01:43:32 2006
Effexor withdrawl I placed the order to refill my meds at least a week ahead of time, but since I had to go on Medical because I lost my insurance coverage, they have to get prior auth from the doctor. (I've been taking Effexor for almost 2 years and before that I had been on Paxil for about 3) I did notice some side effects (the brain zaps, racing heart, poor concentration, feeling faint, etc) whenever I forgot to take my paxil or effexor. Once I figured out that was what was causing it I rarely missed my dosage. Now I am completely out of medicine and still waiting for the pre-authorization so that my Rx can be refilled and going through this hell of withdrawls in the meantime.......If I had known it would take this long to get it refilled, I would have ordered them sooner... of course, you can't order them too soon or they won't be covered either....... so what do you do??
by Debbie On Wed Oct 04 20:17:30 2006
weight issue Hi everyone...First I have to say, I am very excited because I am going 36-40 hours without needing a 37.5. Hopefully, I can keep this up and just keep adding more hours until it is out of my system. Also, I have gained 12 lbs. in 4 years being on the effexor. I see alot of people have gained weight also. Does anyone know what happens after we are off of this drug? Can the weight be lost(through diet and exercise)or is our metabolism screwed up forever. I would love to hear some input on this!! Thanks!
by Kathryn On Wed Oct 04 10:34:33 2006
freaking effexor all i can say is OMG i am so glad that i found this website because i thought i was loosing my FREAKING MIND!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So thats what their called brain zaps.... holy moly its awful to live like this... who says its living anyway?> im on effexor and saroquel and i tell yah i dont know who the hell i am anymore. i felt like i couldnt afford my effexor so i quit taking it 4 days ago and its been hell on my vision and emotions. my children dont quite know what to think of mom cause she either crying profusely or cussing profusely(never did before this bad) my scalp is itching so bad i could die right now, i have never had so many breakouts on my face... for peats sake i am almost 40..... the photo guy at walgreens made me almost cry (after i chewed him out) i use my middle finger like never before its gonna be crooked..... AND yes I AM A CHRISTIAN..... i dont know where GOD is in all this. if HE was in front of me right now I would be too busy itching and too blind too see HIM probably.... if you dont laugh through the tears you wont make it guys..... i will be forced to take it now i went and got it reguardless of cost and we have NO insurance so it really sucks bad $200.00 for both drugs...... im taking it and going to bed HOPEFULLY..... LIFE GOES ON..... think of whatever makes you proud and happy and go on for that.... effexor smexor>>>>>> by penny On Tue Oct 03 23:28:34 2006
Coming off Effexor I am going through hell as the most of the people here have reported coming off from 37.5mg to nothing. (was upto 150mg for about a year) ***This is something perhaps worth pointing out... I switched about 1 year ago briefly to Wellbutrin (Exact Same Drug also used to get people to stop smoking) Strange enough, for the first 2 days or so I felt like Crap but then I got over most any withdrawl symptoms (Except some milder brain flashes) ... Makes you wonder if Wellbutrin could be used to help Effexor people from the Wicked Withdrawl symptoms... by K On Tue Oct 03 19:30:41 2006
efexor i have the same problem with the head problems and tried lexapro instead they have similar probs aswell as gaining 10kgs in 2 months when i tried to get of them i had a panic attack so i am now back on efexor unlucky me by kirsty On Tue Oct 03 02:00:06 2006
Effexor - Killing Me Slowly I can't believe I found this site. I have been going thru hell coming off Effexor. I have been completely off the drug from hell for 9 days now. I feel horrible. I have been on & off of numerous medications since the birth of my son 6 years ago. It started with post-partum depression. I have never had any major side effects. This one took me by surprise and on a ride straight to HELL. I have had all of the symptoms mentioned. The 4 dizzy days from hell when I really though I might die. The nausea, and then the lovely brain zap noises everytime I shift my eyes. When I thought I could take no more I call my doctor. His solution was to go back on it (I had been completely off for 3 days). He thought if i went back on and tried again to go slower it would help. I swore I would die before I ever took another dose of that drug!!! I didn't do it. I held my ground and suffered unbeliveable for a few more days. Then little by little some of the symptoms got a LITTLE better. So slight I was not sure if I really felt better at all. Now it has been 9 days and all of the dizzness has gone, the nausea has gone but I am still left with the buz noise and very very very moody & angry.I feel ok one minute and then want to kill someone the next. My husband is trying so hard to help me but it is starting to take it's toll. I read someones comment about having 2 kids and feeling like the worse mom ever, and I cried so hard when I read it because I feel the same way. I have 2 kids (6 & 4) and somedays like today I feel as if they would be better off without me. Maybe they are old enough to remember the good things if I left now,and forget me the way I am now. Today I felt like I just wanted to stop breathing & that would make it all ok. I don't think I am suicidal because I love my husband & kids too much. But if it were only me.....well it just wouldn't be worth it. At this point I start to question, is it the drug or do I really have this much depression and anger? I am really not sure of that answer but I want to keep going until I figure it out. Each time I went off of other meds in the past, if I started to feel badly the doc would just say "see you still have depression and you need the meds." Then I would start a new one. I have to get off this crazy ride. I really think once I have gotten thru this & then stop my Wellbutrin in a few months, I will be ok. I have to believe that my body just needs to rebound from all this shit they have me on. It really helped me to find this website and read that I am not alone!!!!!! I cried all the way thru each message!! The idea of a journal is a good one. I want to have it in detail the hell I am in. I want to grow from it & rise above it. I also would lie to help others get thru the dark tunnel once I make it. Sticking to my guns & not going back on effexor made me realize I have the will this time to fight!!! The depression, anger and "not wanting to breath" took me by surprise after I got thru the majority of the physical shit. Someone asked about anything that can help get thru this...well I have been taking Klonipin to try and get me thru. It has not been addicting in the last 6 months i have been taking it. It kind of takes the edge off, kind of like xanax i guess, but without the groggy feel. I wish everyone well. I hope we can all pull from our inner strength & make it thru. For me, it will be my kids. They deserve to have a mom that is stable & normal to help carry them thru their life. I love them both more than life itself!!! I wish you all success, health, peach & happiness!!!!! Lets all dig deep and beat this drug!!!!! by Cynthia On Mon Oct 02 01:10:27 2006
Effexor Withdrawl After reading through the comments about Effexor withdrawl I have a little comfort in the fact that this is not only happening to me. I started taking Effexor almost 2 years ago along side counselling for depression and anxiety. I remember it took a couple of weeks to start working, but when it finally did it was wonderful. I felt like I could think clearly and concentrate to work through my problems. After awhile,like most of you, I no longer wanted to be on the drug, because I felt that I had a greater handle on things and, let's face it, that stuff's expensive! I had no warning of the withdrawl symptoms beforehand. I had even asked my doctor when I started taking Effexor if it was something I could get addicted to. He assured me that there were no problems with it and that anyone claiming they are addicted were just psychologically addicted (just thought they needed it.) Well, as all of you know, this is not the case at all. I wish that I would have known about the withdrawl symptoms before I tried to come off. I weaned myself down from 150mg to 37.5 mg over the course of a couple of months. Unfortuately, I took my last pill 2 days before Christmas thinking there would be no problems. I was even quietly celebrating the fact I was leaving the pills in the dust! Well, I have never felt so unbelievably awful in my entire life! I had hot sweat, cold sweats, nausea, dizziness, numbness, and zaps in my head that would sometimes travel down my arms like an electric current. My mind was in a state of overload. I felt overwhelmed to the point where it seemed mentally and physically impossible for me to go on in life. I was crying uncontrollably, and completely felt disconnected from my husband, my family, and the rest of the world. I went to see another doctor for help (not the same idiot from before.) She put me back onto the medication so that I could wean off of it even more slowly. I have very slowly worked my way down from 75mg everyday to 37.5mg every three days over the past 6 months. I have finally quit now and even though I am suffering from some withdrawl (mostly crying spells and sadness) I do not feel the overpowering physical symptoms I felt the first time. I hope this helps a few people. I don't think there is anyway with this crazy pill to avoid withdrawl symptoms, but atleast lessening the degree of them helps some. I guess I am just wondering now, how long will this period of sadness last? by AB On Sat Sep 30 21:01:13 2006
effexor and alcohol I took my last effexor on Sept 8th, and in the middle of the night on the 16th,being unable to sleep because of the severe stomach pains that had plagued me all day, I googled "effexor withdrawal" and was shocked to find so much info from others going through what I was. Scott's message in particular brought me to tears as it made sense of what was happening to me. Long story -- My doctor started me on SSRI's 12+ years ago. I don't wish to lose perspective of the time that it did truly help me, however, I do believe that the time has long passed since I have needed the drug, but doctors are absolutely unaware of the addictive nature of these drugs, and that difficulty in getting off of them does not necessarily mean a continued need for them. (My doctor, too, when I called and said that his 75mg one day, 0 next day, 75mg, 0 next day was too rough, would he prescribe 37.5mg for a few weeks, he said stay on 75mg permanently!) But, the alcohol connection -- I am 51 years old and had only been a social drinker until the last 6-8 years when things got progressively worse. My husband and sons expressed concerns that I was an alcoholic, saying that my personality changed with one drink. I was able to outdrink most people and stay upright, but had frequent blackouts, remaining fully functioning, preparing complete meals, but having to check the refrigerator in the middle of the night to remember what I had made! I was always apologizing and making excuses, but my relationships were definitely suffering. I finally admitted to myself that I needed to find out if I could drink at all - so I quit. It just happened to coincide with the cutback on the effexor and it was easy. I could even be with other drinkers and not drink. When I read Scott's message I realized what it was. The effexor! was what was causing the alcohol to hit me differently so I tried drinking again. Now I have a hard time finishing the 2nd glass of wine -- and sometimes don't!! Thank you Scott for your honesty. You have helped me stay the course! For others getting started, the first 2 weeks are the worst, my advice, realize that withdrawing from a drug IS doing something and allow yourself to sleep, rest, and let other things go for awhile. They'll get done a lot more efficiently when you feel better, and that will be sooner than you think. Also, my chiropractor suggests drinking lots of water, taking good vitamins, and after 4-5 weeks of no drug, start a mild (and natural) detoxifier. And don't lose PERSPECTIVE or your SENSE OF HUMOR. by Kristie On Sat Sep 30 07:59:23 2006
effexor evilness Thanks to everyone who has posted, so i know i am not going insane. i reduced my effexor 150mg t0 75 + 37.5 mg for 2 weeks with no probblems. yesterday i started 75mg and when i woke up this morning after 3 hours of sleep, felt fine for an hour and then an invisible huge effexor lamprey began to suck out my brain through my eye sockets. After throwning up from the spinning nasuea, I realized I hadn't taken my 75mg dose yet. After I took it, felt a wee bit better- I can partially function with the chills and headache since I have had headaches ever since I began effexor- but they were better than the depression and nothing else was helping. Effexor is hardcore- some freaking doctors pass out antidepressants like they are harmless mind candy, tasty and make you feel all better...BEWARE!!! Effexor sucks- I never have felt the hell of withdrawal and now I have sososo much more compassion for addicts, because surprise- I am one!! Call effexor: Effuxor, because it fux with you. by laurie On Fri Sep 29 19:39:05 2006
evil effexor... Scott, I just read your story, and the same thing happened to me with the alcohol. I was never a drinker until I started effexor/75 ml. 4 years ago. I have also put on 12 pounds in the past four years! I am a single mother of two and am weaning off starting tonight. I will take a 37.5. I've tried this so many times before, and I always get raging brain zaps. Ofcourse my doctor thinks it's all in my head..blah blah blah...! The main reason I am stopping this evil drug, is because my brain wants more! The extended release isn't extending! If I take one at 7pm, by 3pm the next day I am getting brain zaps. I wonder what this means for my future health! Will I be a vegetable in a nursing home by age 50? I just want it out of my system!!! So, here I go again! I'll see if I can do it this time. by Kathryn (zackgrenon@AOL.com) On Mon Sep 25 21:04:46 2006
Effexor Hi again, I was on here on Aug. 30 after weeks of working my way off Effexor. I am now on my 29th day without Effexor in my system. I tell you, this has been the crappiest month of my life. I know everyone is wondering "how long do these symptoms last?" ....and I never really see anyone following up after going off...so I thought I would. My brain zaps, dizziness, vomiting, and numbness have subsided to almost nothing. I still live in a fog though. My brain still feels "heavy" and I can't concentrate on much. I can completely see a difference in my memory. For years my friends have called me "The Elephant" because I remember EVERYTHING....the other day I couldn't remember a man's name 2 seconds after he told me...and that is soooooo unlike me. I am also ANGRY. I'm so irritable...I probably flip off 5 people in the morning just trying to get to work. I snap at people more often, I blow the little things WAY out of proportion now. I couldn't find a shirt I wanted to wear the other day and I was walking around the house screaming and grabbed my hips so hard while walking around that I bruised myself. I'm still not me. I'm sad, angry, and in a daze. I don't know how much longer this will last. If anyone has any home remedies, ideas on how to get past the symptoms that last weeks and weeks after getting off Effexor...I would be so grateful. I just wanted everyone to know that they physical things did go away...now I just need to get my mind back to what it was. Good luck and God bless all of you....we can make it. by LK On Mon Sep 25 17:21:28 2006
Coming off of Effexor I have been weening off of Effexor from 150mg down to 0, each month reducing 37.5mg. I have all the symptoms that all of you are having...unfortunately. I am so mad about this as I had read on many websites before starting my weening, just how bad this could be. In an effort to be one of the lucky ones I started taking certain vitamins etc, that would help strengthen my system for this. I have improved my health through the vitamin therapy, however, I am still not feeling good 72 hours off of this. I had a positive experience on the medication, however, had I realized that withdrawl would mean this, I would not have taken it. I keep reading on the web about people who do not feel better for months and sometimes upto a year...I really hope that is not the case because as mostof you, it will be very difficult to continue the level of responsibility and hours at my job under my current state!!! Hope you all the best. by Drisa On Sun Sep 24 20:29:36 2006
Effexor sucks! Back in March of 2006, my doctor put me on Effexor 75mg. Over the months it seemed not to help anymore so he upped it to 150mg in August 28th. By the first week of September my heart was racing, I was dizzy, feeling more anxious and confused so I went back to the doctor and he told me to go back to 75mg and my heart racing should stop. It never did stop, in fact it got even faster as I got off the 150mg. My heart rate was up to 150 beats per minute. The doctor said for me to take 75mg every other day to try to wean off. A couple days later I ended up in the ER for my heartrate and dizziness and I decided f*** this medicine I am just stopping cold turkey. I havent took the Effexor in 4 days and I feel, my heart still racing, when I look to the side I feel like my brain is floating in my head basically, my lips feel like their numb, I am more sweaty, and crowded places make me feel worse. The ER sent me home with only 10 Zanax to get me through and Atenolol to slow my heart, I went to the cardiologist and he said it was the Effexor, there is nothing medically wrong with me. Can someone please tell me how long this is going to last because I cannot take it anymore!!!!! I have 2 kids to take care of and its making me feel like a crappy mom and i feel like if I drink or something it would help me feel better. I have also had the vivid nightmares. Another thing that makes me mad is when I originally went to the docters for my panic attacks and depression was he not aware that effexor could make the anxiety worse? I feel so out of it. We need to start a petition or something against the makers of this screwed up drug. At night when Im alone its the worse I feel impending doom and I get so scared to be alone, (my husband works nights) but yet if he was home he bugs me so bad I cant stand it. AGHHHH! Im so frustrated and scared. by Kristy On Sat Sep 23 17:21:20 2006
effexor OMG i cannot belive all the stuff you all are and have gone through on effexor. I have been on it now for 4 years and i am alive today only because i kept taking it. I have sffered from tiredness and the brain zzaps if i forget to take it one day but my depression is so much better. i am on 300mg a day and xanax and take ambien at night to sleep. Other than that tis drug has been the only out of like 10 i have tried that has made a difference in my life. I feel i am a better mom because of it. I dot find myself snapping at everyone or being angry. i just wish all of you could have gotten the relief i have from it...i will keep u all in my thoughts.i am sorry and wish u all the best by tammie On Fri Sep 22 03:24:20 2006
Effexor Withdrawal I have only been on Effexor for 4 months, my doctor felt I needed it when I cried after he told me I was diabetic. He thought it would motivate me to exercise more and get my blood sugar down. Well, that it did for about the first week. He then increased my dosage until I was taking 150mg a day. I accidently missed 2 doses in a row and ended up in the emergency room. I thought I was losing my mind. All the crazy symptoms others have written about on this page, the dizziness, the hallucinations, the waking nightmares, the sweats. I thought I was going crazy, I was terrified. My doc then put me on a reverse starter to gradually reduce the dosage over two weeks then stop completely. He didn't want me to, but anything that changes my brain chemistry and causes the crash I had after just two missed doses is not something I want to be on. It has now been day two without Effexor and I am again experiencing the fog, dizziness, manic emotions, the feeling that I want to start screaming. This is a terrible drug, I wish I had never gotten on it and I pray these withdrawals pass soon. It is very difficult to function from one moment to the next by Joann On Thu Sep 21 13:32:40 2006
Effexor (XR) Withdrawal I am havbing withdrawal - 3rd time to try to get off this stupid drug, and I am so sad for all the things that I am reading. I hate this company. And I hate all the money I have given to it over the past 11 years. Meg, I am trying ot have a baby too and want to get off teh drug for the same reason. I would have gotten off years ago-but it is so HARD. All I can suggest is a lot of sleep and alot of sugar. I am a recovering alcholic and this is what we do for "wet" drunks who want to get sober. So hopefully it will help with this. Lets all try to communicate and stay in touch - it works in AA, maybe it can work here too. cgmarcotte@comcast.net by Candy On Thu Sep 21 14:04:40 2006
Effexor WIthdrawal I have never been addicted to anything in my life well that is until I was prescribed Effexor. I have been on this demon drug for 9 years. I started at the 37.5 dose then Dr. Genius increased it to 75 then to 150. I finally realized it had quit working and I wanted off of it. So I tapered to 75 for two weeks, then down to 37.5 for two weeks. P.A. dummy told me I would have no problems if I followed his advise. Well guess what????? I am in the same nightmare as all of you. Unfortunately I have to see military doctors and my current quack is a physican's assistant who knows nothing about Effexor Withdrawal. He told me it was the flu because a stomach virus is going around as is the flu. I asked him if the flus or stomach virus caused brain shivers, abnormally huge poops, I had no idea a human could have such huge poops,gas and diahrrea at the same time. I used to be a Probation Officer and was assigned to the halfway house. I can remember my clients withdrawing from heroine and thinking to myself there but by the grace of GOd go I. Well here I am I have no idea what heroine withdrawal feels like but from what I have been told and have it described to me very graphically by some of my clients this is a very close second. I cannot stop shaking, I have the chills constantly and the brain shivers are horrid. I can hear my eyes in my head every time I move them from side to side. I thought I was getting better today was a good day, I was able to function with minimal brain shivers and other sympotms but here it is 2:10am and I am having the withdrawl symptoms all over again. The brain shivers, the electrical shocks that go from head to foot to tips of fingers and every place in between, and the itching is driving me crazy all over including my butt. I am considering contacting an attorney and seeing if I can start a class action lawsuit against Wyeth. THe FDA should have never given approval to this drug knowing what side effects of withdrawal it caused. You cannot tell me Wyeth did not know about the withdrawal side effects. They only want money. Well since my Effexor was free the tax payers money which I am one. I went totally postal in a cellular store the other day because they could not accomidate a request I had. I screamed yes screamed cursed and just went nutso. I was so ashamed of myself,I am a born again believer and I just begged God for my forgiveness. It was like I had an out of body experience I was watching this person I didnt know rage and lash out. Yesterday a decorative item I had on top of the fridge came tumbling down on me as I was trying to get a banana.I flew into another rage took God's name in vain and tossed the decorative item across the kitchen naturally it broke in a million pieces. I am scared I have never been this out of control in my life. My husband is deployed so that helps but my 18 year old son notices something is different I manage to hold it together for him but I do go to my room and close the door if I feel myself losing it or going to go on a crying jag. I have told all of this to P.A. dummy he says it is natural coming off an anti depressant and there are no withdrawal symptoms from effexor. How do I get him to listen to me? I dont want to go back on it I refuse to. I read taking benedryl helps the brain shivers and dramamine helps the nausea is this true? How long does withdrawal last? I can't get in to see P.A. dummy until next week it has been one week since I took my last dose but it seems like it has been 5 years. Does anyone know how much longer the withdrawl is going to last and will it get better? My worst days were Monday and Tuesday I slept all day Monday,Tuesday I had errands to run and was feeling bad but I coped. As I said Wedensday was decent the brain shivers were not so bad and no electrical shocks but now every thing is back. I just want it to go away!!!!!!!!!!!!!! by Vivian On Thu Sep 21 05:31:12 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal I have been taking Effexor XR 75 mg. for depression/anxiety for about 1 1/2 years. I was not liking side effects of them such as a "dulling of feelings", etc. so I tapered off of them through my doctors directions. I have now been off of them for 2 days now and feel like I have been run over by a truck. I am dizzy, have pain all over my body as if I pulled all of my muscles, nausea, IRRITABLE - I feel like snapping at anyone, the back of my head is hurting. When I move my eyes from left to right, my head spins as if I had drank 10 beers. I feel like crying about anything!! All I can say is I wish I had never taken this drug. It is horrible. Everyone out there, please don't take it. You WILL regret it. The withdrawal is bad no matter how long you take to taper off of it. I think this drug should be pulled off of the market. A drug is like putting a band-aid on a wound. It's only a temporary "fix". by Marleen On Sun Sep 17 22:23:55 2006
Effexor Withdrawal So glad to see other experiences of others on this drug and other drugs similar. My quick story: I had mild depression in High School but never tended to it as I was so busy and young at the time. By the time I was 22 years old and a senior in college I found my self unable to face life head on. My brother talked me into taking Prozac. My Internist started me off w/ 20 mg. No notable changes immediatel;y until 3 weeks I started getting drowsy and still depressed. Being young and in college I drank beer on this stuff and found I could and would drink 20 beers and still feel relatively ok. I noticed this as the years went by, the black outs, uncontrollable flare ups, etc. People around me noticed the heavy consumption (mind you prior to this I would occasionally drink 3-4 beers), but I felt powerless to stop. It was so agrivating. I was constantly tired so my Doc put me on Celexa and Welbutrin (I dont recall the dosages). This little combo stopped the drowsyness but did not help too much w/ depressive symptoms, just masked them. Some of you may ask why drink at all? Good question. For some reason the euphoria of alcohol tended to make me feel better, but then it would go on and on and I wake up and there would be 20-24 empty bottles in the trash. It's a catch 22. Sort of hard to explain. Anyway, I continued to drink as I was still powerless. The alcohol/anti depressant rages were all too frequent. I was never like this before taking these drugs. Well finally I started taking Effexor 75 mg several months back. The first pill, I immediately went manic or crazy inside and fully aware of this. Weird! I kept taking the prescribed dosage until the mania finally went away (2-weeks) and back to being drowsy and sad. I cried all the time. I cried at a stupid commercial!! I had never been one to cry and was concerned. I cut back my alcohol but it gripped me good again. Those of you who understand this know the path of destruction that occurs. I finally put my foot down and quit Effexor COLD TURKEY, yes I did. It has been nearly 2.5 weeks. The first week is unreal. No sleep, sweating in bed, hot/cold flashing, irritable, difficulty in urinating, etc. I just keep drinking boat loads of water (no beer). I was coming out of my skin... I felt at times. My poor wife doesnt know what to think. Finally I was able to get more than 3 hrs of sleep, then 4 hours and now 6 hours. I feel better. I'd rather have a momentary lapse of depression than be on this sh#t. I dont desire alcohol and I feel somewhat normal after being on one form or another of anti-depressants for 14 years. Wow, I wasted years on these drugs fighting withdrawl (because they dont work for me) and self medicating with beer. Those of you familiar with my story, know the cycle, the catch 22. My goodness!! Now, what do I do? I still am coming off the Effexor, I can feel it. ALmost out of the woods. Should I begin to feel the depressive symptoms, I make a cup of coffee and get my mind off my depression. It works better than the alternative. Anyway thanks for letting me rant and thanks for your stories, I was beginning to think I was going crazy!! by Scott On Tue Sep 12 17:22:56 2006
Effexor Withdrawal Well, everybody, I do indeed share your pain when it comes to trying to wean off Effexor. I have decided that I want to be free of this drug once and for all. Yesterday had weaned down to 37.5mg and by the mid morning my heart rate was 120 and irregular, I couldn't breathe, my head felt like it was going to explode, my eyes felt too big for the sockets, and I was having the feeling like my brain was trying to slide sideways out of my head. Also started having nystagmus (eyes moving rapidly back and forth, out of my control). Also for the last week of weaning down the drug have had to poop like never before in my life! My stomach is always rumbling, I have horrible gas, and I have had to go huge bowel movements several times per day. Has anybody else experienced the digestive symptoms (like the significant pooping)? Just curious. Good luck to all of us. by Lauren On Sat Sep 09 00:23:55 2006
Effexor Withdrawal - From Fog to Fury I have never experienced anything like this in my life. I have been on A LOT of different antidepressants, including Zoloft, Nardil, Paxil, Celexa, Remeron, Fluvoxamine and now Effexor. I have never experienced withdrawal like this. I have never had such a horrible time stopping a medication that I felt compelled to start taking it again. I feel trapped. I feel angry and betrayed. Blindly, I put my faith into the medical community, believing that they would somehow find a way to "fix" me and my problems. Well, my friends, I now believe that PILLS ARE NOT THE ANSWER!!! And I feel like I played with fire for so long that now I'm really getting burned. Effexor seemed so easy in the beginning. I hardly had any side effects and I really thought it was working. But over time, it seemed to lose its effectiveness, so my docs bumped up my dosage, until I was taking 150mg. I've been taking 2 sleeping meds in order to get a decent night's rest, but my docs didn't seem to correlate this with the Effexor. Well, it's pretty obvious now! The night terrors are unbelievable. I wake up soaked in sweat, but unable to get up. Often, I am locked in my nightmare for hours, knowing that I am having one, but powerless to escape. Two weeks ago I cut my Effexor dosage in half, and the withdrawal only lasted a few days, but now I have stopped the drug and feel like I'm losing my mind. The brain shivers are constant, and the shocks run down into my hands and legs. I have heart palpitations and shallow breathing. And the emotional turmoil is unreal. After more than a year in the "Effexor Fog", I can't believe what I am feeling- this rage, this fury, alternating with euphoria and exhaustion - I don't know what to do with it. I'm afraid to talk to people, or be around them. I'm afraid to be alone. I don't feel like me. I feel like a psychopath. I feel like I'm aware that I'm going crazy. It might be ok if I could distract myself, but the withdrawal symptoms have control. I can't walk or talk or do ANYTHING normally. There is no relief from this right now. I had no idea of what I was getting into with this drug. I naively thought it was just another antidepressant. My anger at this drug, and the company who makes it, will get me through this stage. I don't care how long it takes. I can't believe I paid money for this sh*t. by Krista On Fri Sep 08 19:21:51 2006
Effexor and alcohol I have been on effexor for about 4 years. It is not the first antidepressant I have taken - in fact I can recall Paxil, Prozac, Trazadone, and others. I started these medications during extreme stress of divorce, that was 5 years ago. Now, I am trying to stop Effexor so that I can even see where I am. I have missed doses and felt "brain shocks". I know it sounds nutty enough but there is an electrical sense of imbalance. There is a physical sensation - when I turn my head it's as if brain is floating freely in my skull and takes more than a moment to catch up. If I allow my eyes to look in any direction far right or left, I feel a physical sensation of dizziness and ? brain shocks. Most importantly, during these 5 years, I have become an alocholic. I am wondering if the physical withdrawal I feel from alcohol is related to the sensation I have when I reduce the Effexor. To much for this forum - guess I'll ask my doctor. Before asking though I have to say, my theory is that tapering off of the drug/Effexor simulates physical sensations that are resolved with alcohol. This combination - I know - I know - there was the warning on the package - but I think it has increased my numbness even about drinking more and more. I am going to quit. I'd rather have emotions and cry now and then than remain numb and be tricked into more numbness by alcohol. Anyone, anywhere felt this way? by Kay On Thu Sep 07 19:46:11 2006
Effexor I have been on Effexor for at least 6 years. Over this time, I feel like both my short term and long term memory have suffered. I never thought that it may be related to Effexor, but just read someone else's account of this. Has anyone else had a similar experience? My memory problems do affect my work performance at times, although I was an excellent student and got straight "A's" during High School and 4 years of college...all pre-Effexor. I am extremely angry that this could be due to the drug I am taking, especially since I lost my mother 6 years ago, and have trouble remembering her and life with her (more than my brother)... Meg Phoenix, AZ by Meg On Wed Sep 06 22:36:43 2006
Effexor Withdrawal! I've been on Effexor for at least 6 years, maybe up to 9, it's been so long I can't remember now. I've taken others such as Zoloft, Paxil, and Wellbutrin, but Effexor has worked the best for me and alleviating my relatively mild depression (dysthymia). Over the years, my highest dose was 150 mg, and over the past year have tapered down to 37.5. I've been on this dose for 2-3 months and have been fine. Since my husband and I are trying to have a family (I'm 38 and my clock is TICKING!), I would really like to get this drug completely out of my system. In researching pregnancy and Effexor/antidepressants on the web, most of the information states that it's better for mom to be healthy and not depressed during pregnancy, than to risk depression during this time which can also be harmful to the baby. However, the effects on the newborn are basically withdrawal symptoms...crying more, shaky, etc. (I don't remember all the effects), but the research shows it goes away after a month or so) Anyway...my Dr. said that if I was doing fine at such a minimal dose of 37.5 mg, chances are I'd be fine on nothing. I explained that if I miss a dose, I still get the "woozy waves," as I call them (ie. "brain zaps"), and he advised to open up the capsule and take 1/2 one day and 1/2 the next. I did this for one week with no ill effects. However, starting the second day with no Effexor, the woozy waves were so bad, I had to have my husband drive me to the store...I felt almost intoxicated and so dizzy and not completely alert to the road. You'd think the drug company would be held accountable to this withdrawal symptom, strictly from a safety standpoint!! That day, which was Labor Day, and thankfully I was off work, I decided to take a relaxing Yoga class, which was indeed very relaxing, but did not alleviate any of the brain zaps. I also felt so emotional during the class I was close to tears. (Is this depression coming back or an effect of no Effexor in my system?) I could do nothing but take a 3 hour nap, and when I woke up, did not feel any better. I began to feel extremely irritated and frustrated with everything that I was doing, and snapped angrily at my husband. I went to bed at 8pm and called my Dr. in the morning. He merely advised to go back to 37.5 and make an appointment. Do any of these Psychiatirists have any idea how to take a patient off this medication?! OK, sorry for the whole novel...thanks for all the comments, I had no idea this was so prevalent. Everyone keeps asking "how long will this last?" and I just wonder if you have to suck it up and get over the hump (for me, this means taking a week off work--or more?), or if there are any other methods/nutrients/practices that would help? My Dr.'s don't seem to have the answers, and this scares me........ Thanks, Meg Phoenix, AZ by Meg On Wed Sep 06 22:15:49 2006
Effexor Withdrawals I was given Effexor for chronic fatigue when I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia 2 years ago. I am 29 years old. At first, it worked. But, I built up a tolerance for it very quickly and had to go up to 150 and then 225mg a day. After a while it had no effect whatsoever. The side effects were: no sex drive, weight gain that I couldn't do anything about, and dreams that were vivid and violent. I actually would dream about violently murdering people...people I had no ill will towards to begin with. I also had no emotional presence...I was a brick wall -seriously. I am, by nature, a more logical than emotional person. But, this was like...I don't know...Spock or something. Over the last two months I have gradually tapered myself off of my Effexor. I figured since it wasn't doing what it was supposed to do, there was little point in me continuing to use it. First I went on 150mg a day. I did this for two weeks. I had no problem with that. Then I went down to 75mg a day. I did THIS for two weeks. I had no problem with that. Now, I am down to the LAST stages. First I took 75mg every other day. I could tolerate the withdrawal symptoms at that point. Now I have stopped taking it COMPLETELY. It has been over 48 hours since I last took it. I feel like a ZOMBIE. I can't remember anything. I can't concentrate. I can't think straight. I have ZERO PATIENCE with my children. I can bearly perform everyday tasks. I have no will to get ANYTHING done around the house. I feel disoriented and dizzy. I have those electric zaps in my head CONSTANTLT. The pharmaceutical company calls them "sensory disturbances". I'm amazed that I have been able to get anything done over the last two days. In addition to the above, every little thing makes me cry. It's not like I'm sad or depressed persay; more like...nostalgic or sentimental. I can't explain. They are empty tears. Every song I hear in the car, commercials I see, a picture of someone's missing child on the back of a bus...I just start crying and can't stop. How long will this last? Because, if it's for the rest of my life I don't think I can handle it. by Julia On Tue Sep 05 14:30:45 2006
Horrid Withdrawals From Effexor XR
I was desperate to find possible answers, or hope for when this nightmare called withdrawal would end! Found this website by accident tonight...so glad I did. Although discouraged by how long these symptoms will possibly last, I am glad to know they are not exclusive to me. Today is day 4 of my withdrawal, ( I think, at this point it is hard to concentrate enough to remember many things, ). Slept most of the day..which is a welcome relief from needing some type of sleep aid. That seems to be one of the many side effects I suffered while on Effexor XR. But the withdrawal side effects are like being in some sort of different world!!! Like the others in this forum...where was this information when we were put on this hideous prescription???? Why were we not informed that this medication was from the pits of Hell itself??!!! I feel like I need someone to walk along beside me to hold my head up. Not to mention the "zaps" . I keep hoping tomorrow will be better, and am determined that with God's help, I will not go back on this nightmare of a pill. My best to everyone else in this terrible place....we will get through it!! Thanks for sharing your journey with others like me...it really helps knowing I am not in this alone. by Patti On Sun Sep 03 22:38:34 2006
Effexor withdrawal help Greetings to all. I wrote in last night to your bulletin board explaining all of my history with Effexor over the past 8 years. I realized after sending in my story that I didn't do much other than selfishly complain. I would like to add to my story and offer some tips that I've come up with that have helped me deal with the horrendous withdrawal effects of this drug (I was on 300 mg. Effexor XR). Firstly, I do have a psychiatrist and an internist who will cautiously prescribe meds for me. I hoard these meds for this type of occasion. I have found the following methods helpful in dealing with the rebound anxiety, butt-sweats, stomach aches, nausea, head spins, brain zaps, rage, difficulty breathing, and itchiness that I continue to experience throughout my taper (I finally went cold-turkey last night from 75 mg. of Effexor XR). My number one help is Valium 10 mg. It takes the edge off of the rebound anxiety and stomach aches and helps me relax some. I realize that 10 mg. is a rather hefty dose, but I am a plus-size woman and whether it is my size or years of taking Valium, I need 10 mg. to feel an effect. I take 10 mg. of Valium as needed, up to 3 or 4 times a day (against the advice of my clueless docs, who don't understand the seriousness of withdrawal symptoms). I sleep as much as I possibly can so that I don't have to deal with the withdrawal effects that are way more intense when I'm awake. I can handle the crazy withdrawal dreams way more than the crazy withdrawal symptoms when I'm awake. I take Benadryl tabs a few times a day to help with the itchiness I feel and also to put me to sleep as much as possible. Benadryl, in my case, works better than any prescription med I've ever taken to put me to sleep! I liberally take prescription pain-killers and anti-inflammatories if I have them because most of them have sleep-inducing side-effects (and they sort of stone me). I've used Vicodin and Voltaren, for example, as the pain-killer/anti-inflammatory stoning drugs. I have chronic headaches in addition to or because of Effexor (still figuring this one out), so I have Fioricet 30 mg. (essentially Excedrin plus codeine), which I also take several times a day to help zone me out. Otherwise, I just sleep and avoid people, work, walking and driving. I can only hope that I will soon be free of symptoms of withdrawal, and in the meantime I risk my health by over-medicating with other legal, prescription, stoning-out meds. I justify this by thinking about all of the years I won't ruin my body and mind with more Effexor. I do all of the above-mentioned things against the advice of doctors, pharmacists, and good sense, but I have to say that feeling stoned is about the only relief from Effexor withdrawal symptoms. Forgive yourself for whatever you need to do to get you through the supposed 2-week period it takes to taper/get Effexor out of one's system. If I had access to pot, I'd use it, though I've never tolerated the nausea that comes with pot. But I bet it helps get you stoned! I wish you all well and hope that we all get through this and that all the prescribing docs and producing pharm companies suffer immensely. They'll get theirs!! by Louise On Sun Sep 03 06:46:22 2006
Effexor XR blows! First of all, I have to say that I have never participated in any sort of Web chat room or the like, and I am surprised to feel this compelled to write in to one. I am at once so relieved to read everybody else's comments on Effexor withdrawal and so angry to see that all of our doctors are such misunderstanding idiots in continuing to prescribe it. A bit of background: my parents are both successful physicians and I grew up in a medical-savvy environment where I strongly believed (and still believe) in meds and western medicine. I am 34 and have been in talk therapy with psychiatrists for 16 years and have been medicated in some form for anxiety/depression for about 10 years. My previous psychiatrist, who I saw from 1990-1998 was old-school, analyst-style and was not interested in or knowledgeable about medicating until I became incredibly debilitated by anxiety. She gave me Valium 10 mg. and it was a godsend. When I moved to another city, my current home, and picked up with another psychiatrist, I was immediately medicated in trial phases with Prozac, Zyprexa, Depakote (sp?), and a whole host of other medications that just made me feel more panicky, suicidal, and sleepless, and which initiated years of weight gain (watch out for Zyprexa, especially!). I finally ended up on Effexor, 225 mg., with Valium as needed. I never had problems going on the Effexor and I guess it has helped quell my general anxiety problem over the past 8 years that I have taken it. Who knows? Maybe it was the talk therapy that helped more. I went on Effexor in 1998 with no warning about withdrawal symptoms. I found those out for myself, even suffering when I missed a dose by an hour or so. I see so many people here writing "brain zaps," and that is certainly an accurate way to describe one of the withdrawal symptoms I felt. I would also feel dizziness, nervousness, rebound anxiety like no regular anxiety I ever felt, nausea, headaches, stomach aches with...how do I put this nicely?...butt sweats, and also I would have to make frequent trips to the bathroom for bowel movements. A missed dose by a few hours caused these symptoms and I don't know why I continued for 8 more year on Effexor without trying earlier to get off. About 4 months ago, I went up from 225 mg. to 300 mg. of Effexor XR because of a particularly anxious/depressed period in my life, and around the same time my psychiatrist left for vacation for a month. Also around that time I started getting chronic headaches that would not respond to Excedrin, which has always worked for my occasional headaches. Upon my psychiatrist's return, she and my internist spoke and she suggested that maybe the increased dose of Effexor, which seemed to correspond to the chronic headaches, time-wise, could be the culprit. So here again, not only was I not warned about what I consider dangerous addiction to Effexor and side-effects from withdrawal/missed doses, but years into treatment I go up in dosage and don't get a warning about other side-effects. Who knows if the headaches are due to the increased dosage of Effexor, but the trial solution, besides lots of Fioricet (essentially Excedrin plus codeine) from my internist, is to taper my Effexor. I have absolutely had it with Effexor. Not only am I furious about being duped into starting such a physically addictive medicine 8 years ago (though my psychiatrist argues that it doesn't meet the medical definition of addiction because one doesn't need continuously higher doses to make it equally effective), but I am fuming about the headaches that I wasn't again warned about with the increased dose of only 4 months ago. My psychiatrist is so pro-Effexor and so anti-Valium that it has become a huge problem and has led me to what I believe is the end of the road with talk therapy, at least with this doctor to whom I always related so well. I am in a constant rage. I have never suffered withdrawal symptoms from Valium, even when I go through a period of more frequent Valium intake and then cessation. Effexor, on the other hand, provides a monstrous host of withdrawal symptoms, and I have a hard time still convincing my doctor that I need to get off asap! On the one hand, she tells me that Effexor might be causing my 24/7 headaches; on the other, she tells me that withdrawal can cause them. Yet she also berates me for taking as much (narcotic) Fioricet as I do, but until I'm off Effexor, it seems that there's no way to get a handle on these headaches...too many factors involved at this point. So as the PDR recommends, I started my taper with a 75 mg. reduction, from 300 mg. to 225 mg. Four days into that I thought I was dying. I had all of the withdrawal symptoms that a missed dose caused, yet this taper was crucial because of my recent headache problem. I could not go back up in my Effexor dose and consequently I suffered severe, incessant anxiety, frequent stomach aches and abnormal bowel movements, nausea, almost violent rage and short temper, difficulty breathing, the head zaps (thanks for the accurate description), dizziness, and at one point I had such terrible diarrhoea that I literally pooped my pants. I don't really miss being a toddler and the accident surely brought me back...thank god I was at home at the time. Anyway, since withdrawal sucks equally if I taper by 37.5, 75, 150, or 300 mg., I quickly made it down to 75 mg., where I've stabilized for the past couple weeks. This precipitous taper, I admit, was against my psychiatrist's advice (and against the PDR's), but if I suffer equally in a tapering situation, the quicker I'm off the less time I suffer. Since I've now stabilized on 75 mg. and need to get off asap to figure out the headache situation (and just to be done with it once and for all), my psychiatrist agreed that I could go down to 37.5 mg. I feel just as horrible now as I did when I went from 300 mg. to 75 mg. within a few weeks. And I'm only 4 days into a 37.5 mg. deprivation!! I angrily called my psychiatrist last night, and I never call her between appts., to ask for SOMETHING to help me bear the withdrawal symptoms. I got the usual lecture on how I already take Valium, which she doesn't really approve of but prescribes if absolutely necessary, and there's nothing to do but go UP (?!!!!!) in my dosage of Effexor and try to taper more slowly by going to Effexor 50 mg. instead of 37.5. I SERIOUSLY doubt that the added 12.5 mg., especially when the Effexor type is different (XR doesn't come in 50 mg.), will make me suffer less. I have had it! If only my doctor would take Effexor herself and see what it feels like to come off of it. I cannot go up in dose; I need to come down and off. And there has to be something for the withdrawal symptoms. Again, against medical advice, I take up to 40 or 50 mg. of Valium a day, up to 120 mg. of Fioricet, and Benadryl and/or anything else I have lying around (Vicodin, Voltarin anti-inflammatory) just to combat my withdrawal symptoms. I'm dangerously turning into a prescription drug addict just trying to combat Effexor withdrawal symptoms!! I'll share with you, though, that getting stoned, essentially, on other prescription meds does help with the withdrawal symptoms. I just take anything I have that can sedate/stone me. I don't recommend this method for anyone without a death wish, but at this point I really don't care what harm I'm doing to my body. I feel so depressed, angry, and duped that I'll do anything at this point to lessen the pain of Effexor withdrawal (as long as I don't have to leave my sofa...luckily I work from home and work for myself). Why do the doctors not believe the feeling of impending death with Effexor withdrawal?? It's a feeling of impending death by the physical and mental torture of chemical withdrawal, and also a feeling of death because I'm practically suicidal with rage and depression! Effexor XR is just not worth it! Have I wasted the hundreds of thousands of dollars on talk therapy and just been duped into thinking I was getting better because Effexor masked symptoms? I am angrier, more self-destructive, and more hopeless than when I started talk therapy 16 years ago! AGHHHHHH! The truly unfortunate thing about this wonderful website of shared stories is that we aren't getting this information to the doctors (though I did forward to my psychiatrist the link), the pharmaceutical companies, or the people who are starting or already on Effexor. We are only supporting one another through the end of our eras on Effexor. What to do? Thanks for the space to rant...I have many friends who have been on lowish doses for various reasons (including treating headaches!) and have painfully come off. But I don't know anybody who has been on higher doses and for longer periods, as I have, and who might truly understand the profound disappointment of being duped by doctors and pharm companies, on death's door physically and mentally, and finding out that "new medicine" (as a psychiatric philosophy) is as ridiculous as "new math." I say back to Valium and the good old proven meds! P.S. I'm totally delirious right now, so please excuse any typos or egregious orthographical/grammatical mistakes. I was just too excited to share and couldn't wait to join the "fun"! by Louise On Sat Sep 02 03:33:46 2006
Effexor It's my 48th birthday today ... and my second day without Effexor XR. I've been miserable all day - tired, nauseaous, dizzy, hot flashes, and this heaviness in my head. When I sit up, stand up, or turn my head too quickly, I am very lightheaded and off-balance. I was on Effexor XR for about 17-18 months. The past two months I began the weaning process - tapering from 150 to 75 without any problems and from 75 to 37.5 without any problems. But, now I am not taking anything. Last night I had difficulty sleeping. Today, it's all I wanted to do. In a strange sort of way, I am lucky to be recently unemployed. I don't know how I would handle this if I were working. I can't accomplish anything right now. As miserable as I feel right now ... this drug has brought me out of my depression and improved my outlook on life and made me a better person for my family. I just hope that the withdrawal symptoms don't last too long and cause me to revert back to my old self! by Marty On Thu Aug 31 20:36:54 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I started taking Effexor about 2.5 years ago. The dose started at 37.5 then 75 mg and every every four to five months I would have a depressive episode and would hurt myself, got very angry and violent with others, just couldn't really feel happy or anything, until I would go back to the doctor who would always increase my dose (worked for a few more months), eventually getting up to 300 mg a day. I had never had any of these feelings of anger or been violent andangry prior to taking Effexor and it never really ocurred to me that it was probably this drug. I was prescribed Effexor for being tired all the time. (Which a naturopoth figured out was a low thyroid and blood sugar) It has taken me 4 months to cut back my Effexor. Everytime I cut back for a few days, for 15 minutes to a few hours I felt dizzy, nauseous,and had dry heaves and hot flashes. Eventually being down to the lowest dose possible I am completely off of Efexor since Thursday (5 days)! What a rough go. Four these past days I have been consistently light-headed, nauseous, dizzy, vomitting, shaking, and unable to move around because it made me feel worse. I finally found a doctor who has given me some prescriptions for the next three weeks to help out with the withdrawls. Apparently it takes 21 days for the drug to come out of your system. He actually answered my ?'s and didn't advise me to start taking them again, which is what my regular doctor said to do. So today is my first day not throwing up! I feel back up to 65-70% again and went to work. I think that the rest should be good to go from here. (Cross my fingers) For anyone else doing the same, my advice is to stick to your original plan, and keep persisting. It is a long, rough battle, but in the end I hope it is worth it! Good Luck All. by LeighAnne On Wed Aug 30 21:35:52 2006
I wish...
I wish I hadn't been so afraid and freaked out the first time I tried to get off of Effexor 5 years ago. It was so scary, that when my doctor suggested I go back on it even at a lowered dose, I convinced myself that "Well, this was something I was going to have to live with the rest of my life" and I agreed to go back -- and stay -- on it. I wish I could list every one of the names of all of us who add comments to these posts every day. Then, I would send the list to Wyeth and make them confront the names of all of us who have suffered trying to get off their drug, as they look at the names and tell us, "It's not hard to withdraw from Effexor." I wish I had gotten off of Effexor before I got pregnant. I'll never know if being on the drug at conception, or the rapid withdrawal played any part in losing the baby. Someone said to me, "Everything happens for a reason" and I thought, "What a terrible thing to say!" But, then I thought about it again and realized that maybe the baby came for a really important reason -- to force me off Effexor, because I couldn't do it just for myself -- and once that was done, it had to leave. It's heartbreaking, but it's a beautiful gift, too. And I always have to thank it for that. But I really wish I had been brave enough to get off the drug years ago. You can do this -- you ARE brave enough now. I know it's a struggle to get through the withdrawal. Even now, three weeks after the last dose, I still have very, very slight brain zaps every so often, and I'm tired a lot, and my feelings go up and down. But I'm starting to understand, from reading a lot of other posts, that Effexor really had dulled my sensitivity to feelings, both emotional and physical. So now, if I'm sad, I really feel it and I'm grateful for that. And when I'm happy, I really feel that, too in a whole new way. It's so worth going through the withdrawal. Please don't give up hope. Don't give up on yourself. You will feel better physically, even if it feels horrible now. You really will feel better. Believe me. I do. by Abby On Wed Aug 30 17:58:46 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I'm so happy I found this site I'm crying reading all the entries. I have been on Effexor for 4.5 years and 3 weeks ago I went to my doctor to switch meds because I was so tired all the time. I'm only 28, I didn't want to live life so tired. These last 3 weeks have been worse than anything I experienced before I went on this medication. I have the nausea, the extreme dizziness, the fatigue, the stomach issues, the flu like symptoms, the irritability, the crying. I literally feel like I'm dying. I've been a huge nightmare to work with....I finally broke down and emailed my boss tonight to tell him everything. I even gave him this website. I told him we could talk in person but I would for sure cry. I cry at everything. I have to leave my office to go cry in the bathroom...and I don't even know what I'm crying about. I am crazy. I think I've lost my marbles. My doctor put me on Wellbutrin 3 weeks ago and I've had to take Effexor a few times because it's so unbearable not to have it in my system. I'm on day 4 of not having taken the pill and I feel like I could die. Last night I thought about slitting my wrists. I really thought about how good it would feel to just end it all. That is so unlike me, and so scary. I want to know how long this will last. What have I done to my brain? My body? Why is this drug still on the market? I am going to try to sleep through labor day and I asked for days off after it...I just want to sleep. It's the only time I feel better. This is a nightmare. I might as well be on cocaine. I'm so glad I found this site so I know I'm not alone. by LK On Wed Aug 30 02:26:53 2006
effexor took effexor xr 75 mg. for only five days,woke up dizzy one morning,didnt know why. took one last dosage and stopped. the dizziness and flu like symtoms are unbearable. thank god i was only onit for 5 days..... any sugggestions as i feel like i'm going insane. kenkramer160@msn.com by kenny On Wed Aug 30 00:42:15 2006
Effexor withdrawal I am trying to get off my effexor. I started by taking half a tablet a day and then the last three days I have not taken any. I am dizzy, feel nauseous and ended up in the hospital because I couldn't breathe. Turned out I ahve bronchitis and now need tons of meds to get me through, not to mention medical bills from the ER.(I ahve no insurance). Effexor is bad and I never want to need to go on it ever again. by Angie On Tue Aug 29 21:21:06 2006
effexor I'm so glad, as most of you, I found this site, it's comforting to know, others are experiencing these side effects from..what i call..'the devils drug'.. I've been taking Effexor for 9yrs...for yrs i've been known as Ms. sleepy head..I've done good in the past three yrs to work 4hrs a day, if i didn't call in and make an excuse up about why i couldn't come in, then sit and cry about my lies,then go jump in my bed and sleep 4hrs..after i had already slept through the night (8hrs), i never wanted to wake-up..sleep was my only peace(except when i was having a nightmare).. if i missed one dose, i would get the 'brain-zaps' you guys hit that right on the head...Thats exactly what it is...I feel over on my desk crying after i read most of the comments...I can't believe how many people are out there, that are suffering just like me...I too was taking 100 or 75mg of Effexor.. I've done the taper off method of getting off this drug..I just decided anything that made me feel that dizzy was possibly making me that tired, even tho when i asked my Dr. if maybe that was the cause, he would dismiss it and increase my dose... I decided to take matters into my own hands and quit the drug...altho its been VERY difficult with the brain zaps..I do feel an increase in energy already, and haven't missed a day of work in a week,I'm still scared at the lasting effects this drug might have on me..as i said before i tapered off and i've been completely off for a week now... This past weekend i thought i was gonna die, and i was feeling very ..i dunno like i could fall down and have a seizure or something, just dizzy shock after dizzy shock, relentlessly hammering me for two days straight, then one day i would feel like maybe i was past it, today, shocking and feeling that way again...I pray to God i will soon pass this hurdle...I WILL PREVAIL.. Wyest your F-up drug can't have me !!!!....Good luck to anyone with my same feelings...depression is one thing...addiction is another !!!! RUN from any Dr.that tries to prescribe it to you, i agree with everyone who has said this is a WAY bigger problem than my situational depression that caused me to take it in the first place..and i also say...never again will i take another anti-depressant..i won't be a slave to a drug like this again...Ala-natural from here on out...soon i will be free from the bondage. Goodluck to you guys. by Mandy On Tue Aug 29 05:49:13 2006
efexor -night terrors i have been taking efexor{only one F here in the uk} for almost 3 years going from 75 to 150.i was hospitalised last week and as my blood pressure was too high'they the wise docs decided to stop the efexor abruptly.this was aug 25. that same day i started feeling very dizzy and drunk and told the medical team who put it down to hypertension.when i tried to close my eyes i saw all sorts of nasties in rapid fire succession.then the electric shocks in my head and especially my mouth started. when i finally got to sleep that night i had the worst nightmare of my life and felt i was having a seizure.i could see the ward and the buzzer to call for help but could neither move or speak. in the morning i reported this terrifying ordeal and was told i had not been awake all night and probably had a bad dream.the electric shocks in the head continued all next day as did the dizzy drunk feeling. i had another nasty ordeal when i fell asleep the following night when i felt something squeezing my body and growling in my head.enough was enough so i said i wanted to go home and got discharged yesterday 27th without the efexor. last night was the worst yet.by now im back in my own bed,alone and feel like something is in there with me trying to attack me from behind only im paralysed and cant move to defend myself.i felt wide awake and could see all my bedroom clearly as i had left the bedside light on through fear.it went away then came back again just as terrifying as before. i am living in a real life horror film.so now its aug 28th.not going to bed tonight cos im too scared. can somebody tell me how long this will go on for. by annie On Mon Aug 28 11:49:23 2006
Effexor withdrawal
This website is a great relief, but also very scary. I've been cutting down on my Effexor 150mg per day. First I decided to go "cold-turkey" but I kept feeling like I was going to have some kind of seizure and was too scared to drive or be alone with my little boy in case I lost conciousness. So now I've been opening the capsuls and dividing the contents into two doses. The withdrawal symptoms have now stopped so I intend to say on the 75mg for another week then split the 150mg capsule into 3 doses unitl I'm not feeling any side-effects, from there, I'll just keep cutting the dose down until I'm off it. I never knew about any side effects of the drug and now I realise why gained 13kg in six weeks - I was horrified and am struggling to lose the weight - not to mention the withdrawal. My Psychiatrist says he "LOVES" effexor for treating panic disorder - well I will be telling him the facts when I see him next. I would rather be addicted to Xanax for the rest of my life than go through the hell of effexor withdrawal! by Lindi On Mon Aug 28 05:29:27 2006
Effexor withdrawal...? I've been on Effexor XR since 1997, 225 mg/day. Prior to that I had had about 6-7 years of counseling/therapy dealing with self-esteem, boundaries, family issues, etc. I got to the point, however, when I became very chemically depressed and was put on depression meds. I truly believe that I needed to get on them at the time. Tried a lot of the different SSRIs and couldn't tolerate the side-effects. Then put on Effexor and didn't have as many side-effects (did have weight gain and constipation). But the creativity and passion in my life seemed to leave since I've been on it and I've just been even and going through the motions of life. I stopped dancing and also doing art work and am not really motivated. Have tried to ask to be taken off of meds to see if I could function without them and my doctor(s)/psychiatrist(s) have always indicated that the time was not good due to different circumstances. When is the time in life ever good? The different mood stabilizers that I've been on have caused a lot of skin problems (Depakote, Trileptal, Topomax). So decided I had had enough of that. I'm not really bipolar. Have never been manic. I have no job right now, live alone and pay rent (only have enough for one more month), no income and no health insurance and so I'm taking myself off of Effexor. Brought it down to 150mg/day for about 3 1/2 weeks and now have the 75 mg. tablets to spread out over about 3 weeks. Then there's none left and no Rx. I can opt go to the County mental health office and see a doctor and get meds, but I'm sure they'll just put me back on Effexor or transfer me to something else, as my prior doctor was switching me over to Lamictal (which I wasn't on long and discontinued...too much of a sedative effect) He had indicated there were some recent studies out of Harvard and UCLA about problems with the long-term use of Effexor and something about the drug increasing exponentially over time. I'm feeling as though in our society we are overmedicated to not deal with the pain of life and the anger we feel that may be justified. I grew up in a family where negativity and anger was not allowed...except when owned by my alcoholic father. As I'm decreasing the Effexor I'm just sleeping a lot and feel depressed. I stay up pretty late and am now on a bad sleep cycle. My body feels very heavy in the mid-morning when I'm lying in bed. I'm not getting any brain zaps (yet). Having difficulty job hunting and making decisions and dealing with fear of rejection and low self-esteem. But are these just symptoms of depression that the Effexor was a band-aid for over the last 7-8 years and the wound is still there and never really healed? Is this depression I'm feeling a result of circumstances which would make anyone depressed? Things I have been angry about for a long time have resurfaced. But I'm actually feeling human again. I want answers and I need to grieve. Also, my sister is living with my parents and has a mental illness that she does not acknowledge and they are kicking her out next month -- she's impossible and delusional. No one can help her because she doesn't want help and doesn't think she is ill. I'm in my forties and at my lowest point but don't want to go back to being medicated. I think the meds have robbed me of any healing that could have earlier taken place with much effort and/or by the grace of God. by A (Confused) On Sun Aug 27 20:23:23 2006
Effexor withdraw I am so glad I looked this website up!!! I have been suffering from derpession for years and been on medication off and on. I was on Lexapro and it was like taking candy every day, so my doctor put me on Effexor XR. It did really help in the begining, I went through an extremely difficult situation with my son and it truly did help. I didn't associate the side effects I was experiencing with the Effexor for a while. I have taken the meds for about 18 months 150 mg a day. I got to where I was so tired all the time. I could barely make it through a whole day at work and when I got home I was just like a zombie. On my days off I would lay down and sleep for 3 or 4 hours. I finally felt like I wanted to start living my life. Oh the 15 lbs I had put on were adding to the depression also. I started halfing my dose every other day and then every day until I was taking 35 mg every other day and now I have been off completely for about 4 days. This has been over a month period. I feel out of control! I could cry at any moment, and do. I am a raging *itch. I thought I needed to start feeling my feelings again, which is part of why I went off the med, but now I feel the need to scream them at everyone. My head feels like it will fly off my shoulders at any moment and the vertigo is crazy. I also have been having joint pains and it was good to hear it is a side effect of the withdraws. I am going to make it!!! The thing that really bothers me is, what does this medicine do to our brains that it is so screwed up when you stop taking it????????? Can this be good? The doctor just put my dad on Effexor and he needed something, but I don't know if I want him on it. by Wendy On Sun Aug 27 10:37:29 2006
Effexor withdrawl I have been on numerous antidepressant medications over the last 13 years. Nothing has been as scary as being on and going on Effexor. My doctor switched me to Effexor because of the libido issues with other drugs. He mentioned withdrawl issues, but did not go into any details. I started on Effexor slowly - first week 37.5, second week 75 and third week 150. I was on 150 about a month. The first week of taking Effexor, I felt like I was drugged. I would come home from work and literally be passed out in a half dazed state. At the same time, I was waking up at around 2 a.m. every night and not being able to get back to sleep. From the start, I also had lack of appeteite, but I welcomed that side effect. From the first week on, I was completely constipated. I could not even be regular through the use of laxatives. After a month of this, that was the deciding factor for me to get off the medication. Other than this side effect, I felt o-kay on the drug; I would say I had more energy, but did not really feel any less depressed than I did on other drugs. The withdrawl has been a whirlwind. Going down from 150 to 75, I did not have any problems. I started to get my appetite back. When I went down to 37.5, I started to become regular, digestive-wise. The last few days doing the 37.5 every other day has been HORRIBLE. I feel like I have a weight in my head which is constantly keeping me off balance. I was an agitated, sweaty mess in a very important meeting at work. I have been screaming and fighting with my significant other non-stop; talk about being easily agitated. I am having the "brain zaps" every few minutes. I feel out of it, out of control. I hate this. Knowing that I may be in for months or more of this scares me to death. When I first started taking this drug, I reviewed an on-line message board and read horror stories about this drug. At first I was scared, but then thought, "Hey, drugs affect each person differently" and I was not having major problems at the time. Now I wish I had immediately stopped and I recommend to anyone considering taking this druge that you consider all other options. I wish I had never started taking this drug. I have a few days left before I am off comepletely and I am scared to death. by Jules On Fri Aug 25 10:28:51 2006
Effexor withdrawal Wow! What an eye opener to read all the comments on Effexor withdrawal. I had briefly read about it elsewhere but had not really given it much heed until my nurse practitioner started weaning me off Effexor at my request. At my peak I was on 225MG of the stuff, though briefly; my insurance company wouldn't pay for the 3X 75mg tablets prescribed to me, since 150MG is the maximum single dose. Anyway. I was well aware of the side effects of missing a dose, familiar with the nausea and weird sensations I would get when I didn't take it. (Not to mention the whacked-out dreams.) So the NP gave me samples of 37.5 and 75mg tablets so that I could wean myself off. I started out alternating the first week at 150/75, then 75 for a full week, then 75/37.5, then 37.5 for a full week, and then 37.5/0 for the final week before ending altogether. I am in the 5th and final week of this and I want to die some days. I have slept more now than I've ever slept in my life and I don't want to get out of bed. All I do is eat and sleep. I sure hope this goes away! My wife wants to divorce me at this point (she said I should have been off of this stuff months ago) and I have no motivation whatsoever. This stuff is just awful and I wish I had never heard of it. I plan on spreading the word on this terrible drug so that other people don't have to go through the same hell I'm experiencing now! by Sean On Thu Aug 24 17:05:31 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal I had been on Effexor XR for appx. 3 years, trying to get off for 2 of them. Everytime I would try to wean off the medication I would begin to get dizzy and nauseous. I would tell my doctor this was happening, and I think she thought I was crazy. I would end up back taking Effexor XR. Aug. 6, 2006 problem, I was on the internet and one of the headlines of the news hit my attention. The article stated that some antidepressants caused symtpoms of withdrawal. I read the article and finally had the answers and ammo I needed. I went to the doc's the next morning and handed her the four page article. We both agreed after reading the article it was time for me to bite the bullet and taper off the Effexor XR. I have been off it for 2 weeks now, and the symptoms are manageable at best. I have three small children, a husband, and a job that suffered during my "withdrawal". I consider myself to be an eductated woman. I am a Registered Nurse, whose only medication was Effexor XR. I read the literature that came with my sample pack. I had NO idea that this med was so TOXIC. I have emailed people from Stanford University, the FDA, a lawyer who sued the drug companies regarding the increased suicidial thoughts while taking antidepressants, and spoke to Wyeth. The doctor from Stanford and the lawyer sympathized with me, saying they have been talking about this problem for quite sometime. The FDA responded basically that Effexor XR has been approved by them and is considered safe. (We all know the government gets big campaign dollars from the pharmaceutical companies) Wyeth, states their drug is safe and the "side effects" of withdrawal are only if you stop taking there drug abruptly. They are going to deny any responsibility. I think it is about time someone stands up against this drug. It is not right that I had to take Requip to deal with the Restless Leg Syndrome that Effexor XR caused me (and which since I have been off the drug has all but went away). It is not right that I had to take multiple prescription drugs to handle the hellish effects of tapering off of Effexor XR. It is not right my whole life has had to suffer because of one drug. This site is a start, but we as a whole group need to have our voices heard. It is important that people on Effexor are educated. It is a wonderful drug if you are severly depressed and never want to stop taking it. But for the millions who want something for a short time, this is not the answer. I wish everyone who has had to endure the effects of Effexor good luck. I do believe as I read in an eariler post, that Effexor has screwed up our brain chemistries. We will probably be dealing with the side effects for years to come. by Jennifer On Wed Aug 23 22:42:50 2006
withdrawal from effexor even trying to focus on the computer screen is a nightmare my eyes are really blurry and burning as I read threw all the stories others have been suffering. I am so glad that I am not alone with all these horrific feelings such as the fuzzy brain, dizziness,irritability, anxiety,panic attacks, wind in my stomach, breathing difficulties, sleepness,but the worst has to be how my head feels its undescribable i swear i dont know to cope with it. by zoe, belfast xx On Mon Aug 21 14:01:18 2006
Effexor withdrawl I've been taking Effexor for about 12 yrs, mostly at the 75 mg. dose. It helps with the depression & has been a godsend in that regard. The side effects are mostly minor, though short term memory loss is a problem sometimes (annoys the hell out of my fiancee) :) The stml is considerably more pronounced at 150 mg. as is the "foggy" feeling other people have reported. From time to time I try to go off of it completely to see if my depression has gotten any better with age, and that's no fun. My symptoms are strong dizziness and nausea, but I've found that if I just suck it up for 48 hrs., the symptoms decrease rapidly thereafter. I've also found going with 35mg 1st seems to take the edge off a little. As with any drug that messes with your mind, I'd advise those who have depression relating to life events (vs. hereditary depression, as I have) to be very careful. In the old days, depression was "all in your head" no matter what. The pendulum has swung in the opposite direction in the past 15 yrs. so that now the medical community is more likely to "dose now" & ask questions later. Personally I'd recommend that those with depression related to life issues NOT take meds unless they are to the point where they feel that suicide is an option. Once that crisis period is over, work over your difficulties with a therapist, friends, spiritual advisor, et al., but don't continue on the meds. The side effects aren't pretty and unfortunately some find them worse than the depression that started them taking meds in the first place. As one who has suffered moderate to severe depression since age 10 and tried LOTS of meds over the years, I can only tell those of you reading this that the science of psychopharmacology isn't quite "there" yet. If you don't absolutely need to take the stuff, don't, and get off of it asap if you can. by Dan On Mon Aug 21 13:32:49 2006
Effexor XR Withdrawal Symptoms I have been on Effexor XR for almost 2 years. I started off gradual; 37.5 mg, 75 mg, 112.5 mg, then to 150 mg. I had wicked side-effects on the 150 mg such as the shock-like symptoms, being in a complete fog, not being able to concentrate, fatigue, unable to perform my job normally... I would take naps on my lunch break in my car. Anyway, I told my pdoc about it and he tapered me down to 112.5 mg. The shock-like symptoms appeared again. I would so much as blink, and I would get them. I had awful night terrors, vivid dreams, and extreme irritability and anger. But, through all that, after about a week or so, I felt more clear headed. I knew then and there, that this med was toxic and needed to get off of it. I slowly tapered and hit 75 mg. I stayed on that for quite some time, months. I was feeling better, no fog or anything, and no shock-like symptoms. I still couldn't control my anger, but all in all, things were better. Well, after gaining back the 20 pounds that I worked so hard to lose and having no libido, I decided that I just didn't want to do this anymore, this drug is toxic and I want off. I let my pdoc know and he agreed. Now this doctor had NO idea whatsoever about the side-effects or about the withdrawal symptoms! I was floored! The doctor prescribed me Lamictal instead and told me to taper the Effexor and drop to 37.5 mg then after a week to stop. Well I dropped to the 37.5 mg and I am experiencing crying bouts, extreme anger (like really bad), so bad in fact my husband said that if he goes through a bout of my behavior again, he would leave me. I feel suicidal, extremely depressed, extremely irritable, I am acting very mean, I am not myself at all. I am very scared. I am also having vivid dreams, night terrors, mild shock-like symptoms (thank God), and I am sleeping a lot. I am taking the Lamictal as well, only 50 mg, but I read about that med, and I do not see those side-effects at all. Because of the terrible withdrawal symptoms, and being scared, and my husband threatening to leave me, I had to go back on the 75 mg of Effexor XR; the symptoms are just so intolerable. I since decided to taper VERY slowly. There are sites out there telling you how to and also some sites suggesting some vitamins that help you through withdrawal. I am not sure how effect that is, but am willing to try. I suppose anything is better than going through those symptoms again to such an EXTREME degree. Right now though, I have so much going on in my life that I am going to stay on the 75 mg dose and talk to my pdoc. Thank you so much for this site. It is helpful to know that I am not the only one out there, but sad all the same that everyone, including me, has to go through this. Effexor XR is poison! Anyone who reads these forums, stay far, far, away from this toxic med. Good luck to all and hang in there. by Darkblue On Sun Aug 20 10:42:32 2006
withdrawls from effexor xr I am so glad that I am not alone suffering from these withdrawl symptoms from effexor xr. I was on effexor xr 150mg for 7 months. I went from 37.5mg to 75mg then to 150mg. i talked with my doctor about coming off of the meds because i had been doing very well with my depression. while coming off this horrible drug i did everything the doctor told me to do, and it was still horrible!!! i am now finished with the drug. my last dose was exactly a week ago. i have not ever experienced anything like this. my head spun, i broke out in horrible hives and had to go to the doctor to get on four other medications to control them, and every other side effect that you all have already discussed. i just wanted to say thank you for all your comments because i thought i was dying and knowing that there are others out there that understand what i am going through made things a little easier!!! its been a week and i am just now starting to feel better!!! hopefully all of the withdrawls will completly stop!! to all those going through this right now, hang in there and my thoughts are with all of you!!!! by jen On Sun Aug 20 10:27:37 2006
Husband wants me off Effexor I'm 49. I have two great kids. I've been taking 75mg(XR)every other day for 6 years. I started taking it after being thrown into early menopause from chemotherapy (breast cancer, can't do HRT) and for depression and anxiety associated with the whole cancer thing. My whole world had turned upside down. I had suffered clinical depression about 10 years earlier and for me I'd rather suffer all forms of physical pain before settling for that again because that totally scares me to death...then came my first real bout of withdrawal from Effexor. It wasn't that I wanted to stop. In fact, I don't want to stop, I'm not ready. I don't have the bad side effects that I've read about, while taking my Effexor. But about 10 days ago my husband read an article about antidepressents on Yahoo and has decided that I, too, must stop taking Effexor. So he hid my meds. Ok, so I've missed my doses on occassion before. But I recognize the signs immediately. Mainly my hot flashes drive me to medicine cabinet, but also I am easly irritated. So rarely do I let a full day go by before get back on my schedule. But by day 3 I decided that he desereved what I could dish out--and you know what that is! By day 5, I was in too much physical agony to call a divorce lawyer so I called my doctor and got a new rx. It took 2 hours before I could stand the pain (advil doesn't work on this kind of pain). The "brain zaps" and "whooshes" were coming about every 5 minutes, kind of like a bad sinus infection, I felt a weight on my chest, similar to altitude sickness, and I could not concentrate at all. I have a number of employees who depend on me being on top. I haven't been there. They were very worried about me, especially when I broke down in a fit of despair! I've never had a day where I felt "numb" or didn't "feel" or "care" about people or anything while taking the Effexor as directed. For me it worked. I probably could have gone through the last 6 years without the Effexor. But with it, I have had a quality of life that I couldn't have had otherwise. (Depressed people just don't pull themselves up by the boot straps!) My husband told me tonight that he was going to call a "family intervention" for me. I'm angry that the Effexor has created this new problem. I would even consider joining an activist group or class action suit. But I'm not ready to stop taking it. Maybe when I've celebrated my 10th year I will be. At that time I will work it out with my doctor, but the last time I checked, my husband's name wasn't followed by M.D.! Whew! I feel better just getting the chance to vent. I don't know how all these people have gotten through it. 2-3 days of symptons is as much as I could take right now. So now, I am scared to death to sink back into depression---AND I'm scared to death to suffer the Effexor W/D! by Lyn On Wed Aug 16 21:38:26 2006
effexor hey there my friend was drinking and smoking cigs and pot way to much she stoped everything all at once and had a break down now they have her on 75mgs of effexor a day and they she should on this shit for a year why a year? i think she should stop as soon as possible but she is going to school and has two jobs and she is freaked out about stopping does anybody know of any natropaths that can help in the new york area or know of any thing that can help i do not want her to do this shit for a year any help would be helpfull reguards patrick On Tue Aug 15 23:45:56 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I have been reading all the information from others about effexor withdrawl. I too have been taking effexor sr for 2 years. I started at 75mg, andc over time was increased to 225mg. Due to other issues, my GP wanted to taper me off the effexor. I thought this was great, however, i had no idea there were any withdrawl symptoms. I have been going through the same as most othes, including the bouts of crying, severe nausea ( thought it was flu) and this very strange numbness or tingling, predominantly in my face and head. Can anyone give me any indication of how long this will go on for?? I have had to leave work mid day due to the crying outbursts, unable to focus or concentrate on anything other than where is the nearest bathroom because i am afraid i am going to be sick, or can i hold the tears back long enough to get out of anyone else's view. This is absolutely horrendous. If i were not afraid to go through this again i would start back on the meds just to stop these awful feelings. When is all this misery going to stop??? by Jo-Anne On Tue Aug 15 16:57:19 2006
Effexor I went on Effexor about 5 years ago and took it for about 18 months. My husband and I were facing a difficult relocation and I asked my doctor for something to help me with anxiety/depression. I was in my 40s and had been dealing with these issues my entire adult life but fortunately had developed very healthy alternative methods of dealing with them. Excersize, diet, relaxation etc. I received counciling at two different stages in my adult life which helped me tremendously. I also am part of a 12 step program which is invaluable to me. My doctors had always suggested medication but it was not something I was interested in until this move we were to make. I knew it was going to be very difficult and I though well, maybe I will try the medication. I was assured it was perfectly safe. The effexor helped right away with my ability to focus and stay on task. It minimized anxiety and depression and at first I though a miracle was happening. After a few months the effects were diminishing. I was having trouble focusing again and feeling the old fears and depressions resurfacing. They upped the dose and it helped. The second time my dose was increased our circumstances had changed and we would no longer have health insurance within 4 months. When I found out the effexor would cost me $200 out of pocket I decided it would be best to start weaning myself off of it. Things were more settled and I figured this would be a good time. When I told my doctor she was uspet and told me that effexor was something I would most likely be taking my whole life. She compared it to high blodd pressure medicine. This terrified me. First I never intended to be on meds the rest of my life and second we just could not afford it. My meds were covered for the next few months so I started to decrease the dosage a little at a time. I figured I could do this over six months and escape withdrawal problems. Each decrease had side effects, at first they were manageable but when the dosage got really low I was experiencing nausea, funny electrical sensations in my head and vertigo. When I stopped entirely within one day I was a mess. I could not stop crying. I was sick to my stomach and felt dizzy all the time. The electrical zaps in my head were horrible. Like nothing I had ever experienced. I am self employed and could not work very much. The financial effects were devastating. My family was at a loss. I have always been strong and resilient and I had been reduced to a crying helpless mess. This extreme lasted for about three months. It got better over time but it has been more than three years now since I stopped the effexor and I have never regained my old level of emotional health. I still get brain zaps from time to time. I have much worse depression than I ever did before the effexor and my anxiety level can be terrible. Panic attacks are common and I never had them before. I still work hard at alternative methods Excersize, diet, relaxation etc. I still attend my meetings and try to talk to people. I don't dwell on the negative and try to be grateful for all I have. All the things that kept me on track before this awful medicine. I believe effexor has permanently changed my brain. I keep hoping that I will at least go back to how I was before medicine but after three years I am beginning to wonder if this is permanent. God help me when I go through menopause! by Melody On Mon Aug 14 10:49:43 2006
effexor I was on venlafaxine for 6yrs. Yes it did help with my depression in the beginning but I still had a lot of down days and felt numb emotionally. With this in mind, and the fact that I had gradually been putting on weight since being on them, I decided to go cold turkey! The first week was really bad. I couldn't physically do anything. I cried all the time, had flu like symptoms, severe stomach cramps and nausea and fatigue. I couldn't go out at all. I have 3 young children and very nearly went back on them as I couldn't cope. Its been 4 1/2 weeks now and I'm still stuggeling with stomach cramps, fatigue and the flu like feelings. I wake each morning dreading the day ahead and I struggle with it. The most positive thing though is I now sleep all night and the restless legs aren't as bad. I have no intention of going back and feel cross that withdrawal symptoms are not mention when going on them in the first place. If anyone knows of anything to eleviate the stomach cramps I would be very grateful. by Deborah On Sat Aug 12 17:39:06 2006
effexor withdrawal I've been on effexor xr for 2 years. Each time I complained of feeling bad, headaches, hard to breathe, they just took blood and up'd my meds. Soon I was going from 2.5 to 75 to 150 to 225. I had made a decision to come off the meds and slowly started taking myself down over a 2 month period. (I've been taking meds for over 34 years and weening off is something that's not new to me.) My last dose was 6/30 and boy what a shock I've had over the last 6 weeks. I was disoriented, panicky, very nervous, hard to think, could not sleep, felt paranoid, agitated, weepy, get lost driving, heard voices and seen shadows, loss of memory, limited retention, on and on, etc. I've been on a lot of different meds over the last 34 years and I can honestly say, this has been the worst drug withdrawal I have ever had. I can see improvements about every 3 days and have sought counseling to get through this. The meds were the best when I was on them, but had to continously be up'd, but the downside has been the HELL and TERROR, I don't want to see anyone go through this. While going through this, I could not function at home or work and as a result, have almost lost my job, and my handling of my limited finances shot to hell because I could not stay organized or think. I am still having symptoms, just hope that they will not last much longer. Please....... if you know of anyone who is taking this drug, please get them to research the side affects and withdrawals before staying on it for any amount of time. Also tell them to be cautious if the doctor wants to up the dose each time they complain about a symptom or side effect. I just hope I get my mind back! by pam On Sat Aug 12 15:23:58 2006
Efexor Withdrawal - a nightmare 2 months I was on Efexor for 3 years 75 mg and commenced withdrawal early June 2006. I was to take it every other day. Well by Day 3, I was very ill. I perserved for a couple of weeks, then I was to drop down to 37.5mg and take one every 3 days for 2 weeks, then once a week for 4 weeks. In hindsight both my doctor & I know that this was far, far too quick. It is now 70 days since then and today is the first day that I have felt even the slightest bit of normality. Symptoms Swishing in my head - unable to stay upright for long. Sleep for hours more than normal Sudden bouts of anger and crying Mood swings Feels like someone is stabbing me with knitting needles in my ears - very painful Appetite all over the place Total change in digestion Lack of confidence - especially driving, making a decision Noise - actually hurts. Couldn't handle radio, CD or laughter - it echoed and short term memory loss was a nightmare. My doctor did check the Mims site and there was no mention of memory loss being an effect of withdrawal. I found this and other sites only last Sunday and have given the info to my doctor who was very receptive to it. I never want anyone to go through this, it was Hell on Earth and there are 2 pieces of advice that I would like to give. 1) Plan for your withdrawal - take a long time. Stretch it out over months & months. Maybe start by extending from every 24 hours, to every 25 hours, then every 26 hours etc. Take it later in the day each day, then that would eventually push you into skipping a day. Drop your dosage as guided by your doctor, but do not rush to get to the end. It is not worth it. 2) Have a support person/people. I chose not to let others know that I was coming off tablets (actually not many knew I was on it). In hindsight it was not a good thing to do. I only told my work colleagues at day 66 after I had found all this information on the internet. They were fantastic and supportive and I do wish that I had chosen to do that earlier as I have no idea how I managed to get through each working day. I hope that even by adding these comments to this website that I can help even just one person get through the nightmare. All the best Rellie 12 August 2006 On Sat Aug 12 09:27:04 2006
effexor withdrawal I want to thank those brave souls that have posted on this website. I thought I was losing my mind over this past 1 1/2 weeks. I have been on 75 mg of Effexor for 6 years and I do have to say it helped my initial feelings of anxiety. However, I probably should have stopped taking it a long time ago. Per my doctor's directions, I weaned off Effexor by taking one every other day for 2 weeks. My last dose was a week ago Monday. By the end of my work day on Tuesday, I felt like I had the flu. As the week progressed, I became extremely dizzy, nauseous and itchy and experienced horrendous brain zaps. I finally went to see my doctor on Monday of this week and he told me I had Vertigo caused by an inner ear infection (my ear was the only thing that didn't hurt!) Funny how things happen, but our local paper ran an article on Anti-depressant medication withdrawal and how medical professionals state that there is no withdrawal from medications like Effexor-yeah right!! I then happened upon this website and saw that others had the same exact symptoms as me. It is what has gotten me through this awful time. I am not completely feeling well yet but am about 80% better than last week. Thank you to all who have shared on this website, it has truly helped me! by Sue On Thu Aug 10 18:31:20 2006
effexor and drinking I am 35 yr. old female, married, mother of 2. I have been on effexor 75 a day for about 4 years. I have tried to go off, but the brain zapping is too much. In the past, I have never cared one way or another about alcohol. Since being on this med, I am a wine connissuer! I can easily drink a bottle of chardonnay, and be fine in the morning. (I do get blackouts while drinking and have to go back on my e-mail and phone to see who I've "talked" to. I have found out from a few other websites that this is just another side effect. I have to drive on tuesday from chicago to florida, and when I get home, I am going to my dr. and getting off of these meds. I want the old me back!!! I know I have hell to go through, but I am happy to find this site. by holly On Thu Aug 10 13:39:02 2006
Effexor - The road to Hell I left a message on this site mid July feeling like I was over the worst of the withdrawal. How wrong was I??? It has now been 41 days since I took my last tablet and I am still having problems. I was on 375 mg of Effexor a day for many years and was down to zero in just over 3 weeks. My doctor told me the withdrawal would last 5-7 days and when I went back after that period saying I was still having brain zaps, dizziness, vision distortion, stomach problems and god knows what else he refused to accept it was still the effexor. I ended up having an argument with him and mentioned this site and he finally conceded that because I had come off such a large dose so quickly, it might be true. Would you believe his solution was to go back on a low dose??? That is hardly fixing the problem and I had come too far to go back again. We put our faith in doctors as they are supposed to know all about this stuff but my faith is shattered. I have now been off work the most part of 8 weeks and am still having headspins, stomach probems and panic attacks. Thank god for this site and the emails about how to manage feelings/emotions is all I can say. It is probably the only thing that has saved my sanity because those that have been lucky enough to not have gone through this have no understanding of how any of it feels and think we should just get on with things. We would if it were that easy!!!!!! Good luck to all of you. by Maura On Thu Aug 10 04:06:44 2006
Effexor! I can't believe I found this website. I am relieved but mad as h*ll too. My doctor never said any thing to me about side effects and I have been off of it for 3 days now and I have the brain shivers. I thought I was going crazy. I have only been on it a month. I called the doctor to get a refil because she just wanted me to try it out for a month. Well after I take it, I get sleepy about 5 hours later, then once I go to bed,I can't sleep!!!! I called the stupid doctors to make an appointment to get a new prescription and had to leave a message, never got a call back and so that is why I am out of the medicine. But now I don't want to take it anymore. I feel horrible and I was brought to tears by the comments because it is nice to know I am not the only one out there. I just wish none of us had to go through this. I am grateful for this site. Family and friends are great but it is nice to have people who are going through what you are and can relate!!!! Like someone said before, the effects of this is worse then the depression I was originally feeling. By the way I really didn't feel much better when I was taking it anyway. D@mn doctors and drug companies! by Reese On Wed Aug 09 14:22:22 2006
Withdrawal from Effexor I am sure glad I looked up this website and finally found out what is wrong with me. I have been on Effexor for the last 2 years. Prescribed for depression, menopausal symptoms, etc. I was 50 years old, had a complete hysterectomy, which put me in full menopause immediately. I have to admit it did help. I was no longer crying all the time, in fact I could not cry!!!! (scarey, even when I lost my sister 6 months ago) I lost all my sex drive during this time. I decided I wanted to go off of it. I was on 75 mg./day My doctor suggested decreasing the dose by taking 75 mg. one day 37.5 the next for a couple of weeks. Then down to 37.5 every day for a couple of weeks. Then 37.5 every other day for a couple of weeks. Then off. Well, I did that. I have been off for about a week now. Side effects have been terrible. Dizziness, panic attacks, body aches, joint aches, exessive chattering. Feeling of having the flu. I had started to think I was really sick. Just about to go to the doctor to get checked out. Instead, I thought I'd check to see if anyone else had these symptons on withdrawal of this drug. Turns out, there are many people suffering from the same symptoms. Although, this drug helped me very much at the time, I don't think I will ever try it again. Thanks to you all for all your imput on this site. by Jacqueline On Wed Aug 09 13:30:45 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I have finally associated my symptoms thanks to this site. They were so severe I was having to double my dose of tylenol just to try to alleviate my headaches. I spent days crying uncontrollably locked in the bathroom hiding from my husband wanting to die. Keep in mind I went on this medication to help me with pms symptoms - not suicide..... Had I known what I was going to have to deal with I would never have gone on this medication. Five days of irritability was much more manageable then 4 hrs of withdrawl. I went on holidays 2 weeks ago. With all the travel and changes to my schedule, I missed my dose 2 days in a row. I went through hell. My husband and children had no idea what was wrong with me. The first half of my holiday was spent in my room in the bathroom crying alone and depressed while my husband entertained my children. And this is only the emotional side. I won't even get into the physical symptoms - vomiting, nausea, head feeling like it's going to implode. This has been the worst year of my life. Up and down, up and down. I don't want my moods to be controlled by any drug. I want off this medication and I don't know where to start. Does anyone know if the makers of Effexor have a program in place to help those wishing to come off these meds? by Nelly On Wed Aug 09 10:31:09 2006
effexor side effects I was on 75mgs of effexor for 6mths and then taken down to 37.5 for a month to wean me off it. the side effects are something else I was told by my doctor that there were no side effects....yeah right! Vertigo is the worst,the dizziness alone can render me helpless the only thing I can suggest to help with this is Natures own sleep ezy. It has valerian in it which does aid sleep, but can also help calm the body. It is non drowsy so you won,t suddenly feel tired by taking it. A naturapath recomended it to me. I am taking it 3 times a day after every meal. She said I should do this for the first week and then cut it down to 2 supplements a day in the second week. And one the following week. I definatley feel better, calmer and it has helped with the dizziness. Give it a try, it may not be the way to go for everyone,if it doesn,t work I recomend seeing a naturapath. good luck to you all. by keeley On Tue Aug 08 19:20:39 2006
It's Actually Getting Better Some reassurance - it's been one full week since I started tapering and, although last week I was at the gates of Hell, it's better now. I had to go off very quickly because of pregnancy. I've been on 75mg. Took the last 75mg tab last Monday. Took nothing on Tuesday and Wednesday. By Thursday morning I couldn't go to work - zaps, killer headaches, nausea, difficulty breathing. Split open the capsule on Thursday about 10:30am and took half of the beads (37.5mg). That relieved some of the symptoms, but still felt really awful. Took nothing on Friday, by Saturday I was tanking again (but make no mistake -- even with the lowered doses, every day was miserable), so I took a quarter of the capsule (18.75 mg). It's now Tuesday and I haven't had any doses since Saturday. And other than a few brain zaps, I feel "okay." Not great, but okay. MUCH better than last week. Don't give up! Last week in the throes of the misery I found it hard to believe I'd ever feel okay again. I'm not recommending anyone taper the way I did; a gradual approach is better (especially if you have the capsules, as you can break them open and take less of the drug daily); but as I said, I had to get off of it immediately because of my pregnancy. There was an article in the Houston Chronicle on Saturday. Here's the link: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4097687.html
Pisses me off that even after every comment on this site and others, medical professionals (as in this article) still say "I don't think it's that difficult to get off of." SOBs. Please don't give up. You CAN do this. And when you feel better, write to your legislators and your physicians and implore them to NEVER prescribe this drug for anyone, ever. Thank you so much for this site. by Abby On Tue Aug 08 08:46:49 2006
effexor xr i have been on effexor xr 150 mg for about 4 years and im trying to give it up. I dont like the person it has made me. I say and do things I never used to do. My friends have even seen a difference. never again will I take such a horrible medicine. The withdrawals I have experienced are horrendous. Dizziness, "brain zaps", i feel as though my brain is being spun around. I had to unfortunately come off this drug cold turkey because i lost my drug insurance and was unable to afford the 280 it cost to get it filled. if i had any idea how addicting this drug was i would have never ever taken it!!! never will i take another ssi drug. by heather On Tue Aug 08 12:33:11 2006
Effexor I have been taking Effexor since mid-April, 75 mg a day and last Thursday stopped. I don't really think I needed it, but was so 'depressed' the day I visited my doctor that when it was prescribed under the guise that I needed it and it would help me - I took it. I did notice an improvement in my behavior, thoughts and mental health. Unfortunately, I had not been close to realizing the long term affects I had put in motion. Either A. a lifetime of complacent 'drug-abuse' which also meant no sex drive and a monochromatic existence mirroring that of a step-ford wife or B. a withdrawal situation equal to or greater than that of street drugs and the like i.e. cocaine, methamphetamines, nicotine, marijuana - all of which are equally hellish, but tempered in the fact that they are all independently sought and administered. This Effexor was prescribed, by my physician, whom I had trusted, implicitly. The fact that there was no long term discussion offered, no pamphlet given and that when I did finally contact their office yesterday to make sure I wasn't suffering from some other condition, the only advice offered was to begin taking it again - is the most perplexing part of it all! What is the point of this medication?! Is it a permanent fix for a temporary situation? Being pushed by our medical community? What is going on when this type of unethical behavior is being purported on the lame among us? I sincerely hope my withdrawl ends soon. I have read these other posts and I am anxious to say the least. It has been 5 days and I do feel unraveled. The electric shocks are irritating, my attitude is all over the place and my mind is playing definite tricks on me. I have had my old tapes running continuously trying to tempt my behavior and it is taking all my strength to stay the course. Damn them - damn these drug makers! by Bethany On Tue Aug 08 16:29:23 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal fear I've been on Effexor XR @ 450 mg/day for about five years...yes, you read that right: 450 mg per day. I was told when I started taking that much to watch my blood pressure, luckily it hasn't gone up. I don't think it's helping much at all: I have no sex drive; I need to lose 55 lbs.; and worst of all...I'm still very depressed and anxious every day! I'm reading a lot about withdrawal symptoms and I have no doubt it's true because once a couple of years ago I failed to refill my prescription for a couple of days (ironically because i was too depressed to get to the pharmacy). I started feeling very, very sick within a few hours...thought I had the flu or something really weird. When I started taking the pills again I felt better. I told my psychiatrist who was prescribing it for me and he told me that I had experienced withdrawal symptoms and that was the first time he told me about the short half-life. I'd like to get off this medication, mainly because it doesn't seem to help much. I've been severely depressed before: suicide attempts; 10 hospitalizations and I'm afraid of what's going to happen to me. I've been on Wellbutrin before but I'd like to try it again because I'm sick of being fat and not having any sex drive. I'm not sure what to do. by Sandra On Tue Aug 08 13:41:37 2006
Effexor Side Effects I am trying to get off Effexor. I am one of those people that when taking a drug for so long it just doesn't work anymore. I have been on Zoloft, Lexapro and now Effexor - 150mg. This is the second time I am trying to get off. The first time I had severe night sweats. I seriously thought I had wet the bed. I couldn't take it anymore and started back taking Effexor. Now I am experience severe dizziness, insomnia and just feel really crazy. I cry or laugh or start one and end with the other within a few seconds. I hate this! I am trying semi-cold turkey. I take a pill every other day and now every 2 days. I basically take it when the dizziness gets too bad. I have a prescription for dizziness but it does not work. I told my mom to take it but tomorrow I will tell her to stop. This is not worth it. Why can't something work. I don't know what to do. I feel so alone. I am glad and sad that I am not the only one. Why do they make these drugs to supposedly help people but it only makes them worse??? I don't know what to do. I need help. moniw5@yahoo.com It would be nice to talk to someone who is going through the same thing. My counselor has been on prozac for years. I don't think she understands what I am going through. She has had no problems with her meds. I stopped going to her...why waste the money? Glad I found this site...Glad I am not totally crazy. Good Luck People! by Monica On Sun Aug 06 23:31:00 2006
Effexor XR I started Effexor XR 75 mg. 8 mos. ago for a sleep disorder I suffer from, after a couple of months I noticed mood changes & worse anxiety so my doc up the dose to 150 mgs. which I didn't think too much about b/c my sleep disorder is pretty bad and I'd do anything to make it better - wrong thought there, I've since noticed that if I forget to take my Effexor one day the very next within 12 - 24 hours I'll start feeling like I'm getting sick, sore throat, chills, aching muscles - I took about three times of this happening that I finally put two & two together and figured it was the missing the Effexor that was making me sick!!! Now what to do I really want to get off this but I'm scared of how sick I'll get if just after one day I'm feeling it. I don't want to be beholden to this drug for the rest of my life!! I wish that I had been better informed about it and the withdrawl before I swallowed that first pill! by Shelly On Mon Aug 07 16:14:11 2006
Effexor withdrawal Nobody warned me about withdrawal symptoms at all! In my case, I simply ran out of medication and was too lazy to go to the drugstore to pick up my refill. Two days later I began to get head symptoms, but did not associate them with Effexor; I thought I was having inner ear problems. Four days off the drug, the dizziness and odd sensations in my head kept me from performing tasks at home and I was afraid to drive. Suddenly, my suffering brain made the connnection and I went online. Sure enough: Effexor withdrawal. At first I was relieved. Then I got angry--really angry. How dare I be given a drug without be forewarned about withdrawal? Then I resolved to stop taking this drug forever. Why would I want to take a medication with such severe withdrawal reactions? What if I were in Russia and lost my medication in the middle of my trip? ( that is exactly where I will be in three weeks time!). No, no, no, no more. Thanks for the online reassurance. by Linda On Sun Aug 06 12:58:37 2006
Effexor for hot flashes My doctor gave me effexor to help with my horrible hot flashes. It did NOT help at all. I started out with 75mgs and felt numb and had no energy. I asked to cut back on the effexor and she gave me 37.5. I noticed a difference right away. Dizzy, hard to focus, sick to my stomach. But it leveled off. Hot flashes were even worse!! Now she is taking me off it completely and having me take 37.5 every other day. Wow! I feel good one day and awful the next!! How long will this last? I really wonder if this is the right way to get off of it. I had always heard to gradually reduce it. Not this on again off again deal. Any suggestions? by Gail On Sun Aug 06 12:49:06 2006 (Taking a pill every other day sounds like a mistake, but then, I'm not the doctor. Maybe take a regular dose one day and a smaller dose the next. Most would say gradually reduce the amount you're taking. And you may have to reduce VERY slowly. But these pages are full of comments from people who decided to go cold turkey and get it over with as soon as possible. Lot of unknown factors involved. Not to mention the fact that everybody's different regarding things like pain tolerance and metabolic pathways. - Mark)
Effexor Withdrawal - Be a hero for yourself The words "horrific," "hellish" and "torment" will inevitably appear when discussing Effexor withdrawal. And it is all that. In addition to the physical pain of it, for me, as I imagine for most, it's SCARY. It's very scary to have my body suddenly doing things that feel out of control, like the brain zaps, the feeling that someone is scraping out the back of my eyes, the nausea, etc. and to not know when it's going to be over. One way to get through it is to constantly talk to yourself in your most brave voice. You must be your own rescuer. Tell yourself that you are going to be okay, over and over again. This time as I detox from Effexor, I imagine that I'm moving through a long hall and there are strong, vicious guards (the withdrawal symptoms) every few yards trying to hold me back and hurt me. Yes, it will hurt. But I tell myself (and their images) that they (the symptoms) WILL NOT hold me for long, that I will get past every one of them, no matter if or how much it hurts. It's so important to be present with yourself, and pull your mind again and again out of the disorientation and scariness. No matter if you have to lay there saying the same thing over and over again, "I'm going to be okay, I'm going to be okay" even at those moments when you are really afraid that it's killing you. Giving into that fear makes the withdrawal so much harder than it already is. That's what's working for me right now; maybe it can help someone else. Peace and love to everyone struggling. by Abby On Fri Aug 04 20:16:55 2006
effexor XR continueing withdrawal I was on effexor for only 3 months, and I found myself getting more and more angry. I quit completely, and without my Doctor's help. I don't want to talk to another Doctor again, unless its in the emergency room. The withdrawal is terrible, Itch skin/especially lower legs. Dizziness, and Zaps. Emotional rollercoasters. The anger is beginning to dimminish.(I no longer road rage), and I am able to rationalize better. I wish the inventor of effexor XR would take the highest possible dosage for 1 year, and then try to quit. That would be satisfactory vengence for me. by Arnie On Thu Aug 03 14:50:57 2006
effexor I am relieved to see that I am not alone, not that I would wish the withdrawal symptoms of effexor on anyone. I have been on effexor for 6 years and for the past month or so it didn't feel like it was working anymore, 150 mg (1) per day. You know the feeling when it starts wearing off, horrible. You have no choice but to take more to make it stop but that was not helping either. Last week I was forced to go to my doctor of 8 years who I knew would be able to make everything alright however I lost all faith in him that day. He acted like he did not understand what I was going through. I had a hard time trying to explain that my brain felt like it was in slow motion among all the other sensations, while crying scared to death thinking I was going to lose my mind totally. The most horrible paranoia, bad trip. As he looked at me appearing a bit confused he suggested that I go talk to a psyciatrist! Not!!! Long story short, he told me to continue the (1) per day plus gave me a script for wellbutrin to take twice a day. I couldn't function for a few days, very scary, can't close my eyes without fear, of what? it's hard to tell. I am not sure what to do, I am hoping that the wellbutrin will help me get off effexor but than what? I will see the doctor in another week, so I will most likely check back with you with the outcome. As for now, the withdrawal symptons seem under control although how will it ever end is what I want to know? by Sandy On Wed Aug 02 23:03:08 2006
Effexor hurts more than helps Really glad i found this site... I have been on anti depressants since i was in the 5th grade.I have been on such medications as: Paxil,Lexapro and Effexor,which is my current medication. if i try to quit taking effexor for more than about a day i start feeling withdrawel pains. my stomach starts to hurt and sometimes i will throw up. i notice through out the day little muscle spasms and increased irritability and un focused anger. sometimes after about 2 to 3 days i will have severe mood swings going from happy to extremely angry. by this time i am so fed up i usually start taking the pill again. It really doesnt help all that well with my problems but hurts my body and mind without it. im afraid that ive been on pills like this for soo long that ill never be able to break the dependancy. And people say Marijuana is dangerous? i think they should take a closer look at what these big corporate pharmasuidical companies are trying to pull off.... by DJ On Wed Aug 02 01:00:47 2006
Effexor Withdrawal For several years I was misdiagnosed with GAD and depression. Then I found a psychiatrist who diagnosed me with bipolar disorder and put me on a mood stabilizer. I had been taking Effexor XR 75 mg for over 2 years. She was hesitant in taking me off the Effexor because of the withdrawal symptoms so I continued. Well, being on a mood stabilizer and Effexor, threw me into a crazy mania. I did things that were hugely out of character for me. I am still anxious about the consequences of some of my actions. I am now on my first week of being completely Effexor free and feel horrible. I can't eat because of the nausea. I feel like I have the flu. My anxiety, ie. broken record thoughts that my brain chooses to fixate on is back full force. I'd heard this drug was hard to get off of. I'm now living through it. This site has helped me to at least know why I feel so crappy. Thanks. by Stephanie On Mon Jul 31 20:07:15 2006
Effexor I have been taking 75mg of effexor daily for 3 years. I need off. Reading everyone elses posts has made me realize that i have not been feeling. This drug has made me just not care, which when i am sitting in rush hour traffic is good, but the rest of my life is just kind of a stand still. I have no drive for anything, especially sex. I have repeatedly set goals but get no where fast. Can anyone explain why the side effects come and go? I will be fine for days and then all of a sudden one day i am what i call a space cadet. by Jessica On Mon Jul 31 14:37:57 2006
Effexor withdrawal I forgot to get a new presecription for effexor 150mg mr, so was without it for 36 hours. It was complete hell. I felt dizzy, sick, unbalanced, flu like, icredibly snappy, couldn't walk, talk, let alone deal with my kids. Got a new prescription and four hours later I am finally feeling better. What is this drug doing to me amd how will i ever come off it? I was hoping to this summer but can't face that agony...help... by Debbie On Mon Jul 31 10:54:40 2006
Effexor XR Withdrawls I have been having withdrwals from the Effexor XR. I took 75mg for about 9 months. I went the first week dropping down the 37.5 and then dropping to 37.5 mg every other day for two weeks. I do not feel that this medication was helping me in any way except for that I realy had no emotions about anything what so ever about anything. It's wierd that I'm starting to actually feel some kind of emotions. But the first day of not taking anything at all I'm experiencing severe joint pain. So bad that I'm having trouble just getting up from a sitting position because the joints in my knees hurt so bad plus every joint in my body. Don't understand why this isn't listed as a side effect. Been looking but can't seem to find anywhere that anyone is experiencing this side effect. The head booming is one thing - I got used to that - but this joint pain is just way to much. I feel they should have more information on withdrawls on the official site. by Cheri On Sun Jul 30 13:15:33 2006
Efexxor XR I have been on 112.5 a day for about 7 months. It suddenly stopped working and I feel terrible. My doctor is weaning me off. I have had terrible vertigo on the Effexor. by Sandy On Fri Jul 28 22:56:49 2006
Effexor XR I have been taking Effexor XR 150 daily for years now. Probably more than 8. At one point I tried to wean myself off the drug because I was losing my medical insurance, and it was horrible. I drove myself to our local county nut house, and they gave me more, and another prescription, and I got back on it. I learned this drug isn't an "option" for me. It is now part of my personality and who I am, as a sane person. I recognize that it doesn't work for everyone, but it really does for me. I am able to function, at least minimally. Hmmmmm... As I read this, I think that maybe I should get off of it too, and be whole again? I haven't been for the last 8 years... Maybe I am kidding myself into believing it works for me? by Carol On Fri Jul 28 21:23:56 2006
Effexor Is Evil I took Effexor for depression for about 3 years. I became a shell of my former self, I couldn't emote, feel or care about anything and never felt so suicidal. Against my doctors advice I decided to go off it and weaned myself off very slowly from 412mg. The very next day after taking my last 37.5mgs I went into the spiral of hell. I thought, this is what it would feel like to kick heroin. My entire body ached, it felt like there were jackhammers in my head (later found out this is tinitis), electric shocks in my brain, my body twitching involuntarily, severe panic attacks, not eatting, NEVER sleeping, rapid-cycling, hypo-mania, my judgement was completely gone and I was doing and saying horrible things, I spent all my money, maxed out all my credit cards (hypo-mania). This all in varying degrees lasted for several months. I had to leave my job and go on disability. All the while, my shrink kept recommending that I go back on the Effexor so these symptoms could stop. It has been almost 2 years since I took my last Effexor pill and I still suffer from tinitis (ringing in the ears). Its not nearly as severe but I still suffer from it. I"m drug free now and urge everyone to stay away from anti-depressants. Your doctor WILL push drugs on you I guarantee it, the kickbacks they enjoy are incredible. If your doctor isn't encouraging you to seek alternative treatments, find another doctor. I wish you all the best in your battle with fighting the dragon. Depression/Drugs. by Jinny On Wed Jul 26 20:12:05 2006
Effexor Withdrawal It is amazing...I have been on Effexor for like 4 years and I thought depression was bad well now I feel like I am dying. I started a new job about a month ago and today had to call off work because I am vomitting, dizzy, nauscious. I feel like my brain is floating around in my head and can feel every little movement I make. This is awful. And the funny thing is my doctor told me I wouldn't have any withdrawal side effects. I am confused...I checked the effexor website and there is nothing on withdrawal I had to search to find this site! I am not happy I think the people that make this crap should be put on trial! by Anna On Wed Jul 26 19:13:40 2006
i have been on 300mg of effexor for 3 years now. this is a hideous, vicious drug. i am dizzy, when i move my head. i have this "electrical surges", in my brain. i'm extremely tired, i ache all over like "flu symptoms." i get nauseated, have very bad stomach cramps. i've been off "cold turkey" for 3 weeks now, and feel like i'm dying. the panic attacks have returned, with a vengence. i can't sleep at all. this is suffering, agony. what to do? i'm very afraid. can you have seizures from withdrawal? these brain "zaps" really scare me. any help appreciated. by sherry On Wed Jul 26 04:12:40 2006
Effexor - life afterwards! There is life on the other side! You need to taper REALLY slowly and all the while have some other goal to focus on. Mine was study. I still have some weight to lose but the emotional/depressive symptoms have mostly passed. It's a drug that did me a lot of harm. I accept that it works for some, but for those others, it is HELL. Mark's website is a precious resource in such moments. Thanks so very much and many blessings! by alison On Wed Jul 26 12:33:10 2006
brutal withdrawal from effexor i have been on 300mg of effexor for 3 years now. this is a hideous, vicious drug. i am dizzy, when i move my head. i have this "electrical surges", in my brain. i'm extremely tired, i ache all over like "flu symptoms." i get nauseated, have very bad stomach cramps. i've been off "cold turkey" for 3 weeks now, and feel like i'm dying. the panic attacks have returned, with a vengence. i can't sleep at all. this is suffering, agony. what to do? i'm very afraid. can you have seizures from withdrawal? these brain "zaps" really scare me. any help appreciated. by sherry On Wed Jul 26 04:12:40 2006
Join our effexor and SSRI letter writting campaign See the art work at http://community.webshots.com/user/effexoractivist Join the campaign to Make people aware of the nightmare side effects that can be caused by all SSRI and SNRI antidepressants! Get educated about corruption in the FDA and the entire drug industry. Learn about the many dirty tricks they use to sell drugs. You will find lots of great links and over 600 articles including many on Help for withdrawal. Go to http://theeffexoractivist.org/ by Leslee On Tue Jul 25 17:09:13 2006
effexor withdrawal I'm so glad I found this website to know I am not alone. I was on Effexor for 2 1/2 years and was just supposedly weaned off 3 weeks ago. I finally felt like I could face the world without this drug, and as my reward I feel terrible. I'm so tired, I feel sick, and every little thing makes me want to cry. I was really thinking I was dying and didn't know it. My doctor claimed that there was no withdrawal symtoms-yeah right. My head buzzes all the time and just do not have any energy. Will this ever go away? I will be totally off this nasty drug 4 weeks on Saturday, and will never go back on. Thank you, Janet On Thu Jul 20 15:29:41 2006
Effexor side effects and withdrawal I have just come off a large dose of effexor(after having been on it for more than 8 years) and was supposed to go on to a different anti-depressant. The more I came off the effexor the more like my old pre-depression self I was becoming. No-one warned me about the withdrawal side effects and I feel like I have been to hell and back, but thankfully with light at the end of the tunnel. My doctor said that the vision distortion would last between 5 and 7 days and I have been concerned that I am still experiencing bouts of it a couple of weeks down the track. My brain felt like it had turned to cotton wool and is still pretty fuzzy at times. I was starting to worry that I was imagining it or being a bit of a hypochondriac but I feel better having read the info on this site. I was only given detailed info about effexor when I got the very last script filled and was amazed that a lot of the problems I had thought was just me was more than likely down the effexor. I had become very aggressive and was constantly looking for a fight(my road rage was out of control). The lethargy was beyond description as everything even washing the dishes was so totally overwhelming, the end result was gaining a massive 50 kgs over the last 8 years. I wouldn't even say I was happy on the effexor - actually I would say I was a bloody misery and I don't know how anyone put up with me. I feel like I have begun living again instead of being a barely functioning cypher and I now wake each morning and feel so glad to be alive. Thankyou for the opportunity to share this. by Maura On Sun Jul 16 07:41:34 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal I take effexor xr and I am having to get off of it. The drug has become toxic to my body and is making me sick. I am sick to my stomach every day and feel like I have the flu most of the time. I have tried to get off effexor before and it sucks! I think I could kick a heroin habit easier. by Tamara On Fri Jul 14 06:55:48 2006
hORRIBLE FEELING GETTING OFF EFFEXOR i REALLY DIDN'T NEED A DRUG BUT MY DOC SUGGESTED EFFEXOR TO HELP EASE SOME INDECISION I HAD. hE SAID IT IS NON HABIT FORMING. i NEED OFF. I AM HAVING SEVERE FLU LIKE FEELINGS. cAN NOT WORK. cAN NOT THINK, HAVE NO JOY. by FRANCES On Sat Jul 08 16:55:54 2006
my experience of exfexor withdrawal This is my second time now trying to leave the colourless world of antidepressants, and what a struggle it is. I've fought with depression all my life and even though antidepressants helped me through the darkest hours of my life, of which i'm not sure i'd have made it without, life with and without the medication seems to be much the same. I have now come to the decision that its me not tablets that will provide the support to overcome my problems. However my battle now to give up the meds seems to be my biggest battle ever! It's only been two days since I stopped completly and the side effects are crippling. My head is spinning, the sickness is constant and the shakes are unreal. I have every side effect going, it seems impossible but this is something I have to do. My passion has been robbed by the medication and I can't even feel emotions like I did before. Its either one or the other, both being on meds and off have their ups and downs it just depends what pain you can live with and which you prefer. My advice is to just see what you can live with in this particular moment, when I went on medication I couldn't live without it so for then it was the right thing for me but now its not. It didn't solve my problems, just made me realise that I have to. Good luck, and keep fighting life is worth it! XOX by Audrey On Thu Jul 06 07:50:16 2006
Horrific Skin Itching I am 5 days into reduding my dosage of Effexor XR and beginning Zoloft. I've gone from 225 mg. of Effexor Xr down to 75mg. I am introducing Zoloft at the same time (50mg at this point). My skin started itching tonight and it is driving me nuts! It's mostly my lower legs but also my arms, scalp and the back of my neck. I suspect it is the Effexor Xr leaving my system however I am not sure. Maybe it's the Zoloft. Has anybody had a similar experience? AAuuuuugghhhhh. by barbara On Sat Jun 03 01:10:15 2006
Got Off Effexor Got off Effexor with not too much trouble. On it for 10 weeks (up to 187 mg). Went to 150, then 75 for 2 days , then 37.5 for 2 days, then took 15 pellets from the capsule for 2 days. Went through intense crying episodes, heavy sweating. Its been 2 weeks now and all has settled down. by rickf On Fri Jun 02 21:35:17 2006
Effexor Withdrawl I have recently been taken off of Effexor ER, I was on it for a total of 2 years and now that I have been taken off of it I am really sick. My side effects include, nausia, numbness in my mouth and feet, bad eye sight, vomitting, diarreha, off balance when standing or sitting up right. I can say that there are horrible side effects that will take place once you stop taking the drugs. I was on 150mg and taken off 100% in a matter of 2 weeks as per my doctor. I would never suggest to anyone that they take this drug or if they do decide to stop taking it. The past week for me has been HELL and I have missed work all week due to this. by Sherri On Thu May 18 19:08:57 2006
Effexor I was on the 150mg after being on 75 for about 3 months. My moods were far too extreme for even me to handle. I stopped on my own cold turkey from taking Effexor. I was taking it for an occasional anxiety attack. However, I can handle the anxiety far more than not even knowing the person I was when taking Effexor. I refuse to put on any type of medication for a small bit of anxiety, when it changes the person I am.
by Angie On Fri May 12 13:39:03 2006
effexor xr withdrawals I have been taking effexor xr (75mg.) for only 10 weeks, but I am so tired of the emptiness I feel emotionally. My personality is flat and stagnant. I have tried twice to break away from my meds, but have gotten such awful symptoms- dizzy, brain zaps, slushy/groggy thinking. Is anyone else out there who feels like they were given a med without being made aware of how difficult it will be to stop! I'd rather go back to my depressive state! by karen On Wed May 10 11:42:51 2006
Effexor I am so glad I found your website! I have been on Effexor for three and a half years, and over those years I have experienced more bouts of depression and suicide thoughts than when I first was diagnosed. It just seems to be getting worse instead of better since I started Effexor. There have been times when I have forgotten or have just not taken my Effexor on time, and I can't tell you the side effects that I feel. I don't know if anyone has ever experienced "brain sivers" before but it is the most terrible, scary feeling to go through. You could say that when I experience a feeling of "zapping" or lttle electrical shocks going on in my brain I know that I have forgotten or I did not take a dose on time. I would try to talk to my Doctor and he would just look at me like I WAS really losing my mind, it is such a answer to prayer to know that there is other people who have experienced the same things I have being on and trying to go off Effexor. Thank you for this Website it has saved my life. by Kim On Mon May 08 16:48:01 2006
effexor withdrawal i'm effexor free for 3 weeks. after 2 years of pills, i'm off. well, hells bells. i had no idea what this stuff was doing to me. i've entered the twilight zone. sometimes i wonder who this person is that inhabited my head. i'm doing it cold turkey. any suggestions? by lu On Mon May 08 15:16:44 2006
Effexor Withdrawal I have been on and off of Effexor for the past 4 years. I just recently went off, I winged myself off and have not taken any on 3 weeks. I am suffering for insomnia. We I go to bed, my mind races and I cannot sleep. I have no other side effects just insomnia. Any suggestions? by Paul On Mon May 08 09:54:10 2006
Letter to Wyeth/Trying to make a change This was the only email contact I could locate. And since you are PR you can read and pass on to whomever you think might be interested.
I am so very disgusted and ill over the withdrawals I am having from Effexor. I have been doing quite a bit of homework and I am not alone by a long shot. Your customers know the suffering that comes with ending their use of this drug no matter how they taper their dose. Seems the only people who don't get it are you all and the doctors..I suppose you get it, just don't care. Because if the withdrawals are too bad many will just continue a low dose, many others I imagine think they are truly in need of continuing the medication.
Well, I will not give up. I will make it to the other side. As a single mother of two wonderful boys I have no choice. And as I continue to regain my strength and focus my future will be spent on educating customers, doctors, and attorneys as to the extreme adverse affects this drug can pose. All your little fancy programs via email and usps are just a clever way to hook hurting people onto a harmful substance under the pretense of caring. Forget the drug trials we all know figures don't lie but liars figure.
I have an idea.why don't you all take your product for a while then stop and see what happens to you?
I regretfully send this type of correspondence, but I have reached my limit and it is time for action on behalf of others in my situation and those who will follow. Now the goal is not to just "get through it", but to prevent this from continuing.
Sincerely,
Cindy Henry
earthtec(at)bellsouth.net On Sun May 07 14:36:42 2006
Effexor withdrawal I'm so glad I came across this site. I have been taking 225 mg. of Effexor for 6 years! Before that Zoloft, before that Paxil. I forgot to take the Effexor last night at my usual time, and about 8 hrs later (only 8 hours!) I had the worst side effects. This has happened before. Brain zaps, headache, stomach problems, etc. I hate being chained to this drug. I want so badly to get off it and I am petrified to stop. Thank you all for sharing your experiences with these drugs. I will do the same. I'll talk to my doctor about the Prozac and Benadryl. I feel horrified for my husband. He's the one who will have to deal with me during the withdrawal phase. I wish I could afford one of those fancy medical detox centers. Again, thank you all for sharing your experiences. by Jane On Tue May 02 19:07:05 2006
Effexor Withdrawal - Terrible Time I recently ran out of Effexor XR-75 mg (back on now) and was unable to get a prescription for 5 days...well, it was the worst 5 days I have experienced in a long time. The list of symptoms experienced by me ranged from: After I had the chance to get another prescription, part of me didnt want to begin taking them again because of the sheer extreme of the withdrawals - but I know that nothing else seems to help with the Depression. I am very concerned about eventually coming off because I had the same problems with Zoloft....that was a really bad time Unfortunately, I have to take them because the Depression I think, when it raises its ugly head again, is far worse..... Regards, Tracey On Sun Apr 30 21:34:55 2006
Effexor XR withdrawal I have been on Effexor XR up to 300 mg since last May-December. My p doc weaned me off of it, I have been in hospital for two months while doing so, the last taper, I was without drug, was the most hellish weeks in my life. I felt like the electrical company bought shares in my body. The nausea, dizziness, unable to move your head, Being on the drug made me hostile, angry, more depressed because I slept all the time, I even overdoses on 30 pills of Effexor XR 300 mg and Immovane, and Valium. I saw fairies. This drug may work for some, but for me, it is the most hellish drug I have ever been on, the side effects, I am still recovering, and now on Zoloft, which had worked for me in the past but I am about to trash Zoloft soon, because I find it is not working like when I was on it years ago. I even lost my job of 5 years due to a psychiatrist while on this drug, I was on it, and looking for help, developed a "transference" reaction to him, I blame effexor Wyeth, etc... DO NOT TAKE THIS DRUG IF YOU CAN. by Rochelle On Thu Apr 27 13:54:34 2006
Effexxor Withdrawl: The Hell Continues Does this ever get better? My symptons are getting worse. I'm now constantly dizzy, can't focus, am exhausted but can't sleep, very easily irritated, sick to my stomach, and the brain zaps are not as intense but are more frequent. I thew all my effexxor away because I don't want to ever take this drug or any other like it again. The depression that caused me to take this drug in the first place was not nearly as bad as what I'm going through right now. Can anyone out there tell me how long this is going to last or if there is anything I can do to feel better? I've tried to exercise but can't because of the dizzyness and nausea and would love to sleep through this if I could. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. by Denise On Tue Apr 25 15:52:36 2006
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