Posted by Mary Magdalene on September 10, 2002, at 3:18:56
In reply to starting effexor...., posted by ADJ on September 6, 2002, at 12:06:06
'NO' TO EFFEXOR
I just went off it (sort of Cold Turkey) after 8 mnths. 8 months of no feelings at all. Anxiety, depression, anger, sadness, happiness, ambition: all gone. Lived in a sort of semi dreamworld, and loved it. Realise now that was not me. Also side effects: constipation, no appetite, lots of sweating, communication problems, short term memory loss, all this whilst on the drug. I was on 300mg/day. Decided to change my life. Sold house, moved across the country (from depressing Lismore in Northern NSW, Australia - to Broome, Northern West Australia). Depression gone so started weaning off the drug. BAD MOVE. Tried alternating: 300mg one day, 175mg next. The days i took 175mg were too long. Dizzy, balance, swishing in head and spinning = a couple of hours before and after taking the 300mg tablet. Went to see a new doctor in Broome, did not know anything about side effects of weaning off effexor, so said it had nothing to do with the drug, it was just some blockage in my oxygen supply to the brain - and to do some neck rolling exercises!!!!! ($45 fee, thank you).
Decided to go it alone and started taking the 175mg every day for 4 weeks. Sort of allright. Bit of buzzing in the head, feeling funny, not 'with-it' etc. Then after 4 weeks went 'cold turkey'. Thank the Goddess, I had found this message board on effexor, and realised I was not going mad, but that my symptoms were more than common. Never felt so bad in my life, and scared "Sh...less". Electric currents running thru my brain, constantly, as if I was picking up all the micro waves and telecommunication waves of the whole area. Also feeling sick, nausea, iritable, feeling misunderstood and neglected by my partner, and the most vivid dreams at night. I also started getting the depression symptoms again (crying for no reason, howling at times for the littlest thing). These full on symptoms lasted 2 weeks. The third week only in the evenings, or when I felt tired. Now I'm in my fourth week of No Effexor, and I gradually am shaking it. Only a little of the swooshing left in my head.
So please, to anyone reading this and thinking of going on the drug: Pls consider looking for another alternative.
For those on the drug and trying to get off: Pls DO - and just hang in there. Take a few weeks off work (or whatever you're doing), check into a health farm, a holiday resort, a caring and understanding friends place, a convent, whatever.... and hang in there. Drink lots of spring water, try to get some clean healthy air, and tell yourself that the suffering you are going thru is only temporary, untill all the chemicals have left your body. AND DO NOT GIVE UP. It does get better, and what you're experiencing are 'normal' withdrawal symptoms (and won't killl you).
But please do not grab for the drug as a relief, it will only prolong the healing process, you have to get off it sometime.
Lots of love and support to all those struggling out there.
Mary Magdalene
poster:Mary Magdalene
thread:119018
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020906/msgs/119440.html