Posted by TiredMike on July 13, 2003, at 1:39:47
Hi everyone,
Let me explain a little. I was put on Effexor XR 75mg a year ago due to "health anxiety" mainly because I showed panic symptoms unless I ate every few hours. I believed I'd over stressed myself due to the (mis)use of recreational drugs and become hypoglycemic which led me to become depressed to the state of planning suicide.
Initially I wasn't tired on Effexor and the "going on" side-effects lasted about two weeks, thereafter my body and mind began to heal. However as I felt mentally better and was able to begin to eat normally I was becoming more and more tired and getting regular pins and needles\burning sensation in my extremities. About four months ago I felt my head "click" (which I've associated before with no longer being depressed - yes I have a history of mild depression, but this has been the worst episode) and wanted to begin to get off the meds. My Physiciatrist didn't let me start to reduce my dose until a month ago, by which time I was continually knackered and have pins and needles continually in my fingers (particularly left hand). I reduced my does to 37.5mg (not XR) and hoped my tiredness would begin to ease. My mian withdrawal symptoms were mild dizziness but the tiredness continues. I am completely off Effexor now (have been for two weeks) and the only real side effect I have now is the continue tiredness and pins and needles.
Since you could same I am still anxious about my health I wonder whether my symptoms are merely Effexor withdrawal (something I can handle as I know it'll get better). (I've done quite a lot of reading and SSRI's increase the level of Serotonine in the brain which amoungst other things - like controlling sleep, blood pressure and memory - releaves depression. However it also damages the "(re)uptake" mechanism of "used" serotonine and therefore excess serotonine is left affecting your body until the brain's neuroreceptors responsible for the "(re)uptake" heal).
I can't find anything on the web which really talks about how people feel after having withdrawn (lots about getting "on", being "on" and getting "off" but nothing about being "off"). Can anyone else share their experiences?
Cheers,
Mike
poster:TiredMike
thread:241375
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030708/msgs/241375.html