Posted by TrishaTreasure on August 2, 2003, at 5:55:56
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Symptoms, posted by Brenn on July 31, 1999, at 14:40:51
I have been on Xanax for 16 years for PAD and agoraphobia. Many doctors I saw over the years suggested an AD but I didn't want one. I finally caved in and decided to give one more than a 3 day try. That AD was Effexor. My father and sister are on and seem OK so I wasn't afraid of it.
HA! I started out at 18.50 mg and felt terrible. Every increase, I felt like death. EVENTUALLY, I got up to 75 mg and then 150. It was then that I noticed a urinary problem and I went to my doctor thinking I had a bladder infection. After a lot of messing around with tests, we realized it was the Effexor causing urinary retention and urgency.
So...I started down the hill to 75 from 150. Welcome to hell! It was AWFUL So awful that, as much as I wanted to get off the stuff, I stayed on 75 for a year. Finally, I decided to get off it and mapped out a plan with my doctor to do so. Oh my Lord. It was so bad. Every dose decrease was like I was going to die. I never felt so bad. The brain shocks were so loud that I could hear them as if they were church bells and I was standing inside one. They also made blinding light flashes. Plus headaches, stomach problems, dizziness, you name it.
It was the same every dose change. It was slow too. Not fast, we knew I would have some withdrawal. But this was just insane. At 37 mg I almost gave up and took a 75 because I hated feeling like death. I didn't do it though and eventually I got off it completely. I had brain shocks and other symptoms for weeks after my last pill.
Now I am just on Xanax once again and won't go on another SD. I feel so much better. Effexor kicked my butt! I was so tired and unmotivated, Now I am doing so much better. Of course, this, after a manic episode when getting off Effexor. I never had one before and I am not MD. But WOW. Every time I used to hear that people were manic I thought it must be cool to have all that energy. Um, no. Mania is so not cool. I was out of my gourd.
I am at 4-5 mg of Xanax a day and would like to cut down to 2-3.
My doctor gave me a RX for a 4 mg XR -- scared of it.
I knew it is the same thing but does it really last all day and night? I find it so hard to believe. Plus Xanax is my crutch. Knowing it is there and IMMEDIATELY will help the panic is such a comfort.
But I am going to do it and then, maybe, will be able to cut back. The fog lifted 100000 times since getting off Effexor but I would like it to lift a bit more by lowering my Xanax dose.
Will I panic? Oh yeah. Do I now? Yup. Not as much and it isn't as scary but it's there.
Anyway, I just wanted to 1) tell you that Effexor is horrible to get off and caution everyone who does go off to be prepared and so very very slowly
and 2) ask if anyone has been on the Xanax XR and if it seems to be the same (or better?) as short acting Xanax.
Thanks! :)
Trish
poster:TrishaTreasure
thread:9439
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030802/msgs/247533.html