Posted by Jiggitykid on January 27, 2005, at 22:27:42 [reposted on January 27, 2005, at 23:57:06 | original URL]
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by bossfan on January 27, 2005, at 20:25:46
As this is still a fairly "new," drug and the withdrawals have yet to be officially noted, the side effects officially recorded. . .we don't know what PERMANENT damage has been done. I know that my VISION was clear before I started taking effexor. I know that I didn't wake during the night with electric shocks coursing through my body before the effexor. Keep in mind, I TOOK MY LAST DOSE of effexor OVER A YEAR AGO, and I'm still having vision problems and shocks during the night. Let's categorize that as, "Permanent-so-far."
I'm glad effexor saved your marriage. It nearly destroyed mine, and getting effexor out of my system so that my sanity could return was the only thing that saved it (not to mention the Grace of God, which got me through the horror).
I don't think anyone here wants to see the drug company go out of business, and no lawsuit in the world would result in that. A fine is little more than a slap on the wrist to these guys. What we want is ACCOUNTABILITY. We want true patient information. When I began taking effexor, there was NOTHING said about withdrawal. When I began having problems with it, I was instructed to UP the dose, just as the drug company had instructed the doctor. We are asking for INFORMATION, so that patients can be allowed to make INFORMED CHOICES that are right for each person.
There is no need for argument here. You experienced the way effexor stops working, and for whatever reason the doctor stopped effexor instead of increasing the dose. That is a classic pattern with effexor, your body needs more and more of it for it to be effective. Add the withdrawal to it and what do you have? A HIGHLY PHYSICALLY ADDICTIVE DRUG. No one was told that this drug was addictive.
WE DEMAND ACCOUNTABILITY, INFORMATION, AND RESPONSIBILITY. And, as the previous poster said, a lawsuit is the ONLY way to get a big corporation to listen. If you have a better solution, trust me, we'd love to hear it.
> I'm sure all 7,500 of us who signed the petition, and who have suffered tremendously from side-effects and horrendous withdrawal symptoms....tapering off and cold turkey.....are very glad you are one of the few who have had no problems. The reason there is talk about legal action is that drug manufacturers don't care obviously about anything but money, so the only way to get them to hear us is to cause them to pay back some of that money that they have extorted from unsuspecting, trusting patients. As long as they can profit from drugs who do more hurt than good, they will continue producing and pushing these drugs. They have to learn that if they put a drug on the market that they know will hurt many, many people, they will have to pay for it. This is the only way such profiteers will stop taking advantage of patients who trust doctors who trust drug manufacturers. Once again, I am glad you are not going through what we all are. Please don't minimize what we have been through and are going thru. You remind me of the genetically thin person who gouges the person who has a struggle losing weight. I have not had a bit of Effexor in 3 weeks now after tapering off and as I'm writing this I am wondering how my brain jumped out of my head and where it went. I am also wondering when the shock feelings will stop randomly surging through my body and when I can shift my eyes without the feeling that I have disconnected from my body. When will the bizarre terrifying nightmares end and when will I be myself again. And, believe it or not, this is an improvement. That's why there needs to be legal action.
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> The way I found this website was because I WAS having horrible withdrawal symptoms. Horrifying withdrawal symptoms. Then I took the advice I found on this thread and started a taper. I called my psych 2 days later and reported what was happening and he tapered me down gently and off.
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> I take issue with your assertion that Effexor is a drug that "does more hurt than it does good". I, for one, started Effexor when I was in the depths of a paralyzing depression. For 4 years it helped me. Saved me and my marriage. *Poof* it stopped working for whatever reason and I am hoping to find something else that will help me.
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> In my assessment, Effexor has done me more good than bad - although those few days of withdrawal were horrible! I don't look to put a drug company out of business because of it.
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> I am in no way trying to diminish your or the others on this thread's experience with Effexor. I respectfully disagree with filing a lawsuit. Stuff happens. Bad stuff happens. Many times there is no voluntary malice involved. I am grateful to the drug companies for their Research & Development departments that are trying to make life better for all forms of life. Filing of these types of lawsuits drives costs up to a point where they (the drug companies) have to weigh whether or not to continue with their research.
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> And, no, I don't work for or have any close friends or relatives that work for drug companies. And if I were aware of intentional malice of a drug company which resulted in PERMANENT damage to myself or loved one, I would consider legal action.
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poster:Jiggitykid
thread:448972
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20050123/msgs/448980.html