Posted by zander on March 9, 2005, at 10:44:24
I have been reading this message board for quite a while now and have only today had the 'energy/fortitude' to post today. I thank everyone for sharing their experiences and for the information. Everytime I would read the messages, I would become greatly DISTRESSED!!! I have gone through alot of what people have described - in my situation I was headed for major disaster because I was having what people call 'withdrawal symptoms' while I was still taking the effexor. It scares me tremendously.... I started taking effexor in Aug 2001 and my last day was Feb 12, 2005. I had to go through the torment and at times thought I was going to die...I don't need to recount particulars, as I am sure that many of you are well aware of the experience. My diffculties started initially about two years ago - I began having what I call 'electrical shocky things' that started in my head and radiated down my arms to my hands, experienced a great deal of vertigo. In one instance, my arms became rigid, and my fingers had such an interesting 'curl' to them - my husband thought I was having a stroke! Anyway, I went down hill slowly from there on...I had poor response from my psychiatrist and family doctor - had many referrals to so many different specialists: Rheumatology (diagnosed with fibromyalgia), pulmonology (diagnosed with hypopnea & put on CPAP), otolaryngology (said my problems were neurological), and my most favorite NEUROLOGY. Over time I steadily declined in mental functioning (there is another story here as well, tested by NeuroPsych) and began having black outs...now would you not think that someone here would have had a clue!!!! I had even asked the doctors if it could be the medications - response - no....Instead, in their infinite (?) wisdom, neurology put me on neurontin and said see you later...again another visit, they said that they could still see no reason for my symptoms and increased the neurontin.
Needless, to say, I switched doctors, inlcuding my psychiatrist - insisted on going off the neurotin and effexor, which he supported. Has been four weeks since I stopped taking the meds...but still have side effects - alleviated by tramadol and clonazapam. I hate it- being dependent on other drugs. But I feel so terrible in the morning, and the only thing to get me through the day are more meds - the tramadol alleviates the zaps, terrible bone and muscle aches, my IB etc....
The thing that terrifies me the most is whether, my body has suffered irreversible effects from the effexor and neurontin - i.e., liver and or kidney damage, etc. I have parathesia (some days better than others). I cry because I am sad that I have 'lost' these two years, and that no is able to advise me as to what to expect now....
Thank you for listening...I must stop now as this is distressing and is tiring me out. If I told any of this to people I know they would think that I was making it all up, or worse yet, put me off because they don't know what to say.
My sincere best to everyone here.
Marie
poster:zander
thread:468713
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/wdrawl/20050228/msgs/468713.html