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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 539 to 563 of 735. Go back in thread:
Posted by dancingstar on December 26, 2004, at 11:37:11
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » sillyme, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 2:47:54
I quit 150 mg just over three months ago, and I am just now returning to normal. I think you should opt for a tapered dose, or some doctors like to add Prozac in to make you "feel" better, something about it being a longer-acting drug and not being difficult to stop taking later.
Barring those options, Benadryl or something similar might be your best bet for relief with the addition of SAMe and St. John's Wort, perhaps, and possibly L-tryptophan, but I don't take it cause I didn't react well to L-tryptophan. Most people recover in a week to a month, but I didn't. Every time I thought it was over, I got sick again. Nausea, vomiting, colitis, brain shivers -- still get this and the paresthesia, uticaria, migraines, massive pain everywhere so that I could barely move, sweating, freezing, fever, extreme anxiety, panic attacks, inability to be around people even if you are normally really social...any and all of those are probably withdrawal symptoms.
It's been three months, and for the first time yesterday I went rollerblading at the beach...want to go again this morning. I'm beginning to feel like myself again. It was one rough road!!! You will have to take extremely good care of yourself and ask your wife for infinite patience as you will be mighty difficult to live with...most say this is so. If you are going to go cold turkey, tell her you love her now, tell her nothing, absolutely nothing will change this no matter what you say or do...or don't do.
I'm putting together a class action against Wyeth for not letting people like me know how horrible this was going to be and also for not letting us know about the possible side effects of Effexor/XR. If after you are done you find yourself interested in joining our group, you are welcome to drop me a line :-).
Best of luck to you!!! Happy New Year!!!!!!!
Bebe
Bebe0217@aol.com
Posted by Wanda C on December 26, 2004, at 14:37:35
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » sillyme, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 2:47:54
If you can get to your pharmacy and let that pharmacist see you and the withdrwls you are going through, they will probably give you enough until your prescription goes through. Make sure you bring in your empty bottle also, they will put the pills in that. Your doctor may not have known about the severity of our withdrawls so that is probably why thay didn't tell you. Unfortunately, I have gone through the same thing you are going through right now when might meds would run out and the insurance would screw everything up. I would end up going without meds for four days to two weeks at a time. Talk about a roller coaster. Then I got a new insurance company and a better pharmacy. Good luck to you and keep in touch with all of us at this web site so we can be there for one another. Quick question before I go, How are your dreams? gorry? descriptive? scary? make you sad or mad the next day? I ask because when my meds get messed up, I have all the listed above descriptions in my dreams and I want to know if it may be related to effexor. Again good luck and have a Happy New Year!
From
Wanda
Posted by dancingstar on December 26, 2004, at 14:54:16
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » ht, posted by Wanda C on December 26, 2004, at 14:37:35
That might be a good idea, Wanda. When I stopped, my pharmacist gave me two pills to get through the weekend, just in case I got in trouble when after three days he saw that I looked like a decomposing heroin addict. I didn't want to take them, though, because I figured it would all be over within a week or so and I thought it was all nearly over and didn't want to have to go through the pain all over again. Besides I knew I had an appointment with my doctor by the sixth day of withdrawal and that he would surely make it all better...boy was I wrong.
About the dreams, I think that if you can sleep through the beginning stages of withdrawal, you are very lucky. Funny, besides the brain zaps and things like the room moving in stages when I turned my head and the insanity brought about by the severe physical pain, I didn't have any other purely mental experiences. I couldn't sleep because I was dizzy, had headaches, was shaking all night long, was throwing up and couldn't leave the bathroom; so there were no bad dreams, good dreams, or any dreams that were left in my memory banks by the time I caught a few winks
:-)....glad it's over....
Posted by Larry Hoover on December 26, 2004, at 15:39:09
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » sillyme, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 2:47:54
Ya, it's pretty good in a sandwich with mayonnaise.
Sorry. Couldn't resist.
Lar
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 26, 2004, at 16:38:29
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » ht, posted by Wanda C on December 26, 2004, at 14:37:35
The dreams are part of the withdrawal. Many folks have posted here that they are afraid to go to sleep, because the dreams are so horrifying and real.
Posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 16:43:53
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » ht, posted by Wanda C on December 26, 2004, at 14:37:35
The dreams were "wierd", being lost, strange situations, etc. All left me waking with heart palpatations and sweats. Taking the two 75's last night seems to have cleared up the WD symtoms, and to tell you the truth, I would rather stay on the stuff than go through this total disfunctionality. The Pharmaceutical companies get the MD's to get us hooked on these things and reap the profits there of, legal pushers!
Posted by dancingstar on December 26, 2004, at 17:03:25
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey?, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 16:43:53
I'm as tough as they come on the medical community...but after seeing my own internist's reaction, with they way he thought he knew what to expect with my withdrawal, thinking that he has read up on Effexor and what it does and not realizing how many others of us were out there with really bad reactions until I personally showed him all the data;
Since I had been treating with him for all of the problems that have now subsided since I stopped taking Effexor for two years and neither of us could have known this because the info has been withheld from both patients and doctors to a great degree, I can't blame all the doctors for thinking that Effexor isn't that bad especially since more and more of them are prescribing it all the time.
Even though I loathe the doctor that put me on Effexor originally as he did some really, really bad things to me, I think that Wyeth needs to take full responsibility for causing so much harm to so many people. They've been leading all of us down the garden path. From what I can gather, so much information is being withheld from doctors that it's hard to blame them for what they don't find out until their patients begin to show up with these bizarre and unexpected symptoms, which I think is just starting to happen. (It's my opinion that sales of Effexor have increased significantly in the last three or so years, but I haven't verified this in any way.)
If anyone ever reads this that has ever worked for Wyeth or that has access to the informaton that I need to help prove my assumptions beyond a reasonable doubt and would consider helping me with or without disclosing your personal information, I will do whatever you need me to in order to assure your anonymity. I could sure use some "accurate" inside data and stats to test the validity of my theories.
Thanks,
Bebe - bebe0217@aol.com
Posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 17:31:48
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » ht, posted by dancingstar on December 26, 2004, at 17:03:25
I don't blame the Doctor, then the PA, then the Nurse Practioner (that's the progression of care I received) for Wyeth's activities. The Pharmaceutical Co.'s try to get as much mileage out of their product before it can go generic as possible.
My Doctor put me on effexor over two years ago when I was going through anxiety over career change and finances (I was pushing a heart attack from stress). I have been fine on the drug, no side effects, but if I have to go through weeks of WD like the sample I just suffered, that's addiction! My little "red" pills would be costing me $5 ea if my wife didn't have great insurance where she works, as is, I'm only paying $25 for a month's script.
And yes, by observation, effexor has become the med of choice by Doctors because of the "less prevalent" side effects. I beleive this was on the news recently.
My wife can't take antidepressants, they depress her even more.
Posted by dancingstar on December 26, 2004, at 17:49:56
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey?, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 17:31:48
> I don't blame the Doctor, then the PA, then the Nurse Practioner (that's the progression of care I received) for Wyeth's activities. The Pharmaceutical Co.'s try to get as much mileage out of their product before it can go generic as possible.
>
> My Doctor put me on effexor over two years ago when I was going through anxiety over career change and finances (I was pushing a heart attack from stress). I have been fine on the drug, no side effects, but if I have to go through weeks of WD like the sample I just suffered, that's addiction! My little "red" pills would be costing me $5 ea if my wife didn't have great insurance where she works, as is, I'm only paying $25 for a month's script.
>
> And yes, by observation, effexor has become the med of choice by Doctors because of the "less prevalent" side effects. I beleive this was on the news recently.
>
> My wife can't take antidepressants, they depress her even more.
As for the "less prevalent" side effects, please go to www.wyeth.com and look under Effexor. It is important that you read about the side effects for yourself.I don't think that they list "weight gain," which seems to be a common side effect, but they do address fatigue and depression as well as all the rest; colitis, arthritis, pain, fatigue, liver and kidney problems, constipation, heart problems, cholesterol, high blood pressure, low blood pressure...well, you can read them for yourself. It's better that way as it's quite an extensive list :-)
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 26, 2004, at 23:08:48
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey?, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 16:43:53
Do you feel "normal?" I felt dulled down, lethargic and disconnected while taking it. I can't tell you in strong enough terms that staying on it is a bad decision. You will need more and more, and the anxiety will build. Get off the stuff as soon as you can. The withdrawal symptoms DO stop. It takes a while, but it can be done. Hang in there!
> The dreams were "wierd", being lost, strange situations, etc. All left me waking with heart palpatations and sweats. Taking the two 75's last night seems to have cleared up the WD symtoms, and to tell you the truth, I would rather stay on the stuff than go through this total disfunctionality. The Pharmaceutical companies get the MD's to get us hooked on these things and reap the profits there of, legal pushers!
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 26, 2004, at 23:12:39
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey?, posted by ht on December 26, 2004, at 17:31:48
I can't tell you how much it distresses me to read of people put on antidepressants for life changes. There are so many other avenues of coping, yet our society throws pills at us. Yes, there is a time and place for drug treatment, but the medical community is handing them out for anything now. It's a terrible, dangerous trend.
There is a better way to deal with life changes.
> I don't blame the Doctor, then the PA, then the Nurse Practioner (that's the progression of care I received) for Wyeth's activities. The Pharmaceutical Co.'s try to get as much mileage out of their product before it can go generic as possible.
>
> My Doctor put me on effexor over two years ago when I was going through anxiety over career change and finances (I was pushing a heart attack from stress). I have been fine on the drug, no side effects, but if I have to go through weeks of WD like the sample I just suffered, that's addiction! My little "red" pills would be costing me $5 ea if my wife didn't have great insurance where she works, as is, I'm only paying $25 for a month's script.
>
> And yes, by observation, effexor has become the med of choice by Doctors because of the "less prevalent" side effects. I beleive this was on the news recently.
>
> My wife can't take antidepressants, they depress her even more.
Posted by ht on December 27, 2004, at 8:01:49
In reply to Re: Ever tried cold turkey? » ht, posted by Jiggitykid on December 26, 2004, at 23:08:48
As I said, I saw no change in myself except the things that were causing me to be so anxious, I have been able to sit back and realize God will take care of it. It's been over two years and I haven't seen any need for larger doses.
I'm 50 yrs old and have never been "addicted" to anything (except maybe coffee, which I've been drinking since I was 4). I've got too much going on right now just making ends meet to be debillitated for an extended period of time going through WD.
And you are quite right, Physicians today would rather throw pills at symptoms than take care of the cause.
Posted by ChestersMom on December 29, 2004, at 11:59:20
In reply to Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by Becky on October 2, 1999, at 22:03:30
I have been off Effexor for just over a week and I still have the terrible symptoms of the withdrawl. I took Effexor for 2 years, 75 mg/day. I also did the gradual withdrawl but still feeling lowsy. I hope this goes away soon. I don't think I have ever felt this bad. I hope you are doing better.
> I have been on Effexor for about one year and for the last month or so have been tapering down to get off completely. My doctor had me on 27.5 mg (about as low as one can go!). I have just finished one week on this low dosage and this is the third day off. I still have horrible withdrawal symptoms! Nausea! Body aches! Dizziness! Help! How long does it take?????
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 29, 2004, at 17:56:14
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by ChestersMom on December 29, 2004, at 11:59:20
If you follow the path of most folks here, you have another week to "endure," but then you'll begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. After about two more weeks, you'll begin to feel like yourself. It takes a while, and requires understanding of that on your part. I often have thought that the fact that I was one of the "early ones," here on this board, I was lucky in a way, because I didn't have any kind of idea about length of symptoms. I had to face it on a day-by-day basis, and I strongly recommend you face it that way, too. Give yourself LOTS of lattitude, understand that your temper is likely to be short, your emotions are significantly more fragile right now, and that you need to be careful about making major decisions for a while. Please help those around you to understand what is going on. If you haven't, send them here and let the peruse the archives to see what the reality of withdrawal from this drug is. Now, don't take this as a license to misbehave :-), but you will have to give yourself room.
I went cold-turkey. I've read here where folks have done the graduated step-down, and I've not seen any major difference in withdrawal, exept perhaps in severity of symptoms. Once it is out of your system, regardless of how few you take, you still have to ride the rollercoaster until it stops.
Please know that you (and anyone reading this who is going through the same thing) are in my prayers. For me, as a Christian, the strength that kept me hanging on was knowing that through it all, God was with me, He was loving me, and He was encouraging me to learn something from this. Now, I participate in this board to hopefully help folks who have just stepped off into the wilds of withdrawal. Please, take care of yourself. Please continue to check in here. Please go sign the petition at http://www.PetitionOnline.com/effexor/
Remember, there is a class action lawsuit in the works. Bebe0217@aol.com has all the info. Only email if you are seriously interested in joining. What can help now is if you write down everything you've experienced with effexor and the basic timeline. I'm not a litigious person. I don't jump into lawsuits at the drop of a hat. However, Wyeth knows about this, and needs to be held accountable in their lack of releasing information to the medical community and the consumers about the withdrawal effects of this medication.Hang in there!
> I have been off Effexor for just over a week and I still have the terrible symptoms of the withdrawl. I took Effexor for 2 years, 75 mg/day. I also did the gradual withdrawl but still feeling lowsy. I hope this goes away soon. I don't think I have ever felt this bad. I hope you are doing better.
>
> > I have been on Effexor for about one year and for the last month or so have been tapering down to get off completely. My doctor had me on 27.5 mg (about as low as one can go!). I have just finished one week on this low dosage and this is the third day off. I still have horrible withdrawal symptoms! Nausea! Body aches! Dizziness! Help! How long does it take?????
>
>
Posted by dancingstar on December 29, 2004, at 18:13:56
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » ChestersMom, posted by Jiggitykid on December 29, 2004, at 17:56:14
...what a perfect post!!! <<<applause>>>
Posted by justjamie on December 29, 2004, at 20:21:25
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » Jiggitykid, posted by dancingstar on December 29, 2004, at 18:13:56
Does anyone know anything about "zaps"? I went to my doctor today and described this electric shock feeling in my head that I get when I try going off my Effexor. She didn't know what I was talking about. Infact no one knows what I'm talking about. I thought I was going crazy until I found this web site.
Posted by Wanda C on December 29, 2004, at 21:30:17
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by justjamie on December 29, 2004, at 20:21:25
I am glad you found this web site. It will answer a lot of your questions, I know it sure has helped me. As far as the "ZAPS" yes that is a very common withdraw symptom. Some people refer them to brain jolts, it's not the name that matter's though, it is making sure we are all there for each other. Read the threads from Bebe, she has a lot of information that will be very useful for you. I know I say this over and over and doctors probably don't like it, but Adavan is a good medicine to take if you are having really bad withdrawls and you need rest. I know just from experience, that was the only thing that saved me from HONESTLY killing myself. I have three kids, those kind of emotions and thoughts shouldn't even be going through my head, and it was all caused from effexor. I used the adavan to just help me sleep. They are very addictive so I only ask for five at a time, but you only need one maybe two on a bad day. It is just really nice to have them in there when you can't take another minute of the suffering. Good luck to you sweetie. We are all going through it on this thread of Dr. Bob's web site. So if you have anymore questions, I am sure one of us will write you right back.
Have a happy New Year!!
From,
Wanda
Posted by jubilee on December 29, 2004, at 23:33:36
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » justjamie, posted by Wanda C on December 29, 2004, at 21:30:17
I pray that others will look at my sites too as well as Bebe's and Sammi's and there are so many people and good things to help you understand. I personally chose to go off slowley over 5 months period as I had the meds to do so, especially if you save every pebble like I did. ( if I could have kept ordering each month on my ins. I would have done that and said nothing .) and if there is a way to avoid what sounds like the "hong cong" flue for 3 weeks or more , then go ahead with your choice of withdrawal as my doc sure didn't understand that I would probably be dead. !! . I suggest things like not telling your dr, as with mine he put me on a regiment , in his great non wisdom to take me off of 300 mgs a day in 6 weeks, after 4 years on it !!. Even long term slow go Mentally and emotionaly have been the real kickers for me w/ outrageous anger attacks, and crying , and I can't think, balance checkbook, , and I already lost most my memory ability from the effexor and pray it will be restored to me along with my sleep and very ,impaired vision , due to the loss from effexor that they even admit as well as all I mention. No sexual life for 4 years now until just lately, and it made it painful for 4 years , so I went celibat .. I lost myself on effexor for 4 years and got stuck on it as I almost died 2 X's going off until someone mentioned "adavan" drug tranqulizers and taking it really slow , like 4 months, for my mixture of effexor withdrawal symptoms, one being cussing out Doctors, and had a small stroke the second time. This site and the effexor on line petition helped me on side affects and Bebe showed us good place also. and gave me hope 5 months ago, as I've been healed of depression 2 years ago, by God. I owe all my victories in life to God as I can do nothing without him(of any profit anyway.. Yes on adavan , and may I include Inderal for panic attacks if you have a problem w/ them like I did years ago and they are a side affects of withdrawel, I suggest safe anti-dep's like elivil as I was used as a guinny pig by mental Health for years to try new drugs. New AD's are all about money these days I believe. Doc's buy stock in these drugs and push them. I feel they dont want to hear the truth. Its an money issue I am sure of it. Lots of people making money.
Even though I never crossed ove 50 lbs over weight, 5'3'' med boned, and that was a small price to pay considering a life of doom , gloom and suisidal thinking. Every time I dropped a dose I did a highly suggested thing like take prozak for the first 5 days of a drop. Got a anti hystimine nose sprayer because I was taught it affects your hystamine levels and its taken every headacke away. I take promithizine for nausea, but a drug for motion sickness is needed . God just laid this stuff on me , so I used them and the antidiarreals. I dont know how poeple survive all that peuking for "cold Turkey" .
Welcome to all newbies , may you too draw much hope and comfort from this site as I have and hopefully been able to help others in some way.
I didnt tell my doc I took 5 months , I just did it, because I had the means and my suggestion is dont give up your means if you can afford it.
Wish you all the best, and Gods comfort through your difficult times if you have them , God Bless, Jubilee
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 29, 2004, at 23:59:38
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by justjamie on December 29, 2004, at 20:21:25
You were the least crazy one in the doctor's office!! How in the world can doctors claim the don't know what they are, when so many of us have had them? My husband constantly says, "Remember, they are just PRACTICING medicine. Maybe someday, they'll get it right."
Organically, I'm not sure the cause. But they are very real and annoying to the point of painful for some. For me, they ranged from tingling to a full-body painful shock from the top of my head out to my extremities. They will go away. Benedryl helps some with them. If you have access to pain medication like hydrocodone, that helps some. Look through the archives here - you'll find lots of discussion of the zaps.
Hang in there!!
> Does anyone know anything about "zaps"? I went to my doctor today and described this electric shock feeling in my head that I get when I try going off my Effexor. She didn't know what I was talking about. Infact no one knows what I'm talking about. I thought I was going crazy until I found this web site.
Posted by Jiggitykid on December 30, 2004, at 0:03:39
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by jubilee on December 29, 2004, at 23:33:36
>>>I dont know how poeple survive all that peuking for "cold Turkey"<<<
I suppose I was lucky in that the throwing up for me was minimal. As you said, motion sickness meds helped a lot. I lived on bonine (daytime, because it wouldn't make me sleepy) and dramamine (night time, 'cause it knocks me out). Be careful, though folks, not to combine dramamine and benedryl. Use one or the other, as they are both antihistamines.
Thanks for your post, jubilee!
Posted by dancingstar on December 30, 2004, at 0:49:17
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by justjamie on December 29, 2004, at 20:21:25
Poor you, poor doctors. The room moving after you turn your head, brain jolts, zaps, shocks, whatever -- they are real, all right; and we are all just now hitting the doctors' offices with the effects of this dreadful drug. They're learning about what has happened to us...but not nearly quickly enough to help so many people. Everyone has given you great advice. The Benadryl really helps if you can take it...and I have written more letters than my brain and fingers can process...I'm wiped. There's a lot of information on this board, though. please read through some of the posts. I've been writing them with my drama since the end of September, on, with everything that has worked and not worked along the way. So have many others. Some have been writing for much longer, and the posts go back several years. Ultimately, nothing has helped as much as Benadryl, wish I had found it sooner.
Don't we all want to know what the real anecdote to the poison is???? Or does it really kill something inside us? I'll be sure to let you know if I find out. In the meantime...if you read through everything, you will probably find as much information as we have so far. Oh...important for you to know that I'm feeling pretty great for over a week now...three months later ;-) much better than when I was taking E.
Blessings,
Bebe
Posted by dancingstar on December 30, 2004, at 1:00:29
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » justjamie, posted by Wanda C on December 29, 2004, at 21:30:17
This was absolutely the most painful experience of my life, and I have a high threshhold for pain. I studied Krav Maga, which is like street fighting. This withdrawal thing wiped me out emotionally and physically. Whatever you need to do to get through it...just get through it. If something makes it easier for you, as long as it isn't something that ultimately hurts you or someone else or is illegal or immoral or something...well, you know....just make sure that you don't make the situation any worse than it needs to be, is I think what I am trying to say, but there were plenty of times that I wished there were something like Valium or any kind of anti-anxiety type drug in the house. I think that would have been a great idea.
-bebe
Posted by David55 on December 31, 2004, at 2:58:51
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by justjamie on December 29, 2004, at 20:21:25
> Does anyone know anything about "zaps"?
I have heard them called zaps, brain shivers, electric jolts,"phasing", etc. These are all really apt descriptions. My experience along these lines have included: 1) an auditory feeling/sound reminiscent of a camp stove that is running out of fuel - like intermittent jets of gas striking the tympanic membrane 2) eye "flutter" - my eyes either literally move quickly several times from side to side, or at least feel that way 3) short bursts of dizziness or vertigo that accompany the first two symptoms, or maybe are caused by the eye "movements". I have also experienced the "phasing" - it feels like my physical body is slightly out of phase with my awareness.
I am in day 8 of my "cold turkey" withdrawal from a 150 mg/day Effexor dose. I've been on increasing doses over the last 10 years or so. Other withdrawal symptoms I am experiencing include 1) impossibly vivid dreams 2) bouts of intense emotional sensitivity, accompanied by crying on several occasions - days 3,4 and 5 were the hardest from this perspective 3) itchy ankles! I would never have thought this might be associated with withdrawing from Effexor until I start reading posts on this site!
On the bright side: 1) I haven't needed to take a nap! After feeling sleep-deprived for years, this has been a refreshing change! I am able to accomplish a lot more because I don't seem to need as much sleep 2) My memory seems to have improved and my mental acuity appears to be returning (I hope, I hope, I hope) 3) I feel more in touch with the world again - not so detached.
Why cold turkey? Over the past 10 years I have experienced lots of changes in both mental and physical functioning and really wasn't sure what role the Effexor was playing. For example, my sexual response has gone from robust to almost completely nil. But I also have been diagnosed with an L5-S1 spondylolisthesis with accompanying nerve impingement. Plus I'm pushing 50, so it might be just a casualty of the aging process. To see what role Effexor was playing, if any, in this area of my life, I gradually brought my Effexor dose down to near zero a couple of years ago with the help of my doctor. But this had no effect whatsoever on my sex life (darn!). So I went back on Effexor.
This time I just got weary of being tired and craving sleep all the time, not to mention the failing memory and mental fuzziness that was starting to shake my self confidence. When I gradually withdrew during the previously describe experiment, I had to contend with withdrawal symptoms (albeit not as intense)over a period of a couple of months. So I decided to save myself some time and get it over with. I'm doing it over the holidays because I have lots of time off.
I wouldn't recommend cold turkey for everyone (or anyone for that matter). But, other than the negative symptoms, I'm actually enjoying the sense of clarity and aliveness that appeared as unexpected gifts under my Christmas tree as a result of sudden withdrawal. But, as they say, don't do this if you need to operate heavy machinery or drive. I wouldn't have felt safe doing either. By day 8 this is not an issue for me. The brain zaps are becoming less intense. If I had known about the benedryl I probably would have tried that to decrease some of the symptoms.
Thanks to everyone for their posts over the last five years. It helps to know that other folks have gone though, or are going through, this wild process called Effexor withdrawal. Best wishes to you all in the future.
Posted by msbarker2u on January 12, 2005, at 13:44:43
In reply to Effexor Withdrawl - I did it, so can you, posted by soshie on October 31, 2003, at 14:41:33
Well am I glad I found this thread. This is unbelievable. I was on 175 mgs. (started on 35mgs I believe) for 6 years. Efxr was prescribed to me for PMDD symptoms. It worked great for about the first 2 years, then the dosage had to be upped to compensate. The first time I tried to stop taking this medicine was about 4 years ago when I was pregnant. The pg. ended in miscarriage, so I went back on. The withdrawals were terrible but I didn't know it wasn't just me. I had 2 more miscarriages while on Effexor and I was wondering if anyone else had this experience. Docs said there was no explanation for the miscarriages. Anyway, over the course of the years I have gained 50 lbs. and didn't connect it to the Effexor until reading some of these posts. Wow. Unbelievable. I have been struggling with weight loss, doing aerobics for 1 hour per day, 5 days a week and lost nothing. Absolutely nothing and that was after 2 months. I finally decided to stop taking this med for PMDD when I realized it wasn't working anymore anyway. Several weeks ago started halfing the capsule, then halfing that, etc. Sunday night I took 20 of the little balls and still felt so darn bad I decided to just quit. Couldn't get worse could it? Oh yes it can get worse. It has now been 3 days without any Effexor at all and these are my symptoms to date: brain shivers, eyes shifting back and forth, muscle and back soreness that is unbelievable, bleeding gums, itching which has subsided, horrible nightmares, headaches, nausea without actually vomiting, spells of anger, then saddness, tiredness that goes beyond anything I have experienced, irrational fear of absolutely nothing. Day 3 with nothing is a bit better than Days 1 and 2. I have a Master of Behavioral Studies in Counseling Psychology and worked as a Chemical Dependency counselor (in-patient). This is the kind of stuff you see in de-tox. To think I'm going through this and never got high is crazy. I think I could have been on any recreational drug or alcohol and not have had withdrawals this bad. The heart palpitations in the middle of the night almost had me thinking I should go to the ER except for the fact I had read about them on this thread. I had read all the symptoms for the Paxil Flu, and I know I have the Effexor Flu. When will this all stop? Anybody know? Thanks for any input.
Posted by David55 on January 13, 2005, at 20:10:52
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl - I did it, so can you, posted by msbarker2u on January 12, 2005, at 13:44:43
Hang in there Ms. Barker - it gets better! But please keep yourself safe in the process. Everyone's body chemistry is different, so we're all going to respond to Effexor withdrawal in our own way. If your withdrawal symptoms are severe enough it would be much better to work with your doctor to withdraw more gradually, even if it means dealing with milder symptoms over a longer time. There's no shame in that. But that's a decision that each of us has to make.
I've reached Day 22 since stopping my Effexor (150 mg SR/day). The brain shivers are very mild and infrequent at this point. In addition to the symptoms I reported earlier, I developed a rash after about 10 to 14 days that is just now starting to go away. I can't say for sure it was associated with withdrawing from Effexor though. I also have had a lot more pain associated with my back condition (L5-S1 spondylolisthesis), but after discussing this with a nurse practitioner friend this makes sense now. She said that antidepressants are often given to folks with chronic back conditions to dull the pain. It really burns me that I've been masking the pain without knowing it, doing who knows what kind of neurological damage in the process. Once I realized that my back was actually doing worse than I knew, I decided to take action. I ordered "gravity boots" and installed an inversion bar a couple of days ago. It's too early too tell, but I'm encouraged by the results I've seen so far.
A couple of other things I've noticed since I first posted 2 weeks ago is that I am now back to having regular bowel movements again - all this time I thought constipation was just a part of getting older! Little did I know it was the Effexor. I have also had a similar experience with urination. Within the past couple of years I found it was getting harder and harder to urinate. That has cleared up completely since getting off Effexor. I'm wondering now if the weight gain I've read about in this thread (and I must admit I've had a harder time myself maintaining my target body weight while on Effexor) has to do with food being resident in the body longer than it would be without Effexor, thereby increasing the nutrient capture from that food - just a thought.
One thing I haven't been since getting off Effexor is depressed! I have been pretty darned happy just seeing my former mental acuity, not to mention other bodily functions, return to normal. But I'm not naive enough to think that depression won't once again become a problem. So I'm starting now, while I'm ahead of the game, to develop non-medicinal ways of staving off depression. I will never take Effexor again!
Best wishes to Ms. Barker and everyone else trying to break the "Effexor habit".
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