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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by sandra booth on February 3, 2006, at 20:33:58
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by Herbygirl on February 1, 2006, at 14:59:09
I have been on Effexor for 5 years and I am now slowly coming off it. I too have just lately noticed a difference in my vision. I wear glass varifocals and am now finding it difficult to focus sometimes. There seems to be a reflection and I find that I can see better without them for distance. My memory has gone down hill too but that is probably age.
Has anyone started to come off the drug after a long time like me? I now take a 37.5 mg every other day for the next 4 days and that is it. I missed one for the first time yesterday and felt dreadful by the afternoon. Very light-headed and felt sick all night. Had nightmares too. Took my tablet this morning and started to feel better by the afternoon. I am now dreading tomorrow as it is my miss one day.
Posted by tizza on February 3, 2006, at 20:33:59
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by sandra booth on February 3, 2006, at 15:28:26
> I have been on Effexor for 5 years and I am now slowly coming off it. I too have just lately noticed a difference in my vision. I wear glass varifocals and am now finding it difficult to focus sometimes. There seems to be a reflection and I find that I can see better without them for distance. My memory has gone down hill too but that is probably age.
>
> Has anyone started to come off the drug after a long time like me? I now take a 37.5 mg every other day for the next 4 days and that is it. I missed one for the first time yesterday and felt dreadful by the afternoon. Very light-headed and felt sick all night. Had nightmares too. Took my tablet this morning and started to feel better by the afternoon. I am now dreading tomorrow as it is my miss one day.I wasn't on effexor for as long as you but coming off it was horrendous. Eveyone reacts differently but I have found most people have a very nasty experience coming off effexor. Good luck and read the posts on the withdrawal board. You don't have to go through it alone, I took great comfort in reading everyone else's posts, they kept me going!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! If you do happen to have a bad time just remember that you are not alone and there are thousands of people around the world going through the same hell. I wish you all the best it was a very bumpy ride for me. Don't forget to put your seat belt on. And about the memory thing, mine got so much better after a month off it. I have been effexor free for 5 months now and I will never take another anti depressant ever again in my life. I have taken quite a few different flavors over the last 11 years. The best advice I can give you is find a really good psychologist and talk your problems through, discover your triggers and find out what sets them off so you can nip it in the bud before the next episode begins, learn to listen to your body and when you hear the warning bells get active about switching them off. All anti depressants just made me worse and masked the underlying problems by making me numb and not face up to things. My heart goes out to all who read this, I wish you all speedy recoveries, love Paul
Posted by 4WD on February 3, 2006, at 20:34:00
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by jacobs on February 3, 2006, at 6:12:09
> hi has anyone noticed a change in theyre eye sight sense being on effexor? i have noticed that sometimes it is hard to focus and it seems my eye sight has gotten worse. not sure if it is the med or if i have hit the age for bi focals. thanks, tonya
It's not unusual for you to have vision changes while starting or stopping Effexor. I had the same thing happen with Cymbalta. I thought I was crazy. But after I adjusted to the medication my eyesight returned to normal.Marsha
Posted by crxsi on February 4, 2006, at 12:34:35
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal » jacobs, posted by 4WD on February 3, 2006, at 20:01:23
Hi I am new to this site and I have spent the last few weeks reading every thread there was. It was very helpfull and insightfull. I have been on 75mg for two months now and it has been very successfull for me although I have noticed the dose is not as effective as a month ago.
I suffered from GAD for four and half years with just the ocaassional ativan for panic attacks. I became mildly depressed six months ago which led to a depressive episode in december. Effexor has been very helpfull in controlling my daily anxiety which was the underlying cause of my depressive reaction.
I had many side effects the first three weeks but stuck them out as I had tried Lexapro a metabolite of celexa and it caused extreme anxiety the first two weeks. It seemed a lot stronger. I have had no visual disturbances. My sister-in-law recently came off effexor because she wanted to become pregnant and did it extremely slowly and had very minimal side effects. Overall it was not a bad experience, she had been on 150mg for several years.
Posted by 4WD on February 5, 2006, at 21:06:37
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by Sandra Booth on February 5, 2006, at 5:45:45
> Now on my second day of withdrawal from Effexor. Now down to 37.5 mg. Miss a day, then next day take one. I have enough left until Thursday then thats it. Don't know what to do now as I feel so awful when I miss the dosage, light-headed, nauseous, worse when I am walking about. As soon as I take my next dose I begin to feel better. Wondering how long the withdrawal feelings last, or would I be better just taking 37.5 mg forever?
>
> I might add that after 5 years of taking this medication and 6 months of counselling my depression has gone, thank goodness, its just this withdrawal problem. While I was coming down from 150 mg daily, I felt fine, no problems. Anyone any thoughts please.
Hi,If I were you, instead of taking it every other day and going through withdrawal every time, I'd take half of a 37.5 every day for a few days. Then for the next few days, I'd take a quarter of a 37.5. Then I'd go down to just a few pellets every day. Or since you've already been doing 37.5 every other day, you could take maybe a third of a 37.5 for a few days, then half of a third. It's fairly easy to pour the pellets out in your hand and estimate about a third of them.
I know they are different sizes but if you just kind of scoop some up at random, you will generally get a few of each size. That's how I've always tapered Effexor. Just try to stetch out what you have over the next two weeks or so. That should really minimize withdrawal. Remember, getting from 37.5 to 0 is the hardest part.
Hope this helps.
Marsha
Posted by Sergeant on February 25, 2006, at 13:31:58
In reply to Anyone had success on Effexor XR? , posted by jp on October 24, 1999, at 14:59:14
I have been taking Effexor XR 75mg for over 2 years now.. I was started on them due to marital issues and work related stress (working in a prison). I was warned of sexual side effects with this med.
As stated above I have taken it for over 2 years, and it has helped me greatly. The only side effect I have suffered is sleeplessness. But my problem is now, that I have received a letter from Medco stating that they will no longer provide benefits for Effexor XR. I have talked to my doctor (who is new, since I just moved) and he has no clue of an alternative for this med. My local pharmacy has no clue either and stated that there are no alternatives!
I have gone 4 days one time without my med (due to a re-fill problem) and let me tell you they were 4 of the worst days of my life...anxeity, diziness, heart thumping... Now I cant even get a perscription for it filled at a lower dose to ween myself off this med.
I am about 8 pills away from going cold turkey and the effects are horrid. Has anyone ever just stop taking this med? If so what kind of effects did you have and how long did they last?
Posted by wifeofarmyguy on February 25, 2006, at 13:31:59
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by Sergeant on February 24, 2006, at 19:36:16
A couple of us on this board have recently gone off it cold turkey, which is not recommended. Talk to a dr about what will happen when you go off, even if you wean, because from what I've read, the side effects are the same.
I won't sugar coat it at all, because I wish I had know what to expect ahead of time, imagine the 4 days without your meds. It's like that and worse. Each person is different. Just be prepared to take it easy for a week or two. Check out the Cold Turkey Effexor thread on the Withdrawl board. Goodluck.
Posted by Bets43 on February 25, 2006, at 13:31:59
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by Sergeant on February 24, 2006, at 19:36:16
Hi Everyone...
I took effexor for about three months. I was up to 150m taken in am. What I found is it works great on my GAD but didn't do too much for my depression.
I am now weaning off of the effexor. I went down to 75m and am concurrently adding 10m of Lexapro.
I haven't had any noticeable side affects...Have been doing this for 5 days. My doc has me to 75m for two weeks and then I will drop off completely.
Posted by Graceneeded on March 7, 2006, at 6:59:05
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR?, posted by Sergeant on February 24, 2006, at 19:36:16
To get through getting off Effexor use Dramamine and Benedryl they really help. Danny
Posted by jiggityboo69 on March 19, 2006, at 8:23:31
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by sandra booth on February 3, 2006, at 15:28:26
I too have been on Effexor for the past 5 years (37.5mg) and have started weaning off it over the past 3 weeks. For 2 weeks I was taking a pill every Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Nothing on the weekends. I was finding by Sunday afternoon I could barely function due to the side effects. I have been 5 days now without taking anything, and the side effects don't seem to be going away. I find that there's a lot of pressure in my head. I'm dizzy all the time (even when I'm sleeping if that makes sense). When I consulted my dr. about going off Effexor he told me that I wouldn't experience any side effects. I'm hoping that they go away soon. I was on a very small dose (37.5mg). I can't imagine what the effects are coming off of this medication on a higher dose.
Good luck to everyone who is coming off of this medication.
Posted by Graceneeded on March 19, 2006, at 8:46:04
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by jiggityboo69 on March 16, 2006, at 12:30:17
Use Benadrel and Dramamine to help with the withdrawls. I switch to Lexapro and Cymbalta and together they work like Effexor with very few side affects. Danny
Posted by dancingstar on March 19, 2006, at 8:57:28
In reply to Re: scared of effexor and withdrawal, posted by jiggityboo69 on March 16, 2006, at 12:30:17
Hey jiggity,
I agree that the dramamine helps a lot. It might be all you need. If you don't start to feel better right away, though, I would consider taking small amounts of your 37.5 capsules, just enough to make the pain go away.
I quit cold turkey in September 2004 and, like you, my internist also didn't think it would be a big problem, but I'm still not 100 percent back to normal. Mostly I have a dreadful pain down the back of my neck that has never gone away, and my whole endocrine system has been completely wacky ever since I began to took Effexor.
I know it's no fun to go back to the nightmare drug again, but it might be worth it for the sake of your body. They say you can pour out the beads from the capsules and take smaller and smaller doses. Anyway, I hope you are feeling better very soon.
Posted by detroitpistons on March 21, 2006, at 17:10:22
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? YES!, posted by jacobs on March 20, 2006, at 16:27:57
Tonya,
You should suggest to your doctor using Prozac (much longer half life) to help get you off of Effexor. A lot of people have done this successfully. Usually, once they get to about 37.5 mg, they take a small dose of Prozac for a week or two and then they're done. I heard it works pretty well.
> hi yes im trying without sucess to get off effexor, i dropped from 75 to 37.5 and it was horrible, scared me to death! i need to find out how to get off this the right way. thanks tonya
Posted by jacobs on March 21, 2006, at 17:10:24
In reply to Re: Anyone had success on Effexor XR? YES! » jacobs, posted by detroitpistons on March 20, 2006, at 16:34:12
hi cant do the prozac thing or zoloft made me postal for real. but thanks anyway!
Posted by Graceneeded on March 23, 2006, at 11:48:16
In reply to Redirect: getting off effexor, posted by Dr. Bob on March 21, 2006, at 17:13:14
Use Dramamine and Benedryel to take care of withdrawels. Danny
Posted by dancingstar on March 23, 2006, at 18:54:13
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor, posted by Graceneeded on March 21, 2006, at 21:01:08
I just saw that I mentioned Dramamine in an earlier post. It was actually a very small dose of Benadryl that I took that helped me with some of the symptoms. I found that a child's dose was all I needed to take the edge off the pain when it was outrageous.
Posted by SLS on March 27, 2006, at 7:36:54
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor, posted by dancingstar on March 23, 2006, at 18:54:13
> I just saw that I mentioned Dramamine in an earlier post. It was actually a very small dose of Benadryl that I took that helped me with some of the symptoms. I found that a child's dose was all I needed to take the edge off the pain when it was outrageous.
What symptoms of withdrawal did the Benadryl help with?What symptoms remained unchanged?
What is the amount of Benadryl contained in a child's dose?
Thanks.
- Scott
Posted by dancingstar on March 27, 2006, at 9:52:39
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor » dancingstar, posted by SLS on March 27, 2006, at 7:36:54
To answer your questions, I stopped taking Effexor in September '04. I was so sick in so many ways that it's hard to remember exactly what symtpoms were helped by taking Benadryl. I just know that when I couldn't function at all, the Benadryl helped me to get through the day.
After I had taken it, I read that there is the potential for heart problems when taking antihistamines in close proximity to having taken Effexor. I got the impression that this was less with Benadryl than with the newer ones, like Claritin...but there is no question that I had an arrythmia for quite a while after I stopped taking Effexor, and I was certainly taking Benadryl. Also, my potassium was way high for no good reason.
Ever since I took and stopped taking Effexor, my entire endocrine system has been severely out of balance. It began with my thyroid and progressed from there. My adrenals no longer function well at all, and I think it is safe to say that I was and am the most health conscious person that you can possibly imagine. I'm pretty athletic, and can no longer do the things that I was able to do before taking Effexor because now if I push too hard, I get a terrible migraine the next day.
I don't know what the dose is for children's Benadryl. You can get it at the drug store.
I guess while the Bendaryl made me generally more comfortable by taking the edge off the enormous amount of pain that I experienced, the symptoms or problems that remained unchanged involved my entire endocrine and autonomic nervous systems. I also know that nothing, including Benadryl, helped that horrible pain and stiffness in the back of my neck...which I have, but to a slightly lesser degree, to this day.
Posted by SLS on March 27, 2006, at 12:02:59
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor » SLS, posted by dancingstar on March 27, 2006, at 9:52:39
Hi.
Thanks for responding with such a detailed post.
How did you go about discontinuing Effexor? Gradual taper? Rapid taper? Cold turkey?
Thanks again.
- Scott
Posted by Toby on April 14, 2006, at 14:24:58
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor » dancingstar, posted by SLS on March 27, 2006, at 7:36:54
I'm now on my 10th day without taking a dose. I had been on 150mg of Effexor XR for about 11 months. Zaps were terrible for the second through the fifth day. Starting the sixth day, I started taking an Omega 3 pill(Wal-Mart, 90 caps $9) based on some internet readings and that seemed to help with the zaps. I think it helped but I also noticed that they had started lessening before I took the first pill. But, I would agree with everything I read online, withdrawal is very tough. I'm sure it's tougher for some and easier for others, but the medication works better for some than others as well. Overall, after my year on the medicine( and the year previous to that I was on zoloft) it is truy amazing to see how many people are on these medications unnecessarily. I'm certainly not a doctor but it seems like these meds are extremely overprescribed.
I wanted to write a post online because as I was reading them(during my toughest withdrawal symptoms), I was reading every post just waiting for a positive post and maybe a timeline of how long it would last. Today is the 10th day, I still have a few minor zaps every hour, but I'm better.
I wish everyone the best. Please try to stay as positive as you can. I realize it's very tough, especially when you feel like you are either dying or going crazy. Prayer is always an option and can certainly provide clarity in a time of extreme confusion.
Posted by dancingstar on April 14, 2006, at 14:52:41
In reply to Re: Redirect: getting off effexor, posted by Toby on April 14, 2006, at 14:24:58
Hi Toby,
I'm so glad to hear that you are doing better than you were. Truly, some don't have as tough a time getting off of Effexor as others, and I pray that you are among the lucky ones who have a somewhat easy time of it.
It's a great idea to take extremely good care of your body during this time as I doubt it could be denied that withdrawal from Effexor is very physically, not to mention emotionally, taxing.
In the long run, I feel that by taking things like the Omega 3's, even if you don't feel a difference right now, you are helping to strengthen your nervous system. It might be the reason that some people also say that B vitamins are helpful. Anything that you can do to protect and strengthen your body right now is a good thing.
Best of luck to you!!
Posted by CWN266 on April 24, 2006, at 18:08:11
In reply to Re: My experience with Effexor XR, posted by saj on April 23, 2006, at 9:35:52
26 days off Effexor, and now that the withdrawal side effects are gone, I feel like a new man. My head is out of a fog for the first time in 4 years. Good Riddance!!
Posted by buckey65 on April 25, 2006, at 18:37:29
In reply to Re: My experience with Effexor XR, posted by CWN266 on April 23, 2006, at 12:16:59
I have been weaning off effexor for about three months. I tried to do this before without success so this time I moved very slow.
I have been completley off all effexor now for 2 weeks. I am experiencing aching throughout my entire body, cloudy head and hard to concentrate, pretty major appetite, irritable and pretty weepy. Could this still be the effects of coming off effexor? I figured when I got to the point of being off it this long the effects would dissipate?? I do have some good feeling days, but they are few.
Can anyone please help me understand what is going on with me? Sometimes I think it may be a virus or something, but it just keeps hanging on... I feel pretty miserable. Any help, guidence or information would be greatly appreciated.
P.S. I am new to this community. Actually this is the first time I have ever done anything like this, which may show you just how desperate I am to know what is going on with me and what I can do about it...
Posted by gingerlyn67 on April 27, 2006, at 15:40:53
I read this message to my husband, and, he couldn't believe how much it sounded like me. I will have been off of Effexor XR for 2wks tomorrow, and, our symptoms are just alike. I have never felt so bad, for so long in all my life. My emotions are out of control. I can wake up in the grouchiest mood, then, cry for the rest of the day. I can cry over some stupid song on the radio like I have been to a funeral or something. My Mother thinks I am truly sick or something, but, having read all of the other people's symptoms, I think it's this medicine coming out of my body. I take total advantage of my good days, because, I never know when it might come around again. My brain zaps are lessoning in severity, which is a good thing. Or, I might be getting so used to them, that I don't notice them anymore.
I posted a thread a few weeks ago, and, thought I had everything under control, but, that is so not the case now. I have honestly considered admitting myself into the psyche ward somewhere, because, that is how crazy I feel. I told my Mother I would, never, EVER, take anything ever again. I am going to take whatever life dishes out to me on my own. I will never go through this again!
Ginger
Posted by Jenn1fer on April 28, 2006, at 10:24:13
In reply to Redirect: withdrawal side effects, posted by Dr. Bob on April 24, 2006, at 18:09:11
I was on effexor for 3 yrs, put on it initially for depression caused by other health problems not being treated and utter despair (I wont go there). I was literally PUSHED by a doctor to go on an anti-depressant, why she chose Effexor I'll never know. In those 3 years I forgot my dose only a handfull of times, and about 10 hours later thought I had severe flu or something only to realize I forgot the effexor.
Many of my major health problems are now resolved. So if figure, time to get myself off this stuff.
Tried weaning off the drug w/doctors advise.
Lowered dose to 37.5 (that alone had severe dizziness and nausea) then went off it completely.On the second day I thought I must have been going insane, I had NO IDEA how BAD it would be.
Vomitting, diarreah, could hardley walk, everytime I tried to move my head to the side I thought I was going to fall over. Out of desparation looked up online Effexor withdrawal, and got a load of info to help. I immediately opened up a capsule and emptied 1/2 the beebies out and gobbled up the other half (as I did this I thought oh my god, I am a junkie! In a couple of hours felt major relief. I did this for a month, taking out more and more each time (oh, I did this twice a day also). I have had no Effexor in my system for 3 days now and feel OK. This drug should be prescribed ONLY AS A LAST RESORT!!!.Jennifer
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