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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 7 of 7. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 8:13:56
You'll have to excuse my language in the topic of this post, but I'm a little on the "short" side right now. It's 5:30 in the morning and I haven't had a minute of sleep since about 9:30am yesterday. You see, I WANT to sleep, I'd LOVE to sleep, but it just won't happen. But, I'm getting ahead of myself...
About 8 years ago (I can't believe it's really been that long... unreal...), my psychiatrist started my on Effexor, and a couple of years ago moved me onto Effexor XR for depression. I have to hand it to him, he really helped me out when I was in a very awful place emotionally. But, over the years I have come to the conclusion that 90% of my problems could have been fixed with cognitive behavior therapy. The drugs definitely helped things get started, but they should have gone by the wayside long ago.
About 5 months ago I was going through a trying time in my life, feeling very lonely and afraid. I had a major depressive episode that lasted about a week, and all it took to make it go away was for a good friend to sit down and talk with me and show me why (as obvious as it should have been) the ideas floating around in my brain were wrong. All the while I was on 150mg Effexor in the morning and 150mg at night. The next day when I was feeling better I got to thinking that if I could still have an episode like that where I wake up in the morning wanting to be dead and can't seem to see the light at the end of the tunnel while I'm on 300 mg of this drug, then there is something very wrong with this situation. To put it mildly I was angered and fed up and resolved that I would get off this drug and see how things go.
I knew getting off Effexor would be difficult. A few times over the past many years I had forgotten to take a night time dose before bed, only to wake up the next day in a total stupor. On a whim, I once searched for "Effexor Withdrawal" on the net and couldn't believe how much information I found. But, I didn't care... I decided I'd get off it if it killed me. I'm a little stubborn when it comes to decisions like these.
I hope no one goes and does what I did which was to eliminate the medication without first consulting a doctor. I was just worried that the doctor would say "Oh, you want to get off it? You must be depressed... Let's double your dose... again..."
The next day after my epiphany, I started to reduce my dosage. I would first reduce 37.5 a night, then 37.5 in the morning, 37.5 at night, 37.5 in the morning, etc until I would be left with one last 37.5 in the morning. Between each reduction I would give my body 2 weeks (sometimes more) to adapt to the change. The amazing thing about coming off this drug is that every time I reduced a 37.5 I had to go through all the withdrawal effects again from scratch for several days.
Three days ago I took my last 37.5 Effexor XR. My brain has been an utter mess, but I'm so used to this effect now, it doesn't bother me all that much. My girlfriend is ready to hit me in the face with a bat from my mood swings, but she's been amazingly helpful through this whole time. The withdrawal on this last pill has definitely been the worst of all. I've had a lot of dizziness, and flu-like symptoms. It's about 72 degrees in my house right now, I'm wearing jeans with a long sleeve shirt and I am FREEZING. My head has been has just been electric for the past few days. I know it will go away soon, but soon can't come soon enough.
And lastly, to get back to the beginning, I'm having a LOT of trouble sleeping and restlessness. I lay in bed and all I want to do is shake my legs back and forth. I feel tired, but sleep just doesn't come. It will in the next couple of days. I just need to occupy my mind with something else.
I don't really have a reason for this ridculously long post other than to let everyone know it can be done. It takes willpower and determination. Getting angry really helped me out... Being fed up with being controlled by this substance and willing to take whatever steps necessary to get off are the main "secrets" for my success.
If you really want to get off Effexor and don't need to take it any more, just gradually step yourself down off it. If dropping 37.5 at a time is too much, drop only half. If 2 weeks isn't enough time to get your brain back where it needs to be to make another reduction, take a little longer.
Lastly, I wanted to mention an overwhelming thought that has been going through my mind during this whole process... Why are psychiatrists so quick to throw medication at us, but are utterly lost when it comes time for us to get off them? It's kind of irritating... If I didn't credit my doctor with saving my life, I'd have to fly back home and slap him around a little.
Thanks for reading,
Peter
Posted by Civ on December 21, 2003, at 9:54:59
In reply to Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 8:13:56
Good post. Withdrawal is hell. I have tried to come off Paxil CR (25 mg) three times and couldn't do it.
Are you currently doing CBT?
Posted by morel1 on December 21, 2003, at 18:39:39
In reply to Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 8:13:56
Just a question -
I'm thinking of taking effexor and wonder about the fact it sez on the pamphlet that this drug can actually cure or correct the problem in the brain. Wondering if you feel "cured" somewhat
Posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 19:45:08
In reply to Re: Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by Civ on December 21, 2003, at 9:54:59
> Good post. Withdrawal is hell. I have tried to come off Paxil CR (25 mg) three times and couldn't do it.
>
> Are you currently doing CBT?Civ,
I am currently doing CBT, on my own, however. I've read the book "Feeling Good" about 3 times, and try to utilize the techniques in there. The best tool I have found for CBT is picking someone else's brain when things are going badly. My girlfriend is especially helpful for this, but I'll also use other friends, etc. I have found that someone else's perspective on an internal problem is almost always closer to the truth than my own because my own negativity is removed from the situation. It's a lot easier to hear someone say "ok, I can see where you're coming from, but you're not thinking about this, this, this, and this." It's funny because I can help others do the same all day long, but when I am filled with my own negativity and self doubts the obvious often gets clouded.Sorry to hear you're having problems with the Paxil. If I can offer any advice it's just to reduce slower and in smaller amounts. Realistically, some discomfort should be expected any way you do it, but if it interferes with your day to day functioning, take your time. 6 months ago the idea of being off Effexor didn't even seem possible. Now I'm done, and aside from the facts that I'm still feeling the effects of tapering that last dose, I feel great. You know, it's a funny thing... I feel as good if not better on 0mg Effexor as I did on 300mg.
Posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 19:49:11
In reply to Re: Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by morel1 on December 21, 2003, at 18:39:39
> Just a question -
>
> I'm thinking of taking effexor and wonder about the fact it sez on the pamphlet that this drug can actually cure or correct the problem in the brain. Wondering if you feel "cured" somewhatmorel1,
Do I feel "cured"? No, I can't say I do. There are always going to be problems. There are always going to be things that make us depressed and lose perspective. But, I know how to handle those things now either on my own or with the help of others. The main benefit of Effexor to me was during those first few months many years ago when I wanted nothing more than to stick a gun in my mouth and be done with everything. That whole concept seems foreign to me now, but I think that has a lot more to do with my internal thinking than it does any pill.Peter
Posted by Bob on December 21, 2003, at 20:40:09
In reply to Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 8:13:56
Your withdrawl symptoms are quite typical, I would say. In fact, I'd say many have it worse (including be when I took it). Back them (before XR) doctors didn't acknowledge withdrawl one f'in bit. Now they only barely do. Withdrawl is hell, and there's absolutely no way around it.
Posted by Camille Dumont on December 22, 2003, at 6:07:56
In reply to Effexor - Finally off this f***ing crap, posted by TurboRealtor on December 21, 2003, at 8:13:56
OMG! I can so totally relate to what you say. It occured to me that "Hey, I'm still having suicidal thoughts ... I'm making mental calculations on methods, I'm considering if I have enough drugs to make something lethal ... and I'm on a massive dose of anti-dep + anti-psy so I musn't be psychotic or really THAT depressed ... so maybe those thoughts are normal. In the end, getting pets was like 1000% more effective as a reason NOT to attempt suicide because THEY NEED ME, end of story"
I also wish my doctor would have told me how addictive this drug really is ... it makes me feel as though a pusher has addicted me to a drug without telling me.
I admire your courage as I know how it felt to not take my meds for a weekend when I forgot them at how. Twas horrible.
Keep us posted on your progress.
This is the end of the thread.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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