Shown: posts 1 to 11 of 11. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 9:20:08
Hi All,
> Well, I used to think I was going crazy....but thanks to this website I
> see that I am not the only one. After being switched from Prozac to
> Effexor (150 mg) I became a basket case. I was on the 150 mg for 8 months and just recently I cut that dose in half to 75 mg daily. I thought that the tremors,
> shocks, muscle twitches, anorexia, dry-mouth, night sweats, confusion,
> memory loss, and major personality changes were just a figment of my
> imagination (I was that unsure of myself!!!!!!!) When I brought these
> problems and concerns to the attention of my psychiatrist ( and also my
> subsequent findings on the internet), I was told that I was only putting
> myself into a panic mode and that anything I read on the internet was
> false and untrustworthy. But, I know what I am going through is REAL and I
> know that I'm not just making myself panicky......My "shrink"
> has me on a bennzo just to deal with these so-called imagined side
> effects......since weaning myself from 150 mg to 75mg of Effexor, I'm still getting that daily "trippy, scary, freak
> out" feeling when I'm late with a dose. Anybody out there have any
> advice for getting off Effexor and what I can expect in the way of lasting
> side effects?????
Posted by Psychopoppy on January 23, 2004, at 11:19:20
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 9:20:08
Posted by CarolW on January 23, 2004, at 11:31:38
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 9:20:08
The withdrawal from these medications are due to the receptors in the brain needing to be restimulated to work (the meds reduce the receptors). According to my psych doc, there is typically a two-week period where your brain is getting reconditioned. So, it's like having the anxiety, depression, etc... but without a good place for them to go - which makes for the head zaps and other symptoms. Personally, after working through SSRI withdrawals and benzo withdrawals, I have realized that you need to take really good care of yourself while going through any decrease in dosage. I use chiropractic adjustments, hypnotherapy, massage, take amino acid blends (they stabilize moods) and good vitamins, drink tons of water, eat really well (no caffeine...),and just realize that any transition with the brain chemicals takes two to three weeks to get through. By the way, watch the benzos, they can be the most addictive of all. After a month of regular dosages, many people get addicted. And, if you don't like your doctor, find another. Many of us with mood issues need to work on empowering ourselves. Good luck!
Posted by Psychopoppy on January 23, 2004, at 11:33:05
In reply to Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 9:20:08
Sorry for the snappy one-liner earlier !
It just makes me soooo mad when I hear stories like yours. Some Shrinks are so incompetent and oblivious to their patients true situation and it makes me mad that no one can do much about it. If it was any other domain (like oncology or surgery) you could sue them for malpractice but psychiatry is such a grey area. Incompetence goes unchecked in this field more often than others.Anyhow, I am also currently suffering quite badly from effexor withdrawal and BELIEVE ME ! it is NOT an illusion. The drug company itself report that 38% patients (or so they say!) have withdrawal symptoms (their symptom-list is very limited too). Other medical studies (including one from Harvard (!)) found that the number was more like 78% and that the list of withdrawal symptopms reported was a lot more comprehensive than the one reported by Wyeth (maker of effexor).
Sure, Effexor works well for many and those folks arent usually here whining on a friday afternoon. But then lets wait till they discontinue, then we'll be seeing them here too probably.
I've got a lot of the symptoms you describe (as do hundreds others here), and I've go some that you dont mention.
Make your pdoc listen or get a new one if you can. In the meantime if you hear of any tricks to ease the "hell", Please do share with a fellow suffering-soul.
Posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 13:01:16
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by CarolW on January 23, 2004, at 11:31:38
Thanks for the info. I am watching the benzos, I only take .25 mg xannax when things get too horrible, and that's not everyday. I wonder if it will be this bad when I cut the Effexor down from 75 to 37.5....things couldn't get worse...I hope.
Posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 13:13:24
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by Psychopoppy on January 23, 2004, at 11:33:05
HI,
Thanks for the info. The only thing I've been able to use to help me when it get's too rough is the occasional xannax. I try not to make it a habit because I know benzos are so addictive, and the last friggin thing I need is to be withdrawing from 2 things at the same time. This Effexor really takes the cake.....I was on Prozac for 4 years and it was never hard to come off of it. I am going to try and get another shrink, because my current one is about as attentive and compassionate as an eggplant. I'd like for him to try some of what I've been feeling lately!
Posted by KarmaFairy on January 24, 2004, at 16:19:38
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help » Psychopoppy, posted by leegirl on January 23, 2004, at 13:13:24
"I am going to try and get another shrink, because my current one is about as attentive and compassionate as an eggplant."
If only he was as cheap as an eggplant ;-)
I've taken 75mg Effexor XR for 6 years now, along with varying doses of Remeron. For various personal reasons, I've decided to try it alone. I first stopped the Wellbutrin (yes, that too) cold-turkey, with no problem. Then came off the Remeron. I started 37.5 mg Effexor last Wednesday.
I am familiar with brain shivers...one misses many doses after 6 years, but luckily I'm still fine 3 days later. We all react differently, and I'm still worried about cutting from 37.5 to nothing, but just remember that slower is best.
I would recommend speaking with a doctor that can acknowledge your experiences as a DOCUMENTED condition. It's pretty widely known that Effexor has a NASTY withdrawal syndrome, and if your doctor isn't aware of it, I would question his qualifications in prescribing the drug.
Keep us posted :-)
Posted by leegirl on January 24, 2004, at 17:45:12
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by KarmaFairy on January 24, 2004, at 16:19:38
Yeah, I'm getting a new shrink! The way my present one put it was this: "If we put withdrawal side-effects on a scale from 1 to 100, than opiates would be a 100, benzos would be a 50, and Effexor would only be a 5"
5 my ass! If Effexor is only a 5, than pigs are flying over New York City!
I'm still on the 75 mg a day, but I'm hoping to go to 37.5 some time here soon....Hopefully it won't be as hard as it has been lately!
Posted by KarmaFairy on January 24, 2004, at 18:56:27
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by leegirl on January 24, 2004, at 17:45:12
That analogy is inherently flawed - your psychiatrist is an idiot. There are many different aspects to withdrawal, including frequency and severity. Surely the frequency of withdrawal symptoms people experience with Effexor rates it above a 5! In fact, people have often compared it with Paxil - a drug notorious for withdrawal.
Anyway, good luck in your search for a new doctor.
Posted by leegirl on January 24, 2004, at 20:08:07
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help, posted by KarmaFairy on January 24, 2004, at 18:56:27
Tell me about it........I'm here at the mercy of ivy league educated morons....when I told my shrink that other sufferers of Effexor were speaking out on the Net he simply asserted that he was a "trained professional" about Effexor and its ramifications......I wonder how much of an informed professional one can be without firsthand experience......ha ha ha ha
Posted by Psychopoppy on January 25, 2004, at 13:24:33
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal.....Need Help » KarmaFairy, posted by leegirl on January 24, 2004, at 20:08:07
Tell your "moron" shrink to first take effexor (at least 300 mg) and then come talk to you.
He sounds totally oblivious to patient-care !
I'd love to go see him and set him straight....(grrrrrrrrrrrr......it makes me mad).
This is the end of the thread.
Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.org
Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.