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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 14 of 14. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 8:28:22
Hey guys,
I slapped together a new blog (weblog/journal) yesterday:
Brainzaps: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal
http://brainzaps.tblog.comI've already tried unsuccessfully to post this twice, so this is now the short version!! I'm tapering off Effexor XR right now (now down to 150mg from 300mg/day). I looked around online for resources to help me get through it, but couldn't find much aside from what seemed like a lot of other withdrawal sufferers.
Anyway, I set up this blog in the hopes that by documenting my own experiences through this online journal, and allowing people to comment, exchange stories and experiences, we can help each other out and patch together some resources for those of us that experience negative effects from Effexor withdrawal. And maybe raise some awareness about the problem as well.
I'm not officially pro or anti-Effexor either way--it helped me tremendously at the beginning--but I think there definitely need to be more studies and research about its use.
Please check out the blog, if you want!! (I hope Dr. Bob doesn't mind I've posted this here--Brainzaps is not a commercial site!)
thanks,
denise
http://brainzaps.tblog.com
Posted by Bill LL on February 11, 2004, at 9:14:02
In reply to I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 8:28:22
Cupcake (I like that name!)- from reading that I have done, the easiest way to discontinue Effexor seems to be to take Prozac while you are gradually getting off of it. Good luck!
Posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 14:52:30
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by Bill LL on February 11, 2004, at 9:14:02
thanks, Bill. that's what my pdoc says (abt the prozac). i'll see her today, so i guess i'll find out.
> Cupcake (I like that name!)- from reading that I have done, the easiest way to discontinue Effexor seems to be to take Prozac while you are gradually getting off of it. Good luck!
Posted by justjustine on February 11, 2004, at 15:05:42
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 14:52:30
prozac will help with rebound depression, but i have found no evidence that it will prevent or allay the physical effects of withdrawal, which are legion.
Posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 15:22:11
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by justjustine on February 11, 2004, at 15:05:42
that's what I am worried about--i'm not so much worried about the rebound depression, more about the physical stuff. also, i've been on prozac before, and it made me anxious and grind my teeth all the time.
> prozac will help with rebound depression, but i have found no evidence that it will prevent or allay the physical effects of withdrawal, which are legion.
Posted by Chairman_MAO on February 11, 2004, at 15:42:30
In reply to I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 8:28:22
I discontinued 375mg/day of Effexor cold-turkey simply by taking Dexedrine. No one will prescribe that for this purpose, though. Ironic that dependence on normal doses of amphetamine is a moot point in comparison to Effexor withdrawl, isn't it?
Posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 15:55:14
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 11, 2004, at 15:42:30
i don't know anything about dexedrine...are you still taking it? did you experience ANY withdrawal effects? how much did you take at the time (dex)?
> I discontinued 375mg/day of Effexor cold-turkey simply by taking Dexedrine. No one will prescribe that for this purpose, though. Ironic that dependence on normal doses of amphetamine is a moot point in comparison to Effexor withdrawl, isn't it?
>
>
Posted by Chairman_MAO on February 11, 2004, at 17:23:15
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by cupcake on February 11, 2004, at 15:55:14
> i don't know anything about dexedrine...are you still taking it? did you experience ANY withdrawal effects? how much did you take at the
Nope, I am not still taking it. I extensively abused drugs for a period of time in my life and will not be able to get a prescription for it again--a shame, beacuse I have ADD that can be debilitating at times--until I have a good job with insurance that allows me to see a private doctor.
I took 30mg DextroStat at a time and had NO withdrawl symptoms. Don't ask me how that works; I have no idea. However, I believe that there is a common withdrawl symptomology among many different drugs. Just look at how similar the withdrawl from SSRIs and opiates are, for instance. People have told me that amphetamine helped out their dopesickness a lot, so perhaps it just makes you feel better. FWIW, taken at prescribed dosages, stimulants would always make me feel better when I had a minor illness. Benzedrine inhalers used to be sold on airlines under the guise of helping people with congestion during the landing process. Hah!
Posted by justjustine on February 11, 2004, at 21:19:10
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal » cupcake, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 11, 2004, at 17:23:15
this is really interesting and i wish i had known about it when i was withdrawing. as i've said, i took vicodin to get through. my doctor thought i'd end up dependent on vicodin, but as soon as my effexor withdrawals were done i stopped taking it without any ill effects. the vicodin also helped dry up my intestinal tract, and that helped, too.
did you medicate to sleep, also?
i saw the post from the woman who tested positive for pcp due to effexor - it made me feel a bit sick again...
> > i don't know anything about dexedrine...are you still taking it? did you experience ANY withdrawal effects? how much did you take at the
>
> Nope, I am not still taking it. I extensively abused drugs for a period of time in my life and will not be able to get a prescription for it again--a shame, beacuse I have ADD that can be debilitating at times--until I have a good job with insurance that allows me to see a private doctor.
>
> I took 30mg DextroStat at a time and had NO withdrawl symptoms. Don't ask me how that works; I have no idea. However, I believe that there is a common withdrawl symptomology among many different drugs. Just look at how similar the withdrawl from SSRIs and opiates are, for instance. People have told me that amphetamine helped out their dopesickness a lot, so perhaps it just makes you feel better. FWIW, taken at prescribed dosages, stimulants would always make me feel better when I had a minor illness. Benzedrine inhalers used to be sold on airlines under the guise of helping people with congestion during the landing process. Hah!
>
>
Posted by Mysteryd on February 11, 2004, at 21:41:35
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal » cupcake, posted by Chairman_MAO on February 11, 2004, at 17:23:15
cup cake, I can't believe you are so lucid while w/drawling from Effexor.
I have the same story as you~do a search on Effexor withdrawal/side effects~whatever and all I find are you guys (joking~!). Your Blog is a killer idea and you've inspired me to add to the mix.
Ok, all my days are running together at this point but~I went from 150 to 75 13 days ago. First couple days I was just dizzy~by day three I was in the fetal position completley unable to function at times. My kidney's were killing me, I had food poisoning symptoms, hot flashes, cold flashes, brain zaps, dizzyness~never ending~hellish naseau. This continued for about three days total.
Then I cracked open the capules, weighed them out to 37.5 5 days ago. First couple of days I was REALLY dizzy, third day~felt good enough to go for broke and stopped the meds.
I'm on day two w/ nothing and Ima freakin' mess. The physical symptoms aren't as debilitating as the first round: cramps on both sides of my stomach at once (like I just ran a mile too fast or something), sometimes I don't feel like I have control over my leg muscles, brain zaps any time I hear a loud noise, move my eyes too fast, turn my head to quickly. Yesterday I was laughing myself to tears (that wasn't half bad!~ha!), today I lost it and had a good cry~~BUT shit, who wouldn't after the last 13 days I've had~!
My doc wanted me to take prozac too, but this is the only pharmie I've ever taken. A friend gave me a couple of 10 g valiums, and that got me through the fetal position. I took half at at time when I couldn't take it anymore and just slept through it~didn't really need to be awake for 72 hours of that crap!
I'm working out every morning at the gym~it helps get the blood flow to my brain and I am actually not so dizzy for about 2 hours after my workout.
I rapped w/ someone on a thread here here the other night that was still having the same symptoms that I am currently having at day 22 of NO drugs at all. He suggested pot for the naseau (sp??) and it works~!
I'll keep ya posted, and I'll be back to read your blogs : )
Good luck!!!
Posted by Mysteryd on February 12, 2004, at 8:31:27
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by justjustine on February 11, 2004, at 21:19:10
i saw the post from the woman who tested positive for pcp due to effexor - it made me feel a bit sick again...
**************
What is pcp?? Ya know, I saw my doc yesteday to get some oinment for a rash on my face that the Effexor caused (the backlash seems never ending w/ the poison drug!!) and I told her about my kidney pain etc... and asked if I should have some blood work done to see if any damage had occured, and she said no~~hmmmm......
And yeah, my doc WOULD NOT give me a script for valium~cause it is "very addictive"~I told her~"well at least I understand what it's doing to my head, unlike the seratonin boosting etc..that goes on w/ most of the other drugs. I ordered myself a script online at myGeneric.com. I'm not at ALL concerned about becoming addicted, as I am assuming the withdrawls will end in the next couple of weeks~at least they BETTER~ha!
Posted by cupcake on February 12, 2004, at 9:30:05
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by Mysteryd on February 12, 2004, at 8:31:27
thanks for your stories, y'all...this is really interesting. and hey, my actual blog is over at (i'm trying to post this as a link using HTML, apologies if it doesn't come out right):
does anyone mind if i post their comments over there myself, just to start a central collection of anecdotes? i'll leave them anonymous, unless you want otherwise...
mysteryd, i'm LUCID b/c i'm still at 150mg/day, down from 300! (what *i'm* amazed at is that you can actually WORK OUT in that state!! good for you!) i went down to this dosage around friday of last week. i'm going to stay on it for about a week and creep down from there. i've been doing ok until it gets close to 24 hours since my last dose... then i get dizzy and nauseous and everything else. i'm trying to move back my dosage time so that i'm asleep for the "bad" part--i.e. taking it first thing when i get up, or in the early part of the day.
it's interesting to hear about people resorting to taking "very addictive" amphetamines and narcotics, ironically, to help them to "kick" a commonly prescribed antidepressant...geez. i know for sure my pdoc wouldn't prescribe me any of those. has anyone tried acupuncture during the process? i'm now getting scared to crawl down from my current 150/day cuz i'm finally feeling halfway decent again in terms of emotions and motivation.
if anyone wants to communicate with me more in-depth about including their stories in my blog, you can email me directly at seebonay@earthlink.net.
Posted by cupcake on February 12, 2004, at 9:32:16
In reply to Re: I started a blog: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal, posted by Mysteryd on February 12, 2004, at 8:31:27
Posted by cupcake on February 12, 2004, at 9:33:40
In reply to oops, corrected link: http://brainzaps.tblog.com (nm), posted by cupcake on February 12, 2004, at 9:32:16
http://brainzaps.tblog.com
Brainzaps: A Journal of Effexor Withdrawal
This is the end of the thread.
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