![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 467 to 491 of 735. Go back in thread:
Posted by boatsie on October 28, 2004, at 19:46:27
In reply to Re: effexor w/drl so far so good, posted by Jubilee on October 27, 2004, at 18:29:25
I started cutting back on Effexor ER early this summer. I was on 300mg for several years following about six years on Paxil. My cut backs have been 225 for one month, 185 for two months and now I am at 150 since September. Each step has been symptomatic: headaches, flu like symptoms, anxiety, fatigue .... I am taking a 'green' supplement which has everything you can think of each morning, along with CoQ10, Ginko, B Complex and Cal Mag. I am currently free from the feeling that my mind was an enormous black hole and I was always struggling to reach back into this void to find meaning, continuity, self, and even simple sentence structure. Word retrieval problems? Gone. Lack of motication: ebbing, always ebbing. depression: in and out, some days worse than others.
The next step down will probably be to 125 or something very minimal. I am grateful to have a psychiatrist who is working with me every step of the way, even though she truly believes that in severe cases of mjd left untreated as mine was over many years, damage to brain is unrepairable. I still believe I will prove that wrong someday; and i know she does as well.
After so many years on medication, the shortfalls start outweighting the benefits.
Posted by Jiggitykid on October 28, 2004, at 20:35:13
In reply to Re: The Slow Withdrawal Process, posted by boatsie on October 28, 2004, at 19:46:27
>>>even though she truly believes that in severe cases of mjd left untreated as mine was over many years, damage to brain is unrepairable. I still believe I will prove that wrong someday; and i know she does as well.<<<
I agree with YOU 100%. Nothing is impossible, especially where the amazing brain is concerned. I'm glad you've got such terrific support. Not all of us have been so lucky. Thank you for your inspiring post!!
Posted by Jubilee on October 28, 2004, at 22:13:53
In reply to Re: effexor withdrawal inevitable;reI found Hope, posted by Jo52 on October 12, 2004, at 10:42:17
My Lord, sounds like hell, and only after 3 months of being on effexor! If I had any left I would go back on it, tell the doc I changed my mind about going off it. and keep refilling it till I could wean down real slow like 4 or 5 months. Remember to save every pebble to strech it out.
I woke up very dehydrated, dry mouth and unquenchable thirst. Has anybody had that happen
I wrote about my last drop down of effexor yesterday and after 3 days now it wasn't going as smooth as I thought it would. I did try what one person suggested, to go down 25 mgs a week. This is my 3rd day and I half felt like I had the flue this AM. I went right back up to 2 37's a day and going to stay there a total of almost 3 weeks. That is how I first felt "led" to do it. I only did 37.5s, for a week and thats not near enough time for our bodies to adjust. I also feel really wierd in my head, not like myself.
Things I would do if I got sick from my dr. lowering my dose too rapidly.; Call him and say I decided to stay on them ( because you have ) and that you can't deal with any depression right now with whats going on in my life, (Because you can't! Ha) Even suggest a higer dose maybe would work better , and it will in your case if your'e taking 4-6 months to go off!!Ha.
This is no laughing matter I know and I am sick , but not as bad as you , my friends.
The bible says that if you are in a trial then ask for wisdom and he will absolutly give it.
If I knew others that might have extra or some they didn't use, I would call them. They said that taking prozac makes it better, so my doc was going to wean me off in 6 weeks and gave me a bunch of prozac. I take them when I first drop down. God interviened considering effexor one day, when I felt led out of the blue to look it up on the web. Then I found the babble site and learned alot before I told my doctor. God does supply all our needs when we are fully dependent on him. I must give him total credit for all he provided, the timing , and the added medications I was given. Until that "day" I thought I was stuck on effexor forever and I don't even have depression anymore. The effexor petition sit told me how dangerous this drug is , and why I have been losing my eyesight , and been manic for 4 years and an insomniac!!! I love to read, and the Lord preserves his children. when I think of all I am going to recover after 6 weeks or 7, I have no problem with patience.
I have found 25 a week to go down is too fast and just wanted to share that.
Maybe I would go to the emergency room if I had Ins.and maybe they wold give some more. Hope I have been helpful. I feel I have another 6 weeks more to go. I lift you friends to God in the Morning . If you pray , God will intervien and help you and can open doors , and also give you favor with the doc... Take it slow, Jubilee
Posted by Katarina K on November 3, 2004, at 21:05:48
In reply to Re: effexor withdrawels -dry mouth thirst, posted by Jubilee on October 28, 2004, at 22:13:53
Hey there. I just posted on another Babble site, but I thought I would post here as well. I was on Effexor 75mg for two years for treatment of PTSD. I was great at first. Better than all the others. After a while, the constipation, dizziness, giddiness, numbness, and weight gain, got to be too much. I'm on day four of cold-turkey withdrawal. HELP! A couple of days I was in complete crying mode. I was also itching like crazy. And then of course, I am still suffering from the naseau and dizziness. The dreams have been crazy as well, but I try to have a sense of humor about them. For the first 3 days I had horrible tingling and fuzzy sensations in my face and neck. However, the worst has been today. My feet and hands are burning, aching and feel much larger than they are. I am still irritable as hell, especially in the evening. Is this going to get better? PLease help!
Posted by Jo52 on November 4, 2004, at 8:02:47
In reply to Re: effexor withdrawels -burning feet and hands, posted by Katarina K on November 3, 2004, at 21:05:48
I got on Wellbutrin XL 150 after 6 days of no Effexor and then took a 20 mg Prozac the middle of the next week and a 10 mg Prozac the following week and this cured 90% of the symptoms. I would recommend getting the Prozac immediately!! The third and fourth weeks I experienced some intermittent fever episodes that would last about an hour at a time. I'm off about 6 weeks now and seem to be symptom free. In addition I take 1 25 mg Xanax at night. I am still taking the Wellbutrin, but plan to only take it about another two months and then wean off of it. I am hoping that the Xanax takes care of the mood swings and I'll deal with anything else as it comes up.
Posted by Jiggitykid on November 4, 2004, at 8:36:37
In reply to Re: effexor withdrawels -burning feet and hands, posted by Katarina K on November 3, 2004, at 21:05:48
It DOES get better, but it will take a little while. My experience was that the worst symptoms abated after about two weeks. Then, most of the symptoms were gone after about a month, then after a couple of months, I realized that I was feeling MUCH better and much happier than I had been while on this drug from hell. I'm curious as to when they'll "voluntarily" pull this like they did Vioxx. . .
Hang in there - it does get better. Just know that you are NOT crazy and that the symptoms are very real, regardless of what your doctor might say. I quit cold-turkey, too, and, while it was miserable, I'm glad I did, because then I didn't have to make the tapering decisions. It was gone and I refused to swallow another granule. Take care!!
> Hey there. I just posted on another Babble site, but I thought I would post here as well. I was on Effexor 75mg for two years for treatment of PTSD. I was great at first. Better than all the others. After a while, the constipation, dizziness, giddiness, numbness, and weight gain, got to be too much. I'm on day four of cold-turkey withdrawal. HELP! A couple of days I was in complete crying mode. I was also itching like crazy. And then of course, I am still suffering from the naseau and dizziness. The dreams have been crazy as well, but I try to have a sense of humor about them. For the first 3 days I had horrible tingling and fuzzy sensations in my face and neck. However, the worst has been today. My feet and hands are burning, aching and feel much larger than they are. I am still irritable as hell, especially in the evening. Is this going to get better? PLease help!
Posted by MKB on November 7, 2004, at 16:54:27
In reply to Re: effexor withdrawels -burning feet and hands, posted by Katarina K on November 3, 2004, at 21:05:48
The only thing that helped me was taking Benadryle before bed.
Posted by bbly78 on November 11, 2004, at 10:55:25
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by Americk on September 11, 2004, at 21:07:04
I am coming off the Effexor also.. But I was on a 300 dose.. I slowly came down to 225, then 150.. But then my doctor stopped that after 3 days and put me on 75 for 4 days and 37.5 for 4 days.. I feel like crap.. I am now off completely, until I start my new medicine, which could be a week.. For the past two days I have been vomiting, shaky, freezing, numbness in my arms.. If anyone can suggest something, I would greatly appreciate it.. Today I officially come off the effexor.. If the last two days are anything close to whats to come, someone just shoot me now..
Posted by Jo52 on November 11, 2004, at 13:07:42
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by bbly78 on November 11, 2004, at 10:55:25
Call Your Doctor Immediately! I was able to get a 20 mg Prozac (1) for the first week and a 10mg Prozac (1) to take the second week. The symptoms were immediately relieved (within 12 hours) after taking the first Prozac. I also started Wellbutrin at the same time, but it was the Prozac that did the trick. I only took the two - one each week and I was fine. Minor symptoms the third week but nothing that I couldn't ignore. Good Luck! It stinks, but this will definately help.
Posted by MKB on November 11, 2004, at 16:05:39
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by bbly78 on November 11, 2004, at 10:55:25
I managed to finally get off without the Prozac, but I have heard that it helps. Benadryl helped me too.
Posted by Jiggitykid on November 12, 2004, at 7:58:07
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by bbly78 on November 11, 2004, at 10:55:25
It is a horrible tragedy that you and anyone else are having to go through this. I was reading a "health" magazine the other day, and they recommended effexor for menopausal hot flashes!!! This drug is going to kill someone, if it hasn't already. It has destroyed lives already.
Pain medication helps. Some have recommended benedryl, too, which does help. Motion sickness pills can help some, but not tremendously. The best advice I've got for you is to 1) know that you are experiencing a "normal" withdrawal, 2) make sure those around you know what is going on and to expect you to be different for a while while your body and brain adjust to having this evil drug out of your system, and 3) do what you have to do to stay sane :-)! Take care of yourself, don't make major decisions right now, avoid driving at night, and do all you can to minimize the demands on your life until this is over. My "cold-turkey" took two weeks before I felt somewhat better, and a month until I felt normal. You CAN do this. It IS possible. Just keep coming back here to update and know that we all know what you are going through. You are in my prayers!
> I am coming off the Effexor also.. But I was on a 300 dose.. I slowly came down to 225, then 150.. But then my doctor stopped that after 3 days and put me on 75 for 4 days and 37.5 for 4 days.. I feel like crap.. I am now off completely, until I start my new medicine, which could be a week.. For the past two days I have been vomiting, shaky, freezing, numbness in my arms.. If anyone can suggest something, I would greatly appreciate it.. Today I officially come off the effexor.. If the last two days are anything close to whats to come, someone just shoot me now..
Posted by bbly78 on November 12, 2004, at 11:23:58
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » bbly78, posted by Jiggitykid on November 12, 2004, at 7:58:07
Thank you guys so much, I spoke to my doctor after i posted this and he informed that it isnt going to get much better.. that made me feel great. At least though, for the last 24 hours i have managed to keep some soup and crackers in my stomach.. I do start Prozac sometime next week.. The Dr is just waiting on some test results he sent in. As for the Wellbutrin, ugh! I think i would rather come off effexor anyday.. Unfortunately that makes me sick as a dog.. I am hoping and praying that the Prozac will do the trick and i wont have to change meds again.. Thank you again for your input, I will keep you guys updated and let you know how i am doing.
Posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 10:10:40
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by Americk on September 11, 2004, at 21:07:04
OK...I wish my Doctor would of told me about this evil drug!!! Since day one of taking this pill, haven't been same. My wife has said that I am not the same man i used to be...in other words...this drug hasn't helped me at all. I've been on it for 1 month at 70 mg and it almost destroyed my relationship. I stopped taking it since yesterday. She also prescribed me Lorazepam .5 mg and i found out that taking this stuff with Effexor can cause some major side effects. I"M FREEAKING OUT HERE!!!!!
The brain shakes are awful and I feel so lost. Reading your posting has made me emotional. I can't stop crying because I'm afraid of what's ahead.
I don't trust my Doctor anymore. I'm so angry!!!
Posted by MKB on November 16, 2004, at 12:10:12
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » Americk, posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 10:10:40
Tell your wife to be patient for a couple of weeks. Get off it and stay off it. You will not be yourself. I know how terrible it is. Coming off it made me more depressed than I was before. Good luck. You CAN make it, just don't do anything drastic.
Posted by Jiggitykid on November 16, 2004, at 14:20:53
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » Americk, posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 10:10:40
Your doc either didn't know or didn't believe it. Regardless, I'm SO SORRY for the situation you are in! Trust me - I've been there. This horrible drug nearly destroyed my marriage. One year ago, we were talking divorce, and I had no idea why he was so unhappy with me. After I stopped taking the drug, "I" came back, and he loves me the way he used to. I'll never be the person I was 15 years ago when we married - neither will he, of course - but I'm a functioning, loving person again. When I was taking the effexor, I kept telling the doc and the counselor I was seeing that I was feeling worse, so they advised upping the dose. I got worse - the doctor wondered if I was really, truly mentally ill. Once I stopped taking the drug, I became me again.
I know reading the withdrawal symptoms is scary, but you've got to get off of this drug before it destroys your life and your family. There are ways to cope that make it easier that people have been kind enough to share here. The big thing is that you've got to either educate your doctor, or find a doctor who is already up to speed on this, and figure out the best plan for you, whether it be tapering off or quitting cold turkey (which is what I did, because I had no help at all. I thought I was losing my mind until I found this board. Thank you, Dr. Bob!). Some recommend Prozac during withdrawal. Benedryl helps some. Some prescription pain killers and Ibuprofen help, but you need to be careful when dealing with the pain meds, of course.
Perhaps most importantly of all, you need to have your spouse read this site and understand that what you are going through is NOT YOUR FAULT, and that it is the medication's doing. She needs to be educated about what to expect while you are quitting the medicine. She needs to understand that you AREN'T the person you were, but that you will be once you get this evil drug out of your system.
Check in, and let us know how you are doing. We all support you!! Please, take care of your family. Let them love you.
> OK...I wish my Doctor would of told me about this evil drug!!! Since day one of taking this pill, haven't been same. My wife has said that I am not the same man i used to be...in other words...this drug hasn't helped me at all. I've been on it for 1 month at 70 mg and it almost destroyed my relationship. I stopped taking it since yesterday. She also prescribed me Lorazepam .5 mg and i found out that taking this stuff with Effexor can cause some major side effects. I"M FREEAKING OUT HERE!!!!!
> The brain shakes are awful and I feel so lost. Reading your posting has made me emotional. I can't stop crying because I'm afraid of what's ahead.
> I don't trust my Doctor anymore. I'm so angry!!!
Posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 17:23:55
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » deon, posted by Jiggitykid on November 16, 2004, at 14:20:53
Thank you...all of you's on this post and most of all....thank you Dr Bob.
Day 2 is almost done and I feel alittle better knowing I'm not alone in this fight of this drug!
I've read the other posts on the possitive effects of Effexor on other ppl but I can GUARONTEE that if and when they need to get off this poison...they'll be posting here.
As for me, my stomach feels like a twisted pretzel but I'm managing to keep food down. I have a job to do as a computer field technician which requires me to drive all over this city and to other towns. Thank god I have an understanding boss in Toronto to give me a few days off with pay to help me get over this nightmare. When I sent him just one of these posts, he couldn't believe what he was reading.
I also let my wife read these posts...she started to cry and felt so guilty. We both fell to the ground embracing eachother with tears knowing that all this can be put into the past and go on with ours lives as loving couples. She's going to help me in anyway she can till this is all over with.I will keep you all posted on my progress.
Thank you all again with all my heart and soul.
Your doc either didn't know or didn't believe it. Regardless, I'm SO SORRY for the situation you are in! Trust me - I've been there. This horrible drug nearly destroyed my marriage. One year ago, we were talking divorce, and I had no idea why he was so unhappy with me. After I stopped taking the drug, "I" came back, and he loves me the way he used to. I'll never be the person I was 15 years ago when we married - neither will he, of course - but I'm a functioning, loving person again. When I was taking the effexor, I kept telling the doc and the counselor I was seeing that I was feeling worse, so they advised upping the dose. I got worse - the doctor wondered if I was really, truly mentally ill. Once I stopped taking the drug, I became me again.
>
> I know reading the withdrawal symptoms is scary, but you've got to get off of this drug before it destroys your life and your family. There are ways to cope that make it easier that people have been kind enough to share here. The big thing is that you've got to either educate your doctor, or find a doctor who is already up to speed on this, and figure out the best plan for you, whether it be tapering off or quitting cold turkey (which is what I did, because I had no help at all. I thought I was losing my mind until I found this board. Thank you, Dr. Bob!). Some recommend Prozac during withdrawal. Benedryl helps some. Some prescription pain killers and Ibuprofen help, but you need to be careful when dealing with the pain meds, of course.
>
> Perhaps most importantly of all, you need to have your spouse read this site and understand that what you are going through is NOT YOUR FAULT, and that it is the medication's doing. She needs to be educated about what to expect while you are quitting the medicine. She needs to understand that you AREN'T the person you were, but that you will be once you get this evil drug out of your system.
>
> Check in, and let us know how you are doing. We all support you!! Please, take care of your family. Let them love you.
>
> > OK...I wish my Doctor would of told me about this evil drug!!! Since day one of taking this pill, haven't been same. My wife has said that I am not the same man i used to be...in other words...this drug hasn't helped me at all. I've been on it for 1 month at 70 mg and it almost destroyed my relationship. I stopped taking it since yesterday. She also prescribed me Lorazepam .5 mg and i found out that taking this stuff with Effexor can cause some major side effects. I"M FREEAKING OUT HERE!!!!!
> > The brain shakes are awful and I feel so lost. Reading your posting has made me emotional. I can't stop crying because I'm afraid of what's ahead.
> > I don't trust my Doctor anymore. I'm so angry!!!
>
>
Posted by MKB on November 16, 2004, at 20:18:19
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 17:23:55
Keep hanging on and don't be surprised if tomorrow is worse than today. How many more people are going to have to suffer before the situation changes?
Posted by DustBuster on November 17, 2004, at 1:36:22
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » deon, posted by MKB on November 16, 2004, at 20:18:19
Well, I quit taking Effexor XR this past weekend. Because of all the bad comments and articles I have read (here and many other places), I finally changed my mind, and decided that I don't really trust my pdoc (and won't be seeing him anymore), and it's just not worth the risk to keep taking this med. I am sticking with my T, though.
Apparently I am just lucky, or 3 weeks wasn't long enough to develop any real dependance, since I haven't had any serious withdrawl symptoms, so far. I did have a single horrible 2 hour sleepless "nap" Monday afternoon, during which I had dozens of odd dreams, and seemed to wake every 5-10 minutes, but that might not have anything to do with Effexor, since I haven't slept more than 3-4 hours a night for the past week.
I'm convinced most of the drug has cleared out of my system, since this afternoon, I started feeling really sad, worthless, depressed and angry again. Haven't felt like that since I started the meds. My ears are still ringing, though, so maybe this isn't quite over yet.
One other side effect of Effexor XR I didn't even realize until I quit, was that it apparently dried up my sinuses. I admit, it was nice being able to breath through my nose all day and night long, and not waking up with a sore throat and coughing up phlem.
Patrick
Posted by MKB on November 17, 2004, at 2:13:42
In reply to I quit taking Effexor too!, posted by DustBuster on November 17, 2004, at 1:36:22
I think the terrible, sad, worthless feeling is the effect of the Effexor withdrawal. Is it not worse than you felt before you started? Yes, Effexor does dry out your skin, your eyes, every part of you.
Posted by Dr. Bob on November 17, 2004, at 5:11:00
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 17:23:55
Posted by bbly78 on November 17, 2004, at 8:14:17
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » deon, posted by MKB on November 16, 2004, at 12:10:12
Well it has been 3 solid days without the effexor, I feel like crap.. My hands go numb, I can't bend over without coming up dizzy and wishing I could throw up.. I do however start my new meds today, so hopefully I will start to feel better.. I have always said it was a shame that in order to feel better you need medicine, but in the same instance, it sucks to have to take something else to counteract all the side effects of the one that is supposed to help you.. I mean really, you take something for depression or anxiety and it makes you sick, insomniac, etc.. then you end up taking something for the sick stomach and the lack of sleep.. You guys have helped me understand some of the things that are going on in my body.. I will keep in touch to let you know how the new meds go.. hopefully I wont get sick everytime I turn around.. literally..
Posted by MKB on November 17, 2004, at 11:49:08
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by bbly78 on November 17, 2004, at 8:14:17
So sorry you are suffering. I do hope you find something that works without dreadful side effects. If you suffer from simple depression and general anxiety, you might want to try L-Tryptophan, which is natural, safe, and effective. You can read about it at http://www.healthrecovery.com. Also, to understand more of what others have experienced with Effexor you can read comments of people who have signed a petition at www.petitiononline.com/effexor/. View the signatures.
Posted by deon on November 18, 2004, at 9:11:44
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms! » Americk, posted by deon on November 16, 2004, at 10:10:40
Day 3 is over with starting day 4...symptoms of the brain jolts are still there and the nausia remains. I'm starting to feel like it's a lossing battle even though it's only been a few days. I'm already fed up of this. Will this ever stop? Has anyone out there got this over with? Is there hope at the end of this long tunnel? I've been sleeping but it's not a stable sleep. I'm so tired right now....so tired. I don't want to go back to sleep during the day because I feel that will only make my insomnia worse. I haven't gone to work all this week because I'm afraid that I might get a severe "JOLT" while I'm driving. What a nightmare this is. You know what I just remembered? When I first went to my Doctor about these slight anxiety attacks and she put me on this Effexor....she told me that this would be a 6 month treatment then she would stop prescribing this medication and take me right of. She was only joking right? Is it possible that a Doctor has little knowlege of the withdrawls that a patient would be going through when taken off this medication? If not...she's about to get an awakening from me.
Anyone out there reading this and is taking Effexor....talk to your Doctor before going off about these awfull side effects.
I'll post again in a couple of days to let you know how I'm doing.
Posted by MKB on November 18, 2004, at 9:27:12
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by deon on November 18, 2004, at 9:11:44
Being informed is essential. Read as much as you can on these boards as many others have posted about this. I just got off Effexor recently, so I know what you are going through. I would suggest going down to the lowest dose possible, then taking it only every other day. Make sure the people around you know that you will not be yourself for awhile until you get this out of your system. It may take several weeks for you to get back to normal. Let your doctor know about your problems and stand firm. If you were not fully informed, you have a right to complain.
Posted by bbly78 on November 18, 2004, at 9:49:48
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by deon on November 18, 2004, at 9:11:44
Well, I saw my doctor yesterday, and he started me on 25mg of Prozac.. Let me tell you, I feel so much better.. I am still feeling a little numb in the hands once in a while, but nothing like it was.. Just one dose of a new med, something to take over the feelings of coming off the effexor, and I feel somewhat like a human.. I am still real sensitive to some smells.. But I cant wait for the whole negative overall feeling to be done.. I will keep in touch
Go forward in 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.