Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 108 of 140}

Marilyn, those tablets are not time release like the XR. That's probably why you noticed a change. Check back in the post logs for tapering info by Mikemo. I just quit when I got down to 80% of 37.5 and spent 12 days withdrawing.

Twisi, OMG I am still laughing!!! That's hilARious. People that live alone can go on and on doing it and not even knowing. Some people figured it out when they started gaining lots of weight and found unusual things around the kitchen every morning. I laugh when I see their tv ad, because at the bottom it says, SEE OUR AD IN COOKING LIGHT MAGAZINE. ( I looked it up and cooking light is USA's top food magazine!)

Marilyn, those tablets are not time release like the XR. That's probably why you noticed a change.

Thanks a bunch! I have been reading every chance I get, and Mikemo is very knowlegable!! I have noticed since I've tapered down to 25mgs from 112.5, that the side effects are slowly reversing and disappearing. All kidding aside, the extra 25lbs is a friggin' DRAG! I've just noticed that the urges to binge eat have subsided over the last 2 days. Maybe there's hope for me to get rid of this blubber I've aquired over the last year.... It's one thing to be old, another to be old and menopausal, but to be old, menopausal and FAT is a bit too much to bear.....

Mikemo,
If yer still around, I can sure use yer help. I've been reading about tablets and splitting, and I'm tempted to follow one of the regimens you've suggested. I've been on 25mg tablets, taken all at once, for about 11 days now. Sofar, my withdrawal has been mild to mild/moderate, hardly anything that severely interferes with my life. I did notice a change when I went from counting beads to the tablets, but only after 12 days. What do you think???
Marilyn (aka: Accordionlady)

Hi! All. Tomorrow will be 3 weeks since I took my last bit of effexor and I am feeling just fine. I think all withdrawal symptoms are finally gone. What a wonderful feeling. Marilyn, I tapered down from 37.5 tabs and it went well for me. I started with 3/4 tab for a few days, then 1/2 tab for a few days, then 1/4 tab for a few days, and none. Obviously all of our bodies and minds deal differently with the process, but if you really want to quit this stuff, you can do it! And we'll all be here for you. I had only been taking it for about 3 years or so and never went to more than 37.5 mg, thank God! If it hadn't been for the morning back the first part of February when I woke up one morning and was feeling really out of sorts, dizzy, etc, I would never have gotten online and started researching withdrawal effects from this med. That is when I made up my mind that I was going to get off of it and find another way to deal with the hot flashes and the menopause thing. Twisi, EFP, and Ems, glad you ladies are still doing good!
Pam

Pam,
Thanks so much for your reply! I took 3/4 of a 25mg tablet this morning and plan to see how this goes for the next few days. I've been tapering since late december, and I'm sick of it. I'm a social work therapist, and this crap was making me so damn drowsy! And the hot flashes were absolutely debilitating! Since cutting down, the hot flashes have all but disappeared! I'm still a little sleepy during the day, but not as bad. The worst part of this has been the binging and weight gain. I'm a runner, and put on 25 lbs from this stuff! I've just noticed over the last 2 days that my desire to binge is ebbing, thank god, since I could not stick to any diet while fighting intense urges to eat. Has this happened to you or anyone else? I've been reading lots of posts, and it's been so helpful. Looks like there really is not a set pattern insofar as reactions or withdrawals to effexor.
Again, thank you so very much for your reply.

Marilyn

hey guys, just checking in - hows everyone been doing?

Pam, im pleased you are doing well after 3 weeks!

Thanks so much for the support from everyone because there were times in the first week that i seriously thought it would be easier to just take another pill.

im day 16 now and doing well - no dizzy spells, no nausea. some really mild headaches but nothing really to worry about. also my jaw ache went on saturday so that was good!

Marilyn, since i have been off effexor, i have been trying to eat much healthier food and i think my body wants it! when on E i was really craving sweet food and caffiene alot. and with the withdrawal, i havent had any energy for exercise. i have been walking but nothing much really. i plan on starting swimming tomorrow.

right better crack on with some work! have a great day everyone!

Ems x

Hi Marilyn, Twisi, Ems, Pam, Anyone else reading this,

Just stopping in to say hello and to anyone going through withdrawal, It is worth it on the other side. Hang in there!

It has been 2 weeks and 4 days since I took my last pill. Starting day 12 I had no more withdrawal symptoms. I started at 37.5 mg, tapered for 3 days (1/2, 80% or more, 80%) then quit.

Life is richer, better, funnier, and calmer now. I lost all the side effects I had while taking effexor, except the weight gain. I am really hoping that goes too, I grew out of my entire wardrobe.

My blood pressure and heart rate are normal for the first time since I got on effexor 2 years ago. I didn't get on high bp med til then, and now it's back to normal without medication. And I was on a low dose of effexor. That right there is enough reason to tick me off, because that could have led to a stroke having that high bp I did. My heart rate has now gone down 20 beats per minute. That is a lot. No wonder I feel so calm now.

Anyway, I am sleeping well, laughing again, and enjoying life. I have had no problems mentally with depression or anything. I was on effexor for depression. If anyone else has that problem, I got the best help from the book Creating Optimism, the best book for healing depression I ever read. It includes how to heal depression safely without antidepressants.

Hey EffexorFREE!
I like yer name! I can't wait till I'm effexor free! I brought myself down to about 18mgs yesterday; 3/4 of a 25mg pill. I'm so tempted to just stop at this point, as I've been weaning off slooooowwwwly from 112.5 since late December! I'm worried I won't be able to drop weight till I'm off completely. I noticed just the other day that my urges to binge eat at night (mostly sugars) seems to be going away. Did that happen to you????

Marilyn

Yes, accordionlady Marilyn, it did. I remember eating a whole carton of ice cream on several occassions. I got cravings in the evening for anything cow related, ice cream, milk & cereal, cheese, cheesecake, steak, cream cheese, geez. How bad on the heart was all that, huh? I ate a lot more during withdrawal just to ease the experience, but once I finished, my hunger is minimal. I weighed 118 all my life. I gained some in my late 40's, but when I got on effexor I gained about 15 or 20 pounds. I craved more, binged more, and lost all interest in anything that resembled exercise. I am not craving that stuff now at all. Period. It's great.

Hello all~ Hello mikemo! It has been a long time since I have been on here. Just curious to see what is happening. and yes, more people affected by this horrible drug Effexor! Last year it took me 8 months to go from 300mg a day (for 9 years) to 37.5 mg a day for one month and then 17 mg and then not at all. I had horrible side-effects going from 300mg to 150 mg, not as bad from 150mg to 75 mg or down to 37.5 mg using mikemo's up and down taper schedule. I am so much better NOT on this drug. I now have emotions and can cry and have feelings. I got a light box for the seasonal disorder which I use everyday! I also increased my exercise and water in take instead of pop. That helped a lot too! Just hang in there everyone! One of th other things is that my chlosterol dropped 38 points! Yuppers, it's in the fine print that it could go up on this medication but don't worry..right... just have a heart attack too!! So glad I am done, done, done and will never go back on his or any stuff.... Hugs to all! Mary

Hooray Mary! Nice to hear! I'm excited for spring to be getting here. Here's to springtime and getting outside!!

Mike

OHMYGOD! So it isn't my imagination that food is turning into fuel instead of my reason for living every night. I'm actually able to sit next to a bag of bagels and not eat all of them!! I'm so tempted to stop this stuff once and for all, but I'm scared to do it. If I go according to my present schedule, I have another 3 weeks of pill cutting and dealing with the mildly annoying side effects, aside from the huge rear end I'm carrying. It feels heavier than my accordion......

Marilyn

New to sight. Currently taking effexor xr. four the past five years I have taken Paxil (worked well, gained weight, heinous withdraw), Zoloft, Celexa, Effexor and Effexor XR. I struggle with sever anger which is why I sought out DR. 5 years ago. I found myself yelling at my 2nd child who was 11 months old about ridiculous things. Anytime I stop taking meds, the anger (which feels like a heat rush coupled with a car racing 100 MPH with no brakes)comes back. I have four wonderful children who don't deserve to be yelled at by their mommy. I cry to think that I feel helplessly addicted to some sort of drug. I don't know if we could ever dedicate enough time to our schedules to help me get off of the meds. And if I did, would I still keep yelling? It's like I have no control over the anger.

I feel like a zombie - I still like to run, but our schedules really aren't conducive to me having any time alone. I'm heading to the Dr. tomorrow and am so grateful to have found this site.

fourinsix,
Do you ever get a break from parenting? Is your MD a psychiatrist? If not, you may not be getting just the right combination of meds. Talk therapy can really help, too, if only to give you some quality time to yourself! You MUST take the time! Your kids will BENEFIT from the time you give to you, dear!

Accordionlady (P.S. I'm a clinical social worker as well as a mom. If I didn't have music, I'd be a total BASKETCASE!)

EFp - i was about 12 days, actually 11 to be precise and thats when the withdrawal - the dizzy spells and nausea and buzzin stopped. So for those still in the early stages - keep going and keep strong.

i was sooooo worried that it would last forever but it doesnt and you will feel better soon!

ref food, the first week of effexor free i was really ravenous and i fed my body what it wanted. then last week at 10days, i started trying hard to eat healthily - so fruit, veg and cut out all the fizzy drinks (became addicted to those too and the sugar). ive had just 2 cans of fizzy since last monday 3rd march and im not even craving it which is good. i feel so much more energised and full of life!

Oh also went back to my body combat class that i used to enjoy. went last night and felt great afterwards. going for a swim later too as thats relaxing.

keep strong,
ems xx

Hey everyone! I'm down to about 18mgs of this med. I'm cutting 25mg tablets into quarters and taking 3 quarters every morning. By the following morning, I have a foggy, full feeling in my head, and my brain seems to skip a beat. I'm also a little shaky on my feet, uncoordinated. Tired, too. Within 1 hour of taking the stuff, the feelings resolve. What the heck would I have been like if I'd followed my MD's advice and stopped cold turkey at 112.5??? But I'm really tempted to just go for it here, since I have taken the week off from work. Any advice from anyone out there?

Marilyn

Marilyn,
i got down to maybe 2-3mg at the end and even then i still had nasty withdrawal. for me it was mainly dizziness and nausea, heaches and feeling disorientated and very weak and tired. i still worked thro that too! dont really know how looking back but hey. i think some of the others stopped at higher levels and too experienced similar withdrawal. knowing what i know now, i.e even 3mg or so still made me feel like crap then i would be tempted to stop at a higher level just to get it over and done with. when i was down to about 20mg i was starting to feel withdrawal anyway.

If you do go for it then big bit of advice would be to stick at it - even if after 3 days you have lost all hope and think it would be easier to take that bit of pill...DONT! i soooo nearly did at times because the nausea was too much for me (i suffer vomit phobia) but i carried on and im 16 e free days now and feeling great!

if you go for it then we will all be here to support you coz some of us have literally just been there!

ems x

Marilyn, I wouldn't presume to tell you what to do, but given the fact that you have a week off of work, if it were me, I would get it over with. I had to make that decision, too, keep tapering or just quit. I didn't see the people who kept tapering as getting off scott-free and decided I did not want to prolong this deal any longer than I had to. My last dose was 80 out of 100 beads from a 37.5 cap. I am glad now that I did not prolong it. That's just me, I am not advising you what to do, rather sharing my experience. You can take that into account when you decide if you want to or not.

Help me out here, guys. I have no constant withdrawals at 18mgs. I feel weird when I get up in the morning,when I haven't had any since the morning before. That's when I notice the withdrawals. Within 1 hour of taking my dose, I feel pretty much cured of the withdrawals, with an occasional spacey feeling, memory issue or coordination problem. Does this mean, in your experience, that my withdrawals will be like what I experience in the morning? Or, do they worsen?

Marilyn

Marilyn===

Hi, its me Twisi (day 10 no-effex). Get it over with. No one is the same, so its difficult to say what your side-effects will be. Mine - still continue - off and on - but life gets better every day, and thats your incentive.

EFP: HOW R YOU? You sound good, as does everyone else. Im still continuing the bikram yoga and actually...... i am going to quit my corporate job and study yoga - starting in Sept (Hatha).

I would like to teach folks like ourselves that sometimes (not always) drugs are not the answer and that there are alternatives that outweigh the pill popping answer. I would also like to teach people of my age (51) that NO ... YOU ARE NOT TOO OLD.... and its good to get up and move that tush.

Ok, Im going to do some cycling in the basement on the trainer. I live in Chicago and while its 50 degrees today, Im not ready to go out into the elements. Soon.

Bless you all and hugs. We shall overcome.

Twisi

Marilyn, I'm kinda with the rest of the ladies. If you're off for a week and you've made your mind up to get off 'E' permanently, this would probably be the best time to do it. You'll have several days of the spaciness, dizziness, etc before the symptoms get less and less. Find things to keep you busy as much as possible and don't let the power of the withdrawal get to you! I'm on day 22 of being free and feel so much better because of it. I have had a little of an increased appetite but am trying hard to get control of it as I had started Weight Watchers in May of last year and have taken off almost 30 pounds and intend to get off at least another 15-20. I really don't think it's being off 'E' that's caused my appetite to increase, I think it's because I just love to eat!! Like Twisi said, no two peoples' side effects are the same so you may get through this process without too much trouble. Keep us posted! Glad to hear that EFP and Ems are still hanging with it!
Pam

I just decided I'm gonna go for it one week from this thursday. Hopefully, I'll wake up Easter morning and it'll be all over with. I don't wanna spend my week off in withdrawals. Also, gotta gear up..... Yuk, I'm gettin' nervous already...........

marilyn, one last comment, I don't know about anyone else, but I never could have gone to work during my withdrawal

UM YES, MY SENTIMENTS EXACTLY. I WAS laid off on 11-5 and have taken this time to become Effexor free. You might want to reconsider how you spend y ur week off.

Its easier when you don't have to commit yourself to anything.

Good thought EFP.

i was at work during my withdrawal and i did wonder about in a daze for over a week at work! im fortunate that i manage myself at work so it wasnt too bad. i dont think staring at a screen all day helped tho and i think it contributed to the headaches. one positive thing tho is that it kept me busy. i think personally for me, if i had been at home, i would have spent more time thinking about withdrawal and wallowing in my own self pity - but thats just me tho and i suffer anxiety and panic with my vomit phobia so i think for me being at work gave me that push to just get on with it! if id been home i would have just thought more about being sick and stuff.

ems x

I guess it depends how severe your withdrawal is but you may not know that until you're in it. I could not safely drive a vehicle during that time. It depends what kind of a job you have and if you have to drive much and like ems said, if you're just dazed or have headaches or vomiting you could do it. I couldn't have done it because of the constancy of the head zaps, driving wasn't possible, hot and cold extreme flashes (I had to take my clothes off and on every 20 min or so). It may be tapering further helps with that kind of thing or maybe it isn't as extreme. I don't know how one could predict it tho. Heck I could barely take a shower and open cans to eat out of, but I am not a real go-getter type. I am the lay on the couch and take it easy type. Even that was hard because as soon as I lay down I got the sweats really bad and the ears ringing got worse, it's a crapshoot.

Everyone gets different assortments of symptoms and each to varying degrees, so it seems difficult to predict.