Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 111 of 140}

FEE====

One thing....

We are talking PHYSICIANS. . . they know what discontinuation syndrome is, they know that Effexor has bad side effects when not taken, they know that it should not be given to everyone (esp. for hot flashes). Read the article in NYT that tells the story of a doctor being courted by Wyeth to push this crap.... and made an additional $30-$40,000 a year.

You doctors responsibility lies in recommending effective and safe treatment.

Im sorry- I don't buy that they are unaware. If they are = they shouldn't be practicing medicine.

Twisi25
What burns my butt is that I brought Glenmullen's book into my appointment with my MD and he refused to look at it at first. Wasn't till I told him how disappointed I was in his apparent rigidity that he agreed to take a look at it, but only after telling me he wanted to test me for lyme disease and a host of other possible reasons for my symptoms. While I was getting my blood drawn, he came in and said he'd looked at the book and THEN concede that I was in antidepressant withdrawal....but that I was still very unusual in my response to this med. My symptoms are like club med compared to others' on this thread!!! Lemme tell ya, as a social work therapist, I'd be leavin' skidmarks in my shorts if I ever, EVER thought I was uninformed about something like this. As it is, I feel TERRIBLE that I didn't know as much as I should, given that probably 40-50% of my patients are on meds prescribed by doctors that I refer them to. My consulting shrinks ALL KNEW about the effects when I spoke with them, and NONE of my patients have complained. I've watched them come off, usually getting switched to another antidepressant, so these withdrawals were probably circumvented. I was at a conference this week with a number of my peers who were unaware of the severity of the withdrawals! The presentor WAS aware. I feel fortunate to have had this experience if only to be more sensitive to my patients who are on meds for depression. I emphatically discourage women my age with hot flashes who are offered this med as a treatment alternative for the flashes. Hell, our grandmothers and cave women were going thru menopause, too. What did they do???? Now, every time I have one I smile, thinking I'm no longer on the pill from hell that messed up my brain such that I could not control my binge eating problem. I could NOT FIGURE OUT WHY! It had been in remission for 3 friggin' years, and suddenly, I could not stop the overeating!!! The flashes I was gettin' on the med were unbearable! The normal flashes are so mild that I barely notice them!! Gimme my accordion NOW, cause I wanna blast anyone who gives this out to menopausal women into kingdom come!!! Can ya tell I'm still withdrawing????

accordionlady.....

yes i hear ya sister.......lets book our flights to wyeth headquarters......now!

Just signed the petition against effexor. Do it guys! Makes ya feel REAL GOOD!!

Accordionlady (aka:Marilyn)

So the zaps came back a bit today, mild, far between, but there. The newest scourge was that I woke up stiff across my shoulders and neck and could barely move!!!!! What the he-- is this??? Anyone else have this nasty thing happen, or am I just sleeping wrong????

Hey everyone!

I have a few questions. Benydryl-is this supposed to help with the zaps, dizziness? If so, must it be regular Bendryl, or can you take the 'daytime' kind? Anyone taking antimimetics for nausea?

I am close to going competely off of e, and I plan to try to exercise, sweat it out in some hot showers. Has anyone had good results doing a body detox cleanse (like from GNC)?

Want to make sure I have read correctly, do you start SJW/or 5HTP a few days after the final e dose??

Thank you all! This forum is incredibly helpful!

Lani

I get soreness - similar to a flu like symptom - achy all over - even my fingernails....it usually debilitates me for the day......i haven't had it for a week, and am hoping its gone. I think you slept funny Mariilyn.

Laniblue:

I only take a multivitamin, omega 3 and milk thistle. I drink lots of green tea, drink lots of water and sweat every day in hot yoga for 90 minutes.

I have tried a uv sauna which some spa's have. It makes you sweat a lot, and feels really good when you are done.

I try to stay on the holistic approach.

Take care, Twisi

Twisi~

Did you start the omega 3 and milk thistle before you were completely done with the effexor, or is this something that should be started after the whole tapering is finished??

i started omega 3, milk thistle etc, while tapering.

mostly I suggest good a workout every day.

Marilyn - what day are you at when you say you have stiff neck and pain in neck area? I was about day 8-10 and had right side aching for a whole day then switched to left side then full neck ache on third day! after that it disappeared and hasnt come back!

How is everyone doing? im doing great! even forgotten what day im at now - all i know is that im e free! oh day 31 - just checked calender - so a whole month! wohoo!

Lani, i took Hyoscine and also Kwells (uk brand name) for the nausea. i dont think it helped alot tho to be honest. the US Benadryl is the UK equivalent of Nytol - a sleeping aid. i found that out after taking the UK Benadryl which has a totally different active ingredient to the US one - power of the mind and all ey coz i was sure it was working for me!

ems x

Hey ejb199jsd:
It started on day 10......

I can't move my f'ing neck! Went to a massage therapist yesterday. No help. Called my MD, who's sending me for physical therapy. How the heck can I pick up my accordion and play with this neck????!!!! I have a major concert comin' up. The rest of the symptoms, aside from slight buzzin' in my ears, are gone!

HEY ALL-

I am now down to 40 mg & about to do the splitting method tomorrow of jumping down to 20 mg & then back up to 35 on Thurs. & finally down to 20 for Friday.

I have been experiencing withdrawal symptoms no matter what between jumps unless I take my 1 mg of Xanax, I am unaware if this is simply because my anxiety is kicking back in in a full force withdrawal.

I was also able to find a few 20 mg Prozac capsules (3 of them) from a past prescription.. I have heard this will help me off of the Effexor xr alot quicker. Does anyone have any input??

No joke.....I took a nap on Sunday and woke up with a stiff neck, it has not subisded yet. I keep doing yoga but - it does not help. My gluteus has been KILLING me ( no joke) and I am about to step into a tub of sea salts. I should have bought stock in this stiff at the beginning of the winter. Seems im going through it like water......


Peace
Achy Breaky Twisi

What in all holy hell is going on??? I wish I could say this stiff neck is due to having athletic sex with my accordion on. But, why do I think this is the lingering effects of the big, bad 'E'? Damn! I cannot move my head in any direction, and NOW I FEEL IT STARTIN' ON THE OTHER SIDE!!!! Are we jinxing ourselves here??LOLOLOLOL! I'm tight as a drum between my neck and shoulderblades, and I have done nothing out of the ordinary to bring this on. Really painful. But, I shouldn't complain, since the zaps are gone, and all's I have left is the buzzing and the fat A - -.

Jdub: I'd check with a reputable shrink before self medicating. Prozac bridge is used to help get off effexor, but I wouldn't do it without consultation. Especially if you're doing xanax, which, over the long run, is not a good med to use, as it can cause another dependence that you'll have to withdraw from. Seen it in a number of my clients. And for the love of god, stay away from booze!!

Marilyn

Marilyn, mine moved sides of neck too - keep with it and im sure it will go in a few days. i used deep heat to relieve the pain.

Jdub - i did have prozac 20mg to help at the end but decided not to take in the end. i just didnt want to put any more drugs into my poor body!

ems x

Just as I expected, see this site:

I knew my muscle/joint pain was not age related, I have been active my whole life. Now I wonder if I will ever feel normal again. This is just hell.

blank">http://www.topix.com/forum/drug/effexor/TN5FI2IQR8JUDKU5F

thanks marilyn & ems x

thanks marilyn & ems x

OOPS!! sorry.. i didnt mean to post just that or twice for that matter lol.

The xanax is used for my anxiety disorder, i would have to say if it wasn't for that right now i would be in the ER everyday for a panic attack due to these withdrawals. I used to take 3 mg of xanax a day but got myself down to a half of a mg but since the withdrawal i will take just one.

I know Marilyn said to stay away from alcohol but sometimes if i know a glass of wine will calm me down just like the meds would i prefer to drink the glass. Just my preference, & my boyfriend will attest to this working.

I have done such a slow taper of the effexor over 6 months so far & still i see withdrawals, very very scary. The headache-like symptoms make it hard to think, sometimes i feel like my joints and muscles are locked in place, & the paranoia is unbearable.

Needless to say the xanax right now is helping me off the E & then once off that i will taper off of the xanax but coming off the 1 mg shouldn't be bad since i did it before no problem.

Effexor is truley a nightmare.

Also I would never take the Prozac 20 mg without my dr's consent, I was just wondering if it was beneficial to anyone here.

J-Dubs

F'ing A! Sorry for getting obcene here with the language, but right now, I really wanna scream!!!! I just checked out the site on muscle aches and effexor... As if we don't have enough s - - t to deal with both on and off this crap! I was gettin' so happy thinkin' I've licked this med, and now I'm off to physical therapy to see if I can unlock my head, which is stuck in one position. Thank god,it's straight dead ahead,since I've been slllloooollly trying to unlock it myself in the morning by turning my head side to side and towards my chest. I can hear tendons snapping, and I feel like the girl from the exorcist! It's traveling into my left arm right into the elbow. Ya know it seems to have hit me right where it'll affect me the most: my bellows arm! GRRRRR! I absolutely refuse to let this beat me, fat arse and all. I'll let you guys know what PT does, as heating pads, and tylenol did squat. Motrin's a bit better, and moist heat does relieve it some. It feels like whiplash!!!!

NEED TO VENT

I am a strong woman. I am strong like you would not believe, emotionally and physically. I have survived extremely difficult and challenging events in my live and I am proud of myself for my strength.

Right now, I want to cry. I have been physically challenging myself each and every day - even prior to completely eliminating 'E' from my system. I do 90 minutes of hot yoga, I do 30 minutes of pilates at home and I walk.

Two straight months of this and I still look like crap. WTF. Why didn't my freeking doctor tell me about this - she said I WOULD LOSE WEIGHT! Now I can't get rid of it, I feel like crap and there cannot be any other reason that the drug. I was awake all knight with a pain in my arse. Me hubby rubbed it out for me and I went to bed with a heating pad. I woke up at 3am and my knees were killing me. It scared the crap out of me. I am almost at a month free of E and, I am not free at all.

Is this what fibromyalga feels like? This is frightening and I am really really mad.



I

hey guys try not to get too panicky about the joint pains. after reading that link Twisi, it has dawned on me that maybe the aches and pains i thought were from a car crash i was in in 2003 were perhaps nothing to do with that.... pain comes and goes, mainly in the joints of my hands and fingers. i always put it down to whiplash tho.

guys, we have to remember that we are off effexor now though - at least keep that in mind - or that you will be soon if you are still tappering. try not to get angry - its too late for that now. looking back, i should have asked my doctor more questions and not blindly taken medication.

one thing im suffering with at the moment is awfully itchy skin. not sure if its effexor related or not but it wakes me in the night - like prickly and burny all over my body in little bursts. i woke at half 2 last night and by half 5 i was so beside myself and crying my eyes out in frustration. its been itching all day thro work and even now and im dreading going to bed. even anti histamine hasnt calmed it. i have a docs appointment tomoz tho so hopefully he might be able to do something useful - not holding my breath tho....

ems xx

also forgot to mention - my mum has fibromylagia (sp) and i think its much worse than the pain we are experiencing. the joke of it is that the docs are trying to put her on anti depressants to ease the pain! shes having none of it tho!

sorry for seperate posts - i keep reading things i missed.

Jdub you mention anxiety - i was initially put on them for anxiety since 2002 till 2008 and they ahve never worked. i still suffer panic attacks after i eat (i have a vomit phobia - long crap story so wont bore everyone) but basically when i eat i get stressed ill throw it back up so especially evening meals are the worst. i find a glass or 3 of wine helps me soooooo much and helps me sleep too! i know everyone says stay of the booze but to be honest i found it helped me sleep and calmed me down so i continued to drink thro all withdrawal. my boyfriend (hubby to be actually!) thinks the same and would rather me have a glass and enjoy my evening than pacing the house worrying about throwing up and then setting off my ibs... pants hey.

right, back to my glass of wine! and the Apprentice! dont know if anyones from UK but it starts in 5 mins and i cant wait!!!

ems xx

Went to PT today. Ladies, I have not been in any accident that could have given me this stiff neck. It's like I have whiplash! The guy started treating me for it, and I'll go back tomorrow. I do think that it'll take time for the metabolism to right itself, but it will. I seem to recall reading about itchy skin in Glenmullen's book. I don't have the book right now, as I gave it to my MD (the one who prescribed the effexor)to read. I have to watch what I put in my mouth, as I'm sure I've changed my eating patterns some, which can account for some of the weight gain, but not friggin' 25lbs. My doc's chalking it up to perimenopause. If I didn't have the stupid flashes, I wouldn't be in this mess. The bummer is, I just finished a friggin' period!!!

GRRRRRRR!
Marilyn

So, how are all the sore shoulders and arses doing out there in cyberspace???

I thought of everyone this morning while I was in TRACTION!!! I'm feeling a bit of relief, but I need lots more. Still can't look down or off to the left too well, and I have 2 major rehearsals and a concert tomorrow night and over the weekend.

I can barely hold my instrument.

And get a load of this folks: MY prescribing MD calls to say he lost my Glenmullen book and wants to replace it. I called the office asking for it whilst in the throes of withdrawal last week.

But I'm happy to report that zaps are barely noticeable when they are there, which is infrequent, and the buzzing seems to be on it's way out, too.

Now if I can just stop walking around like quasimoto, I should be just fine!!!

How's everyone doin'??