Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 134 of 140}

vicky64; I find that diet and exercise work well to help. I am just very confused as to what this chemical did to my brain over the 2 years I was taking it. Annet; I have a similar issue with my ears , I feel like they are constantly blocked. I have presented all of my symptoms to my doctor and nothing has come up in my blood tests. I can live with the eye floaters and ears issues. It is the fatigue that I cannot stand .. some days I feel fine .. others are brutal. My doctor keeps telling my that my symptoms are attributed to my diet , and I need to exercise more. Prior to taking Effexor , I was completely free of all of these symptoms ...and was running / jogging. 20-30km per week!.

This drug seems to effect everyone differently. It is a shame how doctors are so carelessly writing prescriptions for it , yet so little research has been done on the withdrawal symptoms. I could go on for hours with my experiences, have a nice day everyone !

Vicky64,
I take Fish oil, B-50, Vitamin c&e, and magnesium.

RoyalFlush,
For the longest time I had a problem with my ears feeling blocked and full after I quit taking effexor, finally I went to the dr. they said I had an inner ear infection (I was also having dizziness), took antibiotics after finishing the antibiotics still had the same problem, went back to the dr. he gave me more antibiotics and said if it didn't get better I would have to go to a specialist. I had a bad reaction to the second antibiotic so I quit taking it and called and had to again start another antibiotic. Thank goodness after two weeks of antibiotics and $500.00 my ears are finally better. My ears were like that for months and continuously got worse until I went to the dr. I waited so long because I thought it would go away on its own I didn't realize it was an infection. I did think it had something to do with quitting the effexor in the beginning but since it turned into an infection there is no way to know for sure.

Bernadette

RoyalFlush,
I forgot to say something else about the ears when I first stopped taking effexor I had ringing in my ears too a lot.

My name is jaimie and i am only 19 years old i would like to share my story with all of those who know exactly what i went through. My Physician decided that the answer to my 'normal' developmental changes i was experienceing when first becoming a teenager (i.e. mood swings, depression..etc.) was to prescribe me anti-depressants. I started taking them daily from the time i was thirteen. As you all know part of the process is to 'experiment' with what works best for you. so for five straight years i was changing medications more then could have been healthy for my young body. I can remember at one point i was on 6 different medications to counter act all the side affects from the others. My physician finally settled on one when i was around 16 years old, Effexor. Over the next 2 years my doses became higher and higher. My physician felt that the only possible answer for the way i was still feeling was that i needed more medication. This was the time in my life when i should have been having the most fun, i should have been learning about my self as a person and discovering talents and things i was interested in. Preparing for college and taking on major responsibilities. But that isnt how it happened. I lost all feeling for anything and everything. Feelings were now just a thought, i could no longer feel sad or happy for example, but i knew what it meant to feel that way. I went from a 4.0 to no longer going to classes and by the time senior year rolled around i only ended up passing 1 of my classes the whole year (i had built up enough credits to not need to pass many). I no longer cared about myself or anything and i didnt understand why the medication wasn't doing what it was 'supposed' to do. I thought there was no possible way i could live without it because missing a day was like living in hell. May 2008, the end of my senior year rolled around and i had been taking 375 mg, prescribed by my physician, for a whole year and my parents realized how much this had affected me. We decided together that i needed to get off, there were no other answers then to see how i would feel without it..i had reached the end of the line. In doing so i learned from a new physician that i had been unknowingly taking 150 mg more then the maximum dosage for the whole previous year! I thought for sure there had to be some ever lasting damage done by being overdosed for a whole year with so much medication. Im sure every case is different and i sympathize deeply with everyone experiencing or who has experienced what i had to. The withdrawls were the worst thing i have had to deal with in my life. To this day I can't believe i overcame the medication on my own (with the help of the weaning off by a doctor) when i was told i wouldnt be able to do it without rehabilitaion or other medications. This is something that i have grown a lot from but it has taken me a whole year to learn how to actually live and become who i really am, even though i am still not fully there. I missed out on so much and the pain and torture i went through because of Effexor can never be undone.

What a touching story Jaimielynne..i cant believe they prescribed this poison to a 13 year old...The good thing is that you had the strenght to get off this drug...You have to endure this personally in order to know what it takes...Look at it from the positive side...You are now and will always be a stronger person...

thank you this is the first post ive done so its nice to be able to talk to people who relate

Dear Jamielynne and other members,

What a touching story our young friend has shared.
How are you now Jamielynne?

Does your new doc know about orthomolecular medicine? Its old (last century) and natural. Some docs who use this method are Joan larson and Julia Ross. Both have book are treating depressive symptoms with amino acids and other natural means. Since you were going through normal things as a kid but the doc doped you up for so long your brain has been damaged so maybe look into rebuilding it with the recommendations of Larson or Ross?

Just a thought...

Personally I am down to about 50 mg of effexor after 10 years at 225mg/day. THe natural supplemnents help a lot and I have found that getting back into exercise is harder than I thought it would be. Not sure if its cause I am 40 or an E side affects on my motivation?

BTW: My friend tells me there is a new version of Effexor that has a new name and does not carry the withdrawl effects that regular E does. hhhhmmmmmmmmmm..I am not so sure about this ....

Marty

Jamielynn,

Wow!! I am so sorry that you had to go through that.I really wish doctors would not experiment with people like that especially kids. I am glad you had the courage and strength to get off of effexor and I hope things only continue to get better for you. How long have you been off of effexor?

Hola, Vicki! I take 100mg of HTP at lunch, 200 mg at night (dosage recommendation for Fibromyalgia and/or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome to restore sleep pattern). That's a bit high, so go slowly, especially if you are still on Effexor or other antidepressants.

Bernadette, thanks for the added info on your ears.

Marty, that new med that is a longer-acting SNRI (same drug class as Effexor) is called Cymbalta (in Canada).

When I was boosted up from 75 mg of Effexor up to 150 mg, my heart raced so bad when I did a little bit of exercise. I wish now I had backed off at that point. My fatigue did not improve - initially I'm sure it was the depression/burn out, but later I think it has been Effexor side effect also. My mouth was so dry I got lots of nasty dental problems. I gained weight - these were all the reasons for trying to discontinue it.

I'm a bit off balance today - not sure if it is due to forgotten 5HTP, Effexor withdrawal, and/or migraine. So, I've taken my meds, vitamins, and a whack of ibuprofen. Maybe I'll try to book a massage. I'm heading up to my studio - hopefully painting will distract me and soothe me, until it is naptime!

Thank you, everyone, for posting. It is so good to be with others who understand what it is like to go through this very confusing journey.
Love and blessings, AnneT

Thank you Anne T. Sorry to hear you are not feeling well...A massage might help. Exercise does it for me too. Sometimes I have to force myself, but after I feel and sleep much better...
What about ANGER everybody, it seems that that's the only emotion I feel these days...I have no patience for anything or anybody...Anybody experiencing the same?

Hi All,
I had 2 wonderful days in a row, happy, good energy and concentration. Today I am fatigued, mush for brains. Anyone else get these ups and downs?

I waffle about applying for my Disability Insurance, because on good days, I feel like I wouldn't meet the criteria. On bad days, I KNOW I would meet the criteria, but don't have the energy or cognitive power to even understand the forms.
AnneT.

Yes. It is like that for me too. Not everyday is the same...Was it like that for you before antidepressants?Are you off everything right now? I dont know AnneT your depression seems pretty severe...are you sure you can afford to be with no medication at all? It doesn't have to be Effexor...

Vicki, you are probably right. I am still on prozac 10, and wellbutrin 300. I am on a long waiting list to see a chronic fatigue specialist. I just booked a talk with my family doctor for early June. I may ask for a consult with a psychiatrist as well...I just don't know what to think anymore.
AnneT.

I wanted to post back here because it has been so long and things are so good now for my husband.

This message is to give hope to those of you trying to get off effexor. We took the advice of many on this board and slowly (and I mean SLOWLY) weaned him off - opening the pills and removing 1 tiny capsule for 1 week, then 2, then 3... He had tried cold turkey (we did not know how bad this was) and had serious repercussions... we had put him back on the effexor and tried the weaning.

In the meantime we had him on SAM-e, magnesium and a daily vitamin. Whenever he felt the brain zaps coming on we tried to get him some fresh air and just talked it through.

We continued with a therapist to help him work out the issues and he has learned now that when he feels his depression coming on, he just faces it as best he can, and we also concentrate on fresh air and exercise.

Things are mostly good - he has a bout of depression every 5-6 weeks but it usually lasts 2-3 days and then he's back. SO much better than being on Effexor.

You can get off this evil drug, it's been about 1 year since he started the weaning and things are better.

Thanks for the update worriedwife ... it's reassuring to know that things DO eventually get better!!

Thanks, Worried Wife! Anything seem to trigger the depression every 6 weeks? Interesting pattern.
AnneT

I have been on Effexor 225 mg a day for the past 5 or so years. Once, I ran out of tablets for four days and the symptoms made me look like someone with learning difficulties: I was slurring my speech, couldn't lift my arms, the light was unbearable, I could hear my own voice hurting my ears when I spoke - the only relief I could get was lying in a darkened room and staying still. That was all I wanted to do indefinitely. Now that I feel the dosage isn't working for me anymore, I want to come off this stuff completely. I read about the capsule splitting method, and I'm currently trying to reduce the capsule contents by 10 mg every week, but I'm experiencing much the same symptoms, tho perhaps a bit more diluted down, but unbearable nonetheless. I move very slowly . Wyeth should take this problem seriously. Does anyone know any organizations that can group together all these complaints and make our voices heard?

Hi everyone!
I just wanted to let everyone know that I've been free from the dreaded effexor since March of 2007. Totally off. It took months of slow weaning, and the effects after I'd stopped completely continued for months. I'm about where I was before I began the effexor trip, and it's over a year after I've stopped completely. DON'T GIVE UP! I've taken EVERY opportunity to educate every MD who doesn't know about the effects of prescribing this med. And there are plenty of those MD's who don't know the whole deal. I take every opportunity to warn folks NOT to use this med, so as not to get caught in the trap of withdrawal. I'm feeling much, much better overall. It does stop.

Accordionlady

hi everyone, i havent been on this forum for a long time. thats coz i have been effexor free now for 16 months! i came on today as someone asked me what helped with my withdrawal on another forum im a memeber of. i always direct people here because it was essential in helping me get off the effexor back in 2008.

i started looking back at my old posts -pages 105-110 mainly - and then spotted the post above - Accordionlady(marilyn?) do you remember speaking last year march time? im so pleased things are going ok for you now. im still not convinced tho that some of my health problems now arent linked to effexor - guess ill never know tho. ive found that since i stopped Effexor, ive become soooo unconfident. and before effexor i was a really confident person. i find that wierd and wonder if maybe the drugs were keeping me conifdent...anyway...

And there were some others too who were all trying to get off - Pam-jewelkid, Twisi, Effexorfreeplease and MandyC - dont know if any of you are still around?

anyway, to all those still going thro withdrawal or thinking about withdrawal, keep at it. keep strong and be very patient. take one day at a time. you CAN do it.

Emma

hmm i mean some of my health problems now ARE linked to effexor. cant be sure tho but the confidence thing is wierd. i doubt myself, beat myself up mentally alot and think im rubbish and a failure.

also i get very angry alot...and ive never been an angry person. i get impatient and wound up very easily and over stupid things too.

my ibs is no better.

i get a lot of pain in my joints and for no real reason.

ive had a lot of blood work done and all fine.

well who knows, probably nothing to do with effexor but cant help worry sometimes what that nasty stuff did to my brain and body. :-(

Hi folks!
Sometimes I wonder about my fatigue, since it became so prominent while I was on the med. But I know that I only sleep maybe 5 hours a night due to night sweats. I've entered menopause, and I believe it to be the reason for aches, fatigue and sluggish metabolism. I was able to clearly identify what was attributed to the drug, since when I stopped it and waited the 6 months or so for the withdrawal to be complete, those specific symptoms did go away. I suspect, and I speak now as a therapist, that the lack of confidence that one of you describes isn't related to the withdrawal per se, but to the reasons why it was prescribed---for it's antidepressant qualities. It was really nice to hear from all of you folks, and please let's keep posting if only to say hi and keep on truckin'!

Marilyn

Hi Marilyn,
i used to get terrible night sweats while on effexor. they have stopped since ive been off.

i wasnt prescribed effexor for depression or low self esteem/confidence. ironically i was prescribed the medication to help with anxiety linked to my phobia of vomiting - emetophobia. i say ironically coz getting off effexor made me feel soooo sick. there i am telling my doc im scared about being sick, so he puts me on pills that pretty much make me wanna throw up all day for months! thanks doc! you really listend there didnt u!

so yeah, i find it wierd that i now feel crap re confidence and self esteem, coz pre-effexor, i never had a problem.

im doing ok really, just trying to keep it all in perspective!

Hi everyone,

I've been following this thread for sometime now (lurking - lol). I am a 36 year old female who's been on 75 mg/day of Effexor XR for the past 5 years, after experiencing a Major Depressive Episode (and I do mean 'major').

I now am at the point where I want to get off the Effexor - everything is finally going very well in my life and I don't believe I really need the meds anymore. I'm not bothering to consult my family doctor about withdrawing b/c she is one of those doctors who doesn't have a clue about all of the horrible side-effects (while on it or trying to get off) and still believes it's a great drug. I've done countless hours of research on withdrawing from Effexor and tapering schedules etc. so I think I have a pretty good sense of what I'm in for in terms of withdrawal symptoms.

So, I'm on Day 5 of withdrawing (37.5 mg)... and WOW am I nauseous, dizzy and experiencing those 'brain zaps' that everyone has described. I also feel quite jittery and anxious and couldn't settle down to sleep last night. Despite all of these symptoms, I'm really trying to stay positive. I'm already taking a lot of Omega 3's/fish oils, B-complex and various other vitamins and supplements, but I still feel awful, mostly from the nausea.

Can anyone out there PLEASE confirm that the withdrawal symptoms eventually do subside?? Are there any other supplements/vitamins, besides the ones I'm already taking, that I should be taking to help combat all the symptoms?

Any suggestions/advice is MUCH appreciated - thank you.

Hello Skipper,

I have today been off of effexor for 11 months. The withdrawl symptoms do subside but will take time. Did you stop cold turkey?? I tried more than once but couldn't quit cold turkey and even caused myself additional problems trying to quit cold turkey. When I was trying to quit taking effexor this last time. I found this site and used a pill splitting method outlined by someone named mikemo. I used his method and it worked for me. I still had withdrawl symptoms but there were not as severe as going cold turkey. I am not saying you have to try his method but it might be worth a try. On top of taking fish oil, and B-50, I also took magnesium and Vitamins C&E. I read several different articles on these vitamins and it seems that they all help in one way or another with neurotransmitters in your brain. I know that this is not very much help and I hope that you start feeling better soon.

Hi everyone, I'm currently taking Effexor XR 37.5, I'm doing what the doctor told me to get off this evil med, which is 37.5 every other day for 10 days and then stop. I tried that and by the 2nd day I thought I was going to die.... all the side effects we all know, Anyway I soon as I took a 37.5 after two hours I felt human again, today is Tuesday and my last pill was sunday, what should I do tomorrow? split one and take a lower dose every other day? any suggestions? Please help me, I know the side effects will come back
Thank you
Laura

This is to anybody looking for a way to manage effective withdrawal from Effexor. Fingers crossed - I think, hope and pray that I have control of this = it feels like it, but time will tell.

The first thing to say is that if the symptoms are unbearable, you have taken too much away from your body at any one time, and the best thing to do is to increase the dosage until you feel vaguely human again!!! Its from this place that is a good place to start the withdrawal.

I am withdrawing 10 mg a week and I do that by splitting a capsule onto a piece of paper and let the pillules run along a 7 and a half inch line with each half inch marked. (I saw this on the forum, and boy oh boy, it really is the best way to do it). Each half inch is the equivalent of 10 mg of Effexor and I can discard however many milligrammes I want.

Another thing that I am doing is first thing in the morning, drinking a cup of hot water. Apparently this helps speed up the detoxing process and flushes out the liver making its job easier.

Another thing I was advised to do is to take a good multivitamin.

As well as that, there is stuff called Milk Thistle. It is a herbal remedy and it again assists the liver to work better.

There is also a therapy called Acu detox, which a friend of mine does who is a detox specialist. Apparently it is widely used around the world to wean heroin and cocaine addicts off hard drugs. If you can find somebody who does this, it will help your withdrawal hugely . Your sleep will be a great quality sleep and it relaxes you which I think contributes greatly to your general progress.