Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 23 of 140}

It seems that anykind of downer really helps out , but there hard to take if you have a busy day ahead of you.

I took some valiums i had, and they would work but then i ran out.

I was just taking triazolams, but the same thing......there sleeping pills and I cant take them during the day.

Going to the gym and doing some cardio seems to help to , but I fell pretty lazy lately and dont really feel like leaving the house much.

I even changed my diet 2 months back when i stopped drinking. I only eat fruit,vegetables, chicken.

Tried a couple of natural medicines with not really much success.

Hey Surreysinner,
I think that doctors will prescribe the valium if you need them, with no questions asked. Call your doctor, leave a message for him/her to call you back, that way you won't have to pay for another office call. I have a friend who is the wife of a doctor, and she says that her husband expects phone calls and it is part of his day to day responsibility. If your doc knows you well enough, then it should be no problem. One thing I know is you have to be pro-active. Just call him/her. This is your very valuable life that we are talking about here. There is absolutely no reason why you should have to go through your day on some medication that makes you feel like a zombie. I changed my diet a couple of months ago as well. I am so frustrated because I have not seen one single tiny little change. This makes me so frustrated and ugly. I am in a fairly new relationship ( one year in July) and I have no idea why my boyfriend (fiance) thinks that...as he says...I am HOT! He is absolutely blind. I cannot stop looking at other women and thinking that I am the only one on this planet that looks as bad as I do. It has become an obssesion. I went shopping yesterday with my teenage daughter and it was a most depressing day. I do excercise, yet for some reason my body does not respond to anything. I am so angry at the effexor for this reason. I would never take that particular drug ever again. I began the evil drug last year on easter, and my body began to deteriorate after that. I did pretty good on Tofranil, for several years. They prescribed the effexor for my anxiety and depression combined. I think the anxiety was only temporary and I wish that I would have tried to work through it with the valium. The effexor was prescribed by an attending physician in the emergency room, because he did not know what else to do for me. And, I, trusting the medical community, thought that he knew what he was doing. Are you going through other junk in your life?
Talk to me!!!!!!!!!!!
Regent

Hey Guys!
ON another note...My first catering gig is this weekend! I also have a funeral to go to. Do you rememeber me talking about my brother and his wife going to Beijing China for the stem cell treatment? Well, my sister-on-law's dad passed away yesterday morning. They had only been home maybe two weeks from China, when dad stopped eating. They took him into the hospital for a feeding tube and he contracted Pneumonia and passed away. So what do I do???? My first catering and I need to be with my family? My thoughts are...I am going to get all the groceries for the catering, take care of my family for the day and then stay up all night cooking. I can do this!!!!!!!!!!
Another thing...

I am making this peanut butter pie for this wedding and have been selling it at our deli. You have to try it, it is absolutely sinfull.

1 pound cream cheese
1 cup confectioners sugar
1 cup peanut butter
1 teaspoon pure vanilla

blend together until fluffy...

fold in one container extra creamy cool whip...

Spoon into graham cracker crust and refrigerate.

Eat late at night when no one is looking or when you are on this site.

ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!

love you all
Regent (Lori)

Can you take ativan after taking effexor?

I took that one effexor yesterday and now can i take my ativan since im no longer taking effexor.

Hey surreysinner,
I looked up some stuff on ativan. I read a post from a girl that said her doctor had her on both ativan and effexor. However...because ativan is used for so many ailments...anxiety, insomnia, pre-surgery, etc.etc...there are different doses and should be dosed accordingly. Anyone over 60 should only be prescribed ativan in very small doses, and don't double up on them if you ever miss one. If you still question yourself, call your doctor or go into a google search using ativan and effexor (together) as your key words. Also...because it is used as a sleep aid. Depending on your dosage, in may make you extremely tired. Also...don't take it if you are pregnant or have a chance of becoming pregnant.
Regent

I take ativan 1 mg. 2 times a day as needed with effexor. I have been taking ativan for years. What does are you taking. Ativan is like Xanax. Have you taken it before. It is very good for anxiety. You should have no problem with it especially since you have taken valium. I like it better than valium, because it does not makek you more depressed. Is this a new script from the same doctor that gave you effexor? If you have questions though, I would call your doctor.
Bonnie

Sorry for the typing errors. I meant what dose are you taking. :)
Bonnie

laurel: 'life's a crap shoot' - i love it!

regent, i could so relate to what you were saying about your view of yourself physically. this is something i struggle with too, and when friends or boyfriends tell me i'm cute or beautiful or sexy i just don't see it. it's such a shame that we women can't be more accepting of ourselves! i'm not at ALL as harsh on others as i am on myself - i think all of my friends are beautiful just the way they are. why don't i feel the same about me?
anyway, this has been one of my least favourite effexor-withdrawal symptoms: that of feeling so bloated and heavy. i was telling my mom last night that because i'm so stiff and achy and bloated i feel like i'm just dragging around this weight (me) from place to place. reluctantly. *sigh* i'm hoping this part of it improves because it's driving me crazy!
however, summer has finally hit here with a vengeance and i'm looking forward to my very favourite exercise: swimming. i find it so soothing. yay for that!

today is ... wow, i have to stop and think. day 17 of no effexor. wooo hooo! again, with each day i'm noticing small improvements. i rarely have any dizziness or zaps anymore. i'm sleeping better the past few nights, after last week's horrible insomnia. i didn't even need a benadryl to fall asleep last night! :-P
now, i'm left with the aches and bloating. but this too shall pass, right?!

i hope you're all doing well today. keep on keeping on.

oh, and i'm curious what everyone has found to help them naturally with anxiety and/or depression? one thing that's been such a huge help for me is this series of workbook/cds/tapes called 'attacking anxiety and depression' by lucinda bassett. if i don't forget to listen to them, which is easy for me as i'm so forgetful, they really help me. part of this is a nice relaxation cd to listen to before bed which really calms me down.

Hello everyone.
I am back at work after taking a much needed day off. I feel refreshed and feel I can make it through this day.
I had quite a bit of reading to catch up on. Wow.
Lori, I love reading your posts. Thank you for the amazing pie recipe I will just have to try it! Also your comforting words were a joy to read. Thank you. I will deffinatly carry on this mission of mine to be effexor free.

Bonnie, I know exactly how you've been feeling. I am so grateful that I found all of you and I don't know what I would have done if I didn't.
I'm here for you, and for everyone else of course. You helped me when I was down and out. I sure as hell will be here for you! HUGS!

Bee and Naria, wow I have felt those symptoms, and I hate them. I was so depressed with how it made me feel. Ugly, fat, just all around miserable. I just have started taking my vitimans and working out as much as I can. And of course some pampering helps loads! And Bee! I know how it feels to feel you are losing your mind! This is awful what we have to go through but we will make it!
Ooops! I have to go to a meeting now! Already 5 minutes late!
I'll have to write more later.
I wish you all a peaceful happy day.
Hugs
xoElena

Bee at what dose of effexor were you when you finally stopped taking it?
Last night, I thought I was going to go nuts. I has restless legs and they kept me awake all night. Anyone else have this. It is horrible. You can't keep them still. Bee, where are you aching? Mine is my neck and back. Also down in my ovary area. Maybe it is the bloating that makes me feel achy down there.
Elena, hope you are doing ok.
Let us hear from you.
Bonnie

PS. I am having a hard time typing today.

oh bonnie, my heart goes out to you! i'm sorry you're having problems with restless legs - that i have not experienced.
let's see... to answer your questions, i was on 75 mg when i stopped taking it cold turkey. i'd only been on effexor for about 3 months.
i'm aching the worst in my lower back - i, too, have had the ovary aching though! strange...
the horrible stiffness, though, is in my knees and ankles. this has been the worst for me because i feel like i can barely walk at times.

bonnie...i recall steph complaining about restless legs when she was adjusting to the E as well as from the w/d's...this too shall pass, your dose is so low, soon you will be E free TOTALLY & i hope your w/d's will be less intense because you have "paid your dues right along during the weaning process"

Bee & naria...day 17...that is reason to rejoice!!! by the way bee...when do you begin your new job???

lori, i just gained 5# by reading your recipe...it sounds so rich & delicious...it would satisfy any sweet tooth craving, hands down!! best of luck with juggling your weekend obligations.

bee, thanks for mentioning the cd/tape/workbook...did you buy from Borders, Barnes & Nobel??

Steph's attitude about her anxiety (which is worrying about the small stuff, as i perceive it)is that she can deal with this on her own, but i think otherwise...i see good days & better days, as was this morning...we got an extra early start to our morning, allowing us time to stop at starbucks before the train...the sun was shining, it was already humid, her train stop was closed yesterday for construction, which was her "worry"...this morning, she said if she runs late for work, she will just have to explain & she knows her boss will not have a problem with that, but never the less, it was causing her major anxiety last night...today her new attitude was actually surprising to her...tomorrow she goes to meet her boyfriend in cedar rapids, ia for the weekend & that alone makes her smile!

wishing you all smiles as you all begin another day !!!
~dawn

dawn, thank you so much for asking about my new job! i start this monday. yay!

i HIGHLY recommend that anxiety/depression program by lucinda bassett. i love it because it's real people who have gone through this and suffered with this for their entire lives or for a long time. and it basically teaches you practical ways to deal with it yourself, instead of having to go on meds (which, sometimes is a necessity - personal decision). it's very positive and reinforcing and helps you learn how to 're-program' your anxious brain, so to speak. i can't say enough about it! it's fairly expensive, though. my friend melissa and i bought the entire set off ebay and have been sharing it as we both have general anxiety/panic/depression.
how you described steph and her worry about the small things fit me to a 't'. that's exactly how i am - i've been a sensitive worrier all of my life but it spiraled out of control the past two years, coupled with depression, which is why i went on medication to begin with. but i'm trying to find my footing in this world i live in, and trying to find alternate ways to deal with this aspect of my personality.
hope this helps! i would recommend checking up on the 'attacking anxiety and depression' program, just to see what you (anyone here, really) think of it. :-)

Hi again.
I had a doctor's apt. last night. I waited 2 hours to see my doctor and when I got in there I waited another 1/2 hour. Ridiculous. Anyway when I mentioned how awful I had been feeling due to the effexor withdrawl, the blank look he gave me really saddened me. He told me what I was going through was rare. "Rare" ??? That he hadn't seen that much of it. Wow. I have never felt so crazy in all my life. Then he asked me if I went back on it!!! I said " NO!" What the hell! I have gotten so far, why would I turn back? He asked me if I was experiencing any anxiety attacks and I said a bit but not much. He said that since I was on such a low dose I shouldn't be feeling that many w/d symtoms. Right. Sure. It's all in my head. Excuse my language but No F-ing way is anyone going to make me feel crazy. Not ever.
Well I'm gonna keep at it. I am not going to give up.

Hey Bonnie, I understand the soreness, it's so strange! I couldn't understand why I was hurtin so bad! I have been taking alot of baths though and pouring crazy amounts of episom salts in the hot water. It does help some what. How are you doing on the weaning? Still on the 9mg one day and 18 the next? I am. I'm gonna do that for 2 weeks then get down to 9mg. I think I will have to do it all the way down to 4.5 mgs!
It's scary but we can do it!!

Love and prayers
xoElena

elena, your doctor is so out of touch with reality. it's crazy! (although i'm sure mine is the same - i just haven't gone to her since i stopped the effexor) all they need to do is google 'effexor withdrawal' and they'll see the truth of it all. this forum is by no means the only link out there, either. it just disgusts me how doctors, who supposedly are devoted to helping people feel better, are so oblivious to this drug's effects.
and don't even get me started on the drug industry!!
sorry, i'll try to leap off my soapbox now. but this whole experience i've had with effexor just reiterates my pro-natural, pro-alternative approach to healthcare.
hmph.
:-P

ps. all it takes is one isolated case of someone misusing an herb and it'll be yanked off the market.

but a drug like this one causing all of this mayhem on people is still out there and being promoted because of good old money.

okay, i really will stop now...

'morning!

Some other resources I've used and liked are the Belleruth Naperstek audio CDs.
You can find out about them at healthjourneys.com They're a series of guided imagery meditations for a huge range of health issues. I just looked there and saw a new one for PREGNANT WOMEN. Hint, hint, Sara.

My therapist loaned me several last summer. She had used the pre-surgical de-stress ones before a hysterectomy and felt that her rapid recovery and good attitude had been enhanced by listening to those CDs. Belleruth, herself a therapist, has a really soothing voice and an interesting style.

There is a particular one for anxiety, but of all the ones I've used, I really like the one for fibromyalgia/CFS. Bee and Bonnie, I wanted you especially to know that. I love the imagery in that one and the sense of empowerment.

Anyway, just another idea.

Last night at my depression/anxiety group two women (both nurses) talked about firing their psychiatrists for not listening, not believing, when they've told them their complaints about meds side effects. Neither has been on Effexor. There are other chemicals out there doing bad things to people. As one of the women said, "We are the guinea pigs for the psychiatric and pharmaceutical industries." :-(

They said when they got the smirky smile from their doctor and he proclaimed it couldn't be the drugs, had to be something physically wrong with them, they knew it was over. And this is a major medical community. I can only imagine what people suffer in more remote areas with fewer resource options. Anyway, as someone else who jumped ships to a different psychiatrist, I totally understand their anger. And they were expressing it last night. Nurses don't mince words, and they were adamant, as we all are, that no patient should suffer because of the doctor's ego.

So, we'll all keep fighting to find the best providers and treatments for us and to be our own and each others' advocates.

Laurel

bee

thank you for your comments...a sensitive worrier is a good description of steph...

i have no business being on this post as much as i am today (while the markets are open), how true about an herb being yanked off the market, or consider all the press various "foods" get when they are in question ex (partially hydrogenated oils, exposed in the Oreo deal)

back to work

Hello everyone, I just can't say it enough how much I appreciate being able to come here and read everything, we are all going through. It makes me feel so "not alone".
Dawn, your daughter has been through a lot too, I can't imagine having to go to work
as everyone does and feeling the way I do. Maybe, it is a good thing though, to help keep our minds off of ourselves.
I had to get out of bed last night and go upstairs to another bedroom for fear of keeping my husband awake. He never knew I left until this morning. I am not kidding, my legs were doing some traveling.
Elena, yes I am doing the every other thing. I really think it is the best way especially since my doctor told me to do it that way. He knows of the terrible withdrawls of this stuff. He did warn me in the beginning, but at that time I was so desperate, I did not care. I would have eaten dirt to feel better.
Dawn, I too am a worrier and it really seems to be the small things I worry about. I will say that when my grandaughter was born , before I went on any meds, that I worried so about her and needlessly. If she got sick as a baby, I would be at work and could not think of anything but her. It was almost obessive. I think that is when I realized that my thinking was not right, so I decided to get help and it did work. Of course, I didnt worry about anything then. :)
Well, enough, I have to get some work done today. I walked this morning, so maybe my legs will be too tired to night to want to be restless.
I sure hope so.
Thanks again everyone.
Hope all are having a good day.
Bee my lower back is hurting me too, especially toward the end of the day. It seems so strange to have that and the ovary thing going on too.
Uh oh, I am rambling again.
See you guys later
Hugs
Bonnie

My friend who sends me jokes about aging sent the following: The seven dwarfs of menopause: Itchy, Bitchy, Sweaty, Sleepy, Bloated, Forgetful, All Dried Up.

Sounds like it should be the Seven Dwarfs of Effexor/Withdrawal. Naria, that list you posted sure sounds like my life in the last year or so. I blamed most of those symptoms on the HRT withdrawal. I’ve been off those 8 months, and when I complained to my doctor about the sweating, he wanted me to go back on them just to prove it wasn’t the E. Well, I didn’t. That’s when I started with all of you.

Surrey sinner – I’m so glad you decided in favor of NOT taking the E. I have no suggestions on anything else, but other people do.

Bee – I have found a relaxation yoga DVD which is just wonderful for when I am stressed. It is Flava Yoga, Vol. 1 for Relaxation by Robin Downes. It is a yoga workout, not just the movements, very gentle, only a few hard poses like downward facing dog. She has five students of different skill levels and go through things very well. I found it at Walmart.com. I had previously done a group session with the tape with some of the ladies I play golf with during the winter. It is a great session for people with back problems and arthritis. And she does a great job with the deep breathing exercises.

Are you getting a going away party where you work now. Good luck on Monday in the new job. If you find yourself stressing out, take a deep breath and count to 10, and bluff it!

Regent – stop getting down on yourself about your weight. Your comments show a self-esteem issue. You don’t need that right now. God knows, I have my own self-esteem issues. With the way I have been dieting and exercising the past year I should have lost 20 lbs instead of gaining 15. But I know now that it was the E. The weight will go away with perseverance. And time. And if it doesn’t, learn to live with it and LOVE yourself just the way you are. If that great guy loves you and says you are beautiful, believe him! Think positively (and stop eating peanut butter pie!). My husband is going to love that recipe.

Naria – go for the source of the Mississippi. You won’t regret it. Every year my husband, my daughter and I do an international eco-adventure vacation. One year we did safari in South Africa, did Patagonia in Chile, the Pantanal in Brazil, Los Llanos, Angel Falls and the Andes in Venezuela and this year we are going to Madagascar in October. We had this trip planned before the movie. I just hope lots of people don’t show up on the tour because of the movie. They told us that they usually had a max of 15. And our beautiful USA has lots of places too. The scenery, the flora and fauna, and most of all, the serenity and peace that can be found in nature, all great for mental health.

Sara – how are you feeling? Any morning sickness yet? Ginger is okay to take.

And to everyone else I haven’t mentioned directly, keep up the faith, the good thoughts and as Frazier Crane says "good mental health."

Love, Sheila

Hello everyone.

Surrey sinner I am glad that you have decided not to go on the effexor. You have made the right choice to look for answers and research before trying anything. I know it's hard but you are doing the right thing! Hang in there!
Cat I really enjoyed your post, as usual. I may just begin some yoga as well to keep my anxiety down and my mind calm. I really want to look into some meditations to help me calm down and give me control over my body as well as my mind. The thinking positive can help alot as well. It can be hard at times but it does help.
I have noticed a bit of that anxious feeling again and the soreness. Bonnie, have you noticed anything like that since going down to 9mg? Any real issues going down a notch? I have noticed it, but I suppose we are all different, but it would feel great to know that it is normal to feel the way I do!! And I hear ya, I would have been down scooping up that dirt with ya if that meant feeling better! LOL Just picture it, the two of us, shoveling dirt into our mouths because someone said it would help! LOL Oh my. A slight over exageration but still funny!
Sara, how are you doing missy? Feeling the pregnancy effects yet?
Oh Lori, I know what you are feeling when you say you are insecure about your body. I am so beyond insecure it sickens me. I hate the way my body looks and when my boyfriend tells me I look great I just....have trouble believing him! LOL
But I figure if I keep working out and trying my best that I will beat not only the w/d but the insecurity of my body. I can only pray that this effexor bulge doesn't last forever! I hope that it will go away! Stupid weight gain making me all upset! Geeze! So don't worry, I feel your pain! LOL But we are all beautiful in our own ways, don't ever forget that. (Cliche yes, but true.)
Laurel that is just incredible to hear- (your anxiety group) that so many have been made to feel stupid or insane because of some schemeing or oblivious doctor. I really don't feel so alone now. Because I know I am not the only one to be given the old squinty eye.
I have to agree that you are a very well read individual. I am grateful for the advice and information that you (and everyone else) have brought to the forum.
Wondering it is great to hear about how Steph is doing, AND how you are doing. Your words of encouragement have been wonderful to read. Thank you.
Melissa how are you doing with everything?
And Jami you too! How are you doing with the move? Let us know!!
Mamamia! How are things going where you are?
We're thinking of all of you who haven't signed in for a while!

Hugs to you all and as Cat quoted Frasier, I wish you good mental health!
xoElena

Howdy everyone -- well, we're expecting tropical storm Arlene this weekend here in the Panhandle, so my husband and I went to have lunch at a little restaurant on the intracoastal waterway this afternoon since we won't get a chance to see any sun for about 3 days or more. 88 degrees, but it was breezy and only 60% humidity. So lovely. What a joy to really "appreciate" that we live near the water because I haven't really appreciated it before though I've lived here a year now.

Just woke up from a nap and had (another) piece of cake. I'm not giving the recipe out because then you'll make it and then you'll eat it all and the bloat will be blamed on me!

I am doing tremendously better than a couple of weeks ago -- brain zaps almost to nothing, still have the bloating (but now I'm supposed to be bloating a little!), hungry and tired all the time, but also to be expected. The baby is the size of a sesame seed right now -- today I'm 5 weeks and 2 days. No morning sickness yet. My mom never had morning sickness with all 5 kids but my older sister did with her twins last year. I don't have my "real" OB apptmt till July 11, so I'm trying to learn everything I can before then and asking questions of the maternity coordinator when I need to. Naria, I'll look into the CD on meditations for pregnant chicks -- sounds interesting! I'm sure I'll get more and more anxious as (prayers!) things progress.

I hope all is well with everyone. I would not have imagined that I would be feeling this well just a mere 2 weeks ago when I could barely lift my head or open my eyes because of brain zaps. Yesterday I got so mad at my husband to the point of boiling fury (thank goodness he wasn't here) that I worried about the affect on the baby and that forced me to calm down. He was supposed to come home early because his aunt and uncle were coming to stay with us and nothing was cleaned and I had 4 projects I was working on (I work from home) and I had to stop in the middle of it even though he knew this so I could clean, and I was just INFURIATED. I haven't been that mad in YEARS. Although that's in NO WAY healthy, I'm hoping the emotions are that big in the "good" category, too. PS, he rushed home and vacuumed/mopped the kitchen and vacuumed the entire house and then grocery shopped for me, so he's out of the doghouse. Plus he's a sweet darling precious angel.

I'm thinking of you all and you're in my prayers nightly if I don't fall asleep before my head hits the pillow. :^)

Sara

I better call my sister if there's a storm coming in the FL panhandle. She gets very nervous about such things. (I'm so glad she never took Effexor. :-) )

And workers have started on the interior plaster repair from Ivan's wrath. Sheesh. We had several tornado touch downs near here the other night. I'm a Nebraska girl; I do tornados. My mom always said "give me a hurricane over a tornado anytime." She liked the idea of having time to prepare your property, etc.

Have a peaceful evening, all. I'm still at work but will leave soon. Took time out for my acupuncture appointment and then my workout with my trainer at the gym. I'm starving. Is anyone else craving avocados? That's been an intense desire of mine lately. No, I'm not pregnant. :-)

L.

Okay you guys!
I knew if I put my peanut butter pie recipe in here you would think that I was eating it and that is why i couldn't lose the weight. Quite the contrary! I have been making it for everybody else so that it would give me some sort of satisfaction! I have eaten a couple pieces I must admit!!!!! We had a friend over the other night and my fiance' said that the only reason he was marrying me was for my cooking. Our friend said, "with pie like this , who wouldn't want to marry her?" I have been making it and giving it as gifts to anybody who has made my day for one reason or another! If you were all near me, believe me, you would all have one!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hey wondering...
Your daughter will not be very far from me this weekend. Does her boyfriend attend Ferris State? I am probably an hour or so away from Cedar Rapids.
Where is Jami????????
I just got home from shopping for my catering that I will be doing this weekend. It is so much fun to spend somebody elses money!
About the leg jitters at night??? Mine do that if I take sleeping pills. I know the feeling. I always have to get up and walk around for awhile to get the energy out of them, until I am so exhausted that sleep takes over. That is probably one of the reasons I started with this forum late one night!
Well Ladies and any gentlemen that might be joining us...I have to go do some laundry.
Love you all
Regent (Lori)

Hey Naria,
I have a great quacamole recipe!!!!! We make it in our deli and people rave about it!

Regent

Lori, can we discuss some recipes offline? I am so into learning how to make yummy, nutritious batches of food that will last me all week, for now and for after the baby comes. I have some secret family recipes that I will gladly share with you in response! I'm looking for a really good chicken salad recipe, too. :^)

Sara

Isn't there a recipe forum somewhere?