Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 40 of 140}

ohhhh my goodness. I have been on Effexor for a year. I suffer from severe depression and am a recovering addict. I have been taking 150 mg. My family is just happy that I am sober and refused to listen to my complaints about the Effexor. I have since tried to quit taking it a few times and about 2-3 days in I get sooooo sick. I actually have to just lay in bed unless I take the medicine. I have been on antidepressants for years and this is the worst.!!!! So I started halfing my pills about a week ago. I feel nautious a lot and I feel like I am going crazy off and on. Plus the buzzzzz thing in my head is horrible. Its almost like I 'woosh' in and out - I hate it. This really is worse then coming off of drugs. how long do I wait until I can reduce the dose again? anyone?

Thanks Sheila - from what you described I am definitely having brain zaps. It's awful. I have been off it completely for 2 days now and I feel horrible - sweaty, nauseous and dehydrated. My baby keeps me somewhat grounded and sane. I have a sitter today and I went back to sleep at 8 am and slept until 11 - I just couldn't get up. I hope this gets better soon . . .

I took my last little teeny dose of the E this morning and threw the remaining pills in the trash. So I am officially off it. We'll see what happens next. I expect the zapping to get worse but it has been such a constant companion to me during this withdrawal that it is white noise now. I get to stay home next week so if I feel bad I can just vegetate. It has been a long 4 months to get to this point. I wonder how long it will take for me to recover from the effects of the withdrawal.

Wishing you all the best, Sheila

Hello Everyone,
I have been gone a week and it looks like there are some new people.

I am 3 wks E-Free! I have occasional zaps but they are mild. I still slur my words a little, but not enough I feel like an idiot when I am talking to others.

Shiela congratulations on throwing them away. Keep strong. I am glad you get a week off. As too my mother in-law. No sex life. My father in-law has emphazima (sp)? He is almost always on oxygen. We drove by Denver last week on our way to Oklahoma then on the way home went through New Mexico. I hated the drive 3 kids in a car for two days, ahh! But Denver and Colorado Springs is so Beautiful just hate the traffic.

For the newbies Honestly the valum works. I dont need it anymore, but it helped for the first week. I could sleep through the night. Good Luck and be strong. You can do it, there is light at the end of the tunnel I promise.

Sadie

Good morning all I am 29 days effexor free. Congrats to Sheila and Sadie. Hope you all are doing ok. I am feeling pretty good except for sleeping. It is a bitch!!
How are you doing Elena?
Hope to hear from everyone.
Have a great day.

Bonnie

Hi Everyone.
Hello to all newcomers.
I was gone for a week and it felt great to get away. I have to say I didn't want to come back. It was as if my anxiety lay waiting here for me. Oh well.
Sheila, Sadie, Congradulations! I am very happy for you. In the next little while it may be difficult but you can do it. We are all here for you too if you need us.
Those who are just starting the process, don't worry, it does get better. The brain zaps do eventually stop, and I find that ginger and anti nauseants really helped with that!
29 Days Bonnie! That's amazing! Good for you! I know what you mean about sleeping. If I don't get some decent rest soon I'm gonna self distruct! I'm still feeling awfully anxious. And I haven't gotten around to getting my books yet, been too busy. So I better get on that if I want to help myself out of this hole. Do you find you're anxious at all Bonnie?

Anyway, I better get some work done. Take care all

Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

Good morning to everyone. I just wanted to let you all know, I went down in dosage as of today. I was on 75 mg for 2 weeks and am now down to 37.5. Feeling a little off this morning. Almost as if I have been drinking. I am at work so hopefully no one notices too much. Anyone else in the process of reducing the dosage? If so, I would love to hear from you.
Blessings,
Stacey

Elena, yes I do feel somewhat anxious at times, but I take ativan for that. I have been on that drug for years also.
It is one that I will have to wean off of also. Not any time soon though. Once a year is enough of this stuff for me.
Stacey, I found that Chaser helped me with my off days. Also you may want to try Dramamine. These things to help.
How many days Elena have you been effexor free? I am right behind you a few days I think.
Just hang in there everyone. You will get through it. You will have good and bad days and think you will never be the same again. Believe me!
Feel free to ask any questions and we can try to help you. Everyone was sure a big help for me on here. There were days, I was sure I was going crazy.

Take care,
Bonnie

Well Bonnie,
it has been 39 days for me Effexor free.(Thank you for asking.) I am glad about that. But my anxiety is horrid in the mornings. And at work, since it has been so slow, I get really bad. I feel alone and paranoid about certain things.My worries are back with a vengence. My poor body and mind are exhausted.
Okay, enough complaining. What a downer I have been in the last while! Anyway, I think I need to get some exercise today, maybe a walk will help clear my mind. And bring on the positive thinking! Things will look up soon enough! (For all of us)

Hugs and Prayers
xo Elena

Elena, Believe me, I know what the paranoia feels like. That is one of the reasons, I went on antidepressants to control my thoughts. My mind works overtime. I worry about everything needlessly. Things before they happen.

Take care,
Bonnie

Sadie, your mother-in-law probably is okay on the E. She may need it to deal with your father-in-law and his illness. Caring for an ill person can be very depressing (been there, done that with my mother-n-law) and she may need to be on the even keel E produces. Not us young folk who still have a lot of life left in us. I hear you about the traffic in Denver, it was awful. While we stayed downtown I walked everywhere but we had to leave that hotel toward the end of the week because there was a big fireman’s convention coming in. Had to drive downtown a few times, it was the pits. Unfortunately, I do not have fond memories of Colorado Springs. That is where I was in an accident 3 years ago and needed a hip replacement.

Bonnie and Elena, remember that old kids song “Put one foot in front of the other…” Hang in there and take it one day at a time. Try not to dwell on your aches and pains. I am now 3 days free (wow) and have not had any too many side effects yet. Just the zapping and bitchiness and some joint pain. Still sleeping all right.

Stacey, that drop from 75 to 37.5 was the hardest for me. But take the chaser, the Dramamine, drink LOTS of water and exercise and it will help alleviate your misery. Good luck. Love your comment about hoping no one at work notices. I was working during that drop and I remember having the hardest time verbalizing my thoughts. I had to speak slowly. No one noticed.

Anyway, to all of us who are long finished, just finished, close to finishing up, in the middle, just beginning, contemplating, you’re in my prayers.

Love, Sheila

Hi all,

Has anyone ever counted how many little balls are inside each 75 mg capsule??? I have been slowly weaning off for months and am down to 40 balls...just to celebrate my success I'd like to know how many I started with.

I'll be praying for all of you...I find that when I first decrease, I have a bad week and then i allow myself to level off for a week.

Also, does anyone know the website to be part of the class action lawsuit??

THanks everyone for your posts..they have really helped!!!

elainejd, at 40 balls you are down to about 9 mg which means you are taking about 1/8 of the original dose. There are around 180 balls in the 75 mg.

Go to page 34 of this effexor forum. I found the web site for the law suit and it is in one of my posts.

Good luck to you.

Everyone, my friend's husband passed away this afternoon. He is not in any more pain.

Love, Sheila

Sheila, I am so sorry about your friend. You are right his pain is now gone. How is your friend doing? It is so hard to watch someone we love to be in pain. Sometimes, I feel that is a relief when they finally pass. It so hard to watch.

Bonnie

Sheila,
I am so sorry about the loss of your friend. He is no longer suffering now, and is at peace.
My prayers are with you and his family and friends.

Hugs
xoElena

Shiela,
So sorry to hear about your friend I didn't realize he had passed. Remember to take care of yourself too while you are trying to help your friend.
I don't know if you believe in this stuff, but people find it comforting when someone dies. There are so many books on Near Death Experiences out their that really seem to help comfort someone who has lost a loved one.

good luck,
Sadie

Sheila,

Thanks so much for your information...I'm so sorry to hear about your friend...my prayers are with you...

Goodmorning everyone,
Just wanted to wish you all a great day: )

Hugs and Prayers
xo Elena

Goodmorning to you Elena, how are you doing today?
I have to knock on wood, but I am doing pretty good.
How about you Sheila?
Hope everyone else is having a great day!

Bonnie

Good morning all. Wow. I am really feeling the withdrawal symptons today. I feel very tired and am getting some of the brain zaps. This is my third day down to 37.5 mg. It is definetely a process. Hope you all are doing well. Have a great day everyone.

Well Bonnie, I had a difficult night last night, and this morning for a bit, but I feel better now- *touch wood! I have been looking up information and remedies to help me out in this time of difficulty. I was talking with a friend of my sisters the other day, and she had gotten off Effexor last year. She said it was hell. And her family and friends didn't know what was wrong with her. But she also said, she went through ups and downs for a long while afterwards. So she completely understood where I was coming from. It is hard dealing with the anxiety after having been on a med that dulls your every emotion.

Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

Yes, I agree about the emotions. I find when I feel bad, I really feel bad and then when I feel good, I feel really good. Does that make sense. No happy medium. I hope that levels off too.
I still do not get a good nights sleep. I hate that. It makes everything else seem worse than it really is.
Rudy, hang in there, better days ahead for you.
Bonnie

Elena and Bonnie, getting used to all these emotions is tough work. My friend’s husband could not have died at a worse time for my mental health, less than a week after stopping E. (That sounds so selfish to be thinking of myself). The funeral is tomorrow. I went to see her yesterday afternoon. Family has started to come and she has her hands full. She looked terrible, but we had a nice long talk and she told me about their last day together, which she had very positive feelings about, even with hospice and caretakers around. Although he was at home, he did have a medical room setup, so they were sleeping apart. That morning, she climbed into bed with him and they just cuddled. She will have that memory.

But I am hurting for her. Not having had emotions for so long, they are very intense. I’m not sleeping well, am a bit disoriented and can’t seem to get anything done, just going through the motions. Sort of what it was like before the E. But intellectually I know that I am suffering from grief and that it will get better. I will not take anything for it. I wish I could do more for her, but her family and other friends are there. She assured me that she will need me down the road when everyone else has gone home and she is alone.

Did I tell you that my husband told me I have been extremely good to him since this all started. I didn’t even notice. The two guys are not that far apart in age and although my husband is healthy, he is over 65 and I worry. Don’t like to think about mortality even though it is a fact of life and I do believe in the hereafter.

I am sorry to be so depressing, but that is how I feel right now. I know you all understand.

My friend gave me some canna lilies out of her yard this spring when she was thinning beds. They have survived very well, blooming now and then. But this week they all burst into blooms. I emailed my friend and told her that her hubby had whispered to them on his way to heaven.

Love, Sheila

Shelia,
That is beautifull about the blooms, I am sure your friend appreciated it. I am so sorry everyone is having a hard time, Rudy, Elena. My prayers are with all of you.

As far as my withdrawl, headache, nausea,brain zaps they are almost gone, but as all of you have said my emotions are all over the place as well. I hope this gets better soon.

I just have to tell you guys. I am taking care of my 89 year old grandma until Sun. She had Breast Cancer in her 60's and had a masectomy (sp?) Recently my aunt noticed she was having a hard time getting dressed and discoverd my Grandma had been hiding a regrowth of cancer. I have never actually seen cancer, but hers has now prutruted out of the skin the size of an orange it is bright red and black. I can not believe how horrible it is. She is tough though and never, I mean never complains.

Wish I had her strength.

Sorry just needed to tell someone and remind everyone to get mamograms and breast exams.

Good luck everyone,stay strong, this too will soon pass.

Love,
Sadie

Sadie, I am so sorry to hear about your grandmother. She does sound very strong. My heart goes out to you and your family, and of course your grandmother.

Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

I have taken 'Effexor' for around15 yrs and have tried several times to get off it and of course to no avail. I have been reading some of your posts and i must say I'm glad that I'm not crazy with these withdrawl symptoms,that even you all are experiencing. I have cut myself down to the lowest dose for a few yrs now,since I could never stand to withdrawl b4. But I am determined this time to do it. I am also detoxin my system-liver/kidney and gall bladder cleanse.This is my 4th day without 'Effexor' and I am so dizzy and feel like a Jeckle/Hyde person> ijust wanted to write this blurb to explain myself. I am tryin to find out what this (chaser)is to see if it will help. thanks