Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 41 of 140}

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

Sorry to hear of your pain Almetta. I'm sad to say we are all too familiar with it.
I am sure you will find the chaser helpful. I found ginger helped as well.
Try and stay positive. You will get through this.
By the way, what was the dose you were taking before you went off Effexor? Just curious.

I hope you all are doing well today. I got an idea last night that I thought may help me cope with all my emotional and anxiety moments. I am starting a journal to track when I am at my highs and my lows. Maybe it will help me be more aware of what's going on in my body. I have noticed quite a bit of fear, guilt and paranoia.

Anyway,have a great day everyone
Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

Maybe someone can answer this. What in the WORLD causes these brain zaps? Just kinda curious what causes this feeling. Mine have been real bad the last two days and I am at 37.5 mg or as close as I can get to that by opening up the capsule and counting out those little balls. I bought Benadryl (I read on here that is supposed to help) and took that this morning. I have not had the chance to get anything else.

That is a really good question Rudy....what does cause the zaps? Anyone know?

xoElena

Hi everyone, I am wondering if it is our brains trying to adjust to the lack of effexor.
I don't really know, just guessing. It makes sense, because some people get these zaps when they are starting effexor.
Rudy I took dramamine and chaser. They seemed to help me. I will tell you with my withdraw first came the physical effects and then the mental ones started. It is hard but it can be done.
Hope everyone has a good weekend.
Bonnie

Can dramamine and chaser be bought over the counter? Maybe I will run out at lunch to Osco and get those two and try them. I am willing to try anything if it might help. Yikes. How is everyone else feeling today?

yes than can be bought over the counter. Don't know if you meant Costco or not, but your best bet would be Walmart.
Bonnie

OK. One more question here. Was anyone else able to HEAR your eyeballs move in their sockets? What is that about? Feel ready to crawl out of my skin today.

Awwwwwwww Rudy.
I did feel a very strange sensation in my eyes. Like they would roll back or were out of my control. I don't know if that makes sense.
Anyway, sorry you're feeling so rough. Don't worry, these pills leave you with some weird and unexplainable withdrawls.
Take care, and try to drink lots of water and get alot of rest.
Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

I don't know if I actually heard my eyes, but my eyes were so cloudy and dizzy. I could barley keep them open. Everything was intensified when they were open.

So sorry, keep up the good work!

Sadie

Thanks to Elena and Sadie for your kind words. Just helps to vent about the way we are feeling. I will be glad when this work day is over. Just want to rest and relax. Thank God it is the weekend finally. Thanks again everyone. Have a great weekend.

Hey All, Its day 5 today for me. I tried the dramamine like some have and i did feel better but not too much...man I know I will do it, but its hard to work and withdrawll at the same time.....lol....I will conquer. I just wanted to say that I hope all of u do it as well. They should not really have it on the market, in my opinion. Arlene

I think I am on day number 5 and I am sooooooo sick. How long does this sickness last? I am nautious, sweaty and I want to cry about everything. the brain zaps are seeming worse. I feel like this is lasting forever.

Jense,
So sorry you are feeling sick. In my case the worst lasted a week to a week in half and by 2 wks I was fuctional. Just hold on!

I have to commend all of you out there that is working while you are trying to withdraw from E. I can't even begin to imagine consentrating while trying to work.

The one thing that has not gone away is my emotions. My poor family, I feel like Mommy Dearest (not that bad I promise) I really have 0 patience and want to cry all of the time, and I am known for not being a crier. I hope this gets in control.

Good Night Everyone!
Sadie

Hi, I'm new to the forum. I've been taking effexor at 150mg for almost two years (to help recovery from ovarian cancer). I've been decreasing my dose for three weeks and I've just finished my last 37.5 pill. Question, should I break open the few 150mg pills I have to help me this week (and so on) or should I try nothing? I'm nervous because I feel crappy, I need to teach, but I'm willing to put up with feeling like crap. Will my nausea, dizziness, spins, get worse or will it be simply more of the same?
Thanks for any advice.

Hey BeachProf. In my experience. . . it gets worse. If you can go cold turkey on a friday so that you have the weekend to be sick then it might be better. I am on day 6 and I started taking dramamine last night per the advice of this sight. It helped me a lot. To everyone else thank you sooooo much for the kind words. I was too sick to get out of bed for the last few days. My body really got hit hard. But today is 6 going on 7 and I am still alive. LOL. I am extremely moody too and my poor daughter is getting mommy dearest as a mother lately. I also get sad for no reason and start to cry but in my heart I think that the E is bad news medicine. You are all in my prayers - we will all get through this.

BeachProf, why would you want to go cold turkey at 37.5? If you have to function in the real world it is better to taper down gradually. Try to graduate those remaining 150 pills you have. I spent 4 months weaning from 75 mg. It wasn’t pleasant, but I could function. I am now 1 week out on totally off (and I went very slowly – I ended up throwing away a six week supply of 75) and I am miserable. Not pain, but I feel like I am losing my mind. Totally disoriented, yesterday I left my checkbook at the bank when I went to cash a check. Didn’t find out until this morning (Saturday). Had to put a block on my checking account because I don’t know if the checkbook was turned in or stolen. We are going on a major vacation this fall and the money to pay for it was in the account, what a mess. Monday, I have to straighten it out. That is the worst thing that has happened, but it has been the story this week. All I hear from my husband is “I told you not to go on medication.” Blah, blah, blah.

Jense, did you go cold turkey?

Rudy, just looking back at posts. It sure is good to know that I am not the only one who hears her eyeballs. No one has mentioned that one before to my recollection. It wasn’t a loud noise but there. But then again, this withdrawal is the pits..

Of course, I am very depressed. I just finished burying my best friend’s husband. It was a very emotional time. She came over to my house yesterday to get away from family and friends. We talked a long time. She has told everyone staying at her house to go home, she needs to grieve and she desperately needs to sleep. I told her to call me when she is ready. She just needs to be alone for a while. Since he was diagnosed with the lung cancer there has been someone at the house 24/7, friends, family, hospice, aides, etc. She needs to be alone.

Anyway, to all of our new posters, welcome, I really hope you find the comfort I have found from the people on this forum. It is nice to know that “it is not all in your mind.”

I too would like to know what causes the zaps.

Love, Sheila

Beach Prof. - If you have already stoped your 37.5's and you are on day 3, then I would say keep going and don't look back, but if you have not yet, you should really cut the 37.5 in half. I wasn't real scientific about it I would just dump some of my 37.5's out and then I would gradually do it more. What ever you decide, but I believe it was Shelia who told me to do it slow and it did help.


Sheila, so sorry about your friend and her grief, just make sure your "glass" doesn't get empty and that you take care of yourself.

I am like all of you though moody, depressed, I hate it, but tomorrow is a new day!

Good Night!

Thanks everyone for the advice. I didn't take anything yesterday, so let me tell you about today (at least so far). I woke up this morning after a great, heavy, sleep. I haven't been getting any nightmares like I have read on the forum. I went for my usual Sunday swim and it was awesome. I watched the bubbles and the sparkles and it was like I was on drugs! Really wild. I swam a mile and wasn't even too tired. I've been exercising regularly during my tapering down because I like to exercise and I'm recovering from a torn periformis muscle due to a tennis injury. Anyway, I'm thinking the exercise may reduce some of these horrible side effects. Now I'm at work while I can still function and my head is getting that foggy, spinning, dizziness. Even picking up the tennis ball to throw for my dog makes me feel like crap. If this is day one, then will it get worse or more of the same? Any thoughts from those of you have have been off effexor for a long time? I am planning on going to get bomine (less drowsy than dramamine) and ginger, but if there is any other herb or homeopathic technique I'd love to hear about it. I've read almost all of the many pages, but haven't seen any other suggestions. I do have the 150s in case things do get worse. I am just at the point where I don't want to take anything and if this is the worst part then I can live with it for a week or two. Does that make any sense?
For those of you who may be in the New Orleans area, good luck with this big hurricane.
BeachProf.

BeachProf, exercise, drink lots of water, the right way to go. Even though I sound like I have gone through a lot of pain, I don't think I had as bad a withdrawal as a lot of folks on this forum. But I live in the South where it is muggy, walk every weekday morning (2 miles), play golf, garden, etc. And I sweat, no wait, make that drip! Sweat is the body's natural detox. I never needed any of the epsom salt peroxide baths.
I also started taking a tonic I brewed for my cholesterol, it has apple cider vinegar in it, another natural detox. I really believe in ACV therapy. It also has raw ginger in it. Tastes vile but it gives me lots of energy. Used the chaser a lot for the headaches which I got a lot of. The brain zaps, what can I tell you, they are now white noise to me, maybe I don't have them as bad as other people.
A lot of people who went cold turkey said it lasted several weeks and then they were better. It's up to you. I'm a big baby and now that I am finally off and am having such a bad time, I'm glad I weaned slowly. I also gave up my artificial sugars a month ago and I think some of my withdrawal pain is that too. Good luck and when you are blue, vent with us.
Love, Sheila

Hi Sheila,
I, too, live in the south, so sweating is easy! Although the weather has finally broken into a really nice couple of days. Can you tell me what you put in your ACV tonic? It sounds like something I'd like to take too.
BeachProf

Hello everyone,
I've been away for far too long. For those of you that are new to this forum. Welcome, you will find some wonderful friends here who will help you through a very difficult time in your lives. I am here today to tell you that it all goes away!!!!!!!!! I promise!!!!I was a complete basket case, I wanted to die, not just for a short time, for a very long time. It was a long road, but worth every last moment of it. In case some of my suggestions have gotten lost in this long forum, I am going to tell you what I did to help me through the physical aspects of the withdrawl. An over-the-counter medicine called "Chaser", it is a hangover remedy, available in most pharmacy's and grocery stores. Motion sickness tablets, and some of the girls were taking Benedryl to help them sleep at night. Also...a huge problem for most of the forum is finding the time to just be sick for about a week. That means, taking time off from work, letting other's know what you are going through (make copies of these postings)and show them to your people. I know that in this day and age, we will guilt ourselves out of doing that, but you will recover much sooner if you can take some time for yourself to get well. Anyway...with that said, i wanted to maybe cheer some of you up and remember what it was like to be totally care free. This is pretty crazy....
One more thing...DO YOGA!!!!!I took my first class last week and it felt like somebody had just given me a gift!!!What a sense of peace and calm! Something not felt for years!!!!
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Share this with somebody else and make them smile...it's called therapy

Holy crap Regent I did more than smile at the 20 ways to maintain insanity.
Im glad some1 told me what the chaser is,although I dont know if i will need it cuz the dramamine works good. Its day 7 for me and its a bit better, not so many brain zaps today. The emotional touchiness is still with me by god. That crap may take awhile Im sure. I went cold turkey form 37.5XL. I have tried many times b4 but could not deal with the whole crap. But now when i did it I was determined. Finding this cite did help immensley. Its sick aint it when you find others in pain the same as you it seems to help. Of course I would love to give the emotions and brain zapps to the makers of EFFEXOR and lovingly tell them to give themselves an enaema, even though thats still not enough i can deal with it.
So thanks again for me scream of the day regent. Arlene

In answere to the question. . . . I went from 150mg to 75 for about a month then to 37.5mg (aprox) for about two weeks. I thought that at 37.5 mg I was practically off HAx3 little did I know. So I just quit taking them. Today is day number seven. The dramamine was a huge help. I am also doing a juice cleanser thing. Where you start your day with watermelon juice and then a mixture of pear, apple, lime, ginger and cayan pepper. I started it when I first started reducing the E amount and I didn't feel any withdrawls with any of the reductions until the last one when I quit taking it all together. I was just too sick to even juice the first 5 days. I got some ginger candies for the nausia and drinking a lot of water has helped. The nausia is the hardest part for me but the brain zaps seem less when I take the dramamine or benadryl. Good luck everyone.

1week down and I am optomistic and I feel alive for the first time in a year and a half. I feel like I got tricked and cheated. Its worth it to stop taking this medication (for me at least) and that isn't to say that they are all bad, this one didn't work for me but it took me a year and a half to figure it out and I have taken other medications that were great and I never had any of these withdrawls from them.. . . . . . it gets better faster then you think. ;-)

you're all in my prayers.

Regent, it is so good to hear from you. Oh, my, what wonderful advice. I am already doing a lot of it. It realllllly!!!! is good to find out how you are doing.

BeachProf, do you really want to know what is in my tonic? I live in Columbia, SC which you would have discovered if you read my posts. It is hot, muggy, humid, whatever. I have lived here (from New England) for almost 20 years. Took a lot of adjustment. But however, the tonic!!!

These measurements are approximate: In your blender, put a handful each of chopped fresh garlic, chopped peeled fresh horseradish, peeled chopped ginger, hot peppers tops off but seeds left in (jalapeno, Serrano, your choice), strong onion, put in blender, cover with apple cider vinegar (from the health food store, if not, Heinz apple cider vinegar), blend until liquefied, (store for at least two weeks in a cool dark place, however, this is more effective if made at the waxing of the moon (I,e, at the new moon, let sit in a cool dark place for 2 weeks, take one T twice a day for best work, but I have been taking 1T a day and adding a little water to drink it down without having to taste it. It sort of tastes like green chili salsa. It really is easier to drink after you get used to it. But, whatever. But it has made me feel better. If you are a beachy person, you are probably over there in Myrtle Beach or somewhere. Great stuff.

Enough, tonight. to all, good health, Sheila