Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 65 of 140}

Hi there everyone!
Lilbearsmomma, welcome to the forum, your comment about Dave chapelle's crack addict character skits just killed me! That is so true! That is how I felt too! LOL Good for you for having a sense of humour about all this. Life does need humour. It can’t all be serious right? Good for you for continuing on this detox even though the physical symptoms are uncomfortable. You are doing the right thing for your body! I can recommend a hot bath with Episom salts was so amazing for me, and it may just be for you too! The shakes were a bit of a problem for me, but I took non drowsy gravol which is basically ginger tablets and that helped me immensely! Just try to stay positive and keep your humour about this! Everything will be alright! And feel free to vent and post whatever is on your mind!
Hi Yorkin!
I am really happy for you too for doing so well! You may just be one of the lucky ones that doesnt have too many w/d symptoms! Plus maybe the fact that you have been in such positive spirits has helped you too! I dont know whether you will get delayed side effects but you know that after 7 months of being off of Effexor I had a couple of them return. But nothing that can do me serious harm. Dont fret about that. Just take one day at a time. And be proud of yourself for doing as well as you have.
Vixious, how has it been lately for you? You have been clean of Effexor for a good while now. Do you find you still have the side effects of it? I am guessing not since it has been around 2 months for you. But I found I had side effects for a little while after. Hope you are still doing well.
I have been feeling alot more positive lately. And I am finding it easier to be positive naturally. And not force myself. The vitamins are great and my sleep patterns have gotten back to there normal state. I still have my rough days, but they are getting lesser. I am really pleased. I have my worries, but I don't want to let them control me. Plus I don't want to get back on Effexor even if my doctor insists it will be better for me.
I was told it would take a little over a year for my brain to produce seritonin on its own properly. And for my moods to settle down. So it has been 8 1/2 months since I have been clean of it. Wow. I havent been relying on Effexor for that long. I guess that is pretty good! I want to be able to control my anxiety and worries on my own, and without the aid of medication. I want to at least give a hell of a good go at doing it on my own. I dont disagree with all medication, I just disagree that doctors are so quick to perscribe it. When I first went on the Medication no one recommended that I take any classes or gave me any methods to try and relieve it aside from my family. But I thought that the doctor knew best. And it did help me for a bit. But I realize now that I can't smooth over my problems with medication. I have to try to help myself too, even if it is a hard task.
Anyway, enough of my ranting.
I hope you all have a great day, and I send out greetings and well wishes to all the newbies and oldies of this forum!
Bonnie and Lori and Jami and Shelia! I miss you guys! : )
Hope all is well with you!!
Cheers!
Elenaxo

Hi everyone...well, I may have spoken a little too soon with regards to no w/d symptoms but it's also so hard to know if these have anything to do with the effexor or not. First of all, I have the worst flu/head cold/sinus thing which I can't seem to shake. I never stay sick this long. My doctor put me on a 5 day Z-pak yesterday which usually kills anything that ails me but I don't feel any better. Effexor w/d or not??? Either what I have is viral so the Z can't touch it or it is w/d. But it baffles me how going off Effexor can cause cold symptoms with the runny nose, aches all over, etc...
Next, my appetite is out of control. That is a HUGE problem for me. I freak out at even the least little weight gain and it scares me that I may not have any choice in the matter if I am this hungry. When I first started on Paxil, before the Effexor, I lost my appetite completely and lost weight which was just SO great!! I'm telling you, I will stick this out but if I start gaining weight, that is enough to make me want to go back on it. My husband says just to get back in the gym...Gee, why didn't I think of that?? Boy, what would I do without him?? LOL
Then, lastly, I was watching American Idol last night and practically balling my eyes out! Now, granted it was a tear-jerker when they went to everyone's home town and their family and friends all talked about them, but I don't cry at stuff like that!! I laugh at my friends when they cry at movies and there I was sobbing like a baby! That HAS to be w/d, right??? Now, if it is, does that mean I'm going to be blubbering idiot or does it mean my emotions are just kinda all over the place right now and it will get better??? I'm only about a week and a half into this whole process but patience was never a strong point!
Any info/advice is greatly appreciated!! Thanks so much!

Hello to all newcomers, I am so new myself I don't have much to help but hopefully we can all get through this together and we'll be laughing about all this someday! I sure hope so, and I hope I'm not 2 sizes bigger while I'm trying to laugh about it!!

Yorkin--expect any changes to be due to the withdrawal of the E. They will pass eventually. I don't know where you live, but we are in the middle of spring allergy season here in the South. Sounds like you might have a touch of that. After the Z, if your condition doesn't go away, try Benadryl. Can't hurt, and it will help with nausea and the zaps. As far as the weepiness, that's normal. I was so glad to cry after 2 years of being a zombie, I welcomed it, but you are right--you cry over silly things. Crying is good right now, it shows your emotions are returning. It will stabilize. I don't know what to say about the weight thing--I had the hungry horrors after withdrawal, haven't lost any of the weight gained on E--and I have been good. Your husband is right about the exercise, it will help you, both in feeling better and in keeping the weight off. Good luck to you. - sheila

Been taking Effexor 150 mg for over 3yrs. Tired of being tied to the pills and wondering if they aren't part of the "female problems" that I have been having since I had my daugheter 17 months ago. Also taking 300mg of Topamax for severe migraines.

For the last week I have dropped my dose of Effexor to 75 mg. And dropped the Topamax to 200mg. The dizziness and headaches are awful. To the point that the Topamax isn't even helping. I have also tried to take Advil but it's not helping. Anybody have any suggestions?

How long do these symptoms last? Would a herbal cleanse speed the detox process? This is all new to me. Are there any remedies that might help? I am desparate. I Have to go back to work on Tuesday and I work with Emotional Support children and it's not exactly a quiet enviornment. Someone please help!!!!!

Dear Kandice,
Welcome and I feel for you as you are having such a hard time.
Did you consult a doctor before dropping your dose? I dont know very much about Migrane meds but maybe you should take it a little slower if you are getting migranes as well as the withdrawl from the Effexor. When I got off I took my time. It was less of a strain on my body which was good because I couldnt afford to take time off work. Maybe try to drop down in dose a little bit at a time.Give your body some time now since you had such a huge drop. Since you have the weekend,try to take some hot baths with episom salts to detox. And drink alot of water. I know it seems hard right now but as you can see many people want to get off this drug and are enduring the withdrawl because it is so worth it in the end. Try and rest as much as possible and maybe do one at a time. Like Effexor first and then the Topamax. You are going to be feeling rough while getting off the Effexor, so you may want to warn those close to you. Try to take some time to read through the forum and maybe get some suggestions from those who have been through it. I would also suggest Ginger tablets for the dizzyness nausea and virtigo you may experience.
Hang in there, and dont give up! You will be okay!
Hope everyone is doing well.
And Yorkin again, you have a wonderful sense of humour! Keep smiling!You will get over this! Your eating habits will get back to normal, just try to snack as healthy as possible and drink lots of water! I know I have said that before but water really does help!
Elena xo

Elena- Things are better than I thought they were going to be. I read through the forum. I have been taking the dramamine that alot of the people have been taking. I works wonders. That in addition to chamomille tea. I have dropped down to 1/2 of the 75mg dose (I opened the capsule and split the little pebble things) and 100mgs of the Topamax. My doctor was no support what so ever. She wanted to switch me to another med instead of reducing and trying to get me off the meds. I couldn't believe it. I started the new dose on the 17th. So far so good. Friends and family have been very supportive. I have a very good friend that is a herbalist/nutritionalist and we talked and decided that I am going to do a total cell cleanse to help detox my body. So I placed the order for that this morning. I have been drinking lots of water (and I am not a water drinker- I must support coca-cola';s payroll by my consumption alone [*smile*] So that has been the only really horrible part. The total cleanse will take 2 weeks. Then I will do a foot spa detox and begin rebuilding healthy cells with some vitamins to help the female problems and hopefully avoid a hysterectomy this summer. So keep your fingers crossed and I will let you know how I am later this week. Thank you for your advice.

Hey there Kandice.
Good for you on being positive and for looking through the forum. I am so glad to hear that you have found some methods that work for you. I myself found that splitting the beads helped the drop significantly. A cell cleanse sounds like a fabulous idea! I never thought of that! I do try to drink A LOT of water. It doesn’t always work out that way but hey, I try! And as for your coca cola drinking, that was me but instead it was coffee based drinks. Yikes. I would love to hear more about this foot spa detox you mentioned! What does it entail?? I too have had problems in the feminine department. I am hoping for you with all my heart that you don’t have to have that procedure- but if it needs to be done, you can and will get through it. I have had some surgeries done and they say the next step would be a hysterectomy. But I am trying other methods so I don’t have to do it either!
Take care and hope to hear from you soon! Hey Ruthie, how have things been with you? And how is everybody?
Have a great weekend all!
Elenaxo

hi I am on day 11 of my Effexor weaning process. I was on 150 mg for ten years. Tried to get off many times but withdrawl symptoms kept me going back only I never knew they were withdrawl symptoms. I thought I was sliding back into depression. I am so glad I came across this site. Makes me feel more normal to hear other people have brain zaps and nausea etc. when weaning cause at times even I thought it was in my head.Anyways at the moment I've gone to 112.5 mg from 150 with no symptoms but I sure could use some support as I get along in this process of ridding my body of this poison. My husband says at the very end he will take holidays and look after me and our 2 teenagers and 2 special needs adults. He is awesome and I am forever grateful he read some of the logs on this site so he could see it is all very real.Wish me luck and I will need all the tips I can get.

Good day to you all

Hello Delaney
Welcome to the site. Good for you that you took the time to look through the forum, did you see anything that would help you? I found episom salt baths were great for detox, and exercise was great too. Drink loads of water too. It is a really good idea that you got your husband to look over the site so that he does realize this isn't all in your head. It sounds like you have a lot to deal with while you get off this drug, so definatly take your time. It does take longer, but the side effects are fewer when the drop in dose isnt as high.
What made you decide to get off of this drug? We're you prescribed this med and recomended to stay on it forever? I was. But I didnt agree!!
Hope everyone is doing well. I noticed no one has posted in a while so I am going to take that as good news!
The weather is getting nicer and nicer out. I'm going to go play some volleyball and take advantage of this!
Have a great day everyone!
xoElena

Elena thank you for responding. I was told that I probably would have to take this drug forever and that just didn't feel right but who was I to question the doc. Anyway I just haven't felt like I wanted to take it anymore I didn't think I neede it.My naturopath says that at the time I was diagnosed with having depression I was probably just exhausted from having two small children, working full time and not eating near enough protein and skipping meals all the time and that is what made me tired all the time and irritable.If I would have known I would never have swallowd the first pill. Thanks for the advice about epsom I will try it and anyone else keep the tips coming my way. Enjoy the great sunshine Bye for now.

I'm new to this forum and, from what I've read, I'm one of the only men. I'm coming off Effexor after about six years. I'm trying to lose weight and my doctor (also my high school and college buddy) has recommended me coming off Effexor before trying some meds to quick start the weight loss.
I'm like a lot of you - having those horrible head 'zaps'...I also have the sinus/cold symptoms.
I'm determined to WIN this WAR. I will lose the weight and I will be Effexor free . Let's just keep our sense of humor - and support each other.
mike

Feeling very nauseous today.Has anyone tried the dramamine patch for this cause gravol will only make me feel drowsy and later like I have a hang over. My husband says I am acting irritable but I don't see it.I am definitely not meaning to be that's for sure. I am scared to do the next dosage drop tomorrow as it has been 14 days today and I am worries about symptoms.I suppose I will try it but I really don't like being mean to anyone especially my hubby.Hope the sick feeling eases up I am going to try the patch and see if it helps.

Nervous Nelly

I also forgot to mention I have gained about 60 pounds since being on the drug but my hubby and I changed our eating habits and are becoming more active this year. I have lost 17 pounds but of course he has lost 35.I certainly hope after detox I will lose the remainder because I don't feel like myself being this heavy. Good luck to micman. You have my support hope this site and everyone on it helps. Just knowing that there are others going through the same stuff helps a lot

Have a great day everyone

I have been on Effexor for over a year now - 150mg daily. I found this site a couple of months ago after running out of Effexor for a day. I thought I was going to die. After reading all these I knew I needed to get off of it, but had a lot going on and was afraid to.

Now, after gaining close to 70 pounds in the past year and feeling miserable anyway I decided to come back and form a plan. I am going this weekend to get the detox cleanse from GNC and the epsom salt and Benadryl and Dramamine...

I am jsut worried about work... I cannot take anytime off right now. I have a small office so I guess I can close the door once in awhile. How did you all cope at work when going through this?

I think I will make it knowing there is support here. My doctor does not believe there are any problems with the drugs. I think I will just have to reduce my dosage without her.

Hi,
long back I posted when I started titration part.
I was on 150 for 3 years.
2 months back it was broght to 75.
3-weeks I was on 35(nonXR only in the mornning).
doc. asked me to stop after 35.

Had worst zaps and tool half-of-35 for 1 week.

Now I stopped (today is second day).

God - please help me come out of this dark pit.


I am having worst zaps ever.
Sick and tired of Nasal drip, sinus block and cold like symptoms.


my question to forum is:

1. How many people have successfully got out of this drug.
2. I know zaps are part of the story. Do I have to suffer these zaps for my whole life.

3. how many days will these zaps haunt me.


Please write or point me to some success stories.

I am getting depressed every time I go to a forum:

1. people are either just started withdrawal or are suffering like me.

2. I did not see a single person writing... ' I am now off from EffxR' and jumping kind of messages.

please please let me know the positive sides of the story.

thanks

Hi Molbiol,
I have been off of Effexor now for about 2 months and doing very well. If you read back some pages you will see that I too had alot of rough days and wasn't sure I could make it, but low and behold here I am Effexor free. I had many of the same side effects you are having and No they do not last forever. The worst of the symptoms after totally stopping were in the first week and then gradually over the next week really started to subside. I do still get an occational head zap but not bad at all. I am feeling much much better, sleeping better, more active and just happier. Read back 10 or 20 pages in the forum and you will see there are plenty of others who went through hell getting off the drug but are now doing much better. You can do it, just tell yourself 'This won't last forever and I will get better!!!' Thats what I did. There really is a light at the end of the tunnel!!! Hope this helps.
God Bless!!!
Kim

Thanks Kim,

Today (MAy 5 2006) is my 3rd day without effexor and worst zaps spell is going on.

I did not go to work these 3 days.

Looking forward to have zap free day.

Thanks for your reply again.

Has anyone heard of, of tried, the regime for detoxing from anit-depressants? I found a web site that lays out a very specific tapering process with some vitamins. There are also some worksheets and daily logs.

I am going to begin in about two weeks. I have a couple of very busy weekends coming up and I do not want to ruin them. I thought I would start journaling and start eating more whole, non-processed foods before starting.

I suffer from anxiety dissorder. I have been living with extreme anxiety now for at least the past 5 years. My anxiety would come and go during those years but the last year and a half has been the worst for me. I now have exteme anxiety on a daily basis and my life has become a living hell because of it. The worst part of it has been the huge amount of floaters I suddenly got in my eyes last summer. I got them almost over night. It was also a time when my anxiety was out of control I was thoght I was going to lose it and snap. I was wondering if there are others who suffer from anxiety that also have hugh amounts of floaters in their eyes. They are so bad that I am afraisd to even open my eyes in the moring when I wake up, as soon as
I do I get a wave of anxiety over me kowing that I have to see them all day. I have been to eye doctors afraid that it was something bad but they say my eye looks ok and I just have to deal with them. Well I can't.......
Was it the exteme anxiety that caused them?????
Any feed back would be helpful.
Thanks,
Jon

Hi there: I was on Effexor for all of one week and started reading the nightmare stories about withdrawal, etc., so I stopped taking the meds. Being 50, I had my hormone levels checked and all is normal with testosterone being a bit higher than normal....go figure! LOL! Anyway, I have now been given a Rx for Wellbutrin due to 'through the roof' cortisol levels and the doc would like to 'give my mind a bit of a break' saying that Wellbutrin will help me feel better. I have lots of negative thoughts, think too much about dying, for example. I started seeing a psychologist as well, who says I have been through a great deal of 'trauma' which she will help me work through. Does anyone have any Wellbutrin related experiences to share with me? I am TERRIFIED to take the first pill after what I read about Effexor. By the way, I noticed an ad on TV from a lawyer advertising a class law suit for Effexor!!! Thank you! Cathrine

catherine
This is in no way an expert trying to give you advice but I seriously think that if you have the means you shoul;d see a natropath or go to your local gnc store for a natural remedy to your negative thoughts and to give your mind a break. I beleive that wellbutrin has many of the same side effects once you try to go off. I wish that was what I would have done in the first place.If you read back I have been on Effexor for 10 years and tried to get off many times but the withdrawl was too much for me then I found this site.
Good luck and don't just take my word for it but research before you take the wellbutrin. The most important thing is for you to get better.

Delaney

I have been on 150mg for about a year and a half. I was laid off and no longer have insurance and simply am tired of being on these pills anyway. I have been taking only one 150mg every other day for the past week. By the end of the 2nd day, I am already feeling 'drunk' and noice really grates on my nerves which results in major headache. I am now completely out on day 2 without taking any. I have a nurse practitionor friend who has a weeks worth of 75mg and a weeks worth of 35mg. My question is should I do the gradual down-dosing or just go on and try to make it without completely? I read on here where alot of people take months at each lower does to adjust. I'm just wondering if a week of lowering the dose by half then the very next week lowering the dose by half is even worth it. Do you think the symptoms will be basically the same either way due to the short time in lowering the dose. I hope this makes sense, am in the funky brain right now. Any advice? If the symptoms of withdrawal are going to about the same either way, I prefer to just do away with the pills completely and pray for the best.
Any help would be greatly appreciated. I've never gone beyond 2 days and after reading through the forum and getting a little scared of what tomorrow will bring.
Thanks!
Leslie

Hi

Into day 4 of this hellish experience!

Was on 150 mgs of Effexor for a number of years - worked well for some time - but took emotions away from me.

Now suffering headaches and short temper.

Does anyone know how long this will last?

Hello everyone, and hello to the newbies that have just discovered the effexor haven.
I want to let those of you who are just embarking on this journey of riding yourself of Effexor, it will get better. You will not suffer forever. I know that for me personally I did fall back into my anxiety, which was the reason I went on the Effexor to begin with. But I am now learning different way of coping with it. Even though my doctor prescribed it to me again, and wants me to get back on it. I refuse. I think he is an amazing doctor, but he just doesn’t see why I don’t want to go back on them. He has recommended me to a psychotherapist who I would rather go see first before I go back on meds. Plus the cognitive therapy has been working well as well as the vitamins and treating myself well.
I trust that all of you will be okay. It will be a test for your strength at first. But you will be okay! I know I do feel anxiety because I am not on Effexor, BUT I know my body feels better with out the drug!
Mobiel, you will not suffer the zaps forever, although it may be a while that you do experience them. I get the occational rare zap every now and again but it doesn’t scare me. I know that it will pass. And it does. Please don’t fret too much. I know it seems hopeless right now but you will feel better soon. Just don’t lose hope and don’t lose sight of your goal!
Laura, I haven’t really heard of the detox you are mentioning. Would you mind posting what you find so maybe we can try it too? That would be so great! Good luck with it and I hope it works out!
Dear Jon, I feel for you being an anxiety sufferer myself. These floaters you are speaking of may just be a manifestation of your anxiety. And even if they are not, they cannot harm you and are just a pest. Try and think of it that way. You have been looked at by doctors, and there is nothing wrong with you. You are fine. I understand it would make you nervous. But try to sit back and put things into perspective. I think you make things harder for yourself when you wake up in the morning and ask yourself if they are still there, and then how miserable it will be for you if they are. Then sure enough, they are there again and you are miserable. Try to stay positive. That is what I have been doing. Try to catch your negative thinking before it gets the best of your day.
Take care of yourself.
Catherine, have you really examined if you should be on medication or not? Is it really necessary for you? Have you tried some other methods? The only reason I say that is it would be good for you to learn a little bit more about why you are feeling the way you are before you try the Wellbutrin. I see you are talking to someone about your trama and it is helping you. That is great news! And you know if you do need medication in the long run, that’s okay too. Just try to help yourself in the best way possible. With or without meds. Stay in touch!! And let us know how you are doing! Delaney, some great advise you gave there about the vitamins!
Leslie don’t fear what is coming up with your detox, be proud of yourself for having the guts to get off of it. Everything will be okay, and I recommend going off slowly as it was easier for me to deal with the side effects.
And Jayoo you may be dealing with some side effects for a little while longer. Just be patient and trust that everything will be okay. It took me 6 months to wean off of the meds. It is all up to you.
Take care everyone, hope you all have a great nite.
Xo Elena

Elena
Thanks for the advice. I went to the eye doc yesterday and he again said he does'nt see anything but the floaters so I am going to try and ignor them. Question, I took effexor for 4 months and have been free since January. While on effexor I developed ringing in my right ear, became light sensitive. I also started seeing what I can only explain as dancing lights/sparks in my vision but only see these when looking at an object with a bright back ground such as a blue sky or bright light. Are these effects of the effexor??? I still suffer from these. Any idea????

Jon

Thanks for the response Elena.

I ordered the supplments the detox plan I found calls for: Super Barley Powder, Omego 3, and cherry concentrate. The plan calls for 2 weeks on these before starting to taper off the Effexor. Then to start gradually tapering off over a few months.

It may take awhile, but I will be free one day!