Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 73 of 140}

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the effexor activist

Hi again. It is monday morning and i feel really bad. Sick to my stomach and very dizzy. On my third day of dedox. I live in Canada and i think if i asked my doctor for weed he would say i am crazy. You can not tell him anything he knows it all. I shall find my own. I just am so dizzy and feel sick. And have to find energy to go to work now to do payroll. I would just like to be in bed and close my eyes.

Thank you Leslee. Reading that site just confirmed what I already felt to be true. When discussing these medications with my DR., I felt that I probably knew more about them than he did.

I am so thankful to have found this site. Now I know I am not going crazy!!! I am on day 4 of withdrawal after tapering off from 225mg over a week's time. I've felt fine up until last Friday when which was my first day of no Effexor. I thought I was coming down with the flu or something and spent most of the weekend laying down. I am constantly plagued by the 'zaps' and feel like I am walking around in my own personal fog. It is comforting to know this is going to pass. I only wish I had stumbled across this site sooner. There is no way I am going back on that stuff. I seriously thought I was going through early menopause with the hot flashes I experienced. Does trying to sweat this stuff out of your system help at all? I just want to shake my head furiously to try to clear out this fogginess!!!!!

singlemomof2 friday and saturday were my very worst days also. I went saturday and started a cleansing program for 7 days so far i think i feel better. are you feeling better yet on your own. The drugist said 1 to 8 weeks.

Hi all and especially singlemomof2!

I just want to say to you 'HANG IN THERE'- it really does get better I promise.

I've been 'clean' now for 17 days! Yippee! I'm still not normal (whatever that is!) but compared to where you are right now and where i was a week or so ago, i'm in heaven - i'm still getting 'zaps' (I've learnt to laugh about that sensation now), i still see the world through often hazy glasses and i'm moody and a little teary but i look at it this way .. I'm not zapping every time i take a step and i'm not biting everyones head off who comes within a mile of me! Its only getting better and you will too.

During my withdrawal, I forced myself to exercise and sweat this crap out of my system. I know that when you're feeling the way you are, walking in a straight line is an effort, and the nausea seems to be a constant reminder of what your body's going through, but believe me if you're not physically sick, then get sweating - it can't make it worse.

I guess we have to remember we are literally 'flushing' our systems of a chemical that never belonged there and I reckon the more help we can give our bodies the better. A bit of controversy and I apologise for this but I liken it to taking ecstasy - if you take a pill and sit down, you'll feel the effects a lot longer than if your up and dancing hard! Same deal (but effoxer has a much worse withdrawal!)

Hope that helps and good luck! Remember ... it really does end!

Hi everyone. Tuesday morning and i am still so dizzy. no energy and brain zapps down to my heart. This is day 6 with no effexor. Hope it gets better very soon. I still laugh everyday. It is the best medicne. Lots of laughs everyone. Have a great day

Hang in there rollerbladequeen! No turning back now! I'm on day 12 and this morning I woke up and didn't even think about the medicine and effects. This is a first in a long time. I'm hoping this stuff is almost out of my system. My stomach is still out of sorts but I can handle that compared to the head pressure and dizziness. Yesterday, everytime I stood up, I felt like fainting. Better today.
My biggest fear is the anxiety returning!!!!!

Oh! Just as a side note, I heard that there is a saying between Pharmacists ' Let's give her some Effexor and see how that affects her!' Don't tell me that Pharmaceutical companies don't know how bad this stuff really is!'

Hi maddysmom. I will be waiting for that morning. Thank you for the encourgement i need it at this time.I am so happy that i found this site. I think everyone should know wat happens to you if you take this drug. Thanks again.

Maddysmom, how I am longing for a day 12 to come around for me!!! I am on day 5 of no Effexor and am about to pull my hair out. I have so much anxiety right now it's making me crazy. I feel like I don't have control of myself. I have to keep telling myself it will pass, it will pass, it will pass.

Rollerbalade Queen, That morning will come followed by not so good mornings but remember the good ones and hang on to the knowledge that today is just a bad day and better ones will come. You're doing great!

Singlemomof2, did you quit cold turkey after 37.5? If so,bless you for making it to day five. I could never make it past day 2 1/2 before I would take my medication again. The only way I could get as far as I am is to take out a little at a time from the capsule.
Yes, the anxiety does pass. Yesterday I had a bad day with it but today I feel better! Stay positive and continue to tell yourself that it will pass!!!

Yes, I was an idiot and tapered off rather quickly over a week's time from 225mg. I had a falling out of sorts with my doctor's staff that forced me into this situation. I wish I had found you all sooner. It never even entered my mind to open up the dang capsule and empty some of it out. I've made it this far, no going back now. I am so thankful you all are here!!!!

Hello everyone... after reading a number of posts, I believe I have done the right thing by stopping Effexor after only six weeks. I had suffered a seriously broken leg and found myself confined to a hospital bed for several months. Dealing with depression and anxiety, and after taking Prozac for panic anxiety for many years, my MD chose to put me on Effexor XR. I started out with 37.5 mg, then to 75 mg. Although the medication worked wonders for my then mental state, it also exhibited four different side-effects that were not pleasant at all... severe constipation, a rash on my face and neck, the infamous 'electric shocks' and (I'm a 50+year old male) the issue of taking for ever to urinate, just as if someone tied-off my plumbing. One night I experienced one of these 'shocks' in my chest, and it brought me out of a deep sleep and I thought I was having a heart attack. As I said at the beginning, I believe I am doing the right thing by getting that poison out of my system. I 'weaned' myself off by taking a capsule every other day for a week, then every third day, finally every fourth. I still experience a very mild 'shock', but the most troubling after-effect is the vertigo. I'm still on crutches, and let me tell you, crutches and vertigo don't mix!!! I am writing the FDA (not that I expect anything to happen) and voice my concerns over this terrible drug. I wish everyone the best in cleansing their systems of this toxin!

I'll start off with ROLLERBLADE QUEEN:
I read one of your first posts about maybe smoking some pot. I was a 'toker' anyway and when I went off Effexor, 'toking' only made me feel worse. I wouldn't try that.
For everyone else:
I started taking an Omega 3 suppliment after day one of wanting to die! It also forced me to eat because you're supposed to take it with food. It only took a week before I started feeling almost back to normal. I still had a few zaps now and then, but those went away completely after about three weeks.
Hang in there everybody!!! It really does go away! I'm glad to see that people are still getting smart and getting off this horrible stuff. I recommend going to the FDA website and writing to them about the problems you and others are facing. I don't think that people who are already on it should be forced to get off, but doctors should really stop prescribing it to new patients. Anyone agree?

Big Baby, I am so glad you brought up the Omega 3 suppliments. I was wondering if that would help as it is supposed to be a mood booster, among other great benefits. How long have you been Effexor free? Are you still taking the Omega 3 suppliments?

Couldn't agree with you more bigbaby!! I already told my doctor that she should NEVER prescribe this to anyone for which there is an alternative...and absolutely not for somewhere who doesn't suffer from chronic depression. She was truly unaware of the horrible withdrawal, and took me up on my challenge to google all the info out there. She was mortified.

I am just about three months 'clean' now. No more zaps, still the occassional dizzy spell and anxiety attack. I've also been a little weepy....not a bad thing though. I'm crying feel-good things that touch me. Something I haven't been able to do for a long time.

Anybody else out there finding that, once the physical symptoms of withdrawal are gone, you are reflecting on some not so nice behaviours that seemed to develop while you were taking Effexor? Just curious...'cause I have certainly had to re-evaluate who I am based on some of the things I said/did over the two years I was taking the drug. I think that the 'numbing', combined with very diminished impulse control might have played a part.....any thoughts?

anney

Good morning. Last night was bad. so far today is good. I even managed to run and walk for 20 mins this morning. lets hope the rest of this day is the same. I think we all sould email opra and she should have a show on this topic. Hope everyone is well.!!!!

Anney---I don't take the Omegas on a regular basis, but I should...They're good for you. I have been Effexor free since August 8th. The Omega 3 is good for a lot of things. It's good for your heart and general cell development. The reason why it's good for us is because a SHORTAGE of omega-3 polyunsaturates can be directly attributed with depression. I think it also helps us (who are/were going through withdrawal) for the general idea that our neurotransmitters need to find new routs. Sound crazy? Click here:

http://www.omega-3info.com/faqs.htm#7

Well, I have read and read dozens of posts, not only here, but on other boards as well. I have yet to find anyone stupid enough to be on Effexor for as long as I have been. I'm embarrassed to say, I've been on this drug for about 13 years as best as I can figure.
I have no explanation as to why I never investigated its effects further before now, except for the massive brain fog I've been in for the past decade.
Why did a red flag not go up for my good-for-nothing doctor (assuming he wasn't in a brain fog too) when I developed all of these horrific symptoms, including gaining 68 pounds in just 8 months ... I don't know.
Now, 13 years and 160 pounds later (yep, I'm Morbidly Obese) my daughter's friend tells me that she gained 70 pounds in just a few months on this drug and lost the weight when she came off of it. THAT'S when I started digging into stuff online.
Please don't start saying ugly stuff to me about how stupid I am for not knowing better before now. I DON'T need to hear that. Believe me, I'm very angry with myself for this.
I could literally write a book on what this drug has done to my life, as well as the lives of my family.
The issue right now, and trying to get off of it.
There's so much more to tell and say, but I have a sleep-study tonight, and don't have enough time to write. Just wanted to raise a few brows by announcing the idiot that has been taking this crap for this long. I must have set some sort of record. Good Grief.
Pam

meant to say 'The issue right now, Is trying to get off of it.'

Oh Pam, don't be so hard on yourself! You are not a doctor. We all basically do what we're told blindly trusting that our doctors have a lot more knowledge than we do about things and will always do right by us. I am on day 13 of being Effexor XR free and am feeling really good finally! I know exactly what you mean about being in a fog. For the forst time in a long time I feel like a participant in life again. If you're having difficulty sleeping, you can probably bet the Effexor is a big factor in that. I haven't slept through an entire night since I began taking the stuff. If you're trying to get off Effexor, hang in there and tough it out. 10 days ago I thought I wanted to die, the withdrawal was soooo bad. But I made it through and you will too!!!! Hang in there girl.

Pam

I am also on day 13 with no pills. And i feel really good. I wanted to die at first also. But hang in there id does get a lot better.

Robin

Sleep study was for the apnea that I developed years back as a result of the unbelievable weight-gain.
I tell ya, I hate to make such a blanket statement, but I've had such bad, bad experiences with every freakin' doctor I've ever been to (and that's a lot) ... there May Be a few good doctors out there - but if there are, I certainly have not had the pleasure of meeting them. I'd say for the most part, they just suck.
I hope no one minds if I just ramble on and vent here. You don't even have to read it. ;o) I'm sure just getting it off my chest will be therapeutic for me.

I recently ran out of effexor and seeing a new doctor. I had to wait a couple of days to get my perscription filled. I did not want this to effect me at work so I decided I wouldn't take the pill Sat and Sunday and save the last pill for Monday. I also split it in half (I have the 100mg tablet)to last me until Wed. when I was able to get my perscription filled. Sat and Sunday was terrible, severely dizzy. Not light headed, I was heavy headed. Almost as if gravity was pulling me toward the floor, extremely off balance, confused and irritated. I did not see some of these symptoms in the forum and wonder if I am unique or if anyone out there has these same withdrawl symtoms? I was looking foward to taking the effexor. I do not want to start the same dose and I am only going to take half the pill (50mg)this time. I really hope I can continue like this until I wean all the way off.

Just an update. I've been off of Effexor XR now for 3 weeks and am happy to report that I feel great. Hang in there all! It gets better. I'm living proof. I stick to my claim that openning the capsules and removing 10 - 20 beads over several weeks helped TREMENDOUSLY!!! It takes time but is well worth it if you want to buffer the effects of withdrawal.