Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 75 of 140}

Hi Everyone,
I'm a little nervous here. For the first time since the slow drop in mgs. of E I had trouble with my vision. It came on sudden & it was as if I had been staring at the sun or a long time or as if a flash from a camera had been going off in my face. Then my periphial vision was blurred for about an hour. I wasn'r dizzy, but I did lay down until things were normal.Has this happened to anyone else?

lyndzee
That happened to me also. I also felt like i was having a heart attack. everytime something felt wrong with me it was the drug causeing it. It did many things to my head eyes. I weaned myself of in two weeks. and have been free for about 24 days. Still have a bad head. most night i am in bed at 7. but it is still getting better and you will too. just hang in there. and talk to people lots. take care

robin

Thanks Robin.I'm sorry for what you went through. I've been weaning slowly but yesterday is the first time that I sprinkled the beads into applesauce & maybe that's what made the difference. I just got frustrated with trying to put them back into a capsule. I know better now. This morning I'm just a little nauseas (spelling). I'd like to wean faster but I can't afford to be 'insane' everyday. I watch my youngest grandaughter who's 4 while my daughter works. I'd hate to be angry in front of her. The freezing & the flashes are hard enough to deal with. BTW I'm a young 56. I read this quote some time ago and it seems to apply:
'I'm so accustomed to being stressed..that when I'm calm I get nervous' So true-So true...

I think i am better finally. I was able to stay up last night untill 11. and my head is not zapping anymore today

HI everyone
had a down day today..
letting things i would noramly shake of worry and upset me..
Work is the hardest.
i hope i don't feel depressed all the time now i am off these tablets.
do you think its just early days and a side effect of coming of the tablets?????
i also had a lot of nights where my chest hurt so bad..
Does anyone know if because we have taken these tablets so long that the depression that we took the meds for be gone????
is that a silly question.. but don't feel i can ask docs, not after all of what has happened.

Hello Ladies,
I did'nt identify any guy posting for himself, so the greeting.
I found the group as everybody else I suppose, tring to deal with Effexor withdrawl symptoms.
At first I thought I would read a bit to learn what to expect of the symptoms & their duration.
On discovery of the range of conditions experienced I've come to the conclusion my situation may be of interest to others.
I'm a 47 year old male. I've been taking 225mgs of EffexorXR for about 6 of the 8 years (8 yrs Nov) on the drug.
I was in serious need of help when I started treatment & believe I can function without Med's now.
Today is DAY 7 no meds & no tappering off.
When I do something I don't screw around. Not always the best way to do things but it's working so far.
I'm having most of the usual problems except no zapping.
The 2 major problems for me to deal with are nausea & dizziness.

READ THIS NEXT PART EVEN IF YOU SKIP THE REST OF MY RAMBLING ENTIRELY!!!!!!

I have resolved all stomach issues in a manner nobody else has mentioned.
The answer for me has been the 'ReliefBand'.
This is a battery powered wrist watch size devise.
My wife & I travel a bit & scuba dive when conditions (mine) permit.
Flying & being on the water caused air & seasick problems for my wife and a few friends on these trips. While researching fixes I discovered the ReliefBand. It has been effective for relieving nausea with everyone I have put it on.
I have no financial interest in this item, so don't accuse me of spamming or marketing my own products.
When I relised (duh & slap my forehead) I was felling 'seasick' I took out my wifes ReliefBand & strapped it on my wrist. The stomach side of the nausea complaints stopped in just a few minutes. I actually turned it off & on a few times to see if the band was working or I just was not queasy by coincidence. It was the band!
Google 'ReliefBand' to learn about it.
I bought ours online since there was no rush at the time.
They can also be found at some scuba dive shops.

END OF MY NAUSEA SOLUTION.

As far as the dizziness goes no revalations here folks.
1 minor point though.
I've noticed if I slow down how quickly I move especially my head and close one eye when I forget it seems to help a fair amount. It's almost as though my eyes are out of sync and by closing one my brain can deal with quicker movment.

Please feel free to comment on anything I've posted. I'm looking forward to feedback.

Wayne

Wow!!!!!!!!
I was just looking up information on Effexor symptoms and came across this forum. I am really impressed by the response everyone has. I too am trying to get off this drug now for about 4 months now. I have been on it for about 4 years now. I was dealing with a my husbands illness of a brain tumor and the anxiety of becoming widowed with 2 young children. Unfortunely my husband did dye the same year in 2003 and now I am trying to regain myself again. I really had no idea what drug I was on until recently when I started to research in. I have had a terrible time trying to wean myself off the effexor. I am finally on day 4 of no pill at all. I was hoping it would be much better faster and I am really trying to percist with the psycotic side effects that I really did not expect. I do also get brain shivers. I feel like am on drugs apposed to being off of a drug. I feel hung- over all the time, headachey. It is really reasuring to see all of you helping each other out like this. I am really glad I came across this web site. I was sitting here for 2 hours reading all these post over the past few months. Amaizing!!. I also have restless legg syndrome. I feel sometimes like my body parts are not conneted to my brain. I think I feel more ill now trying to get off of the effexor than I ever felt before I even went on it. Sometimes I feel like banging by head against the wall to off set these feelings. I know it is a matter of time, but I do agree that the doctors do not give us enough information as to what to expect when trying to wean off. I am happy to hear about the Chaser and the omega 3 oil, I am going to get them right away. Thank you so much this was a great help to me. I will be tuning in as regularly as I can. See you Optimom

I am a mother helping my 16 year old with the effects of Effexor withdrawal. A psychiatrist stopped her cold turkey 6 days ago. When I questioned this, the psych. said she had not been exhibiting signs, other than a little nausea, and would be o.k. She was in the psych ward at the time due to a melt down. Once I got her home, I began to reserach and have found so many symptoms she is sharing. Nausea, paranoia, confusion, extreme mood swings, trouble processing her thoughts from time to time.

Here is my question, humbly presented and hopefully you all have some insight - since it is day six (she is only taking Adderall otherwise), do I ask to go back to the slow withdrawal method or do we head forward from here, since we've been without 6 days? She is not bi polar, just a case of teenage depression (no minimalizing intended), and we intend to move forward with cognitive behavioral therapy from here.

So, stay the course? And if so, what can help?

Thank you so much.

Lilybelle---
I would say not to go back, but I'm not a doctor. I'm just a girl who went through effexor withdrawal a couple of months ago and have never been better. Try to get her to exercise and take Omega 3 supplements. It only took about a week before my symptoms mostly went away and the a couple more before I felt completely ok. The exercise increases the production of seretonin and the Omega 3s are great for...you'll have to read about it...there are a lot of reasons, but most of the medical terms I can't remember, so look it up. Teenage depression really sucks...I was a depressed teen back in the day. Tell her that life gets better and try not to sweat the small stuff. Some of the things that seem to be important now, don't seem to be a such a big deal once you get older...that you don't need to tell her...it will just pi$$ her off. I remember being a teenager.

I have been on 75mg for three years and this is the socond time that I have gone off, not knowing until now that I was experiencing severe withdrawl. This drug should be taken off the market! I take so many naturapathic remedies and 4Life transfer factor products that I decided I didn't want to be on this synthetic drug anymore, even if it did mean being depressed for awhile. (I have been on and off anti-depressants for 10 years and am aware of the depression I experience when I go off.) But this...This is not depression. It is an excruitatiaing headache, brain shocks, flashing lights, insomnia, confusion, fatigue, hysterical laughing/crying which I would sum up to pure hell.

Does anyone have any other natural remedies they could suggest for the fatigue and headaches. (I make a lot of ginger tea) I sleep 12+ hours a night, and the exhaustion is extreme. It feels like this is never going to go away b/c I have delt w/ this on and off for three years. It feels like a really bad brain cold.

Lyndzee

I already wear glasses/contacts and my vision has gotten significantly worse since I went off effexor completely, which has been about a week. I feel like the blurred vision is associated w/ the headaches

madysmom

That's great that the slow weening helped you, but I did the same thin and it did not work for me. I guess some people are more sensitive to drugs than others. Anyway, I was reading that weening of this drug doesn't matter b/c it's so bad and that doctors are now not perscribing it as often unless all other anti-depressants don't work. (which was my case) Good luck

hi
been of 3 weeks now and still finding sleeping hard, i find i can't switch off on a night things people have said going around in my head...
it makes me think, is this the side affects of the tablets..
has any one else had this..
i don't feel depressed but anxious..
has any one any sugestions, please...

Max55

The anxiety and anger is so great that it's about the only emotion that I can feel. Here are some ideas that help me. I take calming herbs such as ashwaghanda, valerian root, lemon balm, chammomile, and a calming herb mixture from the health food store... I hope this helps

Hi Everyone..Lyndzee here. I had a bit of a traumatic experience Thursday nite but learned a lot from it. I was brought to the emergency room with what turned out to be atrial fiberllation. It was scary to say the least. It took them over 7 hours to regulate my heart beat using a cardizem drip and hemprin so I wouldn't clot. Putting that all aside..I told the Dr. right away about my weaning off of effexor 150 XR and how I was doing it over the last 2 months by counting the beads..she was very knowledgable about antidepressants & especially about effexor. She said that the contents of the capsule was not all effexor. That after it is weighed out fillers are put in to fill the rest of the capsule up so there is no telling how much effexor I was actually getting. I was prescribed effexor for debilitating panic attacts. I did have a wave of fight or flight just before my heart took off on its own. I waited about 2 hours before I told my husband that something was wrong & a learned later that in that time I could have had a stroke. My primary Dr.put me on 75mg XR instead of the 150's because of my poor attemt at weaning. I'll stay on them for awhile until I get my other health issues under control. I also have hyperparathyroidism and tachycardia..one may contribute to the other and right now I'm afraid to rock the boat any further. So, I guess I'm just asking all of you to be careful. For me? It was a frightning lesson learned.

for your response to my post.

I printed it out and read it to my daughter last night. Of course she got teary, considering what she's going through, but it inspired her.

She's better today. A little mania, a little 'out of body' feelings, but no deep down black holes.

I know the timing means a lot, but I really think your post gave her that little extra push.

I'll post how she is tomorrow. It would be nice if we got more updates on progress from posters here, don't you think?

it must be so scary for your daughter..
as a adult its bad enough. Hope she is feeling better..
these drugs can't long term be good for any one....
the after effects seem worse than the reason the drug was prescibed, which is not good..
all the symtoms do get better. though other-side effects seem to be coming to light...like mood swings and anxious feelings and not been able to relax or sleep..
i suppose i just have to try and ride these effects out as well...

Lilybelle---
I'm so glad to hear she's doing better. The brain zaps which some have said is like they can 'hear their eyes move' was the worst part for me. Of course I was a little nausious, had no appetite, and very bad morbid thoughts were going through my head. Like I said, the worst of my symptoms were over in about a week, but I was still feeling tired and pretty emotional for about 3 weeks or so. I was taking Omega 3 supplements and taking long walks. I had to take the Omegas with food, so that forced me to eat. The walks just gave me something to do to try to purge my system of the synthetic chemicals and to re-teach my brain to produce its own endorphins. Walking also exhausted me enough that I would come home and go to bed. Remind your daughter that each day that she wakes up she will feel a little better. Something else I had to learn was that we are in control of our minds. Depression is something -most- of us can conquer on our own. It is important to laugh and smile, so we, who are prone to depression, must find things to laugh and smile about. If you don't like being depressed...then don't be depressed. Sister Hazel has a song called 'Change Your Mind' and there is a part that says 'If you want to be somebody else...if you're tired of losing battles with yourself...if you want to be somebody else...change your mind.' I live by that. We can't give ourselves excuses anymore. We have to stop thinking that 'we can't help it...' We can help it. We are in control of our minds. We are not, however, in control of circumstances. Things happen in this world that can have devastating affects. We are only in control of ourselves and we have to figure out how to pick up our pieces, learn from them, and move on...trying to become better and better people in the process...and never stop trying.

i have been off for about 8 weeks--i saw up on the page that someone said they were experienceing blurred vision and they think its from the headaches???i have been getting headaches still- the zaps are gone, thank god, but i wonder if vision can be affected by effexor use?? the worst part is that i get migraines, have my whole life, and the headaches fro m the effexor are resulting in these. i was thinking maybe it could bne vision, and am planning on going toan optometrist....wouldnt that be peachy-- another long term side effect- vision problems!! augh! has anyone else had vision probs??
and to the person that asked if the depression symptoms stopped after use-- i think mine did stop.... i was on effexor all the way up to 225mg and for 2 1/2 yrs or so, and im not having the panic attacks like i used to before now htat i have been off for the 8 weeks. so i guess the answer would be yes, it does help in that area. and now that i have been off for the 8 weeks, i am not getting hysetrical crying bouts anymore really...sometimes i feel ultra sensitive and sad but not to the point where i am way way overboard. i think 8 weeks wasnt that long to feel this much, better, but afterall, during the initial weening off was the very very worst, by the time i was off completely i guess i was just used to the symptoms....and i definitely felt like i wasnt ever going to be 'normal' again. have hope....try to make it to the 8 week mark and you will be able to make it after that for sure.
much love to all who are dealing with this and thanks to all that are supporting loved ones that are going through this.

Good Afternoon everyone .... I am new to this site and I am on the first day of cutting my effexor in half. I was on 150 and now taking 75. All I want to do is Cry today. Does this mean I need to go back on it, I was put on it because of crying all the time in the first place

DixieMiss00,
Hang in there. Read some of the earlier posts in the group. It does get better.
Just carry tissues with you
and try not to wear anthing that needs to be dry cleaned for a few weeks.

hi it does get better, though it takes time, it helps reading the posts as you understand you are not alone.
This site helped me a lot.
i'm have been off the tablets completly now for 3 weeks and still find some days hard, but there are more good days now....

Yes for sure hang in there it does get better. I have been off since sept 14 and it took one full month before i was totaly better. read the post and post lots. drink lots of water and exersise.

Heelo
I hope someone who has had the same problem reads this!!

I have been off Effexor since July 13. I was doing great after most of the weaning. Well it is now mid October and I am hugely depressed. Dragging myself out of bed, nausea, and crying all day. I am a caregiver in my home so I have to get up.I went back to doctor today due to uncontrollable crying and my mothers urging. i expressed reasons not to go back on Effexor so he wants me to try Cipralex. Anyone have any info. I am desperate. Going to see nautropath tomorrow as it was earliest appointment. I am getting desperate but don't want to take Effexor again.

Delaney
P.S. I wanted to believe I never had depression in the first place.I don't know what to think

hi
it must be so hard for you ant the min, but hang in there!
another drug may be the answear, i have heard lots of good reports about other antidepressants that work great and don't have any lasting side effects!
Its important to find a good doctor you trust, and just explain every thing to them!
even about your worries about effexor..
just keep posting and talking!!!
love