Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 90 of 140}

I was wondering if any of you have a plan should depression return. I'm feeling low and quite tearful at the moment, sleep still not brilliant and am just trying to keep occupied and see friends as much as possible so I'm not on my own.

Has anyone found anything especially helpful as I really don't want to have to take antidepressants again... my doctor has already told me I need to take them long term and prescribed Trazadone instead of Effexor, but that seems to have as many horrible withdrawal effects.

This forum has been the best support I've found and it's so helpful to know I'm not alone or imagining these withdrawal symptoms. Thanks so much.

Hi Crooky -

i'm rather new to this stuff, but i've been doing some research and discovered a product called 5HTP ... most health stores will carry it ... apparently it has been big in europe for years ...

between that and valerian root, i've been doing okay for the most part ... still have my moments, but they don't last days or weeks any more ...

hope that helps ... m

I have been on effexor now for about 2 years...i started taking it due to panic attacks. I have been cold turkey now for 5 days and it is horrible. I was only taking half of 37.5 a day for the past 1 year. Yet I feel like my nerves are in a shake zone. Everything is so loud to me, I am very sensative, with my nerves. lights are way to bright, and I am depressed. I've never been depressed in my life, but i am now. I have a doctors appointment tomorrow, and I need some help...I would like to know if someone could suggest a good medicine or herb to help me wing off this drug. And also how long did it take you before your side effects stopped? I want to thank all of you for being a part of this forum and making it possible. Also is anyone a part of an effexor class action law suite...I really would like to be. I was told this med was not addictive, but it is very. I have tried paxil, valium, xanex and others yet i didn't trying them for more than 4 days each, i just didn't want to get addicted to anything. So now i know the doc was just selling a drug to me, it did stop the panic attacks, yet it is causing other problems...blood preasure to rise, anxiety, and serious miagraines. I want so much to just be me again, no more mood swings. My head feels light it is just so loopy...i feel lost inside of myself...Help.

Dear Tina77,
you can continue the herb medicine ie. no any side effects.
continne the following medicine and gradually reduce your effexor products..

Agrimony ( the batch flower remedy) three times in a day and continue till you will be ok.

try it and inform me..
dr.deoshlok sharma

Effexor medicine is a Licence drugs. Once used means you will be the regular customer of the medicine. i.e. the one type of drugs addiction. This is most dangerous mediicne after taking this medicine whole day you mind will not be fresh feels lathergy and lazyness. your mind will not be free... to work any thing. Our Homoeomedicine and batch flower remedy have cured the lot of patient... very success.. fully...

dr.deoshlok sharma

visit ythe following site:-

blank">http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/1663/

This is the ite for you :-

blank">http://abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/118618/

Hi Tina77

I found that for the first month taking paracetamol for the aches and pains, plus Benadryl (contains cetirizine hydrochloride and is a non drowsy antihistamine) helped me with the jangling nerves quite a bit ( this was recommended on a couple of websites I visited). I have also been taking St Johns Wort (300mg). I stopped effexor completely at the start of July and my head is now practically free of 'brain shocks'. The anxiety symptoms (racing heart and difficulty breathing) are still with me, but I am just trying to rationalise that they are not permanent, just another manifestation of the withdrawal. It really helps to just take each day as it comes and try not to worry that these horrible feelings will last forever. After years of having all our emotions suppressed I guess it's natural that we are going to feel odd for a while.

I am just trying to plan what I will do if I feel really depressed again. Hopefully if I plan for the worst it won't be so dreadful if it does happen and I can avoid antidepressants.

Thanks for the 5HTP tip , I've heard of it and will look int it.

Crooky

Crooky,

You need to know that 5HTP shouldn't be used while using St. Johns Wort on a regular basis. That's a double whammy on your serotonin levels, which could cause serotonin syndrome, a potentially fatal situation.

St. John's Wort goes to work on your brain serotonin levels by concentrating your existing serotonin into the brain location. (similar to effexor, actually, but naturally)

5HTP goes to work on your brain serotonin levels by boosting serotonin PRODUCTION. This is a better solution to fix the PROBLEM, whereas the St. John's Wort is a quicker solution to releive the SYMPTOMS.

But never use both at the same time!!!!

Regarding any recommendations, always research them for yourself before taking anything new. Don't take my word for it, I'm not a doctor. You have to take responsibility for what you try.

Agrimony is a detox kind of drug. Read many websites about it before you decide to try it or anything else.

Mikemo:
I'm ready for the next dosage instructions after splitting the 125's in half last week. I'm feeling good. Thank you so much for your help. How is your wife doing after weaning off?

Sweetlo~ A ha! You are now another mikemo groupie! He is so nice and has helped so many people, like me, on here. I would think the Effexor manufacturers would be after him by now! He has lost mega bucks for them! Go Mikemo!
I am on week 2 of no Effexor. I went from 300mg, for 9 years, to zero in 5 months. Just take it slow! The last 2 weeks have been very up and down. It's hard to know what is still withdrawal and what is really me. I am crabby and cry at the drop of the hat. I question the actions of co-workers and situations more than I ever did before and am getting those glances at work, like 'what is up with you?'.
I have had occasional melt-downs and wake-up either with my mind racing or nightmares a couple nights a week. Some times I do have good days but I don't have the pills to sugar coat everything and just be passive. It has been hard becuase I am an alcholoic i and have been in recovery for 9 years. (It will be 9 years on Friday). I took that one day at a time and have to do it with this too. Some of the aggression and feelings that I used alcohol for have surfaced now that I don't have the Effexor. Don't get me wrong, I am so happy not to have either in my system. It comes down to dealing with life on life's terms. I just have to not let other peoples terms get in my face. Sometimes hard to do.
Hang in there, SweetLo, you can do it! and oh ya, keep being a grooupie to mikemo.. we need him around. Hugs to all, Mary

SweetLo,

She's doing great! I'd have to say that she's fully recovered! Her new routine includes a treadmill, and we don't eat fast food at ALL anymore. Zero. She also cut out ALL caffene. Life's good! Stick with it!

So, you've taken 6 days at 62.5mg. Great! Now you can start to taper down. The tough part for you is going to be splitting those big 125mg capsules. With practice, though, you'll do just fine. I'd recommend drawing your line 6.25 inches long. That way, each 1/4' will be 5mg. Keep your doses labeled in separate bags or bottles. You will end up with some silly leftover doses that will come in handy later on. Let me know if you need more detail on how to split 'em to get the doses in your schedule (listed below).

So, here's your new schedule. You can stay at 62.5 for as long as you need before you start this. When you are ready, go like this:

45
60
55
55
55
55
55
35
50
45
45
45
45
45
25
40
35
35
35
35

Notice that I put 5 days of the level dose for the first couple of drop cycles. That will help you get a feel for how quick your body responds. You can always go longer at the level doses if you need. I remember hitting a spot where we held a steady dose for 9 days waiting for a full recovery before taking another drop cycle. It's better to be happy and stretch it out a few days, trust me.

Keep us posted and remember, it's not you, it's the drug. Don't let it use you to mess up your life!

Posting my progress on quiting this horid drug....I went 5 days cold turkey, couldn't handle the electric shocks but was determined to not take a full capsule. I broke open a 37.5 capsule and have been taking 8 tiny little molecules every second day. You won;t beleive it it but those little tiny molecules help take away the shocks. the shocks are gradually going away. Now I am Bloated...has anyone had this symtom. I can hardly breathe, its like I have gained 20 pounds in 8 days!!

dear 2000toNow,

Yes, me too! I've put on loads of weight but also feel like a balloon about to burst. I have been quite inactive as I've had a broken leg, but am trying to do 10000 steps per day to get fit again. I've put on about 3 stone in the 7 years I've been taking Venlafaxine so hopefully this will start to drop off gradually.

Mikemo.. thanks for advice re 5HTP, I'll probably stick with the St John Wort for the symptoms, but can bear 5HTP in mind should the depression return. Glad your wife is doing well.

Crooky

Mikemo:
You're right, I became a pro at seperating my dosages! I am down to the 35 range and am occasonally naseous with a headache. Sometimes I wonder if it's from the tapering of the E or the weather...
I have the dosages I'm to take scheduled daily on my calendar. I can't wait until October 8, the last day of this wretched chemical in my body and mind!!!
How is your wife's progress?
Thank you again, I don't know what I would have done without your tapering advice.

Hooray! I'm glad things are doing well with it for you!

My honey is doing good. There are ups and downs, but that's life. She's not in depression anymore, though!

You should write the headaches and nausea down on your calendar on the days you have them so you can see if there is a pattern that parallels your tapering. Then you could possibly adjust if needed. It's your call now, though, not mine. I've given you all the tools you need. Let me know how it goes!

Hi All,
I'm a first time poster and to say 'at least I'm not alone'. I have been detoxing since May and separating my 150mg pills myself. I am done about the 15 mg range and have avoided the 'brain zaps' by using an 'emotional flower remedy' and essential oils applied topically. It works to keep the heavy duty withdrawal at bay but since I'm on 15 mg the physical side effects are really getting to me. I feel like I have the flu most days. Not the stay in bed flu, just bad enough to feel crappy all day. I'm already watching my diet, exercising and I see a homeopathic dr. weekly to help with balancing my body but the 2 or 3 days prior to seeing her are awful.

Also, has anyone else had a deep, soul wrenching sadness periodically throughout the day? OMG, it's awful. I'll go from being fine to wanting to curl up in a corner and die. I hate this drug and can't wait till it is out of my system and life!

I seriously can't believe that there is not a class action suit against this drug company. I urge everyone to keep records and days missed from work and personal pain and suffering because it has to be just a matter of time until there is one.
L

I'm also a first time poster. I'm only on hour 40 and I'm freaking out by what I'm reading. The worst part of this for me is that most of us went on these meds to rid ourselves of anxiety but going off this stuff is so bad, it only increases anxiety!
I actually began this to minimize my OCD symptoms, but the side effects were so bad, after two years I'd rather have my OCD back and get rid of this drug.
In the past two years I've occasionally forgotten to take my pill and at hour 36 I get a harsh reminder. It's like I hit a wall and suddenly I could fall asleep sitting up, I've got a headache and nausea.
I've gotten past the wall, still a mild headache. However, for the past two years I've been constantly exhausted and for once I feel completely wired and shaky and like I could run laps around my neighborhood.
On one hand, my poor husband has suffered as well because I have no sex drive, but on the other, I've gained 40 pounds, so maybe he doesn't mind so much! :)
And the worst part is that when my doctor recommended this treatment for OCD, he never told me about the side effects or the difficulty getting off of them. A huge wake up call for me to research everything I put in my body.
It's nice to know that there are others out there too who know what this is like. Good luck to us all...

As per above note :-


'And the worst part is that when my doctor recommended this treatment for OCD, he never told me about the side effects or the difficulty getting off of them. A huge wake up call for me to research everything I put in my body. '

Such cases be dealtwith in Courts. But unfortunately WHO and Govts. are giving lot of importance to Allopathic which is reallty killing people and the Doctors have licence to kill people and get away.

25 lakhs people are dyeing every year in US alone due to wrong medication and almost similar number by incorrect Hospitalization and surgeries.

If the worldwide analysis is done it will a huge number.

Despie this I have seen on this site also that many coun tries are banning Homeo medicines but permitting killing Alopathic medicines.

Difficult to understand why killng drugs are patronized and curable medicines are getting banned?

My doctor didn't tell me how hard it was to get off of until I told him I couldn't stand being on it anymore.

We do need to be our own advocates as well and look into the drugs we're taking. Doctors prescribe treatments after listening to 5 minutes or less of our complaints. I wish he had suggested therapy instead of medication.

The truth is that I should have done the research about my symptoms and the types of therapies and drugs used for treatment before I went to him and ingested this drug. In hindsight, I would rather have tried a homeopathic remedy and/or therapy.

My doctor was wrong not to tell me the side effects, but we do also need to take responsibility for looking into our symptoms and treatments.

Becky,

You are right. It is clear that the docs and pharmacuticals are not going out of thier way to avoid side effects or dependancy. The brochures are also vague in thier warnings by covering up the risks with things like 'some people may experience _______' instead of 'everyone taking this will experience ______'.

I always research withdrawl and dependancy before agreeing to any medication.

Stepping down is the only way to have a reasonably managable ceasation.

Have you been tapering off slowly, or are you on hour 40 of a cold turkey quit?

My sister was in pharm sales for a while, and I tend to be suspect of free samples given to me by my doc. This should have been my first clue that I needed to check what I was going to take. The drug companies court the doctors to get them to use their meds. This isn't just an antibiotic I take for a week, this is a long term commitment I made without checking on it.

This was my wake up call. In the past, I've trusted my doc to know what he's giving me and to tell me if there is anything I should know about what he's prescribing. I now realize that it's totally my responsibility to look into what I take BEFORE I take it.

When I did decide to look into getting off Effexor, it was very easy to find out about the side effects and other methods used to treat OCD. If I had checked before hand, no doubt I would not have taken it.

In addition, sometimes it's not better to rush to the drug route to fix a problem. There are certainly times in which drugs are necessary, but in my case therapy might have been a better way to go at first.

Unfortunately due to some insurance issues, I went cold turkey. Now on hour 56. It hasn't been as bad as I thought it would be. I feel weird, but not nearly as bad as some others have clearly felt. I was on 75mg per day, which is not as much as some others were on. I would have preferred to taper off.

I good substitute for the effexor is St. John's Wort. It works in the same manner, so you could use it as a stepping stone to taper off of. Highly recommended if things start to get bad. I'm not a doctor, so you have to research dosages and check with your doc first. But it is over the counter, so the only danger would be overdosing beyond the bottles recommended dose.

If things don't get too bad, then that would be an indication that your body is perfectly capable of keeping up with the serotonin demand of your brain AND body, thus Effexor was never right for you in the first place. I'm surprised it did anything for OCD. That's an 'off-lable' use, I believe. Hang in there! And keep us posted!

I'm at hour 60 now and I'm hitting a rough period. I'm so nauseous, just laid on the bathroom floor for a while. I thought that as time passed I would be feeling better, not worse, so I'm disappointed.

How long is this going to last?

I thought I would feel better as time passed, but I am feeling worse. I laid on the floor all day crying.

I feel nauseous, barely have eaten since I stopped taking it. I feel too sick.

I thought I might be lucky enough to avoid the brain zaps, but they started last night too. I read that some people feel this way for two weeks.

I'm ready to check into the hospital. I feel awful.