Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 110 of 140}

Funkytown,

There is a syndrome called Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction that affects a small percentage of SSRI users. There is a lot of info on the internet if you google Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction Syndrome. Wikipedia defines it as,'Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction (PSSD)[1] is an iatrogenic type of sexual dysfunction caused directly by the previous use of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (SSRI) antidepressants. While apparently uncommon, it can last for months, years, or sometimes indefinitely after the discontinuation of SSRIs. It may represent a specific subtype of SSRI discontinuation syndrome.

Here is a link to a good forum for this syndrome: http://www.sexual-dysfunction.info/forum/ where you can get more specific answers to your questions from other people having this same experience.

Day 5 of no effexor. Man, this is getting old!! The damn noise in my head, the fog, the wavy little episodes, the not being able to find words or remember stuff I drove today, and god forbid I turn my head fast. Read on other sites that keeping eyes closed helps. So I was at a conference and kept my eyes shut thru the whole thing. Couldn't believe how many of my colleagues were unaware of this syndrome! The presentor WAS aware of it, thank God, and was very understanding. I'm IRRITABLE! And I want to chop someone's head off..... The last time I got like this, a major change occurred in the way I was doing with this process. I have to go back to work tomorrow. UGH! And I notice that it gets worse by nighttime, like my poor brain has had it with coping with this. I'm gonna use other's benchmarks to help me get thru this, and hope that by day 10, I'll feel more like the old, wacky Marilyn. But right now, I wanna ream my MD a new one.

BTW: Funkytown, I just heard about Post SSRI Sexual Dysfunction today at the workshop I was at... Look into it.

Marilyn

hey guys, hows everyone doing? im well over three weeks e free now and doing great!

Marilyn - day 5 now hey! hold on in there. i had the same problem with driving - just take it easy. and the same with loss of words - i had that too. yes for me it was day 10 - i know it feels like a long time but its soooo worth it. your doing great btw!

ems xx

ejb199jsd

Can't wait to be where you are.......:(

Marilyn

i was saying that about the other gals - Pam, EFP as they were a few days ahead.

you will soon be there - just keep strong and be positive! i was so worried that i would feel crap forever but it def got better and has been since day 10 for me! but it differs from each person - so could be sooner or a bit longer. but you WILL get there tho!

ems x

I am about two-thirds through the taper-off method, going down from 75 mg. Mostly I have been doing well with it, not a lot of side effects at all. But last night I laid awake for over two hours, which isn't like me at all. And today, I feel a twinge of the old depressed me coming back. I'm scared! I don't want to be on this evil drug any more, but today I've been having second thoughts about giving it up. Having said that, this is the first time I've felt this way since I started tapering off, so it may be just another side effect. Has anyone else experienced this? Does it go away? I really like the nice even-keeled person that I am when taking Effexor, and thought I was ready to quit taking it. This drug was a real help to me during a difficult period in my life, but that's over now and I have a completely different outlook. I want to know if I can be that same person without the benefit of harmful drugs. I suppose the only way to find out is to soldier on, but this week it's really tough.

Have you tried other meds besides Effexor?????? Are your meds prescribed by a psychiatrist? If so, you have a better chance at being prescribed what you need, and in the correct doses, by someone who does that exclusively. You're taking a pot shot with your PCP, or internist.

Marilyn

checking in..... hi everyone.... it's me twisi, at 2 1/2 weeks. Im practicing 90 minutes of Bikram every morning (which is sheer torture).

I want to throw this out there----- did anyone actually NOT SEE the fact that they were becoming a total cow? I did not. Seriously, I cannot believe I let myself get this way.

I have been active and healthy my entire life. I can honestly say the only time I let myself go was when I was on this evil drug. I did not see it, I did not care, I did not do anything healthy.

Is that what the pharma companies are trying to create ? Dependant zombies?
Well, they can k m b f a....

Im doing much much much much bettter and I plan planning a romantic weekend with my husband. Im getting my mojo back ( alas ).

To all my friends who are week 1 ---- hold out! You are on your way to a better life. Its hard. Anything worthwhile is hard... but stick it out. Soon you will feel so much LIGHTER.

*hopefully i will feel lighter too :)

Hi Twisi, hugs to you from someone else who didn't see her belly looking like 6 mos pregnant...LOL I am starting to lose some weight now after a big spike upward. It's been 3 1/2 weeks off. Good to see you, take care and ems, Pam.

Mim2k, if you were feeling better on the meds, you will feel the same when you are off. It's just the withdrawal that screws with you. Stay off all the drugs and see how you are, they don't do much good long term anyway, it's all just you making you feel better. Mentally I am more alive and clear without them and not depressed and it's been nearly 4 weeks. I am alive again like I was not on Effexor, and not hyper or crazy or weird either. I feel 10x better than on that crap. I can think, feel, read, talk, function, etc. better than I have in years on that crap.

Mim2k,
One of the problems with coming off antidepressants is that it is hard to distinguish whether what you feel is the withdrawal, or the original problem that got you onto the meds. My advice to you is to see a therapist, or continue in talk therapy and let that person help you figure your way thru this. I wouldn't start the meds up just yet.

With respect to getting fat on effexor, and feeling oblivious as to the changes in body and eating habits, I'm right there with ya... It's really horrific! Very, very encouraging to read about folks who are losing weight after coming off this crap. I'm so scared I won't be able to summon the energy to get going on a reducing plan. How hard are you having to work on it??

I think this is day 6 off of the 'evil E' (I love that term!!!), and I noticed that my ears weren't ringing this morning. Still zapping. Walked into the house after a 12 hour work day yesterday (how I did it, I don't know), and blew up at my husband. Felt like someone else was doing it. I noticed before that when I get emotional like this,it'll lasr for a day or so, and then I'll notice a huge difference in the way I feel insofar as the med. It's like a mental shift is taking place. I was neither depressed or anxious going on it, so I suspect my emotions may be a bit different that other folks as I come off. The complacency that you all describe, the 'I don't care' feeling has clearly taken over my life since getting on this drug. I could care less about the housework (I was a stickler about it before), and about other things that I'd be really conscientious and worried about getting done. In some respects, it was a real relief!!!!! After all, what does it matter if ya don't dust the furniture every week? The problem was, it just wasn't me!!!! It's pretty atypical for me to blow up like I did last night, too. And while I did apologize, I don't think I've been completely forgiven.

Marilyn, EFP...

Yes! six months pregnant......ugh --- and i have been working VERY hard, now my butt is disappearing but my gut is still there! Just the look Im trying to achieve....no butt big gut... :) But I keep telling myself that it took some time to get this way,. it'll take some time to get rid of it. I only wish I saw something else in the mirror at the gym.

There is a video on youtube that shows a man climbing mount everest (who is blind) and he can only do this by other people guiding him... it's truly inspirational. I also watch the biggest loser.

You have to have a goal. You have to want it. A friend of mine said 'don't you think that once you reach an age....you can't change your body?' I said NO! The problem is we get lazy and don't work at it consistently. I want this. I want to stop hiding my belly under big t-shirts. Besides, I'm pretty sure this will help my love life.

You have to want it. Thats all I can say. Watch the you tube video.

hey all! hope today is a good one for you. im doing fine at day 25 now. i have def put wieght on since being on Effexor and more so in the last 12 mths. my appetite also increased when i got off effexor - like the first week of e free i was ravenous. my guy, jon, said to just feed my body what it wanted - lol so i did! ive been fine the last 2 weeks though and back to my eating routine and also back to exercise. with me tho i think its just coz im so busy (i do 2 nights voluntary work at a cattery so the other 2 nights i do exercise classes, i sometimes just cant be a ssed!)

take care peeps xx

Hi, guys! No, I haven't tried other meds, and really don't want to. My goal is to be completely pharmaceutical free. I feel a bit better today; it just may be a normal up and down effect of the withdrawal. But on the plus side, I have been losing weight too! I love it - have dropped almost 20 pounds since October, and I think a lot of it is due to the tapering off of the evil E. The husband and I have been trying to eat better and watch our weight anyway, and this is just a real boost to my morale.

mim, that's great. I agree. I am not letting anyone put me on meds ever again. I wasted 2 years of my life on that crap because my doctor looked at me for 10 minutes and decided I was depressed. I will never listen to their advice period. They mean well but have a lot of ignorance from being influenced by their training and drug companies. There are so many better and healthier and natural ways to deal with depression that don't involve meds. They just don't want to take the time to help a person get there. That's my own opinion after 20 years of therapy and meds that never worked anyway, because it turns out I had chronic ptsd, not a primary diagnosis of depression. Depression was a symptom of the ptsd. I am getting help for that now and without drugs. And not from a psychiatrist. I will never ever go to one again. All they do nowadays is push drugs.

Hi! Marilyn, Twisi, Ems and EFP. I'm still feeling so very good. Monday was a month for me and I have never felt better. Marilyn, I had the not being able to find the words to say at times as well as all the rest. Trust me and the rest of us who have quit, it will get better! One day at a time! So glad to hear that all the rest of my Effexor free friends are doing well still. It seems like I've had more of an appetite which isn't a good thing because I had taken off almost 30 pounds since last May on Weight Watchers and I'm trying really hard to get back on my routine. My two grandkids are going to be here for Easter so I really have something great to look forward to. If I could just find a good way to deal with the hot flashes, my hubby would be much happier. I'm always hot, he's always cold. Oh well, it could be worse! Hugs to all of you and hang in there!
Pam

has anyone watched the blind man climbing mount everest video?

almost the same........

Well, after blowing up on my husband last night, I woke up with a birthday present: no ringing ears. But the zaps were actually a bit worse, and I'm still spacey and stumbling over myself physically and verbally. Now I'm gonna start sounding like everyone else. When is this gonna f'ing stop????!!!! I'm tired as all heck, too.

Aww Marilyn, it WILL stop - trust us all. Just take every day and every feeling one at a time. I felt so hopeless and defeated when i was about 5-9 days in and so tempted to give up -your there tho -light at the end of the tunnel and all so hold it out!

EFP, Pam, twisi - pleased to hear you gals are doing well! Is anyone else doing anything nice for Easter? Pam, will be nice to see your grandchildren! for me its just wedding planning! we are ring shopping tomorrow and im finishing my invites and aim to get them out week after easter! excited!

ems x

I can't take any more effexor even if I wanted to. I stood in front of the crapper the other day and, with an evil smile on my face as my brain was short-circuiting, flushed the 37.5's and the 25's into the septic tank where they belong. Yesterday, after giving into urges to eat,I was readin' back into some posts on another thread (topix) and folks were talkin' about being several months into withdrawal and still having symptoms. And worse, still f'ing fat. I hear ya about not losing faith, and I'm not someone who gives up easily, thank God. I'm a fighter. But, in order to not act out on this impulse, I have to say this: I wanna take my accordion, sit in my doctor's office and play the most obnoxious music in the world till his brain starts to zap like this. I'm nutty enough to say this to him, too. I really like the guy and trust him in every respect, but this is so irresponsible. And now, I feel like a bad therapist for not knowing this myself! OK...time to get off the pity pot.

ACCORDIONLADY (Marilyn)

Almost at three weeks now. The side effects come and go but are much more tolerable. Occasionally i get achy and just have to rest.

Marilyn...better yet... take your accordion to Wyeth Headquarters. I'd pay to see that.

Took my husbands head off last night - for what, im not sure. He was late. Sometimes I cannot control my anger and it frightens me. Will it stop>? Am I just nutso? These things I get angry about are so freeking stupid, and I know better.

EMS---- ring shopping sounds fun. Enjoy.

EFP: how are you doing?

This weekend im chilling. I have been working out like a crazy person and need some chill. Rented Lars & the Real Girl.

Im staying away from the scale for awhile and just focusing on the exercise. Its the endorphins that help.

Adios,
TWISI

Hi to all, I have been reading your posts for the last couple of weeks and finally had the courage to write. I too am trying since last August to get off Effexor and find it very hard. I am now down to 37.5mg. I plan to be Effexor free by the end of June (I'm off work during the summer and this will give me time to deal with the symptoms). I'm 54 years old and have been taking this drug for the past 9 years, it is my time to quit. Have been tampering down 3 to 5 mg per weeek - this is such a slow process but I find it much more tolerable; Also, have read that many of you are taking Omega-3 so I have started taking this last week in the hopes that it will help me also. I'm just wondering that since I'm doing this in a very slow manner that maybe it will be easier when I'm done.
Congratulations to all of you who are now free of this drug - I now that the road there is not easy. I also would like to mention that this drug did wonders for me at one time but for some reason or another has stopped working for me (so I have been told) and started causing problems (vertigo, hot flashes, anxiety, irregular heart beat). Already I feel a difference, have not had an irregular heart beat since I was down to about 50 mg.
I am curious to find out if anyone has experienced the following: Before taking Effexor I never suffered from phobias but since being on it I have developped quite a few phobias. My dr. says it has nothing to do with the Effexor but I'm not so sure...... any comments????

Ems, ring shopping sounds like a lot of fun! Hope you find exactly what you are dreaming of and if you ever get across the pond to Florida, near Orlando, let me know. Marilyn, hang in there. One day and one feeling at a time. It will get better. Twisi, sounds like you have a nice weekend planned and chilling might be just what you need. EFP, how's it going? Diser, I had no phobias prior to Effexor or after so don't have a clue what's going on with you on that. Hopefully someone else on here can help you. At least you've committed to getting off evil 'E'. That's a huge step and it sounds like you're doing it the right way. I have a house to get cleaned up for two little ones to mess up for the next couple of days and then we go off for the day on Easter to spend it with them until they come here shortly after that. I'll try to check in and see how everyone is doing..
Pam

Diser:

I did much the same as you did. I went from 112.5 to 75mgs. Then I took 37.5 twice daily (AM and PM). Then, I dropped one dose, so I was taking only 37.5 in the AM. I did those drops in 2 to 2-1/2 week intervals, or until I felt no withdrawal effects. Actually I felt little or no withdrawals till I got down to the 37.5 dose alone. Then, I got Joseph Glenmullen's book, called The Antidepressant Solution, and followed a regimen of 10% drops, counting beads (yeah, a real drag!) I got down to 25mgs that way, with minimal side effects, noticing that I 'needed' my dose in the AM, and within one hour of taking the med,I no longer had ringing in my ears or spacey feelings. I kept at the same dose till they disappeared, usually by day 10. My prescribing MD prescribed tablets at that point, which I started cutting into quarters. I was down to 18mgs, when the good folk on this thread gave me the courage to stop altogether. Withdrawals peaked typically at day 4 or 5. I, too, thought that by slowly tapering, I'd have an easier time of it. Actually, judging from others' experiences on this thread, I'd say my symptoms are mild/moderate, and I'd like to say it was due to tapering slowly. I read that if you taper from a higher than 37.5 dose too quickly, that withdrawals kind of 'catch up with you' as serotonin levels need to adjust slowly, and that the jump from 37.5 to nothing is the hardest. That's exactly when withdrawals got noticeable for me. I'm now on day 10 with no effexor, and I do notice a difference today! Zaps are fewer, milder, the ringing in the ears is gone. The spaceyness is about gone. Not as uncoordinated. Memory is improving. Any and all side effects I had while on the drug (constipation, lethargy, horrible hot flashes, the I don't care feelings), are gone. Mind you , I went on this med due to perimenopause, not depression or anxiety. I will tell you that panic disorder and phobias go together. I see that frequently in my clients (I'm a clinical social worker). Haven't read anything about that symptom appearing while on effexor. Keep us posted as to your progress. These folks are GREAT! I wish we all could get together and storm Wyeth. I'll bring my accordion, of course!!! LOLOLOL
Marilyn

As I read these postings, I feel as though I know some of you all. You and I share the experience of withdrawal--the zaps (which make me crazy every time I move my eyes), the spaciness, lack of coordination (although some would say I had that without withdrawal LOL). But one thing I do not share is this sense that E is 'evil.' It helped me during a very difficult period in my life--to function and be human. Now that it's purpose is past, it is time to stop taking it and find out who I am on the other side. While that is scary and withdrawl (day four for me E free today) is hellish, I am thankful for the drug and it's aide to me in my time. I know that some of you blame your Dr.'s. Know they are human too, and most of them just wanted to help you (end the suffering). They heard of E and it sounded like a panacea. What they know now is that while it is still a great drug (let's face it, it did help at first on the right dose), the withdrawal effects are something even they could not have known. I told my Dr. about the zaps and he was puzzled (had no idea they were part of this until I showed him what I had found). So for me the real 'evil' in all this is the drug companies. They knew all along. They failed miserably (withheld info even) to educate the Dr.'s who then were unable to educate us. I know for me, my Dr. was apologetic and is now on a steep learning curve with this.

My thoughts are with all of you as you go down your path. For me, the zaps are constant and leave me dizzy and naseaus. I am scared like you, 'what if I can't be drug free?' Well I know that the answer to that is, 'OK, that doesn't make me a broken person, it just makes me someone with a chemical imbalance.' (I have Asthma and do not hesitate to use my inhaler when I need it.) I will not go back on E though; I will shop for other meds, other forms of treatment like biofeedback to aide me.

I was lucky in that I did not have the zombie effect (I took 75 mg for 6 years), but did (and do) have hot flashes, some weight gain, and just a general apathy a 'eh, whatever' feeling. I miss feeling most of all and once I get on the other side of this withdrawal I am looking forward to life in all of it's rich colors.

I'll keep you posted. Thank you for sharing your stories. It is nice to hear from those who have gone before me that it will be OK and that the symptoms do subside.

FEE====

One thing....

We are talking PHYSICIANS. . . they know what discontinuation syndrome is, they know that Effexor has bad side effects when not taken, they know that it should not be given to everyone (esp. for hot flashes). Read the article in NYT that tells the story of a doctor being courted by Wyeth to push this crap.... and made an additional $30-$40,000 a year.

You doctors responsibility lies in recommending effective and safe treatment.

Im sorry- I don't buy that they are unaware. If they are = they shouldn't be practicing medicine.