Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 126 of 140}

I am getting off effexor after having been on it for five years. I went from 150 to 75 for 1 week to around 20 and have been E free for 8 days. My biggest concern is how do I lose the 40 pounds I gained. I've dieted and exercised quite regularly while on E and my weight goes up and my boobs get bigger. Anyone have any good news to share on how to reverse this? Has anyone had luck with detox? Thanks for your replies!

Nike01,

Just wanted to congrat you for gettin off of the Effexor.

I sounds like you have you no side effects. Do you not?

Unfortunately I have plenty of withdrawal symptoms. I have headaches, brain zaps, ringing in my ears, moodiness and nausea. They are getting better. I tried stopping 'cold turkey' before and it was miserable. The tapering down part REALLY helped me. I was on XR so I could open the capsule, dump out most of the content, put the capsule back together and take it. That's why, at the end, I'm not sure how much I was taking, just know that I dumped almost all of it out.

The worst thing for me is the weight gain. I've never been this overweight. I've been walking 6 miles every other day and have not lost an ounce. Some days I even weigh more.

If anyone has experience on the weight loss thing, please share.

Thanks!

Yes, I gained weight since I was on Effexor, especially the higher dose. Not sure if it was the drug itself, the drowsiness, the depression, comfort eating.... Also, at the higher doses, my heart rate would sky rocket with the gentlest activity, so I'd be too out of breath to do high intensity work outs.

Don't be hard on yourself. Maybe try adding in some higher aerobic bursts, even 1/2 a block of a jog or joyful child-like sprint every now and then on your walks.

Don't torture yourself with a strict diet - it can induce a depression. Just try adding in more fruit and veggies, milk.

Thank you thank you for this forum. I have been on Effexor for 3 years. Prior to that I took Zooloft and then tried Wellbutrin but had horrific headaches from it. In total, I have been on anti-depressants for approximately 8 years.

It me a long time to realize that the Effexor was making my depression worse.
Unfortunately, my Dr. just kept increasing the dose to supposedly counter the depression.

Finally coming to this conclusion, told my Dr. that I had had enough would no long take the med. She tried to get me to transition over to Paxel. No, I have had enough of this 'poison' and wanted to find another way to deal with my depression.

I did a moderately slow withdrawl from 375mg of Effexor under supervision of my Dr. Unfortunately, I have profuse sweating followed by chills, constant nausea, vomiting, head zaps, cry too easy and feel terrible. I refuse to take any of this 'poison' any longer and need your help.

Welcome! How quickly are you going off the Effexor. What dose are you on now?

Let me clear up the definition of 'homeopathy'. Homeopathy is a method of triggering your body to fight off sickness using its own power.

Homeopathic remedies typically send the signal to the immune system to send more troops.

Imagine your body is a house. A burglar sneaks in during the night. He is rumaging through your stuff while the you sleep. Homeopathy just turns the lights on in your bedroom. The burglar is still there, but the immune system has now been put on high alert. It is still up to the immune system to go to work and kick some butt.

The Zicam cold remedy in stores is homeopathic, because the body has a strong reaction to the zinc-glucose and sends just the right kind of attack to kill off the cold that the immune system originally wasn't percieving as a very big threat. Its a trick. The burglar is trying to be quiet but then the homeopath starts banging pots and pans. So then hes like 'shhhh! don't wake 'em up!!! Oh crap...'

The spike drop method of tapering off effexor is homeopathic. It isn't a homeopathic medicine, but a homeopathic method. The extra low dose day triggers your body to go into high gear on seretonin production.

The reason homeopathic medecines are diluted is the compound itself isn't supposed to do anything. So why load up your body with a bunch of crap. You just need enough to trigger your body to respond.

Its all about making your body do the work. Start thinking that way, and it actually becomes easier to make decisions on how to dose your prescription meds as you make changes.

After 8 weeks, I am completely off the Effexor. The stage of lowering the dosage went well with very few symptoms but approximately three days after completing the last 37.5mg, the symptoms began to escalate. At this moment, I am doing ok but by evening, I am max'ed on the withdrawl symptoms.

Toggletoo, that happened to me also. I didn't have any withdrawal symptoms until I stopped at 37.5 mg. I couldn't take any days off work so I continued the withdrawal from 37.5. I am now at 3 mg. I'm hoping to be off this stuff by the end of October. If your symptoms get unbearable you might want to take a small dose. But if you have made it 3 days I would keep going if you can. Good luck!

I had another small vertigo attack 2 days ago - once again, about 1 week after lowering my dose. But it was manageable as long as I didn't drive. Then yesterday I had a monster nap, and have felt really good since. So, I might try a reduction today or tomorrow, or maybe I'll wait until the Thanksgiving (Canada) long weekend.

ccooney524
Thanks for your encouragement. How did you get down to 3mg? I thought the smallest measured dose was 37.5?

Toogletoo, You are very welcome. To get down to 3 mg I had to open my capsule and count out the granules.

I am 6 weeks pregnant and am trying to get off effexor. My doctor told me to go to 37.5mg for a couple of days, then skip that then one more then stop. Thats not working. I took 37.5mg 2 days ago then skipped yesterday. Today I am going through hell. I can't keep anything down, I am crying constantly and I have the dreaded brain zaps. Does anyone have any suggestions? I am not coping here.

Hi Kelly! You will need to keep lowering your dosage from 37.5 mg on down. You can open the capsules up and count out the granules. That's how I am doing it and I'm down to 3 mg.

Thankyou. How often did you lower your dosage and by how much? I just went to the chemist and got fish oil, vitamin b12 and valerian because I heard they help.

Has anyone had problems with involuntary muscles spasms? Thats what I am calling them as they start right above my navel and seem to pull into a knot and only lasts for a few seconds. They reoccur regularly and its like my whole body just shakes. terrible.

Hi Kelly! If you look back through the posts you can find a tapering method from Mikemo. I would follow that.

Hi Kelly,
Go really gradually. Don't stress your mind or body while you're pregnant - stress hormones aren't good for baby (or you!) You may need to switch to a longer-acting anti-depressant if you have troubles getting off the Effexor.

Prozac is the most studied of the anti-depressants in pregnancy. If you still need to be on it, it will be easier for baby after your delivery. (Some babies go through a bit of withdrawal if mom is on Effexor or Paxil, but this doesn't seem to happen with the longer-acting ones like Prozac.)

I'm not sure if valerian is safe in pregnancy, but fish oil should be beneficial.

A slower taper method:
37.5, 37.5, 18.75 repeat for a few weeks
37.5, 18.75 repeat for a few weeks
18.75 daily for a few weeks
18.75, 18.75, 9 repeat few weeks
18.75, 9 repeat for a few weeks
9 daily for a few weeks
9, 9, 4.5
9, 4.5
4.5 daily
etc as your body tolerates. If you still get the nasty withdrawals, it is safe to add in Prozac.

Toggletoo,
I've had involuntary muscle twitches, but I always thought that was from Wellbutrin. Are you on Wellbutrin? Did the twitches just start with tapering Effexor, or since you've been on it?

Cheers,
AnneT

Thanks Ann, I will give that a go. I'd like to gradually just get myself off the Effexor because I have been getting therapy to become drug free even before I fell pregnant.

Toggletoo,
I got the spasms last night. It starts with extremely fast heart beat, uncontrollable shivers, spasms, clenched jaw and it feels like I have electricity pumping through my body. That is what I am finding the worst with these withdrawals.

Kelly,
If you can afford it...the best option is to go to a very very very experienced Homeopathic Doctor that uses BioFeedBack (ie. SCIO or InerGetiX CoRe) to balance the side effects of coming off of Effexor...

Effexor affects every part of the brain (ie. Pineal, Limbic, Hypothalumus, Pituitary etc...) and the Thyroid and various other systems...

If you can afford someone who has a minimum 15 years experience on the SCIO or InerGetix CoRe...I would go that route via Homeopathics...

very good explanation of Homeopathics Mikemo!!!

Homeopathics have ZERO active ingredients...and yet it works under a skilled practioner (wholistic approach) and has zero side effects.

Go Figure...Homeopathics fly in the face of Western Medicine and yet it is very, very powerful....

Unfortunately...Insurance companies have placed their faith in 'Western' medicine and does not insure the 'Wholistic' approach....

good luck all...

Kelly,
your Clenched Jaw is due to TMJ (Temporomandibular joint and muscle disorders ) which is a very common side effect of Effexor unfortunately...Muscle Spasms etc...

TMJ can occur during the night or the day....and will continue while taking Effexor XR...or any other type...usually occurs during the night and thus is not documented in the safety studies...

Also...most of you will note that you have no dreams....

Also...most of you will notice that you have Sweating Palms, Feet, Groin...or total body sweat increase from use of Effexor....

Good Luck...

I know...5 years of use...

For AnneT, The spasms started approx 2 days after completing last dose.
Thanks for asking.

5HtP Man,
I actually have had really vivid dreams on Effexor, but yes, I am much sweatier/stinkier since being on Effexor. That happened to me when I was on Celexa years ago also.

Anyone have ringing in just one ear? I have that, and actual low frequency hearing loss in one ear. I don't think it is due to the Effexor, but thought I'd ask if anyone else has had this problem while on E.

I am trying to drop from 22 mg to 18.75 mg this week.

Oh - here is another book that may help anyone whose depression is related to not doing what you are really meant to do with your life, or mid-life crisis, etc:
'The Artist's Way' by Julia Cameron.

Cheers,
AnneT

Hi Anne,
I don't recall having the ear ringing. I do however have very strange dreams and the sweating issue too.

How did you go getting from 37.5mg? I'm reducing mine this weekend and am really worried.

Kelly, to get down to 37.5 mg from 75 mg I followed the advice of someone who actually got to see a neuropsychopharmacologist. The taper schedule was:
-take 1/2 of your regular dose every 3rd day for 4 weeks (so 75, 75, 37.5, repeat)
-take your full dose every 3rd day for 4 weeks (so 75, 37.5, 37.5)
-take the 1/2 dose (37.5) daily for 4 weeks
-now 37.5 is your regular dose, so you start at the top again (37.5, 37.5, 18.75) and so on.

I found I was able to go a bit faster than that, and only ran into withdrawal problems around the 18.75. I was really sick with it, so went back up to 37.5 and started over (see previous posts).

I am on my first day of reduction from 22 (11 twice a day) to 18.75 (basically 1/4 of a capsule twice a day), supported by a small dose of Prozac, and lots of fish oil, vits, and Benadryl + melatonin at night.

I've heard that tyrosine might help prevent the ear and vertigo issues. Will look into it.
AnneT

Thanks Anne,

I think I might start with reducing by just a quarter. I was fine dropping from 150mg to 75mg and then from 75mg to 37.5mg. Just came into trouble when I tried to stop from 37.5mg.

I think that I can deal with the nausea and vertigo to some extent. It is the heart racing and twiching/spasms I cant stand. It lasts for hours and I can't sleep or relax. Besides, I don't think that would be good for my pregnancy.

I've been seeing a hypnotherapist lately for the depression which has been working wonders. Shame it can't help with the withdrawals.

Kelly