Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 22 of 140}

I'm getting ready to leave work now. I may just take your advice Bonnie and stay home tomorrow. Damn that would be nice! I'm hitting the drug store for some E Salts. Gonna pile that in the bath and pray it works! Thanks for talking me down from the edge Bonnie. And thanks to everyone else too for their thoughts and advice.
You all have a special place in my heart.
By the way Regent, I am so happy for you: ) Weddings are such beautiful events. I would love to see it!
Take care and hugs to all,
xo Elena

okay, i'm home now and feeling really gross and irritable and figured it was either post here, or go kill someone. :-) sorry...
it's always around this time of day that my feet swell (thank you, effexor withdrawal) and right now it feels like the skin on my feet are stretched tighter than a drum and the humidity in my apartment isn't helping. what is it about this drug that makes us so swollen and bloated? it's making me feel fat and disgusting and contributing to my overall anger and grumpiness.
seriously, all day today every little thing any of my co-workers did grated on my nerves and i'm not usually like this. anyone that is farther along in this process than i am, did the anger go away? i sure hope so. :-(
i have to go out tonight, which is the last thing i want to do. i want to go swimming to help relieve my bad mood and feel weightless instead of all bloated and heavy.

Beemarie,

I was cleaning up some stuff at work and found this list of horrors that were happening to my body over the past year (mostly since February) that I had written to talk to my doctor about. This was before the trip to urgent care and the enlightening moment when the physician told me I was having Effexor side effects.

Eye pain, weird eye movements
Headaches
Hair loss
Numbness/tingling in extremities
Skin sensitivity -- crawly, pully, itchy, rashes and purple blotches
Leg weakness
Twitching
Cold all the time
EXCEPT when shooting hot pains flood through my legs, hips, and pelvis
Constipation
Urinary urgency/incontinence
Electric shooting pains
Muscle tremors, soreness, spasms, cramps, and stiffness
A feeling in my head like seizures
Sensations in my thigh as though I'm sitting on dry ice

Most of this is gone or so, so much better now, and I believe will it continue to dissipate with time. It's a frightening list to look at for several reasons. One, because I know now that a drug prescribed to help me badly harmed me and thousands of others and is still on the market; two, because I thought my life would never get better and I felt hopeless; three, because I remember when I'd tell most people about these symptoms their eyes would glass over and I could see "hypochondriac" flashing there like a neon sign. "Just relax" were the worst two words I heard for a long time. I literally cried an ocean this past year.

I'm not sleeping great, and I still have some headaches. I can feel some little electrical pulses in my legs, but I'm not very disturbed by them. The bloating has not totally gone. Anger is melting away.

I know that for you and Bonnie and Elena there is still the need to titrate. I truly believe that once you are off and begin that final leg of withdrawal (which is not fun but oddly exciting because it signals THE END), the victory lap will loom closer and closer on the horizon.

Please feel me walking with you in this and guiding you to the "other side." :-)

Love and hugs,
Laurel

I JUST STARTED effexor xr today. I went was involved in a car accident and have been having anxiety attacks and a little depression since. Mostly the anxiety.

I went to the hospital 2 times with chest pains and hard breathing.

I usually only have mild attacks , but never have had this before. Im 31 and have no history of depression or anxiety. I am a bit of a binge drinker (hard every 2wks) but have not drank in 2 months.

Anyway, I was giving this EFFEXOR today and took 37.5mg today for anxiety. I asked the doctor if this is addictive and he said no. I would take that dose for a week and then goto 75mg.

He also said I would take it for 3 months. Says it has something to do with serotomines in the brain.

I dont do any drugs except for triazolam to help me get to sleep. I pretty much take those every nite and they also help with the anxiety(make it go away). I took some valium to and they worked for anxiety.

The whole thing is I didnt want to mask the problem I want to cure it.

It seems to me that most people on here have lots of issues and have been using multiple drugs for lots of years.

If i am going to be going through all the stuff explained on here im not taking my second dose. I would rather deal with my anxiety or try something else

PROMPT REPLYS WILL BE APPRECIATED , SINCE I HAVE ONLY TAKING ONE PILL.

Is this stuff going to help me out at those doses or am i going to get sick like everyone else.

Most people seem to be doing pretty high doses. 200-300mg.

HELP NEEDED ASAP

THANKS

Surreysinner, if you have access to a printer, try printing out ONE FULL PAGE OF THESE POSTS and giving it to your doctor. That's what I did to my doctor who told me just take one every other day, then every third day, then just QUIT. It has been HELL. I mailed it to her because I will never go to her again. I was ONLY on Effexor and I got on it 8 years ago because I had been in several bad car accidents within a year and was very anxious in the car and in general. When your doctor says it's not addictive, maybe it doesn't fit the FDA guidelines of "addiction" but if you've read all the posts you can see that it's quite the opposite. In fact, this drug takes over what our brains are supposed to do naturally, so when we stop taking it, we have withdrawal from it. If it's not addictive, why does ALMOST every medical web site I see tell me that my baby will be born with withdrawal if I continue to take it through the end of the pregnancy?

I'm not sure what you meant by: "It seems to me that most people on here have lots of issues and have been using multiple drugs for lots of years." -- Everyone has "issues" and you also are already on another drug to help you sleep, plus another drug just in case you're anxious (valium). Have you read just 1 page of posts or the entire 22 pages? Because the level of doses ranges from 37.5 to 300. I was on XR 150. Please don't judge anyone on this message board. We all came here seeking help and understanding, not judgment.

You ask this question: "Is this stuff going to help me out at those doses or am i going to get sick like everyone else." Well, if you've read these posts, the answer is you WILL go through this withdrawal "like everyone else" unless you happen to be a superhero.

I am not trying to be rude, I just sensed a cavalier and judgmental attitude in your post. And if you're not even sure why your doctor wants you to take this extremely powerful drug: ("He also said I would take it for 3 months. Says it has something to do with serotomines in the brain."), I would do some serious research on other remedies and your specific condition. It's serotonin.

Sara

Beemarie,

As I was driving home, I realized my error in including you in the group still titrating down. Sorry. I know that you and I are at the same point, Day 16.

How are you feeling today?

Laurel

good morning all
i've been trying to catch up on all reading, lots of great interaction & i feel the comaraderie between everyone, thank you all for allowing my "indirect" input!

naria, steph was reading through your symptom list & was relating only too well...another reminder as to why you all are choosing to become e free...DAY 24 for steph...heard her comment this morning about her getting a great night's sleep last night...first time in a long time for her...her moods seem to be getting better as well...she is certainly herself at home & even my husband commented that she has been a "nicer" person to us lately...believe me we have suffered the rath of stephanie & when it hits its not fun!!!
its very hot & humid again in chicago, (actually we are about 60 miles northwest of the city, closer to the wisconsin border)...severe thunderstorms are headed our way! (the airconditioning has been on since last friday)

Elena, bonnie, bee, naria, fruitbat,sheila, regent & all, wishing you a good day whatever you have going on today! (sounds like most of us work outside the home), lucky for bonnie who works from home...

i really need to take notes when reading... i alway intend to just "quick"
check up on you all, but i feel the need to say hi & keep in touch...you were so encouraging to "us" in our darkest hours...
markets are getting crazy...
got to go....

remember: take care, be safe, pamper yourselves when you can!
~dawn

surreysinner, i'm no physician nor can i tell you what you should decide as far as continuing your effexor.
i can only relate my experience with this drug and let you take it as you will. i was on paxil for about 6 months, then my doc switched me to effexor because of the 'side effects' from paxil that i didn't like. haha. like effexor has none.
anyway, i was only on 75 mg for 3 or so months and have experienced hellish withdrawal. everyone here has been on this drug for different lengths of time and at different strengths and yet we all go through the horrible withdrawal.
so, my advice to you is to read all of this carefully and make an informed decision.

p.s.
i've yet to meet a person who did not have issues.

laurel, no problem! thank you so much for your encouraging words. it is such a help.

dawn, i'm so glad to hear that steph is improving. i feel like i am too, with each day. it's just a slow process, unfortunately. but hey, at least it's moving in the right direction. :-)

today so far i'm feeling less anger. i'm pretty tired, though. i had to resort to benadryl again last night to sleep - i want to buy some passionflower tincture but need to wait til i get paid. i woke up extra early to clean my apartment before work because it was a disaster area, and i've noticed that going through this withdrawal makes it even more important to keep my surroundings neat for my sanity!

hope you're all doing well...

Surrey sinner - I was on the 75 mg for 2 years and experienced most of the side effects everyone else has. Am currently at 37.5 and weaning off. I have never been on an antidepressant before in my life. Just reached a low in my life that I could not pull myself out of. Had been in an accident and had hip replacement. Had trouble getting back to normal mentally because I was still having nightmares about accident and wasn’t sleeping. Told the doc I only wanted it for a year or two, he should have known better. I would not take this drug if I were you. Don’t get started if you don’t have to. It did what it was supposed to do but I feel deep down it was a mistake. Too many side effects. Wondering why’s daughter was only on for short time and has had problems!

Naria – was that list pre-withdrawal or during withdrawal. I had a lot of those side effects while taking it.

Sara – next time you come home to Columbia, we should do lunch. Maybe Lizard’s Thicket! (You have to live in Columbia to appreciate that restaurant – if you live southern style cooking, it’s the place!) I live in Northeast Cola near Sesqui State Park, other side of town. (We had some friends in MD whose daughter went to USC. They told us she lived in a town near Columbia called Cola!) Ha-Ha. Your last paragraph was so right on – my mother was told that she had taken DES with her pregnancy with me, but I’m okay, guess I was lucky. Same doctor also told her she was RH negative (she had 4 miscarriages) and it turned out she was O+ just like my father. What runs in the women in my family is dementia or possibly alzheimers. That’s what I have to look forward to. Nobody has died of anything but old age, but batty. And when I say old age, 4 of my father’s 6 sisters lived into their 90’s, one 101. The one that died young was 84! And one is still alive at 89! Loony as all can be though. My mother’s side is no better. Died younger in late 70’s but still loony.

I found an article that discussed pregnancy and Effexor. Apparently it can cause problems if taken in the third trimester. It will be long gone out of your system before then, thank God.

Bonnie and Beemarie – I don’t know what fibromyalgia is like, but I do have degenerative disc disease as well as osteoarthritis all over, so I am chronically, constantly in pain one way or another. That much I can feel with you. I’ve already had a fusion in my spine and another disc is getting ready. Exercise and the chiropractor help with that one. The awful part is, I have wonderful bones, just lousy joints, disappearing cartilage. I had a bone density test done when I went off the HRT and I have the bones of a 30 year old (all those years of drinking my milk!). I would love to get off the Celebrex too, but don’t have any side effects from that, but liver problems are possible and I like my wine. I can’t sit for long, riding in the car or airplane is hell, yoga has helped me a bit. Getting up in the morning to go walking is tough but if I don’t do the walk, I feel lousy the rest of the day.

Regent – you are still a hot s**t.

I have always loved the name Catherine. I have enjoyed being Cat! My Irish grandmother named us, she could have at least named me Kathleen.

I’m working today and am very busy. Have lots more to say but don’t have time today. See you tomorrow.

Love, Sheila

ooooh, BeeMarie -- will you email me? I think it's on my profile. Please let me send you this passionflower tincture I bought. Otherwise it's just sitting here for at least a year (after baby/breastfeeding/prayers) and I truly have an obsession about things going to waste. It cost me next to nothing and I would LOVE to send it to you if you'll just email me and give me your address! You'll need to be rested with your new job.

Sara

Cat,

That list was primarily things I experienced while taking Effexor, some of it amplified in titration/withdrawal, some of it immediately resolved by dosage cuts. I started at 37.5 and ended at 375, because my anxiety just wasn't getting better. Silly me not to put it together that the more Effexor I took, the more anxious I became. The bodily/brain mishaps certainly didn't help.

The first step down from 375 to 300 (at the suggestion of the urgent care doc) convinced me that I had found the source of my problems. Titration and total withdrawal have had their horrible moments, but it's been kind of a thrill ride to a peaceful ending.

Last night I took a 4-mile walk around my lake. Everything smelled so good and earthy. There were birds singing, wild roses blooming, pond lilies opening -- all the glory of summer (including heat and humidity). I was sore when I got home, did some stretches and a Epsom salt bath, and fell into bed and slept 8.5 hours. Only a phone call from my sweetie woke me up this morning. I'm feeling quite good at work right now.

Now, I did have wild dreams: I was having sex with a lot of people I went to high school with -- boys and girls. But what I most remember about the dream was driving by a British Petroleum gas station -- the ones with the bright yellow/green and yellow signs and seeing the price of gas listed at 50.9 cents a gallon. :-)

Also, there were strong rains, damaging winds, and some tornadoes in the area last night. I slept through it all. I'm very glad power isn't out in my neighborhood. Apparently it is in many parts of the Twin Cities.

Back to work for now. I love you all.

L.

Hello everyone, I just want to say thanks to everyone on here, Sheila, Laurel, Bee, Dawn, Sara, Elena, Regent and Jami, I really hope I havent forgotten anyone, because without you all, I just don't know where I would be right now. That was a long sentence.
I find myself still rambling.
I look forward to reading these messages everyday just to make sure I am not going crazy.
This morning was so hard to get out of bed. I am so tired in them mornings. My body aches and I just feel a little spacey. I know I said this last week too. Thanks for listening.
Has anyone experienced while withdrawing from effexor grinding their teeth. I have had to go to the dentist and have a night guard made. Boy, do I grind the hell out of that. LOL! That makes me think of something else, anyway. Wow! I laughed!
Hope everyone is doing good today.
Thanks again everyone.
Love you guys,
Bonnie

surreysinner...my daughter was given Effexor at a very low dose for almost 8 months...this was for "mild"anxiety, ended up somewhat masking her situation, but was not a permanent solution...her choice was to stop taking this poison 24 days ago...she would never resort to any antidepressant again, if of course the choice can be her own!

all who write on this post are different in their reasons why...but the bottom line they all share is the HELL they have experienced from EFFEXOR....please choose your poison carefully, weigh all your options, do your homework, & you will make the choice that is right for you!

~dawn

i never intend to leave anyone out in my name mentioning either, but i try & squeeze a quick read or reply & sometimes, well you all know what i mean!

naria, reading about your evening walk, i am so relaxed right now, i could sleep....a couple of steph's good friends live in eden prairie & minnetonka...she has gone home with shannon a few times & loves the area...in december they did the "reindeer run"...the land of 10,000 lakes, isn't that the truth!!

perfect way to be woken up...sure beats the alarm clock...what do you make of those dreams, ha ha? when are you going camping???

bonnie, you are not going crazy, nor are you alone in this mess! i feel the same, though. this forum is invaluable.

laurel, i've had very very vivid sexual dreams the past few nights, too. whew! you live in the twin cities, eh? they're very nice - i visited about a year and a half ago. my ex-boyfriend lives there.

Spinning the sex dreams.

1. A return of libido, which of course is the life force. Desire.
2. I believe that sex dreams are usually about connections, our unconscious working to make connections between us and something/one else or parts of ourselves. Integration. Waking up from death/sleep/winter. Like in the fairy tales.
3. These dreams are telling me that I'm returning to myself, to my connections to life, and that continuing to participate in social events with friends, seek out beauty, savor love, notice and appreciate the sensuous/sensual nature of our existence. Celebrate my beautiful self and move forward.

I'm been pretty isolated for many months, not wanting to see friends and go places. Now I have a picnic this weekend to attend and a movie night with three friends next week. Plus family to see at the end of the month in Illinois. A co-worker and I coordinate a reading program in our workplace (MN Judicial Center), with 110 volunteers. We read with at-risk students at a near-by elementary school. I'd been dreading the volunteer appreciation event, an outing to a Twins game of June 22. I was imagining all that noise in the dome and color and lights and crowd and how my Effexor brain would react to that. Frankly, I'm now looking forward to the event and being able to interact with our volunteers and thank them for all they've given.

Camping is in August. First with Girl Scouts, as I am an adult trainer and will be teaching an intermediate outdoor skills course to GS leaders. Labor Day weekend to Texas/New Mexico.

However, I have this urge to see the source of the Mississippi River,which is in Itasca State Park in northern MN. So, I'm thinking of taking my unused floating holiday (have to use it before July 1) and driving up to the park (206 miles from here) and having an outdoor adventure. I'm okay with the idea of going alone or having companionship.

L.

naria....

you are a well "read" individual, which is evident in your writing...you're a natural...one of my "fun/crazy" friends is an adult trainer for the G.S. as well...barb is her name...perhaps your paths have crossed being from the midwest; just a thought

i love your dream interpretations...many years ago i was fascinated by dreams & their "meanings"...took lots of psych classes in my college years. its so good to hear you want to be out & about with friends/family...your drive to the source of the mississipi should be "good for your "mental health"...sounds very relaxing, hopefully you can travel gorgeous country roads vs the interstate....

~dawn

Talking about dreams, I had one last night that I remember very well. I had to hold my head up straight and look straight ahead or a big black and white sign would start flashing "POISON" wonder where that came from.

This is what the dream interpretation site I look at says about my dream.

To see a sign in your dream, indicates that you need assistance You need some direction and guidance in your life. Pay attention to what the sign says and what it is pointing you to do.

To see poison in your dream, denotes that you need to get rid of something in your life that is causing you much sickness, distress, or negativity.

Interesting.- Cat

Sorry to sound like i was judging people. That was not what I was trying to do at all.

It just that alot of people have other issues and I really only have the one(anxiety), so I dont know if my sitution can relate to others.

Also most people are on large doses of either effexor or other meds and maybe rely on them for day to day life.

Me personaly dont like to take drugs unless really necessary and even then sometimes dont take them.

That max dosage per day on the box says 225mg per day and I find it strange that some people are taking 300mg. For me it would really be scary to exceed the max amount of any kind of drug.

I really feel for the people on here that are have these withdrawl symptoms, the sound like hell.

I am going to print out some pages for my doctor to see in 10 days when I go to see about my sleep apnea diagnoses.

I appreciate all the replys and have decided to NOT TAKE A SECOND EFFEXOR. Hopefully the one pill with not screw with me like it has others.

What are the alternative's for anxiety? I would preffer something non addictive with no withdrawls.

Surreysinner,

I don't think any of us here like to take pharmaceutical drugs. It's not something we do for fun. Personally, I avoid ibuprofen or tylenol unless I have a really high fever, serious inflammation from a sports or other injury, or I had surgical or other medically-induced pain.

In most aspects of health care, one cannot merely rely on medication. We are the medical consumers; it is our bodies, our health, our decisions to make in how we want to shape our lives. Consider my friends with Type II diabetes. Sure, they have to take medication, but without adequate changes in lifestyle -- diet, exercise -- they would not achieve the quality of life they really want.

Do I want to take medication for anxiety? Not particularly. But do I see how it can be part of the process while learning new coping skills? Yes. I've learned a lot about what triggers anxiety for me and how to approach that through exercise, relaxation, positive self-talk, etc. I've spent _a lot_ of time this year in therapy settings.

OK, Effexor was a last-ditch effort on my psychiatrist's part when other meds didn't work when I hit a crisis. He didn't tell me anything about its possible side effects or the likelihood of withdrawal. It made me sick and did not help my anxiety. He kept increasing my dose, beyond the 225 mg. point. He said it was "safe" there, as long as my blood pressure was regularly monitored. I run low on BP, so that was not an issue.

My suggestion is work with your doctor, but if you can get a second opinion, do so. Read everything you can get your hands on. Try reading _Worry_ by Edward Hallowell. He discusses each type of anxiety disorder and recommends what drugs to use short term to get some balance back and how to proceed long term, with and without medication. Therapy is important; learning about oneself is important. Awareness.

Some people seem to have a genetic predispostion for anxiety or depression (or cancer or heart disease or worse). Others have reactions to stress situations that challenge their neurons. Life's a crap shoot.

I would agree with your decision not to embark on the hellish ride with Effexor. And, there are some people who like and tolerate this drug. Frankly, I wouldn't take the risk again knowing what I know now.

Good luck to you as you explore your options. Do stay safe and keep in touch with your physician over the next 10 days if you start to have a downward spiral of depression/thoughts of suicide/uncontrollable anxiety. I do know several people with sleep apnea and anxiety. I think there is a connection, and the treatment of the apnea might make a big difference in your life.

Here I am, playing doctor. Don't tell the authorities. :-)

L.

Dawn,

Thank you for the compliment.

L.

Hello Everyone!

SurreySinner...Ask your doc for some valium, to get you through the bad times. It is instantanious. I can remember standing in one spot or circling because I did not know what to do. A friend of mine has a script for valium at hand all the time. If it is anxiety, then I would try that. After you take a valium, you will be able to evaluate the situation and work through some stuff. But...it is okay to go on something else if you need to. I would not be here if not for the medication prescribed to me at times when I needed them. The only reason that I wanted off the effexor was really because of the huge weight gain that I was and still am experiencing. That made me more depressed than anything else. I will deal with the chemical imbalance at another time. I first need to feel good in my skin!!!!!!!!! Please do not attempt to go this alone. I would have killed myself long ago without the help of some medications. I am completely serious too! NOt even the love and beauty of my beautiful children could have brought me out of the pain that I was in! The 300 mg. dose that you referred to is the maximum dose that is recommended. It is probably not at first prescribed but is inevitable if you will be on this effexor for any length of time, because I think that the longer you are on it, the more immune your system becomes to it and the higher dose you begin to need. Also, the pill and capsule only come in certain mg. form, and the 300 mg is an even and easy dose to administer, as well as the all too important insurance companies to get the most for their money.

Naria...
Do the roadtrip!!!! Last year when I went to Ireland, everybody thought I was crazy. I went to the other side of the earth all by myself! What an impowering adventure!

Jami.............
Where are you? Don't you hate moving? How are all those junk drawers coming along? My advice...Simplify!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all!
Please Please Please...For those of you who are still in the middle of your detox...You will make it through, and all the pain will be gone, and then you will be able to help all the new comers to this site and know that all the pain you went through was worth it because you could help someone else and you found a new family along the way!

About the aches and pains upon awakening....Jeff and I just put our feather bed back on our bed. We had it in storage for awhile after we moved. We were both complaining of terrible aches and pains and not sleeping comfortably. We took the feather bed (feather tick) out of storage and put it on the bed. It's like sleeping in a cloud. It is worth the investment. Probably about 100 bucks. You might even be able to get one a little cheaper now because it is summer. Just a tip from little ole' me!!!!!!!!

Regent

It seems that anykind of downer really helps out , but there hard to take if you have a busy day ahead of you.

I took some valiums i had, and they would work but then i ran out.

I was just taking triazolams, but the same thing......there sleeping pills and I cant take them during the day.

Going to the gym and doing some cardio seems to help to , but I fell pretty lazy lately and dont really feel like leaving the house much.

I even changed my diet 2 months back when i stopped drinking. I only eat fruit,vegetables, chicken.

Tried a couple of natural medicines with not really much success.