Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 31 of 140}

Hi,
I have been weaning off for several weeks now. I have been gradually reducing the dosage. I am now at about 4mg. I have had very few side effects doing it this way. I tried to get off twice before but the side effects were too intense. Alternating days does not make sense to me. If you are on the capsules, get some empty caps from a pharmacy or health food store and count the beads out. In a 37.5 capsule there are 100 beads. Try taking out ten and take that dose for a few days then reduce again. Going too fast does not give your brain time to recover and the side effects are more severe.

Hi everyone. It has been 1 week since I joined the forum and cut my dose to 112.5 mg. The first few days were quite stressful with the overwhelming emotions and very short fuse. The brain quakes were very bad the first couple of days and then I think I became acclamated to the dose. I have however, experienced terrible stomach cramps and diarrhea daily. Is this a common withdrawal symptom as well, or is it possibly related to the supplements I am taking? I am taking magnesium, fish oil, and Miracle 2000 liquid. I am planning to go to 75mg on Monday and I am already apprehensive about it. Does anyone else get anxious just thinking about going down to a new dose?

It is always nerve wracking going to a lower dose as you don't know what will happen. On my previous ttempts to get off of Effexor I had flu like symptoms, I think this was due to the fact that i tried to go too fast. I strongly suggest that you reduce slower. I have gone down slower this time and have had no where near the symptoms I had last time. I am taking ginger tablets for the nausea, they seem to help. Try Benadryl for the brain zaps.

Dizzy, it is the E that is causing the cramps, etc. I think all the supplements help a person (I should know, I take a handful every day as well as some homemade tonics). I have been weaning down very slowly, I have a lot of patience and although I have experienced all the misery to some extent, I don't think I have been as bad as some people. I have been weaning from 75 since April and am at 9, so you can see how slow I am going. The anxiety coming back is normal. You should have been there during some of my attacks! - Sheila

Sadie, I just read your post and I want to tell you that when I started weaning off the E I did it just the way you did (to get a longer time between dosages.) I had the worse side effects during that month than I have had since. Cutting the dosage down gradually is the way to go. If you are taking capsules, just open them up and divide them, if you are on a pill, get a pill splitter. When you feel comfortable with the dosage you are on (meaning you are able to handle the side effects), go to the next level. I think this is the easier way to go, less strain on your body and you can still function in the real world. Good luck - Sheila

Hi..I am having effexor withdrawl. I have been on the med for 7 years and it helped me so much! I felt like a normal person for the first time in a long time. On Thursday of last week, my doc changed me because I lost my insuraunce and told him I couldn't afford effexor. He switched me to something else that evening. No more effexor, just take this instead. I feel terrible! I am back to where I was 7 years ago. Crying, scared etc. All of the symtoms mentioned here. I was very happy to hear some of you talk about brain zaps, I have no idea if that is what happening to me or not, but I feel like I get these "hot spots" in my head at times. It only lasts a few seconds, but its like I can feel hot liquid moving in my brain. Is this what you are referring to as brain zaps?? I have never met anyone with this and thought I must REALLY be nuts. I sure can use some support. I wonder if I should just go back on the effexor and feel normal again. Neecy

I keep reading all of these posta and have to wonder if anyone in the medical profession takes any of us seriously. This stuff is dangerous! Is it our fault we let our Doctors start us on this in the first place? I don't think so! There has to be a better solution to getting off of this stuff. Maybe I am looking for the same "quick fix" as I was when I asked for a anti anxiety med in the first place. Does anyone know what the FDA is doing about this debacle? I would be interested to know what kind of recourse all of us have in regard to what we have all been put through. Better living through chemistry? I think NOT... What is the current status of any legal action? Can Anyone enlighten me? I don't want any money, I just want to be free again.In retrospect, it would have been better to just deal with my anxiety with more massages and and therapy. What a krock this med is. I am angry and I won't take it anymore. Or do we just keep mixing our daily dose with our yogurt and smile through the brain zaps. Listening to 'Wet-Willy' keep on smilin.

Hi,
day 4 of weaning myself off effexor. We really need to come up with a name for this poision. lol. Thank you for the advice, I just read the post today so I did skip a pill and feel awfull. Especially the brain zaps and fuzzy eyes. I will break open my capsules and reduce the dossage. Do I take 10 out per pill for a week and then 10 the next etc?

My brother in law is a pharmacist and my brother is a LCSW. I will ask them what they know about this drug, and let you know their views.

Another question. I was told that effexor didn't have weight gain as a side effect. I also have suffered from an eating disorder and realized that the commercials say not to take it if you have. Does anyone know why? I hope this is the reason for my weight gain because the weight is what is making me down.

Thanks,
Sadie

If you guys want to try to make a chance visit the fda website. The address is

www . fda . gov / medwatch /

Through this website you can describe your negative affects. I strongly encourage all of you to do this. I did when I had terrible affects from Zoloft.

Sadie, I just open the capsules and pour them back and forth until they look like they are split in half. I take one half and put the other in another bottle for the next time I cut down. I started at 75, cut to 37, then to 18. I am now cutting the 18s to the 9 I am on. I will probably have to count the beads for the next cut because the amount is getting small. It doesn't matter if they are not exactly even. Everyone does it differently but that is the easiest way for me. - Good luck - Sheila

Hi everyone,
I'm at home right now, I took the day because I was feeling kinda crappy. BUT, I am on my 4th day EFFEXOR FREE! I missed a dose on Friday and then just decided to stop.I was on 6 beads before I stopped. I have had a few dizzy zaps, but so far so good. I'm going to take Episom Salt baths to detox some more, and I'm trying to get A LOT of sleep.
Hope you all are doing well.
Hugs
xoElena

Elena..
Congrats on day 4! Keep us posted on how it goes! (I know you will! :) )

I wondered if anyone had found any of the mentioned remedies or the GNC cleansing products helpful? I am on day 7 at 37.5mg down from 75. I want to go down another step, but Every so often, the symptoms are a bit too much for me.

I also wanted to know how long people stayed on their "steps" before downsizing their dosages. I find that the more active I am, the less I feel the brain shivers, but that I'm so lethargic, it's hard to be active. My emotions are ALL OVER the place, from angry and irate to crying and desolate. I almost feel like i'm going crazy or bipolar. Did anyone else get these feelings? Also, feelings like you just can't even control yourself? Argh. So frustrating folks. So. Frustrating.

Elena..
Congrats on day 4! Keep us posted on how it goes! (I know you will! :) )

I wondered if anyone had found any of the mentioned remedies or the GNC cleansing products helpful? I am on day 7 at 37.5mg down from 75. I want to go down another step, but Every so often, the symptoms are a bit too much for me.

I also wanted to know how long people stayed on their "steps" before downsizing their dosages. I find that the more active I am, the less I feel the brain shivers, but that I'm so lethargic, it's hard to be active. My emotions are ALL OVER the place, from angry and irate to crying and desolate. I almost feel like i'm going crazy or bipolar. Did anyone else get these feelings? Also, feelings like you just can't even control yourself? Argh. So frustrating folks. So. Frustrating.

Elena, congratulations on taking the big plunge!

Big hug,
Laurel

Elena, I am so proud of you. You are on the last step to freedom! Congratulations!!

SarahLovell, I think most people drop after about 2 weeks, I went longer and will be on the 9 until the end of the month, just finished my first week on it. Will do 4.5 for 2 weeks and then go cold turkey on rest.

Where are my emotions? I still haven't had any. I hope I have not been permanently damaged. My best friend just told me they think her husband has lung cancer and although I want to cry for her, I am still unable to. No ups or downs, just the level stepford wife still.
Love, Sheila

Thank you all so much for your kindness and support. I do feel good about finally taking that last leap. I am feeling quite a bit of brain zapping this afternoon. I went for a brisk walk which I think did me good. Sarah, my emotions feel as though they are out of control. But I know this is all part of getting through the effexor w/d. The emotion issue really sucks, we are either too emotional or not emotional enough. I am sorry to hear of the sad news Sheila. Don't feel bad that you can't cry just now. This just happens to be how your body is handling it.
Laurel. Thank you for your support! And again thank you for the link to that anxiety book and website. I am going to buy it and I have already started some meditations which I find really help. How are you doing lately with everything?
To all the newbies, welcome. This forum is a very useful tool to getting off effexor. Just the other day I went through all the posts to get some tips that I could use now that I am off the effexor completely. Things may look bad now, but have faith. We will all get through this. With each others help and positivity we will be okay. There is always someone here to pull one of us out of the darkness. We are all hear for each other.
So don't hesitate to ask questions or to write anything you feel. Lord knows I haven't! ;)
Take care all
Hugs and prayers
xo Elena

Day 5 for me, and I did take some out of my 37.5 capsules. I have a pretty bad headache, but the brain zaps haven't happened yet, but I do feel cloudy. I am hoping that this will be the way to get off this garbage.

I have been feeling down about my mariage latley and I don't know if it the drug or reality, if I feel these feelings for a reason and they are validated, or if I am just out of my mind. I cant stand this and cant wait to get off.

Elena- Last time I tried to get off my dr. precribed me valume or said to take Benedryl.

Good luck everyone!
Sadie

Day 5 for me, and I did take some out of my 37.5 capsules. I have a pretty bad headache, but the brain zaps haven't happened yet, but I do feel cloudy. I am hoping that this will be the way to get off this garbage.

I have been feeling down about my mariage latley and I don't know if it the drug or reality, if I feel these feelings for a reason and they are validated, or if I am just out of my mind. I cant stand this and cant wait to get off.

Elena- Last time I tried to get off my dr. precribed me valume or said to take Benedryl.

Good luck everyone!
Sadie

I am on day 5 of withdrawl. I was on 75mg and my doctor gave me the 37mg and told me to take one every day for 7 days, then one every other day for 7 days, then one every 3 days for 7 days...I am so glad I have been reading everyone's responses. I think this is too drastic of a drop and I am having lots of body pains and my head keeps freezing up (brain zaps) I can not handle my children either.
I will be breaking open my capsules and reducing my amount myself. I think having a steady amount in my system will help instead of skipping day. Thank you everyone!!! I will be so glad to get this drug out of my system for good. Who would have thought it would take weeks to go off a (legal) drug.

Hello everyone,
Thanks for the suggestions Sadie. Does the Benedryl take care of the brain zaps? I can see how it would be hard to know if your marriage is really in trouble, or whether you are just feeling overwhelmed with getting off this drug. I don't know everything that's going on in your marriage, but it may be best to take one thing at a time. Don't over whelm yourself. Stay strong, and know that you will get through this. Take it one day at a time; )
Momoftwo, I am sorry to hear of your troubles getting off this poison, especially since you have little ones to worry about. Keep breaking open the capsules like your are doing. Take that dose for two weeks and then go down again. That's how I did it and it helped greatly.I'm glad it's working for you!
I am on Day 5 of NO EFFEXOR!
The brain zaps are pretty brutal though. I'm trying concentrate at work, and everytime I move to quickly I get zapped!
But no more effexor for me! I may be emotional and have crazy rage or crazy sobbing spells but I am no longer relying on Evil E! These brain zaps really do SUCK though. Geeze.
Hope you all are having a good day.
Oh and I hope your having a great time in Alaska Bonnie!!

Hugs and Prayers
xoElena

Elena-
The Benedryl does help the brains zaps. I dont do it because I have kids and I cant afford to sleep, but it did help.

I think I could handle any of the symptoms, but the brain zaps and the foggy eyes and I feel like my tounge is heavy and sometimes I slur my words. I am only 30! not 90. lol.

Thank you for your advice I will try to just take things one day at a time.

Sadie

Elena-
The Benedryl does help the brains zaps. I dont do it because I have kids and I cant afford to sleep, but it did help.

I think I could handle any of the symptoms, but the brain zaps and the foggy eyes and I feel like my tounge is heavy and sometimes I slur my words. I am only 30! not 90. lol.

Thank you for your advice I will try to just take things one day at a time.

Sadie

elena:
I was very happy to read you are finally off the E...that is something to be proud of & when you look back in another week or so, you will wish you hadn't prolonged the weaning...the w/d's are frightening, but after getting through the first 10 days, the minor w/d's that you may possibly experience for another week or so are not enough to keep you splitting beads.

Seems like those who are on other Px's may have effects that linger, but is it really the E, or a combination of Px's, that's a hard one to answer! My father-in-law is a retired pharmicist...he always maintained, the docs prescribe & often over prescribe & know nothing of how drugs behave alone, let alone together...one of his pet peeves, is the way hospitals administer meds...its usually all at once & this is so not good for "us"...

All be strong, you are all headed in the right direction
~dawn

naria, how are you?

Dawn,
I am happy too I must say. However I must admit that I am a little nervous that the zaps won't go away. How long did it take for your daughter's zaps to go away? How has she been doing? It's day 5, so I hope at least by day 10 I will be feeling normal.
Thanks for your support!

P.S How are you all doing today?
Hugs
xo Elena

I have taken myself off of Efexor altogether after being on it for years. It has made my life miserable. I starte to wean myself off of it and now have been off it for about 5 days. I feel like I am about to drop dead.

The main symptom that is driving me nuts? A feeling of being dizzy that defies description.

If you have any comments or feedback about this side effect of withdrawl, please drop me a line.

I am fearing for my life with this feeling! Meaning: I feel like I am dying! Can't think of how else to describe it.

writeme54 at yahoo dot com

After feeling that Effexor has done little if any good for me, I started to wean myself off of it. Forget about getting the help of a psychiatrist. They have every reason in the book why you should stay on it.

Anyway, this stuff is a potent toxin and my head feels more dizzy than I can put words to. I am about day 5 without having any of this poison in my system.

Has anyone here experienced this dizzy feeling? Does it go away?

Drop me a line privately if you wish. Talk to you soon.

------help! the room is spinning!------(not trying to be funny either! I feel like I am about to vomit!)

writeme54 at yahoo dot com

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