Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 51 of 140}

yes lets hope i dont destruct this wonderful relationsh. im inwhile getting off effexor.although ive become more sex driven nympho??

Hi SleepyJean,
I am sorry you had a bad weekend. Where are you at on the Effexor, as far as dosage/pellets?

I can relate to the hunger pains. I am constantly hungry. However, we can not and will not, and must not allow Effexor to take control of our lives and worse....contribute to us gaining a bunch of weight and getting fat! That is NOT going to happen. I have been eating a lot; however, it has been good snacks. A lot of cut up veggies that I dip in hummus and a lot of fruit. I buy good fruit that I know I will eat..ie berries, kiwi's, granny smith apples and etc. Also, I do love to work out. it really helps me feel better. For me to be able to battles these stupid, aggravating hunger pains..I just eat healthy snacks and exercise daily. It has worked for me.

As for the sleepness nights...that first week without Effexor was really bad. I did not sleep a wink for two days. It was really really weird. But after that first week, I slept pretty darn good.

let me know how your doing ok? I'm here with you...ok?

xoxox sherri

Sherri, you are too cute......unfortunately Effexor has already aided and abetted me putting on ove 20lbs and that is with the help of a dietician to try and maintain, if not then I would probably weight alot more. I was always really slim so my weight gain is killing me and probably the most significant reason for me trying to get off Effexor.

I haven't posted in while so just a quick update, I am still splitting a capsule and taking 19mg in the morning and the other half at night. I was going to do another reduction today but my naturopath asked me not too yet, my last few weeks have been too down in the dumps so she has put me on St. John's Wort with the hopes that it will bring my moods up enough to allow me to continue dropping. I hope it works. Although I have to confess to be upset that I can't reduce again, I want to lose this weight so badly and I know I can't do it until I am off the effexor.

Kerry

Hi Kerry,
Thanks for the email. I'm curious as to why the Effexor makes us so hungry. I'm off of effexor totally and am still having the hunger pains. I've always had a big appetitite...but it is more so now...any idea???
I wish you could try to quit cold turkey...it was hard..very hard...I just got sick of that stupid medicine and I got angry. And said forget it. I'll deal with being miserable for a little while. And that's what it was..just a miserable first week, second week was pretty bad, and this week, I feel great..really happy.
Have you tried exercising to help combat the extra weight gain? What kinds of food are you eating/snakcing on..?
Sherri.

Sherri, I have a fruit & protein shake for breakfast in the morning, a regular lunch (sandwich, yoghurt etc) and dinner at night (meat, 2 veg...that kind of thing). I normally have at least 2 pieces of fruit every day and try and make sure htere are more veggies on my plate than anything else. I don't have a sweet tooth and rarely snack at night. I run after 2 kids when I am home, I do Yoga, housework and walk as often as I can(exercise is definately my weakness, I am not very good at getting motivated) yet I still gain 1-2lbs a month. I diet to maintain right now, I can't wait to diet to lose.

I can't say that the Effexor has made me feel anymore hungry but it certainly has affected my metabolism. I wish I could go cold turkey but don't see how I can manage work and the kids by doing so. Hopefully if the St. John's Wort works then I can reduce a little faster.

Kerry

hello!! i found these blogs when searching for a natural anti-depressant, i have been on prozac, lexapro, and now zoloft....can we say weightgain!??!?! it is like a double negative if your on an antidepressant then you gain weight on it and it makes you depressed!!! i'm talking like 75 pounds!! i found this herbal thing called "amoryn" does anybody know anything about it? does it work?! any suggestions to a differnt one!!>?? please help!! thanks

Hi Kerry..

Jeeezzzz..sounds like you are doing everything right...keep cutting down to where you are down to zero on the pellets. You can do this..If I can...you can...just keep doing what you;re doing. You're eating great. And I just can not imagine having kids and trying to get off of Effexor. I almost bit my husbands head off several times. One of the reasons i decided to get off of Effexor was to hopefully try to get pregnant next year..before I'm too old...I'm 36 now. Keep me posted on how you are doing. I took a leave of absense from work, short term disability - Family Medical Leave Act to get off of this crap. I tried to wean from work and just couldn't. All I did was cry and was very sickly and irritable. I can honestyly say...staying at home, not working was a HUGE benefit to me being able to go cold turkey. Keep me posted ok? I'll keep you in my prayers and everyone else in the forum.

Sleepy Jean...how are you hon??
ASteroid...how are you?

Hi Searching...I have not heard of Amoryn. I'm sorry you are in so much pain. I keep hearing about natural antidepressant called St. Johns Wart. I don't know anything about it. I just know that, like you, I was on a bunch of medicine...effexor, zoloft, ambien, zanax. It is frickin' crazy what these dr's will give us. I've never felt better in my life until this week. Just getting off all the medicines helped my body get back to the way it should...i stabilized immensely. Just going to the bathroom again was a huge blessing...I was SICK to death of having to use laxatives. That's what antidepressants do...they screw up our bodies. Please do whatever you have to to get off your meds and get your body stabilized. I think because you are sooo depressed right now, is attributing to your weight gain. Have you been eating to make you feel better? I'm telling ya'....exercise is the best medicine for me. Are you doing any kind of exercise?

I'm here for you....
xoxo sherri

Hi I haven't posted for awhile and thought I needed to pop in and just say thanks.
I am Effexor XR free for 5 days. I went from 10 pellets for a week to 5 pellets for 3 days and then took the leap.
I can only say 1 think...WHEW!!!!
What a trip that was . I know from posts on here and other sites that I can experience some discontinuation symptoms for some time. I will keep that in mind when I have those spells.
Thank Goodness for no more night sweats, no more vivid dreams, I found my brain I can think again, all my aches an pains that were I am sure due to the Effexor XR all but gone.
Please all that try to go off this is a very very scarey drug to go off of. GO SLOW
I started reducing from 150 in February until last week down to 5 pellets from a 37.5 mg capsule.
It is better for your body and mind.
Thanks all will pop in again

hi yes im doing great down to 15 pellets now .only go threw one weird day when i drop .want to get this crap out of me so then i can do a liver and bowel cleanse.hopin to get off pill to but dont like condoms....

thank you cavalier for your response and your caring thoughts....i just dont know what to do, i definetely want to get off this devil drug....i would like to konw if any of these herbal drugs work.....hmmmmmmmm.....any comments or suggestions let me know thanks!

Searching, trust me...whilst you are on the effexor you cannot lose the weight, I have worked very hard at it and only managed to reduce the rate of gain. I have thought about trying the herbal weight loss things out there but I figure that whilst I am taking Effexor why bother throwing away my money, not to mention the withdrawal messes you up enough, do you want to add something else into the mix. My plan is to get off Effexor, switch to St. John's Wort (my naturapath doctor just started me on it today now that I am down to at 37.5 mg dose - slowly reduced from 150 mg in April) then really focus on my diet, maybe then I might try the added help.

If you do to much at once how will you know what is helping you or hindering you.

I would love for a representative of the manufacturers of Effexor to join in this forum, maybe they might think about taking the poisen off the market.

I think I have asked this before, does anyone know how long you have to be off Effexor before the weight starts to shift?

Kerry

hi yes im on the st johns wort tea at night .so am slowly getting off effexor although it has been easy .

well my weight started to fall off as i slowly reduced effexor and the energy returned so i exercised.i dont need st johns tablets the tea at night is enough.now the sideffects when i reduce effexor only last one day,they r nasty but one day who cares? so two days later i reduce further.

Ellie Mae,

Congrats! That is wonderful....I've been off Effexor for 3 weeks. This week has been wonderful. I feel my old self again. I know you've been off for 5 days, and you feel pretty good....guess what....it gets better...Each day you will feel a lot better. Keep exercising, and eating well. We need to replenish our bodies from what Effexor took from us. My therapist gave me a home recipe for a detox bath. let me know if you would like the ingredients. I'm going to do this bath and do a colon cleanse sometime this week. Also, I've started taking some Juice Plus and I have no more constipation...This has been a blessing for me, because I've been constipated for years. Life is good. Now, we gotta help everyone else get where we are :-)
God Bless...sherri

Hello all,
I just started 37.5 mg on Sunday (down from 75 mg). I am so exhausted! Yesterday I got home from work at 5:30 and slept until 8 this morning. (What kind of life is this to lead?)
I am taking a multivitamin and B complex vitamin...does anyone have any other suggestions? I am miserable and can barely get through the day!

Hi Kat,
I'm glad to hear you are weaning...that is good...I'm sorry to hear you are so exhausted. I understand. Just keep weaning and get off the Effexor. As for me..when I was tired, I exercised which gave me a "little" bit more energy. I slept a lot. As much as I can. Just remember, when you get down, it won't always be like this..you are just in a temporary situtation...not lifetime. When I was going through the weaning/withdrawls, I felt like I'd never ever ever get out.....I am out now..you can do it...you can do this...think positive...ok?
And keep praying for God to give you the energy and momentum you need to get off of the medicine. And try your best to eat healthy food. I know when I exercise and eat well, I just feel better all over.
Big hugs,
sherri

magnesuim gave me the energy and im on spirulina tabs as well so ive had lots of energy.very happy.

Sherri, thank you for being so supportive! It is so good to hear from someone who has come out of it.

Kat,

Let me know if you have any other questions or just want to talk/vent, ok? I'm here for ya'...

sherri

Hey Sherri-

Sorry I haven't been back on in a couple of days, I am working nights this week and WOW I am tireddddd. I am E free now. No more pills no more pellets. It has been almost a week now and I guess about 3 weeks since I started my weaning process. I feel like poopoo but I am glad to be E FREE. It's funny, this morning I was looking through my purse and picked up my E perscription bottle and I put it back in my purse. Like I will ever use it again. It's crazy.

So I am playing the detox game, trying to get all the toxins out of my body so I can get feeling up to par again. I appologize I have no patience any more, tell me what I can take naturally that can assist my body to cleanse itself? Please don't ask me to reread through post again, I will explode. The pharmacist recommended Melletonin to help me sleep but it is not working. I need more vitamins but I throw up the horse pills even if I eat before I take them. What suggestions can you throw at me?

As for how I feel today! I am extremely fatigued. My back hurts, my head hurts, even my butt bone hurts. The empty tummy is still here. The brain zaps have been my biggest battle! The zaps are pretty intense, but not so frequent anymore. Which is wonderful! I am counting my blessings that it could be worse, I could be still on the toxic pill.

I am staying strong and holding me head up. I am on an emotional roller coaster though. In a blink I am sad or mad. I want to go natural to help this though. NO MORE TOXIC PILLS. I went to the E petition and sign my little heart out. One day they will listen. So enough about me, how the heck are you boys and girls?

Okie Tonya

Did I read somewhere here that UTIs are common when kicking Effexor? I'm a week E-free -- yay! Every day is a little better, zaps decreasing, mostly just in the late evening and if I lie down it helps.

Hi Tonya,
Thanks for your email. WOW WOW WOW. I am sooooo glad you are off the Effexor. My first smile of the day. Hang in there...I promise...each day is better. The first week is almost unbearable...that is where you are at NOW....I promise you, week 2 will get better. Each day is better. I know it is horrible to not be able to sleep, to have not intense headache in the back of your head, to have the zaps (those are WEIRD, aren't they?!), the exhaustion, and the horrible, horrific mood swings. I swear, if I hadn't taken time off from work, I would have been fired. I was mean to everyone at work. If I wasn't snapping at them, I was crying on their shoulders. Anyway, enough of me.....My therapist gave me a home remedy for detox bath. I will go to walmart today and buy the three ingredients and try it. She SWEARS it helps and it doesn't cost a lot. For detox and energy...lets see....for me....As soon as i got off the meds, I started going to the bathroom regularly, like 2 or 3 times a day. Which was very different for me, because I have been constipated for years. I know it is my body detoxing and getting rid of that crap. My sister gave me some Juice Plus vitamins...contains dry fruits and veggies....I believe this also contriuted to me going to the bathroom. If you are not going to the bathroom everyday, you need to...this will help cleanse,detox your colon where a lot of the poison is stored. If your'e not going regualry...you need to go to the store and get some colon cleanse pills. They are everywhere now days. Also, you need to be exercising. I KNOWWWWWW it is horrible to think about it right now....with you feeling so bad...but the sweating helps get the crap out too. You don't have to do a power hour marathon..I'm talking about getting outside and walking briskly for about 10 minutes...just enough that you can tolerate, that'll help you sweat...and also, kick up your endorphins, which help you feel better. If you can't do it for 10 minutes, then do it for 5 minutes..ANYTYHING....plus, just being outside is therapeautic and doing something different than our normal routines is therapeautic. You NEED to be eating well. A lot, tons and tons of fruits and veggies. These contain antioxidants which aid in the healing...THESE are essential....if you need me to pass along some good little snack ideas to help combat the hunger pains, I'll be glad to share these with you. You need to be eating alot of healthy little snacks...ok??? You need to be doing stuff that makes you feel better...For me, another thing was journaling and praying. I bought a little spiral notebook and when I would start really really really feeling sad, mad, or whatever, I would date my paper and start writing. I would start out just writing a couple of sentences and guess what.....before you know it...I was on half page....sometimes I'll do 2 or 3 senteances and sometimes I'll write a whole page. Just write what you are feeling...that's it....It's wild to go back and read where I was at 3 weeks ago...I'm telling ya', it is thearpeatuic. (spelling). Putting our thoughts and feelings on paper has been proven to be helpful. Try it...I didn't think it would work, but it did and I'm still writing in my journal. It's like a new best friend, kinda. And pray....One day, when I wanted to die (not really, fragment of speach :-) I got down on my hands and knees and begged and cried and begged God to help me take it away. We just have to go to him and ask and believe. he does not always take things away immediately, but you know, I felt a lot better. I recieve a peace of knowing I was going to get better....a strength in me....through God.

Try all these things Tonya. These are ALL natural things. That don't really cost much. Like you, I do NOTTTTTTT want to take any kinds of meds to help alleviate the pains from Effexor. What I wanted and what I've received is now, for the first time in YEARS, so 10 years, has my body not had prescription something or antoher in it. ie Zanax, sleeping pills, antidepressant and etc.
I Feel better now than I have in a long long long long time.

Geeez, this was a winded email, wasn't it...! I needed to vent and air my expereince anyway.

Please stay in touch...

"Please Jesus, I ask Father for you to please have favor over Tonya. Please Jesus, touch her body and help alleviate these pains and help her become free of the medicines and help her body get to where you intended it to be. I just lift her up to you Lord and ask for this healing. I ask this in your son's holy name, Jesus Christ.".... Amen...

sherri-0-)

Hi Red,

I think UTI's would be common. I think when our bodies detox, all kinds of aches and pains comee on, ya know? I rember, when I was into my first week of Effexor free, I felt like my bladder was kinda hurting. I was apprehenisve about having sex with my husband for fear that it would bring it on. Just I didn't want to be that way with Tommy, so I just prayed and asked for God to take the UTI pain away. And I did drink and have been drinking a lot of water to detox/cleanse my body (bladder etc). I am fine now.....
Stay strong Red...I just sent a long email with my thoughts on the withdrawls to help alleviate the toxins built up in our bodies. Read this and try them if you're not already trying them...
take care my friend,

sherri.

Tonya/Red and Forum...

Oh, one more thing for the detoxing....I know we hear all the time about drinking more water.....Well, it is more true now than ever. You have to keep a bottle of water around you at all times to remind yourself to drink as much as possible. And I know we get tired of going to the bathroom every 30 mintues...but remember, everytime we do go to the restroom, our bodies are ridding themselves of that crappy poison called EFFEXOR (how do you like that WYETH!!!) you devils!!!! sorry guys, i got on a tanjun (spelling! :0) You need to drink more water than before because of the detoxing....Also to help COMBAT the hunger pains and the weight gain;.......Before each meal......if you drink 2 glasses of water) you WILL NOT eat as much. Your stomach will be almost full, and you'll trick your brain into thinking it is full.

Take care my friends...email me if you need me...

I'm praying for everyones favor from God who enters this Forum. I'm going to say a special prayer for this after I type this email.

xxoxoxoxoxooxoxxooxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxo

sherri

day one off effexor:
sweatie
smelly
dizziness
stoned feeling
slight nausea
slight ear ringing
time is 9am.

Sherri, I got chills when I read your post to me. Thank you so much for the prayer. God doesn't give you any more than you can handle and just when we think we can't handle it any more he brings people like you into our lives and proves himself wright. I couldn't handle this alone, thank you so much.

Exercise huh! I'll get right on that... He He He... I have two full time jobs, a mom to 5 kids and a hubby and a I work at a lab. That is my exercise. I just didn't really realize what "E" was doing to me. Red's post woke me up alittle more. Let me vent a minute. In clinical studies, the most common side effects included:
1.Nausea - GOT IT

2.Dizziness - GOT IT

3.Sleepiness - GOT IT

4.Abnormal ejaculation

5.Sweating - GOT IT

6.Dry mouth - GOT IT

7.Gas - BOY OH BOY, GOT IT

8.Abnormal vision - GOT IT

9.Nervousness - GOT IT

10.Insomnia - GOT IT

11.Loss of appetite - GOT IT

12.Constipation - GOT IT

13.Confusion/agitation - GOT IT

14.Tremor - WOW, I DIDN'T GET THIS UNTIL I STARTED DETOXING

15.Yawning GOT IT

and last but not least the main reason why I was put on "E", Let's hear it for number 16.Palpitations. This is a symptom of E and I was put on E to help that very problem.

In the study I read, Effexor had harmful, did you hear that, HARMFUL, effects on patients' appetites and on their digestive tracts. At least 27 percent experienced nausea, 8 percent reported constipation, and 9 percent lost their appetite so completely that they were classified as having anorexia. So I did some reading. The one thing that really upsets me the most is not even all the symptoms I gained by taking it but is the main reason I never should have taken it as stated by the killers Wyeth!

12 yrs ago when I was pregnant with my son I had frequent pyleonephritis on the right side. After almost dying with a temp of 106 degrees at 8 months pregnant they found my right ureter, which should have been the size of a pencil lead, was the size of a half dollar and mis-shaped into a snake like pattern. I had 2 shunts put in to keep my tract flowing and the problems have followed me throughout the years. They do not know what caused it cause a kindey stone would have to have been to large to pass myself and they never found one. So I go next week to my urologist to look at having my right ureter reconstructed before I lose my right kidney for all the infections, etc it has been through. So what it one of the reason YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE "E". KIDNEY PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to scream! My problems have been worse since I started E and I had no idea E could have had anything to do with it. God forbid I have kidney damage since starting E, only by the grace of God will I be able to resist ruining the lives of the Doctor's and the manufactor's. Okay Sherri it's one of those days, keep praying.

When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result.