Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 53 of 140}

Hi everyone,
Here's an update: I found out today that my disability application is approved, because it falls under mental illness. I absolutely freaked out! I'm just really, really exhausted, but not mentally ill. I was doing great, so I wanted to taper off the medication. Now I feel like I've been given a label.
To make matters worse, the first week is unpaid, and the second week is 60% of my pay. I just wanted to taper off the meds; instead I ruined my life! I am much worse off than when I started!
So after freaking out, I'm trying to adopt a positive attitude. I'll just take the 2 weeks, rest, exercise, get myself back in gear and return to work better than before, and that will be my vindication.

Dear, dear sweet Kat,

Mental illness can be a label, for better or for worse. Don't think of it as stigma here; think of it as the relief you're allowed -- deserve -- from taking a pharmceutical anti-depressant that backfired on you. You're not crazy but savvy because you explored options to do an end run around that most common of experiences in our culture: anxiety/depression.

I sometimes play around with my various friends that I met in day treatment or through D/A group about being "mentally ill." Behavioral health is really the "in" term for the tormenting demons of the mind and mood. Taking time out to care for yourself after an exhausting experience (that not just anyone can endure) is a sure sign of health. Actually, the mental illness distinction worked in your favor for getting this disability leave. Thank the ADA for that.

Be good to yourself and know there is love here coming your way to ease and calm your way.

Love and blessings,
Laurel

Laurel,
Thank you so much for such a sweet reply! It really did make me feel better.
I am just going to use this two weeks to concentrate on my wellness and get back to being "me"!
Kat

Can anyone help? I successfully weaned off Effexor last month, and now am trying to get off Wellbutrin (100 mg./day). Tomorrow will be day 3 cold turkey ... I think I'm having brain zaps (like someone is snapping something behind my eyes, and I almost feel like I'll pass out) and I'm tired and nauseous. Sleep helps -- when I can sleep. I've read there are "flu like" symptoms. When I told the doctor I was stopping cold he thought this was fine! Any thoughts on how long this will last? I'm determined not to go back, just curious how long I'll be uncomfortable.

well taper is usually the easier way.but if u have already gone cold then get your vitamins bacc into body.the liver will e workin very hard to detoxy thiese poisons .

Thanks. What vitamins are best?

for a start too many people thk its not normal to have feelings go up and down.and then theres the chemicals in food........202 222 etc.and then theres pmt.menop. etcbut this is normal it just needs to be handled with natural supplements or proper diet
day 7 off effexor and i felt zap free nausea free .dont let the docs shuff yu onto another drug .at night i usest.johnstea for sleep
u can use same forte 400 for the extreme mood swings,
and magnesium for energy, vit c is great!!1000mg .dandeloin tea will clean liver.

Thanks!

Just checking in....
Kat,
How are you doing this week?
sherri

Hi Sherri,
I broke open the 37.5 caplets and took 1/2 for a few days, and now this is my 4th day without anything at all. It all seems to be getting worse...lots of brain zaps, dizziness, nausea, sweating. I'm not sleeping well at all either.
I'm not taking any vitamins/supplements because I feel like that is just another drug/chemical that I am putting into my body. I've been trying to eat really healthy (lots of vegetables) and work out everyday.
And my doctor said it would be out of my system in 24 hours, no side effects once I stop taking it! Ha!

Hi Kat,
I went through exactly what you are going through. I remember the dizziness and the night sweats bigtime! I felt so dizzy just walking around the house. And my sheets were just soaked. It was weird. I'd never had sweats like that before in my life. The zaps were pretty too. Almoost scary-like. BUT, I swear to you...after the 6th or 7th day...everything started to dissipate. All the withdrawl symptoms lessened bigtime...You're body is going through a major withdrawl...detoxing from that crap. I tried to look at the withdrawls in a positive aspect....just knowing #1.) I wasn't taking the horrible drug anymore #2.) Just knowing my body was ridding itself of Effexor felt great..I knew these withdrawls needed to happen in order to get completely clean.

Kat, try to think positive..you've come a long way and are almost there. Hang in there...I promise you, by the weekend, you'll be feeling better and by the time you go back to work...you will be your self again..the person everyone used to know.

I go back to work next week and am actually very ready. It's been a journey and I am proud to say I don't need any more meds to sleep at night, to smile and be happy, to go to the bathroom regularly and the list goes on and on. I'm excited for everyone at work to see the old Sherri...the one that was always smiling...:-)

Let me know how you're doing Kat...ok..stay in touch..and pls keep eating well and exercising..I truly believe sweating while walking or doing some form of aerobic activity helps speed up getting the toxin out of the body and helps with the seratonin.

sherri

I am soooooooo new to this but have been reading this forum on and off for several weeks and decided to dive in. Been on effexor for approx 2 years for postpartum depression. Started to notice things were going backwards and started reading up on symptoms. WOW! Acne, incontinence, gas, tired,but can't sleep, hot flashes, skin takes forever to heal, brain is foggy, no memory, easily confused. Had gone back to hibernating which was one of the things brought on by depression. Decided it was time to get off these nasty little pills. I was taking 112.5 once a day. Dropped to 75 once a day for 3 weeks, now at 37.5 for last 3 weeks. Some days good. Almost giddy. Some days so angry I feel like satan himself. Had most of the physical stuff the first 2 weeks - nausea,headache, general body aches, extreme tiredness, weakness. But still the inability to sleep. Although once I get to sleep, I can't get up and going. Think I may have some menopausal symptoms mixed in. Don't know who I am anymore and would like to meet the real me again. Don't really think I have depression issues anymore. Don't really know. Got the regular stresses of everyone. Also, I'm single Mom of 5 children, ages 3, 16, 21 at home and 24 and 28 married.

You sound like me...on effexor for 1.5 yrs, tapered down from 150 mg to 37.5 to 0 over about 2-3 months (without the doc's help; I did it myself because I was sick of not feeling anything). Tapering slowly worked with few noticeable symptoms. Then dropped from 150mg wellbutrin to 0 overnight (bad idea) and had HORRIBLE symptoms that basically went away over a weekend. I feel like a new person. The problems in my life have not gone away (unemployed hubby, death of parents, etc.) but I can truly say I feel like I can feel again. Stay the course...I haven't felt better in months. Good luck.

I am so relieved to find this website...at first I was not sure what was going on with me or my body. I was on effexor for 2 yrs prior to my daughter being born. At the time we found out I was pregnant, I was told to totally stop taking the drug. I had NO WITHDRAWL SYMPTOMS whatsoever.

After my daughter was born, my doctor thought it would be best to go back on Effexor so depression (post pardum) would not occur.

After being on the drug for over a year, I decided it was time to get off. Things were going great, I was happy, my husband just received a promotion, LIFE WAS GREAT!! I had no idea what I was about to encounter...

Only seven days ago, I stopped taking the drug cold turkey. The third day I had gone out, had a few drinks, and had a wonderful time at a concert. The next day I was sick to my stomach, tired, and trembeling like crazy. I blamed it on the evening and thought I had a major hangover. The next day, same thing with more symptoms like itching, night sweats (to the point where my sheets were soaked). Next day, same thing ...and on and on for four more days when I finally went to see the doctor.

After speaking with her, she said my symptoms really did not make sense to her. She thought getting off the medicine cold turkey might have something to do with it. I am not sure if she downright lied to me or has no clue.

Finding this website was such a relief, knowing that all the symptoms I am having are all a result of this drug I thought was so wonderful. I could strangle the doctor that first prescribed it to me. My withdrawl symptoms are so bad, that I too am thinking maybe I should get back on. But, after reading everyone elses views on this, I know I will definately not!!

Any advice anyone can give would be great. I see that things will get worse before they get better. If I would have known about these horrible symptoms earlier, I would have weaned myself off the drug. Now it is too late.

Please help.

HI SissyB,

I'm was right there where you're at not too long ago. I understand. How many days have you been completely off the Effexor? With me, the first week, was really bad i.e. night sweats horrible, nausea, extreme dizziness, crying all the time, very irritaable and on and on. I just toughed it out. The second week, it was bad, but the systems did lessen a bit. By the 3rd week, pretty much, all the withdrawl symptoms were gone. Hang in there and tough it out. YOu can do this. During this transition, take care of yourself by eating well and exercising. I always thought by sweating while exercising, even though I felt horrible, was helping to detox my body from the drug. Look at the positives...you are getting off of this stuff and it IS DEFINITLY possible to be completely off of the drug...unforuntatly you gotta go thru the w/d first.
If I can get off of it ...you can....stay strong.
sherri

Sherri,

Thanks for the boost. I went and spoke with a pharmacist today about my symptoms. She told me "maybe you should start the drug up again." Can you believe it!!! Then she told be to get some counseling. I guess what frustrates me is that all the doctors do is either make you get back on, put you on something else, or go see someone else.

Anyhow...I am feeling much better tonight. Even better than I felt 12 hours ago. I know in the end it will be well worth it. Like someone else said, it is going to be great to feel again.

Thank you so much for the help, and the pep talk. I really, truly appreciate it.

Liz

Hello, I am new to this site. I can agree with the dizzyness.And feeling like your head is not attached to your body. Their was times when I think I blacked out. I am Schedule to see a Neuroligist. I am on 75mg a day.
I take this for severe PMS.
MY MOODS CAN GET OUT OF CONTROL SOMETIMES. But one thing I have to say is that sometimes if I miss a pill this is when I think I have the symtoms. I try to take the pill at bedtime it makes me sleepy. I am afraid what I would be like without it.

Sign not sure the
best way to go.

BC.

I have been off Effexor for 2 months and Wellbutrin for 1 month. I started feeling exhausted and achy all over. I was wondering if anyone else experienced severe body aches this long after stopping these meds?

Thank God for this site and all of you!!! Blessings and peace to you.

I am on day 12 of no Effexor. Went from 75mg to 37.5 to none too fast. I have been suffering dizziness, diarrhea, sweats...but I can feel again!! I had no idea how numb this horrible drug made me feel while on it (got divorced with barely a tear shed, I felt almost nothing) nor how bad it was going to make me feel getting off it! I would never, ever go on this drug again. I'd rather suffer the depressions.

I don't really have a question, I just wanted to thank you all for sharing your stories. I was about to give up and go back on it, but now I'm re-committed to quitting. I'm hopeful that three weeks will be it for me too. 9 more days, 9 more days...do the symtpoms taper off or disappear?

Sarah

yes the symptoms taper off and disappear to help u threw this i suggest vit c powder 4000mg ,st johns wort tea at night . magnesium tablets,same forte 400 for mood swings.i was fine after 2weeks.but thats just me and how i did it iam also on high raw food diet .

I haven't been here in a while so hope all is well with everyone. I have just started another drop in my dose as of this morning, now putting me down to 19mg once in the evening (I was splitting a 37.5 mg capsule & taking half in the am and half at night). I am praying that the withdrawals aren't too bad, my naturapath has given me Sepia to hopefully take away some of the withdrawals so I hope they work. I have also gone onto St. John's Wort about a month ago and that is really really helping my moods, it feels really good to know I am so close to being rid of this poison so I am going to try and hold on to that thought when the symptoms hit. My bottle of ginger pills are also close to hand.

Anyways, just thought I would say hi again, I am still here, still going through the process.

Kerry

This is my first post. I've been on Effexor for about 2 months now. Although I'm only on 75mg, I don't like the way it makes my heart race and makes me feel dizzy. I've been trying to wean myself off by taking it every other day, but when I do, I get headaches and I feel even dizzier. When I first started doing this, I thought I was pregnant. I can definitely tell the difference in my personality when I skip a day. I'm less patient and more mistrustful. I want to learn to control my depression without SSRI's. I wish American physicians knew more about herbal remedies. I', getting married next month and I want to be weaned off Effexor by then. I'd appreciate any suggestions. Thanks, Faith

Hi Faith, you cannot wean off Effexor that way as it has a very short half life (effectively one missed dose is enough to experience withdrawal), basically all you are doing is putting yourself on an emotional rollercoaster. You should try cutting down to 37.5 mg daily and then either eliminating that or cut that in half to reduce the withdrawals. I am now on 900 mgs (3 300mg doses) of St. Johns Wort as I reduce my meds and it seems to be really helping. I also take a daily Vitamin B complex and fish oil with a high DHA which really seems to boost me (I have been dealing with depression for 4 years). Depending on how severe your depression is the B and DHA may help.

Good luck coming off but make sure you are taking care of the depression, a wedding coming up causes alot of stress so make sure you take care of yourself.

Kerry

OMG, I reduced my meds this morning by 1/2 dose and whilst I haven't experienced any of the nausea and dizziness that I have gotten with previous reductions, I have spent the last 2 hours in tears. First of all I got into an argument with my sitter, I overreacted to something, she got totally defensive and when I apologized for overreacting she completely freaked out and I ended up having to calm her down. I haven't been able to stop crying since (incidentally, she also told me that I am better off staying on this medication if this is what withdrawal is doing, I know she is just reacting and is wrong but that sure didn't help).

I hope these emotions don't stay long, I will be locked up if I stay on this path.

Kerry

Thanks Kerry,
I really appreciate the advice. I plan to take half a pill tonight (37.5mg). I tried St. John's Wort about 5 years ago, and didn't really notice a difference, but combined with Fish oil pills the effect might be different so I'll give it another chance. Try not to beat yourself up over your sitter's comments. She just said the first defensive thing she could think of. Most people don't realize how deep their words can cut. Reactions like that are one of the reasons I don't tell people about taking Effexor in the first place. Ride out the emotions (they won't last) and try to enjoy the rest of your day.
Faith

Hello I am new to this forum. My Doctor put me on Effexor three months ago and wants me to take it for one year. Well I have decided to get the heck off this crap and get my life back. I took 150mg for three months and it has turned me into a complete zombie with out any emotion and it has changed my personality completely. Well I have decided that enough is enough. I have tapered down to 75mg which I took for a week without any symptoms. Two days ago I started to half the capsules because I know my doctor will not give me a prescription for the 37.5mg to get off this stuff. Well today was really strange. FRom the time I woke up I have been extremely light headed and dizzy all day especially when I trun my head from sid eto side or move my eyes side to side. I plan to keep this regiment for another week and then start to alternate days and eventually stop. My question is first, is this a good lan to get off this stuff and second can I take St. John wort while still on effexor?