Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 55 of 140}

Jon33 congrats first on starting the torture of getting off the medicine. I too had horrible nightmares that were seemed so intense! Every side effect you named I had plus many more. I think you should notice a big difference in the equilibrium in the next week or 10 days. The sleeping and sweating thing slowly dissipated for me over the first month and half. Your energy level will seem much better once your more steady on your feet but after 6 weeks or so I would say a major difference. If you can make it through the next week you are home free your body will take two forward and one back sometimes. I never tried the "chaser" hangover medication that so many others here had tried but I did happen to notice it is on sale at RiteAid if you have one close. It was said to help the headaches the zaps and just general hazy feeling that you probably have right now. It is cheap to I think like 4 dollars for a little package of them and all natural I believe. If your having really bad aches and pains in your muscles and joints try warm baths with Epsom salts they were my savior. I think our bodies store this medicine and it tries to suck it from every spot it can while detoxing the sweating could end up being a great cleansing of it from your body. Drink lots of water and if you can't seem to get into a good sleep try some benadryl a half hour before bed or a unisom or tylenol pm that will also help with the aches along with it. I can't stress how much better I felt after I took something to help me sleep a little more soundly and I actually got some good sleep.

Anything else just let us know but yes it will get better and your doing GREAT!

Jami

Thank you Jami,

Yes I most definitly have a hazy brain fog type of feeling. Well his morning was not good, I experienced a new simptom. Lets just say I almost didn't make it to the bathroom. I think I read that others have had these problems aswell. Oh, lets see other simptoms I have; ringing in my ear, my vision is not clear, I have become extremely light sensitive and yes I have just started to get muscle pains and cramps. But I will not give up!!!!!!!!!!!! I am going to beat this, with gods help I will. Thank you so much for responding. It put a smile on my face and inspired me to keep going. Thx again.

Jon

Jon I am glad to hear that I could lighten your spirits! That in itself makes my day. The bathroom issues were horrible and I have to say it lasted me close to 2 months with that side-effect. I know it is miserable believe me. I also read that Walmart carries that Chaser product and it definately is worth a try. I looked up the website for it and it says....[ It contains a blend of ingredients that relieve headache, nausea, fatigue, dizziness and many other symptoms.

Chaser Plus is the one hangover cure that works before, during and after a fun night on the town.] But apparently it helps with those symptoms even if not caused by alchohol consumption.

Anything that gets ya feeling on the up-and-up sounds good to me!! Well besides more prescription drugs hehe. Have a wonderful day and try to get some rest when you can!

Jami

Jami, it is good to hear from you and know that you are OKAY! I'm also glad to hear that the weight did come off. Three months out, mine has not started yet but I am not having to diet so strenuously so there is hope.

Dawn, good to hear from you and that Steph is doing well. When my two graduated from college I thought the bills were gone, guess what, they went to graduate school. Although they got loans and grants we did help out considerably. So watch out!

Jon33, please hang in there. It is deja vu reading your posts. You will be fine in a while.

Sure would like to hear from some of our other ex-E'ers to see how they are doing.

Love, Sheila

Sheila! It was wonderful to see you check back in now and again. I have given up on the stringent dieting I was doing because of the holidays hehehe. Like I needed to stress myself out more by worrying about all that delicious food I couldnt have!

Things are well. Congrats on your children going to graduate school that is just awesome though expensive ...well worth it in the long run though!

I agree reading Jons post was total deja vu!!! So Jon head up!!! We have been there and done that so you can too!

Have a great holiday Sheila!

love Jami

Hi evryone. I wanted to check in. I'm still tapering. I'm taking it slow however I want to stop this drug like now but I will take everyones good advise and go slow.Without the help of this site I would of followed my Docs Way of getting off and it would of been harder to get off of "E". I notice that everytime I cut a dose that I have a couple of nights of bad dreams. The night lights help me. I still have headaches when I wake up and a sick stomach. I take 2 chasers and they sure do help. I am determined to get through this, We all will. BE STRONG! Debbie

Hey Deb I will be honest I decided cold turkey was the best way after a week of tapering...I just feel like if you can schedule a 4-5 day period with a long weekend and just toss em it is rough but I think 5 days of horrible is much better then 2 months of mostly crappy days then finally being down to the point where you have none in your system...from what I have heard from others that tapered that point when you finally stop taking it...wether it was 75mg down to 5 mg by weaning ...when it kicks in that you have none in your system....it is the same as if you never weaned...only slighltly less harsh on you. To me its prolonging the enevitable though I know lots of people here will argue with me I know a lot would agree..either way I wish you continued success on the path! Also glad to hear someone else speak some good on the ChaserPlus!! Take Care..

Jami

Sorry to say I'm having an awlful day today. My eyes are so blurry and my mind is in some kind of fog, can't think straight. I am a bit worried about my eyes. I am seeing little flashes of light that seem to dance around. Can someone please tell me what is going on? I am quite worried.

Jon

Hey Jon, I have pretty much the same dancing lights. I really see them while driving by lamp posts at night. They look like they are shooting down ward towards my windshield. Once again if I hadn't been on this site and read that others had experienced the same I probably would of been freaking. So I'm with you Jon. Does anybody know what the lights are all about? Debbie

Scientifically I dont know how to explain those lights..but my doctor said something to the fact that its just your neurotransmittors functioning without the medication ...it takes a while for your body to catch up to life without the meds...you have to remember this medication affected how your brain functioned chemically. Can you imagine how people coming off Meth and stuff feel? Of course keep your doctor informed of all things but seriously your going to have some vertigo etc for a little while. Hang on tight its a bumpy ride.

Hugs Jami

I have been on Effexor for a month. I took 2 weeks of 37.5 and 2 weeks of 75


Not noticing any improvement, I stopped taking it, never thinking that would be a problem. That was last Wed. All weekend I've been sick. I might have the flu, but after reading these posts, I'm not so sure. I felt fine at work and then, suddenly, I got sweaty and felt like I was going to pass out. I think I had a panic attack and almost called 911. I slept for a day. I felt much better Sunday but am getting really bad headaches, that come and go. Tylenol seems to do no good. I am afraid to go back on it as I want to get the drug out of my system but after reading all these posts, not sure what to do, since it's been 4-5 days since I've taken any of it. Will it go away on it's own or ??

Iamuzik it all sounds like typical effexor withdraw to me. Though it may not be as bad as some of us who took the effexor for a long period of time those things you mentioned are all part of what I went through. I guarantee you that if you were to go pop say half of your normal dose or so your headache would go away. BUT DONT DO THAT! your already like 5 days into this your probably at or just beyond what are the worst days .. days 3-7 seem to be the hardest days.

If your feeling sort of flu ish and have body aches take a warm bath with epsom salts it relieves a lot of the aches and pains...for a little while at least. Try to drink plenty of water and get some rest your not resting soundly try to buy some Unisom or even if you have some sort of antihistamine in the house like Bendadryl or something take it before bed at night to get into a good rest. The headaches are a hard one to shake they seemed continuous for me until about 3 weeks into detoxing though sleeping well at night and taking over the counter meds help...Don't take the Excedrin Headache stuff as it has a crap load of caffeine and if your having panic attacks it may make anxiety worse. Try the ChaserPlus medicine available and inexpensive at your local drug store Riteaid Walgreens and Walmart all carry it and its all natural and people have said it did wonders for the headache nausea and the general groggy feeling they had when coming off this stuff.

My heart goes out to you that are detoxing from Effexor during an already stressful time of year...The Holidays. Don't give in...it it will go away and your better off without this particular medication!

Jami (Free of Effexor since May 1st 2005...cold turkey style lol)

Dawn! sorry Im slow I just saw your post from a few days ago! Great to see your still checking it..hope things are well for you:)

Jami

Hi it has been a while for me too. I just wanted to say hi to all my old friends and hello to all the new ones.
Let's see I have been effexor free since the last of July!
It was rough, but I made it.
Jami good to hear from you too.
I am doing good, but I still have to take something for my depression. Gotta do what you gotta do. I don't think zoloft will be as hard to get off of as effexor. I am not really worried, because I know I can do it when I need to.
Take care everyone going through withdrawl. It is rough, but you can do it. Dramamine is another good one to take for dizziness.
Good luck and if I can help anyone let me know.

Hi Dawn thank you and I hope you and your daughter have a great New Year too. I am glad to hear your daughter is doing good.I really miss talking to everyone.

Bonnie

Well I have been effexor free for 4 weeks now. My brain zaps are almost gone but I still have a little dizzyness. My main worry at this point is I am still suffering from brain fog. Nothing is clear to me and I cant think straight. My memory is still very short and cant process much info at one time. I feel as though I am starting to fall back into my panic attacks again and I am constantly focusing on the events that got me here again. Does anyone have any advice for me at this stage, any would really be helpful.

Thanks
Jon

So good to see people pop in that were the "critical mass" during going off E. Hi, Dawn, Sheila, Bonnie, and others who came a bit later and the ones I'm forgetting (by name only).

Congrats to Steph on graduating from Iowa State. :-)

I was in the grocery store the other day and suddenly had a nostalgia moment. Not that I would want to repeat the Effexor torture, but I realized I miss the commaraderie of those months of "talking" with the people experiencing the E rollercoaster. So, thank you all again, and to all you who are taking our places (a terrible crime), remember this experience with gratitude and love. It's a gift.

Happy holidays to you all and blessings for the New Year.

Love,
Laurel

HI you guys!
Yep! It's me! I have been away for a really long time. I continue to get your posts and still read them when I have time. I don't have a computer at home anymore and it is hard for me to get on at work. Let me tell you what is going on in my soap opera life.
I continue to be strong after my withdrawl a little over one year ago. So believe me you will get through this. Most of the weight has come off and I no longer have any of the withdrawl symptoms!
The main reason I am posting right now is that I could really use some friends and advise! This has nothing to do with Effexor. It has to do with the fact that you all were there for me when I needed you and I really need you now!
Jeff (my fiance') and I have broken up. Yep! We bought the beautiful house and were living what I thought to be a good life. Surprise, surprise! He broke up with me and said that he needed time. He swears that he loves me and doesn't want to be without me, says it doesn't feel right without me! I am going crazy! I can't eat, can't sleep, can't function wholly and the holidays are absolutely aweful. I feel so lonely, sad, confused and just want to curl up and go to sleep. The slightest thing and I cry!!!! We went from seeing each other and loving each other daily to nothing. We don't even talk. I don't know what to do. If he loves me so much and can't see his life without me than why does he want to stay away from me and our family?
Here I am crying again. The tears will not stop!
any wise words of wisdom????
Love,
Regent aka..Lori

Howdy...
I'm 35 year-old male. I've been on Effexor for a 13 months with a max daily dose of 300mg. Due to unforseen, elevated hypertension, I have been gradually weened off of the drug during the past two months (300mg to 37.5mg.). This past Monday I began taking Welbutrin (150mg.) while reducing my Effexor (37mg)

Since switching medications (Effexor to Welbutrin) my depression/anxiety symptoms have reemerged. Unfortuantely, I have have not felt this emotionally distraught for over a year. My symptoms, include extreme anxiety and depression. It's as though I haven't made any progress in therapy/group therapy during the past year. In short, it's just rotten and very discouraging.

I would like to confirm that these sypmtoms may be associated with changing medications.

Merry Christmas,
Christopher

Merry Christmas! So tomorrow will be my first day E free. I am excited yet scared. I cant sleep much anymore and when I do I have such vivid dreams. One thing I have noticed is that I feel again. This Christmas I do not have much but I do not need E to get through the lonely times so I can be numb. I still have shaky hands and The headaches are getting to me. How long should I expect this headaches to go on? BUT WE WILL ALL BE STRONG AND NOT GIVE IN TO "E. Good luck to you all in the new year and thanks so much for all your good advise and support. Debbie

Hi everyone. I was looking for a sight where other people would understand and be knowledgable about Effexor. It was great to find you all. I have been on the Effexor (37.5) for almost a week. I also take 300 mg. of Wellbutrin. The Effexor is for anxiety. Late at night I seem more anxious. It actually reminds me of the 2 times I tried e. I am jittery. Can't say that I like the feeling. But I don't cry everyday anymore either. I can't believe how hard ie is to get off of. I love the way that doctors say it's a miracle drug. I said no to it at first, then took Paxil instead. That was awful. My doc said the E was much cleaner. So far no weight gain. Has anyone lost weight on this drug? I think that I will refuse an increase in dosage and try to be on it for only six months. Any recommendations? While it's still not to late to go off of it? Did you all know that thyroid levels are hard to measure. They can be different each day. A doctor should rule out thyroid problems before giving you antidepressants. (most don't.) Anti depressants can be very bad to take if you have a thyroid problem. Some symptoms of thyroid problems are depression, always being cold, fatigue, weight gain or loss,night sweats, rapid or pounding heart rhythm, difficulty sleeping, night sweats, difficulty concentrating, mood swings, nervousness.etc. Scary huh? Sounds very familiar to depression. I am not looking forward to these side effects, but they have to be better than being sad and feeling weird all the time?
What do you guys think?

Hi me again. Just wanted to add...now I know why I'm so bloated and gassy. Ugh. How long does this last? Any ideas of how to make it stop???thanx again.

Lori (Regent), although it is good to hear from you, I am saddened by the events in your life. My first thought was did he leave you holding the bag for the new house? I guess I am very security conscious. Did he move out? Men can be such s*theads. Lori, you must be strong for yourself and for your children. Have you finished crying yet? Don't let his actions keep you down and don't take any more antidepressants unless necessary--especially E. I have sensed through your conversations with us that you are a strong, independent woman. Get your mind into that body and show him that even though you love him, you don't really need him (even if you do). You have been in my prayers for a happy result.

I'm now 4 months off and my head is still zapping, but only in the morning. At least there is no dizziness. My short term memory is still suffering though, and I have not lost a pound of the weight I gained on E. I'm just going to take it one day at a time. I find that I am weepier than before I started on E, I don't know why. It is just so good to have feelings again, I didn't realize how much I missed them, even the low ones. Also since I stopped the aspartame, I seem to handle the anxiety a lot better too.

To all of you new people, hang in there, go back and read excerpts from 6 months ago, follow some of us oldtimers and see how we handled everything. There is a lot of pain and suffering in this E withdrawal process. The story repeats itself over and over again from the beginning of this thread. There is so much support to be had from each other whatever method you try to get off this drug.

You are all in my prayers, Love, Sheila

Susin

When I read your post about being new to effexor I felt I too had found something that worked and really fast. I know they say effexor is more likely to cause people to loose weight and that happened to me at first but I think most depressed people are overeaters (for comfort etc) so when you start to feel a little better food isn't your comfort salvation and you in turn may loose some weight. But I did start off with that gasy bloated thing and after awhile it got worse and worse. After 5 months I probably should have came off the meds but instead my doctor upped the dose. I had my thyroid panels and a full blood test panel before he prescribed the meds to rule out any issues there. The problem it seems for most of us here isn't that the medicine didn't help INITIALLY its the getting off of them when the time came. I swear the withdrawls I had were way worse then the depression I had been suffering to warrant a prescription for them in the first place. I know we have said it before but when a medication is prescribed to help your depression and to try to get off it you feel like your more depressed because your having these physical symptoms along with it. So to me the drug company is making out like a bandit because I tried before I started reading this forum 2 or more times to stop but the physical part was SOOO horrible I had convinced myself that my body needed these meds or I was destined to be a wreck. Little did I know until I came here that my body would adjust back to feeling "normal" though the road there was going to SUCK!

I give you this challenge anyone that is new to the drug after you are on these a few more weeks....skip your usual dose (on a day off but take it with you if your not at home so that if you get too miserable you can take it) give your body about 12 hours or so after your missed dose...if you don't feel dizzy with a massive headache and this fog hanging over your head I would be astonished. I know it sounds mean of me to ask you to try this but it will be a bit of an eye opener for the day you decide you need to give up the meds. Read back to page 54 of this thread or 53 where I talk of the numbness I got to on the meds. I would seriously rethink these drugs. Try another line of defense if you can!

Shadowfax your symptoms are probably due to the lack of Effexor in your system these antidepressants are all obviously absorbed in different manners into your body. Some are prescribed for anxiety with depression. Some are for just depression alone and will make some a lil more anxious so the chemicals are all tweaked accordingly. I think most of your issues sound like just the gradual weaning down of Effexor. Your brain is not getting the dose it was used to for the last year or so and it is having to process differently. Try to cut out any caffeine or stimulant to curb the anxiety a bit. I think also your timing during christmas if it was especially overwhelming in stress/work/duties/obligations could have a lot to do with your overall mentality right now. So if you can try to get some quiet time to decompress and give it a bit more time. Of course keep your doctor informed but weaning off effexor whether with other meds or alone is an emotional and physical roller coaster you have to really be mentally strong and persistent!

Dawn I am so sorry to hear about your recent personal trials. I do not know your fiance (ex) or otherwise but it does sound like hes getting a major case of cold feet. Just be strong for yourself. God doesn't close a door without opening a window as my grandma always said. As lame as it may sound I choose to believe it. Don't know if you like country songs but a great song for hope is Rascal Flatts... Broken Road. Also congrats on loosing some of the weight you and I talked about the weight gain from Effexor made us feel even more hopeless and depressed I too have most most of mine gone and feel like a new woman.

Stone I am wondering how your doing we should be a few days into your effexor free mode...keep us updated!

Jon I too suffered from some panic attack issues post effexor and though my doctor offered some Xanax to take when I started an attack I declined them. If you are having some really bad issues you might as your physician for those. You can just chew the pill at the start of an attack (though they are nasty) and about 5 minutes later youll have some relief. It was something that seemed to work itself out after time but I don't think its a bad thing for anyone with panic attacks to keep those on hand for an actual attack.

It makes me laugh when I think back to being 18 I went to a doctor and explained my symptoms and he prescribed me Xanax 3x a day...what kind of idiot would prescribe that sort of dose of something that does cause some drowsiness and THREE TIMES A DAY!!! LMAO what an idiot and I don't even remember describing anything like anxiety I remember it being more of a depression issue. Needless to say I finally fessed up to my mom whos an RN about 2 months into the meds and she informed me my doctor was a q-uack and took me to see someone else...Anyways sorry I just had to tell that story im cracking up over here...Moral of the story is just because they are doctors doesnt mean the know everything about every disease or condition.. FInd yourself a doctor that understands depression and anxiety as an illness a psychologist is your best bet. Anyways here I am still rambling.. Hugs to you all and hullo I miss you to the old friends here I am so proud of us all god knows it wasn't easy!!

JAMI

A) Thanks much for the confirmation.

B) I've been feeling a bit better since Christmas Day. Only a few more days of Effexor (37.5mg) and I'm finished with it. Hopefully, the worst is over.

C) Once again, I'll have to remove caffeine/chocolate from my diet. I guess it doesn't work well with the newly prescribed Welbutrin.

D) Anyone have a recent experience moving from Effexor to Welbutrin?

Kind Regards,
Christopher

jami,
thanks for your reply. It is my 7th day on E. I am feeling very jittery and anxious. To the point that I can barely stand it. Good news though. My doctor called and they found something in my thyroid tests. I am hoping that is why I am so depressed. It would change my life to know that I am not crazy! I will go see her tomorrow. Hopefully I will be able to get of my anti depressants, and sleeping pills. I have had a rough few months, and would love to get my life back to normal. Thanks to all of you for your support.