Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 58 of 140}

Well, i've never written a post before, but i'm really glad i found this forum. I am currently going off Effexor for the second time. I was off for a year and then caved in and went back on when I started grad school. I've graduated now and am finishing my last fieldwork. What really pushed me to quit is slow, but steady weight gain over the past 18 months. I also have PCOS (poly cystic ovarian syndrome) and 4 years ago began taking Metformin, which was a wonder drug for me and reversed nearly all my symptoms and allowed me to lose 50 pounds of weight that would not budge, at the time I was off Effexor. I kept it all off until I began taking Effexor again, the weight came on so slowly I didn't really connect it with the drug...I just thought I had no self control! What really hit home is that twice now I have had patients (i'm an occupational therapist and work with brain injuries) have asked if I was pregnant because all the weight is in my stomach! It has crushed me, rationally I know I am not obese (i'm a size 12) but I'm 25 and this should be the exciting part of my life, but i've been reduced to having absolutly no self esteem.
Ha, that said (I really didn't mean to use this forum as therapy!!) I just wanted to let everyone know that I appreciate knowing there are people out there having the same difficulties I am getting off this horrible drug! Dizziness is my biggest problem, I'm gonna try the Chaser stuff I've read about here. Good luck to everyone else, I'll keep reading because its nice to know you're not alone!
OTgrad24

Mum2two, congratulations on finally making that last step off the E. It took me about 3 weeks before I started feeling normal again. I have been off for 6 months now, am fine except my brain is still zapping (especially when I get up in the morning) and I haven't lost any of the weight I gained yet. But I also have not had a relapse of the depression that started me taking this med in the first place. Everything else seems to be working too.

To all you new people who are trying to get off E (I was going to say weaners, but that sounds pornographic), hang in there. Good to hear from some of the old timers occasionally. This is such a great place to get mental support during this time.

Regent, if you log in now and then, how is everything going with the changes in your life.

Love, Sheila

Since 2000 I have tested Paxil, Welbutrin and others. Since 2004 I have been on Effexor XR up to 150 MIL. Everything seemed to be going well, the best AnitiD I have used with little sideeffects, but since Nov 2005 I have increasd HR dizziness and sweating. I started weening of 175 to 75 in about 3 weeks and my HR went from 108 down to about 81. So Effexor was my problem but now I am having dizziness, flux HR again. Caffine seems to help the increased HR but the dizziness seems to be the continued By Product of going off EFXR. I figured 2 to 3 weeks weening would be OK but the lingering is still there in dizziness and increasd HR. I have been charting my heart rate for about 3 weeks and seen a steady decline based on reduction of Effexor. I am setting to go on 5 HTp and look forward to getting off the EFEXOR. It did work but now it seems to have heavy side effects then expected. If anyone is interested in seeing my EXCEL Spread Sheet on my heart rate and Blood pressure let me know.

I really posted quick " on my above post and just wanted to say thank you for the many posts in this forum. I too feel many side effects to E and plan to continue some logical and "make sense" post as I go thru my detox of E, and others, for some 5 years. I hope to bring some insights and feedback as many of you have brought light to my issues. My goal, as an up and coming 48 year old male, is to continue my 3 to 4 a day week work outs, to include running and weight lifting, ween off of E and because I believe I have some family history of depression is to use normal work out efforts and other means to combat depression. My baseline problem was denial that I was depressed, which I have accepted in 2000, then going on ANTID. Tested 5 or 6 types which landed me to E XR. Right now I am done with E and working to rid my system of the drug. 23 years AForce and a great supportive wife this should be a great ride and hopefully a helpful post to those who read. My goal is to be my own medical guru with support of documents, 5 years of reading and tests and support from my great Dr. Its not his fault, I asked for the help and now smarter. Listening to my body was what I forgot, now I am listening. Thank you all and glad I found the site to assist me in my challenge to cleaner living; wont be easy without work!!

Hi everyone. It has been about 2+ weeks since I started 5-HTP and SAM-e in place of E. Thus far, I think these 2 together make me feel about 80% better. I was feeling 100% on E, even though I didn't take it long, but 80% isn't bad, I guess. I have a bit of anxiety at night sometimes still, but nothing I can't handle. Sure, I would love it to go away completely, but I am a real believer in 5 and SAM now, no doubt. I haven't cried at any inappropriate times as I used to, I don't snap at my husband as I used to (unless I REALLY want to, that is...lol!) and the thoughts about dying have lessened considerable. So, HTP and SAM haven't worked 100% with me, but I do feel much better than without them. I find myself running to take HTP and SAM as I don't want to be without them in my system now.

Thank you to all of you for your time and posts. I am feeling better today because of you all and your information.
I had taken Effexor 75mg for a year or less. Recently he increased me to 150mg but I still have all of the issues I began taking it for and I asked my dr to review my medication. We decided to take me off of effexor by taking 75mg for a week and 37.5mg for a week then off. (I take antivert 12.5 mg almost daily for vertigo.) My doctor started me on Effexor for mild anxiety and mostly for tinitus( not really ringing in my ears but a fluttering, never ending annoying flutter, gets faster when I tense up my jaw, can be heard at night while awake resting on my pillow, I cannot talk myself "down" to a quiet flutter, I try to relax every muscle that I am aware of to stop the flutter but to no avail.
I felt a little better at first when I switched from Lexapro to effexor because the sweating I was getting from Lexapro was not acceptable along with many other side effects.
This is day 4 without Effexor in my body.
Today:
Pain in my head
Unable to communicate my thoughts as I spoke
Soaked tee shirt in 20 minutes with sweat
Shaky hands and body
Felt cold very cold shivering uncontrollably
Severe nausea
Incontinent
Emotions of rage fear death
Head pain odd shaking in my brain
depression
pain all over body
vomiting
crying
very thick sticky mucus that gags me and wont come up easy
noises startle me
average noises startle me and make me unnerved and cranky
screaming mad
Stomach pain and flu symptoms
eyes need to be still and move slowly as to not make head spin
I had no idea that I would have any withdrawl symptoms! This is shocking! I am so sick.
I cannot care for myself,my children or my pets.
I feel like I want to run away crawl into a cave hide and puke and just lay on the floor and die. The days have melted into one mess. Vomit and pain and emotions high and low.
Someone suggested this may be drug withdrawl. I found this forum and I was able to read all of the things that are happening to me in the last 3 days up to now.
I feel a little better today but I took an antinausa medicine not sure if it helped or I am getting to feeling better as this drug leaves me.
I honestly felt I was losing my mind yesterday and was so fearful that I would never feel "normal" again.
I have been unable to sleep since 2pm as I am posting this as 2am. I slept and felt awful since day one off of the effexor. The odd and severe head pain combined with the emotional trainwreck and the nausea is enough to make me want to die.
I see that I am experienceing similar symptoms. I would like to know how long this will last? Did anyone ever get the weird brain "quakes" to go away? How long did that take?
One odd thing my libido returned immediately, funny I didnt miss it :) must have been the drug effexor and the numbness it brought on
Any other ideas on helping this head pain go away? Anyone else have trouble getting your thoughts out into words while speaking or writing? I like to think about it like a roulette wheel and my thought is in words like the little ball rolling around and around and it falls into the slot it lands on, it is not my word that I wanted to speak but it is an alternative word, this makes me very upset that I cannot get my thoughts out clearly.How long did this take to come back to normal?
Any info would be helpful as I am only into day 5 and scared to death.
Anyone get any relief from medicinal marijuana?
This took me over an hour and a half to type YIKES!!!!!

Morning Jamietosome. Day three may be the worst of it, hopefully you are feeling a bit better today.
I am on week three of the Effexor weening process. My Dr. had a little slower approach. From 150mg to 75mg for two weeks, now 37.5mg for two weeks (which I am now have one more week to go) and half of that every other day for a week and then stop. I can tell already that when I wait even an hour later to take my E dose, I am starting to get nervous and my head starts to do this uncontrolled thought process along with the zaps, an hour after I take the drug it goes away. I still think that once I go off it completely I will have again all what you describe (tried going off it cold turkey once and scared me enough to go back on) but hope that it will be a little less severe since I'm doing the slow process.
someone had mentioned a cleansing diet and I have since started to modify my eating to fruits and veggies only and do an intestinal cleanse with it and on the whole I feel much better already. Hopefully it will help me when I go off e completely.

To everyone on this site who is experiencing withdrawal...i totally understand what you are feeling! i have been off now since december...the only way you can get thru the dizziness and stuff is by just trying to take it easy..take your vitamins and i think dorisschlagel mentioned a 'cleansing diet'?that is a good idea along with drinking alot of water to 'filter' it out of your system..i also mentioned in another post to try fish oils, that is suppposed to help with the bloating stuff.I remember it only being about 7 days or so where the nausea and dizziness just wouldn't quit...you need to give yourself some tlc!

Great! If you have seven to ten days of "TLC" to get over E withdrawl...
Some people have kids, full time jobs (not allowed a day off) and no help outside my E-misserable world!
So I'm stuck taking this crap until someone can put my life on "HOLD"...
My three kids do not have a pause button or does my job...
I'm really mad about the "withdrawl"
If I would have known what happens to me when I quit taking this stuff...gezzz maybe I wouldn't be ADDICTED to it.
I don't have time for withdrawl and I;m scared that I'm stuck on this stuff. I appreciate those who are doing things to get off,,,
but should it really be that hard to quit a medicine that is meant to help you?
If you are depressed, sad, suicidal. etc do you really need "withdrawl"??
This medicine has serious problems.

It's just one more pharmaceutical nighmare that doctor's either don't know about or are too stupid to listen to stories about. I tried to tell my bloody pharmacist what you guys were going through and how I didn't want to take E after only a couple of days of being on it, and they thought I was crazy to stop! They told me that everyone was exaggerating, or were really ill, or anything else and REFUSED to even read these posts! The doctors are the same frickin' way. I asked my doctor to refer me to a shrink and he said, no, you don't need a shrink, take this....and handed me a Rx for E in about 3 minutes flat! I am 49, wanted my hormone levels tested and 4 MALE doctors refused to test my levels! Can you believe it?? I am seeing a female doctor today that specialized in hormone replacement therapy (bioidentical) and won't be visiting the clinic with all the male docs anymore, that's for sure. After being on E for only 4 days, I had withdrawal symptoms, sweating, hot flashes down my back, I was SO mean to my husband and THAT was only after a few days. I can't imagine being on that crap longer and trying to stop. I'd like to know how these companies can put this stuff out there for us and not care. That is absolutely HORRIBLE! And how blind are the pharmacists and physicians?? When you have a few problems like I did to warrant going on a drug like E, the last thing I need is the medical professional to give me even more reason to be freaked out!

k, so ive been weening myself off the E for about 3 weeks now, i have been steadily dividing the dose into lower and lower doses, and was at 1/3 a 75 Mg every other pther day, its gotten to the point where the withdrawl is bearable, with the exception of right as i fall asleep, i get some POWERFUL zaps, and some frightening feelings of confusion asnd muscle twitch, but its only during the seratonin rush preceeding sleep. i made the decision yesterday to quit taking pills altogether, so far today tthe withdrawl is no worse than yesterday, it really feels like omeone just turned the volume down of that massively evil pile of symptoms i felt last time i tried cutting it out. ive also been eating more healthy, i vent vegetarian, and have been doing exercise everyday, i think thats been helping. hopefully im on the way out from under his drug now, i plan on doing a rapid detox after my withdrawl dissapears or becomes minimal, just to get rid of the last traces of the E

Wow, I am 2.5 weeks off Effexor and physically feeling great. Emotionally is not so good but with a lot of support from my friends and family, and a heck of alot of understanding I am getting through it. I can cry at the drop of a pin, and yell at someone for the silliest things (thus the understanding...lol) but knowing I am off the E is helping me get through this. I start my cleanse on Saturday. I confess to being a little nervous that I am going to get more withdrawal as the nastiness is pulled out of my body but once again, anything to get over this stuff.

Hugs to everyone out there going through this, strength comes with support so together we are all strong enough to beat this.

Kerry

dear bronc
yes but thesewithd symtoms i went threw and ur right u do need someone there.i did i couldnt do it until i got into a relationsh.and only because he wasnt workin was i able to get all the support and reassurrence i need.

Hello,
I haven't been on here in such a long time. I have missed you guys, those who were so wonderful to help me through this hellish effexor experience. Bonnie,Jami,Lori,Sheila,Dawn, Mum of Two, Laurel, sadie, and I am sorry if I have missed a name!
I have been deprived of a computer as I have undergone much of a life change. No computer access at work, nor at home. I have missed chatting with you all tho. I don't have long but I wanted to tell you guys that i was thinking of you and praying that all of you are happy and healthy. I still suffer from alot Anxiety and down days. But I want to deal with it with out Effexor, despite what my doctor says. How do you all find your health? Any anxiety since being off E? I hope you are all doing well. Miss you guys:)
I send big hugs to you all.
Elenaxo

2 days since my first post and this was the first day, mid day, that I have felt somewhat less dizzy and less lacadasical. So far so good. Going on 2.5 weeks and down to 37.5 mg and started taking 50 mg of 5HTP. Feeling better seems. Worked out today and keeping to my work out plan. Currently my Heart Rate has lowered and has rarely peaked past 100. Better success to the less of E. I currenly weigh 205 and contribute that with muscle gain and wondering if going of E will I lose some weight while I run for 20 minutes with a 20 minute weight lift program. me the new post guy..tcokc

I came home and felt good. I tested my HR/ BP and here were the numbers.
115 / 81 HR 87

Had something to eat and took 37.5 mg and here are my new numbers.

131/84 HR 104

What a spike. Dont know if this is food related, digesting and/or taking E. Now that was a spike. Anyone else have this issue??

well idont mean to be a smartarss but u all will get threw these withdrawal symptoms easier if you take magnesium ,st johns wort tea at night and vit c calcium ascorbate powder 4000mg daily goodluk!!i did it 2weeks it took me.oh and juicing!

TCOKC, I have always had very normal to almost low blood pressure. As soon as I started taken E it spiked and my Dr. wanted to put me on blood pressure meds... no way will I go on those, that's another reason I wanted to stop E. High blood pressure is one of the side effects of E. Now on 37.5mg and I'm still at 134/102 I know it will normalize as soon as I stop the E.
I'm still on the juice fast on will go to Lemonade fast in a few days. I feel so much better, clearer, a little lighter, have more menal energy, but lacking some physical energy due to the fast. Will do my final cut to 18.75 every other day, will let you guys know how it goes

DORISSCHLAGEL: Thank you for your feedbak.

Checking data on normal HR St Jude Hospital online states, "Every normal heart has a normal rhythm. That rhythm varies from person to person. In most healthy people, the heart at rest beats about 60 to 100 times per minute." Further look states that any thing past that may be a sigh of tachyarrhythmia or fast heart rate. Many reasons for that and at this time points to E, but who knows?

Update to 3 weeks weening off 150mg - Had many low spells of dizzyness and low grade brain buzz/spikes today. Tried eating first then testing BP/HR and then taking 37.5 mg of E and testing (evening) . No major BP spikes that I can tell this evening. Seems periodic BP spikes related to eating and E but unable to test during the day but feels high close to 100. Working down to lower E over the next week.

Drug update for me. I do take nose spray for breathing at night and use Ambian xr for helping me sleep. My Dr states Ambian XR should not effect High HR only reverse it, not sure on Affrin Type nose spray for 1 month?



This evening:
121 85 HR 90
133 86 89
125 85 85
112 78 93
115 75 90

yes ive had allthese withdraw symptoms so i do know what im talking about.i started 75mg effexor been on it for 3yrs .if anyone needs to chat feel free to.

TCOKC, I have not experienced the hr and bp issues that you are going through, however I am just wondering if maybe you are over-obsessing about it a little too much. I used to be anorexic and would weigh myself 4 or 5 times a day, eventually I had to get rid of my scales and never got anymore until I got pregnant, I am no longer anorexic but I have to keep my scales out of sight because I could easily get back into it. I hope you don't take this the wrong way but maybe if you stopped taking your statistics so often you may be able to stop worrying about it.

Just a thought and maybe way off topic. Like I said, I really hope you don't take offense at my observation.

Kerry

mum2two, good point of over obsessing but I am new to possible E withdrawals and every symptom may manifest itself to some possible cause. Everything was going well until last November then things started to feel "not right". So I have started my own record of physical and psychological effects. Is my antidepressant medication causing certain symptoms and if so what are they? Right now brain spikes, dizziness and feelings of Tachyarrhythmia. In my mind or not the feeling seem real and there is a reason. So while a open myself to questions I share and experience with others. I respect your comments and take them to heart. Your not way of target and point well taken thus I will take "over obsession" into account but as of right now things just don’t seem right like they were last November? Hmmmmm, wonder why?? Time and attention should tell. Thank you.

Hello, all,

I see our "family" continues to grow and that the E experience is still hurting many. Welcome.

Elena!!! I had dearly missed you and am glad you were able to update us and hope you can find a computer again soon. :-)

Laurel

I have been on Effexor XR for 4 yrs. My insurance company as of March 1st is no longer considering effexor a formulary drug. Maybe they know something ahead of time considering I have to be weened off of the drug now and am now experiencing nasty withdrawl systems consisting of feeling drunk, spinning, numbness in my face, nausea, crying spells and being very nasty to others around me. My doctor had reduced my dose from 75 mg a day to 37.5 a day for 2 weeks and then I was told to just stop taking them after the 2 weeks. On the 3rd day without any of the drug I started experiencing all the symtoms of withdrawl that I described above. On the 7th day of being so dizzy that I couldn't function I called for an appt with my doctor at which time he put me back on 37.5 once a day for 2 more weeks then after that take 37.5 every other day for 4 more weeks then just stop them after that. I took an 37.5 after I left my doctors office and within 3 hours I was no longer dizzy and that scares me. I'm so concerned that I will have those same feelings again I'm terrified. I'm just very disappointed that my doctor didn't explain to me when I was prescribed this medication how hard it would be to be taken off. Is there anything else I can do to make this transition an easier one.

Well, it's pretty hard to get anyone's attention in the medical profession about this drug and the horrible weaning off process. No one tells us about the side effects because doctors and pharmacists are told how wonderful the drug is by the reps selling the drugs and then when you tell your doctor or pharmacist about the problems with E, they don't believe you! And the drug companies aren't actively looking at websites like this to hear any negatives that will cost them millions and millions of dollars, so the med just keeps getting prescribed. I am so thankful for everyone's posts about the problems with the drug and I stopped after 4 or 5 days. I can't believe the stupid things they take off the market and leave crap like this available to us all. Horrible situation.

It is unbelieveable how this drug has gotten such rave reviews yet no one seems to know about all the negitive side effects. I was fearful for a while that it had damaged my brain! It is a scary situation but to those who are weaning off, this too shall pass. Don't worry. You will be okay. Just be strong, talking about it really helped me out with my detox.
Laurel! I have missed you too! I am glad to see that you are still posting! I am hoping to have more computer access very soon! So I would love to find out how things are going with you! And of course everyone else!
Take care all,
Hugs and prayers
Elena