Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 67 of 140}

Hello, I found this forum today. Here's my situation (the brief version!)

* 40yr old male
* L-o-n-g history of depression
* Tried various meds (no luck) until Effexor.
* Been on 300mg daily for 6+ years.
* Aware of the short half life, the weird 'dizzies' as I call them etc
* Chronically fatigue (didn't used to be)
* Diagnosed with RLS and PLMD 2 years ago
* On 1.5mg Requip daily
* Used to self-med with alcohol - gave up 5 years ago (just one bottle will send me into a tail spin 2 or 3 days later)
* Employer has been understanding but absenteeism is getting too much for me to carry out my role
* Next step (any time now) likely to be short-term disability
* Want to come off Effexor (slowly, of course) and see if RLS + fatigue go away
* Requip doesn't always work (seems to vary with each refill)

Sound familiar? I'd like to hear your experiences. Sorry for the 'summary' style but otherwise I'd be typing for hours.

Thanks,

John.

Hey John,

Unfortunately, your list sounds all too familiar. I liked your summarization, so here goes mine...

*24yr old female
*Taking anti-depressants since 14
*As with you, no luck until I found Effexor
*Been on roller coaster doses of Effexor for almost 9 years
*Chronically fatigued the past 3-4 yrs
*Never been diagnosed with RLS but have never been able to sit still
*On 10mg of Adderall XR
*Chronic nighmeres, reoccuring dreams, and sleep paralysis
*Dehydrating night sweats
*Hot flashes
*Occassional head fizzles
*Would like to wean off but after recent experience, not sure if I can handle that again.

Our symptoms are quite similar. We can try and get through this together. Thank you for the post.

Nicole

Nev
I know exactly how you feel.I have been experiencing the same stuff. My hubby encourages me every time so I don't increase again. You sound like you need to wean slower. Cut the 75 capsule open and take some of the balls out and everyday or two take a few more out.Six years is a long time for your body to have this poisonous drug in it you can't stop it overnight.

Elena
Hang in there you have been through so much and been so helpful to so many of us! Have you tried anything natural to help with your symptoms. Sam-e is the newest alternative to meds. If you can try to see a natropath or a knowledgable person at a reputabvble health store.Please don't listen to your doc-he or she must be nuts to even suggest you try this again.My doc does not beleive there is a detox from this med and thinks if there is it can't be that bad. My parents are urging me to get a new doc but I have been with him for 27 years it is hard to change but I am considering it.Elena the most important thing is you did it don't go back. research everything you can before trying something new.Keep your chin up!! You will get through this too!!

About me...Had a very bad day today. Nausea,crying,Cranky and I almost fell down some stairs.I tell you my husband is a saint!!At moments today I felt like this wasn't worth it but he got me through.Well tomorrow cannot be much worse I am looking forward to waking and making it one more step closer to the end of effexor forever.

Everyone please look after yourselves and have hope . This too shall end.Then it will be better than ever because we have learned.

Love Delaney

Leslie
How are you doing? I am happy for you and hope you are well.
Delaney

Delaney,
So far, so good. The only symptom I can tell I'm still having is a mild headache from time to time. Hell, coming off E has been nothing compared to the pain in my ankle since deciding to play stunt-woman down the front porch stairs! LOL! Seriously, I'm doing well! How are things going with you? Thanks for checking up on my!
Leslie

Has anyone experienced RLS (Restless Leg Syndrome) upon cession of effexor? I posted a while ago, I was on 300 mG and slightly weaned off...like I forgot a day took one forgot a couple more days, then started feeling like crap, realized it was detox and never took another. I've been off for about 2 or 3 mo now. My 3rd day off, I was getting the shakes really bad, and it was worse at night when I was trying to sleep, I've noticed in the last week or so when I'm sleeping but still concious, that I'm still having the leg twitches really really bad. I was reading an article on children's sleep problems and how to tell if your child doesn't get enough sleep, and they mentioned RLS, which of course peaked my interest with my legs twitching usually every 10 seconds. So I'm curious as to how many of you have that problem, with the twitches as you're trying to go to sleep or after you're already asleep. you can im me at aim at lilbearsmomma and at yim at lilbearsmomma2002. if you'd like to email they are the addresses for aol and yahoo, just add the proper domain name at the end.

and reference effexor.

Sorry for the spaces, and don't include the - it won't let me do my email any other way.

Or if you just need a 'support' you can email me for that as well. I felt like I was quitting crack when I got off effexor, sweating, shakes, pale, the works. Just imagine someone feinding for an illegal drug and that's how I was getting off this crap. Luckily I did it while I was off work with an auto accident.

Hello,

As of yesterday, I am officially on short-term disability. Initially, it is for 8 weeks. My doc has agreed to taper me off Effexor XR. From 300mg at 37.5mg will take that time. I start Monday. I intend to keep a log. My wife is as apprehensive as I am about this. (I'm usually very logical about things but the horror stories I have read weigh heavily on my mind).

John.

Hey everybody.So glad i found this forum. I've been weaning off of effexor for 4 months and it has not been easy. It's been the worst the past couple days. I break open the 37.5 capsules and am now taking 20 little balls a day. I'm pretty sick. I seem to have different brain zaps than what everbody describes. I feel them behind my eyes everytime i move them back and forth. The zap feeling goes right to my toes. Makes me very sick and want to crawl in a hole. But i'm not giving up! I've come to far to stop now! Any advice to me would be greatly appreciated. I've been reading alot of postings and it's good to know i'm not alone. I call effexor the devil drug. People really need to be more warned about this drug. It's been hell....

John
Absolutely normal for your wife to feel worried. Get her to read the posdtings on here.It helps if she can fully understand what you are going through.The symptoms should not get really bad until you get to a low dose.Maybe you could try Sam-e if you are interested in a natural treatment for depression. It's worth a try if it helps.Good luck!!
Janis
Welcome and good for you.Keep your chin up you are doing great!!

I found the greatest thing for my nausea. Maybe it will help someone else. Sea bands from any pharmacy,I got mine at Walmart.They are worn on your wrists and besides looking a tad dorky,they work.

Just have to say I absolutely coul;d not do this without Rob my husband. We have 2 special needs adults who joined our family 6 months ago and he has been wonderful with them on his days off. Keeping them entertained and fed while allowing me to rest.Driving the kis around to jobs and wherever. He deserves so much appreciation.He says he can already see me coming back and that it is all worth it. God where did he come from. I love him so much(been married for 17 years) and I don't think I have shown him how much in these drug induced years. Things are definitely looking up!!

All I can say is be grateful for today and tomorrow is going to be even better!!!

Delaney

Hi Delaney,

Thanks for your encouragement. I have just started the first reduced dose. A bit late in the day compared to when I usually take it so I already have the usual symptoms of being a few hours late. Tomorrow morning will be a telling time.

Do you (or anyone else) have experience with doing exercise while on Effexor? Whenever I exert myself (sadly, not very often these days), I get the very same symptoms as if I have missed a dose - but it almost immediate. Just a few weeks ago, I had to dig a grave for our 19yr old cat - shouldn't have been an ordeal but I couldn't even walk back to the house. I literally fell to my knees. Eventually, I made it back to the house and went immediately to bed.

Not even five years ago, I was teaching scuba diving (pretty strenuous, as you can imagine) as well as running 3 miles. Now it's sleep, sleep, sleep. Well, try to. Insatiable desire to sleep but also chronic insomnia. And a ridiculously high level of apathy.

John.

John
Up until January I slept whenever I could.My husband got me to start taking greens plus.It is a powder you make a drink out of. If you can make a smoothie and add it in the morning for breaky it is easiest way to get it down.It gives energy and is a supplement of many herbs and vitamins. Anyways give it a try.

Delaney

Elena,

Thank you for the advice and encouragement. You are absolutely wonderful!

Everyone,
Thank you all for the posts. It's comforting to know that I am not alone but I am sad and quite angry to see what this medicine is doing to everyone.

Hello everyone,
thank you all so very much for your kind words and encouragement. It was such a wonderful thing for me to wake up and read what you had posted. I will keep my chin up Delaney and I am feeling quite a bit better than I was last week. I guess that is how it goes! I can't tell you how much it warmed my heart to see what you guys had wrote. I am so grateful. Leslie and Sheila you are so wonderful and thank you.
I plan on doing A LOT of research before I go on anything else. I just want to exaust every other possiblity!
I took off for this long weekend up to a cabin beside a lake. It was just the right therapy I needed.
I hope everyone had a wonderful weekend and will have a wonderful week.
I have to rush as I am sharing this computer and there is someone else that needs it now!
Take care all,
Elenaxo

hello every on every one. your words are encouraging to me. my name is kevin and im 24 years old. i was on paxil off and on for five years, with no problems so iwent off of it also with no problems. i had anxiety still when i drove of course so id take xanax. that ran out so my gp reffered me to a psychiatrist, thas when it went down hill. first it was laxapro, which gave me vertigo and heightened anxiety. then paxil again it made things worse, then effexor for two weeks which tipped me over i couldnt even see straight so to the toilet they went. then my current journey began, i was couch ridden, i had to quit my 80000 dollar a year job and lived at the haospitals and various different doctor. every thing was normal but me. i had to move to northern cal (700) miles away, go on disability, and wait for the constant, nausea, twitches, vision distorsions, intrusive thoughts, anxiety, etc.., to subside. its been 50 days and i've had good days now im excited by that. the night and the morning are horrible. but i have my daghter and wife for encouragement. thank god. i take ativan in a low dose but it doesnt help that much, i start therapy on friday, nomore ssris for me.
id like to here from a veteran abot this whole thing and what they think about because doctors are clueless?????????????

thanfully kevin

dose any one have a medical reference fo me toshow doctor.

Kevin, Can you be a bit more specific? What do you want the medical reference to say? John.

my docis not aware of how long the withdrawal last . what can i show him . im in asmall town. im trying to extend my disaability. also dose any one know the effectivenes of barley, omega3, and cherry combo to help

Up until March 2000, all the patient leaflet said for Effexor XR was:

'When discontinuing Effexor after more than 1 week of therapy, it is generally recommended that the dose be tapered to minimize the risk of discontinuation symptoms. Patients who have received Effexor for more than 6 weeks or more should have their dose tapered gradually over a 2-week period.'

A two-week period - puh-lease!

The FDA ordered Wyeth to change the leaflet to state 'at least a 2-week period' and add the following paragraph:

'Discontinuation symptoms have been systematically evaluated in patients taking venlafaxine, to include prospective analyses of clinical trials in Generalized Anxiety Disorder and retrospective surveys of trials in depression. Abrupt discontinuation or dose reduction of venlafaxine at various doses has been found to be associated with the appearance of new symptoms, the frequency of which increased with increased dose level and with longer duration of treatment. Reported symptoms include agitation, anorexia, anxiety, confusion, coordination impaired, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoric mood, fasciculation, fatigue, headaches, hypomania, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, sensory disturbances (including shock-like electrical sensations), somnolence, sweating, tremor, vertigo, and vomiting. It is therefore recommended that the dosage of Effexor be tapered gradually and the patient monitored. The period required for tapering may depend on the dose, duration of therapy and the individual patient. Discontinuation effects are well known to occur with antidepressants.'

i.e., taper the dose, monitor the patient and adjust the taper accordingly.

My doctor has started my taper at 37.5mg per week from 300mg. My short term disability is initially 8-weeks. Based on what has been posted here and elsewhere, I expect the first half to be reasonably okay but the real fun and games to begin near the end, especially the last step to zero.

I will try to find some more references. In the meantime, ask you doctor to read the most recent safety/packaging insert - it will contain the above paragraphs. Alternatively, if s/he thinks 2 weeks is good enough, state that the FDA mandated a label change for Effexor in March 2000.

What baffles me is that each package of a drug contains the leaflet but, when you get the drug from the pharmacy in an amber vial, the information the pharmacy provides never has the full details.

John.

I've just done a quick search of the scientific literature on withdrawal from Effexor.

Effexor was approved by the FDA on 28 Dec 1993. There are numerous reports of withdrawal symptoms dating from 1996. According to one, Wyeth Labs observed the withdrawal effects during development of the drug, at least prior to 1993.

If you want to show your doctor some medical references to show you are serious about the problems with Effexor, here are some I found from J Clin Psychopharmacol, Volume 24(2), April 2004, pp 229-231
'Venlafaxine Withdrawal Syndrome: Report of Seven Cases in Trinidad'
Baboolal, Nelleen S. MBBS, Dip Psych, DM Psych

REFERENCES
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Rev Med Interne (France). March 2000;21(3):282-284. [Context Link]

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Psychopharmacol (United States). June 2001;15(2):139-141. [Context Link]

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thank you my doc is old stubborn he has no idea. i just got and showed him wyeth literature. he wouldnteven read it. he continued disability. and refferd me to therapy. itold normal before screwed up now.
thank you anyway

kevinnye20 -

I just started the barley/omega3/cherry combo. I am in the first week of 'pre-taper'. The plan I am following that recommended this lays out a two week pre-taper period. I testimonials on the sight I found this plan say that they started seeing more energy with the barley powder. I cannot say that I have experienced any changes.

I must say, the barley powder is disgusting and I have taken other greens powders in the past and other powdered supplements with no problem. I guess I am just going to have to figure out how to get it down!

thank you. have anybody had headaches, anches, migraine, or stiff soar jaw, and black spots in eyes.or extreme sensitivity to alcohol.

The incredible discomforts of these depression medications seem to be hard to take but you have to remember that they rescued you from a point in time when you were suicidal and would have ended your life at any moment to stop the horrible depression you were in. Right there at that moment when you are on suicide watch, you need something to end this phase and these medications step in and remove your focus from taking your life to a cafeteria menu of discomfortable and you move on to staying alive. One of the symptoms of depression is that you have selective memory. you hurt a lot of people and do a lot of things the you do not recall and then you point a finger at the medication and say,who and why am I feeling this way now and you completly forget that you are this way because that is what it takes to jolt you out of taking you life.Just a thought from someone who has been there and done that. -----------------------------------------------. ke -les

all i ha was a simple panic attack and i was given poison. that didnt help and me after i stopped them this sucks

hey everyone, thank god I found this forum.I got the courage by reading 67 pages and realized it can be done to get off this evil drug. I need all the help I can get. I too was mislead into believing this was the way to go. Hey heroin I hear is the best too but hard to get off of. That may not be funny to all but I think you know where I'm coming from. I'm down to 32.5 from 75mg that I took for 4yrs. Does'nt seem like alot but still the brain zaps ,racing thoughts etc. are enough to almost make me go back on. I did'nt realize the weight gain connection until I read this forum. I have three children ages 9 though 4 my husband is trying to be supported as possible , but let face it I'm a wreck. My friend just told me that another friend just went on E!! I tried to tell her my hell, but she's not listening. Jumping from one thought to another is other problem please bear with me.I'm scared to go to the next level. How long should I wait till I start cutting the capsuls in half? I been on the 37.5 mg for three weeks -not so bad. I'm ready to to do this I just need support from others that understand. My husband tries but he just does'nt get it. Thank you livvie

Kevin,

I get the headaches, body aches, occasionally a migraine and I have EXTREME sensitivity to alcohol. In fact, my doctor says he's never known anyone so sensitive to it. I used to drink like a fish - probably a major contributory factor to my depression anyway. But, about six years ago (on Effexor), I got very depressed after a few pints of beer. I decided to stop drinking. So I did. I tried a single 12oz bottle about six months later. Three days later - crash...major depression. Tried the same thing a few months later - same result. So, I haven't touched alcohol since. Can't say I miss it, either. When the doctor first suggested cutting down - especially the red wine - I almost panicked. Not a good sign. I used to readily drink a bottle of red wine each evening....

John.