Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 82 of 140}

Pam - I completely understand the comments about the mailbox. I, too, got to the point where walking to the mailbox and back was a huge achievement. When my mother would come to stay, she'd exhibit more energy than I had - and she has had to recover from a stroke and is in her mid 70s....

Like you, I feel Effexor robbed me of years of my life. My wife and I missed the opportunity to have children because of the very extreme sexual side effects that it caused (supposedly, it doesn't...but that just isn't the case).

Mary - My restless legs (hence my forum name!) were definitely made worse by Effexor. Some weeks, the Requip just wouldn't work. Once off Effexor, the intensity of the RLS has diminished - but not gone entirely. I never even had RLS before Effexor - I wouldn't be surprised if Effexor triggered it.

Mikemo,
I am on 2-150 mg capsules. They have me taking them both in the morning. I have taken myself down to 225 mg. It started out really bad but I am doing better now.
I have been on some websites that promote Omega-3 and othe supplements. Do any of you have an opinion about herbs?
Sara

Sara,

Herbs are great, but you need to be careful that you don't use something that will boost your serotonin while taking effexor at ANY dose. That can be fatal (serotonin syndrome is an oversaturation of serotonin in the brain). That's like adding serotonin to your brain with the effexor valve closed.

Namely, stay away from Tryptophan and 5-HTP until you are completely off of effexor. St. Johns Wort is pushing the dangerous side, too. These things are all great for avoiding depression AFTER you get off of effexor.

Omega-3 is great. We use Coromega. It is an orange sherbet that is VERY well motabolized (vs. pills). You can take omega-3 while using effexor to ease the withdrawl problems during the taper down.

Okay. You should stay at 225mg until you have 3 straight days without withdrawl issues. That may take a while, or you may already be there. Then try this:

205 (down 20mg)
220 (up 15)
215 (down 5)
215 (no change)
215 (no change)
215 (no change)

Then report back how it goes.

Your drop to 225 was big. Please make sure you are all leveled out and feeling pretty good before you make the above drop.

Using the splitting method I describe here:
http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/

Draw your line 7.5 inches long in the crease of a paper and draw tick marks at every 1/4'. Pour a 150mg capsule into the crease and spread the contents evenly along the entire length of the line using a flat toothpick.

For your first dose of the drop, you need 205. That's 150mg + 55mg.

So you will split a capsule at the 2.75' mark. Slide the 2.75' onto another creased paper. carefully pour this into the empty capsule, cap it, and put it in a new container with a 150mg capsule. Label the container '205mg'. The remaining amount is 95mg. Write '95mg' on the paper on which it sits.

The next dose will be 220. That's 150+70. So from the 95mg (4.75'), slide off 3.5' onto the other creased paper. That's your 70mg. Pour it into an empty gelcap and put it in a container with a 150mg capsule. Mark that container '220mg'. Now you should have 1.25' left. That's 25mg. Cross out the '95mg' and write '25mg' on that paper. Set it aside.

Now start again with a new paper and a new pill. Spread it out.

With careful attention to notekeeping, you can make a weeks worth of doses in about 45minutes. You'll need a lot of containers (or just get a 'weekly pillminder'), and some empty gelcaps. You'll get quicker at this after you do it a few times.

Walgreens will give you some empty pill bottles for free. I always throw my leftovers into a gelcap and lable the bottle with whatever it is. You never know when it will come in handy to make a dose on the schedule. ALWAYS LABEL EVERYTHING.

(I usually just count by fives as I move my toothpick from tick to tick until I get to the dose I need, rather than calculating 'how long' to the split point to go.) But DON'T redistribute the remaining balls over the line. That would ruin the 1/4'=5mg deal.

If I have an old dose labeled '20mg' and I need to get 20 of it, I'll just spread it out over five 1/4' increments. Then I'll scrape off four 1/4' increments. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!

CORRECTION:

''If I have an old dose labeled '25mg' and I need to get 20 of it, I'll just spread it out over five 1/4' increments. Then I'll scrape off four 1/4' increments. I hope that helps! Let me know how it goes!''

Day 2 on 150mg of effexor. 100mg of wellbutrin.

Strange loss of balance. Feels like I'm on a boat with no sea legs. I find myself drifting to the sides uncontrollably while walking down the sidewalk.

I find this strange since I had been on 150mg for quite awhile and had only been bumped up to 225 about a month and a half ago.

Irritability is also on the upswing. I'm not sure if this is due to the pills, or just because of what's going on in my life recently. Either way, the kettle's warming. Hopefully it doesn't sound at an inopportune time.

jack

The balance issue is not likely the result of the drop in effexor, but more probably from the wellbutrin (thanks to the dopamine increase). You'll level out from that.

Note, it's not actually an increase in dopamine, but it just concentrates your body's dopamine levels by diallowing the dopamine back into the presynaptic cell. (Just like Effexor does for your serotonin.)

As the effexor (serotonin keeper) is reduced, the wellbutrin (dopamine keeper and Norepinephrine keeper) will increase.

Norepinephrine is a neurotransmitter, like serotonin. So it will help with the anger and depression in a similar (yet different) way than the effexor did.

Dopamine, is just plain fun. It keeps the side effects from withdrawl causing you difficulty. Effexor does this a little bit, too. Just not nearly as much. Once you get used to the new level of dopamine, you'll get your sea legs.

Hang in there!

Is it true? Could I actually be off of EFFEXOR???????????
I was on 18.5 (?) for 2 weeks. I was sick with a terrible cold yesterday and didnt take my dose. It is now been 48 hours since my last dose and I have had NO withdrawal. Am I done????
Wooo Hooooooo
Thanks so much Mikemo! I think I am going to have to tell Oprah about you!!

One problem......I had a complete breakdown because my husband said he couldnt cook dinner and watch the kids. I do it everyday and that one comment set me off. I also hit him this morning. I was in bed sick with my cold and instead of getting up with them (3 year old triplet girls) he brought them in bed with me. I flipped and hit him.
I am having a hard time controlling my anger.
Now what??? I have days where I want to get back on an anti-depressant. NOT EFFEXOR!!!!
Any advice???????
Thanks to all.
You have been life savers.

HI all.
Could it be true? It has been over 48 hours since my last dose of 1/2 of a 37.5 capsule. I was sick with a bad cold and didnt get around to taking it. Am I done with it??? I sure hope so!! woooo hoooo

Problem.....I am having a hard time dealing with my life. I have ZERO patients. I hit my husband today because I got so frustrated at him so quickly.
I FLY off the handle really bad and my depression is back.
I have considered getting on a different anti-depressant but I dont want to.
Please, any suggestions?
Thanks!!!!!!
Shelly

Hi Shelly,

When I was finally off Effexor, my wife told me that I seemed to get angry at the slightest things - and that is very out of character for me.

This persisted for quite some time. Now that I am exercising again, my wife has told me that my mood has dramatically improved.

Note - 48 hours isn't really very long. However, if you aren't feeling any of the weird dizzies/brain zaps etc, then great! I couldn't stop at 1/2 of a 37.5 capsule without getting all the effects....

John.

I spoke too soon. Right after my last post, the zapping and dizzys started. I took 1/4 of a 37.5 and will continue this for another week or two. Do you think I will be able to stop after that?

I have a hard time excercising because I am a stay at home mom of 3 year old TRIPLETS. I am so exhausted 100 % of the time. The thought of excercising just makes me want to go to sleep.
I do love yoga but can't find the energy to do it.
Anyway, thanks for your post!!
Shelly

I wanted to say thanks to all you guys that were brave and compassionate enough to post about your experiences to help others- like me- know that we are not the only people going through this.
I did have an experience which seems pretty unusual, at least with respect to reading through these posts. I was forced to stop Eff. virtually cold turkey (6 day taper-ha!) after I developed a 'rare' (according to the drug devils) side effect from four months of 150 mg: tardive dyskinesia. That's right, folks, in addition to the fun of withdrawal, I also got to experience an uncontrollable tremor in my face, affectionately known by the ER doc as Rabbit Face. I am now on day 7 of no Effexor and am contemplating the idea that maybe I'll be OK. The tremor is gone, but the roller coaster of trying to withdraw is still going...
The most troubling part of the whole experience was a comment I heard while in the emergency room that more and more people are showing up with these 'rare' side effects from Effexor. The doc said he felt it was poison. Great.

yea, it's poison. it's evil. it's a 'life-stealer'. Yet doctors continue to prescribe it everyday. I don't understand.

Actually, I DO understand. It's just as I've said for the past dozen or so years.

Doctors SUCK.

nadachoice, were you on Effexor at 75mg for a very long period before going up to 150mg? For how long?

Shelly, IMO you shouldn't drop from 18.25 down to zero. So now you are at about 10mg. We JUST made the drop from 10mg to 5mg. So we are just stightly ahead of you. Yesterday was the low dose of 2.5mg. She had shortness of breath and minor heart rate issues around bedtime. Today, she is back at 5mg for two days, then 2.5mg for two days, then zero. I'll post the results when it's all done this weekend.

Past posters have indicated that getting off of the last 10mg is no easier than getting off of the first 10mg. I think it's great that you tried it outat zero, but I think it's REALLY great that you didn't fight it and decided to go back up to 10mg. Get all leveled out there. By this weekend, I'll be able to give the detailed results of our plan below:

10
10
10
2.5
5
5
2.5
2.5
0
0
0


Mike

well, today is day 1 completely off. so far so good. she's had 'minor zaps that are no big deal' for these last couple of days.

here is the final and complete taper that we did:

dose
number dose notes
______ ____ _____________________________
1 75
2 56.25
3 56.25 complaint--it's too fast! very distrought.
4 70
5 70
6 70
7 70
8 70
9 70
10 70
11 55
12 65 no problems
13 65
14 65
15 65
16 65
17 65
18 65
19 65
20 65
21 50
22 60 no problems
23 60
24 60
25 60
26 60
27 60
28 60
29 60 complaint---not ready for another step down
30 60
31 60
32 60
33 60
34 60
35 60
36 45 lost keys---funny day!
37 55
38 55 'this is easy-let's be done by the end of the month'
39 55 (re-worked schedule)
40 30
41 50 'i could have handled the 35 now'
42 45
43 45
44 45
45 45
46 20
47 40
48 35 didn't even know i dropped the dose
49 35
50 35
51 35
52 10
53 30
54 25 didn't even know i dropped the dose. she decided to secretly
skip tomorrows dose, thinking she could quit cold turkey.

55 0 couldn't do it. confessed to skipping the dose.
took 7.5 at 7:00pm…probably wasn't leveled out
from the #52 spike drop yet.
56 20
57 20 no sleep monday night. took additional 5mg at 1:00am
(in jello for quick release)

58 25 maintain 25mg for a while to level back out.
59 25
60 25
61 25
62 25
63 25
64 25
65 25
66 10 no problems!
67 20
68 20
69 20
70 20
71 7.5 cried around 10:00, due to political/religious program.
(she didn't know it was a low dose day)
72 15
73 15
74 15
75 15
76 15
77 15
78 15
79 5
80 10 very tired.

81 10 very tired.

82 10 motivated to get active.

83 10

84 2.5 no comments

85 5 no comments

86 5 soreness in chest and
ribs. heart
palpitations, shortness
of breath.

87 2.5 minor zaps around
dinner time. tolerable.
not irritable. heart
palpitations, shortness
of breath.

88 2.5 feeling great as of
noon. minor zaps in
eavening. tolerable.

89 0 minor zaps in morning.
no big deal she says.



hooray! wish us luck!

mike

(that's kinda hard to read. Sorry. The first number is just the day number. The second number is the dose in milligrams) 89 days from 75mg to zero. Ever heard of a doctor doing that for a patient? Yeah, right!

WOW What a ride this has been for you! I DO NOT look forward to it! I am concentrating on vacation and trying not to worry about what awaits me when I get back. Husband is not as supportive as you are! Wanna trade??? teehee Hope all continues as planned! Mary

I am so happy for you guys!!
I hope to GOD that she does well.
Keep us posted.
I am still just eyeballing my doses at about 9mg.
My triplet girls 3rd b-day party is in a week so I am trying to keep it cool until after that.
Going to start excercising because my physical depression symptoms are back and it is miserable.
I don't understand. I have nothing to be depressed about. I am living my dream life. Somedays getting out of bed is enough to make me fall over.
Anyway, MIKEMO you are awsome. Your wife is very lucky to have you.

Good day.

How is it going Mikemo??

I am on 5mg.

PLEASE tell me things are going well.

Shelly

Things are going great! She's got a few zaps here and there. But no whooshing, sleeplessness, tremors, ect.. Nothing disruptive. Even the zaps are very minor, and they are diminishing pretty steadily each day. She's been going for lot's of walks, and we've cut out the fast food all together (well practically). It's been a great weekend. Best of all, she's emotional, which isn't a bad thing.

She's got a newfound enthusiasm for getting her life organized. Awesome few days here!

Shelly, 5mg is amazing! Are you doing all right? If you are fighting it at all, don't lower your dose! Those 5 mg are doing a lot, beleive it or not. When your ready, take a day off and then 2 days of 2.5mg and then quit!

5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
0
2.5
2.5
0
0
0
0

That's my suggestion. The drop from 5 to 0 turned out to be pretty easy, but you HAVE to be ready for it.

The way you asked has me thinking about you! Everything okay?

Thanks, I will follow your lead!!
I am doing pretty well. I have some days that my depression is overwhelming but the other days are awsome.
I don't feel well A LOT of the time so it is hard for me to tell if it is getting off the drug or just my normal 'don't feel well today' feeling.
Once I am all the way off, I plan to start excercising on the days that I do feel well. It is IMPOSSIBLE to excercise on a bad day. I wish my husband could 'get' that.
Anyway, I will keep you posted and thanks again for everything. You rock!
Shelly

Well hang in there. One thing I've noticed is that the good times can really get rolling. Right now, I don't think I could keep my wife from going for a walk without some sort of padlock. But the first few days were not that way. You have to get yourself addicted to the good stuff. Get away from being addicted to the bad stuff.

The bad times can get rolling, too. You have to keep that momentum going in the right direction.

Start exercising right now. Just do leg extensions from the couch of it's a bad day. You'll feel a great accomplishment, I promise!

Hi guys,

I'm new to the board and need advice. I started taking Effexor 8 yrs ago for depression. I don't feel one bit depressed but have gained 80 lbs and am so tired all the time. I tried getting off the Effexor last year by weaning over three weeks but almost died from side effects.

I am at 3-75 mg XR pills a day. I would like to go sown to 2. Are there side effects from going down to two or should I split the capsule for a while first?

Hey Pennyadam,
That is the dose that I was one when I started getting off. I went down by 37.5 each week with no problems. Once I got to 37.5, I started splitting them.
Follow mikemos posts. They are awsome.
Good luck!
Shelly

When you went from 3 capsules to 2 did you have side effects?

i went from 3-75mg's to 2 75's and a 37.5 for a week and then down to two 75's for a week. then one 75 and one 37.5............
no side effects.