Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 89 of 140}

maybe the shocks effect me differently ... it's more like a pins and needles thing ... can't even sleep because the touch of the sheets is almost too sensitve ... i haven't had any concerns about driving though ... i haven't noticed the head zaps too badly ...

is that what you were meaning?

hi
hope this is helpful to everyone. I have been off Effexor now for one year this October.
I was on the drug for about 4 years.
So it can be done.. everyone hang in! It has been hard and took a while but i did it.
I still find somedays hard and get down somtimes but i guess thats life. Thats the bit i find hard somtimes while i was Effexor everything i did in my stride. but now i have to think and deal with feelings.
Which i what life is all about its not about living in a bubble and not feeling bad things because then you don't feel the good things either.
But if things don't feel better i would keep talking to your doctors. All Meds are not like this one.

Hello everyone! I'm so glad i found this site, cause of the resemblance.
I'm on efexor 150 for about 5 years now, not liking the side effects like many of you, but still wanna stop these horrible chemicals| drugs..Decided to do something like the 'mikemomethod', but then cut down 2 each day, so that will be a total of 75 days:

day amount
1 150
2 148
3 146
4 144
5 142
.
.
.
72 8
73 6
74 4
75 2

What do you guys think? Or am i going too fast with this method of mine?

I've been told that I should have cut down over a year (not 3 months!)having been taking venlafaxine for 7 years, so definitley go slowly.

I am in my 6th week drug free, physical horrors have subsided condierably now, but I feel quite low and am having terrible trouble relaxing enough to sleep. Resorted to diazeam for 4 nights last week as I was desperate. The Psychiatrist wants me to go back on a high dose of medication again, didn't listen to what I was trying to do. He has now prescribed me Trazodone, which I haven't taken. Still determined to stick it out and find alternative ways of coping should I become depressed. Difficult to know if I am low at the moment due to withdrawal, lack of support from medics or actual clinical depression. Just trying to keep busy and look forward to feeling brighter.

Thinking of you all,

samboe,

Your idea is not a bad one. However, I have a theory that the body needs to be shocked back into serotonin production by simulating an 'extreme need'. The slow 2mg a day never provides that jolt to your system, so eventually you may just cross a line of withdrawl that your body isn't expecting. It's just a theory, however it has been very successful with the people that have tried it.

It requires a single day that is very low compared to your usual dose, followed by the target dose which is higher than the 'shock' dose, but still lower than the previous week. Always make progress, but always challenge your body. The increase after the challenge jolt day provides the relief your body needs to avoid the withdrawl.

Your method my be all you need to get down to 75mg or so. One thing that I have noticed, though, is that at the lower doses, the jolt method becomes more helpful in avoiding withdrawl. Please keep us posted on the schedule you choose to use. Keep a log and write down notes about how you feel from each change.

GOOD LUCK

thanks so much for the quick response!! this meeans so much to me!

you think it's best to do the down20-up15-down5-method so i will have less withdrawl?

is this right then?:
150
150
150
150
130 (down 20)
145 (up 15)
140 (down 5)
140
140
140
125 (down 20)
135 (up 15)
130 (down 5)
130
130
130
110 (down 20)
125 (up 15)
120 (down 5)
120
120
120

thanks again,
samboe

That's right. But you can always adjust this when you get a feel for it. For example. If you do the first cycle and don't notice any problems at all, you may want to make the jumps bigger. I'm all for experimentation on the steps. You might try down 25, up 20, down 5, down 5. That would yield a 15mg drop. This is likeley going to more tolerable when you are in the early stages. as you get under 80mg or so, the steps get more sensitive, so slow it down to the d20,u15,d5 routine.

The bottom line is, always listen to your body and never start another cycle until you have 'leveled out' from the previous cycle. If you level out within 2 days of the cycle, you might want to make the cycle bigger stepped. If it takes you 7 days to laveel out from the cycle, you might want to make the cycle smaller stepped.

It's kinda fun to take an analytical approach to this (that also helps you step outside of yourself during the hard times)

Oh, and never 'give up' a gain. If you just can't cope from a step down, just come halfway back up to where you were before. That usually does the trick.

;)

The mikemo method does work. It seems like it takes forever but it took me 5 months to go from 300mg to zero. It was with little to no side effects. I am completey off now. Still suffering some of the bad mood, anxiety, mental confusion and little brain zaps but each day it gets better. Pace yourself and don't give up. Life is good!
Mary

What a sweety!

Hi everone,
I have been off the effexor since June 20th. Like Crooky the major side effects are gone and I am also feeling not totally there. I am OK at work but when I am alone I just don't feel right. I am really tired all the time but have a hard time falling asleep. I am really self concious too. Crooky you do give me some confifence as you have stayed off the meds for a year. Keep upp the good work and keep us posted. Every story counts.
Kikki

Suggest you take - Nux Vom 30 ( 4 pills three times a day)

It will reduce the bad effect of this medicine and restore mental conditions.

Pl. visit the following site:-

blank">http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/118618/

Always research any homeopathic drug before using. Some things just aren't for everyone. Some can have bad side effects as with prescription drugs.

http://www.drugstoremuseum.com/sections/level_info2.php?leve....

Hi everyone,

I just want to say thank you to Mikemo for posting a method to get off of these pills. I thought i would never be able to do it. I came across this website by accident and started following the steps to get off of them. A month ago i was at 75 mg and today i'm at 10mg with very little side effects. I tried the way my doctor instructed going from 75 to 37.5 and it was awful. So i only a little over a week left and i will be finally off this nasty medicine!!! Thanks again!
Good luck everyone!

Jessica

Yeah! Great to hear Jessica!

By the way, for those folks that are new, the complete description of the splitting method and the taper schedule can be found here:

blank">http://www.abchomeopathy.com/forum2.php/102450/

For mikemo,

Yes, you are right but Homeo medicine have very little aggravation if the immune system is very poor but immediately the same medicine cures it.

But see the effect of Alopathic drugs ( They have lot of side effects)which has spoiled many patients' conditions and they are wandering here and there.

Thank God I found this forum and thanks to all of you who have posted. Each and every one has helped me prepare for this. It has taken me a while, but I have finally read all 89 pages! I had shingles in 1999 and again in 2003, as I was so young, my Dr. put me on different antidepressants to see what worked best. I tried Prozac, Celexa, and I can't remember what else. We found the perfect combo. I've been on Effexor XR for a few years, back and forth between 75 and 150 mgs. (I can't remember exactly how long as I was drinking daily for a while). I also am on 300 mgs of Wellbutrin SR. I'm a 34 year old female, 5'4 and 115 lbs. My Dr. diagnosed me with Hypothyroidism in 2001. I didn't have health insurance for a period of time and ran out of my E. Side effects were so bad, I had to go to the County Mental Health facility to get an emergency prescription. I have been trying to stop for months now, having gone from 125 down to 75. I told my Dr. I wanted to stop altogether and he gave me a weeks worth of 75 mgs and a weeks worth of 32.5 mgs while continuing on the Wellbutrin. You all know what is next; brain zaps, vertigo, nausea, etc. I saved a few 75 mgs from a previous prescription. I would take one when I simply couldn't stand the side effects any longer! I now only have a bottle of 125 mgs. and broke one open this morning and put 20 little balls in applesauce. Mikemo: I suck at math and would love your formula for weaning me off while I only have the 125 mg capsuls. Driving is definitely a problem while experiencing the effects! My boyfriend says I'm 'sparky' when the effects get bad, as when I turn my head or move my eyes too fast, my head jerks back as if I'm flinching. I spoke to my Rite Aid pharmacist last weekend when I was on the verge of tears and downing 4 Dramamine a day - he suggested I read 'Depression Cured At Last'. He also suggested I take a B-Complex vitamin along with my multi-vitamin and see a nutritionist. He went on for about 15 minutes about how our bodies are deficient of different vitamins or minerals which effects our moods and we need to take natural remedies to balance things out. I felt like I was in a really weird dream hearing my Pharmacist speak like this. He suggested I keep Effexor in my system and taper slower. Mikemo: HELP! Rajendra: I see you posting a comment on each topic - how familiar are YOU with Effexor and it's withdrawal effects? Yes, I have been moody and so impatient; God bless my poor boyfriend. When he tries to explain that he's on my side, I feel so guilty for the way I feel and it makes me start crying. Sorry for rambling, but having stopped drinking 19 months ago and smoking 5 months ago, I feel so low not being able to stop Effexor!

Take Nux Vom 30 (1 drop in one spoon of pure water)three times a day.

It will help minimizing the toxic effects of the medicines taken by you as well as the toxic effects of Alcohal. It will take some time. Pl. try for one week and then report.

Mikemo:Thanks a millie again, today i dropped about 20, tomorrow it will be 15. Didn't have any side effects yet. you rock!

Maystamper: Your giving me hope, and that's a wonderfull thing, let me tell you!

SweetLo: Thinking we have a lot in common, being a testbunny wen it comes to being put on different antidepressants at a young age, finally on Effexor, was back and forth between 75 and 150 mgs in the beginning. Now i was wondering around for a few years and found this site, read the pages, and found the courage to post something...just like you!

Remember, your boyfriend is with you because he thinks you are a woman which is worth it and loveable..
Hang in there, your brave!

Rajendra: i too wanna know what YOUR experience is with any of the Homeo medicine you recommend in all your posts.

good luck to all!
samboe

Sweetlo,

First thing you need to do is go get some empty gelcaps from your local healthfood store. They are slightly larger for easy filling. Get some ziplock bags or empty pill bottles to store the different doses that you make in.

Take 3 of those 125mg capsules and split them in half. This will give you 6 capsules of 62.5mg each. Take one each day for the next 6 days. Let me know how you feel on day 4. You need to be feeling good and 'on an even keel' before we really start tapering. It might take longer than 6 days at 62.5. But hang in there. It is still a jump up from the 20 balls you took in applesause, so it might just do the trick!

To split them, draw a 4' line along the crease of a folded paper. Put a mark at the 2' spot (middle). Then dump the contents of a capsule into the crease, spread them EVENLY along the 4' line without going past the end points. Use a toothpick to split the 'line' in half at the 2' mark you made. Slide half onto a 2nd folded paper to use to pour into a capsule (over the sink--try not to spill---you'll get better with practice). Pour the other half into another capsule.

Now you know how to make your own doses. This splitting in half is good practice for next week when you start splitting them on 5mg increments. I'll help you with that next week. Let's get you through this first week at 62.5.

Mike

samboe,

No Problem! (just to clarify, though, tomorrow you will go back UP 15mg from todays dose)

Update on me......

I have been back on Effexr for almost one month because my depression was dibilitating. I am on 225 which is what I was on when I went off. It isn't working as well as it did before. I felt so normal before that I thought I didn't need it.
I am not back to having good energy and I also have 'stay in bed days'.
I also had side effects this time that I didn't have before. Can't figure that one out either. I am going to give it a while longer before I up my dose.
I am very proud of you all. Keep up the good work and i wish you all the peace and happiness in the world!!!

Yeah oops that's what i meant, today was down 20 (from 150 to 130) and tomorrow wil be up 15 again (145).
:)

MikeMo: I will begin the regimen you suggest tomorrow as I already put 20 balls in my applesauce.
Samboe: Another reason I don't feel so alone, thank you for your response.
Rajendra: Do you work for Nux Vom 30? I haven't drank for 19 months, no toxicity remaining.

I shared my experience with the FDA through the link posted and here is the response I received, I urge all to do the same so action is taken with Wyeth:

'Dear Reporter:

Thank you for submitting your report to MedWatch, The FDA Safety
Information and Adverse Event Reporting Program.

This acknowledgement confirms that your report was received. Reports
are added to a postmarketing safety database with similar reports and
reviewed by the FDA’s postmarketing safety staff. Voluntary reports
are essential for ensuring the continued safety of FDA-regulated
products. One or two well-documented case reports may provide an early signal
of unexpected problems and lead to additional evaluation. This may
result in FDA regulatory actions that improve the safety of the products
used in patient care each day.

You might be contacted by an FDA staff member if additional information
on your report
is needed.

Again, thank you for taking the time to submit your report.


Sincerely yours,

MedWatch'

Thanks for this Alopathic research. Multiplying patients.

I was wondering if any of you have a plan should depression return. I'm feeling low and quite tearful at the moment, sleep still not brilliant and am just trying to keep occupied and see friends as much as possible so I'm not on my own.

Has anyone found anything especially helpful as I really don't want to have to take antidepressants again... my doctor has already told me I need to take them long term and prescribed Trazadone instead of Effexor, but that seems to have as many horrible withdrawal effects.

This forum has been the best support I've found and it's so helpful to know I'm not alone or imagining these withdrawal symptoms. Thanks so much.