Effexor RX 150mg widrawl

hey everyone,

i`m new here and looking for answers verry bad.

I`v got Effexor RX 75mg in july 2005 for the first time,my doctor put me on medication cuz i was going true a bad separation battle (Lawyers ect)I tried 75mg for about a month with no results.So he gave me 150mg right after.the thing was that i could not sleep and so he gave me some pills to help sleeping,changet them 3 times with no success.So now I just on effexor.

Last september I decidet no need to take them anymore,Big mistake...I was verry sick and after 3 days my doctor was verry upset with me and so i taket them again.This was the first time I realizet howe addictive effexor rx really are!!!And i`m pretty mad at my doctor then he newer told me about that.

Then in december I could not go to the Pharmacie to get them so i had widrawl again for 3 days,this time the pharmacie guy was the one being upset with me.But I had a reason.

Now finely I want to get off them for good,my life is getting better I found this grate Boyfriend and everything seams to take a good turn.Its the 5. day i`m off effexor rx 150mg "cold turkey" and i`m in Hell!besides the crieing,the brainshocks,dizziness and cold/hot all the time.I now having a real cold on top to,so i`m not sure whats from the widrawl and whats from the cold?my syomach is verry upset,I have a major Haedache and I just trowed up blood!

my ears are constantly ringing and my visoin is blurry like if i would be drunk.I had to send my son to my sister,then i`m in bad shape and verry mad at everything.

After reading lots of informations about widrawl I`m not sure if I can do that?

I had a down when i got effexor the first time,but i`m not really depressive newer ben.So i blame my self for this.And now it seams to me that i`m stuck with it,so what should I do?

is there anyone who went true that and is off that drug now for good?I mean this looks like if i`m stuck in a circle and i want to get out.I cant not even drive my car,I`m scared I may kill someone on the road.Help please.ThanX

Sabrina

Hi Sabe,  I am sorry  that you are feeling so bad.  Effexor is a Serotonin & Norepinephrine re-uptake inhibitor which means that it levels out the Serotonin & Norepinephrine in the brain Dopamine levels are also affected during this process.  When you quit taking this medication with titration it down slowly it constricts the blood vessels in the brain and all these levels are effected drastically.  This is why you feel so terrible and you need to have doctor supervision when going off of a medication.  This is not saying that you wont feel like crap with a dr supervision but these effects can be greatly reduced.  If you have been off of it for 5 days now, I would suggest taking Tylenol and staying vertical as much as possible until you start to feel better.  But keep in mind that it took 2-3 weeks for the Effexor to reach its "therapeutic level" in your body so it can take up to that long for it to leave also........ I hope you feel better soon. ~elisha

ThanX so mutch to everyone who replayd to me,I sure found some grate answers to my questions.

One more day almost past,last night was a bad night.Had troubles to fall at sleep.I woak up around 4am,but couldent move a bone or even open my eyes.I was compleatly freaking out,and i`m not sure howe long it was that way but I think a few minutes for sure.I feelt like if my body had paralized.Then I had a big haedach,and was so scared to fall at sleep again so i tried to stay awake.Well sooner or later I could sleep and in the morning evean i still had a haedach I was feeling a litle bit better,at least for a wile.Sunshine outside made me feel happy,but I was hyper all day long.

I decidet to go for a drive since I had so many things to do,what accualy still was a mistake to do considering blurry vision and haedshocks.I had to bring my car to the garage and tried noone to let see howe shacky I am.I had to hold my self most of the time,troubles standing still.

Compaering to the past days I would say today is a better day,I had one bad shock this evening,had to lie down.Walking around dident helpt it was getting worse.

I will post here howe going off the effexor RX is reacting to me,and hope this may help someone ealse to.

ThanX so mutch to all of you.

Sabrina

 

Hey its now day 6.since I stopt Effexor RX..

I finely sleep true a whole night,I dident even knew when I did that last?I had a stressfull morning,had to drive around for E-test ect.(my car still dident make it.LOL)

I was not to shakey,still a bit dizzy and blured vision.once in a wile i`v got some Shocks,but I have so mutch to do that i`l trie to ignore them.

I`m still hypher and this may made me react verry furious to ex-bf stalking me this morning!   compleatly lost it,just outside my home.I made a horrible scene and dident care if someone heard me.

I still cant get rid of the haedach,that seamd turnd to a migrane.

I lost some weight to since I stopt effexor,I begin to like my self better.And my grate boyfriend is so positive and suportive,i could not aske for more.Having ppl around who give suport is a grate thing,my sis.takes care of my kid so he has not to see mom when she is sick.The suportive messages here on this forum are a big plus to,you are grate ThanX

I`m convincet that I will not go back on antidepressant,dont want to replace them with anything.After going true that(and i`m sure i`m not done jet)there is no way I did all that for nothing!!!

For me the cold turky way is the best I think,but I would not trie to convince anyone to do that the same way I did.I`m not a doctor but I knowe that some ppl need to be on this medication.It would be wrong if I would say,my way would be the only way.

have a nice day

Sabrina

I HATE effexor. That stuff almost drove me to suicide, and the withdrawal almost drove my boyfriend to murder me, I was such a horrid creature. I stopped cold turkey because the wthdrawal symptoms were less painful than being on the drug itself. I was curled up in my bedroom in the dark for days with earplugs in because the slightest sound caused me intense physical pain, and light would induce anxiety attacks. I was having horrible violent nightmares, when I could sleep at all.

It took about two weeks before I felt okay again, and it was several months before I felt like my old self again. I was on the drug for only a week and it messed me up that much! I can't imagine what you're going through after having been on that drug long-term.

Is it possible for you to see another doctor? A good doctor can help you come off the drug, and s/he will be more understanding about you wanting to be off the drug. It's your body and your choice what you put into it.

I do need to say, however. It's really not your doctor's responsibility to tell you about side effects and such. You have access to the internet, so do yourself a big favor next time and do thorough research before starting any new drug. Look at both medical websites and personal experiences. Your body belongs to you, and it's solely your responsibility to care for and protect it. I'm sorry to sound preachy, but I learned that lesson the hard way, myself.

I did some research on Effexor and discovered a lot of information that made me very angry... it's my personal belief it should never have been FDA approved -it was rushed through the testing process, and nearly every person taking it during the testing had to be put on other medications to handle all the side effects. There are also numerous lawsuits against the drug company because of the damage it's caused to many people who have taken it.

But I was so desperate for some relief I took it anyway, despite the voice of wisdom in the back of my head telling me not to. Now I listen to that voice before I listen to a doctor. It's never steared me wrong, whereas numerous doctors have. Doctors are human and fallible and often do not do any research before prescribing new drugs. They tend to believe if the FDA approved it that it must be safe. Don't you believe it!

As far as I'm concerened that drug is poison. Yeah, it's helped some people, but it looks to me that it's harmed far more. How cana drug that causes an addiction and withdrawal the intensity of heroin be good for you?

Effexor was the last straw for me, as far as prescription antidepressants are concerned. I've tried something like 20 different types (i've lost count at this point), and I REFUSE to ever touch another one. (I've been clinically depressed since childhood, and also have fibromyalgia and lupus) What finally got my depression and anxiety under control was 5-HTP, and Velvet Bean as well as doing yoga, meditation, and a practice called EFT- Emotional Freedom Technique.

I truly feel for you. But hang in there, as painful as withdrawal is, remember it WON'T last forever. You will recover, and you'll be stronger for your experience in the long run. Good luck.

*huggles*

kooky

kookykrisp said...
I HATE effexor. That stuff almost drove me to suicide,... Yeah, it's helped some people, but it looks to me that it's harmed far more. How cana drug that causes an addiction and withdrawal the intensity of heroin be good for you.

This part really scared me.

PixieD,
It IS hard to go off of the SSRI's, but MUCH easier if you go off of them very very slowly. If you have concerns, talk to your doctor. Remember though, on the internet you're more likely to find bad reports than good ones. People who are doing fabulous on the medications don't tend to post that often, but if they don't like a medication they're more likely to share it in a forum where people can read it.

They aren't exactly as addictive as heroin. Yes, going off of them cold turkey, or even cutting down too quickly can make you very sick indeed (as detailed by Sabrina, who is in my thoughts for a speedy recovery)... the difference is that you don't crave them after you stop them. In fact, after going off of Zoloft I can't believe I ever started a different drug - - but when things get too dark, you rethink your options. (DH and I had LONG discussions, and he's a really holistic sort of guy, so you can imagine how hard it was for him to tell me that he thought going back on meds would be a good idea.)

I've actually heard that yoga and meditation can be a godsend for helping with anxiety and depression. I'd like to look in to that.

Hey everyone..I`m back!

its about 2 months now that i`m off effeXor rX...feeling way better!

I had last night one more bad shock when lieing on the coutch,I could not see,not speak or move.Once in a wile...like mabay every 2-3 days I`m feeling hyper and dizzi..haedaches and verry bad mood just like PMS but worse..pore ppls who have to endure my moodswings.

I realized EffeXor still rules my life somehowe or should I say the sideeffects of stoping it?As soon things go stressfull or not to good,I get to the point of feeling sick!Also I need to say,that are the times I feeling scared I may take them again....

Just hope one day I will be my self again and being happy.For now,I wish u all the best of luck and will give u a update once in a wile..I hope that this helps for some with questions,just feel free to contact me...thanX and have a good sunday!

~Sabrina~