Effexor XR Withdrawal

Hi...

  I am twenty years old and finally stopped taking Effexor 3 weeks ago after 4 or 5 years. I am now so angry that I ever even started taking it I am currently contemplating going after some-one in the industry. My advice... do not take this medication. I stopped taking it, let myself eat a little more, splurge a little more, no booze though, and I feel great-- But the point is that I feel again. Wow, where were all of these feelings hiding for the past years? The highs are certainly higher which makes the lows incomparable right now. What I can tell you from my experience is that I had tried to stop it before and felt horrible and took it up again. I think you just have to find the right time for you, this time I had mild headaches and slept a little more. How scary is the possibility of brain tremors though? Everyone I have discussed this medication with hates it. I wish my Doctors had checked up on the med. or advised me to stop taking it long ago... I wish any of them had cared... but they didnt. Thank god for having my life back... and screw doing it their way... I guarantee (I have done it) that weining yourself from this med. will make it unbearable. Good luck to anyone taking it... please stay on top of it, especially if they are prescribing it to your kids.

I was taking 225 mg/day. Last week I dropped 75mg. I'm weaning off this and will be starting someting new. I started my sick leave last week and as part of the time off, I'm making some big changes, the drugs being one of them. After approx. 4 years on Effexor, and two increases, and now coming to the point where I needed to take stress leave, I felt that a change of meds might be good. Last week was horrible. I'm not dropping 75mg all at once again. But this week I'm starting to feel better again. I don't want to live on a high dose of anti-depressants for my whole life, but I know that they are helping me. I'd like to get to a point where I am taking a maintenance dose again. My parents are against the drugs entirely but it's like someone said, if I had diabetes, I wouldn't stop taking my insulin shots or feel bad about having to take them. It's the same with a maintenance dose of anti-depressant. It just helps keep me stabilized and able to deal with the world. But higher doses come with their own side effects. I agree about the Effexor XR almost cutting me off from my emotions so I wasn't actually dealing with anything. I felt like a zombie, and if something happened that tapped into the emotions, then it could easily send me over the edge because I just didn't know what to do with the emotions, there were too many, too much all at once. So thus I'm on sick leave, switching up my meds, making arrangements to see a therapist on my own and other such life changes that will hopefully get me back on my feet and better able to cope with life and make decisions. But generally speaking as far as going off any drugs, it should be done under doctor supervision and gradually, particularly with some drugs. Effexor XR is one of the more difficult ones to wean off of from the sounds of things - unfortunately. Anyways, I wish anyone going through this luck... Take care.
slowlygoingcrazy

Hey Anti-drug, Welcome to HW.  I was wondering how long ago you stopped taking the Effexor?  And I would assume by your screen name that you are not on another antidepressant?  See, I ask these questions for a reason as people who have Major Depression and stop their antidepressants often go through what is known as a "honeymoon period" afterward.  This is where they will feel well physically and mentally for a few weeks, months or even a year but the Depression is always there and it does come back.  More times then not the person has to seek some form of medication to control it.

I did not see anywhere in Victoria's post where she made referance to your age so, I dont know why you would mention this as an issue.  She was simply stating that everyone is differant and reacts differantly to these medications which is a fact.  She has done well on Effexor XR and so have I as have countless others.  I'm 33 yrs old and have had Major Depression for a very long time and been on many differant medications through out the years.  Some have worked and some havent so well, what I dont do is come on this forum and caution others against a treatment that didnt work as well for me as I know that they do work for others.  People who have depression need to get treatment not to have someone telling them horror stories about their medications.

 

Hi

I have not checked in in quite a while.

I don't have a chance to check in, but hope everone is at least doing OK.

I joined this thread as I trying very hard to get off Effexor.

Apparently I am not alone in my misery.

I have been tapering off of Effexor.

Cut back from 75mg to 37.5mg around Jan. 20

Cut back from 37.5 mg everyday to 37.5mg every other day on March 8.

Doc told me do on and off for 12 days or so.

Well I am having a real tough time.

I've got those darn "brain shivers" that are driving me bonkers.

I'm going to try and tough it out and get off of this stuff.

I will try and report my progress.

Let's all try and hang in there.!