Effexor Class Action Lawsuit

[Negativesideeffe xor]

Effexor has caused me extreme anguish physically and mentally. It has negatively affected my school, my work, and my family life. I think monetary compensation is extremely relevant due to the funds I have lost because of the extreme nature of the withdrawal symptoms. These people must be shown that they cannot produce and prescribe drugs to people that do far more harm than they do good. The very first part of the Hippocratic oath states, "Do no harm." Obviously this very simple, very crucial tenet of medicine has been ignored in order to create vast profits. These greedy purveyors of technologically advanced poison must be held accountable!!! They are not only highly unethical, but also morally bankrupt.

[Susan L Middletown Md]

Moira wrote:

(PART I)- they posted backwards.
I know this is really boring, because I copied it from Drugs.com , but it explains why these interact negatively.
-"Tylenol PM
Generic Name: ACETAMINOPHEN and DIPHENHYDRAMINE"
-"St. John's wort
Generic Name: St. John's wort"
-"DayQuil Multi-Symptom Cold/Flu
Generic Name: ACETAMINOPHEN/DEXTROMETHORPHAN /PSEUDOEPHEDRINE Capsules"
My Drug List (unsaved)
-dextromethorphan
-diphenhydramine
-pseudoephedrine
-Effexor XR (venlafaxine)
-St John's Wort (st. john's wort)
Interactions between your selected drugs
-dextromethorphan -> venlafaxine
Applies to: dextromethorphan, Effexor XR (venlafaxine)
AND
-venlafaxine -> st. john's wort
Applies to: Effexor XR (venlafaxine), St John's Wort (st. john's wort)
MONITOR CLOSELY: Concomitant use of agents with serotonergic activity such as serotonin reuptake inhibitors, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, tricyclic antidepressants, 5-HT1 receptor agonists, ergot alkaloids, lithium, St. John's wort, phenylpiperidine opioids, dextromethorphan, and tryptophan may potentiate the risk of serotonin syndrome, which is a rare but serious and potentially fatal condition thought to result from hyperstimulation of brainstem 5-HT1A and 2A receptors. Symptoms of the serotonin syndrome may include mental status changes such as irritability, altered consciousness, confusion, hallucinations, and coma; autonomic dysfunction such as tachycardia, hyperthermia, diaphoresis, shivering, blood pressure lability, and mydriasis; neuromuscular abnormalities such as hyperreflexia, myoclonus, tremor, rigidity, and ataxia; and gastrointestinal symptoms such as abdominal cramping, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea. MANAGEMENT: In general, the concomitant use of multiple serotonergic agents should be avoided if possible, or otherwise approached with caution if potential benefit is deemed to outweigh the risk. Patients should be closely monitored for symptoms of the serotonin syndadministering another serotonergic agent. If serotonin syndrome develops or is suspected during the course of therapy, all serotonergic agents should be discontinued immediately and supportive care rendered as necessary. Moderately ill patients may also benefit from the administration of a serotonin antagonist (e.g., cyproheptadine, chlorpromazine). Severe cases should be managed under consultation with a toxicologist and may require sedation, neuromuscular paralysis, intubation, and mechanical ventilation in addition to the other measures.

Hi Thanks for the information. And I did research my other meds to find out they are also not a good mix with Efferox. Why do Doctors do this?? I think it is lack of information. since I have been seeing my doctor since the 80's and believed him to be caring and conscientious. I did however decide to ween myself off this drug by myself. He said I could take it all my life without any complications. I found this to be not true. Since I started at 275 mg I am down today to 37.5 mg. Its been a very long very difficult road and I seem to now believe it to be the help of other OTC drugs that must be stimulating the doses. I am going to make a doctors appointment to see him and see if maybe another way
(other than the OTC's) can help me to ween off so this is completely out of my system. I am very surprised to find out the many reasons doctors prescribe this drug Effexor. My sister over 500 miles away takes it to sleep at night and menopause symptoms. My husband was prescribe ( but never took it) for lower back pain. Is this the new fix -all drug? My was for vertigo,and believe me I feel more vertigo going off this drug than I ever did having vertigo...Thanks for all your help. If you can think of something I should mention to my Doctor please share

[Topazia]

Susan L Middletown Md wrote:

<quoted text>Hi Thanks for the information. And I did research my other meds to find out they are also not a good mix with Efferox. Why do Doctors do this?? I think it is lack of information. since I have been seeing my doctor since the 80's and believed him to be caring and conscientious. I did however decide to ween myself off this drug by myself. He said I could take it all my life without any complications. I found this to be not true. Since I started at 275 mg I am down today to 37.5 mg. Its been a very long very difficult road and I seem to now believe it to be the help of other OTC drugs that must be stimulating the doses. I am going to make a doctors appointment to see him and see if maybe another way
(other than the OTC's) can help me to ween off so this is completely out of my system. I am very surprised to find out the many reasons doctors prescribe this drug Effexor. My sister over 500 miles away takes it to sleep at night and menopause symptoms. My husband was prescribe ( but never took it) for lower back pain. Is this the new fix -all drug? My was for vertigo,and believe me I feel more vertigo going off this drug than I ever did having vertigo...Thanks for all your help. If you can think of something I should mention to my Doctor please share

You might mention to your doctor that there are very few medications that can be taken "all [my] life without complications". Even aspirin, one of the oldest, most used, and least harmful meds, will eat your stomach lining if you're on it long enough. And you're going back to him for more advice?

[Moira A]

When I was having extreme insomnia, my doctor tried me on 4 different prescriptions that were "off label treatments." Two were an anti-depressant, one was a blood pressure medication and one was a sedative.

Some drugs have different functions, but they're not considered mainstream treatments as not enough research has been done to prove the off label uses.

Wellbutrin, for example claims to treat depression, ADHD, obesity and is also used to aid in smoking cessation. So it makes you wonder how well it's actually treating the problem YOU have.

[Pamela B]

I would join the class action lawsuit as well. Effexor has ruined my life. I even read the other day that Andrea Yates, the TX woman who murdered her five children in her bath tub, was on Effexor and reduced quite suddenly a few days before she murdered those babies. It is no coincidence. I was very suicidal while going through withdrawals. I also couldn't work and ended up having a major mental breakdown and leaving an excellent job because of it. I would like to see this drug taken off the market and people compensated for their losses. email: [e-mail]

[Topazia]

Pamela B wrote:

... I even read the other day that Andrea Yates, the TX woman who murdered her five children in her bath tub, was on Effexor and reduced quite suddenly a few days before she murdered those babies.....

Maybe if we'd read it during the trial, we'd have had the opportunity to CHOOSE NOT TO TAKE EFFEXOR. But, no....

[Concerned]

My husband too was on effexor for 2 years. When the involuntary muscle contractions started and became worse he weaned himself off the drug over about two weeks. He did not have the horrible side effects described above but he continues to experience the "jumping" muscle contractions which I understand now are a result of a serotonin overload and are probably permanent. I am not sure what to do now.

[Susan L Middletown Md]

Topazia wrote:

<quoted text>
You might mention to your doctor that there are very few medications that can be taken "all [my] life without complications". Even aspirin, one of the oldest, most used, and least harmful meds, will eat your stomach lining if you're on it long enough. And you're going back to him for more advice?

Yes till I am at least off this stuff I have to make an appointment for next week he is on vacation. I asked them to prescribe the 37.5 mg I was on the 75mg three tablets a day 225 mg total. I have shakes bad and feel vertigo and brain zaps. I am down to the 37.5 mg on my own.. And that has been since August all by myself this has been a terrible ordeal to withdrawn down from the 225mg. When will I feel normal again. I will state to him the aspirin awareness!!! Thanks

[Melanie K ontario-canada]

Hi Everyone,
I am also a sufferer of discontinuation syndrome symptoms from effexor xr. i have been on the drug for 6 years and have tried getting off the drug many times without success. right now, i have been tapering off for the past 6 months with extremely severe discontinuation symptoms. i am fed up that the drug's manufacturer, Wyeth, can get away with having this drug on the market if it causes so much suffering to get off of it.
so today i called Wyeth to file a complaint that their product warnings are not sufficient. on their website they acknowledge that discontinuation syndrome can occur if the medication is stopped or reduced too quickly. so i called to complain that they need a warning that discontinuation syndrome can still occur even if you taper off slowly (ie. in my case, 6 months).
i think this website is very helpful for support. but we need to do something to make a change. for those of you in canada, please consider filing a complaint by contacting who i contacted:
Anya at Wyeth(specifically dealing with tapering off at Wyeth's complaint department ): 1-800-268-1946 ext. 3792
They need to know that even if we follow our doc's advice and taper off slowly, there is still a problem with the drug.
and if u are in the US, see this website for contact info: http://www.wyeth.com/worldwide/northamerica...
Take care,
Mel

[Topazia]

Melanie K ontario-canada wrote:

....
They need to know that even if we follow our doc's advice and taper off slowly, there is still a problem with the drug.....

They know it; they've known since Day One. They don't care. They think they've taken care of the problem by renaming Effexor. It's now called "Pristiq".

[suffering also]

I am SO on board ... the side effects of trying to get off this stuff scare the life out of me ... my family can't stand me anymore and it's not like I can start taking it again ... I lost my insurance and can't afford the almost $200 a month for the refills ... I'll join the class action ... I was actually thinking about getting a lawyer ... what do we need to do

[Sarah]

Count me in too! The misinformation and non-disclosure of side effects and withdrawal.. Im lucky Its only been 6 weeks. But It turned me into a crazy person!! And Im not the only one! Im on a half a pill a day now and cant wait to be done. A class action lawsuit is OVERDUE. Too many people have suffered because of this drug!

[Darren]

Hi - if you're having trouble getting off this drug, search for my posts on how to do it - takes time but I was successful.

Or email [e-mail]

[Susan L Middletown Md]

Topazia wrote:

<quoted text>
They know it; they've known since Day One. They don't care. They think they've taken care of the problem by renaming Effexor. It's now called "Pristiq".

I did not know They changed the name Glad to know that!

[C Kelly]

OMG! That's horrible. I had no idea about Andre Yates. I would also doubt its a coincidence. I have just started looking for information about the withdrawals or discontinuance symptoms.

I have taken Effexor XR 75mg for nearly a year and just stopped last Friday. I am going through the muck but am absolutlely done with that drug.

Excuse me for jumping in the middle of this site without reading everyone's post yet. Am very glad I found this at the moment.

Pamela B wrote:

I would join the class action lawsuit as well. Effexor has ruined my life. I even read the other day that Andrea Yates, the TX woman who murdered her five children in her bath tub, was on Effexor and reduced quite suddenly a few days before she murdered those babies. It is no coincidence. I was very suicidal while going through withdrawals. I also couldn't work and ended up having a major mental breakdown and leaving an excellent job because of it. I would like to see this drug taken off the market and people compensated for their losses. email: [e-mail]

[ken]

dixie wrote:

<quoted text>
PLEASE PLEASE HELP US. I SUFFERED SO MUCH NOT JUST WITH THE WITHDRAWALS, BUT THE LOSS OF MY MARRIAGE, JOB CHILDREN AND MUCH MORE PLEASE PLEASE HELP US. THERE ARE SITES HERE THAT COVERS ALL THINGS YOU CAN AND CAN NOT IMAGINE. THANKS DIXIE

Effexor has destroyed my life and my family ! my wife was prescribe this crap for a couple of years ! during this time she became numb to life and her own family and refused to listen to anyone but her own doctor ! my marriage is destroyed and relationship with her own kids is nonexistent! I feel for all who have experienced this medication ! THANKS DOC !

[been there done that]

Susan L Middletown Md wrote:

<quoted text> I did not know They changed the name Glad to know that!

when a drug is no longer on patent they change it slightly and call it something else as if they don't hey lose the money to generic drug companies now make effexor they do this all the time as patent drugs are cash cows and with the billions and billions of $$$$$ they made off effexor it hurts to lose it. That is why there are so many different antidepressants on the market it is not that most are that different from each other just worth more money. It is ugly when you see it for what it really is.

[been there done that]

How they make their money.
Psychiatrist Dr. Michael Reinstein received nearly $500,000 from antipsychotic drug's
http://www.chicagotribune.com/health...967,fu...

[been there done that]

suffering also wrote:

I am SO on board ... the side effects of trying to get off this stuff scare the life out of me ... my family can't stand me anymore and it's not like I can start taking it again ... I lost my insurance and can't afford the almost $200 a month for the refills ... I'll join the class action ... I was actually thinking about getting a lawyer ... what do we need to do

I have called every lawyer I can think of even the biggy in the states that does this sort of thing braum hedly or something like that guess what no takers.
think they don't want to fight a drug company that has endless lawyers on staff and ton of our money to defend themselves.
By all means I am in just need a lawyer.

[Margie]

I would like to join this class action suit.. I too have been on effexor 75 mg. daily for over 5 years now. It is unreal the major side effects when you try to stop taking it. The dizzness, the fogginess, can't think straight...as if you are in a odd place...Every joint in my body starts to hurt..I can't function. I want to quit so bad, but the withdrawls are horrible...I am on board with this suit.