Effexor withdrawal

[Buffalogirl]

Do most people feel better when they are off of this(in my case) unneeded drug?

[Brigid]

Eventually yes, but the withdrawal is a pain and it can take awhile. It really helps if you taper slowly to allow your mind to adjust to the drop in Seratonin. Check our the other effexor forum pages for good tips on how to taper.

[Sugarman]

Why take it if you dont need it? You can tell your doctor you dont want it you know. That is an option I assume?

[Brigid]

Sugarman wrote:

Why take it if you dont need it? You can tell your doctor you dont want it you know. That is an option I assume?

The reason people get stuck taking it when they no longer need it is that it is habit forming and causes nasty withdrawal issues like nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, mood instability, migraines etc. These withdrawal effects can be very severe and go on for weeks. This can happen even after slowly tapering down to the lowest available dosage. Most people don't have the luxury to call in sick for a couple of weeks due to severe withdrawal.

[Tanya]

I was on the 150mg of this drug for a few months, then my doctor (due to fatigue) dropped my dose in half for 2 weeks, and then cut me off all together...

I just got back from the hospital because of some -crazy- withdrawal effects. The only way I can describe what I'm feeling is a wave of tingles. It starts in my brain (my brain, not my head) with a feeling of numb-ness, and then waves out. It hits my eyes which feel also numb and slow moving, and then my lips which feel absolutely numb. Then, the tingling sensation runs down my arms. I've had these sensations for about 6 hours now, and they're not letting up.

The doctor at the hospital said that it sounded like I was taken off the pills too abruptly. He suggested that I should have taken the half dose one day, then the full dose the next for a few weeks first and then worked my way down.

If you dont feel that you should be on the drug, speak to your doctor about going off it, but please, learn from my troubles, don't do it abruptly...

[Ezin]

On these antidepressants the split dose/miss-a-day schedules often herald a worsening scenario, due to the short half-lives of the drugs involved. i.e.

Glenmullen states (p.97), in his book on antidepressant withdrawal 'The Antidepressant Solution':

"Q. Can antidepressants be taken every other day as part of tapering off them?

A. None of the short acting antidepressants should be taken every other day as a way of tapering them. Because of their short half-lives, the every other day schedule can result in roller coaster levels of the drugs and roller coaster levels of withdrawal symptoms. This is true for Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro, Luvox, Effexor, Cymbalta, Serzone, Remeron, and Wellbutrin. Since Prozac is long-acting, it is the one antidepressant that can be taken every other day as part of tapering the drug. Because of Prozac's long half-life, patients on every other day schedules typically do not notice the difference between the days when they take the dose and the days when they do not. Because Prozac lingers so long in the body, the fluctuation in the level of the drug are typically not great enough to produce withdrawal symptoms. For most patients, taking 20mg of Prozac every other day is equivalent to taking 10mg a day. Occasionally patients taking Prozac every other day will notice the difference and then one can return to daily dosing. But with all the other antidepressants, every other day dosing should be avoided"

You've experienced a cold-turkey withdrawal. If you wish to find out about the withdrawal process, consider getting a copy of Glenmullen's book, which will talk you through the process, and show you how to taper in accordance with your body's reaction to a dose drop.

The opening chapter and appendices are available online: http://www.prozacbacklash.com/antidepressantS...

[dan]

Ive been taking effexor for about 6 months now. I am trying to finish with it, as per the doctors instructions of reducing the dose to a 35.7 mg pill every 3 days but after less than 48 hours i am experiencing very horrible side effects that involve flu like body aches and pains and low mood worst that why i originally started the meds! This is exacerbated by the unbareable brain shiver sensations every 2 or so seconds which i can only describe as the sensation of the sudden shock of being woken up by the TV when you are falling asleep, but every couple of seconds! I am trying benadryl everyday as recommended by someone on a different forum but i have yet to see improvement.
Though what i am about to say is controversial and probably not the long term cure for depression, but taking Ecstacy (MDMA) once a week is the best anti-depressant drug there is and although you do experience the brain shiver symptoms i described, these are NO WAY as severe as the ones caused by effexor. I might also add, incase it sounds like it, that my desision to take effexor was in no way influenced by withdrawal symptoms from taking ecstacy. Effexor has side effects that i warn should not be taken for granted. After all, what good is a drug that makes you feel worse that you originally did when trying to come off it!

[Brigid]

Dan by taking the drug every 3 days you are constantly plunging your body in and out of withdrawal. To reduce your dosage further you can open the capsules and count out grains to gradually reduce the daily dose. This will be much easier to tolerate. See Ezin's link above for more info on how to slowly taper off this antidepressant.

[Alison]

Ezin wrote:

On these antidepressants the split dose/miss-a-day schedules often herald a worsening scenario, due to the short half-lives of the drugs involved. i.e.
Glenmullen states (p.97), in his book on antidepressant withdrawal 'The Antidepressant Solution':
"Q. Can antidepressants be taken every other day as part of tapering off them?
A. None of the short acting antidepressants should be taken every other day as a way of tapering them. Because of their short half-lives, the every other day schedule can result in roller coaster levels of the drugs and roller coaster levels of withdrawal symptoms. This is true for Paxil, Zoloft, Celexa (citalopram), Lexapro, Luvox, Effexor, Cymbalta, Serzone, Remeron, and Wellbutrin. Since Prozac is long-acting, it is the one antidepressant that can be taken every other day as part of tapering the drug. Because of Prozac's long half-life, patients on every other day schedules typically do not notice the difference between the days when they take the dose and the days when they do not. Because Prozac lingers so long in the body, the fluctuation in the level of the drug are typically not great enough to produce withdrawal symptoms. For most patients, taking 20mg of Prozac every other day is equivalent to taking 10mg a day. Occasionally patients taking Prozac every other day will notice the difference and then one can return to daily dosing. But with all the other antidepressants, every other day dosing should be avoided"
You've experienced a cold-turkey withdrawal. If you wish to find out about the withdrawal process, consider getting a copy of Glenmullen's book, which will talk you through the process, and show you how to taper in accordance with your body's reaction to a dose drop.
The opening chapter and appendices are available online: http://www.prozacbacklash.com/antidepressantS...

Ezin, you have been very committed in helping people with this drug. You wrote to me previously, and I need your advise. All the side effects went away afte a month and I felt great. Now, I'm finding I'm completely miserable and cry all the time. You mentioned a book decribing what to except that I did not heed previously.

1. Am I ever going to feel better, or am I on drugs for the rest of my life? Please help me. I'm interested in the book you recommend. Alison

[John]

my girlfriend is going off effexor and deperately needs something to take her mind off we just need something to pass time the time to make everything easier...we cant think of anything

[Candi]

Last year at this time, I was experiencing HORRIBLE withdrawls from my 150 mgs. of effexor daily. When I took the medicine I threw up, when I didn't take it I threw up. I could have literally slept 24 hours a day. I was to the point of being non-functional. The dizziness and nasuea were almost unbearable. I went to a narcotic addict specialist-who deals with people who are addicted to cocaine, heroin, crystal meth etc. He decided to try and wean me off the medicine, but this was literally torture. We tried doing this for three months very slowly before I could not take it anymore. He decided to give me a two week prescription for prozac, start with a low dose, then wean me off of that. Thank goodness for this man. It literally saved me. Looking back, I have no clue how I made it through this very difficult period of my life. I know I shouldn't, but I HATE the doctor who put me on the effexor. She is a general practitioner and she has not a clue about mental illness in the slightest. She so much as admitted to me that she started me on this particular medicine because she had lots of additional samples. Thanks for almost screwing up my life lady. Good luck with getting off of Effexor. I paid alot of money to be to where I am now, and I would suggest talking to your doctor about going on prozac, at least for a short amount of time to wean you off of this stuff.

[Diane]

I am about to start tapering off Effexor.
I strongly suggest you try going to www.truehope.com
this website will change your mind about meds forever! And give you hope for a natural cure!

[Karen]

I just recently went off Effexor (37.5mgs daily)after only being on it for just over 2 months. I went off by taking one pill every other day and then every two days and so on. By the time I was completely off the medication I started feeling weird brains tingling...and this was two days after my last pill. It got to the point where I could not move my head without feeling sensations in my head right down to my toes, weird movement from the corner of my eyes, irritable BIGTIME!! It was hell! I went to my doctor on the 4th day and she suggested a 3 day prescription for Prozac. I was willing to try anything. I took the first pill immediately and by that evening I hadn't not even one withdrawal symptom. I am now on my last day of Prozac and haven't had one symptom for the past three days. I am nervous for them to return, but it was such a relief to rid myself of those horrible effects. Not to mention the increased sex drive as a withdrawal symptom, it is unreal!! Almost uncontrollable....I would strongly suggest being careful with this medication and before even going on it consider if there is an alternative, or is there no other option but to put yourself through this. The upside is that Prozac has a much longer life than Effexor and will stay in my system for much longer after the last pill was taken, so in essence allow the withdrawal symptoms from Effexor to subside gradually and unknowingly.

[Jingle]

I thought maybe I could boost every ones moral by saying it is possible to get off effexor XR. I have done it.
Although, my side effect were not nearly as dramatics as most peoples on this forum(and others) I did experience vertigo(which I thought was the worst of them all), mild headaches, and night sweats(can we say gross). I was on effexor for about 6 months when I realized that I did not need this drug anymore and I had gained between 20-25 pounds during that time.
I started going to the gym to melt off the pounds, but that just did not help and I did not like the way I felt or look. It took me about 2 weeks to feel 100% again but it was well worth it and doable.
I know everyone has different pain and side effects tolerances but just keep positive and motivated and one day this time will just by a tiny blip in the radar of your life :)

[JMB]

THANK YOU for your positive input. We need some success stories here! I doing ok today, even when out to eat with my family!

[deborah]

I have tried to go off Effexor, but the first couple days feel very powerful and I think that this is the way I should be!-then the withdrawals set in and any power I felt is thrown to the winds and I am up and down without consent! I think that I would be better off with hormones than Effexor; which I was on until some genius decided that they were bad for you-sebsequent result---fluctuating emotions at inappropriate times!!! HELP!!!!!

[Debbie B]

I have been on Effexor 150 mg for TEN years and I have decided to get off of this drug cold turkey. The withdrawals are horrible and that's why I have been on it for so long, everytime I tried to get off of it the withdrawal symptoms were so bad I would get back on it. I am glad to know that I am not crazy, whenever I tell someone that my mind or lips etc go numb they look at me like I am crazy, it has been 2 weeks now and symptoms are getting better.

[Ami]

Oh my gosh! I thought I was going insane! I had surgery oct 30 and took my Effexor that morning. By the next night, I was so sick I thought it was from surgery! I completly forgot to refill and take a pill. It has been three days straight constant nausea. I can't eat anything. I even went back to my surgeon thinking the painkillers he put me on was making me sick. He put me on different ones. Still no change. It just occured to me today how long I had not taken the Effexor. I finally took one 3 hrs ago and am still having extreme nausea. Just knowing that i've been feeling this horrible most likely from not taking my usual dose is a relief! I at least have an answer now to the symptoms. However, when I recover from this surgery, I want to get off Effexor ASAP. I can't handle this again!