Re: Effexor Withdrawal

Posted by TEXAS GAL on 09/12/04 at 11:52 AM

WOW! today is day 20 coming off Effexor 75mg/day. I went on it in June 03 for depression/anxiety disorder, LIFE issues were really getting to me! I had no idea of what I was in for coming off this stuff! Was doing pretty well on it, work was more tolerable, I was more focused, started to get involved with life again, etc. However, little things that were occurring ie zaps, electrical shock-like sensations, a week long period of ear noises,( like a running river in my ear) no one could fifure out! Saw my PMD, ENT and was given Antivert for the dizziness , nausea feelings. Had several episodes throughout the year, then noticed gradual weight gain, to the sum of almost 30 lbs!!!! Also absolute NO LIBIDO, inability to obtain orgasm, which had always been easy for me. I found these sx to be over the top so decided to taper off myself. WRONG! Wow, was this a mistake! I tapered from 75mg down to literally counting the little granules from June 04 to Aug 22nd 04. BY aug 24 the w/d/ sx hit, dizzy, nausea, brain zaps, electrical shocks, irritability, edgy, hostile, all i wanted to do was lay in bed, I felt so ill. Missed 1 week form work wish I could have been off more. I looked and felt like a ZOMBIE. I was reluctant to call my psyche MD since I did this on my own without her direction so thought I\'d just suffer through it. Each day I\'s get up thinking is this the day? Is this over? only to find I still felt like CRAP, so called to see a new psych md and saw her. She said I was experiencing severe effexor w/d, )oh I ended up in the Emegency room the weekend before appt with severe vertigo, nausea, vomiting and headache) She said going back on effexor and staying on it would clear sx up, I refused to do this. Noone knows unless they\'ve been there how SEVERE these w/d can be!!Anyway, i\'m now on Wellbutrin 150mg, day # 4, still am not myself, but pray for better days ahead! All I can say is hang in there , don\'t do this alone, get yourself an experienced psyche md that recognizes that there are w/d sx, and work with your md to feel better. I myself am a nurse and know how many meds a re out there, it is impossible for MDS to be educated in all the side effects. By the way, my mom was on effexor and accidentally abruptly stopped, she had NO ill effects whatsoever! So, it is an individual thing, some are extremely senstive to it. I get upset when I hear people say oh, it\'s all in your head, well it is\'nt, you are not going crazy, it is REAl. I just hope there are no long term effects from this. Also, it can effect your liver, so you need to have lab work done as recommended. Hope this helps some one out there, don\'t suffer alone! I have also been hell to live with so warn your family, show them the info out there! Good luck! A concerned nurse.

Replies	Posted By	#	Date & Time
Re: Re: Effexor Withdrawal	Margaret	2	11/13/04 03:52 PM
Re: Re: Effexor Withdrawal	Stacy	1	11/06/04 12:42 AM