Re: Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this.

Posted by Gayle Hariu on 07/08/03 at 12:17 PM

I\'ve was on 300 mg of Effexor for over 5 years, and have been weaning down since last October. I also experienced a racing heart and felt like I was having heart attacks while on the drug - but when I had a stress test I was told I was ok. I also gained ALOT of weight, especially in the abdominal area which I know puts me at much greater risk for diabetes, heart disease,etc., and I\'m in constant pain from the stress the extra weight has put on my back and joints. I first tried to go off Effexor several times cold turkey but the withdrawal symptoms were sooo severe I thought I would die --- I experienced severe brain zapping that felt like electrical currents bombarding my brain, horrible headaches, dizziness, disorientation, nausea and body aches. I literally could not function, I just had to lie still and do nothing. Even when I took the Effexor again, it would take days for the withdrawal symptoms to go away. I had to go back on the drug because I needed to work to support myself and I literally could\'t function without the drug -- Wyeth has made me a drug addict! Damn them!! After several unsuccessful attempts at going cold turkey, my new physician started weaning me verrrry gradually from the 300 mg a day I was taking last fall to the 37.5 mg I\'m currently taking every other day. I tried to stop taking the Effexor this spring after I had been down to the 37.5 every day for a month, but I STILL had the withdrawal symptoms, so now I\'m doing the 37.5 every other day and then next I\'ll down to 37.5 every third day. . . how long does it take to successfully get off this drug?? I firmly believe that Effexor should be pulled from the market and Wyeth should pay for all the pain and suffering that myself and others have endured. I understand that Effexor was approved rather quickly without the usual long testing period that most drugs go through and it makes me angry to know that I became one of their guinea pigs without my knowledge or consent. I also understand that Wyeth knew about these side affects and choose to ignore them in their greed to get the drug to the market!! Wyeth should pay -- count me in on the class action suit!!

Replies	Posted By	#	Date & Time
Re: Re: Re: Effexor Withdrawal NIghtmare. Class act lawsuit. Not one told us about this.	mozher sorial	1	06/18/04 12:49 PM