Posted by jannbeau on September 19, 2002, at 14:54:32
In reply to Re: Withdrawal From Effexor, posted by pregnant on September 14, 2002, at 4:47:35
> Hello, Pregnant,
How are you doing today? Have your discontinuation symptoms started to abate? Have you gotten some answers to your concerns from your doctors? Hope some of the posts have been helpful, too. If you need reassurance re potential effects on your fetus, don't give it too much weight. 66% of ALL medications listed in the PDR are given Category C for "use-in-pregnancy" which simply means that safety use during pregnancy has not been established. Usually, these assignments are used by physicians and patients to determine whether the benefits of STARTING a medication during early pregnancy are worth the potential risks. It is interesting to note that one of the most used OTC medications on the market, Benedryl, is given a Category C rating! That must mean that hundreds of thousands of pregnant women have utilized this medication during pregnancy without untoward effects. Also, it is one of the meds used to treat hyperemesis of pregnancy!I also hope that you have received some reassurance from your physicians by now AND that your discontinuation symptoms are better. Several meds, including Benadryl (mentioned above) are used for hyperemesis of pregnancy. These include: Benadryl, Phenergan, Compazine (all Category C meds) and Antivert or Dramamine and Reglan, which are Category B meds (Category B is generally safe, but weigh the benefits with the risks).
Keep us posted and let us know when the baby arrives!
God Bless,
Jannbeau
>
> Help,Help, Help. I have just read many of these posting and I am in so much fear right now. I have been taking effexor xr since 3/02. My doctor had me start slow until I was up to 300 mg. a day. I am pregnant and he told me to stay on the effexor, but my nurse prac. and high risk pregnancy new doctor told me to gradually get off. My reg. doc. told me it was o.k. and o.k. to breast feed once I delivered. My prenatal office said effexor has not been tested enough to prove it would be safe. I immediately cut the dose in half to 150 mg. the day I walked out of the prenatal office. I took 150 mg for 5 days and started then reduced the dose to taking 75 mg. I noticed the withdrawal symptoms started, but at first didn't relate it to the effexor because I have been feeling a little sick with the pregnancy. So I took the 75mg for 3 days and took 37.5 for 2, and today is the first day taking nothing. I am scared for my unborn child, and don't want to take anymore, but I am going crazy tonight. I went to bed at 7 p.m. and left my 3 year old and 8 year old boys up with their dad. I woke up at 11 p.m. and it is now 2 a.m. I am dying to take the effexor. I went to make toast to help my stomach, but I usually get gestational diabetes in my pregnancies, and all this carb eating is going to really put my sugar levels soaring. It is the only thing that keeps my stomach feeling o.k. The nausea with effoxor is worst than any nausea feeling I have had in any pregnancy. I thought maybe since this was the weekend I could get off this stuff and be good to go on Monday. I had a great day this morning. The withdrawal symptoms keep hitting me at night. If I stay in the bed the next 2 days can I recover from this? Should I run downstairs and grap a pill? I'm buzzing in my head every now and then, feeling sick, tired then unable to sleep. I don't want my husband and children and child to be to have to suffer from this. I am about 11 weeks pregnant and want to be able to function at my best for the safety of my unborn. I also take night classes, although I have a BA. The effexor was working so well for me, I made a decision of a career change, enrolled in school and received an A in my class. My marriage and relationship with my children have been great since taking the effexor, but this withdrawal stuff is not worth all the happiness I have had the last 6 months. Do I need to find a withdrawal specialist? Does such a person exist? This is my only source right now. I am trying to not call the er line at my prenatal doc's office, because I would like to see myself make it through the weekend. My classes start on 9/23, should I consider dropping them because it is no way I will be totally off this stuff. I thought maybe since I have not been on it a year, it would not be this bad. Help someone please. Pregnancy symptoms plus withdrawal is a tough battle and I am in great need of support.
poster:jannbeau
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20020914/msgs/120433.html