Posted by jtc on March 31, 2003, at 12:40:28
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal Highly Overrated, posted by Sean9 on March 31, 2003, at 10:47:17
Dear Sean9,
Thank you for the information and your posting. I was doing okay on the Effexor for about 6 months but with a 15-20 pound weight gain and also my cholesterol went to 261 and I have just visited my primary care doctor today for shortness of breath which I have had for about 5 days now. He ordered a spiral CT scan with dye of my chest to rule out pulmonary embolism. I don't know if Effexor withdrawal can cause this but I will say that the withdrawal symptoms are terrible. I am like Dr. Jeckel and Mr. Hyde especially with my family. I can't wait until I get off this medication. I also have to have an EKG and a stress echo as well as arterial blood gas test next week. Anyway I think the medicine helps some people but I think they should be warned that there are severe side effects when discontinuing it. It did help me feel better for the first six months but then it just became subtherapeutic. Anyway thanks for your posting. It was very informative. I plan to sign the petition. Thanks and take care,
jtc
> Multiple viewpoints are what make message boards a success. I agree that there are both good and bad stories about Effexor, but from my experience, the 'bad' stories should not be taken lightly. Withdrawal can be debilitating and much worse than the cure. Worst of all, there are people (and no one can say what % of all users experience this, possibly because their voices are being ignored by the manufacturer) who experience horrible withdrawal effects that do not nearly compare to the warning of "discontinuation syndrome" given by the makers of Effexor.
> I agree, you hear more bad stories about Effexor than good, but that is not to reason that there is an overwhelming majority of 'good' experiences with quitting Effexor out there. The truth is, no one really knows, and the manufactures aren't in a hurry to find out.
> So I go back to the argument, how many horror stories does it take until someone does something? How many people have to experience the "worst case scenario" symptoms, before this should be reviewed officially? There is something those with "bad" stories can do. If you think what you experienced from withdrawing from Effexor was disproportionate to what you would consider to be “normal” and “reasonably expected” withdrawal symptoms based on the detailed advice given to you by your doctor, then maybe it should be reported to someone who can do something about it.
>
> There is something you can do. File a report with the FDA. They regulate Effexor (which is made by Wyeth Laboratories Inc. in Philadelphia.). Help the next generation of Effexor users to be better informed by doctors and the manufacturer. You can submit a complaint to the FDA online at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
> The more people that report this problem, the better response we will get. You can also call in your complaint to an FDA state office (here are each state’s telephone number)
> http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html
> You can also sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/effexor/petition.html
poster:jtc
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/214729.html