Posted by tedhazzard on September 10, 2006, at 23:29:02
In reply to Re: withdrawal, posted by Amy on May 4, 2000, at 19:52:15
This has been the time for hell as I complete my withdrawl from Effexor. It is hard to pinpoint which symptoms come from deciding not to take the drug any longer and which come from my pitiful life circumstances, but after reading these posts, I believe I can isolate a few. I struggled long and hard to lose 30 pounds that I had gained while taking Zoloft a few years ago, then began taking Effexor 150 because my doctor said it did not cause weight gain. In little more than a year, I had gained back the 30 lbs but did not associate it with the drug even though my eating habits did not warrant the huge weight gain. My face and my stomach were the most noticeably changed and most disgusting to me. For the past year, I have had sudden painful leg cramps that literally knocked me out of a deep sleep and out of bed. Walking eased the cramps. If I forgot the medication for even one day, I had extremely unpleasant and vivid dreams/nightmares that bothered me for days after. During the night I also sometimes had what felt like an electric zap in my brain that also woke me suddenly. Otherwise, the medication made me feel just fine, so why would I quit this delightful experiment on my brain you might ask. I could no longer afford it after losing my job, so I simply stopped taking it. For the past two weeks, I have realized the wisdom of not having a gun in the house. Had it been near, I might have used it to end the unending agony of anxiety that makes up my day. Add to that the constant trips to the bathroom, following long periods of constipation while still on the drug. Then there is that "brain freeze" that makes me feel like the village idiot. Add to this a total lack of purpose and anger and extreme sadness and you have my life as I withdraw from Effexor.
poster:tedhazzard
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20060909/msgs/684891.html