![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 57 to 81 of 1313. Go back in thread:
Posted by AD on July 27, 2001, at 15:11:33
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by louisi on July 26, 2001, at 20:51:23
Samantha - Please hang in there. I have been completely off the Effexor and on Wellbutrin for about a month now. Life is so much better!! I have TONS of stress going on in my life right now, yet I am able to cope and not fall apart. Please hang in there - you WILL get through this. The crisis always ends.
> I, too, have been filled with unexplained anger. I just feel hateful all the time. It takes an extraordinary amount of effort to just remain calm and silent. Yesterday, an incident at work that was truly unfair but not worth becoming emotional about caused me to break into tears and I had a very angry outburst with my boss. Now, everyone is walking on pins and needles around me and my boss thinks I am over the edge. These are not the kind of people I can be honest with either. It would forever color their opinion of me and my work.
>
> I am not on any medications now. In fact, while I sometimes think I should call a doctor and try to get started on something, I am increasingly wishing my high cholesterol would do me a favor and just clog everything up.
Posted by Milda on July 30, 2001, at 4:54:07
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by DPR on July 26, 2001, at 19:47:40
I'm in the process of coming off Effexor XR because I switched from well-treated bipolar depression to mania with rapid cycling. My pdoc has me decreasing by 37.5 mg. every 5 days. I've also had the irritability, the tearfulness, the emotional lability and the sad & lonelies, although I think some of it, for me, is rapid cycling into a mixed state from my mania, and some of it is Effexor withdrawal. Anyway, the Effexor withdrawal symptoms are better than being almost psychotic, any day, even though they really suck and are causing problems in my relationships. Also, I once stupidly let myself run out of Effexor when I was on 300 mg. at bedtime. Big mistake. I was absolutely delirious by morning. I was totally non-functional until I got a refill in and caught up on my dose. That experience definitely taught me the importance of keeping my brain waves running smoothly by not taking my meds lightly.
Posted by LoJo on August 5, 2001, at 16:00:17
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by AnimalRescue on June 24, 2001, at 20:12:00
I have been on 150mg of Effexor for about 2 years and asked my doctor to come off of it because of the dreams and the brain shivers it gave me. She lowered the dose by 75mg for 2 weeks at a time, I have now been off totaly for 5 days and still am crying and nausated very bad. I have 5 kids and I feel like I can't even to things to help them, I know I can't, today is the first day i can actually sit up for periods at a time. I am still very emotional and nausated. I just want to be normal again. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one that has been going throuhg this. But does anyone know how much longer to expect me feeling like this. I am also on Welbutrin to help with side effects, but don't think it has helped and if it has, then i would of never made it full force.
Posted by anna on August 5, 2001, at 23:43:14
In reply to I just want to be me again, posted by LoJo on August 5, 2001, at 16:00:17
> I have been on 150mg of Effexor for about 2 years and asked my doctor to come off of it because of the dreams and the brain shivers it gave me. She lowered the dose by 75mg for 2 weeks at a time, I have now been off totaly for 5 days and still am crying and nausated very bad. I have 5 kids and I feel like I can't even to things to help them, I know I can't, today is the first day i can actually sit up for periods at a time. I am still very emotional and nausated. I just want to be normal again. I was glad to see that I wasn't the only one that has been going throuhg this. But does anyone know how much longer to expect me feeling like this. I am also on Welbutrin to help with side effects, but don't think it has helped and if it has, then i would of never made it full force.
You poor thing. I have gone through this (the past 2 months to be exact) and am just now feeling ok from it. It sounds like you were not being weaned off slow enough. I got down from 225, to 150 for a week, to 75 a week, to a 75 + a 37.5 for a week, then 37.5 for a week. Then I actually had to sprinkle a few dots from a 37.5 on my baked potato last week (I ate one everyday,LOL) I had the tremors so bad) At times I would have to add back a dose if I started feeling bad (like nausea, dizziness, trmors,etc) I also have 3 small children and had a very hard time taking care of them. I could barely take care of me. Thank God for my MIL. Also my pdoc gave me neurontin 600 mg a day (at night) to ease the side effects. Good luck to you, talk to your doctor!!! Don't keep suffering, get a new doc if you have to!!
Anna
Posted by LoJo on August 6, 2001, at 18:05:14
In reply to I just want to be me again, posted by LoJo on August 5, 2001, at 16:00:17
Hi all, well today was a very bad day, called my doc and she added klonipin 3 times a day, don't yet know how it is going to help but i sure did sleep good this afternoon for the first time in a long time. I am still hanging in there and just waiting for it to all be over.
LoJo
Posted by Eugene75 on August 7, 2001, at 8:17:24
In reply to Re: I just want to be me again, posted by LoJo on August 6, 2001, at 18:05:14
Hello there!
I read your post and totally understand what you must be going through...or at least, I hope I can empathize if not completely understand, b/c I went through similar withdrawals but thank goodness I didn't have little ones to take care of at the same time.
What I would like to say is that it does help to realize you're not alone, and once you can recognize the symptoms I think it's an easier battle to isolate them and try and see them in a more clinical way.
In my case, I had none of that until about 3-4 weeks off the effexor, with only a 3-4 day weaning period from 150 (or was it 225?) down to nothing. I am happy to say that time apparently is a good healer for this, as is knowing what is happening to you. Med-wise, the Wellbutrin for me seemed to help me "snap" out of the cloud of effexor negativeness, but I couldn't take it for more than 2 weeks b/c it gave me intense anxiety and social avoidance.
I wish you the best...it's been about 5-6 months for me since I've gotten off and it's fading into a bad memory for me.
All the best,
gene
Posted by Milda on August 10, 2001, at 9:38:54
In reply to Re: I just want to be me again, posted by LoJo on August 6, 2001, at 18:05:14
> Hi all, well today was a very bad day, called my doc and she added klonipin 3 times a day, don't yet know how it is going to help but i sure did sleep good this afternoon for the first time in a long time. I am still hanging in there and just waiting for it to all be over.
>
> LoJoI saw my pdoc on 8/6, he gave me an Rx for the regular (non-XL) Effexor 25 mg. and a schedule to cut them into quarters and decrease by 6.25 mg. every 5 days until gone. Since the regular Effexor is so short-acting, I'm basically consuming Effexor crumbs at various points throughout the day. It is working out pretty good so far. I still have terrible diarrhea every time I eat, and my sleep is not great (but some of that is due to my rapid-cycling), but I can take better care of my 10 year old and otherwise have some kind of life, at least about half-way. Good luck.
Milda
Posted by RAMFAN13 on August 11, 2001, at 16:15:54
In reply to Re: I just want to be me again » LoJo, posted by Eugene75 on August 7, 2001, at 8:17:24
Hi. I understand also. I am now at 3 weeks off effexor. There have been some good days, but it is still tough. I took 3 weeks off work and was back last week. I was ok for a couple of days and then a lot of the effexor withdrawal problems were coming back. I think the stress of work(i work with severely mentally ill folks) and lack of sleep contribute to this. I was still dizzy, and very tired.
Now I am getting a lot of aches and pains in muscles and joints. I also have a general malaise, feeling lousy. This happened periodically while I was on effexor and now still while I am off. Has anyone had these problems. My doctor thinks it is all depression, but I dont feel depressed. I seem to just have the physical symptoms, but mood is fine. The crying spells and emotional ups and downs are much better. I am not taking any meds now. My dr. wanted me to take wellbutrin. I took it for a while when I first came off effexor, but it made me feel worse. I want to try without meds for a while due to disaster of effexor.
Sorry this is so long, but any advice would be appreciated. I just feel there is something wrong with my body. I feel like I have Chronic fatigue symptoms. Anybody else? Is this effexor or something else. Thanks everybody. If not for God and family and boards, this would be impossible.
Jr
Posted by sickandtired on September 2, 2001, at 10:29:36
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by slazart on June 25, 2001, at 21:46:12
Sometimes, I get these symptoms (including the ever-so-fun "electric" sensations) without even missing a dose. If I do miss and take one once the withdrawls start, It takes 6 hours for the withdrawl to go away.
I've lost my job, my girlfriend is probably going to leave me, i've gained weight, my friends think I don't like them anymore, and I can't even make long term plans.
I'm so sick of this! Can't we get together and sue? Effexor has ruined my life!
Posted by Mitch on September 2, 2001, at 15:23:13
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by sickandtired on September 2, 2001, at 10:29:36
> Sometimes, I get these symptoms (including the ever-so-fun "electric" sensations) without even missing a dose. If I do miss and take one once the withdrawls start, It takes 6 hours for the withdrawl to go away.
> I've lost my job, my girlfriend is probably going to leave me, i've gained weight, my friends think I don't like them anymore, and I can't even make long term plans.
> I'm so sick of this! Can't we get together and sue? Effexor has ruined my life!My experience with Effexor involved some very intense hostility reactions which turned me into a big grouch at work (I liked the lucid dreaming on it though). I am bipolar so that may have been most of it. But, the hostility wasn't a result of Effexor *withdrawal* it was the result of *taking* Effexor! I read on another board a few days ago where someone got their dose cranked up real high and they had their first manic episode with psychotic delusions. Effex. is pretty powerful stuff. I wonder if it might best be used *with* some other AD (with a longer half-life) just to initiate treatment (for a couple of weeks), to get someone *jumpstarted* so to speak. And then rely on the other AD after a brief initial period.
Posted by cath on September 2, 2001, at 19:47:04
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger » sickandtired, posted by Mitch on September 2, 2001, at 15:23:13
has anyone experienced respiratory problems with the other symptoms of withdrawal or am I just experiencing a bonus illness?
Posted by Kristi on September 3, 2001, at 0:47:52
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger, posted by sickandtired on September 2, 2001, at 10:29:36
I'm confused.... are you still on it? If you are.. TALK TO YOU PDOC IMMEDIATELY and have him find something else for you.
I won't post what this drug has done to me. I believe sometimes if you hear things, or look for things... you'll get them
I believe their is a suit in progress. Or is that paxil. Anyway, if you are off the drug... the withdrawal definately goes away. I won't lie tho... it'll take some grisly time. Good luck.
> Sometimes, I get these symptoms (including the ever-so-fun "electric" sensations) without even missing a dose. If I do miss and take one once the withdrawls start, It takes 6 hours for the withdrawl to go away.
> I've lost my job, my girlfriend is probably going to leave me, i've gained weight, my friends think I don't like them anymore, and I can't even make long term plans.
> I'm so sick of this! Can't we get together and sue? Effexor has ruined my life!
Posted by MCMontreal on September 4, 2001, at 22:56:27
In reply to Re: I just want to be me again » LoJo, posted by Eugene75 on August 7, 2001, at 8:17:24
Hi,
It's 11:30 pm and I've been awake for four days. I thought it was about time to make the most of the wee hours and connect with people who are going through similar experiences.
A bit about me: Diagnosed with Severe depression at 9 years old,
At 19 years old, Bipolar Disorder Without Mania, and Schizo-Affective Disorder
-originally put on Zoloft in '94 to treat depression...went off a few years later(wow, no horror story)...
-relapsed---wanted that "Zoloft" feeling again
-Dr. prescribed Paxil and Ativan..6 months later I was extreme OCD and had painted everything in my home white (my toothbrush too!), began experiencing psychotic episodes, time lapses, mania
-Barely survived getting off of it
-Went back on Zoloft for a year, Clonazepam, and Epival (a mood stabilizer) but when I reached the max dose of 200mg of Zoloft a day my Dr. said it was probably best if I tired something new...
EFFEXOR...
Oh man.
My pyschiatrist prescribed it to me and then left for another hospital. All of my files are being transferred ...I get to start from scratch...
After taking Effexor for a month, I couldn't do it anymore. I was suicidal again and was re-considering some very bad habits of mine...
I've been off it for a week now.
I'm shaking, sweating, having horrific dreams that I think are so real that I've accused people of doing things they haven't done, oh- and here's my personal favorite-
Bursting into tears every five minutes.
I can't do this anymore folks. I feel like a testing site for pharmaceutical companies...
Has anyone had a good or even decent experience with an antidepressant or alternative?
It's the depression I'm most concerned about...the mania, OCD and all that junk wasn't a part of my life until the Paxil...
I know everyone has different reactions, but this is eating my life up...I just want something to help the depression...I'm 20 years old and don't want to spend the next 20 years searching for a coping strategy.
Any advice, personal story is extremely welcomed...feeling a bit alone and anxious here.
Sorry to type so much!
MC
Posted by sickandtired on September 5, 2001, at 5:13:46
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger-sick and tired, posted by Kristi on September 3, 2001, at 0:47:52
I'm not off it. I am in the process of looking for a straight doctor that will help me do that (It's hard, with pharmacutical reps offering money, trips, and other "perks" to keep you on such a horrible medicine that will probably make news such as redux and propulsid did a few years ago.) I'm not all up on my drugs...Effexor is the only thing I have taken for the last two years. But it's horrible....I was better off before this. And I wasn't so good then. I just want my old, horrible life back, beacause it was better than this....My girlfriend tells me i'll probably have to go to rehab to get off this, and I don't have the money.... Considering my Effexor is $80 a month, while being miserable is free....
People, if your doctor prescribes Effexor to you, tell him/her NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Posted by pellmell on September 5, 2001, at 10:25:32
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger-sick and tired/Kristi, posted by sickandtired on September 5, 2001, at 5:13:46
> People, if your doctor prescribes Effexor to >you, tell him/her NO!!!!!!!!!!!
Please, it's not helpful to generalize from yourself to the entire psychopharmaceutical-taking population. What you're doing is nearly as silly as railing against peanut butter on a cooking website after you've had a severe allergic reaction to it.
I've been taking Effexor for about three months now, and it's helped me quite a bit. While there are others like you, there are also many like me. What I've learned from posters like you is that when (if?) I do stop taking it, I will taper off very slowly. It's not terribly considerate to scare people witless about a drug that could help them feel well.
-pm
Posted by MCMontreal on September 5, 2001, at 11:52:32
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger-sick and tired/Kristi » sickandtired, posted by pellmell on September 5, 2001, at 10:25:32
Pm, you make a very good point...
I think we all have had good & bad experiences while taking our medications.
But-
Getting off of them is a different story all together.
I, for one, rushed myself to emergency when I first stopped taking Paxil...I thought I was dying...had it not been for message boards like this where I could compare my withdrawal symptoms, I would be back in the emergency room right now.
I think when a person is looking to start a new med, they will not come directly to a withdrawal message board, but first will do their research in a variety of different ways and choose wisely after having considered the pros and the cons.
I am glad to hear you are responding well to Effexor, there are just as many message boards in praise of it as there are for those who have suffered from it.
MC
Posted by pellmell on September 5, 2001, at 12:41:43
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl Anger-sick and tired/Kristi » pellmell, posted by MCMontreal on September 5, 2001, at 11:52:32
I agree...a place to share your experiences with these unpredictable medications is invaluable.
And I'm *not* implying that people should sugar-coat or censor their real experiences on this board, no matter how awful they are. There's a difference, though, between sharing and scaremongering. sickandtired, at least in that last post, seemed to me to be doing the latter.
Thanks for your response. It's true that I've never experienced anything near as bad as what those on this thread have described. I'll taper very slowly and be very careful when I decide to stop taking Effexor; I even felt minor withdrawal effects coming off of Prozac (staccato hearing&vision for a few moments every once in a while during the day), so I know I'm sensitive to that sort of thing.
-pm
Posted by bradkc on September 5, 2001, at 17:06:32
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl , posted by slazart on June 14, 2001, at 9:56:15
> Thank you Sean and Rosalind for your quick and thoughtful postings. I needed it.
> >
> I am trying to get in to see my doctor today. I called late in the afternoon to see what I should do and the on-call doctor told me I better take a very small dose just to stabilize until I could see my regular GP who knows me. I will bring these posts with me and mention Prozac to ease the withdrawal. He gave me Doxepin in 10 mg doses to begin right away upon my last effexor but I didn't know which effects came from which and I wasn't sure if I could take them at the same time so I did not take one last night after I restarted my effexor. St John's wort never helped me with anxiety/depression so I doubt it would here either. Kava Kava would help me cope in the evenings at times or I would nibble on a Klonopin (a whole made me too drowsy) and managed to make 15 tablets last well over a year. I am not sure I understand the term 'half-life'. I was on Celexa before and in every way it was wonderful except one. It took away my sex drive and having a very healthy relationship with my husband and a good sex life was something I wasn't willing to give up. As Sean said, the effects are innumerable, and I did try to rush the tapering a bit and now am finding that to be a huge mistake. I was supposed to "Ride the Rockies" next week (cycling)and had to drop out but I will still accompany my hubby as he tackles it. I feel like I am going to need to go on vacation to do this or keep taking it unitl I find a time best to handle it.
> Sad to say, I did take another mini dose last night and felt better within an hour and normal (what's that?) within 2. Now I am frustrated because I erased the 3 days off it that I already had under my belt. I play softball, ride my bike everyday and hate the poor coordination both on it and the severity of it in withdrawals. I am very afraid to start this all over again. I am going to need to schedule this with my family (or at least my hubby) because I am going to need back-up. The lack of concentration and as Sean put it confusion, in additon to speach calamity and inability to focus on a customer's needs and take care of tasks will make it very important for me to choose a timely departure from this nightmare!! and all the other nightmares that will come for awhile. I just don't want to be self destructive or harm my loved ones because of bitter and anxious feelings. This isn't their fault and I want to minimize the effect on them.
> I too had the other withdrawals such as urgent bowel mvts (not quite diarrhea)but they were welcome since while on it I had bad constipation. More w/d's exteme electricity-like feeling, nerves completely on-edge, major heart palpatations, again the nightmares, and feelings of obsessively wanting to run (mostly away), stretching or completely tensing up my body to where the nerves go shooting around in my head and cause an adrenaline rush (I was hoping this would expedite my bodies expulsion of this drug or lack of)and when I try to talk.. with every word comes a rush and I have all I can do to hear and concentrate. I also felt violent like I wanted to beat on something (thankfully inanimate objects)or just slap myself to wake up from the strangeness. Just a constant fight. With the w/d's so severe it is too tempting to stay on it! however, I want OFF! because while on it I had insomnia so bad that I worked straight around the clock on a few occasions and never went to bed or even tried... Also included dehydration, pain in joints in a.m. especially hands/feet, very unusual sense of smell & taste changes, change in eyesight (blur), coordination problems (clumsy), bruising, muscle spasms/cramps, some anxiety and since that was something I was wanting rid of...
>
> The best thing??? That I am not alone. Thank you so much for your postings because I know I am not going nuts and the many things going on will be easier to deal with knowing more about it. It also makes sense to taper off as slowly as possible. I was joking around about crushing a half of the 37.5 and counting granules but I am finding that this is no joke.
> Thanks to all of you who posted responses and my sympathy to those of you going through the w/d's.
> sincerely;
> Sharon
> I am so happy to read these postings. I have been on 300 mg per day of effexor for over a year, and missed my dosage today, I found this site by searching the horrible physical symptoms I was having today, bad electrical like tingling and numbness in my extremeties, and heart palpatations and chills. I had no idea it was from missing this med today. Now I realize what this is from and I feel much better just knowing that, and I have taken my meds even though I thought 4 pm was late, I usually take it all in the am. thanks so much for sharing this, I felt so weird i was ready to go to the er.
Thanks and good luck to all
>
Posted by kid47 on September 6, 2001, at 10:17:55
In reply to Any Tips For NEW meds?, posted by MCMontreal on September 4, 2001, at 22:56:27
Hi. Sorry you're feeling bad. There are all sorts of different meds available to treat the type of illness you have. The bad news (as you know) is it can take quite awhile to find the right one(s). SSRI's did not work well for me. Especially if I was not taking a mood stabilizer. ( I am Bipolar ) Find a pdoc who will work aggressively with you to find the right med cocktail & who knows when a drug is not working. Besides meds I forced myself to make some lifestyle changes. I gave up recreational drugs, alcohol, nicotine, caffiene & began to exercise & eat right. I didn't do this all at once but gradually over a couple of years.
How much Effexor were you taking? FXR is notorious for discontinuation side fx. You should taper slowly off it. There is tons of FXR info here in the archives. After two years of trials & failures I finally, with the help of my pdoc & lots of research on my own found a couple of med cocktails that work pretty well for me. Right now I am on a med-free holiday (with the knowledge & approval of my pdoc) but am fully prepared to resume my meds when I feel the need. Try not to be discouraged. There are plenty of options you have not tried. It may take some time but with effort & resolve I am confident you will find the right combo of meds & lifestyle to allow you to have some fun & live a great life. Take care (sorry for the ramble) Good Luckkid
> Hi,
> It's 11:30 pm and I've been awake for four days. I thought it was about time to make the most of the wee hours and connect with people who are going through similar experiences.
> A bit about me: Diagnosed with Severe depression at 9 years old,
> At 19 years old, Bipolar Disorder Without Mania, and Schizo-Affective Disorder
> -originally put on Zoloft in '94 to treat depression...went off a few years later(wow, no horror story)...
> -relapsed---wanted that "Zoloft" feeling again
> -Dr. prescribed Paxil and Ativan..6 months later I was extreme OCD and had painted everything in my home white (my toothbrush too!), began experiencing psychotic episodes, time lapses, mania
> -Barely survived getting off of it
> -Went back on Zoloft for a year, Clonazepam, and Epival (a mood stabilizer) but when I reached the max dose of 200mg of Zoloft a day my Dr. said it was probably best if I tired something new...
> EFFEXOR...
> Oh man.
> My pyschiatrist prescribed it to me and then left for another hospital. All of my files are being transferred ...I get to start from scratch...
> After taking Effexor for a month, I couldn't do it anymore. I was suicidal again and was re-considering some very bad habits of mine...
> I've been off it for a week now.
> I'm shaking, sweating, having horrific dreams that I think are so real that I've accused people of doing things they haven't done, oh- and here's my personal favorite-
> Bursting into tears every five minutes.
> I can't do this anymore folks. I feel like a testing site for pharmaceutical companies...
> Has anyone had a good or even decent experience with an antidepressant or alternative?
> It's the depression I'm most concerned about...the mania, OCD and all that junk wasn't a part of my life until the Paxil...
> I know everyone has different reactions, but this is eating my life up...I just want something to help the depression...I'm 20 years old and don't want to spend the next 20 years searching for a coping strategy.
> Any advice, personal story is extremely welcomed...feeling a bit alone and anxious here.
> Sorry to type so much!
> MC
Posted by MCMontreal on September 6, 2001, at 10:53:25
In reply to Re: Any Tips For NEW meds? » MCMontreal, posted by kid47 on September 6, 2001, at 10:17:55
Thank you for your response, Kid47.
I know finding the right cocktail is going to take some time.
And the good news is that I'm being transferred to a better hospital where I will undergo pyschological evaluation and tests before they start prescribing again.
The last appointment I had they mentioned that they thought my previous diagnosis of Bipolar might have been incorrect. At this point, I have every reason to be optimistic as I get to start again --
BTW, I was on 75 mg of Effexor.
I'm super sensitive to medication and as I mentioned before it took a year to get me to 200 mg of Zoloft ... at least this is all well-documented in my files and I'm pretty sure that my new pdoc will take care in monitoring my progress.
The good news is that the withdrawal symptoms seem to be getting a little better...
In any case, thank you again for your response. I'm glad to hear that you found a good combo and also took the steps to improve your overall lifestyle.
I'm trying to do that one step at a time. I don't know about the nicotine and caffeine though! Those are tough ones--that's going to take some time.
Ciao for now,
MC
Posted by marlo on October 21, 2001, at 12:03:55
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by Steve Clements on August 25, 2000, at 23:45:56
i have so much anger towards this drug and the doctors who perscribe it. i was on effexor for about four months; it did nothing for me, so i stopped cold turkey and was fine (fortunately i've gotten away with this whenever i've tried, with other drugs). i live with a close friend who took it for about 7 months and now he just started tapering from 150mg to 75mg a day. effexor did nothing for his depression or anxiety; what it did do was make his tics much worse (he has tourette's), so there was no reason to stay on. life has been absolute hell during the past week. i can't explain the effect his withdrawal is having on me. he is intensely angry at the world; homicidal; says he'd like to see himself crumbled in a heap at the bottom of a cliff; wants to hurt himself physically to match or distract himself from mental anguish; sobs and screams about how much he wants everyone else in the world to suffer. this behavior used to be so rare that i am thoroughly convinced that this is thanks to the decrease in effexor. this sucks because i have problems of my own, and every day now i am put in a position where i feel absolutely powerless- i can't keep him from screaming and shaking with anger and guilt (yes he does feel incredibly guilty about his behavior, and my emotional reactions only make this worse)hitting himself, punching, slapping. i am absolutely powerless against his death wish.
in my opinion this drug shouldn't be on the market. not when it means other people in our situation have to endure this explosive despair several times a day.jesus. good luck.
i apologize for my hostile attitude, i certainly think it's justified.
Posted by Lorraine on October 25, 2001, at 12:03:15
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by marlo on October 21, 2001, at 12:03:55
He should augment with a longer half life drug for a few days or so (Prozac) to make his withdrawal easier. Effexor was a life saver for me, but withdrawal was hard. Wish I had known about the Prozac augmentation.good luck.
Lorraine
> i have so much anger towards this drug and the doctors who perscribe it. i was on effexor for about four months; it did nothing for me, so i stopped cold turkey and was fine (fortunately i've gotten away with this whenever i've tried, with other drugs). i live with a close friend who took it for about 7 months and now he just started tapering from 150mg to 75mg a day. effexor did nothing for his depression or anxiety; what it did do was make his tics much worse (he has tourette's), so there was no reason to stay on. life has been absolute hell during the past week. i can't explain the effect his withdrawal is having on me. he is intensely angry at the world; homicidal; says he'd like to see himself crumbled in a heap at the bottom of a cliff; wants to hurt himself physically to match or distract himself from mental anguish; sobs and screams about how much he wants everyone else in the world to suffer. this behavior used to be so rare that i am thoroughly convinced that this is thanks to the decrease in effexor. this sucks because i have problems of my own, and every day now i am put in a position where i feel absolutely powerless- i can't keep him from screaming and shaking with anger and guilt (yes he does feel incredibly guilty about his behavior, and my emotional reactions only make this worse)hitting himself, punching, slapping. i am absolutely powerless against his death wish.
> in my opinion this drug shouldn't be on the market. not when it means other people in our situation have to endure this explosive despair several times a day.
>
> jesus. good luck.
>
> i apologize for my hostile attitude, i certainly think it's justified.
Posted by msemilyemily on October 26, 2001, at 0:09:06
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news » marlo, posted by Lorraine on October 25, 2001, at 12:03:15
Okay, I'm having weirdness with effexor also. I've taken 300mg a day for about a year. I don't ever drink, but last week I drank 4 days in a row (right now, it makes no sense to me why this happened, but it did). Now, I think I'm going insane. I feel disconnected, and weird -- confused, like I'm not myself, but my self is acting in the world. I've taken this same dosage for a year -- why would this crazyness start now? I went to my doctor this afternoon (I'm a grad student, and I cannot write, and I keep doing very odd things), and he suggested that maybe the alcohol interacted with the effexor in some weird way -- he has tapered me down to 150mg a day, and added Risperdal. I hate not being able to trust these people. I knew knew KNEW that medication was a bad plan, and this is absurd. Has anyone else experienced a similar sudden onset of side effects to Effexor (XR)? I'm afraid that if I did some weird neurological damage, the tapering off of Effexor will just make things worse...
help.
Posted by alexis on October 26, 2001, at 4:08:03
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news, posted by msemilyemily on October 26, 2001, at 0:09:06
> Okay, I'm having weirdness with effexor also. I've taken 300mg a day for about a year. I don't ever drink, but last week I drank 4 days in a row (right now, it makes no sense to me why this happened, but it did). Now, I think I'm going insane. I feel disconnected, and weird -- confused, like I'm not myself, but my self is acting in the world. I've taken this same dosage for a year -- why would this crazyness start now? I went to my doctor this afternoon (I'm a grad student, and I cannot write, and I keep doing very odd things), and he suggested that maybe the alcohol interacted with the effexor in some weird way -- he has tapered me down to 150mg a day, and added Risperdal. I hate not being able to trust these people. I knew knew KNEW that medication was a bad plan, and this is absurd. Has anyone else experienced a similar sudden onset of side effects to Effexor (XR)? I'm afraid that if I did some weird neurological damage, the tapering off of Effexor will just make things worse...
>
> help.Let me apologize ahead of time for what I believe will be a long post. I am so happy I found this site, I thought I was the only one feeling like Effexor has taken a negative toll on my life.
I too have been on effexor 300 mg a day for the past 2 years. I made sure not to drink, but last March on St.Patrick's Day, I went out with my husband and some friends. For some reason the owner of the pub took a liking to us and started to give us free drinks. I must have had 6-7 loaded drinks when all of a sudden I started to feel sick. Not like a wanting to vomit sick, but like I was hearing a really loud buzzing noise and I was sinking into a deep hole.My husband had to keep shaking me during the night because I would stop breathing- he stayed up all night shaking me to get me to breathe. 911 I know you must be saying, but when you are drunk you don't think straight.
The following days, I had weird symptoms of electric type feeling in my brain. Like my eyes would move but my brain would catch up 2 seconds later with a weird tingling, electric feeling as it moved.
Since then, if I miss a dose, those symptoms come within 3-4 hours.
I just switched psychiatrists because I feel that my former doctor has over medicated me.
He has me on 300 mg of Effexor, 1200 mg of Neurontin (spelling?) and 300 mg of Wellbutrin. In addition, I take Restoril to sleep, and Xanax for my anxiety. This is insane!!! I am a walking pharmacy! My paycheck should be direct deposited to the pharmacy. They know me so well, I have actually become friends with the Pharmacist who manages the store- she and I talk on the phone like friends, we have met her and her boyfriend for coffee, etc.. Okay...now that is a weird way of making friends.
Then he also prescribed periactin to be used before sex since my interest has gone to zero. I looked that drug up and it is an antihistamine! All it did was make me sleepy and ruin the event.
My last visit with him was 2 weeks ago when I had a crisis situation and all he did was double my Neurontin med and said "think happy thoughts" and that was it. I told him I was not returning and he was shocked. I walked out and I did not double the med.
Now my new doctor said he was to clean up the meds. He has directed me decrease my 300 mg by 75mg per week. It will take me 4 weeks to be off of Effexor,
and this is just my 3rd day with a decreased dosage and I have feel terrible.
What next? You are not alone!
Alexis
Posted by Dreamy on October 26, 2001, at 12:25:18
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal - very bad news » msemilyemily, posted by alexis on October 26, 2001, at 4:08:03
> > Okay, I'm having weirdness with effexor also. I've taken 300mg a day for about a year. I don't ever drink, but last week I drank 4 days in a row (right now, it makes no sense to me why this happened, but it did). Now, I think I'm going insane. I feel disconnected, and weird -- confused, like I'm not myself, but my self is acting in the world. I've taken this same dosage for a year -- why would this crazyness start now? I went to my doctor this afternoon (I'm a grad student, and I cannot write, and I keep doing very odd things), and he suggested that maybe the alcohol interacted with the effexor in some weird way -- he has tapered me down to 150mg a day, and added Risperdal. I hate not being able to trust these people. I knew knew KNEW that medication was a bad plan, and this is absurd. Has anyone else experienced a similar sudden onset of side effects to Effexor (XR)? I'm afraid that if I did some weird neurological damage, the tapering off of Effexor will just make things worse...
> >
> > help.
>
> Let me apologize ahead of time for what I believe will be a long post. I am so happy I found this site, I thought I was the only one feeling like Effexor has taken a negative toll on my life.
> I too have been on effexor 300 mg a day for the past 2 years. I made sure not to drink, but last March on St.Patrick's Day, I went out with my husband and some friends. For some reason the owner of the pub took a liking to us and started to give us free drinks. I must have had 6-7 loaded drinks when all of a sudden I started to feel sick. Not like a wanting to vomit sick, but like I was hearing a really loud buzzing noise and I was sinking into a deep hole.My husband had to keep shaking me during the night because I would stop breathing- he stayed up all night shaking me to get me to breathe. 911 I know you must be saying, but when you are drunk you don't think straight.
> The following days, I had weird symptoms of electric type feeling in my brain. Like my eyes would move but my brain would catch up 2 seconds later with a weird tingling, electric feeling as it moved.
> Since then, if I miss a dose, those symptoms come within 3-4 hours.
> I just switched psychiatrists because I feel that my former doctor has over medicated me.
> He has me on 300 mg of Effexor, 1200 mg of Neurontin (spelling?) and 300 mg of Wellbutrin. In addition, I take Restoril to sleep, and Xanax for my anxiety. This is insane!!! I am a walking pharmacy! My paycheck should be direct deposited to the pharmacy. They know me so well, I have actually become friends with the Pharmacist who manages the store- she and I talk on the phone like friends, we have met her and her boyfriend for coffee, etc.. Okay...now that is a weird way of making friends.
> Then he also prescribed periactin to be used before sex since my interest has gone to zero. I looked that drug up and it is an antihistamine! All it did was make me sleepy and ruin the event.
> My last visit with him was 2 weeks ago when I had a crisis situation and all he did was double my Neurontin med and said "think happy thoughts" and that was it. I told him I was not returning and he was shocked. I walked out and I did not double the med.
> Now my new doctor said he was to clean up the meds. He has directed me decrease my 300 mg by 75mg per week. It will take me 4 weeks to be off of Effexor,
> and this is just my 3rd day with a decreased dosage and I have feel terrible.
> What next? You are not alone!
> AlexisHoly Tamolly!
Man -you were on a lot of crap!
Unbelievable!
I would like to follow the success story your
clearly going to shout from the top of your
lungs when you get free from all those drugs!
I would keep the xanax and other than that -nothen!
Good luck!
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