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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 2700 to 2724 of 10407. Go back in thread:
Posted by h20surfer1 on October 1, 2002, at 23:01:27
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol no problem for me-surfer, posted by lucky on October 1, 2002, at 15:21:59
Lucky,
To answer your questions:
1) I take my full dose first thing in the morning. It tends to wire me up. If I took it at night I think that I would have difficulty sleeping.
2) I noticed changes very quickly on Effexor. I could feel 37.5 mg and each increase in dosage. I had many side effects, loss of memory (would go to dial a tel # I know by heart and forget it), spaciness, a zingy feeling, ect. I did however feel an immediate reduction in my depression. I worked my dosage up to 150 mg which worked well for a couple of weeks and then I slipped for three days and upped the dose to 187.5 mg which has been working great for 3 or so weeks. I do not have side effects anymore except a decrease in libido. My Doc tells me that the "theraputic dose" starts at 150 mg and can be adjusted up to 300mg if required. I recommend going up as quickly as you can tolerate it to the highest dose your doc recommends and hold steady there for a few weeks and see how you do, you will know if you need more.Good luck!
Posted by LynnPerley on October 1, 2002, at 23:03:41
In reply to flatsville, here we come, posted by legallybrunette on October 1, 2002, at 12:46:02
I have never felt *flat* on effexor. I felt as if I was in a fog for the first month or two, then after the third month I felt like I was going back down, increased my dosage, and now I feel as close to *normal* as I have felt in a long time. I settled in on 225 mg. I wanted you to see a *positive* post - give this med a chance!
Posted by Alara on October 2, 2002, at 1:25:21
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol, posted by sjb on September 9, 2002, at 9:23:30
A few weeks ago I wrote about a decrease in my alcohol cravings after coming off Effexor. Here's a quick update:
The late afternoon cravings did return around 3 weeks after quitting Effexor. This contradicts my little theory about the short half-life of Effexor causing a seretonin low in the afternoon. (I just wanted to say this to avoid giving the drug any more bad press than it deserves!) In the end, I attributed my abstinence to good old withdrawal.
In my case, there may still have been some connection between the drinking and the Effexor. Six weeks after my withdrawal, I am drinking 60-70% less than before and have been going to bed sober! I have re-addressed my problem and am doing something about it.
Thanks for listening, and good luck to anyone else who finds themselves in the same boat!
Alara
Posted by legallybrunette on October 2, 2002, at 9:39:48
In reply to Re: I hate Effexor, be careful with it, posted by LISABECK on January 2, 2001, at 23:43:18
i've only been on e-xr (37.5) for 3 days now, have
already experienced some scary side-effects &
don't know if i should continue.
can someone give me some input on this?last night as i watched tv, every muscle in my body
started to tense and twitch. i knew it was the
effexor settling in, so i just let it happen, w/o
too much panic.
but then when i got up - and the only way i can
describe this is when i had a horrible acid trip
(sorry folks) when i was a teenager - my mind
was completely disassociated from my body and all
my movements were in 'a tunnel' and in extreme slo-
mo. my heart was racing and i thought for SURE i
was going crazy. this lasted for about 2 hours.when i was able to function again, the only
solution for me was to go down to my
basement gym and do some extreme working out - part
of me thought i may have been having an anxiety
attack (but doubtful)and that it was best to keep
moving & not focus on the sensations.eventually it passed, but i'm really wary about
continuing on w/ the meds. i was so 'grateful' for
waking up feeling 'normal' this morning, i'm afraid
to lose that again if i pop another pill!has anyone experienced this particular kind of s.
effect? if so what did you do?
do s.effects tend to repeat themselves, or could
this just've been a 1-shot deal?i really need to get myself out of this stupid pit
of depression & i'd hate to quit now, but if this
would considered a 'major' side-effect, i'd rather
stop. anyway, any help would be appreciated!
Posted by jannbeau on October 2, 2002, at 11:25:07
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol, posted by Alara on October 2, 2002, at 1:25:21
> Alara, GOOD for YOU!!! and good luck! My son is a long-time member of AA and we both credit that organization with saving his very life! You can outgrow the organization, but it takes a while; meantime, it's a good start for many who need some support at a difficult time in their lives.
God Bless,
JannbeauA few weeks ago I wrote about a decrease in my alcohol cravings after coming off Effexor. Here's a quick update:
>
> The late afternoon cravings did return around 3 weeks after quitting Effexor. This contradicts my little theory about the short half-life of Effexor causing a seretonin low in the afternoon. (I just wanted to say this to avoid giving the drug any more bad press than it deserves!) In the end, I attributed my abstinence to good old withdrawal.
>
> In my case, there may still have been some connection between the drinking and the Effexor. Six weeks after my withdrawal, I am drinking 60-70% less than before and have been going to bed sober! I have re-addressed my problem and am doing something about it.
>
> Thanks for listening, and good luck to anyone else who finds themselves in the same boat!
>
> Alara
>
Posted by lucky on October 2, 2002, at 13:24:32
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol no problem for me-surfer, posted by h20surfer1 on October 1, 2002, at 23:01:27
Surfer- thanks for your response!!!!!
> Lucky,
>
> To answer your questions:
>
> 1) I take my full dose first thing in the morning. It tends to wire me up. If I took it at night I think that I would have difficulty sleeping.
> 2) I noticed changes very quickly on Effexor. I could feel 37.5 mg and each increase in dosage. I had many side effects, loss of memory (would go to dial a tel # I know by heart and forget it), spaciness, a zingy feeling, ect. I did however feel an immediate reduction in my depression. I worked my dosage up to 150 mg which worked well for a couple of weeks and then I slipped for three days and upped the dose to 187.5 mg which has been working great for 3 or so weeks. I do not have side effects anymore except a decrease in libido. My Doc tells me that the "theraputic dose" starts at 150 mg and can be adjusted up to 300mg if required. I recommend going up as quickly as you can tolerate it to the highest dose your doc recommends and hold steady there for a few weeks and see how you do, you will know if you need more.
>
> Good luck!
>
>
>
>
Posted by Princess on October 2, 2002, at 16:13:39
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol, posted by Alara on September 6, 2002, at 8:29:12
I have been on effexor XR for 6 months now. I had been taking .75mg a day in morning. The first month on the the medication I did not drink alcohol, lost 18 lbs. looked and felt great! The second month I started drinking again, since college I would have wine 2or 3 nights per week. I began wanting wine 7 nights per week. I only felt "normal" after my 2nd glass and would sometime have a bottle and not stop at 2 glasses. It gave me energy and seemed to cancel out the blah feelings I had with just the effexor alone. Not good. Plus the sexual side affects, decreased libido and lack of orgasm. I have been taking 1/2 a pill a day now for 4 days. I feel so good! My desire for alcohol has decreased and my libido is coming back. i will be taking my last dose on Friday. i do have to say that in the beginning I was desperate, depressed and had a lot of anxiety. I was going through a very difficult tiem and experience in my life at that time. I think God for the effexor and do think it helped me get through the emotional turmoil I was in. I am ready now to go off of it for the reasons I mentioned and my life is in good balance now. i have taken 6 months off from dating men....best thing I have ever done for myself. I am in a different place. The effexor made me not give a care about a guy or many of the other things i used to be so concerned with! If I stayed on it, I am afraid I would never date again. Not good...also continue drinking way too much wine to feel normal.
I appreciate this message board. Thank you for the support and sharing.Princess
Posted by Nigel99 on October 2, 2002, at 18:31:28
In reply to help - terrifying side effects, posted by legallybrunette on October 2, 2002, at 9:39:48
Hang in there Legal!! The 'tripiness' will pass in a few days. I also made the 'acid trip' comparison for a day or so (yeah I did dumb things in high school too). Shortly after I started smiling in a similar forced manner for a day or two but this was very pleasant after being so down for so long. That reduced too in a few days.
This effect and the tightness of jaw will go away shortly - take time off work or school if you have to to get through this. But like I said the other day, I found some of the other ones stay
You may want to ask your doc if you can delay going to 75 mg for an extra few days too - that might help a bit.
> i've only been on e-xr (37.5) for 3 days now, have
> already experienced some scary side-effects &
> don't know if i should continue.
> can someone give me some input on this?
>
> last night as i watched tv, every muscle in my body
> started to tense and twitch. i knew it was the
> effexor settling in, so i just let it happen, w/o
> too much panic.
> but then when i got up - and the only way i can
> describe this is when i had a horrible acid trip
> (sorry folks) when i was a teenager - my mind
> was completely disassociated from my body and all
> my movements were in 'a tunnel' and in extreme slo-
> mo. my heart was racing and i thought for SURE i
> was going crazy. this lasted for about 2 hours.
>
> when i was able to function again, the only
> solution for me was to go down to my
> basement gym and do some extreme working out - part
> of me thought i may have been having an anxiety
> attack (but doubtful)and that it was best to keep
> moving & not focus on the sensations.
>
> eventually it passed, but i'm really wary about
> continuing on w/ the meds. i was so 'grateful' for
> waking up feeling 'normal' this morning, i'm afraid
> to lose that again if i pop another pill!
>
> has anyone experienced this particular kind of s.
> effect? if so what did you do?
> do s.effects tend to repeat themselves, or could
> this just've been a 1-shot deal?
>
> i really need to get myself out of this stupid pit
> of depression & i'd hate to quit now, but if this
> would considered a 'major' side-effect, i'd rather
> stop. anyway, any help would be appreciated!
>
Posted by LynnPerley on October 2, 2002, at 19:43:41
In reply to Re: help - terrifying side effects, posted by Nigel99 on October 2, 2002, at 18:31:28
Yes, sometimes it feels like an acid trip, sometimes the top of your head crawls a little like speed, sometimes you just want to sit and veg like you just smoked a joint. These too shall go away (at least in my experience) in a day or two, or at least lessen so it's easier to deal with. Call the doc if it gets bad, and keep us posted!
Posted by Sioux on October 2, 2002, at 23:41:46
In reply to Re: Withdrawal From Effexor, posted by pregnant on September 14, 2002, at 4:47:35
Oh my goodness, that sounds like an awful night. Are you alright?
It would seem that a good taper schedule might be to use alternate day dosing. Say 75 mg on odd numbered days and 37.5 mg on even numbered days. Do that for a week. Then do 37.5 mg daily for a week. Then 37.5 mg on odd numbered days and nothing on even numbered days. Then let there be two days inbetween doses. Then three.
Let me know how you are.
Posted by Alara on October 3, 2002, at 23:15:30
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol, posted by jannbeau on October 2, 2002, at 11:25:07
Thank you for your kind words and support, Jannbeau. I wish your son well in his continuing sobriety and happiness!
Posted by jim hawthorn on October 4, 2002, at 6:40:34
In reply to Re: I hate Effexor, be careful with it, posted by LISABECK on January 2, 2001, at 23:43:18
I have been off Effexor for 3 weeks today.
I still get brain zaps- much less infrequently then before, but I still get them. They come in the ealy morning (7-9 am)and in the afternoon (5-8 pm). My joins are still sore- particularly my lower back. I am still forgetful. My sleep patterns are now off. at 11 pm I'm no longer tired, but all 11 am I could sleep hanging upside down!!! If I am lying down on the couch or relaxing somewhere, and I get up rapidly, I feel these little brain zaps. It's like all the blood has just rushed out of my head and it is a 2-3 second space out.
I started Effexor 7 months ago. When I started taking it some of the side effects when I started Effexor included:
- very itchy head (remember taking beans in univerity)
-very dry mouth
-mild loss of appetitie
-numbing of sexual drive
-spaced out
-extremely constipatedAfter I was on Effexor for 4-5 weeks, all of the above listed side effexts went away.
If I were to go through the same emotional trauma I went through 8 months ago, I would turn to Effexor again- it did me very well. However, I have built charter over the past 8 months, and can not see myself ever needing Effexor again....BUT who knows what life will deal us.
Hang in there, the only challenging oart is starting Effexor and finishing Effexor- the time when you are on it should be free of side effexts.
Posted by Noorah on October 6, 2002, at 18:30:48
In reply to Re: Effexor and Alcohol no -surfer Thank you !!!!!, posted by lucky on October 2, 2002, at 13:24:32
Well I have been on Effexor for about one week. I feel very spacey, find myself starring into space for long periods of time unable to snap out of it. I usually have this feeling in the morning and as I am winding down for the evening.
I also have almost no appetite whereas before Effexor I was an overeater/laxative use. I am trying to maintain a healthy diet despite the low appetite.
I have also had headaches almost daily as well as insomnia which I am hoping to cure by taking Effexor in the morning instead of at bedtime.
On the flip side I noticed an absolute decrease in my depression. I feel like myself more happy, funny and full of energy. I also have an increased libido which is something new for me.
On the issue of alcohol: I don't think I will chance it. My health and happiness means more than a drink of alcohol.
Posted by butterfly58 on October 8, 2002, at 12:50:55
In reply to Re: Feeling spacey, posted by Noorah on October 6, 2002, at 18:30:48
Has anyone noticed a decrease in strength and endurance while on Effexor? I was taking 75mg for about 2 months. I felt like I was decreasing in both strength and endurance during exercise. I used to exercise 2 to 3 hours a day with out any problem with fatigue then, while on Effexor I notices a decrease mostly in strength when lifting weights. I went off effexor and now I feel my strength and endurance returning. By the way, I did not have any withdrawl symptoms I just stopped taking Effexor.
Posted by sjb on October 8, 2002, at 14:51:09
In reply to Decreased Athletic Perform- Strength Endurance, posted by butterfly58 on October 8, 2002, at 12:50:55
Yes, I had the same experience. Talking to my PDoc about it was like talking to a brick wall. Most don't have a clue about athletes.
That's great you didn't experience withdrawal. Possibly one reason is that your dosage is relatively low. I experienced terrible withdrawal (another thing that was downplayed by my PCDOc) but I came off of 450mg per day and tapered too quickly.
Posted by jannbeau on October 8, 2002, at 15:14:40
In reply to Re: Decreased Athletic Perform- Strength Endurance, posted by sjb on October 8, 2002, at 14:51:09
>Most pdocs AND other docs don't have a clue about the side effects of ANY medicine--is that because they DON'T TAKE their own medicine???
450 mg seems like a whopping dose! Are you ok now?
jannbeau
Yes, I had the same experience. Talking to my PDoc about it was like talking to a brick wall. Most don't have a clue about athletes.
>
> That's great you didn't experience withdrawal. Possibly one reason is that your dosage is relatively low. I experienced terrible withdrawal (another thing that was downplayed by my PCDOc) but I came off of 450mg per day and tapered too quickly.
Posted by dde on October 8, 2002, at 21:28:38
In reply to Re: I am scared of this medicine, HELP ME!, posted by Moni on July 18, 2000, at 18:30:25
I am sure my 10 year old son would have said "Help Me" too, had he known he should tell someone if he was having thoughts of suicide. He was taking 225 mg of Effexor XR. Have any other children been put on this stuff, at an adult dosage level? Has it even been approved for children??? Are they thriving? I feel he was misdiagnosed, at least partially, with ADHD, instead of bi-polar. Please let me know if anyone has children taking this medication successfully, and for what condition. Just sign me "at a HUGE loss".
Posted by kwm9999 on October 8, 2002, at 22:05:11
In reply to help - terrifying side effects, posted by legallybrunette on October 2, 2002, at 9:39:48
legallybrunette-
please let us know how you are now....i just got a prescription for 75mg of Effexor today and am wondering should i begin it or not****give me an update on your side effects***If anyone else has an opinion on why i should/shouldn't start this med, please give it-
kwm> i've only been on e-xr (37.5) for 3 days now, have
> already experienced some scary side-effects &
> don't know if i should continue.
> can someone give me some input on this?
>
> last night as i watched tv, every muscle in my body
> started to tense and twitch. i knew it was the
> effexor settling in, so i just let it happen, w/o
> too much panic.
> but then when i got up - and the only way i can
> describe this is when i had a horrible acid trip
> (sorry folks) when i was a teenager - my mind
> was completely disassociated from my body and all
> my movements were in 'a tunnel' and in extreme slo-
> mo. my heart was racing and i thought for SURE i
> was going crazy. this lasted for about 2 hours.
>
> when i was able to function again, the only
> solution for me was to go down to my
> basement gym and do some extreme working out - part
> of me thought i may have been having an anxiety
> attack (but doubtful)and that it was best to keep
> moving & not focus on the sensations.
>
> eventually it passed, but i'm really wary about
> continuing on w/ the meds. i was so 'grateful' for
> waking up feeling 'normal' this morning, i'm afraid
> to lose that again if i pop another pill!
>
> has anyone experienced this particular kind of s.
> effect? if so what did you do?
> do s.effects tend to repeat themselves, or could
> this just've been a 1-shot deal?
>
> i really need to get myself out of this stupid pit
> of depression & i'd hate to quit now, but if this
> would considered a 'major' side-effect, i'd rather
> stop. anyway, any help would be appreciated!
>
Posted by marolync on October 8, 2002, at 22:43:52
In reply to Re: Long term effects of Effexor/permanent , posted by Kym on April 3, 2001, at 21:32:43
I've recently moved to New York City. Because I haven't yet found a job, I'm going to be without insurance for a little while, so I'm planning to polish off the last of my Effexor this month. I've been taking 75 mg daily for about 9 months to alleviate depression after breaking off my engagement to a beloved man/disappointing potentail life partner. I'm coping with that more rationally now.
At the end of September, I started taking my dose every other day, and am able to do that with minimal side effects. However, since the beginning of October, I have been experimenting with taking the dose every three days, and on the third day, I have a number of the side effects, most notably the body's a jet, head's a slug dissociation at maddeningly varriable intervals. However, by staying calm and observing, but not panicking, over these side effect events, I've been able to endure them tollerably.
I'm not really in a position to incur any expense as far as getting some Prozac for the transition--everything I've got right now is dedicated to November rent already. So, essentially, I'm asking for any insight into how to manage this. I don't have any of the 35 mg capsules, and don't think I'll get a very predictable dose from divvying up my capsules. I wonder if I am just prolonging my symptoms, and should try going off altogether and getting it over with. My additional motivation in all of this is to try to be off the medication by the time I'd begin working, because I really don't want to begin my new job distinguishing myself by being incapacitated for a coupla weeks.
I have noticed some abatement in the severity of the side effects on the third day now. At first, I felt really nauseous, like I could feel my brain turning and tipping slowly in its cranial fluid, and headachey, and wanted to stay in bed all day. The first time I just threw in the towel and took my dose sometime in the afternoon, then not again for another coupla days.
Anyone else out there ever heard anyone try it like this before? I'd welcome any advice.
Posted by Sioux on October 8, 2002, at 23:22:22
In reply to uninsured withdrawal advice, posted by marolync on October 8, 2002, at 22:43:52
> At the end of September, I started taking my dose every other day, and am able to do that with minimal side effects. However, since the beginning of October, I have been experimenting with taking the dose every three days, and on the third day, I have a number of the side effects,
This is what I'm trying to do. I'm on only 37.5 mg and started trying to get off of it after being on for only a month but I experienced everything you're experiencing and so went back to 37.5/day. I'm really pissed about it. I have Addison's Disease (no adrenal glands) and went into crisis from the heat in August. Part of Addison's crisis is irritability, confusion, and depression. (It clears right up with corticosteroids in adequate dose.) Instead, for nine days, they gave me this frigging drug "for pain" and now I'm stuck with it.
I'm seeing a real doc tomorrow and hope he'll help me.
Posted by Jonboy on October 9, 2002, at 0:11:24
In reply to Re: uninsured withdrawal advice, posted by Sioux on October 8, 2002, at 23:22:22
I stopped taking Effexor by opening up my 75mg capsules and dumping out half. I did this for about 4 days, and figured I'd be cool. The first day without it since May, I felt amazing. But as the day wore on, I felt this strange sensation where my body would feel asleep for a split second whenever I moved. Somebody else described this as feeling their brain move inside of their cranium, and that description seems to work for me, too. It sucks.
I talked to the GP who prescribed it, and he said NOTHING about any withdrawal effects, and nothing about my homemade method of quitting the drug. However, as my symptoms are worsening, so is my anger toward this son of a bitch who prescribed a psychoactive drug without ANY useful knowledge of it, besides what the manufacturer is shoving up his ass. If anyone has any suggestions for dealing with withdrawal symptoms (besides other drugs) or can let me know how long to expect these feelings, I would appreciate it. As a college senior, this is sort of important. Thanks, doc. Thanks, Wyeth.
Posted by marolync on October 9, 2002, at 11:49:50
In reply to Re: uninsured withdrawal advice, posted by Sioux on October 8, 2002, at 23:22:22
I've read a few more of the earlier postings about people who tried dividing their 75 mg capsules into half doses with some success. I've decided to take half doses daily for a week, and then to try to go to every other day, and then to every third day. The postings on attempting to just ditch effexor with impunity look like exercises in humility, for the most part:)
I don't know how useful it is to become so angry at the drug companies and even doctors. We are all pretty fallibly human, but in general, I've felt that people were doing their best all around me. If you are going through life without that feeling, I would think that would make a person really angry, and that anger is a great signpost for you to look into for your healing! Good luck, and don't sidetrack yourself projecting the same anger on yet another target--look at the anger itself!
As far as self-care, there's no substitute for doing your best for yourself, and staying patient and humble when that process is time-consuming and confusing. I tried effexor after a period in which I was diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid gland, initiated a number of big life changes, and suffered some setbacks and losses. Effexor worked well for me during a period when I was very overwhelmed.
It is clear that this complicated constellation of causes and effects is difficult even for me to stay patient with, much less for me to find someone else with expertise which would make my sifting through all of this a cakewalk. I did the "talking cure" for a number of months in addition to the medication, which was a big part of why I think I'm ready to come off it now. Also, this therapist was EXTREMELY supportive of my reconnecting with my Catholic faith during this process. My experiences of loss and change made me listen with new ears to the ideas of original sin (we are all striving to do our best, but we just necessarily fall short in this world), faith, and especially abandonment. I found that giving up on the things I am genuinely NOT in control of--and there are SO MANY of these things--yet maintaining the faithful posture that it's not just entropy out there, has given me peace. Also, because the effexor prescription coincided with the end of a relationship, I was able to enjoy an unfrustrating period of celibacy, which also had unexpected benefits, quiet, and gave me a lot of free time.While I am not wild about some of these withdrawal symptoms, they are far more tolerable than the abject sorrow which led me to explore a medication in the first place. I am looking forward to a peaceable, if somewhat dinosaur-brained, few weeks of exploring whether and how I can now be ok without the medicine in my system.
Posted by jannbeau on October 9, 2002, at 13:13:49
In reply to Withdrawal blows even for small doses, posted by Jonboy on October 9, 2002, at 0:11:24
> Hello, Wyeth:
I think I may have described the "brain zaps" as my brain moving inside my head so I thought I'd try to answer your question about how long the discontinuation syndrome lasts. For me, it was was about THREE WEEKS.
I agree with you about prescribing practices, too. I got NO information about side effects or effects of discontinuation.
The most interesting thing I've noticed about Effexor is that the best of the therapeutic effects seem to last well beyond discontinuation of the medication. Although I have been off Effexor for several months, my anxiety, depression and obcessive-compulsive ruminations have not yet returned. Although I would not recommend Effexor to most people and I would NOT wish to regularly take it again (it is tempting at times because Effexor immediately relieved the pain for which it was prescribed), Effexor seems to have helped me in the long run.
Cheers,
JannbeauI stopped taking Effexor by opening up my 75mg capsules and dumping out half. I did this for about 4 days, and figured I'd be cool. The first day without it since May, I felt amazing. But as the day wore on, I felt this strange sensation where my body would feel asleep for a split second whenever I moved. Somebody else described this as feeling their brain move inside of their cranium, and that description seems to work for me, too. It sucks.
>
> I talked to the GP who prescribed it, and he said NOTHING about any withdrawal effects, and nothing about my homemade method of quitting the drug. However, as my symptoms are worsening, so is my anger toward this son of a bitch who prescribed a psychoactive drug without ANY useful knowledge of it, besides what the manufacturer is shoving up his ass. If anyone has any suggestions for dealing with withdrawal symptoms (besides other drugs) or can let me know how long to expect these feelings, I would appreciate it. As a college senior, this is sort of important. Thanks, doc. Thanks, Wyeth.
Posted by jannbeau on October 9, 2002, at 13:16:21
In reply to Withdrawal blows even for small doses, posted by Jonboy on October 9, 2002, at 0:11:24
> OK, so you are NOT Wyeth, but Jonboy!!! Missed that until I re-read your post--ugh!
Jannbeau
I stopped taking Effexor by opening up my 75mg capsules and dumping out half. I did this for about 4 days, and figured I'd be cool. The first day without it since May, I felt amazing. But as the day wore on, I felt this strange sensation where my body would feel asleep for a split second whenever I moved. Somebody else described this as feeling their brain move inside of their cranium, and that description seems to work for me, too. It sucks.
>
> I talked to the GP who prescribed it, and he said NOTHING about any withdrawal effects, and nothing about my homemade method of quitting the drug. However, as my symptoms are worsening, so is my anger toward this son of a bitch who prescribed a psychoactive drug without ANY useful knowledge of it, besides what the manufacturer is shoving up his ass. If anyone has any suggestions for dealing with withdrawal symptoms (besides other drugs) or can let me know how long to expect these feelings, I would appreciate it. As a college senior, this is sort of important. Thanks, doc. Thanks, Wyeth.
Posted by jannbeau on October 9, 2002, at 13:26:31
In reply to Re: uninsured withdrawal advice, posted by marolync on October 9, 2002, at 11:49:50
> Hi, Marolync,
Dividing worked for me. The dose doesn't have to be exact; if you just divide the little "balls" inside of the cap into two relatively similar piles, that seems to work.
Thank you for your comments. Well said!
Jannbeau
I've read a few more of the earlier postings about people who tried dividing their 75 mg capsules into half doses with some success. I've decided to take half doses daily for a week, and then to try to go to every other day, and then to every third day. The postings on attempting to just ditch effexor with impunity look like exercises in humility, for the most part:)
>
> I don't know how useful it is to become so angry at the drug companies and even doctors. We are all pretty fallibly human, but in general, I've felt that people were doing their best all around me. If you are going through life without that feeling, I would think that would make a person really angry, and that anger is a great signpost for you to look into for your healing! Good luck, and don't sidetrack yourself projecting the same anger on yet another target--look at the anger itself!
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> As far as self-care, there's no substitute for doing your best for yourself, and staying patient and humble when that process is time-consuming and confusing. I tried effexor after a period in which I was diagnosed with a hyperactive thyroid gland, initiated a number of big life changes, and suffered some setbacks and losses. Effexor worked well for me during a period when I was very overwhelmed.
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> It is clear that this complicated constellation of causes and effects is difficult even for me to stay patient with, much less for me to find someone else with expertise which would make my sifting through all of this a cakewalk. I did the "talking cure" for a number of months in addition to the medication, which was a big part of why I think I'm ready to come off it now. Also, this therapist was EXTREMELY supportive of my reconnecting with my Catholic faith during this process. My experiences of loss and change made me listen with new ears to the ideas of original sin (we are all striving to do our best, but we just necessarily fall short in this world), faith, and especially abandonment. I found that giving up on the things I am genuinely NOT in control of--and there are SO MANY of these things--yet maintaining the faithful posture that it's not just entropy out there, has given me peace. Also, because the effexor prescription coincided with the end of a relationship, I was able to enjoy an unfrustrating period of celibacy, which also had unexpected benefits, quiet, and gave me a lot of free time.
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> While I am not wild about some of these withdrawal symptoms, they are far more tolerable than the abject sorrow which led me to explore a medication in the first place. I am looking forward to a peaceable, if somewhat dinosaur-brained, few weeks of exploring whether and how I can now be ok without the medicine in my system.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Script revised: February 4, 2008
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