![[dr. bob]](/dr-bob-sm.gif)
Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 3301 to 3325 of 10407. Go back in thread:
Posted by HannahBeGood on February 23, 2003, at 22:10:21
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal Geoff , Keroppi, posted by Katia on February 19, 2003, at 15:43:34
> I was on Effexor (Eff.) for about four months. It helped with my depression, but I too was constipated for awhile, then I slept for hours, couldn't wake up before noon (luckily I work in the evening). After about two months, I started experiencing those heart palpitations, electrical shocks, brain not connecting as fast as my movements, spaciness, etc. The thing about all those symptons is, I didn't realize it for awhile. I didn't realize that I was spacey because I was so spacey!! It's a confusing feeling. I''m also in grad school, which makes it hard.
> Today has been a week totally off Eff. and it hasn't been easy. I did the tapering and I still have headahces, MOODINESS, electrical shocks, my body just feels wrecked.
> Glad to hear it works for you. I'm transitioning onto Zoloft. Anyone with experiences/doses?
> Thanks.
> Katia
>> > People tell me please...
> > I am a sufferer of clinical depression, and I have found that anti-depressant drugs relieve my misery miraculously. I would never, EVER want to stop taking my Effexor and go back to the sadness I was living with. So, why are so many of you doing this, and struggling with these awful side affects? I guess I have no concept of why anyone would want to stop taking this drug when it is so helpful to me and has improved my quality of life so much. Would some of you please share your scenarios with me so I have a better understanding, and perhaps I can be better prepared for the possibilty of having to give up this drug in my future? (snipped)Tina P~
Speaking for myself, yes, FXR, with the addition of dexedrine, did help me move through and out of a period of uncontrollable grief and major clinical depression. I was on it (up to 300 mgs.) for 9 mos. However, it puts me to sleep and I have a life-long problem with excessive daytime sleepiness (& ADD, recently diagnosed). Even on 80 mgs. of dexedrine, and up to 120 mgs of Adderall, I cd. not function adequately on FXR due to the 'sleepy' side effect-it made me fuzzy, and tended to flatten my emotional responses to too great a degree, once I had passed thru the critical grief-healing period.
I actually needed DE-sensitization in the beginning, but, once I came to grips w/ my losses, I had to, slowly, step out of my cozy FXR cocoon. I could feel happiness and interest in life again, I was no longer perpetually sad & grief-stricken, but my pleasant interior 'mental' and emotional change, did not make me much more functional in the practical, physical sense. Because I had no energy. Effexor is a strong, effective drug for many (and I am very treatment resistant) but if even the smallest dose knocks me out, I cannot glean its benefits due to this side-effect. One must be awake to function!And, to you, Tina, and *Katia*-AND ALL those who will or are trying to stop Effexor---I did it and I did not SUFFER
at all.Lexapro was just out, my p-doc gave me lots of samples, he & I discussed dropping the FXR slowly, which, to him wd. take perhaps 2-3 weeks, b/c he has great confidence in Lex. I told him, if I exp'd any discomfort, I wd. go as slowly as necessary to control any WD symptoms. It took me about 2 months too completely stop the FXR.(I started Lex at the same time, but started w/5mgs daily a7 moved up to 10 within 2 weeks). My p-doc gave me one starter sample pack of FXR to taper with, since they had the lower dosage caplets. UI also still had about 450 mgs. at home. I dropped slowly, say 20 -30 mgs a week, and sometimes wd. skip a dose, then,(and this usually happened within 30 hrs.) when I HAD THE SMALLEST BRAIN 'SWOOSH' (sorry, caps)or any seemingly WD related dysthymia, I immediately took perhaps half a 37.5. And 99% of the time, I was ok within an hour. During the second month I took 8-15 granules of FXR daily or every other day, and, later in the month, I began to skip days, taking a few granules only if I had a 'swoosh'.
After about 11 weeks I began to forget to take the granules as the intermittent swooshes finally stopped and my Effexor experiences (I had tried it once before 3 yrs. ago, but w/o the stims, was simply comatose) are now a very important component of my psychiatric history.
Katia, from what dosage, and how long did you give yourself to titrate down and off the FXR? In your place, I wd. take juat 15 granules of FXR and see if it helped alleviate the WD symptoms you are still feeling. If this does not help, try another 15 granules, say 2 hrs. later. It sounds like you titrated down too quickly for YOU and may need to add a small amt. of FXR back (along w/your Zoloft) until you are no longer feeling ill, and then titrate as slowly as you must to avoid the discomforts of withdrtawal. I have used Zoloft, but with no effect, so I cannot helpyou there. Are you discussing all this with a therapist? What are his/her insights, recommendations, and what is your diagnosis?
Please let me (us) know how it goes. There is no excuse for suffering to such a degree, when it CAN be avoided with the proper, individualized titration schedule.
So, please note:
*Titrate all drugs (up or down) to minimize and possibly avoid side-effects. And do it as slowly as you individually require.
*If you suffer from anxiety or insomnia during med changes, use something to help you over the 'hump'. Even benadryl or peppermint tea for stomach upset sometimes is enuf to help you through the transition. But, your dr. must help you during transitions, even if that means temporarily treating you with a stop-gap med.
*If your dr. does not believe in how radically side-effects affect drug compliance and follow-through, do some research on the google search engine or in Dr. Bob's tips. Print this info out and take it w/you to your doc.
If a trial medication causes you immediate debilitating discomfort or illness, say upon *first dose or during first day*, call your doc immediately with this urgent info. If I began vomiting, had severe chest or head pain,elevated blood pressure, fainted, felt manic or, sudden deep dysphoria, I wd. take no more of the med until I had immmediate input from a professional. I wd. also call a friend or relative to be with me until I knew which way was up.Some meds actually do make us sicker. But, get prof'l guidance in any situation like this. Don't just uit and believe that all is safe.
All of this is just my opinion and what I have learned from research, Dr. Bob's site, and my own experience. I am not a doc, but I do believe in reading and reseaching all you can on your own symptoms, possible diagnoses, family history (including drinking, gambling, substance use, pronounced moodiness, learning disabilities,
intelligent relatives who were low achievers, those w/quick tempers or a tendency towards bouts of 'rage')not to mention all the common disorders---all can be significant and help provide a backdrop for a you and a therapist to help compose a more intricate and revealing portrait of what your obstacles are and how best to treat them. This helps provide for more accurate prescibing, I think, as well.The more you know, the more you will understand when your doc prescibes a particular med or therapy. If you don't understand, ask him why? Write down any and all ?'s before your appt. and try not to feel intimidated.
Hope This helps either/both of you. Tina, glad the FXR is working for you and with the use of ration and good sense, you need not fear the discontinuation nightmares that tend to surface due to overly-rapid cessation of FXR and many other drugs.All things in moderation~Hannah
Posted by LA on February 24, 2003, at 11:26:11
In reply to Re: Effexor W'drawalTina /Katia:painlessIFpatient, posted by HannahBeGood on February 23, 2003, at 22:10:21
Today is my second day off effexor.
In 2 weeks I went from 300 to 37.5 (as per my doctor ). I did not feel bad until 2 days ago when I hit 0. I am now crying all the time, even over thinking of experiences, that I thought I had dealt with. I feel dizzy and naueous and tired with a slight headache. The only time I seem to feel better is when I am eating and as soon as I stop eating I feel even worse. This is besides the fact that I don't need to eat with 30 pound increase in weight.
I am on my way to the doctors.
Posted by catri on February 24, 2003, at 11:55:09
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl, posted by LA on February 24, 2003, at 11:26:11
Hello, all.
Good luck LA with the withdrawal! Tell us what the doc has to say about the withdrawal side effects - I have not yet come off Effexor XR (75mg) but when I do, I think that this site will have help me loads!! I am, unfortunately, in any position to give it up yet - its made am amazing difference to my life. Anyway I am going on a holiday to the states soon (I live in the UK) and I was wondering what peoples' experiences were of flying long haul whilst on the drug? Do you get vertigo or nauseous?? Normally I don't experience any motion sickeness, but previously on Prozac I didn't travel very well at all. Any feedback would be helpful....
Posted by jtc on February 24, 2003, at 11:58:50
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl, posted by LA on February 24, 2003, at 11:25:59
> Today is my second day off effexor.
> In 2 weeks I went from 300 to 37.5 (as per my doctor ). I did not feel bad until 2 days ago when I hit 0. I am now crying all the time, even over thinking of experiences, that I thought I had dealt with. I feel dizzy and naueous and tired with a slight headache. The only time I seem to feel better is when I am eating and as soon as I stop eating I feel even worse. This is besides the fact that I don't need to eat with 30 pound increase in weight.
> I am on my way to the doctors.Oh no, I hope you start to feel better. Please let us know that the doc says. I am thinking about going off Effexor soon so I am not looking forward to the withdrawal. I have two kids to take care of and a dog so I don't know how I will handle the withdrawal. Keep us posted after you see your doctor. Good luck, jc
Posted by millie on February 24, 2003, at 13:13:50
In reply to Re: Weight gain! Dizziness! Help!, posted by Tina P on February 19, 2003, at 12:47:52
> Well, unfortunately in my case overweight and underhappy seem to go hand-in-hand. I do believe, however, that my weight issue lies deeper than my depression problem, and the medication has made life so much more bearable! Just out of curiosity, was this coming from someone who is thin???? Millie?????
Yes, I was thin. I gained a few pounds after a very bad accident and had lost most of them. I was a few pounds shy of my normal weight (135) when I went on Effexor. That was 6 months ago. I now weigh 176. This is why I went off the Effexor. All the doctors said it couldn't be the Effexor. I have had more blood drawn and tests run trying to determine what caused such rapid weight gain. (It wasn't what I was eating. I'm pretty health conscious as I used to do part time modeling.) This web site has confirmed what I thought was the problem. I'm now off the medicine with terrible side effects - extreme dizziness and iritability, etc. I think I am even more unhappy now than I was before Effexor. However, noting was stopping the weight gain. Now, I cannot get it back off. I exercise several hours a week, eat like a bird, take diet aids, and still nothing is helping. I really regret the day I went on the stuff.
Posted by Asyan Delight on February 24, 2003, at 13:30:07
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl, posted by LA on February 24, 2003, at 11:26:11
Good luck at the doctors. Let us know what happened. Why is it that almost all the pills that I take to make me "normal" again also assist in me gaining weight? I went on birth control pills so that I can have normal cycles and anti-depressants so that I can stop crying and altogehter I would say I gained 80 lbs in the matter of 2 years. Can they please make a drug with good side effects? Like speeding metabolizism, beautiful skin, no liver effects, etc.
Posted by napaba on February 24, 2003, at 13:30:54
In reply to Re: Weight gain! Dizziness! Help!, posted by millie on February 24, 2003, at 13:13:50
> > Well, unfortunately in my case overweight and underhappy seem to go hand-in-hand. I do believe, however, that my weight issue lies deeper than my depression problem, and the medication has made life so much more bearable! Just out of curiosity, was this coming from someone who is thin???? Millie?????
>
>
> Yes, I was thin. I gained a few pounds after a very bad accident and had lost most of them. I was a few pounds shy of my normal weight (135) when I went on Effexor. That was 6 months ago. I now weigh 176. This is why I went off the Effexor. All the doctors said it couldn't be the Effexor. I have had more blood drawn and tests run trying to determine what caused such rapid weight gain. (It wasn't what I was eating. I'm pretty health conscious as I used to do part time modeling.) This web site has confirmed what I thought was the problem. I'm now off the medicine with terrible side effects - extreme dizziness and iritability, etc. I think I am even more unhappy now than I was before Effexor. However, noting was stopping the weight gain. Now, I cannot get it back off. I exercise several hours a week, eat like a bird, take diet aids, and still nothing is helping. I really regret the day I went on the stuff.
>
You may not be eating enough to loss weight. Your body may be in starvation mode. (yes, you can be over weight and your body can still think it's starving) Try a low carb diet. I've found you get to eat a lot. I've noticed an improvement in my modes, much more consistant. Try the book "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds"
Posted by Katia on February 24, 2003, at 15:27:09
In reply to Re: Effexor W'drawalTina /Katia:painlessIFpatient, posted by HannahBeGood on February 23, 2003, at 22:10:21
Thanks Hannah for all of your time.
I'm actually now over my withdrawal. I tapered down 37.5 per week and then quit after being on 37.5 for a week and that's when it became unbearable; so by the third day I took 37.5 and two days later I took 37.5 and it helped ease the withdrawal. After that, I took nothing and now almost two weeks later, I feel almost finished with the w/drawal. So that's my story of Eff.XR!
Katia> > I was on Effexor (Eff.) for about four months. It helped with my depression, but I too was constipated for awhile, then I slept for hours, couldn't wake up before noon (luckily I work in the evening). After about two months, I started experiencing those heart palpitations, electrical shocks, brain not connecting as fast as my movements, spaciness, etc. The thing about all those symptons is, I didn't realize it for awhile. I didn't realize that I was spacey because I was so spacey!! It's a confusing feeling. I''m also in grad school, which makes it hard.
> > Today has been a week totally off Eff. and it hasn't been easy. I did the tapering and I still have headahces, MOODINESS, electrical shocks, my body just feels wrecked.
> > Glad to hear it works for you. I'm transitioning onto Zoloft. Anyone with experiences/doses?
> > Thanks.
> > Katia
> >
>
>
>
>
>
> > > People tell me please...
> > > I am a sufferer of clinical depression, and I have found that anti-depressant drugs relieve my misery miraculously. I would never, EVER want to stop taking my Effexor and go back to the sadness I was living with. So, why are so many of you doing this, and struggling with these awful side affects? I guess I have no concept of why anyone would want to stop taking this drug when it is so helpful to me and has improved my quality of life so much. Would some of you please share your scenarios with me so I have a better understanding, and perhaps I can be better prepared for the possibilty of having to give up this drug in my future? (snipped)
>
> Tina P~
> Speaking for myself, yes, FXR, with the addition of dexedrine, did help me move through and out of a period of uncontrollable grief and major clinical depression. I was on it (up to 300 mgs.) for 9 mos. However, it puts me to sleep and I have a life-long problem with excessive daytime sleepiness (& ADD, recently diagnosed). Even on 80 mgs. of dexedrine, and up to 120 mgs of Adderall, I cd. not function adequately on FXR due to the 'sleepy' side effect-it made me fuzzy, and tended to flatten my emotional responses to too great a degree, once I had passed thru the critical grief-healing period.
> I actually needed DE-sensitization in the beginning, but, once I came to grips w/ my losses, I had to, slowly, step out of my cozy FXR cocoon. I could feel happiness and interest in life again, I was no longer perpetually sad & grief-stricken, but my pleasant interior 'mental' and emotional change, did not make me much more functional in the practical, physical sense. Because I had no energy. Effexor is a strong, effective drug for many (and I am very treatment resistant) but if even the smallest dose knocks me out, I cannot glean its benefits due to this side-effect. One must be awake to function!
>
> And, to you, Tina, and *Katia*-AND ALL those who will or are trying to stop Effexor---I did it and I did not SUFFER
> at all.
>
> Lexapro was just out, my p-doc gave me lots of samples, he & I discussed dropping the FXR slowly, which, to him wd. take perhaps 2-3 weeks, b/c he has great confidence in Lex. I told him, if I exp'd any discomfort, I wd. go as slowly as necessary to control any WD symptoms. It took me about 2 months too completely stop the FXR.(I started Lex at the same time, but started w/5mgs daily a7 moved up to 10 within 2 weeks). My p-doc gave me one starter sample pack of FXR to taper with, since they had the lower dosage caplets. UI also still had about 450 mgs. at home. I dropped slowly, say 20 -30 mgs a week, and sometimes wd. skip a dose, then,(and this usually happened within 30 hrs.) when I HAD THE SMALLEST BRAIN 'SWOOSH' (sorry, caps)or any seemingly WD related dysthymia, I immediately took perhaps half a 37.5. And 99% of the time, I was ok within an hour. During the second month I took 8-15 granules of FXR daily or every other day, and, later in the month, I began to skip days, taking a few granules only if I had a 'swoosh'.
>
> After about 11 weeks I began to forget to take the granules as the intermittent swooshes finally stopped and my Effexor experiences (I had tried it once before 3 yrs. ago, but w/o the stims, was simply comatose) are now a very important component of my psychiatric history.
>
> Katia, from what dosage, and how long did you give yourself to titrate down and off the FXR? In your place, I wd. take juat 15 granules of FXR and see if it helped alleviate the WD symptoms you are still feeling. If this does not help, try another 15 granules, say 2 hrs. later. It sounds like you titrated down too quickly for YOU and may need to add a small amt. of FXR back (along w/your Zoloft) until you are no longer feeling ill, and then titrate as slowly as you must to avoid the discomforts of withdrtawal. I have used Zoloft, but with no effect, so I cannot helpyou there. Are you discussing all this with a therapist? What are his/her insights, recommendations, and what is your diagnosis?
>
> Please let me (us) know how it goes. There is no excuse for suffering to such a degree, when it CAN be avoided with the proper, individualized titration schedule.
>
> So, please note:
>
> *Titrate all drugs (up or down) to minimize and possibly avoid side-effects. And do it as slowly as you individually require.
>
> *If you suffer from anxiety or insomnia during med changes, use something to help you over the 'hump'. Even benadryl or peppermint tea for stomach upset sometimes is enuf to help you through the transition. But, your dr. must help you during transitions, even if that means temporarily treating you with a stop-gap med.
>
> *If your dr. does not believe in how radically side-effects affect drug compliance and follow-through, do some research on the google search engine or in Dr. Bob's tips. Print this info out and take it w/you to your doc.
>
> If a trial medication causes you immediate debilitating discomfort or illness, say upon *first dose or during first day*, call your doc immediately with this urgent info. If I began vomiting, had severe chest or head pain,elevated blood pressure, fainted, felt manic or, sudden deep dysphoria, I wd. take no more of the med until I had immmediate input from a professional. I wd. also call a friend or relative to be with me until I knew which way was up.Some meds actually do make us sicker. But, get prof'l guidance in any situation like this. Don't just uit and believe that all is safe.
>
> All of this is just my opinion and what I have learned from research, Dr. Bob's site, and my own experience. I am not a doc, but I do believe in reading and reseaching all you can on your own symptoms, possible diagnoses, family history (including drinking, gambling, substance use, pronounced moodiness, learning disabilities,
> intelligent relatives who were low achievers, those w/quick tempers or a tendency towards bouts of 'rage')not to mention all the common disorders---all can be significant and help provide a backdrop for a you and a therapist to help compose a more intricate and revealing portrait of what your obstacles are and how best to treat them. This helps provide for more accurate prescibing, I think, as well.
>
> The more you know, the more you will understand when your doc prescibes a particular med or therapy. If you don't understand, ask him why? Write down any and all ?'s before your appt. and try not to feel intimidated.
>
> Hope This helps either/both of you. Tina, glad the FXR is working for you and with the use of ration and good sense, you need not fear the discontinuation nightmares that tend to surface due to overly-rapid cessation of FXR and many other drugs.
>
> All things in moderation~Hannah
>
>
Posted by Jack Smith on February 24, 2003, at 15:36:09
In reply to Re: Effexor W'drawalTina /Katia:painlessIFpatient, posted by Katia on February 24, 2003, at 15:27:09
Also, how does effexor withdrawl compare to paxil withdrawl? Which one is worse?
Posted by kelmel on February 24, 2003, at 20:35:34
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawl, posted by LA on February 24, 2003, at 11:25:59
> Today is my second day off effexor.
> In 2 weeks I went from 300 to 37.5 (as per my doctor ). I did not feel bad until 2 days ago when I hit 0. I am now crying all the time, even over thinking of experiences, that I thought I had dealt with. I feel dizzy and naueous and tired with a slight headache. The only time I seem to feel better is when I am eating and as soon as I stop eating I feel even worse. This is besides the fact that I don't need to eat with 30 pound increase in weight.
> I am on my way to the doctors.The withdrawal gets better, trust me it took about two weeks for me but it does go away. life is normal for me now. Exercise and eating good food and taking vitamins helps you maintain a normal life now . dont turn back now keep it up and good luck
Posted by Dr. Bob on February 25, 2003, at 0:41:29
In reply to Re: Weight gain! Dizziness! Help!, posted by napaba on February 24, 2003, at 13:30:54
> Try the book "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds"
I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
But I don't mean to be pushy. Did you deliberately not use it to link to Amazon? If so, I'd be interested in why, over at Psycho-Babble Administration:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
Thanks!
Bob
Posted by napaba on February 25, 2003, at 7:47:24
In reply to Re: double double quotes » napaba, posted by Dr. Bob on February 25, 2003, at 0:41:29
> > Try the book "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds"
>
> I'd just like to plug the double double quotes feature:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/faq.html#amazon
>
> But I don't mean to be pushy. Did you deliberately not use it to link to Amazon? If so, I'd be interested in why, over at Psycho-Babble Administration:
>
> http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20020918/msgs/7717.html
>
> Thanks!
>
> BobNo I didn't do it on purpose. I didn't know it would do that. I read the book and it really helped me. I didn't intend to advertise for Amazon. I feel much better sense I changed my eating habits. (Although I do miss chips)
Posted by rickj on February 25, 2003, at 9:37:51
In reply to Re: My Effexor experience -- another nasty drug » daizy, posted by daizy on February 21, 2003, at 10:14:36
Thks Daizy.
> mdma.net, has research you might like to see.
Posted by starlight on February 25, 2003, at 18:19:53
In reply to Re: Weight gain! Dizziness! Help!, posted by napaba on February 24, 2003, at 13:30:54
Have you tried Wellbutrin? I had great results on Wellbutrin until I got manic and they changed my diagnosis from Depression to Bipolar. Now I'm on Trileptal and Lamictal and have had positive results. I had a severe eating disorder in my late teens, early twenties, so I refused to take anything that had weight gain in it's profile of side effects (life is bad enough at times, I couldn't imagine struggling with the weight issue again).
Other things to try are the Atkins Diet and Bikram Style yoga. Bikram yoga is excellent for stimulating the metabolism and well - the Atkins diet is a great way to eat good portions of food (which your body needs) and still lose weight.
Good luck
starlight
> > > Well, unfortunately in my case overweight and underhappy seem to go hand-in-hand. I do believe, however, that my weight issue lies deeper than my depression problem, and the medication has made life so much more bearable! Just out of curiosity, was this coming from someone who is thin???? Millie?????
> >
> >
> > Yes, I was thin. I gained a few pounds after a very bad accident and had lost most of them. I was a few pounds shy of my normal weight (135) when I went on Effexor. That was 6 months ago. I now weigh 176. This is why I went off the Effexor. All the doctors said it couldn't be the Effexor. I have had more blood drawn and tests run trying to determine what caused such rapid weight gain. (It wasn't what I was eating. I'm pretty health conscious as I used to do part time modeling.) This web site has confirmed what I thought was the problem. I'm now off the medicine with terrible side effects - extreme dizziness and iritability, etc. I think I am even more unhappy now than I was before Effexor. However, noting was stopping the weight gain. Now, I cannot get it back off. I exercise several hours a week, eat like a bird, take diet aids, and still nothing is helping. I really regret the day I went on the stuff.
> >
>
>
> You may not be eating enough to loss weight. Your body may be in starvation mode. (yes, you can be over weight and your body can still think it's starving) Try a low carb diet. I've found you get to eat a lot. I've noticed an improvement in my modes, much more consistant. Try the book "How I Gave Up My Low Fat Diet and Lost Forty Pounds"
>
Posted by KrissyP on February 25, 2003, at 23:00:47
In reply to Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR?, posted by Jack Smith on February 24, 2003, at 15:36:09
> Also, how does effexor withdrawl compare to paxil withdrawl? Which one is worse?*********
When i went off of Effexor-XR in December, I had minimal if no withdrawal effects. What happened when the drug was finally OUT of my system wa pure living hell, so I satrted back on it yesterday. As far as Paxil, I can only speak from experience and 1 week into the treatment I got manic as heck and landed in the ER and back into the psych ward. I don't remember withdrawing off of Paxil because I was only on it for a week. I prefer Effexor.
Posted by Jack Smith on February 26, 2003, at 0:25:28
In reply to Re: Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR? » Jack Smith, posted by KrissyP on February 25, 2003, at 23:00:47
> > Also, how does effexor withdrawl compare to paxil withdrawl? Which one is worse?*********
> When i went off of Effexor-XR in December, I had minimal if no withdrawal effects. What happened when the drug was finally OUT of my system wa pure living hell, so I satrted back on it yesterday.I assume you are talking about rebound depression/anxiety and not withdrawl? What is your diagnosis and what meds are you on, if any, in addition to effexor???
Posted by KrissyP on February 26, 2003, at 0:44:18
In reply to Re: Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR? » KrissyP, posted by Jack Smith on February 26, 2003, at 0:25:28
> > > Also, how does effexor withdrawl compare to paxil withdrawl? Which one is worse?*********
> > When i went off of Effexor-XR in December, I had minimal if no withdrawal effects. What happened when the drug was finally OUT of my system wa pure living hell, so I satrted back on it yesterday.
>
> I assume you are talking about rebound depression/anxiety and not withdrawl? What is your diagnosis and what meds are you on, if any, in addition to effexor???--------For the first week or two getting off of Effexor-XR, yes I felt "foggy", and frustrated. However, those feelings went away and they weren't severe. I was diagnosed with major depression in 1995. I was diagnosed with Bipolar 2 in Nov. 1999. I was in a sophomore English class and my teacher made this statement, "You are really, really 'up', or you are really, really 'down' when you come to class". This was back in 1986 and it was ignored. I have, for the most part had severe mood swings most of my 32 years. Currently, I am on 75mg Effexor-XR 1x a day, 2mg Klonopin at night for sleep, 100mg Seroquel for sleep, and 50mg Lamictal 1x at night. I hope this helps?
Posted by michael on February 26, 2003, at 17:40:05
In reply to Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR?, posted by Jack Smith on February 24, 2003, at 15:36:09
> Also, how does effexor withdrawl compare to paxil withdrawl? Which one is worse?
I had no withdrawl. Don't remember my final dose - I think it was 225mg? Didn't taper.
michael
Posted by Tina P on February 26, 2003, at 20:28:54
In reply to Re: Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR? » Jack Smith, posted by michael on February 26, 2003, at 17:40:05
I was on 30 mg a day of Paxil for like 3 years and I had no withdrawl when I tapered off and switched to Effexor XL.
Posted by bluedog on February 26, 2003, at 21:10:48
In reply to Re: Anyone have NO WITHDRAWL or minimal with EFXR?, posted by Tina P on February 26, 2003, at 20:28:54
I came off Effexor XR using the following approach. I definiteley still had side effects from the withdrawal but they were kept down to a minimum. Unless your really lucky I think Effexor XR is such a nasty drug that withdrawal symotoms are inevitible. Unfortunately I haven't come across any psychiatrists who had the sense to let their patients know about this method. When I showed my own Pdoc this printout his only remark was "that seems like a good idea" and that was that. Psychiatrists seem to be in some kind of denial about how severe Effexor XR withdrawal symptoms are......especially that last niggly 37.5mg that your body and brain simply refuse to want to give up.
I got this tip from a post on PB last year and I liked the advice so much that I saved a copy to my hard-drive. I unfortumately don't have a link to the original thread.
Anyway I followed this advice and it helped enormously after failing to get off Effexor the "traditional" way recommended by most Pdocs.
"How I Got Off Effexor XR
Posted by Jenka on May 29, 2002, at 12:29:54
I successfully weaned myself off Effexor XR this past winter and spring. A gradual approach is the way to go. Some background: I was hospitalized for 10 days with severe depression in May, 2001. I started taking Effexor XR then. By June, 2001, I was up to 112 mgs.--a dose that seemed to work for me. I continued at 112 mgs. for six months feeling normal with no symptoms of depression. In late December, I decided to see if I could go off Effexor. My psychiatrist had been supplying me with 37.5 and 75 mg. Effexor capsules.
Starting in early January, I weaned myself off Effexor by doing gradual dose reductions. I dropped from 112 mgs. to 96, to 75, to 56, to 37.5, to 19, to 12, to 6, to 3 and then off completely by late March. You can come up with fractional doses of Effexor by doing splits with the 37.5 mg. capsules. Most of my capsules contained about 90 tiny white Effexor beadlets. Doing splits with the 37.5 capsules was easy. I used dark paper, a knife, and shallow glass custard dishes to divvy the beadlets into equal portions.
The only physical symptoms I noticed during my reduction sequence that I thought might be attributable to Effexor withdrawal were mild headache, lethargy, and some lightheadedness. Aspirin easily counteracted these symptoms. In terms of positive benefits of going off Effexor, I noticed that by March I was able to get by on less sleep. During the six months of my full dosage of 112 mgs. I was typically getting 8 to 9 hours of sleep during a 24 hour period. By March I was down to 6 or 7 hours and during the day I began to feel more alert and energized. Since I began going off the medication in January, I haven't experienced any symptoms of depression. My mood, motivation, ability to complete tasks, and interact positively with others have seemed normal to me. I've been functioning fine during the past two months of being Effexor-free. Now I just need to work on taking off the 12 pounds I've gained since I began taking Effexor in May of 2001.
If I had it to do over again, knowing what I know now, I'd make a few changes. Primarily, I'd be more systematic about scheduling dose reductions. As I mentioned, the withdrawal symptoms that I felt were associated with lowering my Effexor dosage were minimal. Once someone got a fix on what their own symptom set appeared to be, a plan like this might work well: after dropping to a reduced dosage of Effexor, wait until you have at least a full 24 hour period symptom-free. Then continue at that new lowered dosage, assuming no new symptoms occur, for seven more days before attempting the next drop. I believe I stayed at 75 mgs and 37.5 mgs. too long this winter before attempting the next reduction. If I had followed a more systematic approach, I think I could have moved from 112 mgs down to zero in two months instead of three. All in all though, I'm satisfied with how free of discomfort the entire procedure ended up being.
Hope this helps those of you who are contemplating going off Effexor. Best of luck!
Jenka"
This advice was invaluable to me and I hope it can help some other as well with their own Effexor XR withdrawal
Regards
bluedog
Posted by KrissyP on February 26, 2003, at 23:47:14
In reply to Re: YES I had minimal withdrawal from EFXR?, posted by bluedog on February 26, 2003, at 21:10:48
I had to respond to this post. It really irates me about your pdoc:when I saw you stated,"When I showed my own Pdoc this printout his only remark was "that seems like a good idea" and that was that". Why do doctors have to be like that? I ended up in the ER because after cancelling an appt with my psychiatrist , I called back to reschedule. I specifically told her I didn't have enough Klonopin until I saw her again. She totally did sooooooooo not hear me. So, to save the 3 that I had left, I didn't take it for 2 nights. As a result, NOT the ER doc, NOT my psychiatrist, but the PHARMACIST said you probably were on the verge of a seizure-and that I should have NEVER just abruptly stopped the Klonopin. Is this my fault? I get intimidated when doctors don't tell me something like this could happen with a prescrtibed med, let alone ignore my point about not having enough to get me through to the next appointment. So, I go Friday morning to see her and I am petrified-does this help my situation? no :( I have had several "red flags" concerning her she seems to want to talk more about "driving for her son at a party when he was drunk instead of letting him drive"-what on God's green earth does that have to do with my meds and my emotional health?-I am sorry, but isn't there a line doctors should draw?
Kristen
Posted by Tabitha on February 27, 2003, at 0:17:21
In reply to Re: YES I had minimal withdrawal from EFXR? » bluedog, posted by KrissyP on February 26, 2003, at 23:47:14
I switched from Effexor to Celexa. If I tapered at all it wasn't more than a week. I don't remember any particular withdrawal effects.
Posted by fayeroe on February 27, 2003, at 15:54:10
In reply to Re: My Effexor experience -- another nasty drug, posted by rickj on February 25, 2003, at 9:37:51
I've lost a ton of weight recently and have no appetite whatsoever. I take Effexor Xr. 75 mg. Have been taking it about 1 year. It worked very well on my anxiety attacks but lately I've been really depressed and am having trouble sleeping.
Posted by Tina P on February 27, 2003, at 16:46:30
In reply to unusual weight loss on effexor?, posted by fayeroe on February 27, 2003, at 15:54:10
Were you already overweight to begin with? My weight is a real issue, and I started on theis stuff hoping it would help matters.
Posted by KrissyP on February 27, 2003, at 19:20:33
In reply to Re: unusual weight loss on effexor?, posted by Tina P on February 27, 2003, at 16:46:30
My weight is a real issue too, and I found I gained when I first started on an OCD med-ANAFRANIL in 1995-some just have the tendency to add excess poundage unfortunately. However, I am on day 3 of Effexor and I have had no appetite-it's weird. I kind of remember this when previously using it, but it didn't last, but out of all the AD I've tried, which include all of them Effexor has never made me gain as much as I did with Prozac or Luvox. Overall, I only gained about 13 pounds when on Effexor-the rest of my weight is emotional eating and not believing I deserve to be healthy as well as realizing it takes work and taking care of my body IS a full-time job. Sorry to Whine Whine-it's a tough one for me. hope this helps:)
Kristen -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- previous statement>>>>(Were you already overweight to begin with? My weight is a real issue, and I started on theis stuff hoping it would help matters.)
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