Effexor withdrawl – need help! | SSRIs

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Effexor withdrawl – need help!

Question:

My symptoms coming of Effexor were worse than yours, but I had to come off it much faster. Anything that boosts your serotonin would help with the symptoms. Prozac for about a week worked great for me.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi, > I have been on Effexor for almost a year. I started at 37.5mg and was > boosted to 75 after a few week, then to 150. I was then on 225 for a few > weeks and found that was TOO much and went back to 150. I have been on that > for the better part of the year. Since then many things have changed for me > and my dr and I felt I could try coming off. > I have been doing the weekly weaning of 150 for a week, 75 for a week and > 37.5 for a week. Then 37.5 every other day and now I am off completely. > I am having the tell tale withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness etc.. but > something started anew today. Besides having uncontrollable start/stop > crying spells I seem to feel obsessive and compulsive. I seem to be anal > about everything and every little thing is making me feel uncomfortable. > One example is I purchased a fairly expensive DVD boxed set and when I > opened it and removed the security label that they put over the spine, it > tore a part of the DVD insert. I got so upset I nearly threw it against the > wall. > I kept my cool and called the store and they will graciously give me a > replacement. > Is this normal? > Thanks for any help. > — > ~dev > All my outgoing e-mail’s are certified virus free. > Scanned with Norton Anti-Virus (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/) > "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, > the one that heralds new discoveries, is not > Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, ‘hmm…. that’s funny…’ " > - Isaac Asimov

Response:

My husband went off Effexor a few months ago and what you are describing is pretty much what he told me . What you are feeling as obsessive behavior, I saw as increased anxiety…his moods were extremely labile, everything bothered him immensely, and , as you said, he felt uncomfortable. It’s like your skin is too thin and all your nerves are right under the surface. If you can get your physician to prescribe tablets (which you can break into smaller parts , unlike the caps) it might help you taper off more gradually…gradually is the key, but it seems there isn’t much you can do to totally avoid withdrawal. Cutting your dose in half every week is just too fast, unless you want to suffer. Good luck to you.

Response:

The real problem with Venlafaxine is its very short half-life compared to other SSRIs like Prozac. That means that even if you miss just one tablet, you’ll start to feel the withdrawal quite quickly. I’m on a program right now to try and get me off this medication. Yes, it’s not an addiction in the truest sense of the word, but if you are on a medication, and stopping produces horrific withdrawal, isn’t that addiction-when you can’t stop taking a medication? Almost cold turkey.On occasions when I can no longer stand the withdawal effects, one tablet alleviates the symptoms within the hour. Frightening. I wish I’d never even set my eyes on this stuff. Oh, and if some people say that the withdrawal symptoms are a reappearance of what you started on the med for, tell them they are talking bollocks; these are new and real effects brought on by the Effexor. Best Wishes everyone, Peter Finan

Response:

Thanks. I figured as much. Well time to throw on the headphones and tell everyone to leave me alone for a while. thanks, ~dev

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> Hi, > I have been on Effexor for almost a year. I started at 37.5mg and was > boosted to 75 after a few week, then to 150. I was then on 225 for a few > weeks and found that was TOO much and went back to 150. I have been on that > for the better part of the year. Since then many things have changed for me > and my dr and I felt I could try coming off. > I have been doing the weekly weaning of 150 for a week, 75 for a week and > 37.5 for a week. Then 37.5 every other day and now I am off completely. > I am having the tell tale withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness etc.. but > something started anew today. Besides having uncontrollable start/stop > crying spells I seem to feel obsessive and compulsive. I seem to be anal > about everything and every little thing is making me feel uncomfortable. > One example is I purchased a fairly expensive DVD boxed set and when I > opened it and removed the security label that they put over the spine, it > tore a part of the DVD insert. I got so upset I nearly threw it against the > wall. > I kept my cool and called the store and they will graciously give me a > replacement. > Is this normal? > Thanks for any help. > — > ~dev > Yes, sadly the quality of DVD’s is quite poor, bye and large, especially > Christina Agulara ones, or Brittany Spears. > To some degree, yes it is normal, dev. For some people SSRI’s cause the > body to become physically addicted, or what the psychiatric industry > calls SSRI withdrawal syndrome. > All I can suggest is going for a week or two, if you can stand it and > seeing how you feel. > I suggest that you keep a journal from day to day so you can gauge how > it’s going…. > All my support for your recovery from that nasty drug! > –Steve

Response:

How did you know 225 was too much? I’m on that now and I’ve not noticed any differance than from prozac, paxil, lower doses of effexor. I remember once when i was on 150 effexor and i ran out of pills- talk about hell! no-one understood what i meant. I hope i won’t run out now. I dunno if there helping me but i darent come off them john

Response:

I noticed I was have MAD mood swings. I began to close myself off and was afraid to even go out of the house. Once I dropped back to 150 I was ok. ~dev

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -> How did you know 225 was too much? I’m on that now and I’ve not noticed any > differance than from prozac, paxil, lower doses of effexor. I remember once > when i was on 150 effexor and i ran out of pills- talk about hell! no-one > understood what i meant. I hope i won’t run out now. I dunno if there helping > me but i darent come off them > john

Response:

> Thanks. I figured as much. Well time to throw on the headphones and tell > everyone to leave me alone for a while. > thanks, > ~dev

For what it’s worth, drinking lots of spring water(at least 1 1/2 liters a day) and avoiding stuff like caffeine, sugar, and fried stuff might make it easier, try drinking fruit juices too, but in the end, it will be tough I am afraid! – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text ->>Hi, >>I have been on Effexor for almost a year. I started at 37.5mg and was >>boosted to 75 after a few week, then to 150. I was then on 225 for a few >>weeks and found that was TOO much and went back to 150. I have been on > that >>for the better part of the year. Since then many things have changed for > me >>and my dr and I felt I could try coming off. >>I have been doing the weekly weaning of 150 for a week, 75 for a week > and >>37.5 for a week. Then 37.5 every other day and now I am off completely. >>I am having the tell tale withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness etc.. > but >>something started anew today. Besides having uncontrollable start/stop >>crying spells I seem to feel obsessive and compulsive. I seem to be anal >>about everything and every little thing is making me feel uncomfortable. >>One example is I purchased a fairly expensive DVD boxed set and when I >>opened it and removed the security label that they put over the spine, > it >>tore a part of the DVD insert. I got so upset I nearly threw it against > the >>wall. >>I kept my cool and called the store and they will graciously give me a >>replacement. >>Is this normal? >>Thanks for any help. >>– >>~dev >Yes, sadly the quality of DVD’s is quite poor, bye and large, especially >Christina Agulara ones, or Brittany Spears. >To some degree, yes it is normal, dev. For some people SSRI’s cause the >body to become physically addicted, or what the psychiatric industry >calls SSRI withdrawal syndrome. >All I can suggest is going for a week or two, if you can stand it and >seeing how you feel. >I suggest that you keep a journal from day to day so you can gauge how >it’s going…. >All my support for your recovery from that nasty drug! >–Steve

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – > Hi, > I have been on Effexor for almost a year. I started at 37.5mg and was > boosted to 75 after a few week, then to 150. I was then on 225 for a few > weeks and found that was TOO much and went back to 150. I have been on that > for the better part of the year. Since then many things have changed for me > and my dr and I felt I could try coming off. > I have been doing the weekly weaning of 150 for a week, 75 for a week and > 37.5 for a week. Then 37.5 every other day and now I am off completely. > I am having the tell tale withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness etc.. but > something started anew today. Besides having uncontrollable start/stop > crying spells I seem to feel obsessive and compulsive. I seem to be anal > about everything and every little thing is making me feel uncomfortable. > One example is I purchased a fairly expensive DVD boxed set and when I > opened it and removed the security label that they put over the spine, it > tore a part of the DVD insert. I got so upset I nearly threw it against the > wall. > I kept my cool and called the store and they will graciously give me a > replacement. > Is this normal? > Thanks for any help. > — > ~dev

Yes, sadly the quality of DVD’s is quite poor, bye and large, especially Christina Agulara ones, or Brittany Spears. To some degree, yes it is normal, dev. For some people SSRI’s cause the body to become physically addicted, or what the psychiatric industry calls SSRI withdrawal syndrome. All I can suggest is going for a week or two, if you can stand it and seeing how you feel. I suggest that you keep a journal from day to day so you can gauge how it’s going…. All my support for your recovery from that nasty drug! –Steve

Response:

Hi, I have been on Effexor for almost a year. I started at 37.5mg and was boosted to 75 after a few week, then to 150. I was then on 225 for a few weeks and found that was TOO much and went back to 150. I have been on that for the better part of the year. Since then many things have changed for me and my dr and I felt I could try coming off. I have been doing the weekly weaning of 150 for a week, 75 for a week and 37.5 for a week. Then 37.5 every other day and now I am off completely. I am having the tell tale withdrawal symptoms such as dizziness etc.. but something started anew today. Besides having uncontrollable start/stop crying spells I seem to feel obsessive and compulsive. I seem to be anal about everything and every little thing is making me feel uncomfortable. One example is I purchased a fairly expensive DVD boxed set and when I opened it and removed the security label that they put over the spine, it tore a part of the DVD insert. I got so upset I nearly threw it against the wall. I kept my cool and called the store and they will graciously give me a replacement. Is this normal? Thanks for any help. — ~dev All my outgoing e-mail’s are certified virus free. Scanned with Norton Anti-Virus (http://www.symantec.com/avcenter/) "The most exciting phrase to hear in science, the one that heralds new discoveries, is not Eureka! (I found it!) but rather, ‘hmm…. that’s funny…’ " - Isaac Asimov

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