Effexor withdrawl and symptoms, please help _{Page 52 of 140}

Sherri, I got chills when I read your post to me. Thank you so much for the prayer. God doesn't give you any more than you can handle and just when we think we can't handle it any more he brings people like you into our lives and proves himself wright. I couldn't handle this alone, thank you so much.

Exercise huh! I'll get right on that... He He He... I have two full time jobs, a mom to 5 kids and a hubby and a I work at a lab. That is my exercise. I just didn't really realize what "E" was doing to me. Red's post woke me up alittle more. Let me vent a minute. In clinical studies, the most common side effects included:
1.Nausea - GOT IT

2.Dizziness - GOT IT

3.Sleepiness - GOT IT

4.Abnormal ejaculation

5.Sweating - GOT IT

6.Dry mouth - GOT IT

7.Gas - BOY OH BOY, GOT IT

8.Abnormal vision - GOT IT

9.Nervousness - GOT IT

10.Insomnia - GOT IT

11.Loss of appetite - GOT IT

12.Constipation - GOT IT

13.Confusion/agitation - GOT IT

14.Tremor - WOW, I DIDN'T GET THIS UNTIL I STARTED DETOXING

15.Yawning GOT IT

and last but not least the main reason why I was put on "E", Let's hear it for number 16.Palpitations. This is a symptom of E and I was put on E to help that very problem.

In the study I read, Effexor had harmful, did you hear that, HARMFUL, effects on patients' appetites and on their digestive tracts. At least 27 percent experienced nausea, 8 percent reported constipation, and 9 percent lost their appetite so completely that they were classified as having anorexia. So I did some reading. The one thing that really upsets me the most is not even all the symptoms I gained by taking it but is the main reason I never should have taken it as stated by the killers Wyeth!

12 yrs ago when I was pregnant with my son I had frequent pyleonephritis on the right side. After almost dying with a temp of 106 degrees at 8 months pregnant they found my right ureter, which should have been the size of a pencil lead, was the size of a half dollar and mis-shaped into a snake like pattern. I had 2 shunts put in to keep my tract flowing and the problems have followed me throughout the years. They do not know what caused it cause a kindey stone would have to have been to large to pass myself and they never found one. So I go next week to my urologist to look at having my right ureter reconstructed before I lose my right kidney for all the infections, etc it has been through. So what it one of the reason YOU SHOULD NOT TAKE "E". KIDNEY PROBLEMS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I want to scream! My problems have been worse since I started E and I had no idea E could have had anything to do with it. God forbid I have kidney damage since starting E, only by the grace of God will I be able to resist ruining the lives of the Doctor's and the manufactor's. Okay Sherri it's one of those days, keep praying.

When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result.

I've decided to apply for short-term disability. I'm going to tell my boss this afternoon, and I've been crying all day, wrestling with the decision. I feel like I am such a weak person, that I can't handle supporting myself, I can't handle my job. I feel awful for what I'm doing to my boyfriend. He's offered so many times to support me financially, and I can see that I am putting him through a lot. I think that I should move out and live on my own, so he won't have to deal with me. These side effects have ruined my life! I worked out all of my emotional stuff and got really strong, so I thought it'd be a good time to go off the Effexor. I'm trying to hard...I've spent a fortune on accupuncture and massages and chinese herbs and vitamins and yoga trying to get through all of this. I'm only 24! My friends my age are going to parties and bumming money off their parents! I hate my life!

Hi Kat,
You made the right decision about the short term disability. That's took short term disability from work because I knew I had to to save my life. I was completely drowning to death. I know exactly what you are going through. The guilt is horrible and you are eating yourself alive. Your boyfriend sounds like my husband, very supportive. You Need to listen to him and let him help you in anyway possible....and yes, that means fincially if needed. Remember, with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) when going on Short term disability, you are entitled to up to 3 months of paid time off. Either at full pay or at 80% your salary. I believe this depends on your employer. My employer gave me 80%. And you know what...I took this time off and am still on leave. I have 2 1/2 weeks to go until I go back to work. I've never ever felt better. I had to take time off in order to stop taking the effexor...I knew the withdrawls would be horrific. I'm now feeling great and am no longer having withdrawls.
Hang in there girlfriend..you can do this...you are extremely extremely emotional and upset...I can tell from your email. Please take the time off and dont' beat yourself up over it. I told myself....the work will be there when I get back...
big hugs to you..
sherri

Kat,
You need to take at least 4 or 5 weeks off. I explained this to my EAP therpist. I told him that my dr. said it would take up to a month to get completely withdrawled from the Effexor...Taking only a week or two is not sufficient...ok? Let me know if you have any questions...
good luck..you can do this...I'm praying for you ok???

sherri

Hi Tonya,...
I didn't know you had 5 children, two jobs....ggeeeezzz..I hope you dont' have 10 dogs! HAAA..just kiddin'.....You are sooooo busy. I do know that you can beat this crap...you have more of an incentive than I ever thought I had. You have those kids to get better for and of course, your honey....hubby....
Stay in tough with me and let me help you. I have been praying for you and everyone else who enters this forum. When reading your email....I could tell you were very angry with the WYETH Mfg...sorry dogs that they are....(sorry bout that), now, turn that anger into getting well just to prove the dogs wrong. That's what I did...i got ANGRY that a drug was controlling me and said the heck with it!! I stop cold turkey becuase I was ANGRY. I turned to GOd for complete intervention and begged him for his help....I did it......those sorry dogs will never ever ever ever get another dime of mine. And every person I get the chance to talk to about Effexor will KNOW to to evere ever ever take anything that WYETH Mfg. manufactures/distributes. And instead of being angry at the drug and the drug manufacturer, I will stay on this forum and divert my good, positve, healthy thoughts into helping you guys.....

take care my friends,,,,
stay in touch...
sherri.

day two off effexor,
slight nausea
head feels like fog or sand shaken inside
stoned body and mind
mood feels fine maybe cause im taking (samE forte 400).
dizziness has increased slightly
hopin this will get less as time goes on...........

asteroids-----
hi i'm on my way off of ZOLOFT, another devil drug, and i just put in order in for SAMe 400mg, as well as 5-htp, how his sam-e working for you? i am so excited to try it out!! how much do you take? when do you take it?! wat are all the positives it has done for you!! thanks so much!!
also does anyone have any info on 5-htp?? like when to take it, does it work, etc?!?! thanks so much!!
my weening off zoloft has so far been easy!! i have been on a 100mg for awhile and jumped down to 50mg for a few days now..feel great!!! mood a little on the ruff side tho!!woohoo!!

my mood is stabilised thks to same 400 but it is expensive 42$ for 20 tablets.i take two in morning.and cope with crankyness at night a little snappy.yes i thk they overall do very well.whats htp?
day 3 off me effexor
woke up very toxic feeling tongue and body
dizziness
no nausea
brain feels stoned
so had large water
and just fruit all morning makes one feel better
to help push toxins along
had a dream i remembered
being a prisoner in germany.interesting...........

i made sure i dropped the effexor straight after my period so i wouldnt be too hormonal and silly.

also st johns wort tea at night is the only thing that gets my nerves to settle so i sleep its fantastic.

hi searching ,
and anyone else who wants to know how to deal with the mood swings ,well the same forte 400 really does wonders i forgot to take it for one day and i was cranky ,cheery next hr then bitchy then crying at night,so yes please consider smame forte 400,it will safe your relationships while you r trying to detox effexor.............

day 4 off effexor ,
slight dizziness
mood s happy thks to sameforte400
eating something solid like pasta helped me nausea but i havent had any sickness today
what ones body is doing is detoxing too fast if u feel like vomiting.
u gotting slow down the detox a bit
and solid food helps.
also i found it best to stay out of heat,
im not gonna try any drugs for these symptons of detox cause that is just loading the body with toxins again all over again.use natural methods.and understand u cant do this alone,especially when yu got kids.i also noticed since i went off the effexor my skin has become dull i reckon that is the toxins tryin to get out.not to mention my eyes heavy and dark lookin.just goes to show how much drugs put astrain on ones liver.

Hi Asteroids,

Good job...you can do this. After the first initial 7 days of detox, I felt a lot better. Hang in there..

sherri

Good Day my DeTox friends: Let's have a party, it's been a week, 1 week completely off "E", even off the pellets.

Mood swings are bad, Stomach is alittle better, Brain zaps are sooooooo much better. I am mainly just getting zapped in the evenings now.

HA HA HA HA HA, I AM WINNING! YOU GUYS ROCK MY FACE OFF! Keep your head above water, I am still floating but will be on land soon.

Hi Sleep Jean....I am soooo proud of you. Thank you Jesus! The worst is over girlfriend....I promise. Every day gets better. Keep doing what you're doing...exercise, eat well, and keep our mind/thoughts on positive things. We can overcome anything if we've overcome getting off of Effexor. Take care my friend and stay in touch....
sherri

Today I went to see my doctor about filling out the short-term disability form. She pretty much treated me like I was crazy, that the side effects weren't so bad. She said effexor is a 24-hr drug, that when I stop taking it the side effects will stop immediately. Ha!
She wants me to go cold-turkey now, and she'll only fill out the form for 2 weeks. She said I can relax and "do some therpeutic shopping". What does she think this is? She also had to look up E in the drug book and side effects of tapering off WERE NOT LISTED.
I left the office crying. Not sure if I'll get disability now! Afraid I'll have to quit my job. I'm already using the rest of my vacation days for 1/2 days from work. I don't know what to do, I feel like my life is over.

Hi Kat,
After you get this thing settled...which you will, please don't go back to that doctor. So, your dr. did say that he/she would complete the form for two weeks, right? Is the form already completed? What did you mean by "that you might not get disability"? At least the dr. agreed to two weeks. That is better than nothing. The first week of going complete cold turkey is really really bad. That second week, was not NEARLY as bad. Two weeks is sufficient. Three would be better though. If the dr. still has the form, call up there and ask if he/she can please give you three weeks. The dr. should not care either way...it has nothing to do with them. What does your boyfriend say about this? I know everything seems completely horrible and that your life will never get better. I felt that way for so long, but I promise you, you will get out of this dark cloud. If you only get two weeks off, that is ok....it is do-able to wean off completely and be ready in two weeks.
Email me back...and respond, ok?
xoxox sherri

Sherri,
My doctor is filling out the form and I am picking it up tomorrow. Because of her reaction, I am questioning that the disability insurance company will grant me benefits.
I think today just made me second-guess myself...is my depression coming back now that the meds are less and less? why can't I handle my job and support myself? have I ruined by job by pursuing disability? am I ruining my relationship by straining it?
My boyfriend, is, as always, very supportive! Thank goodness I have him. He is very patient with me, which I need going through all of this. I feel so bad for exposing him to all of this.
I'm so scared to go completely off of the E...scared of the site effects.
My life does seem completely awful, but I am so glad I found this site so I'll know there are others going through this and that I'm not nuts!
Kat

that doctor sounds very misinformed kat.never ever go cold turkey.but try to taper down every 4days then if u dont have time.
try ginger tea for nausea
vit c powder helps the flu like symptons i realise it is not flu but this does work
st .johns wort tea help u sleep at night.

Kat,
If your doctor said she would recommend two weeks, then the insurance company will have to accept it. Right after I went thru the initial filing of STD, I was freakin' out! I thought,,,,oh my gosh...what am i doing? Am i ruining my job, does everyone at work think I'm a freak...am I losing my mind...I was EXACTLY where you are at now....If your doctor completes the form...which she said she would for two weeks, right??? then... the insurance company will grant this. Take those two weeks and quit cold turkey, like I did....and you will get over this crap. I found it extremley hard to work fulltime and get off of the meds. That's why I think if you can get STD, for a little while, that will give you time to go through the withdrawls. I was VERY VERY afraid to quit cold turkey for fear of the withdrawls too....They were bad, really bad, but not like being stabbed to death or beyond anything you can imagine....it's tough, but do-able, I did it Kat...you can do this. I proimise you.
I'm here fo ryou, ok...I'll walk you through this if you need me....
Sherri

cold turkey can give u wierd withdrawls.. NOT ADVISABLE..

make sure u start taking omega 3 now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

good brand MIND1ST.CO.UK pure epa no dha

i hear high and i mean high vitamin b doses are great for withdrawl INOSITOL is the specific b vit soem take it up to 18grams a day to help rebalence seretonin but do research this first some studies are available. i only just read the material so know very little about such a high dose of this vit just thought id mention it

but def get on the fish oil a good brand and work up to double the stated dose.. i know ppl that call this there life saver espech coming off anti depressents.. some studies suggest up to 9.6 grams a day....
all the best i hope all goes well
connor

I only titrated down to 37.5 (from 375 -- in 6 weeks) before I stopped the E completely. For some people that would be cold turkey. But I do believe that the supplements that I take make a huge difference, and good quality fish oil is one of them. There is lots of research on the efficacy of fish oil/omega 3 in combatting depression. I also boost this by throwing organic flax seed into my protein shakes, salads, etc.

Remember, the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) protects people with depression/anxiety. (If you work for the U.S. feds, the act doesn't cover you -- go figure.) Even if you can only get 2 weeks for STD (I always laugh at that abbreviation because it's the same as sexually transmitted disease), your employer -- in most cases -- is required to make appropriate accommodations for you in your workplace. Check out the book _Working in the Dark_ for details on ADA and work.

L.

Cold Turkey!!! NO KAT DON'T DO IT! Your Doctor must be as misinformed as my Dr. was to give that advice. Why don't you print off some of our post in regards to our weining and let your Doc read some of them. If we, the former patients of "E", do not stand up and wake these Dr.s up this board will just keep going and going. Growth due to other victims is not what we want here on this board. I believe we have to do what we can to get the attention of everyone who has the power to distribute this drug and it's unexpecting victims.

Okay, I'm off my high horse.

Today-Man my back hurts so bad, my legs are cramping. I am still having alot of headaches. And the zaps are still lingering around. However, the zaps are still coming around the time I should have been taking my "E". I don't get them all day long anymore, THANK YOU JESUS! So I am hanging in here and I am so thankful to God for setting me free from that poison. I am confessing that he is cleansing my body and making me whole again. Everyone take control of your life again and give your troubles to God. He is our shoulder and I am so thankful he is here.

Thank you all for the support!
I did tell my doctor during my visit about the site...she says I can't really trust websites or what other people are saying, only what information and studies are put out by the manufacturer. I think the next thing to do after all this mess is over is find a new doctor! She also said vitamins do not help at all unless I am deficient or anemic. She tried to prescribe me something for being so tired. Another drug! I agree w/ sleepyjean:
"When society turns a blind eye to the dangers of drugs and rushes to embrace a pharmaceutical cure for nearly every condition, there is almost no end to the harm that may result."
My company's HR manager said she'll submit the claim, and then a claims specialist has to review and approve it. So it sounds like it is not guaranteed. Then the benefit kicks in 7 days after approval (which makes no sense to me). If I take the 7 days off, it is unpaid or my personal vacation time (which I have none left of).
Today I broke open a capsule and took 1/2 of the 37.5. I'm feeling okay, but I think that's because I've been allowing myself to sleep so much (4-5 hour naps during the day, 10 or so hours at night). I will try the fish oil.

oh my kat,
another drug..........no!
no your system may be tired
i thk because your body is working liver so hard to detox the drug.
the liver dont need anymore strain on it since it does all the hard work in the body.as for .u cant trust websites ive never found so much help!,as for doctors down the street they seem so dopey.?.
im on day 7 off effexor firsttime ive woken up with no dizziness,no nausea.supplements do help u can find that out yourself though.good luck

Hi everyone,
Here's an update: I found out today that my disability application is approved, because it falls under mental illness. I absolutely freaked out! I'm just really, really exhausted, but not mentally ill. I was doing great, so I wanted to taper off the medication. Now I feel like I've been given a label.
To make matters worse, the first week is unpaid, and the second week is 60% of my pay. I just wanted to taper off the meds; instead I ruined my life! I am much worse off than when I started!
So after freaking out, I'm trying to adopt a positive attitude. I'll just take the 2 weeks, rest, exercise, get myself back in gear and return to work better than before, and that will be my vindication.