Effexor Xl, Withdrawling Bad.

Hi there! Talk to your primary care physician, I am no dr, but in my opinion, you should have came down slower then that. It could be the zispin but it is hard to say, but I would talk to yor other Dr..

Good luck!

Sincerely
sandy

Thank you for your post. I'm just at the point now where the side effects of effexor are wearing off. I feel a lot better today and it looks like I should be ok.. Just a note though to other people who are thinking about taking this drug, please don't do it! Look at the other avenues first and use effexor as the last resort. I've been through some of the roughest days of my life the past week, and I don't want anyone else to go through the same.

Thanks..

To john
the mirtazepine early side effects would be causing some of the problems, valium will help to smooth things and the psych should have had enough sense to have prescribed some for you

Hi!
Just thought I could put in my 2 cents worth about this. I had brain shocks that I felt & saw- turning my head even the slightest bit caused them. Blinking even hurt. I think I had headaches but that was the least of my worries! Dizziness constantly. Could not concentrate on anything but painfully felt everything!For a time I would not even drive my car because I knew I would be putting myself & others @ risk. I asked others for help a lot & I almost never do that esp. @ work.

I told everyone who asked that if I ever got back on effexor xl that I would never come off of it! I still feel that way & I have been off for about 1 1/2 yrs.

Since then I have been on prozac (20mg to start, now 40mg) & it has been good to me. 4 days ago my Dr. Added wellbutrin xl because I felt like prozac was not working too great anymore. I asked for the prozac dosage to be upped but he wouldn't do it-instead gave me a couple of options & I chose adding the wb xl.

Haven't had much change yet but really haven't expected it-i know it's still early. Hopefully it will soon pick me up from where I am now.

If anyone wants to email me & talk about your experiences with depression/meds or any other health condition, I would like to hear from you.
Thanks! :)

I took wellbutrin for about 8 years when it flat-lined on me. My Dr. Said that is the problem with wellbutrin, that it will suddenly stop working. He put me on effexor and while...Yes...It has helped (i'm no longer "cocooned" in my bedroom never coming out), I have suddenly become more social again, but the one big big problem i'm having is I can't sleep!!!! My Dr. Won't perscribe any sleeping aide because he says they are all too addictive, so I can only assume that being awake for 2 & 3 days at a time is so much better for you. I was up so long one time that I started halluniciating and then when I would listen to the radio at night I couldn't understand what they were saying! I've taken all the over the counter sleep aides (i'm currently taking 12 a night to get 3-4 hours of sleep). So effexor works for me...But jeez...At what price? I would rather go to bed when everyone else does, sleep when everyone else does, and wake up when everyone else does, you know...A normal life! Any suggestions??? let me know!

If you want to have a go at treating depression without drugs, you need to do this under the doctor's supervision. You need to withdraw very gradually from medication whilst you are on a hypoglycemic diet.


Please print out the article:

"depression a nutritional disorder" at our web site at:

Hypoglycemia.Asn.Au

and present to your doctor.


He can test you for hypoglycemia and put you on the diet.


Jurriaan plesman, ba (psych) post grad dip clin nutr

Hi. I am currently on celexa and have been for 6 months. In a few days, my doctor is starting me on effexor for anxiety and to treat my diagnosis of conversion disorder. I read that some of you have problems getting to sleep. I found that tylnelol pm works good for that. I use it to help me sleep and to relieve the pain I have. How long did it take you before you noticed the effexor begin to work?

I had been on anti-depressants for over a year, first lot of meds was aroprax paroxatine which would give me very very bad withdrawal even if I had missed if for one day I felt like I was some sort of junkie!
Then it was changed to what you are on right now mirtazepine and the on coming effects were dizzyness, droziness and felt utter crap. But then I actually started going quite as you can say "phsyco" I turned into a total monster. With that I just stopped taking them....And guess what no withdrawals at all! My head became clear and have been drug free for about 3 weeks now!

I've been on depression medications for about 3 years and have been through many on the way to effexor...Prozac was helping for awhile then the panic attacks came back and the Dr. decided to put me on effexor Xl I am currently taking 150mg and do okay most days.....I can't run out though because the withdrawal symptoms are horrible the shock sensations are the worse...even missing one dose can send me into withdrawal and after 2 days it's intolerable...Does anyone have a way to come off it without the withdrawal symptoms?

smoke some weed.

I just began 75mg today, feeling really dizzy, warm/cold, nervous nausous as hell but I beleive this passes?? Do u gain weight on this can anyone share their experience, many thanks

Hey there,

I have been on effexor XL for about a year (previously Zispin for 7 years, ciprilax for 3 and seroxat for about 3 years). Venlafaxine (effexor XL) is definately the best one I have been on. I too had rather strong side effects to start with; a severe dry mouth (had to have a spray), terrible sweating, loss of appeitite, dizzy and other bits - but after a couple of weeks, they faded and I really feel that after been on meds for over 14 years, this is the best med I have been on. Don't give up; but also listen to your body. If you don't feel it's right for you, go back to your GP. It's more of an artform than an exact science getting the right meds for you. Sometimes you have to try a few until you get the right one. Don't give up yet, the symptons will fade. Good luck : )

Just thought I'd share my experience. I've been on and off Effexor for the past 7 years. And all the of the horrible things they say about the withdrawal is true. I've gone through it twice. Things also get pretty bad if you miss just one dose because of its short half-life.

But I also went through all the other SSRIs and SSNRIs. They all have side effects and not everyone who takes them experiences them.

For me Effexor has been the only thing that's worked. It has helped me overcome my anxiety and I have been happier because of it.

This is not a testimonial, a recommendation, or plug. I'm only sharing my experience with Effexor.

The main thing I've learned is, not all drugs help all people and not all drugs work the same with all people.

My advice is to keep trying meds till you find the one that works for you. They all have thorns, but you may end with a beautiful rose.

I have been taking Effexor XR for over 8 years. I took as much as 300 mg a day now my doctor has started decreasing from the 300 to 225. Today I started 150. The point is that you have to do it slowly otherwise you have brain zaps. I tried going cold turkey however it is very painful. I am looking forward to getting this monkey off my back. I have experienced a weight gain of over 50 lbs over these 8 years and am hoping I will be shedding some of it soon.

I went on Effexor xr for menopause symptoms. Except for the hotflashes being better, Effexor was a nightmare for me. My blood pressure sucked, heart rate sucked, didn't sleep, gained 25 lbs. I was told this was just menopause. I missed all my wonderful emotions when my daughter got married, I will never get that back. I'm through menopause and have decided it is time to be rid of the nasty medicine, withdrawl has been bad, but I see a light at the end of a tunnel. How long until the withdrawl symptoms disappear? I tapered off like the doctor said to and took my last dose 5 days ago.

I was up to 300 mg of Effexor XR for a good 8 years plus. I started decreasing dosis very slowly. I am now at 37.5 mg and have been there for about 3 months. I have tried stopping altogether but I go thru horrible panic attacks. I do agree Effexor XR takes every emotion out of life.

DO NOT take this garbage. I was on it and was more irritated and zombied out. I flushed it real quick. Then they had my dad on it and he was zombied out to where he could NOT funtion. As soon as I ordered him to be taken off of it he was so much better. This TOXIC garbage is dangerious!!!! Prior to the Effexor I was on Prozac for 4 years and did bizarre things that I would not normally do. As of today I take nothing and I'm doing so much better. I still have bipolar episodes but I have learnt how to handle it without toxic meds. I want NOTHING to do with big pharma.

I have been on Effexor XL for about 2 years now, and I am on 375ml daily, because it just wasn't working on lower dosages.
This is the maximum dose I can have on these tablets.
I was put on these after 12 years of different anti-depressants,nothing worked.
I do wonder why I bother coz they arn't doing what they should as i'm dizzy and tired all the time, still feel as I did before I started on these.
They are a load of rubbish, and wish I never even started on the now.