[Nessa213]

This is kind of a brain dump... so bear with me.

A year ago (maybe a year and a half... I can't remember really) I started Paxil. Then maybe 6 months ago I was switched to Effexor. Because I don't know why. I think the doc just wanted to **** my **** up.

Anyway. Fast forward to about a month ago and I tell mrs. doctor lady that maybe perhaps I'd like to try and have another baby. So she temporary loses her **** (not really... I just imagine she did) and she said I need to stop everything. So right now the only thing I'm taking is Seroquel. And I'm on day three of NO Effexor. I tapered off for the last month.

I've been sleeping like literal crap. My face is numbish. My fingers are numbish. Not in like a terrible way. I kind of feel high more than anything. But I feel as though it might have switched me manic which is really not what I was expecting at all.

I've been seeing things... like people walking towards me... people looking at me where ever I go. But then I look back and there's no one there. I hear things that aren't there. I sometimes just want it all to go away.

I've read that typical "SSRI Discontinuation Syndrome" causes more something like a flu-like symptom. I'm not getting that at all. Just manic-ish and I can't find anything about it.

Stay with me. Am I losing you yet?
lol

Moving on.

I guess I'm just wondering if anyone else has gone off AD's and what their experiences where. I've missed doses of Effexor by accident and that gave me literal, debilitating brain zaps. But (probably because of the taper) I'm only getting that slightly. Not nearly as bad as I've had it in the past. Did it make you manic? Would this make a "normal" person manic or am I just special?

I sometimes wonder why I told her that in the first place. I mean... do I really want another baby anyway?? I don't even know what I want anymore.

[wildflowerchild25]

I got brain zaps all the time while kicking Effexor. But I dropped Effexor many years ago (2004) with no permission from A pdoc or anything. I just kept forgetting to take it and eventually figured I didn't need it anymore (mistaken). I don't recall getting manic but at the time I didn't believe I had bipolar and this didn't believe in manias. I would think it would be unusual for someone to go manic from LACK of ADs. Maybe you just naturally cycled into a mania.

[BipolaRNurse]

I've tried going off SSRIs cold-turkey several times, and not only did I get the brain-zaps, but severe irritability and anger. It was ugly, so I always got put back on them. Now I'm just on a baby dose of Celexa just to keep myself from tipping over into that mess again; it certainly isn't enough to keep the depression away. Lamictal is more effective for that, for me anyway.

[nicole84]

Coming off Effexor is pure HELL. My advice, is to use Prozac to wean off of it. Honestly. Funnily enough I'm weaning off of Prozac now, but it's long half life is often used to wean people off the shorter half life drugs like Effexor.

I felt like I was losing my mind, brain zaps, thinking there was ghosts outside my window, so many ridiculous things. Plus physically feeling like death. It is not a pleasant experience, even I know I'll have some issues coming off the Prozac (done it before) but it's nothing in comparison. I have to come off due to it making me more manic and mixed. No anti d's for me any more.