i had a problem getting my prescription for effexor filled and what a nightmare. i started to experience the withdrawal symptoms so i took some sam-e but then i got insomnia and bad diarrhea. i did feel great yesterday but then read taking sam-e with effexor could cause major problems. i've been on effexor for 7 years and i think it's probably caused me other health problems like an irregular heartbeat and possibly memory loss which is a real problem since i'm in school now. it seems being on any medication for a long time just exchanges one set of physical problems for another as the docs always tell me being on this drug long-term probably caused that problem. after hearing that a few times i don't want to be on anything long-term again.

i see a doctor on tues but he's not really someone i want to work with to get off this med. my old pdoc can't see me as his practice is full and they can't even recommend anyone else because they are all full too. jeez. i've been reading all these boards where people have had just horrid experiences going off this drug. i did finally get my prescription filled today but i'm just exhausted from the stress of this.

[Christina86]

Bloom, as a person who has only been on Effexor for a few months... maybe a year? now, do NOT GO OFF THIS MED COLD TURKEY.

I hate the side effects from forgetting to take the meds on a daily basis. But! Why are you seeing a doctor that you don't want to work with? Find someone who you want to work with on this. It takes a lot of time, and it's not something that can be drastically changed. Me, I went down 37.5mg, and was a wreck for over a week just from that small change. Talk to your doctor on Tuesday. See about getting put onto another antidepressant, which will help with the withdrawal effects from Effexor.

Originally Posted by Christina86

do NOT GO OFF THIS MED COLD TURKEY.

oh no, i won't do that. the last few days of not having enough of the med have been really rough. i wish i could just switch to sam-e and ease off that way but i don't know that's a good idea.

Why are you seeing a doctor that you don't want to work with? Find someone who you want to work with on this.

i got to the point where i couldn't afford my pdoc so just had the hmo doc i had at the time keep writing the refills. i go in once a year and tell him i'm fine and he writes the Rx. i really don't want to work with him but don't have any other docs right now. i might ask my t if she knows of someone good. my pdoc was great so it is really disappointing not to even get a rec from his office.

It takes a lot of time, and it's not something that can be drastically changed. Me, I went down 37.5mg, and was a wreck for over a week just from that small change. Talk to your doctor on Tuesday. See about getting put onto another antidepressant, which will help with the withdrawal effects from Effexor.

yeah, i don't know how long to take doing it. i've read some people take months and still have problems (some permanently!) so i'd almost rather just do it in say 6 weeks. i did read about being put on another AD while doing it so if i can find someone good i think i might inquire about that. i just want to get off all this stuff. it just shouldn't be this hard. i'm only on 75 mg but i've been on it so long. in some ways i'd prefer to switch to sam-e but then i'm afraid it will just cause problems too if i take it long-term. i felt all up and energetic from taking it yesterday and then i didn't take it today and didn't have my effexor so today was kind of awful with the withdrawals. i'm just tired of dealing with so many life problems. first, the crap that caused all this, now the meds causing other problems. sorry for complaining, i'm just having a bad day and tend to be really alone with my problems.

Sorry - one Simple answer - been there done that...
All of us have,,,,we think we're getting better so we stop taking our med.

K - Simple answer:
I do not Advise ANYONE to go off ANY medication without contacting you doctor.
Tell them you want off - They will not say NO - but will tell you have to cut back.

[phoenix47baby]

Be careful coming off the Effexor as it can cause moodiness, electric shock-like sensations and all sorts of other problems. If you can, try to find a psych doctor through your HMO. Good Luck.

[(JD)]

IMO if you've been on this 7 years, you need at least 4 -6 months to go off it. It causes "zaps" in your brain if you go off it too quickly. Many ppl still have that at 3 months on lower dosing.

Remember, this is a drug that works on your brain chemicals. Not anything to be doing on your own. You may need a lower dosage pill to intermingle with the one you normally take... and begin by stretching them out hours between, but more than one each day (lower dosing ) or something like that.

It's a slow process. Going slowly is good for another reason too... this med seems to have worked for you in a good way, and by weaning off it you can see if you still need to be on it, or another similar med. It could be providing those brain chemicals that your body no longer makes.

Be careful, ok?

thanks all for your caring and concern. i may talk to the hmo doc about this on tues. i'm not sure yet. i think i might ask my t if she knows of a good pdoc and i found a pdoc online who seems to know a lot about psychopharmacology. i think he is an addiction specialist and since this is rather like an addiction he just might be a good person to meet with.

the brain zaps thing sounds awful but when i was having side effects from not getting my refill i fortunately didn't get those but just a whole lot of pressure in my head and some dizziness. i'm not sure how long to take to wean off the drug as i've heard even people who take months have problems. i'm thinking maybe 6 weeks might be good. then i'm going to do a cleanse with a detox tea i have to try to get any residue out of my system. it'll be interesting to see if this drug is taken off the market some day because of its withdrawal problems.

i didn't make it to the hmo doc yesterday as i was just too tired to drive out there. i think i'm going to try to wean myself off with the pills i have left. i reduced from 75 mg to 37.5 today and i have 50 pills left so i can take 5 weeks or even longer to do it. i feel fine today but if i run into problems then i'll find a doc. i really don't have the money to spend anyway. i do appreciate all the help all of you have given with posts and PMs. i'm probably going to get some b-vitamins and salmon oil to help me out and i have a really good detox tea (cleanz-blendz) that i've used before.

[BlueMoon6]

(((Bloom))) I dont know about effexor, but I thought Id give you a hug anyway

If it helps, years ago I went off zoloft cold turkey on my own and got real sick. My head was killing me for 2 solid weeks, too. UGH!

[crystalrose]

tell us how it goes. Should really be done with dr advice but it sounds like your being careful about it. I hav forgotton to take my effexor before and it gave me awful side effects.

Originally Posted by BlueMoon6

(((Bloom))) I dont know about effexor, but I thought Id give you a hug anyway

If it helps, years ago I went off zoloft cold turkey on my own and got real sick. My head was killing me for 2 solid weeks, too. UGH!

thanks blue and crystal.

when i've gone way too long without taking it (like if i haven't made it to the pharmacy) my head starts feeling so much pressure like someone is standing on it. i'm hoping that won't happen if i do it somewhat slowly. i just hope i don't get the brain zaps i've read about. those sound really weird.

boy am i tired. i just took some stress vitamins because i have been feeling really stressed out too. i'm not sure if all of that is from decreasing the effexor or just life because i have some new things going on that are quite stressful. at least my head doesn't hurt. when i've skipped dosages before that is always the worst side effect. all i want to do is sleep but i need to get a few things done. i'm gonna make it but this is a pain in the rear.

day 4 of decreasing from 75 to 37.5 mg and overall this isn't too bad. i'm tired and i've started taking pepto so i don't get a bad case of the runs as that was coming on, but no headaches or head pressure or zaps. if i continue doing well i may just go off this completely next week rather than prolonging it. i'll wait until wed. when i don't have school and then drop from 37.5 to nothing provided i don't get any other weird side effects. i'd rather get this overwith now then drag it out. hopefully, my sharing all this will help other people who decide to go off this drug. of course everyone's body reacts differently but so far not too bad.

Originally Posted by bloom3

i had a problem getting my prescription for effexor filled and what a nightmare. i started to experience the withdrawal symptoms so i took some sam-e but then i got insomnia and bad diarrhea. i did feel great yesterday but then read taking sam-e with effexor could cause major problems. i've been on effexor for 7 years and i think it's probably caused me other health problems like an irregular heartbeat and possibly memory loss which is a real problem since i'm in school now. it seems being on any medication for a long time just exchanges one set of physical problems for another as the docs always tell me being on this drug long-term probably caused that problem. after hearing that a few times i don't want to be on anything long-term again.

i see a doctor on tues but he's not really someone i want to work with to get off this med. my old pdoc can't see me as his practice is full and they can't even recommend anyone else because they are all full too. jeez. i've been reading all these boards where people have had just horrid experiences going off this drug. i did finally get my prescription filled today but i'm just exhausted from the stress of this.

MY VERY QUICK response - Tell you're doctor you will not take it anymore and to switch you Immediately.......
it is a nightmare drug and it loves to attached fat to it (weight).

[ECHOES]

The withdrawal symptoms from these meds are really awful. I didn't know to taper off and I suffered a lot for weeks!

Here's something I found today when I Googled "tapering off Effexor". I hope it helps
http://www.drugs.com/forum/featured-...1-a-32337.html

[perpetuallysad]

Sounds like you are on the right track. I took effexor xl and when I got up to 450mg a day I finally just decided I couldn't take them anymore and quit. (Also, lost my insurance so had no way to pay for it anymore). I cannot say that quitting helped my mental health problems, but getting off of that medicine was good for me. I did it cold turkey. It sucked. I was weird and sickly for weeks, but I got through it. The weirdest withdrawal effect was that I could hear my eyes moving and when I blinked. Effexor really messed me up and I'm glad to not be on it anymore. I did go back on meds within 6 months or so, but I will never take effexor again. Good luck with your finishing this stuff.

i don't know how some of you did it cold turkey. i guess if you run out of meds well then it is unavoidable.

i think i did have a teeny tiny brain zap the other night but it was so small i wondered if i imagined it. i normally sleep crazy hours and with the added withdrawal fatigue now i'm really sleeping crazy hours. so, i was lying in bed and couldn't sleep and i was having ruminating thoughts and then i had this one rather upsetting thought and then had the tiny zap. it was more strange than anything and only lasted a split second and was very minor. i guess i'll be careful not to let my thinking get too out of control so it doesn't happen again.

so, i was going to stop the effexor completely today but since i need some time to feel well and get things done i think i'm going to wait another week. still pretty tired but that is partly my health problems. otherwise not too bad with this drug withdrawal thing.

so, i'm still on the 37.5 mg a day dose and i'm battling withdrawal effects of fatigue, diarrhea, and feeling really stressed out some days. i'll be glad to get this drug out of my system and do my cleanse to hopefully wash out the residue. this is a kind of a pain.

[tarabug922]

Originally Posted by bloom3

so, i'm still on the 37.5 mg a day dose and i'm battling withdrawal effects of fatigue, diarrhea, and feeling really stressed out some days. i'll be glad to get this drug out of my system and do my cleanse to hopefully wash out the residue. this is a kind of a pain.

Wow bloom, sounds like we're in the same boat. I got what they call brain shivers last night from the withdrawal. It's really disorienting. I hope I can keep working as i need the money for rent and such eek. eek.

Good luck with your continued withdrawal.

Love and Hugs,
Tara

today is my first day completely off the effexor. i do have a headache but i also did the cleanse today so i wonder if that has anything to do with it. i hope i didn't do this too quickly and am now going to get the bad headaches/head pressure problem i've had when i've skipped doses.

[tarabug922]

The headache can totally be the result of the cleanse. Hopefully it's that. I'll keep my fingers crossed for you.

Love and Hugs,
Tara

tara, i think you were right about the cleanse causing the headache. i haven't had anymore thank God. i did have a nightmare that night which was no fun at all. then, my blood sugar got really low without me realizing it and yesterday was just awful and i was depressed and having a meltdown. but i'm better today. tired but okay. boy, what a crazy process this has been getting off this drug. i think i may have had some very small brain zaps last night--i'm not even sure. they really aren't bad just very strange. i think i'm over the worst of it--fingers crossed.

more on this crazy effexor withdrawal journey: i am having lots of brain zaps, mostly late at night. they are pretty tiny, not painful, but a very strange sensation. also, i'd like food not to go right thru me. the runs are getting old and the dehydration from that is making me sooooo tired and i keep missing school. hopefully, this week will be better and i'll be getting back to normal soon. i've read some things about a class-action lawsuit over this med. i do hope they have one as no one should have to go thru such an ordeal getting off a Rx drug.

[tarabug922]

you're right, coming off this drug is a nightmare. Have you had the brain tremors yet? I've had a couple where everything keeps shifting like there's an earthquake in your head. so weird.

love and hugs,
tara