The last two weeks have been terrible. I had essentially a nervous breakdown.

However, I think i figured out the reason. Doctor is currently trying to wean me off effexor XR. We dropped 75mg at first, that was too much, then just 37.5mg, but thats when i started losing my head.

I think my freaking out and symptoms may have been caused by this because yesterday i accidentally took my old dose of 300 without thinking, and today i feel so so so much better.

This is good because i now know the reason, but bad because I need to come off effexor for the good of my health...this is going to be rough i think no matter how i pin it but i definetly cant do it like i have been. May need to do a couple weeks IP or something, not sure yet.

Glad the worst of the thoughts have subsided though, and the awful twitching and zaps are lessened.

[VickiesPath]

Originally Posted by Rainbowzz

The last two weeks have been terrible. I had essentially a nervous breakdown.

However, I think i figured out the reason. Doctor is currently trying to wean me off effexor XR. We dropped 75mg at first, that was too much, then just 37.5mg, but thats when i started losing my head.

I think my freaking out and symptoms may have been caused by this because yesterday i accidentally took my old dose of 300 without thinking, and today i feel so so so much better.

This is good because i now know the reason, but bad because I need to come off effexor for the good of my health...this is going to be rough i think no matter how i pin it but i definetly cant do it like i have been. May need to do a couple weeks IP or something, not sure yet.

Glad the worst of the thoughts have subsided though, and the awful twitching and zaps are lessened.

When your doc reduced your Effexor, did he add anything else? When mine reduced my Effexor from 225 to 150 due to headaches and "zaps", we added Zoloft at 50. It made a great difference. The headaches and zaps stopped and I had virtually no bad effects. I did, however, have to take the Zoloft at night (it's just me) because taking the Effexor in AM sedates me too much to also take the Zoloft in the AM also. So, Zoloft at bedtime.

It would be hard for me to imagine reducing Effexor without replacing it with something else because that's a big shock to both the seratonin and the norepinethrine neurotransmitters. You may also be extra sensitive to the med.

[lynn P.]

Thank goodness you know what caused this. I hope you feel better soon and things brighten up for you.

[nightbird]

(((((Rain))))))

xoxo

[Christina86]

I'm a wee bit scared to ever go off Effexor now.

(((((((((((((('Bowzz))))))))))))))



Evil side effects, BOOOOOOOOOOO

Take it very slow titrating down from effexor. Even 37.5mg is to fast for some people. I've heard of people actually opening the capsules and taking out a few granules at a time. I didn't have that much trouble getting off if it, but it wasn't fun.

[splitimage]

Sorry you're going through this Rain. I've heard plenty of horror stories about coming off Effexor XR. It apparently has one of the worst discontinuation syndroms of all the atypical AD's.

--splitimage

[googley]

(((((Rainbowzz)))))

I hope that you are able to talk to your Pdoc about your withdrawal symptoms. As others have said Effexor is known to be really bad. Good luck.

[coko27]

Originally Posted by Rainbowzz

The last two weeks have been terrible. I had essentially a nervous breakdown.

However, I think i figured out the reason. Doctor is currently trying to wean me off effexor XR. We dropped 75mg at first, that was too much, then just 37.5mg, but thats when i started losing my head.

I think my freaking out and symptoms may have been caused by this because yesterday i accidentally took my old dose of 300 without thinking, and today i feel so so so much better.

This is good because i now know the reason, but bad because I need to come off effexor for the good of my health...this is going to be rough i think no matter how i pin it but i definetly cant do it like i have been. May need to do a couple weeks IP or something, not sure yet.

Glad the worst of the thoughts have subsided though, and the awful twitching and zaps are lessened.

Huggs

[theave]

I hope that you are able to come off it safely soon. By IP did you mean in-patient? I came off venlafaxine in hospital which was pretty hard, I had extreme anxiety but it only lasted a few days - but I don't know if it wasn't too long because I started another AD, and also I hadn't been on venlafaxine very long. I certainly couldn't have functioned anything approaching like normal while going through withdrawal, so maybe an inpatient stay would be a good idea? Take care and hope it works out for you soon.

I really hope you get this worked out! I recently was taking Effexor for my bi polar, and was seeing a doctor I didn't really know. The effexor wasn't working AT ALL. It's by far the WORST medicine I've been on thus far. The doctor told me to just stop taking it & take the newly prescribed Zolft a week later, leave a week in between. BAD IDEA! I did not get out of bed for a week, I was so dizzy I couldn't seem to stand for very long before needing to sit down, I was sick to my stomach throwing up.. Shaking, very fogged. My new doctor said she couldn't believe the old doctor would put me threw that without stepping down dosages.

[disguise123]

Originally Posted by Anonymous81711

The last two weeks have been terrible. I had essentially a nervous breakdown.

However, I think i figured out the reason. Doctor is currently trying to wean me off effexor XR. We dropped 75mg at first, that was too much, then just 37.5mg, but thats when i started losing my head.

I think my freaking out and symptoms may have been caused by this because yesterday i accidentally took my old dose of 300 without thinking, and today i feel so so so much better.

This is good because i now know the reason, but bad because I need to come off effexor for the good of my health...this is going to be rough i think no matter how i pin it but i definetly cant do it like i have been. May need to do a couple weeks IP or something, not sure yet.

Glad the worst of the thoughts have subsided though, and the awful twitching and zaps are lessened.

Yes i know how it feels, so sick you think your dying, some people liken it to coming off smack. All i know is im stuck on effexor for the time being and wish i had never been prescribed it. Best of luck to you.