shaking and rapid heartbeat- effexor withdrawal

As I've mentioned in other threads, I'm withdrawing from effexor. I've gone down 21mg in a week. Tomorrow will be the first day without any Effexor. I have been taking Omega 3s for a while and this past week I've taken choline and 5-HTP in the morning. I've been experiencing shakiness and moments rapid heartbeat as a withdrawal symptom. I'm use to headache and dizziness, but this is different. Who has been through this? Is it anything to worry about?

Today marks the first day off of Effexor completely. I'll see how it goes...

If you can, do see a regular doc. for some help if the symptoms continue. With medications, there is always a risk. There was a time doctors thought benzodiazepams were not addictive; when people began to have seizures during withdrawal that thought changed quickly.
Are you titrating off because it hasn't worked for you, or other reasons?(sorry I don't think I've seen your other posts)---I know when I went off my fluoxetine I ended up with serotonin syndrome (as an rn, I recognized the symptoms) and, since I need to function and work, I went back on the medication...it does seem to help me despite my annoyance at needing to take a medication. When I no longer work, I am going to try once more---not until I have done other things to support my mental health...

you are not supposed to take 5HTP when still taking Effexor , only after you stop, you will make things worse Omega 3 should be taken always if a depressive

It sounds like you're doing pretty well with this. I've withdrawn from Effexor XR twice. It was very difficult the first time. I'm sure you've read the typical symptoms... brain shocks, dizziness, irritability, intense anger episodes. A lot of docs will prescribe a short course of Prozac to help with severe symptoms. It doesn't sound like you need that. Hope its stays this easy for you. Good luck!

Meh, I wasn't worried about 5-HTP. I was at a sub-clinical dose, and I went down to nothing within the week. I initially felt better after it; it was only when I started getting close to zero that I got this.
I've been going through this withdrawal since April. It was MUCH WORSE when I first started. Now it's like hopefully I'll just be able to take it until my brain starts to normalize again.

Do you think you have got past your mental illness an wont need another med after your detox . Was it your first mental illness or have you had any relapse in the past. I only ask this has you may be out the Effexor but not out the woods.

^ It wasn't. I have a complicated and long history of emotional troubles and trauma. But based off the experience I have had in the past year and some months, medication has not been a solution to me problems.

Day two without any Effexor. I might describe how I am feeling now as like being drunk...waves of dizziness (often bad), mind racing/ in a state of general excitation, head spinning. I suppose I'm still pretty flat, but since I feel excited and/or agitated, I'm mistaking the flatness for excitement, if that makes sense. I might also describe it as something stepping on my brain, making it hurt, me senstive and not very insightful. Also, easy to frustration or aggravation--except for the most part, my ability to feel negative emotions is still being stopped.

Day 3: I felt rather fine today. Earlier in the day I wasn't as dizzy; now that it is later, I have had a few dizzy spells but still an improvement. My mind is still a jumbled mess though. It's almost like the flood waters are slowly retreating leaving me with moldy, unturned belongings.

For me, I crashed of Effexor the first time and ended up with a 4 day "hangover" headache. The next time I came of it, I took several weeks to gradually cut back (was taking 200mg at that stage) and didn't suffer so badly.

Sorry I can't offer more than words of comfort

On day 4, I'm way less dizzy, but I may have a slight cold so I'm feeling a bit off from that. Effexor withdrawal can take a while to come on so I'm still very suspicious about how this is going...

Withdrawals are tricky. They can change, come and go and be very strange. But you seem to do what you are supposed to do. I don't know what your taper schedule looks like, but if you feel mentally exhausted from tapering at some point, it is OK to take the current dosage for a while as a vacation.

It's been about a month since I stopped taking Effexor, and I don't think I can go on safely like this. The withdrawal is too painful and disorientating. I'm going to have to take it again, stabilize and taper slowly. It's worth suffering. I don't know why some people are okay with withdrawal, and I'm over here dying. I don't know what Effexor did to me, but obviously this isn't the way to undo it.

Very interesting considering I'm still in two minds as to whether or not I should start on mine. From what I've read, the answer is no, yet I have this strange urge to at least try it and see if it helps my sometimes very unsettling anxiety.

Please keep us informed and all the very best with it all. A maintenance dose for a few weeks might help you get off it completely.
Regards,
Rose.

OP, what are the effects you're still having with the withdrawal?

Headaches, dizziness, disorientation, disconnection/ disassociation, irritability, impatience, trouble focusing, brain zaps, general sense that my mind isn't right.

I took it again this morning--at around 15mg. I don't want to since this med has hurt me so much, but I have to stabilize and taper slower.

Hi Onion,
I haven't been around lately but just saw your post. After beginning on Effexor for a year...having it constantly increased and not work, finally my PDoc (no longer my PDoc!) finally thought it was time to take me off. I was on a very high dose and began to taper slowly. After about two weeks I decided I couldn't do it anymore and went cold turkey! It was a decision that I didn't take lightly and spoke to my T about a lot! I also found that most of the advise that came from PC was a tremendous help and support. It took me a good month and a half to feel ok. I lost my job so I had the time to get myself off of it. If you're trying to function in the real world...I don't recommend it! But if you can stick it out and have a back up plan...hang in there! I've been on three different AD's over the past three years and I don't care what any T or PDoc says...for me I can't go back to playing their guessing game. Now I'm not saying that that they don't work, they just don't seem to work for me. If anyone has been helped by AD's I think that they are incredibly lucky! I still suffer from depression but not the side effects too! Do what you have to too keep yourself comfortable and functioning...you know yourself better than anyone.

Thanks! For whatever reason, my body just can't deal with large decreases in Effexor dose. The withdrawal was too much. I see that others can stop and after some time be alright, but I couldn't.

I plan on slowly tapering off the 15mg of Effexor I have started taking again, and after that, not take any other medication. I have never experience anything but emotional blunting on antidepressants, and that isn't an effect I want to live with. This med has done something to my brain that makes it impossible for me to feel.

My stomach was upset from taking Effexor again today, but I think I feel more human.

I think it is safe to say I am quite emotionally unstable. Maybe taking Effexor again wasn't a good idea. I am so messed up. I sort of felt like hurting myself so I figured something had to give. So I took the Wellbutrin my doctor has prescribed in May that I never took. Cuz what do I have to lose. My brain is already scrambled, and I feel hopeless and stuck so why not try. Mind you the bottle say to take it in the morning, and it is 5pm, but I don't really care. We'll see what happens.

The WELLbutrin is going to wind up your anxiety , have,nt you any benzo,s to get you through temporary

I've heard effexor is one of the hardest meds to get off of I got terrible migraines and threw up when I went off it. It only lasted a few days, but that's probably because the stupid doctors took me off it completely. I hope you feel better soon!

I just wish I hadn't been so stupid as to make such a steep decrease in Effexor. Also, I wish I hadn't started Wellbutrin at the same time I restarted a small amount of Effexor because how can I be sure what side effect is from which medication? I feel crappy now, but it be from Effexor withdrawal still.

I should make an appt with my doctor and explain this mess I got myself in...

You set a DETOX bbbbbbbbbut didnt stick to your plan, if you had then you would be sure your problems would be just Effexor withdrawal, adding wellbutrin would just add anxiety . You should take nothing till you have completed the last effexor pill, then start 5HTP is not great but better than nothing. I have compleated an effexor withdrawal myself before and its not cool . Going to you doc now he wont be best pleased, there not keen on the go it alone aproach

Well, about three weeks into reinstating Effexor at 15mg, I felt so awful (headaches, constant tension, spaciness), I stopped again. This time I'm going to start on Prozac during Effexor discontinuation. I've heard people who had trouble getting off Effexor had success with a cross taper on prozac. It should be easier for me to eventually get off...

I actually only took Welbutrin twice, at most. It wasn't a great idea, and I only did so impulsively cuz I was so frustrated with on Effexor hurt me.

I, foolishly, came off Effexor cold turkey. It was pure hell.
You should be fine with the way you are handling it. Good luck.