[idchick84]

So about a month ago I decided it was time to get off my antidepressants. I have been on them for a year because of a car accident that I was involved in and I thought I was ready to slowly get off them by taking one twice a day for a week, then three times a week, and so on till I was off them. The past couple days have been horrible! I have been very moody and everything seems to put me in tears. So today I decided to go get groceries feeling like I was okay to do so. I was driving down the road when I saw two guys on a side walk looking like they were waiting to cross. I saw them start to cross but for some reason I didn't register to me to stop. They ended up stopping for me in the road even though it was a cross walk. I was so upset after I realized what I had done and now I wonder getting off Effexor has impaired my judgement. I don't want to hurt anyone and shudder to think what would have happened if they weren't paying attention while crossing. Does anyone know if Effexor does impair judgement and if I should continue getting off it?

[onionknight]

It impairs judgement, interferes with your ability to react and think and makes it more difficult to focus and sustain attention. Effexor can have terrible withdrawal symptoms, and since it has a short half-life, it is generally not a good idea to take it every other day or every few days as a tapering strategy. Take a lower dose every day consistently so your body has a chance to get used to the change.

Like I am afraid to drive due to antidepressant withdrawal. I've had close calls because I can't sustain attention the way I used to, and it really has me questioning myself, which only makes the anxiety and lack of attention worse.

[live2ski66]

Idchick84- you should never try to get off ANY meds without doctor supervision. Onion knight is correct, when getting off meds, you step down your dose, not skip your daily dosages. If something had happened you could have been in a world of trouble and without a doctor to support you in court.

[Risperdon't]

Is it just me or is this answer so common it makes you want to barf because of how NOT EFFECTIVE it is. First, Dr.'s don't supervise withdrawl. They may scribble out a quick reduction plan that has no basis in reality for YOU. Everyone is different in how they react. I have been to Helltown and back with doc's that don't have a clue on how to reduce meds. Getting off Risperdal has been a massive 2 year long battle that I'm closing in on. I guess I'm sensitve but the smallest reduction sends me through the roof. I got myself down to .25 mg and had to stop there and take a break from all the anxiety. That was 6 months ago and I'm back on the horse cutting it down. it's really helpful when the doc and my brother who is a rep for the drug both tell me the dose is so low it's basically a placebo. Drive me mad. Placebo's don't send you running for the toilet to throw up.

[idchick84]

Thank you for the comments and until I am fully off or back on the medication I won't drive. I was told by my former doctor a while ago that tapering off the way I did was the way to do it or I wouldn't have attempted it. No, I did not get consent from my doctor now because I felt he was wrong about making me continue on it even though I felt like I was ready to get off it. My doctor now believes that medication is the main way to treat anxiety. I want to try something different and don't have insurance to see another doctor for a second opinion.

[Travelinglady]

I am trying to find other ways to deal with anxiety, too. My doc is helping me to reduce my Klonopin. I am down to .5 mg a day.

I just keep hearing about how tough Effexor withdrawal can be.....And cold turkey is really bad, some folks say. Yeah, probably good to watch what you do and don't do for awhile. Driving especially takes a lot of functioning marbles.

[sewerrats]

Originally Posted by idchick84

Thank you for the comments and until I am fully off or back on the medication I won't drive. I was told by my former doctor a while ago that tapering off the way I did was the way to do it or I wouldn't have attempted it. No, I did not get consent from my doctor now because I felt he was wrong about making me continue on it even though I felt like I was ready to get off it. My doctor now believes that medication is the main way to treat anxiety. I want to try something different and don't have insurance to see another doctor for a second opinion.

you felt ready to get off is always the case , you say yes your doc says no . then it goes belly up and the meds are to blaim . You took it on yourself to come off when told not ready so blaim yourself for the wrong call

[idchick84]

I now know that I made a mistake for getting off the medication in that way. I am not trying to blame anybody. I think I have done enough of beating up on myself. I am just trying to look for a solution to what happened. I just didn't know that the method I was doing before was not safe or good. I was just following what a former doctor of mine told me to do. I have been on this medication other times in my life and have never had issues with it. I just wish that doctors would warn you that getting off this drug can have huge withdrawal symptoms and you may not want to drive or handle heavy equipment until you are completely off it.

[Altered Moment]

I have gone on and off Effexor a number of times without trouble. I always started something new right away so it is debatable whether I would get withdrawal or not.

At high doses I did get what they call cognitive blunting and it did effect my driving.

Like everyone says take the taper real slow. I think the lowest dose is 37.5 and if you get non extended release you can split those in half.