[Kat605]

Hi everyone,
So last Monday at the place where I live the nurse was busy with some things that came up and I took my meds a half hour later than usual. I can remember doing this before and it being fine. However it wasn't. A couple hours later I started having those brain zaps, the electrical feeling in your head/ face. Mine would shoot out to my hands making typing really tiring. If I stuck my tongue out on my upper lip when the zap hit my face my tongue would feel the vibration. It like this off and on intense buzzing. It lasted til thirsday!
Some people say there's no way that just a half hour off could do this but I don'thave any other explanations. I had had a wonderful day before and was looking forward to doing a lot of different things so wasn't building up any anxiety or depression. Of course with the zaps throwing my whole world off I got very anxious. When I took ativan it relaxed me emotionally but physically the zaps were still there. They only went away when I slept and came back when I woke up. The meds I take in the morning are efexor, lamyctol and buspar. People say it's the efexor that's extremely time sensitive and could have been the culprit. Others can't believe it but no one has answers. The staff person where I live called my psychiatrist who said she wasn't concerned. Well she isn't the one who had to live with that for three days, and now has no idea if/when that could happen. It was traumatic in a way. I'd really apreciate some thoughts here it was very scary.

If you are taking the non-extended-release version of Effexor, I wouldn't be surprised at all if this happened. I don't think that form of the medication should even be sold.

I took that form of Effexor back in the 1990s, and I would have withdrawal symptoms like the zapping/buzzing and numbness in my lips and fingertips if I was even a little late with a dose. I was taking 3 doses per day. The withdrawal problem seemed to be especially bad if I was late for the midday dose.

I ended up getting into a car accident once when I got caught in a very bad traffic jam and was two hours late for my midday dose. I got very spacey and my driving got a little erratic. The accident wasn't technically my fault, but I felt like it wouldn't have happened if I hadn't been so spacey with my reaction times disturbed.

The sustained release version of Effexor is more expensive, but it's well worth the cost.

[kiwi33]

Kat605, it could be that (as jo_thorne wrote) the non-extended-release version of Effexor is what messed you up.

I was on the slow release (Effexor XR) form for some years but recently (with my psychiatrist's approval) have swapped to a generic (= cheaper) version of it. I have noticed any difference.

This is something which you could discuss with your prescribing doctor.

[Kat605]

Hey guys,
Joe thorn wow about the car accident! I totally wouldn't be surprised that your driving would be impaired. Being totally blind well I won't be driving anytime soon LOL, but the way I felt for three days I could hardly walk around much never mind anything else. And it was so hard to concintrate on anything.
I never thought to ask if the efexor is the extended release version or not. The fact that I'm on medicaid I'm guessing they are only paying for the least expensive form of it. But I will ask. It sounds like that could very well be the culprit.
Oh yeah I plan on talking to my psychiatrist about this in depth. I plan to ask her a lot of questions mostly about the neurology behind this and what to do to prevent it. I doubt very much she'll have answers. Which is why I wanted to ask people who might have had similar experiences.

If you take the Effexor more than once a day, it most likely is not the extended release type.