Effexor

I was wondering does anyone know what is typical if you stop taking effexor altogether? I guess I neglected to take it atleast a couple days or something and was wondering if it causes agitation and stuff. Like, I've been getting more and more agitated where I feel like I could climb the walls and couldnt' sit stillk, couldn't really think straight. Also thought that a previous doc told me during a hospitalization that typically patients like myself (who exhibit diff illneses but the main one he was referring to was borderline personality disorder) often benefit from low stimuli which was why I was put in a padded room. I think he might be right in some ways because I shut off the tv, got off the computer and just kinda sat there and let everything just be. Thanks for listening to my ramblings and such.

Yeah, effexor is something you're not supposed to just stop. A doctor is supposed to ween you off of it. Even missing one dose can cause stuff to happen, so if you are feeling differently since you've not taken it, I bet that's it.

Yeah Effexor is definitely not something you stop on your own - it has some pretty nasty side effects when coming ott if. I once missed taking it for 4 days when I was on a drinking binge and the combination of effexor withdrawl along with alcohol withdrawl was truly hellish.

Take your normal dose, the next time you would usually take it.

splitimage

Effexor was en evil drug for me. I weaned myself off it very slowly and I still had terrible side effects.

I suffered a terrible journey with effexor. It was the start of many problems. (But that is MY experience ....)

The extreme agitation you mentioned was one of the things I went through when tapering from effexor. I can imagine that you are going through this after a number of missed doses. It must feel awful!

It will be in your best interests to resume taking your meds and discuss tapering, if this is what you need to do, with your doctor.

Good luck.

I am very cautious about effexor! I took it once at 37.5mg. and never got above that....luckily had no withdrawals due to low dose and only taking it for a few months.

From some of the web sites like crazy meds, I understand if you start taking effexor in a therapeutic dose you may be on it for the rest of your life due to avoiding withdrawal symtoms!

I've been on Effexor for about a year now - just upped my dose to 225mg/day last week. It's the only med I've tried that's helped with my depression in the least. The withdrawal thing can be excruciating, for sure. Last summer, when I wasn't used to taking my meds routinely yet, I'd forget my Effexor now & then, and even just missing one dose would make me confused, irritable, & super-anxious.... and mind you, I was only on 75mg then!

I strongly recommend carrying a pill bottle with a few extra with you at all times so that you'll be sure to have access to it. Especially on higher dosages, the withdrawal effects can be quite disorienting. Best of luck with everything!

I took an overdose of antihistamines two days after my dosage was upped on Effexor.
Didn't work for me one bit.

I have taken Effexor for over 7 yrs. and love it. I realize that the withdrawel may be difficult when I can no longer take it, but for now........it has been a lifesaver!

I agree with the advice that you should take some extra pills with you, so they will be handy if you forget a dose.

Good luck!

I, too have taken Effexor 75mg qd for years and it was the miracle drug for me. Not only did it clear up depression, but it decreased anxiety as well.

I did have an experience when I thought my anxiety was "coming back." I felt awful. Turns out it was because I forgot to take the effexor for 2 days!
Take care,
Okie

Thanks All. I just wanted to let u know I think its working; but as long as I'm taking it. I think I have a hard time remembering it because my insurance doesn't take care of it so my doc's been giving me big boxes of samples and cause he doesn't want me to run out. I'm on 150 mg a day in the morning.... what's a common dose? and does it really matter what time of day you take it; just wondering?

i used to take effexor, which didn't quite work for me. one time, i forgot to take my effexor and had a huge anxiety like crazy. i felt like i had overdosed and thought maybe the dosage was too much for me. the next day, i realized that i had forgotten to take it, since i have a medication organizer. when it quit working for me, i was weaned off of it and had no problems going off of it because i was going on another medication at the same time to replace the effexor. with any medication, particularly, antidepressants and anti-anxiety, don't ever stop suddenly.

My doc said to take it in the morning because it might make it a little trickier for me to sleep in the evening.

Agitation / headaches / nausea are very common side-effects of withdrawal from effexor. Missing a dose for a couple days could indeed produce those side effects.

If effexor seems to be working then take it by all means.

There are ways to withdraw from the substance GRADUALLY over a rather long period of time so as to minimise the withdrawal side-effects (e.g., by gradual reduction of grains).

Hi, it's always a different dose for each person. I use to take it at night, others take it in the morning, really depends on the individual response. If you don't need the appetite stimulant stay below 225mgs. As the others have said it's well known for it's withdrawls if the dose is stopped suddenly.
Nick