Posted by paulk on June 15, 2001, at 18:21:47
In reply to Re: JUST STARTED TAKING EFFEXOR XR, posted by Daisygirl on June 15, 2001, at 16:01:49
> >I took Effexor XR 75 mg for 3 1/2 months. I started w/ the 37.5 for one week then started the 75 mg after that 1st week. I decided to quit taking Effexor XR and decided to taper off med myself. I began with one 75 mg every other day.
Thats NOT a good idea you want to take ½ half capsule every day.
> That went okay. Then I went down to 75 mg every three days. That is went the problems started.
Im not surprised You are basicly having a full dose one day and withdrawal symptoms the next two and those symptoms can be pretty nasty.
>I have suffered from severe headaches that appear to be sinus headaches. I had an xray of sinus no blockage or fluid build up per doc. I had severe stomach pain which felt like someone was trying to ram their fist up in under my rib cage on the right side along with severe nausea. My doc sent me for an ultrasound (thinking it was my gallbladder). .I stumbled onto this website a few days ago and was astonished to see that my symptoms are actually side effects of discontinuing this med.
If you doctor put you on Effexor without telling you or at least giving you something to read that told you about the withdrawal symptoms and the need to taper, then I (IMHO) think he is incompetent. Anyone who starts this drug (and it is proved to be quite effective for a lot of folks) should know that there are quite common side effects on stopping it and a real need to taper down. Also, the manufacturer really should have smaller dosages available for tapering down.
I recommend tapering down (Im not a doctor but Ive gone through Effexor withdrawals more than once now.) 75mg/day for a week, 37.5 the next week and 15 the next if you are still having symptoms you might try using 10 for one more week. You can cut the dosage by counting the little balls inside. Your local pharmacist can do this for you also if you are uncomfortable. just get your doc to write the prescription.
Some of the things you mention might also be the re-emergence of symptoms the heart stuff you talk about sure sounds like anxiety. Mostly, the withdraw side effects I had were flue like symptoms, extra bad depression, weird jolts like I was about to fall. The last of the symptoms took 3 weeks to disappear after I was completely off it (I had been on it a very long time).
I dont know why you went on it it has been of great help to me and many others it has real nasty withdrawal symptoms your doctor should have told you about stopping the med if he didnt I recommend getting a doctor who has the missing competence/integrity.
As part of my usual Rant, if you are suffering symptoms of depression you should see a good endocrinologist who can rule out hypothyroidism before starting meds (I suppose if you are suicidal you might not want to wait; the worry of such a law suit gets you on meds before the blood work is done.)
For more details see:
http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010522/msgs/64452.htmlI knew a gal who had been though years of psychotherapy at a famous Freudian inpatient hospital. She saw a doc outside the clinic for her dry skin he spotted it for what it was hypothyroidism it was impressive Instead of a depressed, lethargic, unattractive woman; she was radiant, animated, and just blossomed in the next week. (Instead of suing for malpractice, she walked away not wanting to spend time with lawyers and taking time out of her new found life. She was quite a gal).
All that being said not all folks with depression are suffering from easily treated hypothyroidism and some of us (me included) are lucky enough to have both. But, the point still stands, that many in the pych field are not checking for physical causes of depression, as a competent doctor would.
poster:paulk
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010612/msgs/66604.html