Posted by Simcha on July 27, 2001, at 8:13:44
In reply to Effexor Stories, posted by Samantha on July 27, 2001, at 1:01:12
I just got off of Effexor. I'm on Wellbutrin and Celexa now. The withdrawal was not as bad as many have said here on this board. Your story sounds scary.
Are you reducing your doses under the supervision of a psychiatrist? If not I would suggest you get to the pdoc and put together a strategy for coping with the withdrawal. This is a medical problem. That requires medical attention. IMHO
Also, I would suggest that you talk to the psychiatrist about whether or not you should be on ADs. I've had many friends who believed that they would be just fine without meds only to find out that after a few months without the meds they experienced a full-blown relapse into major depression. Of course, they decided to get off of ADs without consulting a psychiatrist.
I've noticed that one of the characteristics that many of us depressed people have is that once we are feeling better on the meds we feel we don't need them any more. We have short memories and we forget the hell of ongoing low-grade depression coupled with anxiety attacks and major depressive episodes. I find it useful to have a psychiatrist who reminds me of the reasons why I continue to take my meds. I never want to go back to that dark hole I was in before the meds.
Perhaps it is time for you to get off of the Effexor. There are other meds that do not produce withdrawal symptoms. All I am saying is that I know I would never take myself off of meds independently. A pdoc had to prescribe my meds so it only makes sense that a pdoc should help me get off of the meds when and if it is time.
Take care of yourself. I'm glad that you were able to get help for yourself at such an early age. My parents were so in denial about my depression. I am a 31 year old man and my mother still denies that I ever suffered from depression. That is why perhaps it took me until the ripe age of 30 to get help for my depression. I feel happy for you that you will not have to go through another decade of hell like I did before you finally get help.
Good luck on your journey.
Peace,
Simcha.
> I started taking Effexor when I was a 13 year old freshman in high school. I was depressed, suicidal at times, and could not concentrate on anything, even TV. I refused to go to school, even though I was a cute little cheerleader. Effexor probably saved my life, I don't think I could have gone through school without killing myself. It was miserable. Now I am a 19 year old aspiring actress/college student. Yes, I have been on Effexor (the regular, nasty tasting stuff) for almost 6 years. I take 300mg a day, half when I wake up, half before I go to sleep.
>
> When I started Effexor I had no idea about the withdrawl. A few months after I first started I missed a dose and since I felt sick, I refused to swallow those foul little pills. I went for three days before my mom insisted I take them. Neither of us knew why I was sick, we figured it was a stomach virus. I missed three days of school, I thought I was dying. Of course, almost immediately after I took the pills I felt better. We didn't find out it was withdrawl until going to the psychiatrist the following week.
>
> There were many mornings when my parents would not be able to get me out of bed, and they learned that in that case, it was time to check my weekly pill box. It was always because I had forgotten my dose the night before. I would cry if someone pulled my covers off. I would wake up unable to open my eyes, my skin stuck to my clothes and the blankets, hot and tingling. If I rushed off to school without taking my pills I would always realize it after a couple of hours because when I blinked I would feel like my brain was spinning inside my head. I would have to call home and one of my parents would bring me the pills, because I wouldn't be able to make it through the day.
>
> After five years I realized I wanted to get off the drug that does such horrible things to me when I don't take it. I don't even know what it feels like not to be on it. I have been numb for my entire adult life. I became sexually promiscuous out of frustration; if I tried to masturbate I always fell asleep before getting anywhere near an orgasm. I actually went from man to man at one point, looking for the one who could please me. For a long time nothing was funny or in the least interesting. I haven't cried in years. I turned to illegal drugs to balance myself out and cure the numbness.
>
> I am now making my third attempt to get off Effexor. The other two times I tried to cut off cold turkey. This is my description of what the withdrawl feels like: when I close my eyes, it feels like everything inside my head is spinning, even my eyeballs. In the beginning I get a slight stomach ache along with some nausea, as if I haven't eaten all day. I used to force myself to eat something before I learned to feel the difference between withdrawl and hunger. The nausea and stomach pain get worse and worse with time. At the beginning of the second week is when I always give into the pain and take my pills. It becomes very hard to do anything but lie in bed. My whole body tingles, and if I try to hold my head up, it aches.
>
> This time, I am weening myself off, but not very slowly. One week ago I cut my dosage in half. Since I was sleeping until the afternoon I figured I could just take one dose when I woke up. It was going alright until my mom suggested I take one pill in the morning and one at night, like I had been doing before. Well, I tried that this morning. I had an appointment in the afternoon 30 minutes away, and when I was driving to it I started feeling very, very sick. I was trembling about 3/4 of the way there, so I turned around. The drive back was a nightmare. In addition to all of the usual symptoms, it is hot and humid and the air was nauseating to breathe, so I kept the AC on full blast. My body was sweating, but my arms and legs felt frozen. Then I got pins and needles all through my arms and legs, so bad that I had to keep shaking them. Every time I had to stop moving in the traffic I had to lean my head on the window or the wheel from the neasea. It was such a relief to get home! I took my other pill, passed out for two hours, and woke up feeling much better.
>
> That brings me to the present moment. When I stop feeling any withdrawl I will cut one of my two 75mg pills in half. Then I will go down to just one 75mg pill. Then that one will be halved, then nothing. I hope the worst is over. By the way, I have had no emotional problems since I cut down the Effexor. No anger or sadness, which makes me think I am ready to be off antidepressants for good.
poster:Simcha
thread:72007
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20010725/msgs/72041.html