Posted by Sean9 on March 31, 2003, at 10:47:17
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawal Highly Overrated » KRM123, posted by Paco on March 31, 2003, at 9:20:25
Multiple viewpoints are what make message boards a success. I agree that there are both good and bad stories about Effexor, but from my experience, the 'bad' stories should not be taken lightly. Withdrawal can be debilitating and much worse than the cure. Worst of all, there are people (and no one can say what % of all users experience this, possibly because their voices are being ignored by the manufacturer) who experience horrible withdrawal effects that do not nearly compare to the warning of "discontinuation syndrome" given by the makers of Effexor.
I agree, you hear more bad stories about Effexor than good, but that is not to reason that there is an overwhelming majority of 'good' experiences with quitting Effexor out there. The truth is, no one really knows, and the manufactures aren't in a hurry to find out.
So I go back to the argument, how many horror stories does it take until someone does something? How many people have to experience the "worst case scenario" symptoms, before this should be reviewed officially? There is something those with "bad" stories can do. If you think what you experienced from withdrawing from Effexor was disproportionate to what you would consider to be “normal” and “reasonably expected” withdrawal symptoms based on the detailed advice given to you by your doctor, then maybe it should be reported to someone who can do something about it.There is something you can do. File a report with the FDA. They regulate Effexor (which is made by Wyeth Laboratories Inc. in Philadelphia.). Help the next generation of Effexor users to be better informed by doctors and the manufacturer. You can submit a complaint to the FDA online at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
The more people that report this problem, the better response we will get. You can also call in your complaint to an FDA state office (here are each state’s telephone number)
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html
You can also sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/effexor/petition.html
poster:Sean9
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030329/msgs/214707.html