Posted by Jiggitykid on September 22, 2004, at 7:53:43
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal symptoms!, posted by AIK on September 22, 2004, at 7:23:45
Your situation is heartbreaking. I'm so sorry you've had so many things fall like dominoes. I fully understand your frustration about exercise. I'm told to walk - "it's the best thing" - but my hips and knees just scream and the next day my energy tanks are empty. Our culture has made many wonderful medical advances, but when it comes to pain and physical disorders that limit activity, we are still in the dark ages.
I think the decision about what to do about the effexor is one that you need to make with your physician, counselor and husband together. The amount of stress that you are under isn't helping the situation, I know.
I imagine that you've tried just about everything, but have you tried a pain patch? It isn't a cure-all or a miracle, but it does help some because of the lack of gastrointestinal involvment. My mother has degenerative spinal disease, and is using the patch in combination with other therapies and is at least moving some. I've watched her deal with this disease, as well as arthritis, fibromyalgia and other debilitating diseases all of my life, and there are times that I don't see how she continues to function. It gets really, really hard sometimes.
I know there isn't much I can say that will really help you. I hear your frustration and anger, both of which are rightfully yours.
In answer to your question about the future, that is your decision alone. I can only tell you what my experience with this drug was, and that was increased stress, lethargy and utter fatigue. My doctor wanted to increase the dosage again, which is what seems to be the pattern with this drug. Maybe now isn't the time for you to quit - maybe it is. That's something that I, as a non-medical person, can't answer.
However, I will try to put your mind at ease by telling you this - your body is "addicted" to this drug, but you are not an "addict," in the street-drug sense of the word. You are not psychologically dependent on this drug. You are not at fault here. This isn't a moral failing of yours. This is a medical problem only, not a fault or "craving" or weakness of yours. You are in a difficult spot right now and sadly have been prescribed a drug that has given you a bad reaction. Many times, people who have pain disorders are given antidepressants to help with the stress and sadness of dealing with the disease. In many cases, it is the right thing to do. In others, it isn't. I think seeing a counselor, provided he/she is the *right* one, is a good thing and I wouldn't stop that right now. You need lots of support. Your husband also needs support. I wish that I could wave a magic wand and make everything okay for you. All I can tell you is to know that you are heard, you are respected, you are NOT at fault here for any of this, and that you are in my prayers. Please keep posting so I and others will know how you are doing.
> My husband and I have been seeing a counselor to help us with our stress problems and me dealing with my physical aches & pains which keeps limited to the fun, physical things I used to be able to do. My specialists I see for other conditions, tell me to exercise, exercise, exercise. If my back and neck won't let me walk, bend, turn my neck (whenever it decides to stop movement and the pain that comes along with it) how can I exercise? I went through the rehab gambit, water therapy, tried Vioxx then Celebrex which the gastroenterologist & rheumatologist took me off because of a slight ulceration in my esophagus (those meds didn't help either). So I guess what I saying is, does it really matter what's going to happen to me in the future with the quality of life I have. The brain zaps I asked you about; I'm usually in "obvious discomfort" from all of the above I mentioned. "Moody", at times. What I've noticed & need to get a grip on is I'm starting to have Manic states which last for about a minute-which are quite exhausting. Example: I asked my husband's friend if he wanted a piece of cake I made (which is a rarity) and I flipped out on him by speaking to him incesantly, almost without a breathe in between words, on how dare he not eat my cake. This is NOT acceptable behavior. Tomorrow
> (Thursday), I start 1/2 tab of 37.5 in the a.m. and the other half at night. I hope this flies without me getting sick again. If I can't function with my job, getting together my company Christmas Party, getting the invitations out for my 30th Class Reunion, and all my other responsibilities without the Effexor, will I remain an "addict"? Forgot to mention, I am a victim of an assault and the trial is the third week of October. My husband used to say referring to alcoholism, "it's another notch on the bottle". Is this what I'm doing?
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> > Since I quit taking it cold-turkey and did not taper, I can only refer you to other posts here that people who tapered have written. If memory serves me correctly, the brain zaps and other symptoms did come with the tapering, because each time less effexor is being received into the body, the body goes through that withdrawal. As for an outside physical reaction, I was never informed of one, other that my obvious discomfort and mood, etc. I didn't get to completely go to bed, because I have a small child, and the combo of pain management and help from husband/family got me through this. Not to mention LOTS of prayer, from me and for me.
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> > The hardest part of this is probably the fear of what you may be facing. The only advantage to being in withdrawal before I knew what was wrong (I thought I was really, really sick at first) was that when I found out, it was a relief knowing that I wasn't crazy and that I wasn't critically ill. Since I was already on the withdrawal train, I just had to continue to ride. I didn't have to make a choice about when to quit and ready myself for withdrawal, which would, I can imagine, be more psychologically difficult. Do you have another doctor or psychiatrist/psychologist/counselor that you trust who could help you through this? Please take care of yourself, let us know how you are doing, and know that we've been there and are in your corner.
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> > > Did these "Brain Zaps" occur after you stopped the Effexor totally, or do they occur when tapering down? Also, along with this feeling is there an outside physical reaction that people will notice who are around me? Of course, when all this stuff starts up I'll probably be a bedriddin zombie like I was last week. Thanks for the info. Good luck with your procedure and hope for a speedy recovery.
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poster:Jiggitykid
thread:12459
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040921/msgs/393601.html