Psycho-Babble Medication Thread 81097

Shown: posts 1 to 5 of 5. This is the beginning of the thread.

withdrawl

Posted by becca boo on October 12, 2001, at 9:17:45

I stopped taking effexor xr after taking it for about 4 months 150 per day. My reason for stopping was that I didn't feel like myself anymore, not that that was so great in the first place...
My problem is now I have this awful buzzing in my head and an electrical feeling in my arms and legs I cry almost nonstop.
I will never take this evil drug again but would sure like some advice how to get through the withdrawl. I will most likely lose my job and I am getting worried about my personal relationships as well. I am not sure life is worth all this
Someone please respond perhaps hearing how it is for someone else will help me.
Becca

Re: withdrawl » becca boo

Posted by kid_A on October 12, 2001, at 10:17:26

In reply to withdrawl, posted by becca boo on October 12, 2001, at 9:17:45

> I stopped taking effexor xr after taking it for about 4 months 150 per day. My reason for stopping was that I didn't feel like myself anymore, not that that was so great in the first place...

I dont know how much I like being on effexor xr, it certainly has changed my day to day routine... I am hardwired to taking it, I've had one too many withdrawl episodes to forget again, and I always keep spares...

Anyways, if you want to get off it, I don't suggest dropping it cold turkey... One method that I have read works well is switching to regular effexor and gradually limiting your dossage... You can break the tabs in halves if need be, that way you can gradually reduce your dosage easier than if you were using fxr xr... You may need to drop it down by just a small amount for a few weeks each time...

Everyone says that effexor is such an evil thing, I know that I've had my moments (13 hours since last dosage and nothing to eat) I felt like I was going to die... But this is the price you pay when you start trying to re-wire your brain... You can't throw 150mg of effexor at your receptors for 4 months and not expect some withdrawl quitting cold turkey... This is just the name of the game... It's the price you pay for using these drugs... It's also all in the literature now, if you started 4 months ago, if you read the Wyeth Ayerst insert it should give you ample indication of the symptoms involved should you suddenly stop the drug, which I dont think they recomend, per the literature.

Anyways, good luck, and take it slow... Gradually go down in dosage and you should be able to get your self off effexor...

Re: withdrawl

Posted by Renegade on October 12, 2001, at 10:35:32

In reply to withdrawl, posted by becca boo on October 12, 2001, at 9:17:45

> I stopped taking effexor xr after taking it for about 4 months 150 per day. My reason for stopping was that I didn't feel like myself anymore, not that that was so great in the first place...
> My problem is now I have this awful buzzing in my head and an electrical feeling in my arms and legs I cry almost nonstop.
> I will never take this evil drug again but would sure like some advice how to get through the withdrawl. I will most likely lose my job and I am getting worried about my personal relationships as well. I am not sure life is worth all this
> Someone please respond perhaps hearing how it is for someone else will help me.
> Becca

Becca,
I'm not on the same drug you are, but that crying thing I do too. I'm going through a withrawal and I had to give the bottle to my roomate to help me. Right now I want to burst into her room and take it back. Is there a way to tell your boss what is happening to you, and that there is an end in it? I know sometimes that isn't the best thing to do, but sometimes if it seems inevetible you are going to lost your job it helps bring things around. Your true friends will forgive you for any hard feelings this causes. Don't give up, you will get through this and then it will be worth it.

Renegade

Re: withdrawl » becca boo

Posted by JohnX on October 13, 2001, at 12:04:53

In reply to withdrawl, posted by becca boo on October 12, 2001, at 9:17:45

> I stopped taking effexor xr after taking it for about 4 months 150 per day. My reason for stopping was that I didn't feel like myself anymore, not that that was so great in the first place...
> My problem is now I have this awful buzzing in my head and an electrical feeling in my arms and legs I cry almost nonstop.
> I will never take this evil drug again but would sure like some advice how to get through the withdrawl. I will most likely lose my job and I am getting worried about my personal relationships as well. I am not sure life is worth all this
> Someone please respond perhaps hearing how it is for someone else will help me.
> Becca

You shouldn't lose your job over this.
Does your employer have some sort of employee
assistance program? If you can establish that
you are having a temporary handicap then they
will not have grounds to let you go. But you
need to be proactive about this, my feeling
is that the company will give you slack. Also, you
will need to have a plan that will attack
dealing with your issues after getting past
effexor withdrawl. I can't think of anything
specifically that might help with those withdrawl
symptom, perhaps an anti-convulsant (look up meds
for tennitus, or tingling in extremeties). Talk
to your doctor, explain to him your situation
at work too, I'm sure you can get help..

good luck,
John

Re: withdrawl

Posted by NikkiT2 on October 14, 2001, at 12:55:18

In reply to withdrawl, posted by becca boo on October 12, 2001, at 9:17:45

I've already posted this else where but you should nevr just stop your meds cold turkey withiut advice from you doc. Effexor need to be tapered off. My pdoc told me to do cold turkey and it was hell - eveyrthing you describe and I was was so sick.

You shoudl be tapering off effexor slowly, so go back to youd oc and get off it with him.

Nikki

This is the end of the thread.

Show another thread

Psycho-Babble Medication | Extras | FAQ

Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD, bob@dr-bob.org

Script revised: February 4, 2008
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/cgi-bin/pb/mget.pl
Copyright 2006-17 Robert Hsiung.
Owned and operated by Dr. Bob LLC and not the University of Chicago.