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No one should take this

Posted , 7 users are following.

kourtney41345
kourtney41345

I am currently coming off of only 75mg and I am having the absolute worst withdrawls that I have ever experienced. I was put on this medication to help me sleep but the side effects out weighed the benefits. I am currently expereiencing the following: agitation, not hungry or not eating at all, anxiety, confusion, diarrhea, dry mouth, sweating profusly, insomnia, nausea, sensory disturbances (schok like electrical sensations) that go throughout my whole body, headaches, tremors as well as imparied coordination. My dr told me how to wean myself, i followed her directions but I haven't been fully and completely off for a week and I am expereiencing all of those side effects i listed above. It is the worst thing ever. I am now detoxing from every type of medication this dr. ever put me on and am going to go the natural way (IE: essential oils, working out, yoga etc.) I don't wish this on my worst enemy I can only hope that these symptons fade away with time because this is affecty my quaility of life worse than when i just couldn't sleep. 

0 likes, 9 replies

9 Replies

  • plainden
    plainden kourtney41345

    Posted

    Hi,you have my sympathies.I am going cold turkey on 37.5.I know its  a low dose but it made me so ill i stopped after 6 weeks.It is now 3 wks off it.First few days i felt great,then i crashed for a week with terrible anxiety (pacing all day),poor sleep,terrible headaches,then a week of feeling good (again) and the past 3 days anxiety was back -pacing again etc etc.Today I feel slightly better but I have awful flu like symptoms,really bad aches and I jeep thinking the anx will return with every twinge.Of course worrying is the worst thing I can do .Seeing i was on a low dose for a short time i hope that withdrawal won't last -but i just don't know.Any onehelp?
    • kourtney41345
      kourtney41345 plainden

      Posted

      I am so sorry you are going through this sad Hugs. I was only on this from may to mid august and that was long enough for me to see this is not something I want to be on. I emailed my Dr. this morning to see if she had any suggestions on how long these withdrawl symptoms would last or what else I could do to not feel like this and when I get a response I will let you know. All I can say is just hang in there it will get better, I had the flu symptoms all last weekend so I know exactly what you are going through. I recently bought a Calm Coloring Book for adults at Barns and Noble and that has helped me relax ALOT. 
  • infestissumam
    infestissumam kourtney41345

    Posted

    Interesting that you were put on it for sleep. I have heard many more people (including myself) talk about how it gives you insomnia! I have a very hard time falling asleep regardless but if I take Effexor later in the day, I won't be able to sleep that night. This has been a miracle drug for me because I have severe anxiety as well as a dissociative disorder and it's the only one that's helped me. But I have never heard anyone not on it for anxiety, depression, or menopause. The withdrawals are very strong because of how shortly the medicine stays in our bodies. 

    Most doctors do not tell you how to wean yourself off correctly. It takes many people months to go slowly enough to not have any major side effects, so you can either go slower or put up with the side effects. I experience those effects and more from just forgetting one dose but this has been the only medicine that has helped me manage my severe anxiety so I put up with it (and I'm pretty forgetful so it helps me remember to take it everyday :P) I'm at 150 mg and have been taking it for almost two years now (wow, time flies...). Remember that everyone is different and people's bodies react differently to the same medicine. It was a literal life saver for me, so I'm sorry that it didn't work for you but I'm really confused as to why you were prescribed it in the first place. There are websites online which come up when you google "effexor withdrawal" that list several vitamins/oils/etc. that have helped people manage the withdrawal effects so you should try and look into it. Hope you feel better soon! 

  • ian25191
    ian25191 kourtney41345

    Posted

    Hi.

    I'm amazed your Doctor would give you this for sleeping problems, its a very powerful drug and not to be given out lightly and further more she probably has no idea how to wean you off it. Take it very slowly, use a very sharp knife to cut the tablets and leave as long as you can between reductions.

    I was on 225mg for depression and it has taken me 6 months to get down to 20. However slowly i reduce i still get the withdrawal but ride it out. All the symptoms you describe are very familar to many of us in here.

    Its very obvious that very few if any GP's have taken this drug and as we all know they have incentive agreements with the drug companies.

    It raised my blood pressure and chlosteral so i am taking more drugs for these and i put on lots of weight, had disturbed sleep and was generally 'out of it for 5 years, my GP denied a year ago that venlofaxine was the cause.

    So good luck, get off it slowly and avoid that GP.

    As a point of interest many years ago my Grandmother saw our elderly but very experienced family GP with sleeping problems, he suggested she had a glass of Guiness every evening, it worked and did her no harm. She lived to 97.

    Ian

    • kourtney41345
      kourtney41345 ian25191

      Posted

      She told me to take it every other day for 2 and a half weeks. Friday is one week since I haven't had anything. sad I wish I would of known about cutting it and taking the beads out...

      I will try that glass of Guiness before bed thank you smile

      Kourtney

  • elaine92718
    elaine92718 kourtney41345

    Posted

    Can I ask if you have lowered to the 37.5mg before stopping the 75mg? I was on 150mg. Currently down to 75mg but did 110mg in between. Only slight side effects up to now. Hope it gets better for you soon x
    • kourtney41345
      kourtney41345 elaine92718

      Posted

      I was on 37.5 for 2 weeks she upped it to 75 and she just told me to take that every other day for 2 weeks. I wish she would of lowered it first. I just woke up out of a dead sleep in a full blown panic attack. I'm hoping my Dr calls me back tomorrow. This is getting to be unreal.
  • penguinteacup
    penguinteacup kourtney41345

    Posted

    Hi, sorry you are experiencing this. I know the feeling, I have been on venlafaxine for 8 years and have been trying to come off it for about 18mths. I've reduced from 225mg to 14mg by cutting pills as small as i can. I still get withdrawals every time I make a reduction though including head zaps, nausea, headaches, crazy dreams, night sweats and anxiety. It's an awful drug. It has been suggested that Benadryl or other hayfever meds can be helpful for withdrawal, I've not tried it myself as I'm scared of making things worse as I've had heart palpitations but other people say it helps. I hope things improve for you
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