Posted by Witchblade on March 13, 2004, at 22:49:19
In reply to Re: How long does withdrawal from Effexor last?, posted by fastblackZZR on March 7, 2004, at 19:33:17
I quit cold turkey - not my choice but that's how it worked out. I was on 150mg and was due for a refill. Called into the pharm for it, they had to call the pdoc. (This was all done automated). So Monday night hubby goes to pick it up for me. Well, the pdoc refused the refill because I had missed my last appt. and not rescheduled yet. Well...he didn't know it, but I had no intention of ever going back to that pdoc - he had put me on Effexor and Topamax - never once mentioned anything about side effects of either drug, nor why I was really on them...just not a good match. Anyway, we told the pharm that it was not a good idea for me to quit cold turkey on the Effexor - and that I was completely out at this point, but since the doc had refused the refill, they couldn't even give me one or two pills to get me through till I could get in to see him again. SO. At the time...I was not real concerned. I have come off Paxil with no trouble...I have missed Effexor doses before with no trouble...so I was thinking it wouldn't be that big of a deal. I was more pissed at the doc...adding this incident to more proof of what an ass he is...I mean come on - make a freakin phone call to me will ya?? Lets NOT assume that I am one of those people who call for refills a week before I am out of the drug - because I am NOT. I call when I need it...so a courtesy call of "you're not getting a refill" would have been really nice...not finding out at 7 pm at the pharm when I was supposed to take my next dose in a few hours. But I digress...
So I should have taken a dose Monday night...didn't. Tuesday...felt awesome...better than I have in a LONG time. Tuesday afternoon though...went to vote...was wayyy happy about that. Now, I have always been pro-democracy...but I nearly cried at the site of young people voting at the Democratic primary...and could have seriously caused a traffic incident on the way there...I was feeling like I was on speed...and then kinda crashed that afternoon. That's when I started feeling sickly...and that night I litterally didn't sleep much more than maybe an hour all total. So Wednesday I stayed home from work and took a Vicodin to sleep. That afternoon I was really having the zaps and feeling dizzy...and then Thursday I was feeling nausea, and feverish, and just plan crappy. I *thought* maybe I was getting a cold, or the flu along with the zaps and dizzines with coming off the Effexor..but then I came over here cause I knew I could find some info...and I see no, it's all from this damn drug.To those thinking about taking it...it did help me out at first...I was in a really low place for a while there. But it seemed like it was no longer making much of a difference to me. But I did like the point someone else made in another post....you know something is having a real effect on your mind when it effects you this much when you get off of it. And perhaps if I wasn't forced into this cold-turkey situation it wouldn't have been so bad getting off. With regards to the sexual side-effects...can't say for sure...you know, when you're really depressed...sex isn't real high on the priority list! However I will say Tuesday night I had a really nice orgasm...can't help but wonder now if the two events are more than coincidental. I came here when I was first put on meds to read all about them...and you hear a lot of horror stories...my advice is...if you're in a really bad place mentally...get the help you need...and just be prepared for a possible struggle when you get off the meds...results vary from person to person...most people have problems with Paxil - I never did. I thought I'd get lucky with Effexor - I didn't totally dodge the bullet, but I don't have it as bad as some of the others here. Just use your best judgement...and stay informed.
Everybody else going thru this...hang in there...I am right there with ya! Going to get some Gatorade to help with the whole electrolyte thing (I have been feeling dehydrated and such lately) and just going to force myself to get back to doing some work - since I can tell that it's just going to take time for it all to get out of my system - laying in bed isn't neccessarily going to help things like it would if I was actually sick.
poster:Witchblade
thread:1016
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20040313/msgs/324102.html