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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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Posted by fastblackZZR on February 4, 2004, at 18:54:02
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal, posted by Althea8869 on February 4, 2004, at 16:13:30
you know, information can be our best friend or our worst enemy, depending on the situation. in the case of this board, it's our best friend. you cannot possibly explain to someone who hasn't been there the sickening, vivid nightmares that seem to penetrate your very soul and leave you disoriented. or the uncontrollable crying, feelings of wanting to die, shock sensations in your head, etc. withdrawal from effexor is very real and very difficult. having this board to log into and read allows us the comfort of knowing someone out there empathizes completely. i have gone back and read many of the posts this afternoon. empathy doesn't take the nightmarish symptoms of withdrawal away, but it certainly makes the burden a little easier to bear.
Posted by Althea8869 on February 4, 2004, at 20:13:26
In reply to Re: Effexor withdrawal, posted by fastblackZZR on February 4, 2004, at 18:54:02
> you know, information can be our best friend or our worst enemy, depending on the situation. in the case of this board, it's our best friend. you cannot possibly explain to someone who hasn't been there the sickening, vivid nightmares that seem to penetrate your very soul and leave you disoriented. or the uncontrollable crying, feelings of wanting to die, shock sensations in your head, etc. withdrawal from effexor is very real and very difficult. having this board to log into and read allows us the comfort of knowing someone out there empathizes completely. i have gone back and read many of the posts this afternoon. empathy doesn't take the nightmarish symptoms of withdrawal away, but it certainly makes the burden a little easier to bear.
I suspect that for many, this board is as close to a therapist as they might get. Which is both unfortunate and fortunate at the same time. As a scientist(actually mathematician) I would be very interested to find out what sort of useful scientific information could be distilled from all of the postings on this board. So many people tell so much of themselves that the total collected contents of this board would provide as much if not more info than any of those 'double blind/placebo' studies that all of us have read at one time or another looking for hope. I think that the most important conclusion that I have taken from all the reading I have done is that, at this stage of the game, we really know so little about the myriad faces of mental illness and diagnostics for planning treatment. I actually saw my pdoc today and we were discussing the fact that despite all the pharmaceutical options available, the single most successful cure for depression(and many other mental disorders as well) is ECT. Its clinical success rate still is staggeringly greater than any pharmacological/nutritional solution - and many suspect that this will remain the case for many years to come. Interesting.
Anyway, all the best.
Posted by baddog55 on February 4, 2004, at 21:19:12
In reply to Effexor Withdrawls » fastblackZZR, posted by Althea8869 on February 4, 2004, at 20:13:26
I apologize in advance for my ignorance, but what is ETC? Hopefully I am not the only one here who does not know this.
> > you know, information can be our best friend or our worst enemy, depending on the situation. in the case of this board, it's our best friend. you cannot possibly explain to someone who hasn't been there the sickening, vivid nightmares that seem to penetrate your very soul and leave you disoriented. or the uncontrollable crying, feelings of wanting to die, shock sensations in your head, etc. withdrawal from effexor is very real and very difficult. having this board to log into and read allows us the comfort of knowing someone out there empathizes completely. i have gone back and read many of the posts this afternoon. empathy doesn't take the nightmarish symptoms of withdrawal away, but it certainly makes the burden a little easier to bear.
>
>
>
> I suspect that for many, this board is as close to a therapist as they might get. Which is both unfortunate and fortunate at the same time. As a scientist(actually mathematician) I would be very interested to find out what sort of useful scientific information could be distilled from all of the postings on this board. So many people tell so much of themselves that the total collected contents of this board would provide as much if not more info than any of those 'double blind/placebo' studies that all of us have read at one time or another looking for hope. I think that the most important conclusion that I have taken from all the reading I have done is that, at this stage of the game, we really know so little about the myriad faces of mental illness and diagnostics for planning treatment. I actually saw my pdoc today and we were discussing the fact that despite all the pharmaceutical options available, the single most successful cure for depression(and many other mental disorders as well) is ECT. Its clinical success rate still is staggeringly greater than any pharmacological/nutritional solution - and many suspect that this will remain the case for many years to come. Interesting.
> Anyway, all the best.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 4, 2004, at 21:44:19
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawls, posted by baddog55 on February 4, 2004, at 21:19:12
etc. = abbreviation of et cetera. meaning: and other things. example: "we are going to the store for milk, eggs, butter .etc."
please don't feel embarassed or ignorant!
it would hurt me to know anything i say causes anyone any kind of discomfort. the effexor withdrawals are more than enough discomfort for us all!
love to all -
Posted by Althea8869 on February 4, 2004, at 21:48:47
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawls, posted by baddog55 on February 4, 2004, at 21:19:12
ECT refers to electro convulsive therapy. Basically the patient is given a strong muscle relaxant as well as a sedative and has electrodes attached to his brain. The current is ran through the electrodes, through the brain inducing a seizure - which is monitored on a chart. Usually last for 45 to 60 seconds. The patient never knows what is happening because he is 'under' and he wakes up shortly after the seizure ends. The bad news is that it can affect short term memory, the good news is that its success rate, after just one session, in treating depression is nothing short of extraordinary. For obvious reasons there is a nasty stigma associated with it, in no small part because in the early days of this therapy, there were not strong muscle relaxants necessary to control the patients seizure. It was not unusual for a patient to reawaken with a broken wrist, strained neck or more serious injuries. With todays muscle relaxnts, this is no longer an issue and with our ability to monitor the brain during the process, it is much safer. It should be said that, like other methods, exactly why it works is not well understood. Some believe that is results in a complete rebalancing of the brains neurotransmitters. Who knows, who cares, the fact is that it is still, by far, the most successful method of treating serious mental disorders.
Posted by justjustine on February 4, 2004, at 22:50:51
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawls, posted by Althea8869 on February 4, 2004, at 21:48:47
i am interested to hear from anyone who has tried ECT and how it worked for them.
thanks!
> ECT refers to electro convulsive therapy. Basically the patient is given a strong muscle relaxant as well as a sedative and has electrodes attached to his brain. The current is ran through the electrodes, through the brain inducing a seizure - which is monitored on a chart. Usually last for 45 to 60 seconds. The patient never knows what is happening because he is 'under' and he wakes up shortly after the seizure ends. The bad news is that it can affect short term memory, the good news is that its success rate, after just one session, in treating depression is nothing short of extraordinary. For obvious reasons there is a nasty stigma associated with it, in no small part because in the early days of this therapy, there were not strong muscle relaxants necessary to control the patients seizure. It was not unusual for a patient to reawaken with a broken wrist, strained neck or more serious injuries. With todays muscle relaxnts, this is no longer an issue and with our ability to monitor the brain during the process, it is much safer. It should be said that, like other methods, exactly why it works is not well understood. Some believe that is results in a complete rebalancing of the brains neurotransmitters. Who knows, who cares, the fact is that it is still, by far, the most successful method of treating serious mental disorders.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 5, 2004, at 10:37:16
In reply to ECT - anyone here tried it?, posted by justjustine on February 4, 2004, at 22:50:51
i realize today that i tried to go off the effexor too quickly. i had only been on it one month. today would have been 3 days without it - taking 300mg. wellbutrin XL. i woke up this morning disoriented from bad dreams, my head was swimming and i have had a pain in my lower back that has been pretty consistant for a week now. i took 37.5 mg. effexor a few minutes ago. i am in tears, tired of my children seeing me like this...
has anyone else experienced pain with the withdrawal?
Posted by on-the-wave on February 5, 2004, at 11:07:12
In reply to someone help, posted by fastblackZZR on February 5, 2004, at 10:37:16
Your best bet is to go back to the dose you were taking three days ago. Then go see your doc and get a proper schedule for tapering.
From 300mg, i went 2 weeks 225mg, 2 weeks 150mg, 2 weeks 75mg, 1 week 37.5mg. I have been off completely now for 10 days. Today is the first day i am starting to feel reasonably "normal". Still some SE but generally feeling better.
I "designed" my own schedule based on my personal reaction to the tapering. But your Dr should know best.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 5, 2004, at 11:26:15
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by on-the-wave on February 5, 2004, at 11:07:12
> Your best bet is to go back to the dose you were taking three days ago. Then go see your doc and get a proper schedule for tapering.
>
> From 300mg, i went 2 weeks 225mg, 2 weeks 150mg, 2 weeks 75mg, 1 week 37.5mg. I have been off completely now for 10 days. Today is the first day i am starting to feel reasonably "normal". Still some SE but generally feeling better.
>
> I "designed" my own schedule based on my personal reaction to the tapering. But your Dr should know best.thank you for your response. i was trying to "do it my way" which is a dead giveaway to my faults.
what i did wrong was NOT do what my doctor told me in the tapering schedule. i went too quickly because i felt i could do it. i have resumed the dose i took 3 days ago and will taper VERY slowly. i had no idea this medication was such a demon. i am so proud of your 10 day accomplishment. i long to be in your place so my children can see me "normal" again. i feel like a failure as a mom... again, much appreciation for your quick response and for your concern. this board is such a blessing.
Posted by baddog55 on February 5, 2004, at 19:01:36
In reply to Re: Effexor Withdrawls » baddog55, posted by fastblackZZR on February 4, 2004, at 21:44:19
I know what etc means, lol, I transposed the letters. In your post you said ECT, and that's what I wanted to know.
> etc. = abbreviation of et cetera. meaning: and other things. example: "we are going to the store for milk, eggs, butter .etc."
> please don't feel embarassed or ignorant!
> it would hurt me to know anything i say causes anyone any kind of discomfort. the effexor withdrawals are more than enough discomfort for us all!
> love to all -
Posted by Althea8869 on February 5, 2004, at 19:54:02
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by fastblackZZR on February 5, 2004, at 11:26:15
By the way FastBlack, how are you faring. Drop a post so we know you are doing ok.
Posted by justjustine on February 5, 2004, at 23:22:52
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by fastblackZZR on February 5, 2004, at 11:26:15
best of luck to you! i found the taper from 37 to 0 was too abrupt. i was on 150mg for a bit over a year, and got very, very sick from the withdrawals.
i've been off effexor for one month now, and it wasn't until this past weekend that i saw any real difference in my physical withdrawal symptoms.
the beauty is that now i am so much better every day!
still, i recommend that you stretch out your tapering as you find you need it to be.
my doctor did not/does not know what is best for me - i have to work to figure that out with them. and if i didn't do that work they would have me on all sorts of crap. please don't disregard how crucial your own input is in deciding your medications and dosages! no one can make you take anything.
thanks! and i'm wishing you all the best. the mountain does have another side...
> > Your best bet is to go back to the dose you were taking three days ago. Then go see your doc and get a proper schedule for tapering.
> >
> > From 300mg, i went 2 weeks 225mg, 2 weeks 150mg, 2 weeks 75mg, 1 week 37.5mg. I have been off completely now for 10 days. Today is the first day i am starting to feel reasonably "normal". Still some SE but generally feeling better.
> >
> > I "designed" my own schedule based on my personal reaction to the tapering. But your Dr should know best.
>
> thank you for your response. i was trying to "do it my way" which is a dead giveaway to my faults.
> what i did wrong was NOT do what my doctor told me in the tapering schedule. i went too quickly because i felt i could do it. i have resumed the dose i took 3 days ago and will taper VERY slowly. i had no idea this medication was such a demon. i am so proud of your 10 day accomplishment. i long to be in your place so my children can see me "normal" again. i feel like a failure as a mom... again, much appreciation for your quick response and for your concern. this board is such a blessing.
>
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 6:28:45
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by justjustine on February 5, 2004, at 23:22:52
i felt better yesterday evening after having taken the 37.5 around lunch. no nightmares last night. i woke up about 15 minutes ago feeling pretty refreshed. (of course i have several people praying really hard for me right now, so i attribute much to that.)i understand now that this will be a long process - longer than my doctor thought, as he had me on a 2 week discontinuation process - i tried to do it in one week - we were BOTH wrong.
Posted by Althea8869 on February 6, 2004, at 9:37:20
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 6:28:45
Well just hang in there - as I had said in an earlier post you really should talk to your doctor about adding prozac or similar to smooth the decline. Wont make what your feeling go away, but I can tell you from expereince that this WAS the key for me. Im actually kind of surprised that with all the bad press on effexor withdrawl that there isnt some 'best practice' method recommended for stopping. The titrating method of course works, but the cost in pain and suffering is immeasurable. In fact I would be willing to bet you that one of these drug companies will come up with a pill specifically designed to aid in the withdrawl off effexor and some of the other really bad ones like paxil etc. If they do, buy stock in that company and we'll both retire very rich. That said, chin up - it'll pass. What I found was not a gradual decline in withdrawl symptoms every day, but rather no improvement for a few days and then a very noticeable change. Then that continued for a few days with no improvement and then again a noticeable change....that type of thing. Good luck and keep posting on progress.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 9:56:18
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by Althea8869 on February 6, 2004, at 9:37:20
i began wellbutrin XL the day i began tapering off of effexor. i'm taking 300 mg. of the wellbutrin. i am guessing it's helping. you know how different we all are - i don't tolerate prozac well. it changes my personality for the worse. i agree with your comment on the drug companies.
when you were tapering the effexor and then not taking it at all, did you experience intense feelings of doom and uncontrollable crying?
Posted by Althea8869 on February 6, 2004, at 12:18:28
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 9:56:18
> i began wellbutrin XL the day i began tapering off of effexor. i'm taking 300 mg. of the wellbutrin. i am guessing it's helping. you know how different we all are - i don't tolerate prozac well. it changes my personality for the worse. i agree with your comment on the drug companies.
> when you were tapering the effexor and then not taking it at all, did you experience intense feelings of doom and uncontrollable crying?
The emotional symptoms I had were not nearly as bad as the physical/mental ones I had - the "brain shock" as theyre often referred to as were really debilitating. Emotionally I simply did the best I could to rationalize the situation. Just a sidbar here, but I have found that happiness, to some extent, can be found in knowing that there is something to look forward to. Just try to concentrate on anything and everything that you have to look forward to(im sure that despite the way you feel, there are many things - not the least of which is feeling better - which you will - trust me).Incidentally, how is the wellbutrin working for you, i think thats the drug Im going to try next. Im on remeron right now and it hasnt done a thing for me except to help me sleep, which seems to be tru of many who take it, I think its like trazodone in that way, great for sleep, not widely effective for depression. Speaking of wellbutrin, I found an excellent article on it online, I'll see if I can find it and post you.
Hang in there.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 13:26:56
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by Althea8869 on February 6, 2004, at 12:18:28
i think the wellbutrin is helping. it's the XL form. it provides a good bit of energy, so i take it in the mornings. i take ambien to sleep at night. eventually i want to be to the point where i can sleep sound and peacefully without anything.
Posted by justjustine on February 6, 2004, at 16:44:14
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by Althea8869 on February 6, 2004, at 9:37:20
my experiences were similar - plateaus between improvements. i'm just past 4 weeks, and have finally started to cut back on the vicodin this week. in fact i'd be off it altogether if i hadn't gotten a nasty head/chest cold and can't get in to the doctor until tuesday. i don't need it to mask my withdrawal symptoms anymore! yay!!
and mentally i feel quite good. that's actually atypical for me - in the past whenever i've been physically ill, i've had emotional trouble to complement it.
i'm wishing you all the best.
> Well just hang in there - as I had said in an earlier post you really should talk to your doctor about adding prozac or similar to smooth the decline. Wont make what your feeling go away, but I can tell you from expereince that this WAS the key for me. Im actually kind of surprised that with all the bad press on effexor withdrawl that there isnt some 'best practice' method recommended for stopping. The titrating method of course works, but the cost in pain and suffering is immeasurable. In fact I would be willing to bet you that one of these drug companies will come up with a pill specifically designed to aid in the withdrawl off effexor and some of the other really bad ones like paxil etc. If they do, buy stock in that company and we'll both retire very rich. That said, chin up - it'll pass. What I found was not a gradual decline in withdrawl symptoms every day, but rather no improvement for a few days and then a very noticeable change. Then that continued for a few days with no improvement and then again a noticeable change....that type of thing. Good luck and keep posting on progress.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 6, 2004, at 16:50:43
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by justjustine on February 6, 2004, at 16:44:14
i have been taking lorcet. it's been helpful in that i have had some pretty bad lower back pain since the effexor withdrawal began, but like you, i want to eventually be free from it all.
it made me feel good to know i'm not alone in that either. i'm so glad you've been posting.
Posted by bmwonice on February 10, 2004, at 9:29:42
In reply to Re: someone help, posted by justjustine on February 5, 2004, at 23:22:52
Wow, I had no idea that this problem is so prevalent.
I just went through Efexxor withdrawal and am amazed to find all of the symptoms listed by various people.
For what its worth, my nurse practitioner sister recommends the following. She has a lot of experience with SSRIs.
Dosage reduction should be in steps of 2 week duration. Typically cut dose by half in each step. If symptoms appear immediately return to previous dose and give it another week before trying to reduce on less of a dosage reduction.
With XR, once you get to 37.5mg, you switch to regular tablets twice a day and cut the evening pill in half, then after two weeks cut the morning pill in half, then after 2W, eliminate the evening pill, etc. THis takes a long time but is worth it to not have to go through the horrible withdrawal symptoms.
NOT weaning yourself gradually can result in very high blood pressure and increased chances of a heart attack and stroke.
Good luck
Posted by Raggy on February 15, 2004, at 11:03:31
In reply to Sad story of Effexor gone wrong, posted by Roomy on January 30, 2004, at 6:18:03
> I apologize ahead of time for this lenghthy story but I need to share it to make myself feel better.
> My sis-in-law, her hubby, and their two children lived only 1/2 hr away. Our girls are 4 months apart in age so they are close cousins and we all spend alot of time together. Boyde, a very kind man, hard worker, overly loud and friendly (after a few drinks esp,) became withdrawn, paranoid, and downright angry in only a few short months. His personality changed so much that he even told his wife to not leave him home alone with the kids for fear that he may harm them. Long story, short, he shot and killed himself one year ago. The family moved away so as to not live in the same house. Not too far away, so we still get together quite often. About 2-3 weeks ago, she came to me with a question. This was at the peak of my Effexor withdrawl. I had been on the drug for about 7 years. Her question to me was, "You have been on an anti-depressant, give me some advise as to which drug to get my son on. He has gone to a doctor and started up one but I want to know your opinion. Is it a good one?" I was afraid to ask. Yep! Effexor!!!! When I asked her WHY? Why Effexor of all the drugs out there? She told me that when the police gave her back all of Boyd's personal belongings about 6 months ago, after all the police investigations, one of the things they gave her was his partially used bottle of Effexor. She didnt even know he was on it. She doesnt know why the doctor would put her son on it, since it OBVIOUSLY didnt work for Boyd. My question is, WAS he taking it and stopped??? Was it the withdrawl that made him kill himself? It certainly explains the nightmares I have been having over and over. The same stupid voice, chanting and laughing "ya should have talked to him! ya should have talked to him!!! hahahahaha" <- thats just sick and wrong. The same voice. Any dream, every dream, the voice is always there and always says that same thing! It's making me lose my mind! Now I have to figure out a way to get my nephew off Effexor.
> -I have been drug free for one month exactly. I feel better now. If the voice in my dreams would go away, I would be downright perfect!!!
> -Thanks for reading along. I just had to vent this.
> -RoomyRoomy, you have my sincere sympathy. I too am going through losing someone who had taken this terrible drug. It has been almost 5 months now and it doesn't seem to get any better, she was so young, only 31 and so full of life.
Does ANYONE know what we can do to help warn others of the effects of withdrawal of this drug, as it seems that WYETH is only putting the warning out for children up to 18. I know there are alot of over 18, who have had more depression and are suicidal from trying to get off this drug. HOW DOES ONE FIGHT A DRUG COMPANY WHO MAKES 2.1 BILLION on this drug alone. SOMETHING HAS TO BE DONE.
Posted by fastblackZZR on February 15, 2004, at 14:29:36
In reply to Re: Going through Effexor Withdrawl now, posted by Raggy on February 15, 2004, at 11:03:31
i took effexor for 4 weeks at the most - i think it was less than that - and i am almost a month into withdrawl and STILL tapering. it makes me have overwhelming feelings and thoughts of doom and despair.i cry at the drop of a hat and i have never been a crier. i can barely function. i am so angry that i was on it such a short period of time and am having to suffer for WEEKS to get this trash out of my system.
Posted by BJlass on February 15, 2004, at 15:55:47
In reply to Re: Effexor: Long Term Effects, posted by Aubrey13 on January 18, 2004, at 2:08:08
I'll ask again as no one answered my question but added other interesting info. Has anyone had a weird "spacey" sensation in their forehead after being off Effexor for at least 6 months or more? It's hard to explain-- it's a definite physical sensation.
I think the Effexor has done something permanent to my brain! My doctor (new) says I could have a brain scan but that wouldn't show any damage to neurotransmittors.
Is there any way to find out if this drug has caused change or damage to brain neurotransmittors?
Posted by BJlass on February 15, 2004, at 16:00:02
In reply to Re: Going through Effexor Withdrawl now, posted by fastblackZZR on February 15, 2004, at 14:29:36
As far as the "zinging" "dizzy" effects of Effexor withdrawl, they WILL go away! Trust me. They're temporary. It seems like you're "doomed" to it, and you'll even feel MORE depressed, but trust me, they will stop.
What I am concerned about is long-term damage to my brain! I have a weird, "prickly" sensation in my forehead I'm concerned about! I've been off Effexor more than a year!!! And I have a hard time concentrating.
I'm not taking 10 mg. of Lexapro but it doesn't give me the "high" of Effexor at all. I've read that Effexor is actually a lot like cocaine. I've never taken drugs (except as prescribed by dr's.)
I wish we could all meet in person to talk about this horrid drug, Effexor!
Posted by BJlass on February 15, 2004, at 16:00:46
In reply to Re: Going through Effexor Withdrawl now, posted by fastblackZZR on February 15, 2004, at 14:29:36
Sorry, I AM taking Lexapro now -- 10 mg.
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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
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