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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
[email protected]Shown: posts 1 to 8 of 8. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 11:24:23
I am so glad I found this site.
After reading some of the messages, I realized I wasn't alone. The nausea is unbearable (always hits me at work), the dizziness, the "zapping" in my temples(that one freaked me out). I took effexor on the advice of my doctor, not once did he express any concern or information in ref. to getting off this med. This is the first time in my life I have taken anything like this. I quit cold turkey the first time, ended up so sick that I jumped right back on the bus in hopes I'd feel better (nice tactic to keep one hooked?)Yikes!!
So now, I have "weened" myself off, take a pill one day, skip one day, take a pill one day, skip one day etc.
This has proven to still have these horrid experiences. I did well and was able to cope on effexor but when I have to feel this way to stop taking it....I wonder.
Anyone tell me how long this will last.???
Thanks
Posted by Essence on July 11, 2002, at 11:50:13
In reply to THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 11:24:23
When I quit Effexor XR 2 yrs ago, I tapered half a pill every 3 days so was off in 12 days. I was not prepared for the withdrawal affects I would get from this medication. I was literally floored and unprepared. I was sick, dizzy, headachy, sweating profusely, loss of appetite, anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, totally weak, blurred vision, tingling in all extremeties, could literally feel the blood coursing through my body. This lasted about 4 days before I felt any relief. I don't think I tapered slow enough or long enough, but I also somehow doubt that even with a slower tapering the withdrawal would have been any easier.
Posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 13:00:46
In reply to Re: THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by Essence on July 11, 2002, at 11:50:13
> When I quit Effexor XR 2 yrs ago, I tapered half a pill every 3 days so was off in 12 days. I was not prepared for the withdrawal affects I would get from this medication. I was literally floored and unprepared. I was sick, dizzy, headachy, sweating profusely, loss of appetite, anxiety and panic attacks, insomnia, totally weak, blurred vision, tingling in all extremeties, could literally feel the blood coursing through my body. This lasted about 4 days before I felt any relief. I don't think I tapered slow enough or long enough, but I also somehow doubt that even with a slower tapering the withdrawal would have been any easier.
Essence,
I am now totally off them. This is day 10. I find my breathing is laboured, my nausea won't go away, the "jerks" are surpising me constantly too.
I just figured my blurred vision was from my contacts...got a new pair. I contributed the nightmares to just having dreams. I too am floored by what this has done to me. I feel as if I have no control and am left with such an uneasy feeling.
I have gained 15 pounds and am hoping now that I am off it, I will lose it.
Thank you for sharing your experiences with me.
Posted by oracle on July 11, 2002, at 17:26:23
In reply to THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 11:24:23
> So now, I have "weened" myself off, take a pill one day, skip one day, take a pill one day, skip one day etc.
Effexor just works for hours, skiping a day is not the way to w/d. I suspect this actually makes things worse.
Posted by rin on July 12, 2002, at 7:12:37
In reply to Re: THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by oracle on July 11, 2002, at 17:26:23
> > So now, I have "weened" myself off, take a pill one day, skip one day, take a pill one day, skip one day etc.
>
> Effexor just works for hours, skiping a day is not the way to w/d. I suspect this actually makes things worse.Oracle,
I suspect you may be right....I wish I would have found this site and more information earlier on. I did research when I began taking effexor but obviously not enough. I will not go back on them and will certainly not recommend "weening" the way i have.
Thanks for your input.
Posted by Terri C. on July 12, 2002, at 19:43:14
In reply to Re: THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by rin on July 12, 2002, at 7:12:37
Weaning off this medication slowly was the only option I had. At the end of a 3-month taper and trying to go totally without, I also experienced the zapping in the brain, dizziness, nightmares and night sweats. When the zapping got really bad, I would take a 37.5 mg capsule for relief. It seemed to work for me. I moved to three and then four days between and then completely off. Regardless of how long the drug actually worked in my system, enduring the zapping for an extended period of time was too much. My sister did the cold-turkey thing and suffered tremendous, long-term withdrawals. She was in Korea at the time and not aware that I was taking the same medication. When we shared our stories, I was grateful that I had taken the approach I did as it sounded like her experience was much harder than mine. So, to each their own.
Posted by jda1292 on July 12, 2002, at 21:13:14
In reply to THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 11:24:23
Why don't you start your new med and take them at the same time? Why are you stopping your medication??? It sounds like you need medication?
> I am so glad I found this site.
> After reading some of the messages, I realized I wasn't alone. The nausea is unbearable (always hits me at work), the dizziness, the "zapping" in my temples(that one freaked me out). I took effexor on the advice of my doctor, not once did he express any concern or information in ref. to getting off this med. This is the first time in my life I have taken anything like this. I quit cold turkey the first time, ended up so sick that I jumped right back on the bus in hopes I'd feel better (nice tactic to keep one hooked?)Yikes!!
> So now, I have "weened" myself off, take a pill one day, skip one day, take a pill one day, skip one day etc.
> This has proven to still have these horrid experiences. I did well and was able to cope on effexor but when I have to feel this way to stop taking it....I wonder.
> Anyone tell me how long this will last.???
> Thanks
Posted by Lou Pilder on July 13, 2002, at 8:37:59
In reply to THE WITHDRAWL-how long will this last?, posted by rin on July 11, 2002, at 11:24:23
Rin,
You asked how long the withdrawal could last.
I can only tell you what I have experianced and what I know from others who have been through withdrawal.
If we start from the time that you stop taking the drug completley, then I have found that for the first week, you will experiance what you have described. then the next week will be a little less unbearabe. The first two weeks, I look at being the first plateau.
The second plateau will go from the second week and get gradually less unbearable so that you can deal more rationally with the withdrawal, but it is still "bad". This , I have found is the critical juncture. For if you can get to this phase without reinstituting the drug, then I have found others that went the rest of the way to be free from the withdrawal effects of the drug, each day getting a little bit better.
Now the rest of the time period is dependant on several veriables.
1)How much of the drug were you taking
2)for how long
3)what other drugs you are taking
4)your age
5)your health condition
6)other factors that are individual to each person.
Now I want you to know that there is "light at the end of the tunnel." I have overcome addiction myself.
Lou
This is the end of the thread.
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