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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by sami on May 19, 2005, at 21:18:19
This is my second run with Effexor. I feel o.k. I guess, but sometimes too o.k. Like I can't cry even if I feel like I need to. I also wondered if anyone had any reactions from missing a dose? If I miss a dose It's like everything comes at me like a ton of bricks(especially rage) and I can't control it. I just explode, everything seems to get on my nerves and just irritate me more. So obviously I try to rarely forget to take it everyday. Is that what withdrawl from Effexor will be like if I ever get off of it? I don't want to have to be on meds forever. I just want to feel normal again.
Posted by Camille Dumont on May 20, 2005, at 0:17:07
In reply to Effexor, does anyone just feel supressed?, posted by sami on May 19, 2005, at 21:18:19
I took effoxor for about 2 years at 300mg most of the time. After forgetting my pills for a weekend I learned my lesson : never miss a dose.
It was only when I decided to stop it (despite silly GP insisting I needed it for life ... but its my life after all) that I realized how much it supressed all the emotions and feelings. Even physical pain was 100 times more intense after I stopped. Its as if the pills took away my capacity to feel discomfort, mental or physical. For a few weeks I was like "wow, I have a headache", "wow, that smell is really strong" and so on. It was as if a veil had been lifted all around me and I was trully "awake" again. It took time to readjust to having all these intense feelings and sensations but it did go back to normall after a while.
As for the withdrawal from Effexor, its pretty much the worse one in terms of ADs. I did what all doctors tell you not to do : go from 300 to 0 in one shot. Its not pretty, believe me. You get nightmares so bad that you,re afraid to sleep, panic attacks, nausea, the shakes, sweating, very strong suicidal thoughts, feelign like you want to hurt people for the slightest thing etc.
If you can't take off 2 weeks form work or school and have someone there to care for you, don't ever try it cold turkey. You'll be ok for 1 or 2 days at first ... depending on how much you've been taking but its really a trip down in hell.
My advice : take a few of your pills and put them in your backpack or something. Then if you realize you've missed a dose you can take it right away.
Posted by 4WD on May 20, 2005, at 15:50:49
In reply to Re: Effexor, does anyone just feel supressed?, posted by Camille Dumont on May 20, 2005, at 0:17:07
> As for the withdrawal from Effexor, its pretty much the worse one in terms of ADs. I did what all doctors tell you not to do : go from 300 to 0 in one shot. Its not pretty, believe me. You get nightmares so bad that you,re afraid to sleep, panic attacks, nausea, the shakes, sweating, very strong suicidal thoughts, feelign like you want to hurt people for the slightest thing etc.
>
>
.Hi. I wonder if you could answer a couple of questions. Every time I tried to switch from Effexor to a different AD, I became extremely anxious, panicky, scared. I'd go right back to Effexor because of it. I've had this happen with Paxil, Cymbalta and Celexa. (actually a few years ago I switched from Eff to Celexa and was fine). But recently I've been off Effexor for 3 months and I'm still having the scaredness and anxiousness - have to treat it with a benzo.
When I was on Effexor, I felt very smoothed out. No strong emotion, couldn't cry.
How long did it take before the Effexor withdrawal scaredness went away for you? Do you think it's possible for it to go on for months?
Marsha
Posted by Camille Dumont on May 23, 2005, at 22:21:50
In reply to Re: Effexor, does anyone just feel supressed? » Camille Dumont, posted by 4WD on May 20, 2005, at 15:50:49
> > As for the withdrawal from Effexor, its pretty much the worse one in terms of ADs. I did what all doctors tell you not to do : go from 300 to 0 in one shot. Its not pretty, believe me. You get nightmares so bad that you,re afraid to sleep, panic attacks, nausea, the shakes, sweating, very strong suicidal thoughts, feelign like you want to hurt people for the slightest thing etc.
> >
> >
> .
>
> Hi. I wonder if you could answer a couple of questions. Every time I tried to switch from Effexor to a different AD, I became extremely anxious, panicky, scared. I'd go right back to Effexor because of it. I've had this happen with Paxil, Cymbalta and Celexa. (actually a few years ago I switched from Eff to Celexa and was fine). But recently I've been off Effexor for 3 months and I'm still having the scaredness and anxiousness - have to treat it with a benzo.
>
> When I was on Effexor, I felt very smoothed out. No strong emotion, couldn't cry.
>
> How long did it take before the Effexor withdrawal scaredness went away for you? Do you think it's possible for it to go on for months?
>
> Marsha
>Unfortunately, yes it can and for me did take months. To give you an idea, I took my last Effexor sometime last July and it was well after x-mas that I felt completely free of it. That is the mood swings stopped, the anxiety and panic attacks were completely gone.
Perhaps it would help if you overlap with one AD to another. That is, take the effexor, start taking the new AD waiting a couple of weeks for it to kick in properly and then remove Effexor. It could take care of the worst that Effexor brings on when you withdraw from it.
This is the end of the thread.
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