for those on effexor...

[mrs.felt]

i hope this post is allowed...

when i first started taking effexor i took a look around the website and came across the "wyeth dialogues" program which is the mailing list & free subscription for people taking effexor. well, i got a packet in the mail with various things (a magazine, fridge magnet, copy of the FAQ from the website and a "dialogues benefits card.") well, if you take the card to the pharmacy when you fill your prescription, you get discounts! (if you're on medicaid or medicare, you aren't eligible, but if you have private insurance or no insurance, you are) i saved $5 on my 90 day refill. so if you're on effexor and haven't already done it, i'd suggest going to www.mytimetotalk.com and signing up. drugs can be so expensive, so every little bit helps.

[jenn5388]

If I were you, I'd try to get off that one now....

my mother is on That.. she says it's just horrible.. you get seriously addicted to it.. you get seriously sick without it. I guess there's support groups online for people trying to get off it.
I don't know if you've had to go any days without it since being on it.. but seriously.. i hear it's not fun.

I'm on a generic of Prozac... My mother told me.. "don't let them put you on Effexor"

[kriekle]

side effects of effexor

I was interested to read about the problems some people have had with effexor. I have had days that I've missed it since being on it, and have had problems that I wondered if they were connected to missing my meds. I asked my dr's office and pharmacy about it, and they both told me things weren't related. I was glad to hear I'm not alone! I will, however, remain on effexor because despite the troubles when I miss a dose, it's worked better for me than any other anti-depressant I've tried. I think the best thing all os us can do is learn everything you can about all the options and work with your dr to find what's best for you. I can handle my dizzy spells a whole lot better than migraines, lethargy & weight gain, or suicidal tendencies, which is what I've experienced on other meds.

[intensity_too]

If you do a search on the web you will come up with a lot of negative info about Effexor and it is all true . . . even Wyeth admits that the drug can cause problems. I have been on Effexor for 3 years and it has been wonderful for me though I do dread the day that I need to stop it.

One of the issues with Effexor is that it has a short half life . . . this is why you experience symptoms after missing only one dose. I experience what I call "zappy eyes" . . if I move my eyes I get this zappy feeling that I can hear. It is very strange.

If there is another anti-depressant that your doctor feels you can take . . . I would try switching to it. Effexor is tough to come off of . . . you need a fairly long withdrawl period. Depending on your dose . . . the withdrawl period can be up to 6 weeks. NEVER stop taking Effexor cold turkey. You can experience something called Serotonin Withdrawl Syndrome . . . and it can be fatal.

[hollyhobbie]

i just want to say it is true. i was addicted to effexor. i loved it when i was on it and i was on uh, most of the new antidepressants (i think prozac is the worst!!) but it was so hard to come off it and no-one wanted me to so i stopped myself and it was nasty. i felt so sick. this is not an extreme story just the truth. i would not go on it again but when i was on it i did recommend it to everyone b/c it seemed like such a great drug. good luck to you. if you need it long term and can do a supervised withdrawl it may not be so bad.

[teacup]

Brain shivers. I experienced them when I took Effexor as well. They were worse if I missed a dose, and that was due to what a previous poster said: the short half life. However, my understanding is that SSRIs, which Effexor is, are not addictive (like things such as narcotics are addictive). Your body being used to to drug is not the same thing as addiction, yes?

[hollyhobbie]

yes, you are right. i was not actually addicted but i needed the drug to function and could not come off it (or so it seemed). i felt very dependent on it!! then the way i felt when i stopped made me feel i dunno like it was an addiction. not to downplay what actual drug addiction is like!!

[newcastlemama]

I am on effexor and when I tried to go off it my (horrible) ex-dr. cut my dose in 1/2. I could not fall asleep and just felt bad overall. My new and wonderful dr. said that in a few months we could think about very very gradually lowering the dose and go from there. He will also monitor me closely, which I find very comforting from my last experience:
My ex-dr. said he didn't need to see me for 6 months (!!!!!) when he cut my dose! I called ex-dr. 3 times in 40 hours to tell him I was not well and it was urgent that he call me back.....I have not heard from him since and that was 5 months ago...

I had to get on antidepressents because I had the severe ppd with pp psychosis. ( I thought I was dying and was extremely anxious, jumpy, hearing things, and not sleeping for days)I know that it will be a challenge for me to quit effexor. Though I know I needed them to get well and I do not regret taking them to survive that time in my life, they are a serious drug that deals with your brain chemistry. Going on or off them is a decision that I hope people don't take too lightly.
Best wishes for all those who are trying to get off any meds...I will be on this board when my time comes I am sure.
Jennifer

[alicia622]

I'm on effexor and I like it. I know I've missed doses and have not had any bad reaction. I experienced a similar reaction to the PP when I came off of celexa once. I started weaning myself too fast and was seriously sick. Once I upped the dose I was able to slowly get off- it took weeks and weeks.

Thanks for the link- waiting for my coupon!

[tigress]

i also had a terrible time on effexor, missing my dose by even a few hours would often make me sick, but it is very important to remember that everyone's chemistry is totally different and will react to different drugs differently. when i switched (to celexa) i just switched with no taper and it was great. but i also don't feel well if i miss a dose of that (not as bad as the effexor!)--i have a good friend who stopped taking celexa cold turkey without thinking twice about it and was fine.

[avasmom1]

new member looking for info/support

I have not started taking effexor yet but it was prescribed to me after a bad reaction to zoloft. I am wondering what my other options are? It seems like the doctors give out this with out really preparing for side effects, withdrawls, etc. I have even asked questions about a couple different meds and seen two different docs and it seemed they really downplayed everything. Has anyone taken anything such as vitamins, supplements in conjunction with or separately from meds

[lauradoc]

I tried a lot of things, exercise, increased uv light exposure, st john's wort, vitamins, eating healthier, but finally the constant crying, weight loss, suicidal thinking, inability to concentrate and complete simple tasks, and not least, fear of neglecting/inadvertently harming my children through inattentiveness, convinced me that I was not able to manage without medications. I am very happy with Effexor, although I agree that coming off it is difficult, and meds are not perfect. I really wish I had been born with better brain chemistry, but that did not occur!

[mrs.felt]

i'm also very happy on effexor. no side effects (other than a bit of weight loss) and i have a plan for weaning off the meds, although that's a while away. no anti-depressant is perfect but this works for me.

thank you to whoever posted the advice above, though.

[~member~]

Originally Posted by intensity_too

NEVER stop taking Effexor cold turkey. You can experience something called Serotonin Withdrawl Syndrome . . . and it can be fatal.

I never researched this. I quit cold turkey four days ago. My mind is fine, but my physical body feels like it's being electrocuted and I am in so much pain.

I am not worried about me. I breastfed and maybe I should cross-post this, but last night my baby was having what looked like convulsions. And she has been crying non-stop since I quit taking the Effexor.

Even today, her little body will stop and shiver.

Now I am freaking and wondering if I need to get her to a hospital or doctor?

[alsoSarah]

Oh, MitB, how awful!
Have you started a new thread about this in TAO?

Your question will probably be read sooner, by many more eyes that way....

Hoping you and your little one are ok,
alsoSarah

[sapphire_chan]

Get this checked out. You should get checked out too. It definitely sounds like withdrawal symptoms. Tell the staff that you suspect Serotonin withdrawal as mentioned by a previous poster and that you were on Effexor.

I really hope there's an easy solution to this.

[kirei]

Originally Posted by intensity_too

NEVER stop taking Effexor cold turkey. You can experience something called Serotonin Withdrawl Syndrome . . . and it can be fatal.

Holy crap.... I was on Effexor XR 5-6 years ago... and I had only been taking it for a few weeks, and I quit cold turkey (I also stopped going to the dr). I did feel weird, but not horrible. I don't even remember how it felt too much, anymore. For a long time afterwards, though... I couldn't think straight and would mix up my words. Instead of saying "the grey cat", I might say "the cat grey"... things like that. It was truly weird, and it took MONTHS (possibly up to a year) before it stopped happening.

[Irishmommy]

I was on Effexor for a couple of years, came off it this summer with no problems. Yes, I did it slowly, but you are supposed to come off everything slowly. I did miss the odd dose while on it, but honestly, of all I've tried over the years (Prozac and Celexa being the main ones), it was the best while on it, and the easiest getting off it.

[mrs.felt]

i just wanted to add that i weaned off effexor after taking it for a few months and had no problems. i had to have blood work and the effexor interfered with it so they had me wean for two weeks and i did it slowly without incident. i'm back on it again at a lower dose and feeling great! i'm so sorry so many people had trouble with it.

[~member~]

Just in case others read this thread and not another: I took my baby to the ER and the doctors hooked her to a machine. She was going through severe withdrawal from the Effexor, the only option was for me to get back on the Effexor. She is fine, now, but we will be meeting with doctors to figure out how to get us both safely off.
Apparently, my baby was not the first.
No one knows the long-term effects, nor if these babies will have any permanant effects.

Doctors are now saying to choose breastfeeding or Effexor, but never both.