My husband's MRD is May 11th from Wisconsin and will be coming back to IL for a short sentance here, so he has (with the so called Dr's help) gone off Effexor which he has been on for 5 years. I am wondering if anyone has a loved one inside that has been taken off (not cold turkey, but not gently, either) Effexor that can tell me their experiences with it and how long the withdrawls lasted.
My daughter was taking it for a year (275mg) then quit cold turkey and had all kinds of bad thing happy, my husband's is not so severe, but he is always aggrivated. Thanks for any info you can give me!:)

My daughter was taking it for a year (275mg) then quit cold turkey and had all kinds of bad thing happy
MAN!!! I meant HAPPENED!!! Where in the world did I get happy?:rolleyes:

My 17 yr old is on effexor and when he doesnt take it or tried to stop without our knowledge he became very vocal and hateful.....me on the other hand became very depressed and sucicide~emotional.................I chose to stop mine so my son could have his(not wise) but my only choice.
Good luck

I have a several year old PDR. want me to see if there is anything on withdrawal in it?

I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR FOR 14 MONTHS. I STARTED ON 2 HUNDRED SOMETHING. I WILL BE TRYING TO GET OFF IT ALLTOGTHER SOON. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED. IF I MISS MY DOSE, OR AM VERY LATE WITH IT, I GET NUMBNESS IN MY FACE AND RIGHT HAND. WEIRD.

What is effexor ? Excuse my ignorance but I was told iff I wasnted to know something to ask what is it use for?

EFEXOR IS AN ANTI-DEPRESSANT.

I am an RN and yes, you can, and do withdrawl from Effexor. They should have weined him off the drug slowly. A typical withdrawl period is approximately 14 days altogether, it could be more, it could be less depending on your tolerance and other medications. This drug, in particular, is known for it's "hot flashes" either while taking the drug as well as coming off of it. He will experience fatigue, headaches, maybe some nausea and other stomach-related problems (the runs) as well as become a little anxious and mean-spirited. Effexor or Effexor XR is a prescribed for depression or anxiety disorders, or to relieve the symptoms of anxiety, so, depending on what he was initially taking it for, those symptoms may return. PM me and I can help you out a little more if you need, hope this can get you by.
My prayers are with you.

DO THESE "HOT FLASHES" INCLUDE SWEATING AT NIGHT, WHILE YOU SLEEP?

Sweating at night is a typical withdrawl reaction with anything. It is not an exclusive reaction to Effexor or Effexor XR.

I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR FOR 14 MONTHS. I STARTED ON 2 HUNDRED SOMETHING. I WILL BE TRYING TO GET OFF IT ALLTOGTHER SOON. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED. IF I MISS MY DOSE, OR AM VERY LATE WITH IT, I GET NUMBNESS IN MY FACE AND RIGHT HAND. WEIRD.
Yep, my husband had the numbness, too, but that is gone now. Just don't go off cold turkey, make sure the doctor weens you off it!!!!

I HAVE BEEN ON EFFEXOR FOR 14 MONTHS. I STARTED ON 2 HUNDRED SOMETHING. I WILL BE TRYING TO GET OFF IT ALLTOGTHER SOON. PLEASE KEEP ME INFORMED. IF I MISS MY DOSE, OR AM VERY LATE WITH IT, I GET NUMBNESS IN MY FACE AND RIGHT HAND. WEIRD.
I've been on Paxil since 1998 when a doctor said I was depressed. It was actually just anxiety of being in a new state and starting a University. But, like a good little patient I took my med's. Finally last summer I talked with my doc to start tapering off of the AD. However, the doc never informed me of withdrawal effects. I went through 3 months of pure hell b/c no doctor could tell me what was wrong with me. I was diagnosed with 4 different diseases and illnesses, put on all sorts of med's including antibiotics, and had every test imaginable done to my body. After the panic attacks started I thought I would try to go back to my regular dose of Paxil, which has always been only 10 mg. All of a sudden I started feeling so much better. I've never had a panic attack in my life and unfortunately that is the one withdrawal symptom that still remains today. Whatever you do, get under the supervision of a psychiatrist if you're gonna be on Effexor and try to taper off of it. My biggest mistake was dealing with a family practice doc who didn't know anything. All 6 doc's I saw (including 4 specialists) never picked up on the paxil withdrawal, even though I explained to all of them I was in the midst of tapering off of it. Some of the symptoms I experienced were extreme vertigo, anxiety, panic attacks (caused numbness in hands and legs due to increased blood pressure from the attack), ringing in the ear, stomach pains, light and motion sensitivity, fatigue, etc. Good luck and take care. BTW-There are a lot of message boards online where people post their experience and what helped them taper off the med's. Do a search for Effexor withdrawal symptoms and you should find some.

I was on effexor for a year, for anxiety and depression. When the doctor's took me
off, I felt like I was going to go nuts!! My anxiety was out of control. Thank god they
put me on Paxil CR, the best thing to ever happen to me! Withdrawls with me lasted
2weeks top. But please remember everybody is different. Good luck to you and your
husband. I will keep you in my thoughts and hope that he won't experience to severe
withdrawls like I did. Suzi

I've been on Effexor XR for about 4 years (whenever it came out). All I know for sure is you should never just stop taking it. I made that mistake once, thinking my sex drive would come back over a long weekend... by the third day I was miserable, numb, I felt like my brain was a tv on a bad channel. My doc was really ticked at me for just stopping! (I recall him saying "the internet is gonna kill someone" - I read you could stop for a couple days on a website). You need 2 to 3 weeks to slowly get off of it. Then there aren't the withdrawl symptoms. Good luck!

:cuffs: I am in the Process of getting off of Effexoe XR. My doctor has me taking 4 weeks to get off. I am down to a pill every other day for a week, then I will be done. I am now wondering if this is why I have felt like POOP the last couple days. UGH!! Good Luck to you all. Never stop anything without asking your Dr.

any of you were on effexor and quit cold turkey? my friend quit almost 2 weeks ago and she says her body is going crazy. her last dosage was 75mg. she was meaner than a rattlesnake and very short tempered for the first week. she said now her body feels like she is pregnant, with the nausea and hot flashes. she's been experiencing anxiety attacks.

she had been diagnosed with depression & ptsd after experiencing back to back tragedies a few years ago. she feels she is able to function without the meds now. she doesn't want to go to the doctor, b/c her doctor is pro-meds and she wants them out of her system. she says it isn't as bad going off as she thought or the horror stories she read online. she says she wouldn't recommend it for just anyone. you have to physically be able to withstand this stuff.

what have been some of your experiences? any pointers? or natural remedies to help with the nausea? headaches?

You never want to stop those medications cold turkey no matter how long you have been taking them. Always tell your doctor of your intentions so they can slowly lower the dosage. I used it for no longer than 30 days and when I stopped I kept having electric surges in my head. That's nothing compared to what other people have experienced (including death). Tell your friend she should probably contact her doctor a.s.a.p. to let them know what's happening.

I weaned myself off of effexor, and even doing that, it wasn't easy. Cold turkey is a mistake with this drug. Even if she only takes the 75 mg once every other day, it's better to do that than experience the withdrawal. It sounds like your friend has looked into what can happen to some people when they stop taking effexor, so that at least is a plus. And I can fully understand not wanting to take meds. However, the occurrence of the anxiety attacks is troubling. This is not a typical withdrawal response from effexor, as far as I know, and indicates she is still in need of some drug intervention, imho.

I loved effexor when I needed it. It's a powerful and useful drug. But after awhile, I couldn't stand it because it seemed to take my "umph" away, and rendered me without energy or the ability to get things done. I stopped needing it so with my doctor's approval, I tapered. It took me months, not weeks, but once I was done with it, I was done.

A real risk of stopping any drug that causes withdrawal is self-medication with alcohol or narcotics. Alcohol can lessen effexor's withdrawal symptoms. If she's had any kind of addiction problems in the past, she needs to be aware of this and stay away from alcohol as a stop gap for this problem. Another risk is that your friend could end up regressing in her coping abilities, taking her back to a year ago or more in her condition. PTSD is very much a "trigger" disorder. The physical responses to withdrawal and the emotions those illicit can provide the necessary and unwanted cues to "remind" the brain of what she experienced in the past, and cause an episode. If she continues to go unmedicated for it, or if something untoward happens, some little piece of bad luck or BS that happens in daily life, she could spiral because right now her coping mechanisms are at a low.

If her current doctor is pro med, s/he's probably that way for a reason. She has a couple responsible choices. She could stick it out with this doc, and tell him she believes she is ready to get off meds. He's the doc, but he can't do anything to her without her permission. He may suggest he switch her to a milder med to help her taper for a short period of time, then eliminate that one. But if your friend is adamant about this doc, she could get a referral to another doc, a psychiatrist is best if her current doctor is only a gp, and tell them she wants to taper her med. Trust me, she's playing with fire here. Tell her to imagine what she was going through a year ago, or two years ago, or three. Then ask her if she wants to go back there, because that's what could happen.

When quitting effexor, I found no homeopathic remedies that alleviated the withdrawal symptoms. The only thing that worked was tapering.

I weaned myself off this medication last summer. I started with every other day and my body did not like it. I had horrible dizziness and I felt like I had an electric shock shooting out of my body down to my fingertips. I didnt notice the mood swings but others did. I told my doctor that I took myself off and he said that was very dangerous due to some people having an increase of suicidal thoughts. This was the worse med to stop taking. It took at least six weeks for me to completely stop.

I seen this thread and have to tell my story of effexor! I took it for 3 months and quit cold turkey! I didnt have any side effects but those hot flashes were about to kill me while taking the meds!
My doctor had me coming in every month to check on me and see how I was doing! Then I asked her if she would prescribe me some diet pills! She DID! I didnt know it at the time that you shouldnt take diet pills while on anti depressants but I guess my doctor didnt care! Well the next time I went to see her she didnt even bother to write me a prescription for the effexor only for the diet pills. So that is when I just quit cold turkey on the effexor!
My family and friends were on to me about just quitting like that but I felt just fine! Maybe it was the diet pill that helped me not have any withdrawals!

I took myself off Effexor and was sick for about 3 days. I took myself off all meds and everytime felt like I had the flu, when I told my Dr. she said, "HMMMM, I don't know why you feel so bad, its not addictive" so I had to say, "why does the medication label say do not stop taking without speaking with dr. first and have read where you often need to be hospitalized" It has always made me sick, very sick.

Wow, brave group of people here. Effexor is one of those drugs that you should never just stop taking all at once. My question is why stop it? I was in a deep funk and wasn't doing well in getting out of it. The doctor had me taking 4 different anti depressives until we got it right. I take 150mg of effexor daily. I don't consider that a weakness - I just think of it as if I were a diabetic, I would have to take insulin. If effexor keeps me functioning so I can do what I need to do, then I'm going to keep taking it. Yes, I'm more tired and have lost a bit of my ump, but it's not as bad as the depression was. The doctor said I probably will be on effexor or something for the rest of my life. Not a happy pill but if my brain needs this to keep on an even kell, then I'm going to keep taking it. I hate medications but as long as they aren't used to mask a problem but to treat a problem then I'm all for it.

Sozee, I was taking 5 or 6oo mg a day when I was at my worst, (I can't remember the exact amount) and effexor truly did help me, but eventually I recognized I didn't need that much anymore, and I started to taper. As I tapered down, I needed it less and less, and once I got to your dosage, I'd reached a point in my life where I felt stable and ready to get off of it. I was under doctor supervision and in counseling. Why take a pill when it's not needed? But when I did need it, effexor was a miracle drug.

Even so, I won't get on it again unless there is absolutely no alternative.

Effexor is a very bad drug to withdraw from suddenly. Even a missed dose can bring on some truly nasty side effects - electric shock sensations, esp in the head, nausea, diarrhea, loss of appetite, severe dizziness, sweating, racing heart rate, etc. There can also be big mood swings, sleep disturbance, anxiety and impulse control issues. The only way to come off this medicine without feeling awful is to do so slowly and very gradually.

I am coming off Effexo, The Dr put me own this 7 yrs ago when i was caring for my husband before he died. I am tired a lot and have no energy so i told him last week i am coming off of it. He said just take it every other day for 30 days. I only take 75mg. So what can i expect? So far i am just having some headache not noticed anything else. I just started last Monday. After 7 yrs of being own this i want off and will make it. I never knew i was depressed, i am one who takes thing in stride, i talk about things and don't keep them bottled up in me. Lord i hope i don't go postal own my family!!

The sweating was awful, and the numbness I felt too. The weight gain being on it, and the expense....Ask for something else.

I did too!

I have a BAD REACTION to the med and my jaw locked for 1 1/2 months.

Lord, The Dizzness Is Bad, I Have Bowl Problem, I An Mean As Rattle Snake!!
I Only Took 1 Every Other Day For 2 Montha And Now Stoped Thursday.

I am still not taking it. I am crying a lot, but i have not fried since my husbamd dird except 2-3 times in 7 urs. I am determined to not go back own it. It is causing me some sleeplness. All though i am taking 50 mg Trazodone. I was tired and no energy. Just sorta numb. so i am hanging tuff!!

I made it and feel wonderful. Just had to tell you all. I am glad i stopped taking it.

The dizziness, sweating, nausea was awful. I passed out COLD on the subway and woke up in an ambulance. That drug works but the side effects are NOT worth it.

After taking effexor for about 6-8 weeks I guess just long enough for it to get in my system good...i broke out horrible and was itching all over...I had a bad allergic reaction and at the same time mentaly my depression had just leveled out and here they was telling me I had to get off it because of the allergy...I was terrible ...I was angry mad at everyone had headaches and was naesaus ....they had put me on another anti depressant but of course I had to wait for it to get in my system...finaly they gave me xanax that was the only thing that helped AT ALL...I'd never want to go through that again I was a total basket case :(


I have a semi funny story about that time in my life ...it truly wasn't funny at the time...but the morning after I had went to the hospital (cause I had been wigging out getting off the effexor and they gave me the Xanax) the next morning I had a computer class ...and this was my first time on Xanax and I'm on a really high dose so I'm pretty much stoned out of my head so stoned that when we hear a big BOOM I don't pay any attention even though everyone else is kinda jumping up wondering what was going on...well not long after it's break time and I'm heading out to the parking lot toward my car and lighting a cigarette when several feet in front of this piece of metal slams into the pavement I stand there stunned and and just staring ( lucky the damn thing didn't land on me) when another piece just falls and hits the ground out of nowhere....I run into the damn class screaming "OH MY F*CKING GOD CALL AN AMBULANCE i'M GOING CRAZY THEY HAVE ME ON ALL THESE DRUGS AND I'M SEEING THINGS HELP HELP AND THE SKY IS FALLING OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!" I'm in full panic mode and the young girl at the front desk is easing towards the phone calling the police she don't know if I'm going to shoot the place up or what...police ambulance everything come and I'm still having a fit ...come to find out that was when that space shuttle had blew up over us and it was pieces of that...but I really thought I had lost my mind....it was sooooo embaressing !!!!!!!!!!!!!

You have got me laughing so hard i am crying------ What a trip huh???
Well i am doing ok off it, The withdrawels were not too bad, i weaned my self off the dam stuff, NOW I CAN REALLY-GET EXCITED ABOUT THINGS ALSO, WHEN BEFORE I DIDN'T GIVE A DARN,
I hate to laugh but that is just too funny.

You have got me laughing so hard i am crying------ What a trip huh???
Well i am doing ok off it, The withdrawels were not too bad, i weaned my self off the dam stuff, NOW I CAN REALLY-GET EXCITED ABOUT THINGS ALSO, WHEN BEFORE I DIDN'T GIVE A DARN,
I hate to laugh but that is just too funny.


I am sooo happy for you and I laugh now but at the time I was sooo embaressed !!! I never even went back to that class

I had a hard time going off of it. I quit cold turkey and that was horrible. I was part of the clinical study of it. It was rough but about a month letter I was ok.

Dancenee, Do you think you are doing better with out it? So was your withdrawls bad? Did anyone prepare you for it? My Dr did not tell me anything about side effects, I read here and found out what to expect. That help me to no it would be over soon. I feel ok with out it, getting my self organized again. Been a little scattered brain, but focusing all right every day is getting better. No side effects anymore.
KARENTX--I no I would have been to embaressed too I guess. It not funny but funny! You no what I mean. We can do some crazy things, But hey we are only human!!
Take care all

Karen,it dont take much for boflip to laugh..and now i see where she says she is having sleeplessness,God help us all, she'll be posting at all hours. thats right bo! Now git your a$$ in bed NOW!....and stay there!
Karen i think you are a very lucky woman you werent killed. aye! see..i went off of prozac and straterra and got kind of out of it also,drove my car off a mountainside,and do you think i was freaked out? no! i was embarressed! i didnt like prozac at all.not one bit,nor did i feel better.
Keep your eyes on the skies hun!

LOL no like I said it is ok now and I do kinda think it's funny but at the time OMG I was sooo scared....I do wanna tell ya though boflip even though you may think the withdrawals are the worst watch out for signs of deep depression after all of it is out of your system and take care of yourself :)

Thanks Karen,and while you are at it tell bo to keep her butt in bed! I think she thinks she's Draculatta or someone....
im only kidding..i love that woman so much!

Thanks Karen,and while you are at it tell bo to keep her butt in bed! I think she thinks she's Draculatta or someone....
im only kidding..i love that woman so much!


I can't really say anything because I should be in bed myself...I think I fight my sleep like a kid :D

I have a semi funny story about that time in my life ...it truly wasn't funny at the time...but the morning after I had went to the hospital (cause I had been wigging out getting off the effexor and they gave me the Xanax) the next morning I had a computer class ...and this was my first time on Xanax and I'm on a really high dose so I'm pretty much stoned out of my head so stoned that when we hear a big BOOM I don't pay any attention even though everyone else is kinda jumping up wondering what was going on...well not long after it's break time and I'm heading out to the parking lot toward my car and lighting a cigarette when several feet in front of this piece of metal slams into the pavement I stand there stunned and and just staring ( lucky the damn thing didn't land on me) when another piece just falls and hits the ground out of nowhere....I run into the damn class screaming "OH MY F*CKING GOD CALL AN AMBULANCE i'M GOING CRAZY THEY HAVE ME ON ALL THESE DRUGS AND I'M SEEING THINGS HELP HELP AND THE SKY IS FALLING OH MY GOD OH MY GOD!!!!" I'm in full panic mode and the young girl at the front desk is easing towards the phone calling the police she don't know if I'm going to shoot the place up or what...police ambulance everything come and I'm still having a fit ...come to find out that was when that space shuttle had blew up over us and it was pieces of that...but I really thought I had lost my mind....it was sooooo embaressing !!!!!!!!!!!!!

:thnx: :lol:

I could see myself flippin' out like that. . . .without the meds!!!
However, I started on 10 (now 20) mgs of Paxil 2 months ago and now I see the world in a much clearer picture. I'm more calm, patient (never was before) don't worry so much (I'm a constant worrier) but I'm MUCH more sleepy and sex drive is down (don't care about that right now anyway). The side effects I encounter daily are: morning night sweats, tremors (i.e. the shakes). I also have a prescription for .05mgs of Xanax but I try not to relay on that.