Please Help W/ Getting off of Effexor( I Added the Rest of the Story)

I just went off Effexor without any problem. However, I was taking other medication along with it. I am taking Lexapro for depression and it seems to help with that. I do have problems with no energy and I take provigil for it. I have taken zoloft before with good results but it quit working after a time. Good luck to you and if you need to talk please feel free to contact me.

I'm not saying you have this....but I was misdiagnosed for years and finally have a correct diagnosis of Lyme Disease. Before that I was diagnosed with major depressiona and Bipolar disorder and OCD....all symptoms have completely disappeared now that I am being treated for Lyme Disease....

Bless you! I know how you feel!!! I've been there...so, so, so very difficult!

Hey S.,

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About Me:

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Not that I am pro drugs by any means, but why have you decided to come off of it?? If not having the correct dose of this medication is causing you to react this way, then it sounds like you may need it? I would certainly consult a good doctor on how to best come off of a drug of that nature, it might be different than you think. I agree with natural, but there is a lot of work to do to find out exactly what is wrong, and what supplements will best help you, so maybe until you have a plan in action, you should take the prescribed dose. Meet with a nutritionist/chiropractor, and get a good evaluation, or even a doctor that specializes in womens health issues, and go from there. Hang in there ~A.~

Stick with the weaning off, my doctor had me taking one half every other day, the every third day to once a week and off. How did I survive? There is a natural product call "Rescue Remedy" you can find it at Whole Foods and Walgreens. When you are feeling anxious or irritable you put a drop under your tounge and get instant results. We also used this product when my son came home from Iraq and had severe Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. I gave it to my sister-in-law when her Mom was dying from colon cancer. It has no side effects and really works. Good luck and God Bless.

S., you need to be medically supervised. Do NOT try to do this on your own. There are a number of things that can be done to mitigate the withdrawal effects but need to be done under a doctor's care. What you are doing now is affecting your family as well as potentially putting your health at risk. Please go to your doctor for help with this. If your doctor won't cooperate then find another one. I highly recommend that you get some good counseling to help you deal with the underlying issues that contributed to your need for medication in the first place. Mark Felber is a highly skilled, compassionate and caring counselor who has helped many overcome problems. He has a website you can visit to find out more about him and he will give you a call if you wish. Mark's website is www.marriagecpr.com. Please get medical help and God bless you on your journey!

Hi S.,
I'm sorry to hear of how tough this has been for you! I actually used to be a pharmaceutical sales rep & Effexor XR was one of the drugs I sold. It was quite common for folks to have some difficulty coming off Effexor XR b/c of how quickly it gets out of your system. Most antidepressants create the same effect in your body when you get off of them, it's just that you notice the effects w/Effexor XR so much b/c of how fast it metabolizes from your body. Anyway - doctors always counseled their patients to just take it slow...If you're on 75mg now, try that for a week, then step down to 37.5mg. If it's too rough on 37.5mg, bump back up to 75mg for another week. Then try stepping down again to 37.5mg for a week or two. You CAN get off it! :) It may just take more time than you expected. Good luck!

I have been on Effexor twice, once when my mom died and then when my daughter moved away. It really is a truly awful drug to get off of. I felt like I had the flu. I ended up taking them the way that you are, then the next week, I took the 37.5, everyday, then the following week, every other day. You will still be sick. The second time I took them, I just did the every other day witht the 37.5 for a week, then the weekend I told everyone to leave me alone, and took nyquil to sleep, and by Monday, I felt much better. I am sure not the smartest way to get off them, but I couldn't deal with the being sick. I am now on a new drug along the lines of effexor but without all the side effects (sexual and moodiness), it is a fairly new drug, that a psychiatrist prescribe called Pristiq. It works great!!! I can skip a day, which is one of the things that I hated about Effexor if I missed a day, I was sicker than a dog. It won't help with your ADD (which I also have) but it definately makes life tolerable for me and the rest of the family. The really good thing is I can cry normal again. The effexor made me feel like a zombie couldn't cry when I knew I should cry... this stuff, I can cry! but it's not uncontrollable like before the medicine. If you would like to talk more... just eamil me back. Thanks for listening.. didn't mean to be so long winded but I can definately relate to how you feel.

There is a psychiatrist in Lewisville that has been listed as one of the top 100 physicians in the nation. He is noted for his expertise in pharmacology. My daughter has been seeing him for years. She suffers from depression and ADD. She has been on the same medications now for three years and doing great. The doctor is N. M. Vasavada, M.D., on Main Street in Lewisville. You do not need a chiropractor. You need a psychiatrist that specializes in handling the physiology of these diseases. Unfortunately, there are MEDICAL conditions that cannot be treated by otc herbs or adjustments. What you are dealing with is one of those MEDICAL conditions. It is not terribly different from Diabetes, Parkinsons, Asthma, etc. It takes medication to correct. Why not give yourself AND your family a chance at happiness and love? Your OB GYN is not the expert in this field and your therapist,though important in the talk therapy part of your treatment, is not an expert in pharmacology and is unable to alter your meds. Whether you go to Dr. Vasavada or another psychiatrist, you need their expertise is treating your condition. A lot of the success with the psychiatrist is going to depend on your openess in discussion on how the medications are effecting you. AND, you need to keep going back until you find the right combination. There is another reason for you to pursue proper treatment. It is possible that your one or more of your children may suffer from this disease after puberty or in early adulthood. You can't help them if you don't get the proper help for yourself so that you can guide them through the process later. I wish you the best of luck and happiness and peace down the road!!

I have struggled with depression, anxiety, PMS, etc. for many years and took prescription meds to attempt in fixing the problem. I had the same experience as you in that I had side effects and it didn't really fix me. After doing my personal research, I have determined that many of the problems that so many women face have to do with hormonal issues. There is an E-book put out by the Women's Health Instutite of Texas that explains how fluctuating hormones are the cause and what natural remedies can help. www.pmscure.com Good Luck

I recommend a book called The Ghost in the House by Tracy Thompson - about mental illness and maternal depression.

No one of us on Mamasource can help w. your symptoms or prescribe meds or tell you how to wean off of a med. But I will say that I would explore areas of maternal depression and ADD. Many of these things are co-morbid factors.

Parenting often takes us back to our own childhoods whether we like it or not simply because we 'become our parents,' and often memories, issues with family and even anger surface from seemingly nowhere. Motherhood is a tough road.

Seek support, stay with it and be of good courage.

You need a prescription of Prozac while coming off of it. Prozac has a short half life and gets in your system immediately to counteract the withdrawal symptoms of Effexor. After weaning off Effexor while taking Prozac, you can abruptly stop taking Prozac. There are no withdrawal symptoms from the discontinuation of Prozac as again it has a short half life. I have worked with alot of people going through Effexor withdrawals and this has helped tremendously.

I have read some other posts about this drug. It does cause weight gain. I believe it should be pulled from the market. The withdrawal side effects are downright dangerous. It has been associated with psychosis and terrible outbursts of anger.

Oh - and for those considering Cymbalta, it is essentially the same drug as Effexor, with minor differences. They changed up Effexor a little because the patent was running out. Thus, the withdrawal symptoms are equally bad for Cymbalta.

Why are you trying to get off it? That is why you are reacting the way you are, with the mood swings, etc. Are you under a doctors care? Is he changing your medication to a different one? My husband takes effexor (300mg) and it has helped him tremendously, but he did accidently get prescribed a lower dose and we did not realize it until he started having the mood swings and severe depression. Once the dosage was back to normal he was fine. Just be sure with any type of anti-depressant, that if you do discontinue it, you do so under a doctors supervision, or it can be devastating and even deadly in some cases. Good luck!

Dear S.,
We are a family of ADD and ADHD. I have been married for twenty years with four children ranging from 19 to 3. We are
christians who take medication everyday for our attention deficit disorder. This is a medical condition. Your brain does
not have the dopamine and seratonin it needs to focus and to make you feel good! It is a chemical imbalance in the brain.
You would take medicine if you were a diabetic who needed insulin to regulate your blood sugar. This is no different.
Our family is currently taking specific meds by a physician,
M.D. who sees over 700 patients for this real disorder! Antidepressants are not effective like stimulants in ADD.
I would be glad to give you the name of the name of the physician who treats our entire family. I can tell you their is real hope and success. Medication is not the only solution.
Schedule, rest, good diet,exercise and reading authors who are able to help you simplify your life with kids! The doctor can help you wean off the effexor.I would do that asap. OBGYN should not be treating you for this, they have no training in this area. They rely on pharmaseutical reps for their info. Therapists are trained in counseling, you need a medical doctor who specializes in disorders. This doctor I am speaking of won physician of the year for a large healthcare organization. He also is a medical director for a childrens home. I hope you are feeling better soon!

S.,
You definitely need to consult your doctor while doing this. Do not do this on your own. If you are having terrible mood swings, then maybe you should try something else if you do not like Effexor. It really sounds like you need some help, which isn't a bad thing.

Good luck with whatever you choose to do.
V.

My doctor had me wean off Effexor very slowly...we took nearly 4 months to get off of it completely. I hated the "tracers" that I would get when I stepped down the dosage, but that lasted only about a week each time until I finally got off completely. I used acupuncture to help out with the mood swings and hot flashes, and it made all the difference in the world. I went to Dr. Steve Homoky at Coit & Spring Creek ###-###-####). He does the NAET allergy elimination treatments, and another technique called Body Restoration Technique (BRT) that balanced my hormones without any drugs. I used to have the WORST PMS and mood swings, but it's hardly noticeable now before my period. If you take the Effexor to the office, he might be able to help you with the side effects, too. Acupuncture worked very well to help me w/ the side effects from chemo, so I don't know why it wouldn't work with this drug, too. It can't hurt!

Feel free to call me if you have any other questions. I know how hard this is, and have great sympathy for you! You'll get through it, and your family will be fine while you are coming off of it. Sure, you'll say and do some things that you won't be proud of during this time period, but at least you are aware of them and can continue to take steps to alleviate the issue. Be proud of yourself and don't beat yourself over the head w/ a bag full of "shoulds"! Good luck!

B. Biehl, ###-###-####

Are you coming off of the Effexor under the supervision of your doctor or on your own? I was on Effexor as well and know how it is to skip a pill and feel the dizziness and all that comes with it. When I got off I was weaned off slowly under doctors care but at the same time I was put on another antidepressant Lexapro. I switched because I got pregnant. Now that I have had my child I have not switched back to the Effexor. The side effects of missing a pill were just too much for me. Why are you trying to wean yourself in the first place?

Hi S.,

Bless your heart! It's scary how much pharmaceutical drugs are prescribed (often with dangerous side effects) when natural alternatives are out there. (Jacqui is actually incorrect. All of the things that she listed in her response CAN be safely and effectively treated with natural alternatives NOT medications. Do your research. Natural alternatives have been around longer and studied for decades, even centuries longer than pharmaceutical drugs).

I recommend an incredible book, titled Adaptogens: Herbs for Strength, Stamina, and Stress Relief by Winston and Maimes. From the book, "There is a category of herbs called adaptogens that help the human body adapt to stress, support normal metabolic processes, and restore balance. They increase the body's resistance to physical, biological, emotional, and environmental stressors and promote normal physiologic function".

"If we can improve our mental condition, we can improve our overall health. This is supported by recent studies that indicate that mental stress triggers changes in the immune system. People suffering from depression also have a higher risk of having heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and hormonal disorders".

"Adaptogens have a direct effect on nervous system health. They enhance mood and relieve stress. Many adaptogens have anxiolytic, antidepressant, and nervine effects".

The 10 most potent adaptogens on the earth, with the highest therapeutic properties available, are now delievered in a fast acting oral spray, called Tunguska Mist. Go to www.VitalHealth.TunguskaMist.com to learn more.

Tunguska Mist Relieve will help reduce the negative effects of stress on your body (weakened immune system, decreased energy, mood swings, short temper, anxiety, depression, and fatigue), and help restore balance, or homeostasis. Holy Basil Extract is one of the key ingredients in Relieve (an 11th adaptogen) that acts as an antidepressant. The adaptogens in Tunguska Mist also help to regulate the use of cortisol, allowing the body to maintain a healthy stress response. Many people with ADD have found that adaptogens can dramatically improve mental clarity and focus. Both adults and children have been known to be weaned off meds because of the effectiveness of the natural adaptogens in balancing the body.

Please let me know if you have any questions. My husband and I have been using adaptogens for a long time. We are passionate about helping people reduce the damaging effects of stress on the body and restoring balance naturally, without medications. Good luck and God Bless:)

Best regards,
N.

Check out www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden and see what Original Limu is all about.
It is a superfood in a bottle and gives your body the proper nutrients it needs to help itself.
I also can help you with some herbal products.
Please check out the website and let me know if I can help you.
Hang in there!
J.

I went down to 75mg took for one week ,and then every other day when I have reached 3 days in between I did the same with the 3.75 mg. the same way .Drink plenty of water and walk every day that helps alot .This may not work for you ,but it did for me .

I have heard Effexor is VERY hard to come off of. Take your time. My friend said when she came off of it she felt like her head was going to explode! She said even just taking a crumb of a pill helped her so I would just slowly keep lowering your dose, but don't try to do it too quickly! I have been told there is this great product, but have not tried it yet. I am going to try it as soon as I can though...here's the website:

http://ssl.maxamlabs.com/MAXAM_ASP_ViewProduct.asp?Produc...

Let me know if u try it and if it works!

Also SAM-e is supposed to be a good supplement/natural anti-depressant. (it didn't work for me though).

Where do I begin? I've been involved in the healthcare industry for nearly 30 years. I speak from personal experience when I say it's my humble opinion that most doctors don't know much about pharmaceuticals, only what their pharmaceutical rep tells them to push on their patients. Most don't take the time to research the side effects or the addiction level of the drug. My first & foremost recommendation to anyone who receives a new prescription from their doctor, especially for a psychological-related drug, is to have a consultation with a pharmacist BEFORE they get the prescription filled. That pharmacist should be familiar with your medical history & be made aware of any other drugs (prescription AND over-the-counter) that you are taking. Also, if you are already taking a psychological-related drug & are wanting to discontinue it, a pharmacist consultation is absolutely necessary. These consultations are free & will be worth much more than most doctors can tell you. The internet provides a lot of valuable information on side effects, too, but pharmacist consultations are better because you can ask questions. If you are seeing more than one doctor who is prescribing medication for you, make sure each knows what the other is prescribing.

That being said, I have taken both Zoloft & Effexor. The Zoloft was presribed for hormone-related issues when I was in my early 30's. Pardon my frankness, but it left me unable to achieve sexual climax. I didn't stay on it long. A few years later, I tried the herb called St. John's Wort for hormonal mood swings. It had just the opposite affect on me than what it was supposed to -- the mood swings became MUCH worse. My sister-in-law had the same experience. About 5-6 years ago, Effexor was prescribed for me. I believe I took it for nearly a year. Trying to get off of it was pure misery. When I tried to talk to my primary care physician about the severe withdrawal symptoms, he had no clue. I ended up weaning myself off of it VERY slowly. I was on the maximum dose & decreased to the next lowest dose each week or two until I was down to the lowest dose. Next, I took one pill every other day. Sometimes I had to stay on a dose level for 2 or more weeks until the withdrawal symptoms subsided enough to decrease the dosage further. I know exactly what you mean about the dizziness & feeling like you're losing it. Severe ringing in my ears was also very bothersome. About 3 years ago I was prescribed Lexapro & Librax for Irritable Bowel Syndrome & other gastrointestinal issues. Weaning off of the Lexapro was no fun either. I've come to the conclusion that I won't take any more of these types of drugs unless I'm convinced the benefits far outweigh the side effects & that I'm informed in advance what the consequences will be of discontinuing the drug.

I wish you the best. God Bless!

Good morning, S.,
After reading your letter, I decided to look up Effexor on the Internet and found several withdrawal sites and programs listed. I would advise you to educate yourself in this manner, as it looks like many people have problems with this medication. There are natural alternatives to most medications. I would suggest that you have a consultation with a good nutritionist and/or naturopath. The solution to many problems can be found in changing the way we eat and what we eat, plus taking good quality health food store caliber vitamin supplements.
Most traditional doctors will advise you to stay on medication, so don't just go to another doctor if you want to be drug-free.
I have been hypoglycemic and bi-polar (by medical standards) my entire life and take no pills or drugs, but manage my conditions (they are not diseases and neither is depression) through a combination of diet, supplements and meditation. I have raised 8 wonderful children and run my own business and have a great life.
Good luck and let me know how things work out.
B. Gabbert

S.,
Good luck to you on this endevor! My best friend was put on it and was on it for about 3-4 years for anxiety and depression, she wanted to try to get pregnant and talked with her dr about getting off it. THe doctor lowered her dosage, but she was have really bad withdraws, she started taking st johns wart, omega 3 and the dr told her to take a antihistamine, benadryl, and it took her a few months to get completely off of it. She has sine started counsiling sessions every two weeks to help with her anxiety, she told me that it feels nice to just sit and talk with her and get whats off her chest and what causes her to start an anxiety attack. I wish you the best of luck and hope for a speedy weaning!

Don't stop Effexor without a doc's help!!!! It will make you crazier if you don't do it right. If you don't like Effexor, work with your doctor to find something else. I have not found a natural supplement that works. If you want someone who will work with you on a more holistic basis go see Lynn Berrutti. She's with the Kaner group in Bedford and really listens. J.

Hello Shelly,

I am intereseted in reading your replies. I am also interested in knowing why you want to get off of Effexor. I recently started taking it - maybe 3 months ago. I have gained 15 pounds and that is yucky, but other than that it has been okay. Just curious if you have had bad experiences. I have read good and bad. Thanks for your imput.
Also, I understand about feeling like you are losing it. I have been there and was hoping the Effexor would help. I do hope that you are able to find what works for you and your family the very best. Good Luck.

H.

I don't understand why you would take your dose up and down? You said "75 mg one day and 37.5 the next day." I just gradually went down in dosage consistently, when you hit the lower dose take it daily, then every other day then every 3rd day, to every 4th or 5th like that, gradual decrease to zero....you can't go back and forth like that to wean off, everything I've read tells you to consistently and gradually wean down to none. There are some excellent herbal supplements that can help AFTER you're no longer medicated, you don't want to mix the 2. I would be very careful about the ADD diagnosis and get at least a second opinion and also see about meeting with a GP or actually a DO, they're usually more holistic and in some cases also perform minimal chiropractic.....which is also an excellent resource but take time - Chiropractors treat most physical and emotional disturbances because they are often intertwined. Drs Jim and Tiffany LaBrecque are wonderful christian chiropractors and could probably help you.

S., it is very important that you see a doctor before you get off your medications....the symptoms you have are miserable and get you in trouble. I know, I am being treated for depression and anxiety attacks....belive me you have to take them long enough to let them work along with counseling...it does work....Please see someone soon, do not try to handle it yourself.

God Bless, G. L

I was on 150 effexor, and just this last week I started weening off. I didn't read all the advice you already got cause there's a lot, but this is what I take now and I feel great:
Still on 75 effexor (going down to 37.5)
6000mg Omega 3 daily (3000 in the am, the rest at night)
100mg 5HTP
1tablespoon B-Complex in the am

Omega 3, 5HTP, and b-complex can all be found at any healthfood store and most grocery stores. Other mom's on this site are who told me about this combo. I think the 5HTP really helps with the dizziness, which to me is the very worst!!!!
Good luck! IF it's too hard with the anger, maybe you're just not ready to come off yet. I know it's dicouraging, but this is like my 3rd attempt to come down and it always causes me to have a lot of anger problems. Your body just has to learn to process things another way, I guess :) Take Care!!!!

hi S., you need to go to a psychiatrist...obgyns are not as experienced with these meds as it's not their area of specialty...other docs don't have any idea what these meds can do or side effects they can cause unless they are very used to prescribing them...a psychiatrist is the only one that can diagnose you properly (therapists can't diagnose) and get you on the right medications....

I am 'for' long term chiro. care. You need help now, and your family will benefit from the help as well. If your doctors prescribe a medication that helps the problem greatly, then I would take it! I do not like medications either. I love the idea of natural remedies...but lets face it...they take a long time and alot of money. You would be better off taking a medication that helps the problem than to suffer as you all wait for the natural stuff to 'maybe' work. I have tried to get off my 200mgs of Zoloft many times over the last 10 years, and I have come to the decision that it is just not worth it...my family would agree. I even took a took it during both pregnancies and breastfeeding. Both my kids have always been healthy and thriving. Don't forget to use breathing techniques and excersive regularly.

Try taking Bonine (motion sickness medicine) for the dizziness, the pharmacist recommended it. It really helps, don't think I could have made it without it. I used it when coming off Cymbalta. I have taken Effexor and Cymbalta and they both have the same withdrawl symptoms. I also suggest going to the doctor. I never had problems with mood swings when coming off either but my doctor put me on Wellbutrin while I was coming off both. It took me a year to get off Effexor, I was opening up 35 mg pills and splitting the medicine inside to make 2 days worth. I wish I had known about Bonine then. Unless your depression so very severe I would not recommend either medication, the withdrawl symptoms are not worth it. I take Wellbutrin now and have for years, no side effects and no withdrawl if I have to stop taking it.

Hi, Shelly! I am not sure why you want to ween yourself off of Effexor, but I would consult your dr. first. When I stopped taking Effexor thinking I really don't want antidepressants, I got even more irritable and angry. I knew I was miserable to live with but could not help how I was feeling. Perhaps you need to try another medication. If Effexor isn't working well for you, try another one. I saw Welbutrin in another response, and I heard that was good. I was on Prozac at one time and it was the most awful drug for me.

I have struggled with for years that I shouldn't even be taking the medication because I am a christian and I should feel joy and peace. When I am physically sick, I go to the dr. and it is the same when it is a mental problem like a chemical imbalance. Perhaps this is why you want to wean yourself off too. Whatever the reason is, good luck in your decision.

M.

I have been on Effexor for about 10 years and it has been a life saver for me, but I understand the part about not wanting to take any medication at all. Effexor is a tough one to wean yourself from. I am surprised that they are taking you down so quickly, instead of slower. The only time that I was taken off it, it took almost 4 months to get completely off and my dose was the same as yours at 150 mg/day. If you are already at 75 mg one day and 37.5 the next, it shouldn't take you too much longer. After about 2 weeks at that dosage, they took me to 37.5 every day for two weeks, then to 37.5 every other day, then every 3rd day (for a week or two each) then off completely. The first week off completely was miserable with dizziness, headache, nausea, etc. Just be patient, and don't try to wean yourself too quickly. It will be over soon & hopefully you will find something to help with your ADD and your depression that doesn't have all the other side effects for you.

My daughter took Effexor for a couple of days, and that's all she needed to know it was the wrong medicine. She was given Paxil for a while, which was being marketed for social anxiety which she most definitely did not have.

My husband was sent to a psychiatrist for meds when seeing a therapist. He took himself off them without any problem. He has other health related issues that eventually got him in touch with a psychiatrist who has an expertise in working with patients who have chronic pain syndrome as well as psychiatrist diagnoses.(In his case, the two are directly related to each other since chronic pain causes depression and chronic pain over time combined with depression has effects on the body chemistry.)His psychiatrist phased him on and off of medication over a couple of months. During the process, he was put on some medicines that had the opposite intended effects, so those were discontinued and others were tried until the right mix was found. After things stabilize, they continue to monitor him to see how medicine can be reduced or eliminated over time.

I have a brother who ended up going to psychopharmacologist to get his medication regimen straightened out and reduce and minimize the side effects he was experiencing.

My grandmother had a medical problem that she dealt with over the course of 30 years, becoming something of a medical phenomenon. Over that 30 year time frame, medicine was learning about her condition and new medication was discovered and old medications discarded. Every couple of years she underwent a comprehensive evaluation of her meds and was put on a new regimen. What would happen is that her doctor would start giving her medication for her condition which would cause side effects. Then they'd give her medication for the side effects, and pretty soon she'd be taking a fistful of medication several times a day to deal with her condition and the side effects of the side effects of the side effects of all the medicine. My grandmother passed 10 years or so ago, but my mother goes through the same routine now trying to juggle her medication for various metabolic conditions.

I went for years without medication for dealing with the anxiety of an accumulation of traumas. One reason I didn't take medication is because of the stigma at the time and another was that I didn't want to take medicine. (I grew up being assailed with anti-drug education and a mother who ran a methadone clinic and preached the evils of drugs, too.)

I finally hit a point several years ago when I woke up for the last time in the middle of the night or at the crack of dawn adding up numbers in my head to figure out how the bills were going to be covered by the income and then proceeded through my list of what-if's, etc. I called the doctor and made an appointment and told her I was ready to try something. I had quite simply forgotten how to cope or how "normal" felt.

So ... my points are: 1)weaning oneself from psychotropic or anti-depressant drugs is something that needs to be don't under medical guidance. The side effects can be "very nasty" as my doctor says. I've gone for various periods without when it came to food or medicine, and I know that there are unpleasant side effects for me when that has happened; 2)there are specialists who deal with medication changes for different conditions who can be consulted so that you do not have to suffer through the process; and 3)sometimes you just have to bite the bullet and take pills. They are given to us for a reason. You can still be proactive and educated about your health care and you are still ultimately the person who makes the decision. People fire their doctors all the time and doctors fire their patients equally as often. Just cause they say you have to doesn't mean that you have to give up your decision-making power.

Hi S.:

It happens to the best of us!

I, too, am on Effexor and had the same side effects that you are having. The dizziness and no sleeping were awful.

The 150mg is very, very high. That is what I was taking when I was having the side effects. I have now been taken down to 75mgs of Effexor, PLUS 75mgs of Wellbutrin. I feel SO much better! No more dizziness. No more sleeplessness, AND I am not yelling at my child like I was with the other prescription. I am so glad that my doc finally found out what works for me.

The 150mgs of Effexor totally GAVE me ADD! I couldn't concentrate on ANYTHING. I couldn't remember ANYTHING. I would drive out of my driveway and not know where I was going. I put my dishes into the wrong cupboards, etc...

Hopefully, this helps. It might not be a bad idea to talk to your docs about the mixing of the two drugs at a lower mg.

I know most people have a goal to get off their depression/anxiety drugs. Usually they want to get off them because they are feeling better. Well, they are feeling better because they are on the drugs.

I, too, am mostly all natural and organic, but, when it comes to my mental health I do what it takes to help me to be a better mother.

Good luck to you! I hope you find out soon what works for you!

I had to quit taking Cymbalta after it caused extreme weight gain. My doctor had me skip one dose for 3 weeks, then 2 doses for 3 weeks, etc. It took me several months to get off the drug, but I had no adverse effects. Just don't try to rush it. Also, after researching natural ways of treating depression (not OCD), I ran on to a psychiatrist in England who had tremendous results in treating people with depression and did not respond, or could not take anti-depressants. He had them begin taking Omega 3. I started taking 3-1000mg caps in the a.m. and 3 in the p.m. I get the Enteric Coated caps at Wal-Mart so I don't taste it. It won't interfere with your meds. I've had no significant depression since coming off the Cymbalta. I've struggled with it for years. It goes without saying, follow your doctor's instructions. Incidentally, my granddaughter was on Effexor,too, and had to get off of it. It made her crazy. She went back to Zoloft.

S.,
Something is not right here. Is your therapist a medical doctor/psychiatrist? Psychiatrists nowdays are the medical and diagnostic experts. GEtting treated by anyone else is gambling. I have had people in my family (or stepfamily) with depression, A.D.D., and mild bipolar. Please do not go to anyoen else than an expert to get diagnosed properly and your meds. Keep going until everything feels right so they can tweak it based on your reactions and feelings. If you haven't felt right for a long time, you need to get tehre before you remember how good it feels to feel good. Some basic rules. Never go cold turkey off the pills that you are supposed to get off slowly. Some pills, and I think Effexor is one, can be changed midstream and go to the next one without having to get off of it. Your symptoms to me are unusual and need further exploring. For example, depression meds can make a person worse if they really have bipolar (alternating very depressed feeings with really good feelings (extra confident, risky behavior, talking fast, sleeping less, a kind of gambling type personality). Sometimes the behaviors you might use to cope with these feelings need to be changed after you are medicated correclty. Your husband might think so even if you don't. That's when counseling then can help you to use better or more mature methods to cope or take responsibilities well, etc with everyday issues. The big thing is to get an expert and stick with it. Don't get the idea that you know better for awhile until you get to a place where you and your husband know that you really are better. You need a partner in this and you need to listen to them. Fix the emotional part, then address the A.D.D. unless they say they want to try a med that helps both (but I don't know of any).

St. Johns Wort has TREMENDOUSLY helped me. My 20 year old daughter is making some really bad decisions & I was upset & worried all the time about things I couldn't change. It has helped me stay calm & firm without stressing out - so much so that my husband started taking it too!

The ABSOLUTE WORST DRUG EVER, just google it. I was on it for 8 months and stringly believe that it should be taken off of the market. I had to get off because I am trying to get pregnant, but everything I read compares it to coming off of CRACK! I had brain shivers (it is a normal side effect that Effexor does not talk about it, but all of the people who get off of it do). The only way I was able to get off was to take 75 mg for 2 weeks, then down to 37.5 for 2 weeks, and then off. You could even do the 37.5 every other day after the two weeks. I know it is awful but hang in there. You will eventually level out and be Effexor free! I know you pain, and I am sooo sorry.

+++ I also forgot to mention that my Dr. have me adivan for when I was weaning off and that helped tremendously. I only had to take one every other day or so but it helped me until I weaned off the EFFEXOR.

Interesting advice and all over the board. I agree with the poster who said doctors don't know enough about medication. In this day you need to do all your own research. You need to listen to doctors who are trained and listen to other people who have gone through the same thing. Just exactly like you are doing. Doctors and pharmaceutical drugs are not the answer to every ailment. Because my son has autism, I do a lot of research. Physically ADD and ADHD show similar symptoms as autism and are considered on the spectrum. There are many natural things you can do. Dr. Amy Yasko has a nice protocol, Kenneth Bock's book on Healing the New Childhood Epidemics:Autism, Asthma, ADHD and Allergies is helpful in the testing and treatment you should consider. I'd look at strep titers ASO and DNASE, look at yeast and bacteria via a Organic Acid Test through Great Plains or Metametrix. There is much mainstream testing you can do. You may need vitamin D, vitamin K, magnesium, all B vitamins, B12 (this is a biggy). Getting rid of all artificial colors and flavors is a big one too. Diet changes can make a significant difference. IgE food testing will show allergies, IgG food testing will show food sensitivities. I wish you luck on your journey, you got a lot of helpful advice. N.

I was on effexor several years ago. I asked to be put on Paxil (that had worked for me years earlier in college)but was told that people often gain weight with it and should try effexor instead. I proceeded to gain about 15 pounds in two months and decided that was really not going to work for me. When I quit taking it I had the same response as you are having. I was able to get down to one 37.5 each day but any day I skipped I felt horrible. This was before my kids were born so I was working full time and one day questioned whether or not I could even drive myself home safely I had such horrible withdrawal. The only thing that finally worked for me was to go off of it and just stay in bed for a couple of days until I felt better. Not the answer you want I know but if you can schedule it so you have some help from your husband and other friends or family members I would just go off of it and understand that you will feel better in a couple of days. I hope this helps.

Hey S.,

I take 225mg of Effexor XR each and every day. You canNOT wean yourself off this....I'm hoping you get your meds from a reputable psychiatrist. PLEASE counsel with him/her and see about either adjusting your dosage, or putting you on something else. They had to try a gazillion with me before they finally got it right. I've been taking antidepressants/anti-anxiety/anti-OCD meds for a very long time, starting with Paxil. I IMPLORE you to NOT do this without medical supervision!!

JC/a Granny in Richardson

S.,

I'm also an Effexor patient due to PPD and GAD after having 2 wonderful children ages 7 and 3. I have now weaned myself down to 37.5 mg by taking some supplements to help with my "issues" naturally. I take L-Phenylalanine, 5 HTP, DMAE and sometimes GABA. If you open the link below, scroll down and go to "brain function questionnaire", it will help you know what to try. Keep in mind, it's taken me years to get through the early childhood stages in order to try to reduce my meds.

I do want to caution you about just stopping your much needed meds when your body's not ready. If you were diagnosed with diabetes and needed insulin to function, you would make sure you took it everyday, right? When you're missing neurotransmitters or they're not "firing" right and your brain needs to supplement them (like insulin), you need to take the meds. It's not "wrong" to need antidepressants to function. Please don't make your family suffer!

My husband also has severe ADD and takes an antidep. along with his ADD meds. The symptoms go hand in hand sometimes and you may need both. There are also many other antidepressants you could try instead of Effexor with less side effects. Try Celexa or talk to a well informed doctor (not OB/GYN).

Please write me personally with any other questions!! Good luck!

http://store.drmurphreestore.com/moodenhancers1.html

What a very interesting exchange of info! I am definitely going to go back and thoroughly read the responses and your second post.

I've been taking antidepressants for about 15 to 20 years. I've taken a number of different ones, including Effexor (Zoloft, Effexor, Wellbutrin, Celexa, Citalopram - a celexa generic and something else - maybe Cymbalta (which did not work out for me)). I don't remember the switching or weaning process with any of them, but I do remember that whenever I stopped taking the meds (usually because I ran out and needed to see the doctor to renew the prescription - I wasn't very good about that type of thing when I was younger), my family would ask "Have you run out of medicine because you are over-reacting now."

I've had to switch meds because sometimes one med will stop "working" and I'll start feeling tired or start crying a lot and the doctor will try me on a different med.

Most chiropractors are good people and the type of work they do can improve life wonderfully, but if you have a chemical imbalance, then having your neck or back adjusted doesn't usually fix the problem.

I vote a hearty yes on the Omega 3. Lots of ways it helps the body and mind, including helping with depression symptoms. There are different qualities of Omega 3 out there - do your research - you want one that is cold-processed.

A.

S. and anyone else reading who is on or even THINKING about getting on Effexor:

HEED THE WARNINGS of several other responses about Effexor being bad for you and needing to be taken off the market. I was on it for 2 years starting in 1999. Once I didn't have the money to get my perscription filled for about 4 days. By day 2 I could hardly move around the house w/o sitting down on the floor every couple of steps. Day 3 I couldn't even raise my head to get out of bed. Day 4 was more of the same but I had to crawl to a friends car so she could get me to see the psychiatrist who subscribed it to me so he could help. (I couldn't go earlier for reasons I can't remember now, but there WAS a reason.) Anyway, that was MAJOR trauma I experienced w/ the withdrawal symptoms and I'll spare you the gory details!

THAT is not why I didn't like it. (That was something I couldn't avoid, no money and all.) Like others who've replied, Effexor made me not care one way or the other about ANYTHING, which I'll discuss in more detail later. (When I was going through my withdrawal, I was a single-parent of a 1-year-old! That's not something you want to put your child through! Luckily, for 2 of those days my daughter was w/ her dad. That was early on in the first year of taking it.) Effexor also robbed me of my interest in sex TO THIS VERY DAY -- 7 years later!! (I was 26 when I started Effexor. I'm 35 now. I should be in my sexual prime!) I didn't REALLY notice it at first because I wasn't in a relationship so the opportunity never arose. I did notice that whenever I saw a sex scene in a movie or it was even alluded to in conversation or in a TV show, that I didn't really think of it in the same way, rather it bothered me. But when I got into a relationship the LAST thing on my mind was sex and whenever the subject was brought up I cringed at the thought in DISGUST!! I still feel the same way about it and I've been married for 2 years.

So, I said I'd talk about not caring in more detail. When I made the decision to get off the stuff, I went to a doctor who stepped me down over a month or so. That was difficult to say the least but it was nowhere NEAR as bad as those 4 days of "cold turkey"!! During my step-down, I laid down w/ my then 3-year-old daughter to take a nap only to wake up to police officers saying "Hello?" in my apartment. Apparently, while I was asleep in my step-down stupor, my daughter decided to get up, unlock the front door (which is something she'd NEVER done up to that point, not even opened the door herself) and go for a stroll around the apartment complex (which, by the way, was not in the best of neighborhoods)!! The police asked me where my daughter was and I calmly and matter-of-factly said, "She was sleeping next to me but I don't know right now, but I'm sure you're about to tell me." I wasn't concerned in the least!!! My thoughts were, "OK, she's not here. You know where she is so can we just not play this stupid game and give her back so I can lie back down. I'm tired." I remember that clearly! One male and one female cop proceeded to escort me down to the apartment office where my daughter was waiting with the leasing agent on duty. The leasing agent said she went into my apartment and looked all over for me, calling and saying "Hello" but didn't see me and went back to the office to call the police. I told the cops that she couldn't have looked all through my apartment b/c all the interior doors were open and I was asleep on the bed in plain sight!

The female cop was so upset!!! She couldn't believe that I'd "let" my child wander around in "a neighborhood like this! Do you know what kind of people live in this neighborhood?" she asked me. I wanted to say, "YEAH, ME!!" Anyway, SHE was plenty upset for the both of us. I explained to her that I was coming down off Effexor so she wouldn't arrest me, which she threatened. She didn't really seem to care and I don't think she knew what it was. I kept thinking to myself, "I should probably be crying or really angry or at least embarrassed by all this," but I wasn't feeling anything. I was trying to calm the COP down!! She kept asking me, "Aren't you even worried? Don't you even care that your daughter went missing?" You could say that, in all fairness, she wasn't really even missing as far as I knew b/c I slept through it. The cops took me to her and the whole ordeal lasted maybe 20 minutes . . . for me! The female cop (she did most of the talking b/c she was just BESIDE herself w/ anger and frustration due to my seeming lack of caring) kept telling me that she wanted to know from me that this would not happen again! I kept saying, "What can I do? If I'm asleep and she goes out again, how am I supposed to keep that from happening?" I couldn't even conceive of a simple way of keeping it from happening again. My sister and her husband had to come up w/ that idea for me (putting a sliding hotel-type lock high on the door)!
SAD!!

I tell you this story b/c I don't want anyone else to NOT CARE that they almost lost their child!!! DO NOT TAKE EFFEXOR!!!! IF YOU'RE ON IT, GET OFF NOW!!! Use the Prozac to help w/ the withdrawal or whatever your MENTAL HEALTH doctor recommends! In my opinion, the withdrawal symptoms are WELL WORTH IT if it means you won't go through what I've been through, and when it's all said and done, it will have been sooner than you thought and you can move on w/ your life!!!!

I take Effexor, and I asked my doctor how anyone gets off of it due to the side effects of stopping it cold turkey. He said that he has had good luck with prescribing patients a 7-day release dose of Prozac. The prozac takes care of any Effexor withdrawal issues, and by the time the Prozac wears off, you are over the Effexor withdrawal. I have not done this yet, but that is what he told me we will do when I am ready. Maybe this will help you. God bless!

My doctor also tried to put me on Effexor after the Prozac I was taking for anxiety gave me insomnnia. After 2 days of taking the Effexor 37.5mg, I got a severe eye twitch. I have spoken to people that have been on Effexor and it is really difficult to get off of it. I would ask your doctor and therapist if they can give you some Xanax or something to take in the interum while you are weaning of the Effexor that will level out your moods. The Xanax can be habit forming, but my doctor used it in the interum and if you are only on it for a short time you won't become addicted. Good luck and hang in there once they get your body chemistry straightened out you will be good as new.
Jen D.-Frisco

I was lucky enough to be able to get off Effexor and went through the same mood swings- it was super hard. Then everything began to level out on it's own after a few weeks. Once I had my baby though I needed help again and took Wellbutrin which was easier to manage and get off of later.

Some people truly need this very long term. Consult a professional (a psychiatrist really knows better than a general practicionar).

Hi S.!
I believe that you could use herbs to help yourself with stress. Try St.John or Valerian root to relax.Few month ago I did have depression and I started using nutritional food supplement.I get my energy back and I start feeling as a new person.I don't have anymore depression and I am happy I don't need to use any medications for that. I have many friends who use this same product and got amazing results. My friend daughter is ADD free after 2 months of using that nutritional supplement. Let me know if you like to find out more.
W.

Please DO NOT take yourself off of antidepressants without doctor supervision. In addition to unpredictable moods, your body may go through serious side effects during withdrawl (I know some effect the heart). Antidepressants are wonderful if taken with careful doctor supervision but also can be dangerous. If you feel your doctor isn't listening to what you need or your concerns about the drug, change doctors.

I have taken St. Johns Wort to help when weaning off of Zoloft. This can be found at health food stores like the Sunflower Shoppe in Fort Worth. It has been years though since I have taken it and I am not sure how it would work with your med. I did not overlap them either but transitioned from one to the other after cutting my dose down to almost nothing. I would keep taking your effexor until you are down to every other day or a small amount every day. The sleeping and detachment are directly related to the meds. I would just Google St. Johns Wort and read everything you can about it. You could also try www.mercola.com They have a ton of advice about natural methods etc. I have used this site a lot and get their weekly newsletters.

I know it's hard to not feel guilty for taking meds or for your behavior when not on them. I am sorry you are going through this. I understand first hand how out of control it feels. Don't let anyone make you feel guilty for this because I know first hand that it is not something you choose but are forced to deal with.

If you need any support or encouragement feel free to contact me.