Effexor And Withdrawal Information

Effexor And Withdrawal Posts

Effexor And Withdrawal Posts in Q&A

How long does the severe depression of Effexor withdrawal last? After a 2 week tapering off program (by my doctor) I was able to stop taking Effexor. I have been off of it fully for about 10 days now. I have taken antidepressants for 8 years and am finally taking nothing. While I am glad to be finished with them, the depression is killing me. I hope that this is just a withdrawal effect that is going to get better. Has anyone else gone through this. If so, how long does it last? Thanks so much for any information!

Simon W replied: "Effexor is one of the most difficult drugs to come off, things will slowly get better."

River Euphrates replied: "You need to be careful. Anti-depressant withdrawals are very dangerous. If you have thoughts about hurting yourself - you need to talk to your doctor right away. Most of the things you are depressed about are probably not as bad as you think - try to focus on the good things in your life."

sparrow replied: "It's incredibly difficult to come off of these kinds of drugs. Your poor brain is going to suck up the serotonin for quite awhile. Remember when you first started taking it, it took awhile to kick in- about a month. Make sure you are eating/sleeping right and drinking lots of water. Exercise to keep your metabolism moving. Take vit B,C, D with calcium citrate. And prop up your outlook- remember, it might seem hard, but being happy is a choice you make. Good luck!"

How long do Effexor withdrawal symptoms last? I am coming off of Effexor after 2 years, following my doctor's program to come off of it over the course of several weeks. The withdrawal wasn't too bad - the occasional "brain shivers" thing but not too often. Last week I was down to less than 20 mg (half of a 37.5 mg pill). For the past three days, I have been totally off of it, and suddenly the withdrawal, especially the brain shiver thing, has been terrible. It's like a shock running head to toe for a split second, pretty much every time I move. I'm at the point where I can barely stand it. How long does this side effect last? I have been totally off it for abt 48 hours now - will the brain shivers keep happening for weeks, or can I expect that they'll end soon?

gurlieak replied: "You can really get into long term withdrawl problems if you are not careful. Severe withdrawal symptoms can develop from patients on any level of dosage, so if you're taking a low dose don't think you're necessarily safe. Effexor withdrawal symptoms can easily last two months or more, and some people don't feel back to normal even after a year of discontinuation. Because effexor has a 'half-life' of about five hours, withdrawal symptoms can develop from missing only one dose. (The half-life refers to the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize one-half of the drug.) Five hours is a frighteningly short half-life for a drug of this nature. It almost guarantees problems. One Harvard study found 78% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing effexor xr making it the only drug worse than paxil in this regard.... ... Edit for your update on question: As withdrawal time increases, so does the frequency of the shocks, before they wane completely. At their peak, "brain shivers" have been associated with severe headaches. They may last for a period of several weeks after the last dose, but usually resolve completely within a month. However, the effect may only last a few days. There is hypothetical and anecdotal evidence that Omega 3 supplementation can be very helpful to alleviate the symptoms of brains shivers. Best of Luck!"

Penny from Heaven replied: "Call your physician and report the symptoms. I have gone off Effexor twice and it took nearly half of year, however we all react differently. Your experience is exactly the same symptom wise as I had. PENNIE"

What are symptoms for effexor withdrawal ? my mom has been taking effexor for about 8 years now. She was at 150 mg normally for many years, then about a six months ago she went to 112 mg, and today her doctor told her to go to 75 mg. what withdrawal symptoms should she expect?

allyn.sara@ymail.com replied: "bi*chy or snappy nervous probably several others"

eulalie1845 replied: "She may have headaches and be tired. She may experience some "brain shivers" (I don't know how to describe this one). She may also feel hyper-emotional."

Sumanitu Taka replied: "Here's some info. from the website"

teresagayle@rocketmail.com replied: "if she had any before she will have the same effect. if not she shouldn't have a problem"

Loredana M replied: "have a look here"

Road Rider Steve replied: "FDA medical products reporting program, the list of withdrawal symptoms from effexor include: agitation, anorexia, anxiety, confusion, coordination impaired, diarrhea, dizziness, dry mouth, dysphoric mood, fasciculation, fatigue, headaches, hypomania, insomnia, nausea, nervousness, nightmares, sensory disturbances (including shock-like electrical sensations), somnolence, sweating, tremor, vertigo, and vomiting. One more common effect not mentioned above is long term vision problems. Most likely, 35 percent is an underestimate of Effexor's withdrawal problems. What's not in dispute is the high number of 'serious' side effects from withdrawal. The FDA defines as 'serious' any side effect that causes # death, # hospitalization, # cancer, # permanent disability, or # birth defects. 'Serious' events occurred in 201 of the 2,181 Effexor patients in the FDA's safety evaluation, or 9 percent overall."

Gard23 replied: "Checklist:"

Is this Effexor withdrawal or something else? I have run out of my per ion and have to wait for the doctor to approve the refill. I haven't taken anything in 2 days and I am feeling sort of light headed and dizzy and sort of nauseous, are these the typical withdrawal symptoms? I don't know if this is b/c of the effexor or if I am getting sick or something.

Lila replied: "Yes these are the symptoms of Effexor withdrawal. I hope you won't allow this to happen again. It is so important to take antidepressants as prescribed and not miss any doses. Please take care. The first one that you take when you get your refill will quickly stop the symptoms you are having."

daryl f replied: "yes it is because of the effexor i suggest you go to the E.R this could lead to something really bad you are never supposed stop taking effexor it messes with your whole nervous system."

Can someone PLEASE help me with my Effexor withdrawal symptoms? Please help! - I'm 23 and have been taking the anti-depressent "Effexor" for about 2 months to help deal with depression. I do not have enough money to renew my pre ion so I have not been able to continue taking the medication. I have not taken the drug in 3 days and the side effects of that are just awful!! -> I have a sick stomach, dizziness, shivers constantly, I am soooo moody and I dont know what to do to help the situation ... I honestly feel like some big herion addict or something going without his "fix" --- is there anything I can do to help alleviate the withdrawal sideeffects??????????

Elizabeth S replied: "If you go to walmart to the vitamin section. There's mood medications. Look on line under vitamins for your mood. You might be able to get free care or on a sliding scale at your doctor's. Ask them. It's very important that you take your depression med. VERY!"

Pichi replied: "Depending on the dosage you were on, and if you went totally "cold turkey", no tapering, the symptoms should start lessening over the next few days, though may be up to two weeks before they completely stop, and of course, you will also be experiencing the symptoms again that caused you to go on it to begin with. The best thing to do would be to get your pre ion filled. Is there anyone that can help you? Can your doctor give you some samples? If you are low income, you may be able to get your meds free through "needy meds" (google it). Salvation army or other charities may help in the meantime. (((((hugs))))) Please do what you need to to take care of yourself."

betseagirl55 replied: "I went off Xanax like that and very nearly had to be hospitalized for the withdrawal effects. I had no idea how dangerous it can be. Please, please call your doctor and maybe they can give you samples to wean off of it slowly because you can have seizures and what you are having - it sounds as if you are anyway - are panic attacks. It's not a "fix" these are strong chemicals and I found out the hard way it's worse to come off these antidepressants and tranquilizers "cold turkey" than any other drug and you just about have to be weaned off slowly by cutting your dose. I am sure your doc wouldn't want you to do it this way. I'll get off my soapbox now. Be careful, honey, don't let me scare you but call a doctor or a helpline somewhere! Good luck. - email me and let me know how you do."

jus1oftheboys replied: "I'm not looking to scare you but of all the SSRI, Effexor is probably one of the tougher ones to with drawl from. Under no condition should you just stop taking an SSRI. With these type of medications you really need to slowly taper off of them. You should gradually lower your dosage over a period of 4-6 weeks."

theravync replied: "You need to go to your Dr. The pre ion medicine Atarax or any other antihistamine can help with the jumpy feeling, and antivert to help with the dizziness. They can also prescribe a low dose benzodiazapene (which are not expensive) to help with the anxiety. If you do not have money for this, then please at least take Benadryl, but ONLY as directed. This should help some. Trust me, I was on Effexor for a year + and had to withdrawal in two weeks. Realize that this feeling will end within two to three weeks, you were only on it for two months so the wash out period should be relatively quick. Good luck to you. ALSO DO NOT GO INTO THE VITAMIN SECTION FOR ST. JOHNS WORT OR ANY OTHER MOOD STABILIZER. EFFEXOR IS STILL IN YOUR SYSTEM, AND THE TWO TOGETHER CAN LEAD TO SEROTONIN SYNDROME."

Effexor withdrawal...anyone ever had it? Can you help me? I've been on Effexor XR (150mg) for a little over a year for mild depression and after finding out it was being taken off IBX formulary, I asked my dr. about a switch. While it did help my depression, it also caused an irregular heartbeat and raised blood pressure, so I have more reasons than just cost for a switch. He tried to avoid the tapering thing by just switching me directly to Prozac (20mg) and if the withdrawal symptoms were totally unbearable, he'd taper me instead. They're not quite "unbearable", so I'm one of the lucky ones, but I wouldn't say I feel great (i.e. normal) either. I've felt others, but the main symptoms now are dizziness and nausea. It's my 4th day on Prozac and off Effexor and I'm just hoping it will get better. Anyone out there with any suggestions? With what I've said, do you think it will go away quickly/soon? Help, please? Not to mention, I hate being on medication PERIOD! Oh, and I'm planning on joining a gym to get more exercise and maybe even try accupuncture, so with any luck, maybe I won't need any more meds, right? :-) Any thoughts on this too would be helpful. Thanks!

someoneoutthere replied: "I would have tapered. Effexor is a horrible one to get off of without tapering! I HAD to taper off of mine. You have already made it to 4 days though so it should start to get better soon. If not, get back into the Dr.'s and do it the "right" way :o)"

Andy replied: "Tapering is the best way to get of the medication. Switching to another antidepressant will help a bit, but might not fully work. The "withdrawel" symptoms should go away within the next week."

chrissfife replied: "I'm so sorry to hear about more people having this problem. I recently switched off of Effexor, too, and was having all the known withdrawal symptoms. I know it sounds aweful, but if you aren't having that brain shock-wave feeling, than count yourself one of the lucky ones. My doctor did prescribe Prozac, but from what I've read and from questioning my doctor, you aren't supposed to switch just completely to Prozac. The idea is that Prozac has a longer high-life, thus it naturally tapers you off that type of medication rather than you trying to taper off of Effexor slowly. If your doctor said to keep taking the Prozac for a prolonged period, you should definitely call and ask him about it. There is a website that comes up for every google search you can possibly think of for effexor and effexor withdrawal. I think it is the Road Back or something like that. When I broke it down (without buying their product) there were several things that I found I could do without buying their product. One of which is a vitamin supplement called L-Glutathione. You can buy it at the drug store or a healthfood store. It is found in the vitamin aisle. It has helped a lot and seems to have many other positive health qualities. It's main purpose is that it is an antioxidant. Try exercising too. I know it is hard when you feel crappy from the effects, but I've felt better while exercising and I feel like it is helping to work it out of my system. Hope things get better."

klingon replied: "Prozac willl kick in .Don't worry.Every med. takes time to get out of your system.That's why your body craves Effexor right now."

msshan2001 replied: "People taking Effexor/Effexor XR for more than 6 weeks should have dose gradually decreased before discontinuation."

Rebecca R replied: "I don't think I know anybody who LIKES taking medication. It's just something some people have to do so they can feel some what "normal." As for the withdrawls, they should go away within two weeks after the medication is stopped. It could be sooner, since you're on something that works for the same thing. But I was on Effexor XR for almost a year, and withdrawl lastest about two weeks. Just watch out when you're on Prozac, I've had friends have bad reactions to it."

Jade Lyn replied: "i used to be on effexor, concerta,clonidine,prosac,stratera,welbuitrin and allot of others ask your doctor about seriquil it works very good your less anxious/or depressed and you sleep a whole lot better"

Mike J replied: "I had to do this same thing, get off Effexor. The doctor tried Wellbutrin, made it worse, and finally I was able to taper off with Zoloft. The depression came back worse than it had ever been. Now I'm taking an anticonvulsive - tracing back to the true cause of my depression - even though I think the cause of my depression is my dead-end life. I finally ended up on Lexapro, and I get by, but I'm not happy."

How long will Effexor withdrawal symptoms last? I've been taking 75 Mg of Effexor for about 7 weeks now. The past two weeks, I've been it taking it every other day. The last week, I took a 35 mg, just to hold me over, its been 3 days since I've taken any of it. But I'm getting the "brain shivers". Any estimate on how much longer they should last?

gurlieak replied: "You can really get into long term withdrawl problems if you are not careful. Severe withdrawal symptoms can develop from patients on any level of dosage, so if you're taking a low dose don't think you're necessarily safe. Effexor withdrawal symptoms can easily last two months or more, and some people don't feel back to normal even after a year of discontinuation. Because effexor has a 'half-life' of about five hours, withdrawal symptoms can develop from missing only one dose. (The half-life refers to the amount of time it takes the body to metabolize one-half of the drug.) Five hours is a frighteningly short half-life for a drug of this nature. It almost guarantees problems. One Harvard study found 78% of patients experienced withdrawal symptoms from discontinuing effexor xr making it the only drug worse than paxil in this regard.... ... As withdrawal time increases, so does the frequency of the shocks, before they wane completely. At their peak, "brain shivers" have been associated with severe headaches. They may last for a period of several weeks after the last dose, but usually resolve completely within a month. However, the effect may only last a few days. There is hypothetical and anecdotal evidence that Omega 3 supplementation can be very helpful to alleviate the symptoms of brains shivers."

xytus3 replied: "MANY MENTAL HEALTH DRUGS HAVE LONG EFFECTS, THE WORST OF WHICH IS VALIUM, WHICH TAKES 28 DAYS TO CLEAR YOUR SYSTEM. IN YOUR CASE COMING DOWN IN A CONTROLED FASHION , IT WILL STILL TAKE ABOUT 14 DAYS TO BE "FLUSHED" OF IT, BUT YOU SHOULD FEEL ABOUT RIGHT IN 3 TO 5 DAYS!"

searching_please replied: "I went off it cold turkey (long story) and went through two days of hell. But after two days I was ok. It shouldn't last much longer. Good luck! :)"

happylobster replied: "AKA "Side-Effexor"... I remember it taking a week for me before I was clear of side effects. I applaud you for moving to something else. Have you reported your symptoms to a psychiatrist or are you self-medicating the withdrawl? Hopefully, it's being professionally managed. Good luck to you."

kristi replied: "I was on effexor so I know what ur going thru. I think after I was done tapering off completely I think the symptoms went away after about a week. If you feel really terrible, talk to your doctor. There's no reason you should walk around feeling crummy all day. Hope you feel better soon."

Marcjc replied: "I recently tapered (although too quickly) and discontinued Lexapro, 20 mg. The withdrawl symptoms were "moderate" in severity -brain shivers, headache, dizziness, night sweats and an overall achy feeling (simliar to a bad hangover). The moderate stage lasted about two weeks. It was never so bad that I needed to take off from work, but I certainly was miserable. I did the bare minimum at work and home. Now, about three weeks out, I still have all the symptoms, but they are improving. I actually feel rather good today - no Advil so far! I wish you the best of luck. If you really start to feel worse, please consult your doctor. Hang in there!!"

Two months of Effexor withdrawal symptoms? A little over two months ago I stopped taking Effexor after slowly weaning off of it. I had horrible withdrawal symptoms: nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. After two months I don't feel any better. Needless to say, I'm really scared. I can hardly function at my job and am very frustrated and angry. This medication has ruined my life. Waking up in the morning is the worst part of my day. All I have to look forward to is dizziness, fatigue, and attempting to function. How long did you symptoms last? Are they supposed to last this long?

wild1 replied: "good luck... i've heard horrible things about the withdrawals. i hope theses sites help. my doc prescribed effexor for me, but after doing research, i realized it wasn't worth it."

HaphazardJoy replied: "Effexor withdrawals usually wrap themselves up within a couple of weeks, less if you wean yourself off. What you're feeling is almost certainly the return of a depressed and possibly anxious state. Fatigue and difficulty functioning is just that. Obviously loss of appetite could be that as well. Talk to your doctor, you may have more going on, but it's probably not anything to do with effexor withdrawals, or you may be experiencing unusual prolonged withdrawal. I've heard some people with slow metabolisms experiencing longer periods of withdrawal, but never heard 2 months. My withdrawals consisted of a few days of strong symptoms, followed by several days of more moderate discomfort, and then a week or so of slight discomfort. About two weeks really."

trixies_mama replied: "I don't know how long it should last, but I know the withdrawl is bad, I'm on effexor 75 mgs, and if I even miss one dose I withdrawl real bad and it ruins my whole day. I'm afraid to even change medications."

How long until Effexor withdrawal effects will stay in my system? Have been doing this with my doctor, now i am off, i am getting a few shocks however its better over the last few days. I have stopped like 4 days ago. It is a lousy medication. It made me a different person, sleepy, and fake on the outside! Yes. It's not good to go cold turkey especially on effexor.

mia j replied: "when i was taking it i was always feeling sick but i had no with draw symptoms but i would say that it would be out of your system in a few weeks"

Doc replied: "Took me about a month or so. That was a miserable medication."

Steph replied: "I think I had withdrawls from it for 2 or 3 weeks. But my doctor cut back my dosage to wean me off, so I had some side effects from the cut back before I even got off the medicine. It was really lousy for me. Good luck to you."

Kayla B replied: "I had a horrible experience with Effexor. It made me pass out and get seizures. It was one the worst experiences ever. I also had withdrawal for about two weeks after. I got shakes and really bad headaches. I am so sorry that this is happening to you. Just make sure that someone monitors you. If you do not have someone dependable to help you bad things could happen. Good luck."

Baba Yaga replied: "Effexor made my life worth living. It SAVED ME and I was on it for many years: it's an option for those suffering very hard-to-tread MDD. Anyway, I was just weaned off it and onto Celexa. You should have been weaned down to 75 mg per day from your usual dosage and been on 75 mg for about 2 weeks until you started your new antidepressant. Effexor has the nastiest withdrawl symptoms of ANY and EVERY antidepressant. This is one drug you never, ever quit "cold turkey". If you are feeling a bit better now as far as symptoms go that means you're over the hump."

justme replied: "it has been the only drug to help me so far but it works diffrently for everyone I guess but it takes a month to get into your system propley so maybe the same to get out"

sweetvalenciagirl replied: "I went off of Effexor cold turkey and my nurse told me that it was not a good thing to do you actually have to be weaned off of it. I actually didn't see any change in my lifestyle after taking it unitl about 3-4weeks later I went back into my depression stage (it was out of my system). I do think Effexor was a bad medication for me personally because I had a lot of trouble sleeping @ night and it effected me in a weird way (but I found out it's because of something else I have). So bottom line it'll take anywhere from 3 weeks to a month to full get out of your system mentally and phsyically. Good Luck."

How long does Withdrawal effects from Effexor XR last? I was on 300 Mg of Effexor XR for a while and than I was raped last week and I stopped taking it. The rape has just shattered me to pieces and I am going through hell withthe withdrawal symptoms. I am just about ready to kill myself, the symptoms are making me feel like I am dying. How long does it last and how can I deal with it ? The withdrawal effects are so bad .. I am on the verge of overdosing on every single pill I have around me

Corvidae replied: "Why have you stopped taking it? I don't think it's a good time for you to be dealing with withdrawal, and to avoid the severe symptoms you need to slowly wean off the medication with the help of a doctor. If you're going to go through with it, try to distract yourself as much as possible. Focus on things outside of yourself. Exercise, eat, talk with a friend, etc. Good luck and please go to the doctor if you are experiencing suicidal thoughts."