Posted by Sean9 on March 24, 2003, at 15:13:09
In reply to Re: getting off effexor tip, posted by sandale on March 21, 2003, at 22:05:25
I’ve done some research on the subject, and can offer opinion but not legal or medical advice on how to quit Effexor if you want to quit. Effexor is effective in treating depression, but it is very, very, very difficult to stop taking. I don’t think the makers of Effexor or the medical community have even begun to make this degree of risk of painful withdrawal apparent to the average consumer. So here’s how to quit:
First point: Don't quit cold turkey, make a tapering off plan with your doctor.
Second point: Take Benadryl to relieve your withdrawal / discontinuation symptoms. It apparently gets rid of most dizziness, nausea, brain flashes, and sensory overload feelings within an hour of taking it. I do not know if this is recommended by the medical community, rather I heard about this cure on a newsgroup. I've also read that other antihistamines (like Allegra), doctor prescribed anti-vertigo medication, and low dosages of doctor prescribed Prozac all help with withdrawal symptoms of Effexor.
Third: Effexor is really dangerous. In researching the Internet, a lot of people experience the exact same withdrawal or discontinuation symptoms and these are severe, but no one was fully informed in advance.
Fourth: There is something you can do. File a report with the FDA. They regulate Effexor (which is made by Wyeth Laboratories Inc. in Philadelphia.). Help the next generation of Effexor users to be better informed by doctors and the manufacturer. You can submit a complaint to the FDA online at https://www.accessdata.fda.gov/scripts/medwatch/
The more people that report this problem, the better response we will get. You can also call in your complaint to an FDA state office (here are each state’s telephone number)
http://www.fda.gov/opacom/backgrounders/complain.html
You can also sign the petition: http://www.petitiononline.com/effexor/petition.html
Finally: Note - This is not medical or legal advice, it is only my opinion based on experience and research. I do not take Effexor, but I know someone who does
poster:Sean9
thread:211186
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030319/msgs/212236.html