Posted by lioness on September 27, 2003, at 20:18:15
In reply to For ANYONE who is SWEATING (also re quitting), posted by zinya on September 27, 2003, at 13:00:17
> Hi all,
>
> I haven't been back for over a week but in the interim I saw my md. and -- for a change -- got a REAL and vital and nonpharmaceutical answer to something I hadn't thought about - -and he hadn't suggested in advance (which ALL mds should when they prescribe Effexor and maybe other SSRIs too)
>
> Namely: Gatorade. I've never been one to sweat my whole life -- even major exercise NEVER made me sweat the way Effexor has. Therefore I had no lifetime habit of thinking in terms of electrolyte loss and need for replenishment. I've been drinking twice as much carbonated water (my preference) as ever, but when I told him of the intolerable sweating which was one of the TWO big reasons why I decided to go off Effexor (and couldn't wait for my appt with him to do so and had already begun tapering off since Sept 2 -- after being on it since May 27, and at 150 mg for 6 weeks by Sept 2) -- He made me realize that that inordinate amount of sweating was causing an electrolyte loss which I had not known to compensate for.
>
> Anyone with increased sweating, I urge you to also stock up on Gatorade and DRINK it with every bout of sweating. If, like me, it's waking you up in the middle of the night with drenching wet night clothes and sheets, have a bottle of it by your bed to drink ...
>
> Otherwise, for me at least, my energy level only gotten WORSE due to electrolyte loss from sweat instead of the improvement that Effexor was supposed to help with due to norepinephrine component.
>
> (The other reason I'm quitting, increased heart rate so bad that even gardening has become an aerobic exercise to a scary level and i couldn't risk "real" exercise anymore for fear of heart attack - a problem i also had NEVER in my life had a concern for given my low blood pressure and no heart problems)
>
> As to quitting, those of you who say you are going cold turkey off Effexor, PLEASE rethink immediately and taper off instead.
>
> I went from 150 down to 100 for 1 week (by dividing the capsules of 2 150's into 3 roughly equal allotments -- then to 75 mg for 2 weeks, now I'm down to 50 mg (2 100's divided into 3), then plan to go to 37.5, then half that amount. From all the reading here, it seems that that very last step is the biggest... and so i plan to even divide the 37.5 into 3s after dividing it in halves, so that i go to 10 mg before ever considering quitting and even then i might go to 10 mg every other day before quitting completely. This is what reading this site off and on for six months has taught me is VITAL... If you don't do something similar to this, you are asking for trouble. I urge you to go slowly. So far, i haven't had any withdrawal symptoms and the rapid heart beat is finally easing away. Alas, the sweating is still there. But it started at 37.5 mg on my way UP the ladder, so I don't expect it to quit til i'm below 37.5 again...
>
> Good luck to everyone.
> zin
I have experienced all of the awful withdrawal symptoms, from profuse sweating ( which is also common when titrating up on effexor) to the brain zaps with visual disturbance, and jumping muscles, to name a few. I felt an odd, dissociated feeling and was quick to anger, sensitive to light and sound...etc. When i finally called my doctor, he confirmed that this is typical effexor rebound or withdrawal symptoms. Because effexor has such a short half life, the rapid drop in seratonin levels causes these symptoms. Using a longer half life seratonin agent..prozac is supposed to be best for this...you can alleviate the withdrawal symptoms from the effexor and ease the process. I have taken 10 mg. of prozac for the past three days, and my symptoms seem to be getting better. I still suffer the headache, tinitus and incredible fatigue , but I no longer find myself in a pool of perspiration. Any doctor who says that these symptoms are all in their head has no business prescribing these meds. Effexor works well for many people. I know several people who also take this drug for chemo related maladies and i used it for cfids/fms. However, not every medicine is right for everyone. Some people have to try many different meds before finding what works best with their chemistry. I do know, that if i had known that I would have to go through this much discomfort and distress, I would have opted for a different medication altogether. Live and learn, i guess. Good luck to you all.
poster:lioness
thread:13781
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20030923/msgs/263821.html