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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 3 of 3. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by martha on January 15, 2000, at 19:53:22
I have come off Effexor recently. Because of side effects and al because I wanted to reduce my lithium, I decided to utilise the long Millenium Christmas hols to reduce, with a view to coming off, my Feexor. I was taking 187.5 mg daily, but dropped that by Dec 1 to 150 XL daily. Over Christmas I reduced that to 112.5, then 75 mg, then 37.5., and finally 2 weeks ago, none at all. My problem is that i can't determine what are effects of withdrawing from Effexor, and what is start of a depression. I feel very emotional, get flashes of violent or scaryt scenes, upsetting scenes also like animals being mutilated. Ifeel very easily discouraged and feel like doing things like cancelling buying my flat because I don't want to keep my job - which up til now I've really loved. A friend who has come off Effexor had the worst of her withdrawal symptoms about 3 weeks after discontinuing. Is there anyone out there who can share some info/experience? Do I just grit my teeth and tough it out at least for another week, or could this be depression reappearing? I have some St John's wort and may take that buit don't know how long that takes to work. My previous depression had been very troublesome, chronic over some years, then rapid cycling. I do want to give withdrawal a good try because I am concerned about LT side effects, but don't want top destroy my life because of it.
Posted by juniper on January 16, 2000, at 0:40:43
In reply to coming off Effexor , posted by martha on January 15, 2000, at 19:53:22
i don't know if it is possible to differentiate between what may be withdrawl symptoms and what may be reoccurring depression....and of course what you may be feeling may be depression exacerbated by withdrawl.
why did you stop effexor?---had it helped alleviate your depression at one point?--are you concerned about LT side effects of all drugs/ADs?
are you under the care of a doctor?just wondering....
juniper
> I have come off Effexor recently. Because of side effects and al because I wanted to reduce my lithium, I decided to utilise the long Millenium Christmas hols to reduce, with a view to coming off, my Feexor. I was taking 187.5 mg daily, but dropped that by Dec 1 to 150 XL daily. Over Christmas I reduced that to 112.5, then 75 mg, then 37.5., and finally 2 weeks ago, none at all. My problem is that i can't determine what are effects of withdrawing from Effexor, and what is start of a depression. I feel very emotional, get flashes of violent or scaryt scenes, upsetting scenes also like animals being mutilated. Ifeel very easily discouraged and feel like doing things like cancelling buying my flat because I don't want to keep my job - which up til now I've really loved. A friend who has come off Effexor had the worst of her withdrawal symptoms about 3 weeks after discontinuing. Is there anyone out there who can share some info/experience? Do I just grit my teeth and tough it out at least for another week, or could this be depression reappearing? I have some St John's wort and may take that buit don't know how long that takes to work. My previous depression had been very troublesome, chronic over some years, then rapid cycling. I do want to give withdrawal a good try because I am concerned about LT side effects, but don't want top destroy my life because of it.
Posted by Leroy on March 10, 2000, at 7:44:50
In reply to Re: coming off Effexor , posted by juniper on January 16, 2000, at 0:40:43
Hi Martha and Juniper. I'm Lee in the UK. This is wierd, but I've been thinking of coming off my Effexor XL for a few months (new year / new start etc) and so decided to see if n e 1 had similar feelings / aprehensions etc. Found this thread! It's really good to know that there ARE withdrawals from AD's. I mean, I don't know how EFX compares with, say, Prozac, but during the last year since I've been taking EFX (150mg) I have noticed some very scary side effects on 'missing' doses. Sometimes it's due to downright laziness, but sometimes I run out when I'm away from home, and just this last week, have gone only 5 days without it and have suffered some of the s-effects you both mention. My main s-effect - the one which scares me most - is that feeling of just being a shell...you know? When you aren't really thinking of anything exept the cause of the original depression, and I just feel like this one thought, rattling around in a very fragile shell of a body. Will these symptoms reccur, even if I come off EFX gradually? I REALLY don't feel like having to be an 'emotional slave' to a manufactured drug....
Would appreciate any response....
Lee
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