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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 9 of 9. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by Aral on May 5, 2004, at 21:26:25
Hi all. I am new to this group. I quit Effexor this past 2 weeks by slowing going from 75 to 37.5 mg doses. My doctor prescribed the process for me. I just finished and went clean 2 days ago. Since that time I am feeling heart beats that I can only liken to as electrical shock waves through my body. They aren't continual (as in one after the other), but rather every 10 to 20 seconds apart. They last for only a split second. The sensation can only be described as the pulse of the heartbeat can be felt throughout my body. I am scared, of course, but have to believe that there is correlation to my quitting the medication and being clean. Not sure if this was a panic attack, anxiety, or something elese. Initially I thought I was about to have a heart attack or stroke as I was so scared and unsure what the hell was happening. If anyone has experienced the exact same symptom, please let met know. Also, for this symptom did anyone discover a remedy that help off-set it? Thanks for reading, listening. Aral.
Posted by chemist on May 5, 2004, at 21:40:53
In reply to Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves, posted by Aral on May 5, 2004, at 21:26:25
> Hi all. I am new to this group. I quit Effexor this past 2 weeks by slowing going from 75 to 37.5 mg doses. My doctor prescribed the process for me. I just finished and went clean 2 days ago. Since that time I am feeling heart beats that I can only liken to as electrical shock waves through my body. They aren't continual (as in one after the other), but rather every 10 to 20 seconds apart. They last for only a split second. The sensation can only be described as the pulse of the heartbeat can be felt throughout my body. I am scared, of course, but have to believe that there is correlation to my quitting the medication and being clean. Not sure if this was a panic attack, anxiety, or something elese. Initially I thought I was about to have a heart attack or stroke as I was so scared and unsure what the hell was happening. If anyone has experienced the exact same symptom, please let met know. Also, for this symptom did anyone discover a remedy that help off-set it? Thanks for reading, listening. Aral.
>
hi aral....check in with SLS, Sad Panda, or King Vultan on this one.....all the best, chemist
Posted by fayeroe on May 5, 2004, at 21:54:59
In reply to Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves, posted by Aral on May 5, 2004, at 21:26:25
My experience with coming off of Effexor was similiar to what you're experiencing. And I cut from 75 to 37.5 at first but then I tapered very, very gradually. The electrical shocks are experienced by many, many people coming off of ADs. Hang in there, time will take care of the symptoms.
Posted by linkadge on May 5, 2004, at 22:41:47
In reply to Re: Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves » Aral, posted by fayeroe on May 5, 2004, at 21:54:59
Essentially the electric shock sensations and the rapid heartbeat are symptoms of the noradrenic system resetting itself. Basically, you are getting a surge of noradreneline which is causing the shock like sensations as well as the heart problems.
Personally I recomend you take large doses of vitamine C. Take 1gram time released. I've heard this can help with the shock like sensations.
Linkadge
Posted by crazychickuk on May 6, 2004, at 6:04:45
In reply to Re: Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves, posted by linkadge on May 5, 2004, at 22:41:47
Links is spot on..
The exact same thing happened to me when i took effexor and came of it like... was scarey but it DID subside.. If you worry about it obviousley you will panick then the vicious cycle will come up..
Posted by Sad Panda on May 6, 2004, at 13:56:23
In reply to Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves, posted by Aral on May 5, 2004, at 21:26:25
>Also, for this symptom did anyone discover a remedy that help off-set it? Thanks for reading, listening. Aral.
>Hi Aral,
If you are not switching to a different drug, but are going clean, some Prozac may help you as it can substitute for Effexor, I would take 10mg/day until the symptoms subside & the stop taking prozac. Effexor has a short half life & leaves your body within a few days of the last dose which brings on sudden withdrawl symptoms. Prozac has an extrodinarily long half life & takes weeks to leave your body, so it acts as a slow taper by itself.
Cheers,
Panda.
Posted by omegon on May 7, 2004, at 5:49:36
In reply to Re: Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves » Aral, posted by Sad Panda on May 6, 2004, at 13:56:23
> If you are not switching to a different drug, but are going clean, some Prozac may help you as it can substitute for Effexor, I would take 10mg/day until the symptoms subside & the stop taking prozac. Effexor has a short half life & leaves your body within a few days of the last dose which brings on sudden withdrawl symptoms. Prozac has an extrodinarily long half life & takes weeks to leave your body, so it acts as a slow taper by itself.
...but be aware that Prozac withdrawal may itself (I think quite rarely by comparison with efexor & paxil) produce the same shock sensations in some people.Like me. I was on efexor for 3 months. Came off and switched to prozac; the efexor-withdrawal shocks stopped in 5 days. After 8 weeks on prozac, I had to come off that as well (side effects completely intolerable - insomnia, nausea, mood swings, apathy, etc). Two weeks after stopping I was getting these "brain zaps" again (besides the other withdrawal symptoms - nightmares, depression and so forth). It's now over 8 weeks after stopping prozac and I am STILL getting brain zaps several times a minute for a fair proportion of the day.
It may have a long half-life but my brain just doesn't seem to adapt very well to changes in medication, in either direction!
Posted by SLS on May 7, 2004, at 8:21:16
In reply to Re: Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves » Aral, posted by fayeroe on May 5, 2004, at 21:54:59
> My experience with coming off of Effexor was similiar to what you're experiencing. And I cut from 75 to 37.5 at first but then I tapered very, very gradually. The electrical shocks are experienced by many, many people coming off of ADs. Hang in there, time will take care of the symptoms.
Hi.Did you also experience these sensations in the chest as described by Aral? I have only heard people complain of them occurring in the head.
- Scott
Posted by Aral on May 7, 2004, at 9:44:43
In reply to Re: Heart beats/Strong electrical shock waves » fayeroe, posted by SLS on May 7, 2004, at 8:21:16
All, thanks for the responses.
I can now say that I am experiencing two sensations. What I had described before is a pulse, via my heatbeat, that I can feel "like thunder" throughout my entire body. It's like every vein reverberates with the pulse.
I am experiencing the electrical pulses in my head but not as often.
Funny, I was at the doctor's office today for a check-up on a middle ear infection I had a few weeks back. The infection is gone and the doctor gave me a good bill of health. However, I did comment that my hearing was slightly off with a tuning fork. He prescribed a full hearing test. So off I went to another room. They placed me in one of those special sound-proof rooms and hooked me up with ear plugs for the tests. I began to slip into a state of inner examination. Through the silence of the room, I could hear, feel, and sense every sound going on in my body. I experienced ringing, the electrical pulses in the head, and the thundering pulses of my heart through my body. WOW! It was the first time that I actually just clocked out and listened, to the sounds of my own body. This was a great experience, as it was just this morning, in this process, that I realized I had the electrical pulses going on in the head. This was new compared to the heart pulse.
On a side note to all of this, I started taking Allegra -D a few nights ago. I've noticed that if I take one tablet in the morning and one against around 3pm, the heart pulses are not nearly as strong or noticeable.
FYI for those of you who are in the same boat!
Thanks for your comments and feedback. I can't tell you how much value this discussion group is to me. The good news is that I remain clean of Effexor; five days now. I will not try any other "drug" that is comporable to abstain the effects of my withdrawl. Aspirin, Tylenol, Allegra are all considered to be ok. But I will not go back. I am committed to staying clean.
Thanks again.
- Mark
This is the end of the thread.
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