The effexor withdrawals and weight gain are my main concern

Halez · Newbie Joined: 08 Apr 2007 Posts: 2

i hear every one talking about effexor and the weight gain.. i have gained literally 30 pounds and im only 21 so this sucks!!!! has any one found that they lost weight when they come off this stuff?? plus has any one found they got really moody(uncontrolable crying ect) when they started coming off the pills i went from 78 mg to 150mg and found it was wayyy to much for my system, so i have been opening the caplet and splitting it in half and the doc says thats about 75 mg but found i was super moody for a bit on and off??!!! any one else??? HELPPPP

Guest · Guest

I am so happy to hear from everyone that I am NOT alone. I have been on Effexor for three years now, gained 80 pounds, become a type 2 diabetic and my life is a shambles! I two days ago "cold turkey" stopped the effexor and am experiencing static electricity shocks in my head (not painful, just irritating) and "the blues", anxiety, sweats, hot then cold, irritability etc. I feel like I will just explode at any minute. I think peoples experience with withdrawl will certainly differ due to dosages and time taking the pill. I hope this ends soon - I can't even look at myself anymore and have never!! been so big! I hate it! My doctor also said that Effexor could not make me gain weight but let me tell you, IT DID!! Some days I would not eat a thing....gained 2 pounds! The weight gain is horrible! Please feel free to email me mdekousk@rochester.rr.com with any comments or questions or just to give some support............ Crying or Very sad

Guest · Guest

I too experienced the weight gain from the effexor. At first I lost some weight when I started the drug, but after about a year, I started gaining weight and fast. No matter what I did, I just kept gaining. Eventually I decided I needed to come off the drug due to the other awful side effects that occured. Vomiting, dizzyness, hotflashes etc. So I weaned off the drug from September 2006 till December 2006. Once I got down to 75 mg I had to drop my dosage by 6.25 mg per week to avoid being sick. I still felt the effects of the drugs till at least Febuary of 2007. At that point I started accupunture for some back pain that had flaired up but they also helped the remaining symptoms.

So in all I gained 30 pounds. And it wouldn't budge. If I wasn't depressed before, that weight gain was sure to make me depressed. In my research I found a program called The Road Back. It is a nutrition and supplement program to help with withdrawal symptoms. It helped me. I felt better, was able to concentrate, I slept better, I had more energy, and I started losing weight. 10 pounds in the first 8 weeks or so of the diet. A guy in my depression group also is using a similar nutrient program and is finding it helpful as well. It isn't easy to maintain the supplement schedual and it doesn't taste good. But personally I found it to be worthwhile.

Good luck with getting off the drug and getting your body and life back. It is a slow process but it will get better little by little. I would recomend not going cold turkey off the drugs. Our bodies have adjusted to having drugs added to our system and need time to readjust to producing the hormones itself. And concider a supplement program or accupunture to help with the symptoms. It costs money but it is worth it.

Guest · Guest

I too have recently noticed that I've been putting on weight and couldn't figure out why. I am on the Atkins diet which normally works really well for me, and I have a gym and cardio machine at home which I use almost daily. I have never had a hard time losing weight until now, I tried on a pair of capri pants that last year I drowned in and now they are so frickin tight I couldn't even button them. I have only been taking effexor for about three months! I got online and researched this, it was time to get a refill, and found out how many people have had the same problem as me! The weird thing is, I forgot to take my pill one day and felt really strange, I can't explain it, but I had these waves of extreme dizziness that would come and go. I feel like I should stop taking it now before my body gets even more dependent on it! And I too have had suicidal thoughts, I wouldn't actually do it since I have three children and a wonderful husband, but for some reason these thoughts are there. It's pretty scary how a medication can change your whole way of thinking! I just want to be back to the way I was last summer, I have no idea how much I weigh as I don't have a scale, but maybe I don't WANT to know! I am tired of all my clothes being too small.

praig · Newbie Joined: 24 May 2007 Posts: 1

Guest · Guest

I've just read all these sites and am shocked. I thought all my symptoms of weight gain and sweating were down to menopause, not I feel it's down to Effexor. I was always tiny and have put on 20+ pounds over a couple of years, yet I eat less and exercise more since getting a dog. I think I'm going to try and get off this drug.

Guest · Guest

I have been on effexor for just over a year and gained 20 pounds. I went to my doctor yesterday and he told me that EVERY antidepressant is known for weight gain especially after the first 6 months. My weight gain has caused foot problems and high blood pressure not to mention the fact that my clothes do not fit anymore. He cut back the dose on my effexor and told me to monitor the weight and mood for 2 to 4 weeks. If I am not doing OK he said the only thing to do was to shift medications and "trick" the body. If weight is a big issue then you have to shift Meds every 6 months. I don't know how many meds there are but sounds like a real pain. I think if I am doing OK on less effexor I may just try to quit all together. I trust my doctor so I am assuming this is accurate information.

Guest · Guest

I am a nurse with chronic depression. I took Prozac for several years, when it started to lose its effect, I was given Effexor. I currently take 225 mg. of Effexor and 300 mg. of Wellbutrin daily. The combination has been wonderful for the symptoms of depression. I no longer have the "brain fog", the suicidal thoughts, or the fatigue. I have, however, in the last 3-4 years gained almost 70 lbs. I was always active and an exercise fanatic- but after about 50 lbs. of weight gain I was ashamed to even go to the gym! I know that some people look at these posts and say "Oh they just don't realize how much they're eating." but I swear (and my family will verify) I eat less than ever.

What I do not understand is this: How can so many people experience weight gain as a side effect of Effexor and still drug companies and physicians continue to deny it? I too have been told by my Dr. that Effexor "could not possibly be the cause." I feel as though I am trapped- the weight gain is terrible, but I have also tried to come off the Effexor and experienced the God-awful withdrawal symptoms. I am so afraid I will continue to gain weight, but can't seem to do without the drug. BTW I am having a total knee replacement on Monday because my weight is putting so much strain on my joints. Any suggestions?

reborn · Newbie Joined: 17 Nov 2007 Posts: 1

i have been on effexor for apx. 13 years...since it came out. i have gained 20 lbs. despite healthy habits. it causes water retention and loss of muscle tone. i know the horrible withdrawal symptoms as i have weened myself off several times. i always returned to effexor as my symptoms returned...depression and anxiety and ibs. i was recently diagnosed with a hypothyroid which can cause depression, anxiety, muscle and joint pain, digestive problems, terrible fatigue, and horrible menstrual problems. effexor has just masked the hypothryoid as many of the symptoms are the same. this has been going on for years.
i read in a book called 'prozac backlash' that an effective way to avoid the withdrawal symptoms from effexor is to take prozac for a couple months. effexor has a very short half-life and that is why the withdrawal is so severe. prozac is similar but different and the body doesn't notice the switch. prozac has a very long half-life and stays in the system for weeks. after a couple months you can tapper or just stop without any side-effects. i did it and it was great. my body came back fast...i lost weight quickly and got my muscle tone back. all the water retention and puffiness disappeared! i don't know what would happen in the long term if one stayed on prozac indefinitely.
there is an epidemic of hypothyroidism that doctors really don't know how to diagnose or treat. the symptoms mimic depression and anxiety. get your free t3 and free t4 checked. find an MD which is also a naturopath.i felt amazing immediately after starting desicated thyroid meds. ( look at www.thyroid-info.com, stopthethyroidmadness.com, and mercola.com...he has great info about thyroids). GOOD LUCK.

Guest · Guest

It is nice to know I'm not alone with the weight gain issue, especially when doctors are telling us the effexor shouldn't cause weight gain. I was very thin my whole life (I'm 34). Size 0. Always had a hard time putting on weight. I went on effexor for anxiety and mild depression. Within 5 months I had gained 10 pounds and within a year had gained 25 pounds.

The effexor withdrawals and weight gain are my main concern

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