I understand that 5-HTP is not safe to take when trying to wean off of 150 mg or higher? Is this true? And if so (I've taken 150 mg/day for over 6 years), what would you suggest that may help with what will inevitably come when I try to get off of this drug? I'm ready NOW, but know it will take time....
I'm not sure about that. I started taking the 5 htp after I was almost weaned off to help me with depression. By weaning off and removing 1 more bead each day, I was successful in getting off of it. Then I started taking 5 htp and also had natural things for depression/anxiety, which have really helped. I have been off effex. for about 6 months now and I could not get off of it any other way. I can't seem to find a lawyer who is willing to take this case, so I am open to suggestions.
If you wean off this way, I would find a naturopathic dr. to help you adjust after the weaning. This is what helped me. Being on the natural remedies has really helped and I don't have to take them everyday...just as needed. They are not addicting and very safe. Do you know of a good homeopathic or naturopatic dr. in your area. I learned all this from my dr.
hi - i am currently trying to get off effexor. my symptoms are head zapping, uncontrollable crying for no reason, extreme depression, jaws ached, my tongue is hot, extreme sweating, extreme agitation. this drug is ruining my life. i also have MS and it is making m symptoms worse. i will gladly join this class action suit.
Hi Lori,
Did you try removing 1 more bead each day? I was able to get off by doing this. At the end I was using some natural remedies for depression/anxiety because my anxiety increased. I now only use them as needed. It was the only way I was able to get off without any side effects including the awful brain zaps. Hope you will be able to get off of this .....this is much easier on your body. Hope this helps.
Hello everyone. I too have been on Effexor for several years, it may even be over 5 years now. I have been on a variety of doses, the highest being 225mg and the lowest 37.5 when trying to get off of it. Up until about two years ago , I had the belief that I was getting vertigo from a roller coaster that gave me whiplash. Now, over time, and paying attention to my body, I have realized that it isn't at all from a roller coaster, it is from this drug! I tried several things and a lot of money going to the chiropractor to adjust my neck to try and rid me of the vertigo. Then, a year and a half ago I start noticing that my legs would begin to jump. So, I went to Walgreens to try to find some medicine for restless leg, thinking that this is what I had. Needless to say, it did help a little and calm my legs in order for me to get to sleep but over the past year and a half, my legs have gotten worse and I now have to take a drug called Ropinirole to get my legs under control. After reading these comment and side effects, Im not sure that I have Restless Leg Syndrome at all. My legs get more of a twitch or muscle spasms to the point where I can not sit down and relax for more than a couple minutes and I have to get up and be moving around.
I am a teacher and i have to work with small groups in reading and math and I struggle everyday to sit for more than 5 minutes at a time because my legs will start up twitching and spasming. However, it seems that this is REALLY bad at night, to the point where I have to take 1 mg of Ripinirole at as early as 5:00pm to help me get through the evening and and then maybe a half of a pill again at 6:30 and another before I go to bed. I started at 1 mg and am now up to 2.5mg. This has completly ruined my quality of life! I can't sit for periods of time, which means traveling is almost unbearable for me and I might as well forget about going to a movie with my husband or children unless I take a 'pill' before I go. Then, after taking the 'pill,' I want to fall asleep because the medicine make you extremely tired. This leads me to fall asleep at 8:00pm some nights because my legs are so bad.
I am going to try once again to get off this drug. I am now on 150mg and opened the capsule to take half of the beads as indicated by some in this discussion, so far so good. No brain shocks yet but the only thing I notice is tension in my neck and head. Could someone tell me exactly how to devide the beads in the capsule to ween myself off of this crazy drug? I know when I am off of the drug and I get really agitated and almost OCD with how my house looks. I saw something on here about Vitamin D and Fish oil as well that may help the effects of weening yourself off. My effects of going off are severe brain shocks, agitation, and dizziness.
Has anyone else had these problems with their legs or any other type of twitching and know if this will eventually go away after being off of this drug?
Hi,
I'm sorry for what you have been through. It's terrible what this drug does. I hope you are able to get off of it.
I successfully weaned myself off by removing on 1 bead each day. I counted out the beads, believe it or not, because I was so desperate and saw I had 240 beads to start. So next day I only took 239, next day 238 and so on. That's right 1 more bead each day till I was down to none. I had no side effects. The only thing that happened was at the end of my weaning I had an extreme attack of anxiety. I go to a naturopathic dr. who put me on natural remedies for anxiety and depression which helped a lot. I now only take them as needed. I also take Fish oil capsules, Magesium&calcium to help me sleep along with 5 HTP.. which helps with depression. It would help if you can find a good naturopathic dr. to help you through the transistion. That really has helped me. I was on eff. for 12 years and this was the only way I was able to get off of it. Yes, I take 1 Vitamin D3 capsule a day too. If you have any other questions, let me know.....I want to help anyone who can't get off ot it because this really worked for me.
What is the 5-HTP?
Thank you for all of your help! I will try counting the beads, I took my 150mg capsule and divided it into 3 days. Im feeling the effects but am tolerating it.
Can you tell me if the Naturalistic Dr is covered by insurance? And if not what was the general cost for it?
Also, do you know anything about the leg spasms, did you or anyone else encounter this and if so, does it eventually go away?
Im really on it for anxiety, things seems to really stress me out and without being on something, I lose my patience, yell at my kids and get soooo moody! so scared of those coming back. I don't know which is worse, the medicine or being off of it. I also get almost OCD, I can't stand my house a mess and have to have everything in it's place or Im stressed out. Maybe the Naturopathic Dr can help with this.
Hi,
Unfortuntely, insurance doesn't cover these drs. If you can find a good one in your area, just to help you as you get off this med, you might not have to go back. I only go back when needed now. The remedies that she gives me really help with the depression & anxiety....they are very reasonable in price. If you are not in her area, she does phone consultations and really wants to help people. I would not have made it off this med if I hadn't had these remedies. I never had the leg spasms, but that sounds really awful. I wouldn't remove more than 1 more bead each day....otherwise you might get the side effects. Nothing else worked for me. Hope I can be of help to get you off this horrible med.
I think the advice for a very gradual tapering of dose is good. I went off over a two week period and ended up with brain zaps for 8 months.
Yes, the only thing that worked for me was removing 1 more bead each day...it's much easier on your body.
It worked. But also taking 5 htp, magnesium, calcium( and homeopathic remedies, as needed) This has really helped a lot.
Yes, but it is well worth it. I guess you could try 2-3 each day. Maybe that would work. That would be better than doing more. I don't think I would go beyond that. I was afraid to go beyond 1 bead a day. Even though it took me that long, I kept the perspective that I was on it for 12 years and this would be the safe way to get off.....and I also looked at the perspective that I would finally be done with it when I took the last bead. I know it is depressing....I felt the same way, but as I looked at the goal I was aiming for, it helped so much. Good luck on whatever you decide. Prayer helped me a lot too.
Hi there, although I"m not on this insidious drug, my friend has been a slave to it for over 10 years and whats worse she also has Xanax into the mix. The girl I knew has gone. What has taken her place is a miserable, angry, anxious and very obese woman. He hates herself and hates everyone and everything. Except me. But I can only do so much. All I can do now is watch her suffer so much she just wants to die. On behalf of my friend (she knows im posting here) we wish to join you. Also Terry can you please state in more detail your one bead process? how many actual tablets did you need to de bead so to speak before you were off the drug? I want my friend back, she wants her existence back. I'm scared she will try to end her suffering in ways we don't wish on anyone.. Please help us
Indi
Hi, Indi,
I am truly sorry that your friend is in this state. My dr. had wanted to put me on 2 more meds along with the Effexor and I refused and never went back to her. It's insane what these doctors are doing. I had the help of a naturopathic dr. too. Do you know of any in your area that could give her more natural things as she weans off. These were a big help to me. I also am taking good vitamins which she recommends. If you can't find a good natural dr., I can give you her information. She does phone consults.
The way I removed the beads was: I opened one capsule and actually counted the beads to see how many there were. Then I took out 1 bead and took the rest. Next day I took out 2 beads and took the rest. I continue this until I was down to none. I know this seems tedious and will take a while, but I had no choice. NOthing else had worked for me. I had no side effects. The only thing that happened was when I close the the end, I had a terrible anxiety attack. My dr. gave me some natural things to counteract this and it really worked. Then eventually I only use these natural things as needed. I don't know about the Xanax...don't know how you would handled that. I know there is also a website where you can get natural help to do this too...but can't remember the name. If anyone knows what that is, please let us know. My psychiatrist never even warned me about how addicting this med was ...never tested my liver to see if it was damaging it, etc. and etc. It's an outrage what goes on. Please let me know if there is anything else I can do. How many mg. is she on?
Terry