I have been staying on 37.5 for about 3 years . This weekend I stopped all of it, I have a bad heache and Iam tired. A long time ago I tried to stop the nausea was so bad I went back on. The doctor had told me I must still need the drug never said it was withdraw symptoms.
I see that this started over 4 years ago. I have a tale to tell also. I accessed this because I would like to file a suit myself. I was only told that I would have to "taper" off of the medication. I have been on it for 6 years, the last year has been 225mg a day. Now I have lost my health insurance, which includes my prescription service. And the replies I have from my doctor's office is that they have no samples since this is a generic medication. Therefore the pharmaceutical reps are not getting any type of incentives for these. I have asked for something to help me get off of this, i have 7 of the 150's left and 7 of the 75 mgs. I assume i will be cold turkey here soon, and no one really cares. The message I leave for my doctor apparently never gets past the nurses. The Effexor has made me do really really dumb things over the past 6 years. I have decided i want my life back & no longer want to feel depressed because of the medication.
I need to know if this is legit and if a class action lawsuit is really in the works.
I have been on Effexor for about 10 years and cannot seem to get off it. Every time I cut back, the side effects are horrible. I need to know where this is going, and if it is real - the lawsuit in the works. I believe Effexor has caused
me to have serious memory loss I fear will be permanent (I'm 60 now); I also believe it contributed to high cholesterol because that occurred within months of being on the drugs; and it may have caused breast cancer to return 23 years after first occurrence. This stuff is poison, and why didn't someone tell us to use it short term, or NOT AT ALL. I'm angry how this has affected my life, but I'm still on it and am afraid about how to get off of it.
XNTRIC
count me in
i have recently came off of effexor xr 300 mg a day , i ran out and had no money or a way to get my meds. after 3 days of coming off i got up to go to bed and everything started to spin and i made it to my room and then i started vomiting i ask my son to call 911 paramedics came . when they arrived my hands were crippled up and i had severe pain in them and they said i was hyperventilating they said that i needed to stop and breath i had no control of my hands being like this . they took me to hospital and i was still experiencing the spinning and nausea and vomiting . it took 3 hours for doctor to come in , he gave me something for nausea and vomiting and ativan for anxiety i finally started to feel better and went home . i feel that this drug is extremely dangerous . i have not taken anymore and want to file a law suit , i will sign a petition anything to get this drug on list of severe interactions coming off it and long term effects of taking this drug i have been taking for ten for 10 years
DID ANYONE ELSE HAVE STRANGE PERSONALITY CHANGES ALSO? I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHO I AM ANYMORE, AND FIND IT IMPOSSIBLE TO STOP THIS MEDICATION THERE HAS TO BE SOMEONE WHO WILL TAKE OUR CASE
I dont recognize myself either.I feel like Im hyper aware of everything Im doing and saying.Sometimes I feel like Im almost watching myself rather than being in the moment.I wake up angry and trembling.I cant form bonds with anyone and find it hard to even hold a conversation
wow ive experienced the same problem. its horrifying especially since im in recovery from addiction. ive been on it for 10 yrs. had no clue other ppl experienced the same problem. they had me up to 400 mg per day. I was so sick from the medication but sicker not to take it. ive weened myself down to 50mg xday .
I have been on Effexor for over 3 years now and if I don't take the medication at the same time every day, I immediately begin having withdrawls. I get the electro shocks as well. There is NO way to get away from this medication after being on it for so long. I actually did stop taking it a few years before I began taking it again, but I went to an all natural specialist and he helped me get away from it; however my depression came back with a vengenence and I came very close to suicide as well as staring myself because I was so depressed. I NEVER ever want to be at that dark place again, so I choose to continue the medication for the rest of my life.
oops, I meant starving myself. I lost so much weight that I began begging my ex husband to come over to my place and force me to eat.
I just took my firsy effexor and I am feeling NUMB , I want to cry but I can't ?? I have panick attack and do not know how to get over IT whithout effexor ??
Caroline
I have been on Effexor for about 8 years. Withdrawal are all of which has been described. Nightmares of murder and being murdered. Brain zaps, loss of appetite, unable to sleep, fear, and these symptoms change from week to week. I tapered off for two months and got down to 150 mg daily down from 300 mg. I then started taking it every other day for about a month. Then I quit. I did have a few pills for emergency use. I was doing well. Calm and I though I had taken care of it. Then one month later my legs, ankle, feet, hands began to swell. I was unable to wear shoes. Painful to walk on. I put my feet up for hours with no relief. After a week of unable to walk farther than 10 feet I took an effexor 150mg. (the only dosage I had) Within hours the swelling was down. I took the effexor the next day and by the third day I was swelling free. I was happier that the feet were not swollen and I could go to a store for an hour or so. But I was stuck on the effexor. I began sleeping better, brain zaps disappeared. But I am addicted to that effexor and hate it. I only take it because the withdrawal doesn't quit. It debilitates me. I have been unable to work for the last 4 years and seeking social security disability. I was a registered nurse for 17 years! I am not working. Four days ago I ran out of effexor. My appointment was the 26th of June but I had to cancel it due to money not arriving from a small trust fund. The next appoint is the 23rd of July. I was off the effexor two days. I became upset over a computer setup and it escalated to hallucinations, delusions, confusion, slurred speech, panic. 911 was called and I was in the mental ward at the hospital for 5 hours. Much of which I don't remember. I was released when the confusion subsided. After coming home and hearing the fireworks that others set off I became startled with every sound. I didn't watch any of the fireworks. I stayed in the house the whole time but I could hear the whistles and pops. I went and paced the floor. I was still on bupropion and neurontin. I took an extra neurontin because it is a mood stabilizer. No effect at all. I took benadryl to make me sleep. I was a walking zombie. I paced the floor and ran into thing with my body. Unsteady. My eyes kept closing. My speech was slurred and I thought I was dying. I tried to search the internet but could not type what I wanted. I tried to take a shower but had difficulty turning the correct knob for adjustment. Hot and cold water blasted on and off. I got wet and washed my hair and nearly burned my scalp. I was also very nauseous and had the dry heaves. I forgot to mention that earlier that I was nauseous the whole day. But at that time it was cramping my abdomen. I was unsteady on my feet and nearly fell out of the shower. Panic continued and I paced the floor and finally told my husband to call 911 again. I spent many hours there. They cat scanned , ekg, blood draws, urinalysis by clean catch and later by catheter. They drug tested me and found nothing unusual. I am still trying to remember everything they did on July 4th and 5th. I am very forgetful and I am back on the effexor but now I am confused and wander aimlessly trying to figure out what I am suppose to do. Sorry if this is confusing but that is me now due to effexor.
I was put on Effexor XR 75mg once each night and I have been on the Effexor XR for over 2 yrs now and was put on it for Severe Panic attacks, Anxiety,Depression and I also have Bi polar.... I have went up to 2 days without the Effexor and I had symtoms such as :nausea, diaharea, Aggitation,irrability, BAD MOOD SWINGS!!!! I never even realized that it was withdrawals from the Effexor I just thought i was getting a flu bug.. Thanks for all the information i have recieved from everyones posts... Also when i didnt take the Effexor XR for 2 days I had WORSE panic attacks from the withdrawals than I did before I started taking the Effexor XR.... I have also takin Effexor back 4 yrs ago and I quit that cold turkey had headaches that didnt wanna go away..... I really wish i would of known this drug was addictive or else i would of told the doctor to put me on something else... I don't think i will ever be able to quit my Effexor, just for the fact that im taking it mostly for Panic attacks and Anxiety.... It scares me to know that now if this Effexor is takin off the market that im gonna have to go through HELL! SOMETHING REALLY NEEDS TO BE DONE ABOUT THIS!!! Another thing i wanna mention that withdrawaling from Effexor causes me to have severe ANGER to the point that i would go off freaking out and Suicidal thoughts... We need a medication to help our Problem NOT SOMETHING TO MAKE IT WORSE!!!
I too am going thru the same experience...thankfully I have weaned myself down to 37.5 mg a day but still cant get off of it completely..I think it contributed to the breakdown of mt
y marriasge and inability to work as I was so vegged out I didn't see reality any longer.
***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use
If you decide to proceed with this case I would definatly be onboard.
Thank you
Janet
This is by FAR The worsdt i ever felt I cry when i wake up,just because i feel so sick from coming off this medicine I am the worst ever..do not know where to get help,they want to keep giving more pills