Effexor Class Action Lawsuit

my situation is exactly the same as you , maybe we can talk. my husband too was off this medication for @ 4 days and then reumed it. he too left no note.

Hi Im dcarr,my brother had bipolar disorder the doctor put him on effexor xr. after taking it for about 3 weeks he had every side effect that effexor xr had on the label.I called Wyeth they said effexor xr was not approved for anyone with bipolar disorder due no research on it. my brother never could carry on a conversation. they tried to say he had alzheimers disease after puting him on all different kinds of medications for the side effects.I was told that the doctors can give what medications they think might help some one even if the company that makes the medications states not to. the fda told me that. please let me know if there is a lawsuit I would like to be a part of so this will not happen to anyone else.by the way a psychiatrist prescribed this medication

Has anyone had symptoms several weeks after being off effexor? I have been completely off for over two weeks and I am definitely not myself. I have the following symptoms: the feeling of bugs crawling on me, nausea most of the time, raging mood swings, feelings like I want to run away or crawl up and die, etc. Is there or is there not a class action lawsuit forming? I am so angry at my primary physician for prescribing this to overcome daytime sleepiness. She said it would give me "energy."

Hi guys........I came online to research some sexual side effects of Effexor and found all of you. :-) I am glad I am not alone. I am starting to have side effects that I have not had even after being on Effexor XR for 3+ years. ( I am on 300 mg of Effexor and 200 mg of Lamictal) All I can say right now is I am scared to death, it has nothing to do with the sexual side effects. If I could feel normal mentally and emotionally I would give up sex. Ok that might be pushing it but you know what I mean. Before I type anymore I want to state that NO I AM NOT SUICIDAL, I REPEAT I AM NOT SUICIDAL and thats not the reason I came here! I only wanted to write because what I've read above helped me, helped me know I am not alone in my quest to find out what this drug is and has been doing to me. I am scared because every part of me whether it be physical, emotional or my every day being depends on this da-n drug. I am scared, I am truly scared. I just read someone write that it was NEVER actually approved for pts with bipolar? OMG I wasn't even aware of that. I was diagosed bipolar in 1996 and was on 9 different medications until I found a new pdoc that put me on this because when I went to him for the first time I was a mess, a huge mess. I sat in his office the first time I met him and cried. Not one of those quiet cries, a real cry..........one that not many people have seen but for some reason felt it was ok for once. I don't blame this on him. He didn't know this would happen, so no I do not blame him. Even though I am scared about even being on this I don't ever doubt I have the best pdoc for me. I see how many of you are on such low doses and read all the side effects you have and I to have tried to get off of this. You guys I am on 300 mg of Effexor a day, yes 300 mg! I too tried to get off of this, I couldn't do it, if I go more than an hr or 2 past the time I am suppose to take it I start getting all the side effects stated above. The way my stomach felt and the brain quivers was enough to make me want to die. I am not sure if I am just going through a bad time right now that made me want to come online and find some others to "talk" to or not. All I know is that I am scared that I rely on this drug to survive. To go to work I rely on it, to clean my house, to take care of my own children, to live and God even to breathe I rely on this. My boss knows about all this, she is absolutely WONDERFUL with all of this that I deal with. I told her about a month ago that I know in my heart that if they ever discontinue this I will voluntarily admit myself the first day without it because I know I will not survive a day without it and don't know how I would be emotionally or physically and it scares me enough to even think about it to even think about enduring it. I have been in the medical field for 17 1/2 years ( I am 41) and the majority of the physicians I work with say that withdrawing from Effexor is much more difficult than withdrawing from heroin. Heroin, OMG and I rely on this to survive. I don't even know why I started writing here but I am glad I did because I've gotton a few feelings out to people I know care and knows how I feel. Have any of you ever wondered what life would be without anything? I almost wish I had never even gone to the doctor to be diagnosed as being bipolar because I think I'd rather go a day here and there crying and being sad for no reason than being scared to death what the drugs I was put on will do to me next. (no those are NOT the only symptoms I had to even seek help) God I could write forever. I have gone into a few bipolar chat rooms and they talk about everything BUT the topic. Please share your thoughts............and thank you for listening!

I WAS ON THAT EVIL EFFEXOR FOR 4 MONTHS IN 08. I STOPPED TAKING IT NOW I AM LEFT EMOTIONLESS, HARD TIME TALKING AND THE LIST GOES ON... I WISH I NEVER TOOK THAT IT RUINED MY LIFE

I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO GET OFF EFFEXOR 75 MG FOR OVER TWO MONTHS AND I HONESTLY FEEL LIKE I AM NOT ONLY LOSING MY MIND BUT DYING. THIS HAS BEEN HORRIBLE AND ALL MY DR. SAYS IS "DO YOU WANT TO GO BACK ON IT?" THIS POISON NEEDS TO BE BANNED, NOW!
HOW DO I FIND OUT ONE OF THE LAWYER'S NAMES THAT HAS FILED SUIT AGAINST THIS DRUG COMPANY?
BRAIN BUZZ, CRYING FITS, HOT FLASHES, COLD SPELLS, WEIGHT GAIN, CAN'T BREATHE, CHEST PAIN - YOU NAME IT AND I HAVE HAD IT. JUST ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE!!
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I had planned to stop taking Effexor 37.5 ( one dose a day) for just over a year, after taking higher dose for several years. When i did stop taking it, i knew within 12 hours of missing my dose...so after nearly 9 days of no Effexor & severe withdrawls, i finally felt somewhat functionable. The brain zapps, teeth grinding, headaches, disturbing & sleepless nights, eye pressure, among other horrible side effects slowly receeded over many days. I think doctors need to discuss with their patients just how dificuly it is to stop taking these medications. This was frightening as well as totally disabling. My Dr. told me there was no easy way to stop taking it, except to ween yourself off. I was thankfully watched over by family when i stopped taking Effexor, and I encourage anyone who may take these drugs to know all the facts,good & bad, regarding Effexor.

Thought I was only one. Went to emergency room totally out of it. Big Headache thought I was dead or stroke. I am 50. Smart ass doctor said too much coffee no sleep. Then it happened. I was left to rot like a piece of c**p. Crying ,convulsing electocuted piece of c**p. I had no idea what the hell was going on. Very scarred very. Think useless docktor would say hey you are having withdraws. TThink useless dockot would give me a pill. No just rotted. for twelev hours in Emergency room. OK then they send me to famous world renounw shrink palace. Again any mention of SSRI withdrawal. Hell no. My dog could have done a better a job. A 5 year old that can read would have done a better job. Then genius freak shrink doctor at the"famous" hospital puts my ass on Depakote at this time I was wounded and scarred. What the hell did I know
anyway legs swelled to tree trunks. Took my ass off that poison too. Now drug free for 6 weeks liver still hurts a little. Yes the withdraw will scare you and may kill you I am sure the convulsions did me no good and the brain zap c**p. But probably better off than on this c**p. Better to be depressed a little then get
really sick and then you will be really depressed.

I will definantly join any lawsuit I went thru hell and over a month off the drug I am still having withdrawals!!!

:-( I am also a 10 year slave to effexor.


Withdrawls are incredible. Cannot function. Sick. Was never told of the side effects. Was never warned by doc of the "discontinuation"

I am in Canada, would be interested in joining the CAL in hopes to prevent anyone from becoming addicted to this drug. It's not that it makes you feel better when you take it... it makes you feel like road kill if you don't.

Reading all these stories bring back horrible memories for me that still haunt me. I have been off effexor now for 2.5 years and am still effected by what occurred during the year and a half that I was on it. After the first 2 months I had scheduled and attempted my suicide, which obviously didn't work too well, I then was getting into fights and strange altercations in public (I'm usually a very easy going person). Then at one point I blacked out at a friends house who was scared and phoned the police who took me to the hospital where I apparently came too (to this day don't remember any of this) and became violent and verbally abusive and had to be restrained then blacked out again. The side effects were horrible, the withdrawal was horrible and my life is still effected by it, my family is scared of me and I have lost good friends because of it, what the worst part of it was that my doctor gave it to me to help me "feel better". You usually feel like you can trust your docto but not a word on any side effects or withdrawal issues, gave it to me like it was candy. Thanks Wyeth and Thanks Doctor.

I too weaned myself slowly off Effexor XR after being on them for several years. I am losing my medical coverage and the cost of this medication is too prohibitive. Had I known up front that this drug was so dangerous I would never have started taking it. The withdrawal symptoms are very much like everyone else who has posted and are horrible. I am very interested in a class action lawsuit regarding this drug. While I feel it is everyone's responsibility to investigate what doctors are giving us, I also feel that we should be told before they give us the prescription just what the risks are. The fact that the doctors and manufacturer do not recognize everything we are going through as withdrawal symptoms really pisses me off. Please, whomever is behind this, add me to this lawsuit! I agree with the poster about Benedryl, it really helped me get some sleep without all the nightmares.

Please include me in the class action lawsuit against Effexor XR. I will be glad to help in any way I can. My story isn't much different than any of the other posters, so I won't elaborate. I'm just extremely pissed that nobody seems to be warned about this drug when it is prescribed, plus the fact that the prescribing doctors and the manufacturer say our symptoms are not withdrawal from it. A lot of us may be walking around with permanent brain damage we weren't warned could happen!

I am so shocked to find all these side effects of Effexor XR. I have been on it for about 4 months, after many different AD. I started out at 37.5, then up to 75. I have noticed the brain zaps, crying, worrying, etc when I miss a dose. This past week I have been off because I ran out of it and didn't have the money to get it filled. Well, I am having such horrible time and thought it was just "me" and this stupid depression. I went to the doctor today because I have been extremely dizzy & feeling like I am in a cloud, getting the shakes, and everything everyone has posted. I thought I was maybe diabetic or something. She said it was from not taking my medicine for a week. She upped my dosage, which made me happy cause I can't live like the way I've been feeling. I have a husband, 2 small children & a job I have to take care of. For some reason I came home after getting the Effexor & started researching it. I don't know why I haven't before. I usually research all the meds me & my family take. I started finding all these awful symptoms from it. I don't know what to do? I CAN NOT be off this medicine. I have to take care of my family and can't do it off this drug, this drug that is supposed to be "helping" me. I've been on summer break for the past 7 1/2 weeks and go back to school/work Thursday. How can I when I feel so awful. I just took the 150mg Effexor, I have to feel better. I don't like answering to my children when they ask "Mommy why are you crying?" Something has to be done. Either I stay on this drug forever and have no telling what long term side effect or we do something about it. I am willing to help with whatever I can with the lawsuit. But as for now I have to stay on this medicine that is supposedly "helping" us.

I know that this was posted a really long time ago but I'd really like to know if this is possible. I would really like to know about if there still is a class-action lawsuit going on for effexor in Canada and if anyone has had success with it. Let me know!