Effexor Class Action Lawsuit

'm the Effexor Kid.
I was prescribed up to 600 mg effexor xr/day for Xtreme depression and know how to get off it, without side effects, in ONE DAY (or for those who prefer to go the pharmaceutical route, switch over to Prozac and get off it in a week or so, depending on the person/dosage). You're welcome.

DAY 0 - 600 MG/DAY EFFEXOR XR TAKEN IN THE MORNING
DAY 1 - MAX 900 MG/DAY 5-HTP TAKEN IN 100 MG DOSES, AS NEEDED, TO KEEP WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AT BAY (0 EFFEXOR XR)!
DAY 2 - MAX 900 MG/DAY 5-HTP TAKEN IN 100 MG DOSES, AS NEEDED, TO KEEP WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AT BAY (0 EFFEXOR XR)!
DAY 3 - MAX 300 MG/DAY 5-HTP TAKEN IN 100 MG DOSES, AS NEEDED, TO KEEP WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AT BAY (0 EFFEXOR XR)!
DAY 4 - MAX 200 MG/DAY 5-HTP TAKEN IN 100 MG DOSES, AS NEEDED, TO KEEP WITHDRAWAL SYMPTOMS AT BAY (0 EFFEXOR XR)!
DAY 5 - MAX 50 MG/DAY 5-HTP TAKEN IN 25 MG DOSES, AS NEEDED, 100 MG ST. JOHN'S WORT TO KEEP DEPRESSION SYMPTOMS AT BAY!
DAY 6--> ONWARD - MAINTENANCE DOSE (TAKEN IN MORNING): 25MG 5-HTP, 100MG ST. JOHN'S WORT.

For people who suffered a bout of mild depression, you may not need maintenance doses--you're FREE!!!!

For the rest of us who one way or another escaped effexor hell, you know you need something to take its place; you have a chemical imbalance in your brain that no one knows how to permanently correct (yet).

Stay depression-free, my friends:)

Thanks to some friends, I've discovered something that helps alleviate the misery of weening myself off Effexor: 5-HTP. This is the precursor/building block of serotonin and can be purchased over the counter from CVS drugstores, among other places.

I take 2 doses, one in the morning and one in the evening (I believe they're 100 mg capsules, but don't quote me on that). The one thing a person has to be aware of is that s/he can't take Effexor and 5-HTP at the same time because they'd essentially be upping their serotonin twice as much so s/he has to have the Effexor out of her/his system before taking the 5-HTP. I can't tell you the difference it's made: I no longer feel like I'm going to come out of my skin, the nasty large alien insects are no longer jumping up/down inside my midsection. I can actually function so I thought I'd share my experience in the hope someone else could benefit.

Are You still going through with this? My husband is going through terrible withdrawls from this Medication Effexor. Im so affraid for not only the withdrawls hes suffering but also am affraid of the side effects he has gone through being on this drug. please contact me if there is a lawsuit. This drug should not just be handed out without all these warning and from Doctors who don't totally understand the effects of this horrible drug.

I have been taken Effexor 75 also for about 10 years. Started taking them during menapause. And, like you, my doctor never mentioned the withdrawals I would experience if I tried to get off them. In years past if I forgot to take my pill during the afternoon of the next day I would start to feel the brain shocks, dizzy, stomach issues. Now when I forget to take my pill at night, I have those effects in the morning and they last the entire day, even thought I take the pill when I awake. There is no way I can get off this medication. My symptoms are severe flu like. Don't know how I can possibly ever get off them. I'm afraid at my age of 66, If something happens and I have to be hospitalized and don't get this drug, I will be very sick.

I would love to talk t the person that filed a class action lawsuit against the makers of effexor. I had a horrible experience with the drug. It was a nightmare and I wondered if anyone else had been faced with this kind of story. I did get off of it but I feel it cause irrepairable damage. I am not the same person and the withdrawl was horrific. I looked for the email the message said was provided but did not see one.

**** Hi I am not a user of this antidepressant myself I am a mother who's son has been on it for a number of years. Effexor xr is one of the worst antidepressants in the world to come of (NEVER COME OF COLD TURKEY) The reputation of Effexor xr side effects are just endless my heart goes out to anyone that has been but on this drug or who is trying to come of it. I as a mother have sat nights on the computer trying to find out as much as I humanly possible in regards to Effexor xr .I do agree total with people on this drug and people who is trying to come of it it should *HAVE NEVER BEEN ALOUD OR SOLD ON THE MARKET* as antidepressant for depression *IT DOES MORE HARM THAN GOOD * and this is the (GODS TRUE THERE IS OTHER WAYS TO HELP DEPRESSION) DOCTORS WILL NOT TAKE THE TIME OUT OF THEIR LIVES TO TELL YOU THERE IS OTHER WAYS TO GET HELP FOR DEPRESSION.MUCH QUICKER FOR A DOCTOR TO WRITE A SCRIP FOR YOU THEY DON'T CARE WHAT THEY ARE PUTTING YOU. PLEASE HEAD MY HELP AS A MOTHER i LOVE MY SON MORE THAN LIVE IT SELF I DON'T WHAT HIM TO HURT OR GO THROUGH ALL THESE SIDE EFFECTS IF THERE IS A WAY THAT CAN HELP HIM THROUGH THIS AND GET HIS HEALTH BACK.

WELL THERE IS HELP LOOK UP *PETER CHE NAN CHEN* ON THE INTERNET* AND READ ALL ABOUT HIM I AM MORE THAN SURE YOU WILL NOT FEEL ALONE WITH THIS PROBLEM ((((((YOU WHAT HELP HE CAN HELP)))))) I HAVE MY SON SEEING HIM I HOPE THIS HELPS AS YOU READ ABOUT HIM POST HIM AROUND THE NET INTO DIFFERENT SITES TO HELP OTHERS.GOD BE WITH YOU ALL AS MY PRAYERS WILL BE WITH ALL USING OR TRYING THEM SELF TO COME OF THIS *TERRIBLE DRUG* HELP YOUR SELF GET OF THEM AS THEY ARE DOING MORE HARM TO YOU THAN GOOD.

((((LOOK UP YOUR INTERNET FOR PETER CHE NAN CHEN PLEASE READ )))) ALL THE BEST NOW A CARING MOTHER OF A USER OF EFFEXOR XR.

I have been on Effexor XL 150mg for approx 10 years. About 6 mths ago I ran out and my Doctor was out of town. I could not get a refill until end of the week. I was in the bed for 5 days, when I tried to get up the Nausea, Vertigo and Brain Shocks were horrible. I really thought I would have to go to the ER. As soon as the meds were back in my system all horrible side effects stopped. I tried to explain to my Doctor how bad they were and he was very unsympathetic. I really think he thought I was over exaggerating. I also advised him that if I don't take my Effexor at the same time every day the Brain Shocks and Nausea start immediately. Since he was no help I started researching Effexor and soon found out what was really going on. I was stunned to read all the complaints against this Drug. Now I know I am not alone but I do feel imprisoned by Effexor and fear I may never be able to get off this medication. I need help.

I am appalled that so many people are taking Effexor without knowing how to get off of it. It's very simple, actually. With the help of your prescribing physician, you have to slowly back off of it by gradually lowering the dosage. One has to be patient because it can take several months of slowly lowering the dose for your body to adapt and everyone's different.

I backed off of Effexor XR once by myself. (I have MDD so I have never been without depression and am now 66 years old.) Anyway, being depressed even though I was taking Effexor XR, I one day decided I was tired of taking so many pills, but I knew from a casual conversation with a pharmacist at a dinner party, that stopping the Effexor would take time. My fuddled brain didn't want to contact my physician for help, so I did it by emptying some capsules of an old, leftover antibiotic. I then opened my Effexor capsules and divided the drug they contained amongst the capsules I had emptied. Somehow, it worked; however, it could easily have not. So, it would be best if you would ask your prescribing physician to help you by prescribing capsules or pills in smaller dosages of Effexor, which you can use to slowly decrease your dose.

I can vouch for the fact that backing off of Effexor can be done without side effects because I have done it twice.

Also, I don't think a lawsuit would hold much water. Every prescription of Effexor, and the generic as well, is accompanied by documentation that explains about the possibility of becoming dependent on the drug.

The effects go much deeper than just coming off the drug. Effexor is now being linked to birth defects in newborns, families are suffering through horrific side effects caused by taking Effextor during pregnancy. Here's a very good article detailing what's been going on, and also provides a form you can fill out to claim compensation if you've been affected ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed

It really is sickening there's just page after page of people suffering horrible negative side effects from taking Effexor. Probably the worst effect that's been proven so far is that Effexor is causing birth defects. Here's an informative article I found regarding this and the ways you can take legal recourse ***edited by moderator*** web addresses not allowed

Hi to everyone dealing with this unbelievable issue. My husband has been on effexor xr for over 10 years now. We started with zoloft which lasted about 3 months then paxil about the same length of time effective then we got lucky and found effexor. Or so we thought.
He was doing great making strides with his anxiety and other issues. He attempted to come off of the drug a couple of years in and after about 2 weeks of uncontrollable rage, violent behavior, vomiting, diareahea and myself and son going to a hotel for 2 days he went back on and in about 3 to 4 days was doing ok again. He tried several other times to do the same thing with the same result.

The sexual side effects we have come to terms with after the doctor tried to introduce welbutrin and that failed miserably with the same type of effects of not taking the med. He tried chantix to stop smoking and that also interfered with the effexor with the same crazy result.

In short, Febuary 8 2010, my husband woke up to go to work and was irritated like he didn't take his effexor, but he did, as the days went on that month he was still taking it and progressively got worse. We started seeing another psychiatrist and went on klonipin, serequel, depakote. He went from being crazy to being a zombie.

The end of September, he was feeling so badly that he didn't want to live any longer so he was admitted to the psych ward of one of the hospitals that our doctor works with for his safety. After a week and 3 electroconvulsive therapys later and also a new med trazedone, he was discharged and was no better. Oh he was having unbearable headaches after all of that. The continued the ect treatments as an out patient in which his head felt like it was going to explode along with the rage, anger etc. 9 treatments later we stopped the treatments and started seeing a neuroligist specialist. He started at the beginning again. Went down to just effexor but upped the dosage to 300 mg a day. I have always been the one to say there is no way he can come off of his effexor because its the only one that is working. Now after reading all of the posts of other people that are going through the same kind of things that he is, it is the effexor that is the problem. I am at a loss right now in what our next step is. He hasn't worked in a year, and we are getting close to loosing what we have because of this. I babysit kids all day and work at night.

First and formost, I want my husband back, second the public needs to know what to expect with this med. I would really like to get more information on the class action lawsuit that is in the works. I am hoping that this will not destroy my family.

Are you still looking into the law suit?
Please let me know. I'm very interested on behalf of my mother who is suffering from withdrawls now and has tried to commit suicide at least once while on the drug. SHe has been plagued with the desire to commit suicide daily while on this heinous drug for the last few years.

Thank you

Hello everyone, I have been on effexor for 7 or 8 years and I have tried to come off of it several times. Each time I have failed. I am so mad and disgusted like everyone else. I have never been a drug user of any kind. I have migranes and was going through family problems and the nurse practioner seem to think it would help with both of my problems. It has helped my migranes but the pay off has been becoming addicted to effexor. Each time I try to come off I am so sick at my stomach, my whole body aches, feels like I have the flu, I get so dark under my eyes and after a week the crying starts, on top of that my migranes are back in full force, but I would gladly take the migranes back and try to find other options for them. I cut my effexor down to 37.5 mg a day but I still can't stop them. I just started taking 5-HTP and their making me sick at my stomach and dizzy. Wish I knew the answer. We do need a law suit, I would not of started these if I knew the results and I don't think most doctors would of prescribed these if they knew what they would of caused.

Robin Arnold
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I was on Effexor for four years and it took six months to get off of it. Though my dosage was low, I experienced the following: recurring brain buzz, severe wieght gain [35 poinds] despite daily exercise, involuntary defication in public places no less, horrific nightmares, and the usual nausia and sweats. If I missed a day because my shrink was not available, I had to go to bed. The absolute worst medication for anxiety/depression on the planet.

II am taking venlafax er  which is the generic to effexor. 150 miligrams a day and It did not occur to me that so man;y people had the same problems I have.  i get the brain zaps, migranes and confusion if I miss a dose. I assumed that this was a safe medication, I am glad to have came across this site. I think I will talk to my Dr. and get off this medication somehow.