Effexor Class Action Lawsuit

Hello out there!   I am amazed to find so many people who have had similar experiences to me with the drug Venlafaxine( Effexor

Coming off this will deffinitely bring you to your knees.  I have tried twice now,(and I only take 75mg) Both times was a nightmare. Both times found me at the emergency room.  Now I am trying to open the capsule and remove just a few of those little dots inside.  Hoping to make it to 37 dose, then will repeat the same proceedure.  What a heinous way to be sure of a perpetual market!!  I think SOMEONE knew what they were doing! And I think that there should be a consequence as a warning to other drug manufacturers.

 

Linda

 

I can't believe how many people are out there saying the same thing about this drug!!!  I was put on this drug in July 2011 for mild depression after moving to Atlanta.  It's ruined so much of my life.  I actially won my pro figure / fitness card before going on the drug, and was never able to compete at the pro level because of this drug. 

 

The usual me worked out daily, ate very healthy, was bubbly, energetic, and fun.  I weighed 115 lbs before starting venlafaxine.  Now I'm irritable, lazy, slow and am at 150 lbs.  I'm only 5'1.  I want to come off this drug ASAP.  I'm so scared though after reading all of this, but I'm glad to be informed. 

If there is a lawsuit, count me in, I would have never gone on this drug had I known it was going to be such a disaster. 

Hi, thanks so much for posting this important information. I thought I was loosing my mind, and when I tried talking to my doctor he told me the side effects (Horrible and intense dizziness, motion sickness, weakness, and feeling sick to my stomach constantly) would eventually go away. They did not go away when I tried to go off Effexor. Yes, I am definately interested in a Class Action Lawsuit. My name is Gwen Brooks, ***this post is edited by moderator *** *** private e-mails not allowed*** Please read our Terms of Use

I also cannot get off this med...I am taking about 1/12 the dosage but if I miss one day, become dizzy and do not feel well.

I also have a friend who did get off the drug some years ago, but she ended up with tremors of her arms/hands.

I have no answer for this problem. What I am doing is opening up the 75mg capsule and pouring a few of the little "beads" inside out before taking. I will wean myself this way and then continue to do the same with the 371/2 mg dose.  I have done this before, but during travelling and extra stress, became so ill I had to start over. 1/12 seems very good, but what dose did you start with...in other words 1/12 of what?  I wish all out there the very best wishes...and if anyone has learned of anything helpful, please do post.

This is not the first time greedy and immoral manufacturers have used our weaknesses, illnesses, whether physical or emotional to make BIG money! They need to be convinced that in the end they will not prosper!

Linda

I stumbled upon this while researching for my fiancee who has been on effexor for 20+ years and would like to come off, but is having trouble with side effects. It is interesting to me that primary care physicians are allowed to prescribe these types of medications. You mentioned your doctpr said you would "need a psychologist to get off it." Why in god's name don't people need to see a psychologist to get ON these psychoactive medications?!?!?

I just wanted to say that I took this medication for 5 years from the age of 16-21. I felt the same exact withdrawals...chills, nausea, brain zaps, horrific changes in behavior. After so many attempts to quit without success, I finally decided that since I felt so much like a zombie, everyday. I just quit by weaning off and I believe my mom recommended st. johns wart for me which might have helped. If there is any hope with a lawsuit for this, I'd be very interested to help in anyway.

after years and years and years on effexor xr i have succeeded in tapering down to 37.5, supplemented by 5000 mg omegas, vitamin D, DHEA, Prengenalone, Gaba, adding CBT and MM and yoga and aerobic exercise. Things really started spiraling downwards about 2 week ago, 2 weeks in to the 37.5 dosage and yeah, brought me to my knees. A return of the delusional thinking, obsessive thoughts, terror, dissociation from reality, self flagellation and depression, anxiety. Spent 3 hours yesterday at doctors and left with script for Lexapro, a bottle of 5htp, some B vitamins and Deplin.  Didn't get the Lexapro filled yet. Today was not a spectacular day, but better enough so that I still have not filled the Lexapro. Adding the 5HTP @ 50 mg. with the GABA (I also take klonopin so that was 1 mg last night) I slept and woke up NOT feeling the absolute horror of not wanting to face the world. I've been writing about effexor withdrawal for years now over at my blog  

Venlafaxine was prescribed to me over a year ago by a senior psychiatrist to treat what he diagnosed rather swiftly (in one consultation) as Generalised Anxiety Disorder. I insisted that I would have preferred increased doses and different combinations of benzodiazepines, which I had been taking daily for 30 years; but he absolutely refused to listen to my pleas for more benzos. His arguments in favour of Venlafaxine were that it is not addictive. My arguments in favour of benzos were that they are a much better proven drug, to which I had no specific addiction or unhealthy relationship (I am, e.g. NOT interested at all in any recreational "highs" some people claim to obtain from them; but I only ever used them to return me back to a state which I deem NORMAL).

Despite my pleas, I submitted to my doctor's authority, and I had to cope with Venlafaxine for over a year. Only to find out about its "paradoxical effects" (it actually created the disease that it was supposed to cure; and my anxiety got worse). And to experiment the withdrawal symptoms. I have never experimented any LSD, cocaine or similar drugs; but I read that their withdrawal effects are, in fact, very similar to what I have experienced with Venlafaxine withdrawal. Talk about a non-addictive drug!

I am at a loss to understand why I was denied the well tolerated treatment I had been begging for, namely benzodiazepines. Why do doctors prefer a 17 y.o. drug with a list of secondary effects long like the Wall of China, over a family of drugs known and well tolerated for over 60 years (benzos)?

Would it be, by any chance, because a patient who is getting his Valium, temazepam, triazolam or other benzodiazepine is much less likely to come back to complain about anything? And that prescribing venlafaxine offers "cases" which doctors find much more "interesting" to deal with? - Sorry; but that's the only explanation I can think of now.

Stay away from Venlafaxine. Refuse to be an "interesting case" for your doctor. Demand real medication.

I would like to join the class action suit. Effexor has ruined my life. It has done irreversible damage. I have been on it for 12 years and I cannot hold a job because my memory is so bad. Please let me know if there is a class action lawsuit. I don't even care about the money as much as suiing the drug company and getting it off the market before it destroys more lives.

Can you share with us if you were able to find a lawyer that would take on the case with Wyeth regarding Effexor? Here is my number 469-2339881. Thanks

xtrodinare wrote:

ECALS wrote:

I have been taking Effexor 100mg/daily for well over 10 years. I have tried to wean off of this drug even with doctors for years, and the withdrawal symptoms are excruciating. I have suffered, my children suffered, family has suffered worried about me, I have lost jobs [not from depression] but from trying to withdrawal from this drug with no success.

The drug specifics (the paper that comes with the drug that specifies the side affects, etc.) does NOT mention how difficult it would be to withdrawal from this medication.

I am madder than ****! My doctor never told me how difficult it would be to get off this drug ---- even being weened off for months!! I asked my doctor how do I get off this drug!?! Her response was, "you have to see a psychologist", baloney! The problem is not my depression, it's the withdrawal symptoms!! A psychologist isn't going to cure the feeling like I'm being "electrocuted" that last for months - to only give up and go back on this drug!

I have contacted an attorney and he thinks we possibly have a case here. I am forming a class action lawsuit, against the mfg. of Effexor - Wyeth Pharmaceutical.

I need as many people as possible to jump on this train with me. Please email me your name, address, telephone number and your withdrawal experiences. Please write to:********
I feel it is almost impossible to get off this drug. I need your help to fight back, because I feel it is all about money to get the public addicted to this drug.

Thank you, I appreciate your help.
*******

**edited by moderator**emails not allowed**

Can you share with us if you were able to find a lawyer that would take on the case with Wyeth regarding Effexor? Here is my number 469-2339881. Thanks

We need to all band together to have a class action suit. I have not idea how to do this, but I want to be part of this. Please email me at _[removed]_
I have suffered terribly. My memory has really been affected and I cannot learn a new job. I am under the care of a naturopath and she is giving me natural things to help me. After I weaned myself off, I added these things and they are helping me.
Please write to me.
Terry

Terryann wrote:

xtrodinare wrote:

ECALS wrote:

I have been taking Effexor 100mg/daily for well over 10 years. I have tried to wean off of this drug even with doctors for years, and the withdrawal symptoms are excruciating. I have suffered, my children suffered, family has suffered worried about me, I have lost jobs [not from depression] but from trying to withdrawal from this drug with no success.

The drug specifics (the paper that comes with the drug that specifies the side affects, etc.) does NOT mention how difficult it would be to withdrawal from this medication.

I am madder than ****! My doctor never told me how difficult it would be to get off this drug ---- even being weened off for months!! I asked my doctor how do I get off this drug!?! Her response was, "you have to see a psychologist", baloney! The problem is not my depression, it's the withdrawal symptoms!! A psychologist isn't going to cure the feeling like I'm being "electrocuted" that last for months - to only give up and go back on this drug!

I have contacted an attorney and he thinks we possibly have a case here. I am forming a class action lawsuit, against the mfg. of Effexor - Wyeth Pharmaceutical.

I need as many people as possible to jump on this train with me. Please email me your name, address, telephone number and your withdrawal experiences. Please write to:********
I feel it is almost impossible to get off this drug. I need your help to fight back, because I feel it is all about money to get the public addicted to this drug.

Thank you, I appreciate your help.
*******

**edited by moderator**emails not allowed**

Can you share with us if you were able to find a lawyer that would take on the case with Wyeth regarding Effexor? Here is my number 469-2339881. Thanks

We need to all band together to have a class action suit. I have not idea how to do this, but I want to be part of this. Please email me at _[removed]_
I have suffered terribly. My memory has really been affected and I cannot learn a new job. I am under the care of a naturopath and she is giving me natural things to help me. After I weaned myself off, I added these things and they are helping me.
Please write to me.
Terry

Like so many others, I wish I had known the consequences of taking Effexor. During menopause I was told, the medicine would help with night sweats. After some time, I didn't need the drug so quit taking it only to find out my sleep patterns were terribly disturbed. So I tried weaning myself with 3/4 pill for a week, 1/2, then 1/4....no matter what I have tried, if I completely quit the pill, my dreams become extremely vivid and bothersome. Linda

I want to be included on this list. Please let me know how.

Terry

LindaHall wrote:

Terryann wrote:

xtrodinare wrote:

ECALS wrote:

I have been taking Effexor 100mg/daily for well over 10 years. I have tried to wean off of this drug even with doctors for years, and the withdrawal symptoms are excruciating. I have suffered, my children suffered, family has suffered worried about me, I have lost jobs [not from depression] but from trying to withdrawal from this drug with no success.

The drug specifics (the paper that comes with the drug that specifies the side affects, etc.) does NOT mention how difficult it would be to withdrawal from this medication.

I am madder than ****! My doctor never told me how difficult it would be to get off this drug ---- even being weened off for months!! I asked my doctor how do I get off this drug!?! Her response was, "you have to see a psychologist", baloney! The problem is not my depression, it's the withdrawal symptoms!! A psychologist isn't going to cure the feeling like I'm being "electrocuted" that last for months - to only give up and go back on this drug!

I have contacted an attorney and he thinks we possibly have a case here. I am forming a class action lawsuit, against the mfg. of Effexor - Wyeth Pharmaceutical.

I need as many people as possible to jump on this train with me. Please email me your name, address, telephone number and your withdrawal experiences. Please write to:********
I feel it is almost impossible to get off this drug. I need your help to fight back, because I feel it is all about money to get the public addicted to this drug.

Thank you, I appreciate your help.
*******

**edited by moderator**emails not allowed**

Can you share with us if you were able to find a lawyer that would take on the case with Wyeth regarding Effexor? Here is my number 469-2339881. Thanks

We need to all band together to have a class action suit. I have not idea how to do this, but I want to be part of this. Please email me at _[removed]_
I have suffered terribly. My memory has really been affected and I cannot learn a new job. I am under the care of a naturopath and she is giving me natural things to help me. After I weaned myself off, I added these things and they are helping me.
Please write to me.
Terry

Like so many others, I wish I had known the consequences of taking Effexor. During menopause I was told, the medicine would help with night sweats. After some time, I didn't need the drug so quit taking it only to find out my sleep patterns were terribly disturbed. So I tried weaning myself with 3/4 pill for a week, 1/2, then 1/4....no matter what I have tried, if I completely quit the pill, my dreams become extremely vivid and bothersome. Linda

Linda,
There are other things for hot flashes...dont' take effexor...it's not even made for that. It's a dangerous drug. There are lots of natural things for hot flashes,....even at a regular drug store.
Terry