Is there anyone else out there who has been off of Effexor for awhile and experienced any strange symptoms or illness?
I was told to take effexor xr. Worse experience of my life. Now I have non-stop insomnia
and anxiety. My life is a day by day struggle to survive. My life has been ruined. I truely believe this
is going to be the death of me. I want to find a class action suit against its makers Wyeth and try to recoop some of my loss financially. Although
no amount of money will get my life back. Is there anyone else
ready to start a class action suit?
I took Effexor for ten years, I finally quit last January, cold turkey, they were the hardest weeks of my life, zaps in the head vertigo. after a month or so I felt great, energy to get up in the morning and having his and lows again. a couple of months go by and I have a panic attack, and another, so my doc puts me on Zoloft, it stopped the panic attacks, but made me not want to get out of the bed, after 6 months I quit that, 2 months later I am besieged by depression, which I never had before.
My mind isn't right either, im feeling effects I cant explain
I was on effexor for almost 2 years give or take. While I was on it, My hair started thinning. I lost so much hair that I finally said enough and got off effexor. I cried sometimes because of how bad my hair looked. I was only 25 or 26 at the time! The withdrawal was horrible even though I weaned off it slowly. I have been off it for almost a year now, and I think it may have done some damage to my brain. Since stopping it, I am constantly nervous, paranoid, scared, having anxiety and panic attacks. Some days it's so bad I can't eat anything or sleep at all. I've never had this problem BEFORE starting effexor. It is just so weird, I cannot say for certain it's because of the effexor, but I find it strange I have all these new problems since stopping it.
I have been on 300 mg daily doses of Effexor Xr for 10 years or so .i am in my second month of detox. I feel someone owes me an explanation why wasn't I told I could never stop taking ever. I know you have to be weaned off slowly. If I don't take the Effexor I could not function in society. I decided to stop taking the drugs because I am much older now and I feel worse than I could ever imagine. I am an educated women and choose to take this medication. The neurological deficits are over whelming . I used to work as an RN for 10 years . Now I need help getting through one day without a crisis. These drug companies need to take a look at their involvement in this glorious drug industry using the mental I'll people as lab rats. I payed high dollar for this drug with and without insurance throughout my life believing I could not live without it now I am trying to live with the deficits of long term use of effexor Xr. They (pharmaceutical companies ) owe me something. I am poor but I deserve to die with dignity. These newer psych drugs cause the problems we are seeking help for. Depression,anxiety,sob, cardiac arrhythmias that play out as anxiety,tremors,involuntary muscle spasms,headache from he'll for months,confusion, I feel like I have Parkinson's disease from the side effects. This is a long term detoxicifying process. 90 days in an inpatient facility would have been the proper thing to do. But who is going to pay you to take off work so I can pay a coy pay of 250.00/day and still have a job when your done? These drug reps really are ignorant or pure sociopaths. I can't afford an attorney , I am not greedy I just deserve to die in peace..I am a believer in modern technology but how much research is really done on these drugs?I still have a long detox time left. I feel bad yes but I have taken responsibility for the things I have done in my life. I want to stand up against these companies but I don't have the research needed to file a claim or even the money needed to go up against drugs that are legal to prescribe to individuals based on psych examinations and a prescription pad.tina Schreiber from Texas
very much or I go into complete spasm from the top of my head to my feet drawing up at times like a stroke, the sleeplessness unreal, only help I have is musculoskeletal doctor for muscle stretching, chiropractic to put the bones back, pain meds and something lesser than valium to slightly ease the spasms, I was such an active person before, please please, please do not even consider taking this medication, has made life a living hell for the last 3 years, only praying will subside with time....
I was on Effexor for over 10 years. I felt like a zombie and felt nothing for the longest time. I weened off it over 2 1/2 months. As the dosage got lesser I felt weepy a lot for weeks and weeks but generally, more energetic and hopeful. After off it fully for 2 weeks a bad depression hit me, one of the worst, which lasted for about 3 weeks. Only about 4 days of it were really, really bad where I could not leave my bed.
That was 6 weeks ago. Since then, I have felt better, a lot better. I am no longer 'foggy' all the time, not constipated, I FEEL THINGS (I even welcome the bad feelings because at least I'm not a zombie anymore). I feel more hopeful than i have maybe EVER. I don't sweat all the time, I have an appetite again, I look forward to things and make plans.
I started using rescue remedy right after I weened off. I have resumed cognitive behavioural therapy (by skype), have been seeing a naturopath who has blended a targeted "Bach Flower" remedy to my health and needs. I have been taking Bell Master Herbalist Chronic Stress Relief along with Rodiala. I am eating better and taking fish oil, magnesium and an iron free multiviatamin. The naturopath gave me a natural version of ativan called Boiron Sedatil.
None of these things are expensive, and I am just BETTER. I could not motivate myself to do anything before. Now, I make plans, I keep my house cleaner, I sleep better. Today I swam with a friend at the local pool and walked to a pub with friends. I never walked anywhere before due to my social anxiety.
Going off effexor has been worth it for me, but I've had to face my demons, start to feel things and welcome even the gloom and work through it. I feel that I was given a blanket treatment for situational, occasional depression and it only made me worse.
I encourage anyone to try to give it up, under supervision and with support of family. You must be prepared to look at alternatives and change your lifestyle too...
If I wake up tomorrow and feel like I'm 'in the valley' again (as I call it), I know I will be able to cope with it better and come out of it sooner... Stay strong people - make the changes for your health and to save your life.
Hi I don't know how this site works or who can read my posts so please reply to me if you have read it. I can totally relate to the other experiences of taking Effexor that are described here. I have been taking it on or off for 16 years. I have tried many times to wean myself off the drug but the symptoms become so bad that I always end up taking it again. Initially I thought it was my depression returning but even when I was depressed I have never felt as bad as I have after stopping taking these drugs. The anxiety and nervousness is horrible. I lose all motivation for doing anything and just lie down all the time. I feel either constantly exhausted, irritable or so anxious I can hardly talk to people or go out of the house! I feel very alone because I don't think anyone will really understand me unless they have had the same terrible experiences! I really need to connect with people who understand what I am going through! If you relate to what I have just written please contact me!
Hello, I hope my experience can help you. I took Effexor for 10 years and like you try to wean my self off and alway went back on it . I knew that Effexor was making me more sick than better -I was hurting myself, withdrew from life around me. Last September I remove any traces of Effexor from my house, stuck on food for a month ( froze some fish and chicken, because eating healthy protein reach diet is essential while detoxing , also fruits and vegetables are necessary ), found laundromat that did pick up and delivery, bought vitamin B complex and large bottle of Advil. First four weeks I did not leave my bed . I can not describe what I had experience in those first weeks. Think about a flu symptoms multiply by ten. By mid October I went out side for a little walks but it was a challenge because I could not focus my eyes on the road, objects did not have define forms. I wanted to stay in bed but I knew that it was essential to breath fresh air. I was sencetive to every strong smell or sound. By mid December my symptoms became less intense but it took until May to start feeling relatively normal. It's been two years and I would never take another anti anxiety drug again. Do I get depress -yes, but I deal with it a natural way.
Hey,
I understand you.
I was taking Effexor 75 with increased in a few years to 150 mg for 6 years. I weaned myself off and was Effexor free for 2 years. It was awful, was very depressed and anxious. Restarted Effexor 75 mg and increased to 150 mg three years ago due to a new job ( could not handle anxiety and stress) and it helped for sometime. After taking it for 1.5 years I noticed that it stopped working( I had no motivation, weight gain). I was not terribly depressed while on drug but I could not find any motivation. Also, I developed progressive fatigue, brain fog and upper body stiffness in the last 10 years. I decided to slowly wean myself off ( second time). It was way worse experience compare to my first attempt. I started in mid of April of 2015 and stopped completely in November/16. I went through hell with withdrawals ( several months I had flu like symptoms, worsening of back pain). After 1-2 month stopping medicine I started having panic attacks ( first time in my life), severe anxiety and depression. It is about 13 months after I stopped the medication, I am very depressed, anxious and can not handle stress at all. I am working a part time job and thinking to quit( can not handle any stress). So far, I tried lavender capsules for anxiety ( helps some), valerian root ( helps some), tulsi capsules( not much difference), Passion flower ( very mild effect), l-theanine ( helps some), 5-htp( made my anxiety worse), ashwaganda ( made anxiety worse), St. John's wart ( made me worse), Rhodiola ( made anxiety worse). I am taking MVT with b- complex, magnesium, omega-3,turmeric( helped with fibromyalgia).
Now I am contemplating if I should restart Effexor low dose 37.5 in a sake of keeping my job and just be able to function. I have never tried benzos and do not want to try it. I am praying and hope to make a good decision.
I feel like antidepressants ( lexapro - I was on it for 2 years and Effexor) destroyed my life. I was always strong person and my Gyn gave me lexapro because I was anxious and could not study for test. After I started taking it, I was never the same person any more.
I forgot to mention, I tried every diet I could ( from raw food diet to paleo).
The brain after antidepressants is not the same. I hope to hear from someone who recovered from long use of Effexor. Please share your story.
I believe in power of good diet, clean water, air, sunshine and exercises. I believe in prayer , meditation and positive thinking.
I want to believe in neuroplasticity.
I am praying for everyone who is going through similar experience and becoming hopeless