Depression Support Group
Depression is a real and debilitating condition that is often misunderstood by family and friends. Its meaning can range from a prolonged period of sadness to an actual mental illness with specific symptoms. Find and share experiences with others who are going through the same struggles.
I went cold turkey off effexor 75mg about 6-8 weeks ago. This is torture. I dont know how much longer i can stand this depression. I dont wanna go on another drug unless i know this med-free struggle is really futile. If someone can just give me the real time limit of 75mg withdrawal i can make the informed choice. Please help or paste a link i have reason to believe is RELIABLE.
I posted the following at the "ask an expert" tab. And i just cant wait/hope for a response there only:
I'm a 36 yr old male.
In short: I went cold turkey off Effexor 75mg about 6-8 weeks ago. I need to know when i'm officially off withdrawal to know if this feeling is my genuine self or not. The answer will allow me to determine if i should start another medication or not.
Yes, i've talked to my doctor, but frankly i think he's an idiot.
Ive tried researching this, and get far to many variants on the answer to make any conclusion-- from 8 days to 3 years to never.
Please respond ASAP cause i need to find a plan to hold on to ASAP!!!
I posted the following at the "ask an expert" tab. And i just cant wait/hope for a response there only:
I'm a 36 yr old male.
In short: I went cold turkey off Effexor 75mg about 6-8 weeks ago. I need to know when i'm officially off withdrawal to know if this feeling is my genuine self or not. The answer will allow me to determine if i should start another medication or not.
Yes, i've talked to my doctor, but frankly i think he's an idiot.
Ive tried researching this, and get far to many variants on the answer to make any conclusion-- from 8 days to 3 years to never.
Please respond ASAP cause i need to find a plan to hold on to ASAP!!!
why not check out some other non med ways to tackle depression? even some herbal supplements may help.
let us know how you go.
Going off cold-turkey is surely NOT the way to go!!! Get back of that shit and take it every other day for a week, then every third day for a week and so on until you are down to 1 tab a day. Then take it every other day, then three times a week then twice a week then once a week. (reduce weekly or take two weeks between, if need be). Then try to be off it. Ir you start buzzing, take a pill. An effexor once or twice a month (if you get the withdrawal symptoms) might suffice.
I sure wish the doctors would warn us of the side effects. Or perhaps they are in denial. They treat the symptoms and the hell with the patient.
These are the guides as stated in the BNF for Venlafaxine/Effexor. (Brand names etc)
Cold turkey isn't a good way to go as this antidepressant can have strong withdrawal symptoms. It's an older drug thats good for mixing with others to give the best results. More modern SSRI's don't allow much scope for mixing. It's still a serious drug and not to be messed with.
In hospital, you would normally half your dose over a week and then be "dry" for two weeks prior to starting an alternative SSRI. If your coming off the medication completely, then five weeks to 6months for your size dose should be allowed with a very gradual reduction. (I'm on 375mg per day and will need a year or more to come off completely which is not going to happen. Two to three weeks would be required in order to change to an alternative medication and it is hell when i've had to do it. Tranquelizers are a must to help relieve some of the symptoms and as with my last meds change, being admitted into hospital is a good idea.)
(From the BNF)
Withdrawal.
Gastro-intestinal disturbances, headache, anxiety, dizziness, paraesthesia, tremor, sleep disturbances, and sweating are most common features of withdrawal if treatment stopped abruptly or if dose reduced markedly; dose should be reduced over several weeks.
Withdrawal
Withdrawal effects on stopping treatment with antidepressant drugs are usually mild and self-limiting, but in some cases may be severe; drugs with a shorter half-life, such as paroxetine and venlafaxine, are associated with a higher risk of withdrawal symptoms. Gastro-intestinal symptoms of nausea, vomiting, and anorexia, accompanied by headache, giddiness, chills, and insomnia, and sometimes by hypomania, panic-anxiety, and extreme motor restlessness may occur if an antidepressant (particularly an MAOI) is stopped suddenly after regular administration for 8 weeks or more. The dose should preferably be reduced gradually over about 4 weeks, or longer if withdrawal symptoms emerge (6 months in patients who have been on long-term maintenance treatment). SSRIs have been associated with a specific withdrawal syndrome (section 4.3.3).
I hope this helps.
All the best
Dave.
I quit effexor slowly with the help of my doctor. Taking one pill a day, no pill for two days for one week. Then one pill a day, no pill for three days, and so on. Quitting effexor is tough and even with the help of a dr is torture. God, I suffered withdrawls like mad.
You need to see your doctor. Don't suffer like this :/,
My life was spinning out of control, I could not handle the stresses
of life.. Everthing was overwhelming... I went to a Psychiatrist for help.
To get to the point of stopping an SSRI's........
I recently went to a doctor for yearly checkup. He was concerned I was taking zanax. I explained why.... I need to take the paxil, but it has side effects (for me) such as mild mania, insomnia, sweating.
The zanax relieves these symptoms...A very low dose of . 5mg 2x per day.
He suggested I try Prozac, dose down off of paxil so I wouldn't have to take zanax. So I tried... ( I have tried to dose down off of paxil before)
But the symtoms always come back,..
This time which has only been within the last month....
The withdrawls were a horrible, worse than before.. Prozac did nothing.. The day I stopped the paxil, I started getting the "zaps" that night, I have had them before... I started experiencing extreme bouts' of agitation, irritability,crying, miserable to say the least!!!
So I went back on the paxil and the symptoms disappeared within about 6 hours..
The Paxil does not for me take away all the symtoms.. but I can see my way thru them without feeling so overwhelmed.
I can lead a fullfilling life now.. I am two very different people and my personality changes dramaticly, when I don't take my meds..
I am no doctor and everyone is different!!
This is just my experience..
I would NEVER go off an anti depressant/SSRI's cold turkey!!
If you need more info, I looked into this on many websites.
I went into Wikipedia, researched the links, especially the footnotes
And found very valuable info!!!
Some can dose down or find anouther med.
For me if it works.... why try and mess with it!!!.
I will continue my meds as it works!!
If I have to on it the rest of my life then so be it!!
I keep up to date on the meds, side effects,anything new ect
Even if it caused cancer, if they found this out down the road...
I would rather have 10 good, peacefull productive years, than have 20 miserable years!!!
Just my opinion, my experience...
Hope this helps!!
I
I weaned off of it ridiculously slowly: went to half a day, then half every other day, then 1/4 every other day, then every three days... At the end I was chipping pieces off of a pill every 3-4 days. Every time I tried to stop it seemed the nausea, dizziness and muscle cramps would come right back. I think it took me 3 months.
I have weaned off of other SSRI's but Effexor was by far the worst.