Anyone ever quit taking Effexor XR?
#310494 - 07/05/07 12:30 PM
|
|
|
|
|
|
I'm having a rough time of it quitting this stuff! I seem to recall some of you talking about it a while back but can't find the threads. There are so many that talk about ADs.
I am currently down to 37.5 mg every other day after being at 75 mg daily for almost one year. The side effects of weaning are terrible and my IBS has been aggravated by it. Any advice would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I had an AWFUL time getting off of it! I was at 225 mg per day (1.5 pills twice daily). My doctor wanted to switch me to Wellbutrin; the Effexor side effects were making me crazy (really bad C, sexual side effects, etc.). I was fine until I took my last dose of Effexor. First I went from one pill once a day to nothing (except for the additional Wellbutrin) and that made me miserable with nausea and vertigo. So I went back to just half a pill a day for a week and then stopped again. Same thing; awful nausea and vertigo. But this second time I suffered through it. After a few days of just Wellbutrin, the withdrawal still hadn't gone away, so they told me to stop the Wellbutrin cold turkey. After a few more days, the withdrawal finally went away. But I spent a good ten days barely able to get out of bed because of the vertigo. I tried everything from motion sickness meds to tranquilizers. Nothing helped; I just had to get through it.
All I can say is, I've been there! Good luck! I feel for you. But I also feel SO much better now that I'm off of everything. I'm finally IBS stable!!
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Thanks so much for posting! It's a comfort to know I am not alone in this withdrawal thing. I was worried that my symptoms were only due to my IBS, but I now know they are not since in addition to stomach upset and diarrhea I am also experiencing vertigo, headaches, fuzziness, disorientation and what I can only describe as "zaps" in my brain. It's truly miserable!
I am seeing my doctor on Wednesday to check on my progress. It's taking such a long time to wean off the stuff and I was only on 75 mg per day! Unfortunately I cannot cut the pills to half my dosages because Effexor XR only comes in capsules.
Did your doctor give you the Wellbutrin to help you wean off Effexor or were you just switching to a different AD?
Thanks again for your support and your input!!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I was up to such a high dose of the effexor that my C was terrible (I was taking almost 2 tablespoons of Natural Calm every night), as were the sexual side effects. I couldn't take it anymore! SInce I hadn't been on a consistent dose for 6 months yet, she wanted to switch me to Wellbutrin. Now that I'm off of all that, I take only 1 teaspoon of NC every night!
Can you switch from the XR version to the regular version, then wean off of that? In my experience, the withdrawal isn't going to go away until you are COMPLETELY off of it. The slower you wean won't make a difference!  It sucks I know, but I finally just had to stop everything and let it leave my system. Effexor has a very short half life so it leaves your system very quickly; in other words, it doesn't have a "built in" weaning process. Wellbutrin is the opposite - it has a long half life and leaves your body more slowly. it has it's own weaning process sorta built in. Does that make sense? I did a google search on "Effexor withdrawal" when I was going through it and found lots of helpful information.
Hang in there!! Let me knwo how it goes with the doctor tomorrow!
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
My doctor prescribed the regular version of Effexor and the plan is I should be completely off the stuff in 6 weeks. I am supposed to take 25 mg three times per day for two weeks, then twice a day for two weeks, then once a day for two weeks, then nothing. He echoed what you said about weaning and the half-life of Effexor XR being so quick. Apparently that is what causes the withdrawals because my body is suffering from a rapid serotonin decrease. Ick.
I'll keep you posted as to my status. I am not looking forward the weaning, but I am so excited to get off this stuff! I noticed I was just fatigued all the time on Effexor, I lost my sex drive, too, and god forbid if I was a few hours late on my dosage! It was just miserable and I hated that my body was so dependent on a drug. If I ever go back on an AD in the future, it will NOT be Effexor!
Thanks for the support Lisa Marie! It's nice to know I'm not alone 
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
LOL this was a timely thread. I've heard it's miserable to get off of, and I'm on XR. Hopefully not long term. maybe you can share with me, Amanda?
--------------------
Keep on keepin' on...
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
Alrighty..Last Friday, I started taking Effexor (regular, not XR) at 12 mg three times a day. I didn't notice any adverse side effects from the change to regular Effexor. I accidentally skipped a dose yesterday and didn't feel any adverse effects either.
The only problem is I am pretty unstable as far as my D goes. I don't know whether to attribute that to eating too much IF this weekend or to getting off the meds.
I'll keep you posted as I go!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
It very well may be the Effexor. that stuff REALLY gave me C, and I noticed a change in this immediately when I was weaning off. I guess I would decrease your IF for awhile and see if that helps. Good luck!
--------------------
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lisa, IBS-C (Vegan)
Stable since July 2007!
Mommy to Rhiannon Marie (Dec. 13, 2008)
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I think it is the meds. I ate really safe all weekend and still have loose, crampy stools. It's nasty...especially at work! Oh well.
I am quitting coffee (again) too. I think I was able to tolerate it much better while on Effexor since it made me a little more C. Now it's just causing me mountains of grief!
Still feeling okay on the Effexor 12 mg 3x daily. More to follow later!
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
|
|
I hope you'll stabilize quickly once you're off the med. How is work going? You were a law student or something like that right? Have you finished that? I remember finding you inspiring because you didn't let IBS stop you from getting what you want out of life. That's great.
/Ulrika, IBS-D
Print
Remind Me
Notify Moderator
|
Posts
