Psych Community
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KiwiCola
Starting Member
26 Posts
Gratitude: 3
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 Posted - 10/24/2007 : 02:09:57
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 Hi there I'm new to this forum. I've been on venlafaxine (225mg) for a year and have been coming off it for about a month. I finally got down to zero effexor (I still take lithium, which I have been taking for 2 years). I now have what I believe to be withdrawal effects- dizziness, blocked ears, tinnitis. I told my psychiatrist- but was told that it was most probably flu. Ive been looking on the net and annoyed  to see that it is that drug effexor! Does anyone know how long these withdrawal effects last? By the way I am a mental health nurse, and I suffered with PND with my son who is now 6 and my daughter who is now 2 (5 years of drugs in total). Some Drs think I have bipolar disorder- I only had one high episode and I think that was due to other antidepressants (aropax and prozac) that I trialled before coming to be on lithium- venlafaxine was addded later when my depression was still evident with my daughter. |
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| aquamarine
Amazing Member (1000+ posts)
1238 Posts
Gratitude: 325
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| stubborn
Starting Member
23 Posts
Gratitude: 7
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Posted - 02/19/2008 : 07:05:23
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| Hi KiwiCola, My own personal experience with Effexor was horrible and made me very violent. I mentioned to my doctor about electrical zapping and how the meds were making me feel and was just ignored and told to keep taking it so i changed doctors and now i'm on Sodium Valproate and Moclobemide and i feel so much better. What really annoyed me was the symptoms i was having were written in the companies own leaflet on side effects and the doctor had obviously not even read it but still was happy to push it onto me. Keep trying till you get some meds your happy with and dont feel bad about it. I have nothing nice to say about that drug as i could have hurt people. |
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| christopher robin
Starting Member
1 Posts |
Posted - 02/24/2008 : 15:05:53
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I am a Certified Nurse Practitioner and specialize in neurology. I have recently weaned myself off Effexor. I weaned off over a 3 week period. I am learning first hand what it feels like to experience withdrawal from this drug. I have what feels like an inflammation of my meninges, which is the worst symptom of all. I have heard others describe a similar sensation as if their brain keeps spinning once their head movement is stopped.
I have been off the medication for almost 2 weeks and I am still on my last nerve. I am clumsy and sometimes I just cannot think clearly. I have no drive. I am nauseated and anxious.
As far as the brain sensations - I received dexamethasone 4 mg injections once daily for 4 days and this really, really helped. I can only assume this problem was related to Effexor withdrawal and certainly suggests an inflammatory reaction. The dizziness and brain sensations are better but are still trying to creep back in. (I have no symptoms that would suggest meningitis.)
There is an alternate method for getting yourself off Effexor and that is to switch to Prozac (as this particular SSRI does not produce severe withdrawal in most people), and then wean yourself off Prozac.
I am certainly going to rethink placing patients on SNRI/SSRI. |
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| PolarOne
Super Member (250+ posts)
456 Posts
Gratitude: 138
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Posted - 02/26/2008 : 02:48:40
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Sounds like a severe reaction CR, always worth asking your Dr's if they're going to write your experience up as a case report, everyone can learn then. Hope you feel better now.
The SSRI method worked fine for me coming off effexor second time round, in fact I only needed 3 x 20mg citalopram tabs to wean myself off, with fairly minimal withdrawal effects.
I guess there are established prescribing regimes for most conditions these days, modelled on EBM. Effexor is only recommended to be prescribed by Psychiatrists where I live (or so I've read anyway), when other treatments have failed. SSRI's would seem relatively safe in my own experience and can make a lot of difference to mood/anxiety/panic symptoms. Don't think I'll be taking effexor again either though.
I suppose even some foods e.g. peanuts, dairy products etc. can provoke severe reactions in some (and increasing numbers of) people these days. |
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Venlafaxine (effexor) withdrawal effects
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