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mamaof4 Effexor for years . . . now what?


mamaof4

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I am looking for any information from current past and previous anxiety suffers . . . here is my story.

 

Almost 11 years ago (June 29th 2002 to be exact) I began my life with Anxiety! I had gotten married to my best friend, bought our first home, landed my dream job and my whole world came crashing down on me out of no where . . . I had my first panic attack. From there I spent hours upon hours in emergency rooms, surfing the net searching for what was going on with me and why! fast forward to just over 2 years later, still having regular attacks with no relief I gave birth to our first daughter. Such a happy time over shadowed by a demon I could not shake! 3 months post partum I was living in full panic anxiety all the time, I couldn't leave my house and complete the simplest of tasks alone, That's when Effexor entered my life! It took along time for Effexor to start working for me but when I reached 250mg and was there for a while it was the magic pill. I was able to leave my house, work and live a normal"ish" existence . . . I had two more children, moved into our forever home and life seemed good. That is except for the fact that I could not loose weight, had no sex drive (despite the kids ;) could not feel emotion, and was just indifferent to the world. I felt like I had it all yet I was missing out on every part of it. That is when I decided to get off Effexor. Sure I had occasional anxiety episodes, most for normal reasons so I could handle it now right????

 

I started to lower my doses nearly a year ago and all the way through I felt fine so I was certain this was going to be a breeze. In January I changed my diet to a whole foods plant based diet and was feeling better than ever so it was time to go all the way. At the end of January I battled all the withdraw symptoms and found total success . . . I was thrilled and felt so free. I felt happy, sad and even frisky for the first time in years ;) Now I am three months in and recently started a new job and BAM! Its back, I cannot shake the overwhelming feeling of constant anxiety, its effecting my job (which I love and so desperately do not want to loose), my family and my outlook on life.

 

Is it normal for this to happen at the three month mark? Do I go back on and forever feel nothing but numb? I am so lost confused and scared as hell . . . what's your advice????

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi mamof4,

 

Welcome to the forum.

 

I'm glad you've found us.

 

What you've described is an extremely common scenario, especially with Effexor. The withdrawal symptoms can seem to be fairly benign and even in some cases, non-existent for months and then all of a sudden they hit with a vengeance.

 

You have been off your medication for several months, so there's a chance that re-instatement may not work - however, I believe it's worth a try.

 

You might want to begin by reinstating a very small dose of your Effexor and see if it helps the symptoms to settle a bit. Perhaps 5mg to start with and then take it from there.

 

The best case scenario would be for you to stabilize at an appopriate dose and then begin tapering much more slowly. Please see this link on reinstating:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/3079-about-reinstating-and-stabilizing-to-stop-withdrawal-symptoms/

 

And here for how to taper off Effexor:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tips-for-tapering-off-effexor-and-effexor-xr-venlafaxine/

 

In the meantime, know that there is a lot of support and help available here.

July 2001 prescribed 20mg citalopram for depression;
On and off meds from 2003-2006.
February 2006 back on 20mg citalopram and stayed on it until my last attempt at tapering in September 2011.
By far the worst withdrawal symptoms ever. Reinstated to 20mg citalopram
October 2012 - found this forum!
Nov 2012 to Feb 2013 did 10% taper, got doen to 11mg - was going great until stressful situation. Cortisol levels hit the roof, hideous insomnia forced me to updose to 20mg.
March 2016 - close to 100% back to normal!



****** I am not a medical practitioner, any advice I give comes from my own experience or reading and is only my perspective ******

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  • Moderator Emeritus

hi Mama of 4, from a mama of 3 also on effexor...

 

I have reinstated effexor after up to 6 months off and after about 4-6 weeks had a resolution of my symptoms. I have tried many times to get off, most recently got down to about 14mg - i had a resurgence of anxiety and depression and i have decided that i just can't continue with those symptoms and be a wife, mother, employer and business owner at the same time. I also can't put my life on hold anymore so i have updosed back to 75mg after trying smaller increases without getting a good enough resolution. I will stay here in the foreseeable future, at least until I have no pressing commitments or deadlines to navigate. It just makes it all so difficult.

 

My working theory, based only on my own observations and feelings (not very scientific) is that the effexor has made me more sensitive and any kind of extra stress tips me back to anxiety/depression that is not mediated by psychological methods - like CBT, meditation, etc which i was a bit more successful at before medication...Exercise is helpful, but i have found that i can't run all day :lol:

 

Were you taking capsules with little beads inside? I was able to count the beads quite successfully until i got down to about 14mg... I wish you the best and look forward to hearing more from you soon

Started in 2000 - On 150mg most of the time, (but up to 225mg at highest dose for 6 months in the beginning)
Reduced off easily first time - but got depressed (not too much anxiety) 6 months later
Back on effexor for another 9 months.
Reduced off again with no immediate w/d - suddenly got depressed and anxious ++ again 3 or 4 months later.
Back on effexor - this time for 3 years
Reduced off over a month - 6 weeks later terrible anxiety - back on.
Rinse and repeat 4 more times - each time the period before the anxiety comes back got shorter and shorter
Jan - July 2012 75mg down to 37.5mg;, 8/3/12 - 35mg. 8/25/12 - 32mg. 9/11- 28mg, 10/2 - 25mg, 10/29 - 22mg, 11/19 - 19.8mg; 12/11 - 17m,
1/1- 15.5mg; 1/22 -14mg, 2/7 14.9mg, 2/18 - 17.8mg - crashed big time: back to 75mg where i sat for 2 years....

4th  March 2015 - 67.5mg;   31st March - 60mg;  24th April - 53mg; 13th May - 48mg; 26th May - 45mg;  9th June - 41mg; 1 July- 37.5mg; 20 July - 34mg; 11 August - 31mg; 1st Sept - 28mg;  1st Dec - 25.8mg;  28th Dec - 23.2mg; 23rd Jan-21.9mg; Feb 7th- 21mg; March 1st - 20.1mg, March 30th - 18mg

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I seriously feel i am going to loose my mind, i dont understand how nearly three months off the drug i could be right back where i started years ago pre effexor! My anxiety is so bad i fear i am going to loose everything? Is this normal? Is this going to go away? I go see my doctor tomorrow and i know he is going to tell me to go back on effexor! I am so scared, so worried and so anxious!

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Mamaof4,

 

I'm so sorry you're feeling so desperate.

 

Yes it IS normal, you are suffering from debilitating withdrawal and discontinuing Effexor is notoriously hard.

 

Did you updose yet? Or are you still waiting for your doctor's advice?

July 2001 prescribed 20mg citalopram for depression;
On and off meds from 2003-2006.
February 2006 back on 20mg citalopram and stayed on it until my last attempt at tapering in September 2011.
By far the worst withdrawal symptoms ever. Reinstated to 20mg citalopram
October 2012 - found this forum!
Nov 2012 to Feb 2013 did 10% taper, got doen to 11mg - was going great until stressful situation. Cortisol levels hit the roof, hideous insomnia forced me to updose to 20mg.
March 2016 - close to 100% back to normal!



****** I am not a medical practitioner, any advice I give comes from my own experience or reading and is only my perspective ******

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I had been off the Effexor for 3 months now so when I went to my doctors today and told him what was happening and how I felt he definitely thought I needed to go back on my beds but because I was so "numb" on the Effexor he asked me to try Pristiq. I read a lot about anxiety, cures, therapy's and what not and I have never heard of this stuff until today. I filled the script but haven't taken it yet. Has anyone here had experience with it???? I would love to here anything and everything about it

 

Tammy

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  • Moderator Emeritus

Hi mamaof4,

 

The problem with taking different medication is that it won't necessarily resolve the current withdrawal symptoms you're having from the Effexor discontinuation.

 

So often you end up with a whole new set of problems on top of the withdrawal symptoms you already have.

 

If you're going to take any medication I'd suggest you reinstate a small dose of your Effexor, stabilize and then slowly taper off that medication.

 

Your CNS, by way of withdrawal symptoms, is screaming out for the specific molecules contained in the drug you discontinued. Adding a new drug to the mix may complicate things even further.

July 2001 prescribed 20mg citalopram for depression;
On and off meds from 2003-2006.
February 2006 back on 20mg citalopram and stayed on it until my last attempt at tapering in September 2011.
By far the worst withdrawal symptoms ever. Reinstated to 20mg citalopram
October 2012 - found this forum!
Nov 2012 to Feb 2013 did 10% taper, got doen to 11mg - was going great until stressful situation. Cortisol levels hit the roof, hideous insomnia forced me to updose to 20mg.
March 2016 - close to 100% back to normal!



****** I am not a medical practitioner, any advice I give comes from my own experience or reading and is only my perspective ******

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One problem I've heard here is that it is hard to figure out a way to make tiny doses of it, if you ever want to get off. But people have succeeded. But time-wise I think you're feeling like a lot of people do this far out from stopping. So my vote is for a little bit more Effexor...and supporting you, whatever you decide.

1st round Prozac 1989/90, clear depression symptoms. 2nd round Prozac started 1999 when admitted to dr. I was tired. Prozac pooped out, switch to Cymbalta 3/2006. Diagnosed with bipolar disorder due to mania 6/2006--then I was taken abruptly off Cymbalta and didn't know I had SSRI withdrawal. Lots of meds for my intractable "bipolar" symptoms.

Zyprexa started about 9/06, mostly 5mg. Tapered 4/12 through12/29/12

Wellbutrin. XL 300 mg started 1/07, tapered 1/18/13 through 7/8/13

Oxazepam mostly continuously since 6/06, 30mg since 12/12, tapered 1.17.14 through 8.26.15

11/06 Lithium 600mg twice daily, 2.2.14 400mg TID DIY liquid, 2.12.14 1150mg, 3.2.14 1100mg, 3.18.14 1075mg, 4/14 updose to 1100mg, 6.1.14 900 mg capsules 7.8.14 810mg, 8.17.14 725mg, 8.24.24 700mg...10.22.14 487.5mg, 3.9.15 475mg, 4.1.15 462.5mg 4.21.15 450mg 8.11.15 375mg, 11.28.15 362.5mg, back to 375mg four days later, 3.4.16 updose to 475 (too much going on to risk trouble)

9/4/13 Toprol-XL 25mg daily for sudden hypertension, tapered 11.12.13 through 5.3.14, last 10 days or so switched to atenolol

7.4.14 Started Walsh Protocol

56 years old

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  • Administrator

Welcome, mamaof4.

 

I agree with basildev and meimeiquest, going back on a low dose of Effexor might help your severe withdrawal symptoms.

 

Were you taking Effexor XR in a capsule containing little beads? Do you have any left? Even 10 beads might help.

 

See this topic for tips on how to make a low dosage survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/272-tips-for-tapering-off-effexor-and-effexor-xr-venlafaxine/

 

Pristiq cannot be tapered and it can be just as difficult to withdraw from.

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.

"It has become appallingly obvious that our technology has surpassed our humanity." -- Albert Einstein

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