Just as I was about to shout from the rafters that I’m down to 112.5 mg of Effexor XR, down from an initial dose of 600 mg, and a steady dose of 450 mg for almost exactly seven years, and better yet, will soon say goodbye once and for all to the substance that has done nothing but make me sick at best and violent at worst (but unable to stop taking it due to a withdrawal syndrome that includes “brain zaps” [the sensation of an electric shock going through one's head, and often, from my head down to my toes], night terrors, and, well, all that is described and expressed here) – for the methadone that I am currently taking (also working my way down now, but slowly) and the opiate painkillers that I was taking during my hospitalization this past January (these being the reason for the methadone – I was very addicted to Dilaudid, much more so than I knew) when I tapered down from 450 mg of Effexor XR to 300 mg, seem to have magically alleviated the brain zaps, and I now only experience them if I go an entire week without taking any Effexor whatsoever, Just before shouting to the rafters, or rather, to my younger sister, who despises me for taking psych meds (if only she could understand that I hate myself enough already, actually, if only my entire family could understand that I hate myself enough already, enough to barely make it out of bed each morning… ) I opened this comment, left here for me, that has left me in what shrinks would call a “mixed state” 
. Indeed, once I return to Vancouver – I flew in to Winnipeg to visit my family for the holidays yesterday, and hopefully this one will be better than the last…
"Canadian Gothic/Over-Consumed" Christmas, 2010
- the same psychiatrist that I was about to fire must have ESP, as he finally jumped on board with me very enthusiastically regarding the primary goal I’ve had since I first saw him last April: getting off Effexor XR, and he and I agreed that it probably was not the best idea to stop taking the drug completely while in the company of the folks pictured above, my stepmother and her family, who I’ve had a wee bit of trouble getting along with in the past, but that as soon as I return to Vancouver I will do it. He will put me on Prozac for one week due to its long half-life, which purportedly alleviates SSRI/SNRI withdrawal syndrome completely (I will, of course, keep a record of my experience, here, as I am a little doubtful about the “completely” part), after which I will never again ingest a microgram of Effexor XR/Venlafaxine.
The description that a woman left for me below sums up my experience of the drug quite well, and I felt it would be a disservice not to post it here, on the front page, for anyone considering going on antidepressants (“Pristiq” is an isomer of Effexor – “Devenlafaxine”, and is every bit as dangerous. The other antidepressant that comes with a similar withdrawal syndrome is Paxil.), anyone struggling to get off them, really, anyone who has been affected by these awful drugs. JUST SAY NO!
Darling — day by day I become more and more aware of how lucky I was to get off that shit early on. I hadn't been taking it more than a year at a fairly low dosage, and the taper/cessation was kinda fucked, but that was because I was also going off Zyprexa — another bit of farmasootikal funistry that disses the system — and I don't know if I was reacting to the Effin' Exor or the Zyprexa (say, isn't that a planet in the Star Trek universe?). Luv ya bunches and strength in your Canadian Gothic endurance contest chez Reimer!!!
*giggles*
XO
yup, I was altogether very impressed with the shrinkazoid, who, by chance, during a discussion of the way that psych meds are named (both their "brand" and "chemical" names) by teams of psychiatrists/psychologists/sociologists/other assholes with Ph.D.s, we happened to discuss Zyprexa…he thought that "olanzapine" had a "fat sound", and then made some comment about it's overall unfortunateness in its appearance on the antipsychotic scene.
I shall be snapping away this Christmas…let's see how NOT DIFFERENT the images are!!!
I was on Effexor for a couple of months during the early 00's. Triggered severe hyperhidrosis that is still with me to this day almost 10 years later!
L
Holy shite! Have you signed the petition, detailing your story? I know, signing petitions is not the most exciting political activity, but I've done it…it might be <a href="http://www.effexorpetition.org,” target=”_blank”>www.effexorpetition.org, or if you google "Effexor Petition" it will come up right away. Fucking disgusting. I shall keep your story in mind when I finally get my law degree and try to take on Wyeth Pharmaceuticals….*shivers!!!*
Hi… I am suffering from the effects of effexor and prozac withdrawal at this moment. It is hell. PURE. LIVING. HELL.
I am inspired by your blog, so I started my own. http://ssrinightmares.blogspot.com/
I hope to really get my thoughts down. There are a few things I wrote tonight, and one item I wrote a week ago. I am on week three.
I really want to get the night terrors down on paper. Some of them are… they are enough to make you long for a quick and painless death. Inescapable misery during the day, rats in your brains attempting to escape… all tempered by the pressures of work, school, marriage – real life… and the demons are right there, waiting for your head to hit that pillow so they can go to work. They are immensely good at what they do.
I don't believe in God, but now I believe in demons.
Wow, I am SOOOOO honoured that I inspired you to start this project – we need them up all over the Internet, forcing the drug companies to listen to what they've done to us. *BIG HUGS!*
InDEED on the night terrors…I've had almost NO dreams while on these meds. Seven years is a long time not to dream. Except for my last year on Clozapine, during which I had the same dream almost every night: World War Three had broken out, in my hometown where I lived at the time, at the University where I attended and all over downtown Winnipeg. Everyone was brandishing an AK-47 and it was every (wo)man for him/herself. I would spend the entire dream running, not shooting, and I would finally be shot down. Through eyes filling with blood, looking at the red world dissolve before me, I would shout, "I'm still alive! Help me, someone! Still alive!" But, as said, it was everyone for oneself, so I died – and woke up. A night terror in itself, but really just a bad dream compared with the SSRI Withdrawal horror.
And precisely, they ARE the contents of my head, the terrors. The first time I tried to withdraw I had one dream that I found out, none the wiser each time, that my mom was going to die (she did when I was 13), literally what seemed like 1000 times. I would have been happy with a quick and painless death.
I believe I've now entered (or perhaps it's some kind of defence mechanism) the pure insomnia stage. I cannot sleep for longer than half an hour. This makes me SO useful during the daytime! It's 4:41 am and I'm off to get one last half hour, but when I get up I will be checking out your blog. I am so excited about your project…and not just cuz I inspired it
Your sister in spirit and struggle,
scars XO
Wow. My doctors in Australia never believed me when I told them that Effexor was making me worse. Took two hospitalizations and me just stopping myself and refusing to take it any more. Glad ur doctor has finally come to the party.
I am so happy you finally got off the poison as well! Interesting to hear about differing opinions in Australia – can I ask when these docs stood up for Effexor so vehemently? Here in Canada, over the past year (in British Columbia, the westernmost province…health care and medical opinions differ greatly by province here, I've come to learn) I've had docs across the board rather anxious to get me off Effexor… in typical doctor's manner, no psychiatrist has expressed why they are decreasing the dosage (since I was on so much, the journey from 450 mg to 37.5 mg has taken a year and 2 hospitalizations, and I've seen many docs during this process), but all (10 or so?) have, without discussing my "Effexor history", so to speak, with any other doctor, have right away chosen to bring it down by another increment. It seems that Effexor has, hushedly, but drastically fallen out of favour here. I would like to think that this is because of the horrid side-effects and general uselessness of the drug to treat depression, not to mention the excruciating withdrawal syndrome, but then again "Pristiq" – an isomer of the Effexor molecule; DESvenlafaxine, whereas Effexor is venlafaxine – is the antidepressant du jour right now…my cynical mind is quick to think docs are more interested in getting patients on a new antidepressant still under patent than they're interested in patient well-being. Not ALL doctors, of course, but sadly, in my opinion, the vast majority
All my best,
scars XO