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Jumpy: Cant handle the sweat anymore - Effexor XR - 75mg


Jumpy

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Posted (edited)

Hi all,

 

I have been taking Effexor Xr 75mg for about 8 years now.

 

During that time, the cause of my anxiety became known (ADHD-PI) and while Effexor was excellent at controlling my anxiety, I no longer feel I need it now that my ADHD is under control via other medication.

Plus the sweat. God the sweat. I sweat if I tie my shoes, I sweat reaching up to brush off the sweat that came from tying my shoes.

I am not unfit. I just sweat. All. the. time.

It is ruining my life (and my sheets)

I cant remember when the sweat started, but my mother is on it, same sweating issue. My aunt recently started it. Never had a sweat problem, now its uncontrollable. 

I am pretty sure its the Effexor.

 

The problem is, I cant get off it.

The manufacturers recommendation to doctors is, 75mg, 37.5mg, 75mg, 37.5mg etc etc for two weeks. Then two weeks of 37.5mg, then 37.5mg, nothing, 37.5mg, nothing etc for two weeks until off.

 

This does not work. The brain zaps and vertigo make life impossible. I took a long break from work to do this and ended up having to go back to the full dose because I wouldnt have been able to go back to work at the end of my leave if I didnt.

 

So. I had an idea to reduce the dose via removing beads, searched how many beads in a capsule and found this site. 

 

Hi.

 

What I would love to know first off is... 

Did anyone else have this sweating problem?

Did ending Effexor work to stop it?

 

Has anyone else successfully stopped effexor after being on it as long as I have?

 

Thanks all.

Edited by scallywag
tags added
Posted

Sweating is a documented side effect, I am certain.   I just got up this morning in "cool" Scotland (15C) and I felt chilly after a bit because of the state of my pyjamas.  (Hope you know what I mean!)

 

The very knowledgeable mods on the site will respond soon.  I am just a guy who has been on Effexor since 2002.

Born 1945. 

1999 - First Effexor/Venlafaxine

2016 Withdrawal research. Effexor.  13Jul - 212.5mg;  6Aug - 200.0mg;  24Aug - 187.5mg;  13Sep - 175.0mg;  3Oct - 162.5mg;  26Oct - 150mg 

2017  9Jan - 150.00mg;  23Mar - 137.50mg;  24Apr - 125.00mg;  31May - 112.50mg holding;  3Sep - 100.00mg;  20Sep - 93.75mg;  20Oct - 87.5mg;  12Nov - 81.25mg;  13 Dec - 75.00mg

2018  18Jan - 69.1mg; 16Feb - 62.5mg; 16March - 57.5mg (-8%); 22Apr - 56.3mg(-2%); CRASHED - Updose 29May - 62.5mg; Updose - 1Jul - 75.0mg. Updose - 2Aug - 87.5mg. Updose - 27Aug - 100.0mg. Updose - 11Oct 112.5mg. Updose - 6Nov 125.00mg

2019 Updoses 19 Jan - 150.0mg. 1April - 162.5mg. 24 April - Feeling better - doing tasks, getting outside.  7 May - usual depression questionnaire gives "probably no depression" result.

Supps/Vits  Omega 3;  Chelated Magnesium;  Prebiotics/Probiotics, Vit D3. 

Posted

Hi jumpy , sweating was a big problem for me when I came of Effexor , I have been of now for 20 months , the first 2 months were awful , I was stopped over a 2 week period after appx 12 years of use , vertigo was very bad lessened after about 6 months but the sweating did stop but was awful , I think it has something to do with your histamine becoming unstable , but not certain , unfortunately there was not a lot I could do about it , I once read that some other member had found that they had use inosine to great effect to stop the sweating , but be careful if you are in withdrawel taking any supplement a as it may destabilise you even further , it would be helpful if you could put up your history so we can take a look at how you are going about your taper , plus any other meds you may be on , I am sure a moderator will come along soon and advice you on this

2001 to jan 2015 Effexor 150 mg 

jan 2015 15 mg mirtazapine 20 mg quetiapine 

feb 2015 quetiapine stopped 

feb 2015 30 mg of citalopram added 

feb 2015 mirtazapine increased to 30 mg 

july 2015 citalopram stopped 

sept 2015 200mg of pregabalin 

jan 2017 mirtazapine stopped

jan 2017 20 mg fluoxetine

march 2017 all meds stopped 

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Hi Jumpy and welcome to SA,

 

Yep a mod has come along!!!  Terry just beat me to it. :)

 

There is lots of excellent information here at SA.  It's really great that you have found this site.

 

I've been on 100 mg Pristiq (desvenlafaxine, a relative of Effexor, venlafaxine - In effect, Pristiq is concentrated Effexor) and had a lot of sweating prior to reducing my dosage.

 

It is possible to get off your Effexor by doing SA's recommended 10% tapering method where you reduce the previous dose by 10% and hold for 4-6 weeks to allow the brain to adapt to not getting as much of the drug.  It is very important to keep the dose consist on a daily basis at approximately the same time.

 

You mentioned that you are taking a drug for ADHD.  We ask all members to Please put your Withdrawal History in Signature.  Details of the last 12-18 months and a summary of anything prior.  Please include ALL drugs, dates and doses and how you decreased / increased.

 

I'll list some links for you to check out and you can use your Intro/Update topic to ask questions and to journal your progress.  Click "Follow" top right and you will be notified when someone responds.

 

Before you begin tapering what you need to know
 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

Tips for tapering off Effexor (venlafaxine)

 

These helped me to understand SA's recommendations and also have kept me from trying to hurry up my taper:

 

Brain Remodelling (Rhi's Description of Brain Healing)


Video:  Healing From Antidepressants - Patterns of Recovery

* NO LONGER ACTIVE on SA *

MISSION ACCOMPLISHED:  (6 year taper)      0mg Pristiq  on 13th November 2021

ADs since ~1992:  25+ years - 1 unknown, Prozac (muscle weakness), Zoloft; citalopram (pooped out) CTed (very sick for 2.5 wks a few months after); Pristiq:  50mg 2012, 100mg beg 2013 (Serotonin Toxicity)  Tapering from Oct 2015 - 13 Nov 2021   LAST DOSE 0.0025mg

Post 0 updates start here    My tapering program     My Intro (goes to tapering graph)

 VIDEO:   Antidepressant Withdrawal Syndrome and its Management

Posted

Hi all,

 

Thanks for the responses. Just to note, I havent started tapering yet. I wanted to post first and make sure I am doing it right.

 

I dont have a time limit and noted that based on my counts and the counts here that the average content of the 75 mg Effexor XR is 255 beads.

 

The 10% sounds good, but too big a jump to start. I was going to try to come off it in a minimum of 255 days by removing a bead a day.

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Hi Jumpy, 

 

These drugs have a way of effecting people while on, and effecting people while trying to come off.  I don't recall ever having a big problem with sweating on Effexor, other than a few nights of getting sweaty, but when I was in withdrawal, OMG!  I drenched the sheets big time and also would suddenly be soaking in the middle of a conversation, sweating gleaming on my face, neck and chest...It was extreme!  So, some have the weird symptoms while on, while others have them while coming off.  Hopefully, you'll be one for which slowly tapering off will leave you drier than while on :-)

 

SG

Started ADs back around 1995 after bad break-up, starting with Prozac.  Switched to Wellbutrin, and then to Effexor in 2002
Effexor XR 2002-2014 up to 225 mg at one point, down to 37.5 mg towards end but back up to 75 mg in 2014; now realize I had W/D as I dropped down, memory very poor about history.  Extreme emotions, poor concentration as I stepped back down, didn't connect the dots!
Summer 2014 reduced to 0 very quickly, was sick of anhedonia/sexual dysfunction due to meds, depression never controlled if not worse. Didn't recognize WD since symptoms built slowly (thought I had ADD! and menopausal on top of it), starting with severe sweats, very bad cog-fog and memory issues, culminating in weight loss, severe anxiety and depression, panic, severe apathy and insomnia by eight months off.  Saw p-doc who put me on Remeron, increased from 7.5 mg/day to 37.5 mg by May 22, 2015; still doing very badly though able to sleep.

June 1. 2015 Reinstated Effexor XR 37.5 mg, Remeron dropped to 30 mg PM. Immediate relief of symptoms, like nothing had ever happened!  Joined SA and began on advice of friend who recognized it was WD all along! Began tapering in July 2015.

Been tapering both meds ever since, focusing on one more than the other or doing no more than 5% of each per month.

12 mg Effexor and 5.8 mg Remeron (mirtazapine SolTabs to make a solution with OraPlus) as of 5/4/2017 

Update 3/14/18: 2.9 mg Remeron and 6 mg Effexor; 6/10/18:  2.6 mg Remeron and 4.9 mg Effexor

 

My intro: http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/9313-squirrellygirl-effexor-withdrawal-etc/page-2#entry196679

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

  • Moderator Emeritus
Posted

Jumpy -- Welcome to Surviving Antidepressants (SA)

 

Removing 1 bead a day is not the best method.  Your CNS (central nervous system) will always be adapting to changes and is unlikely to have time to catch up to your always changing current dosage.  The result is likely that you have few symptoms during your taper and then get SLAMMED within 2 months of your last dose. Please read 2 of the topics ChessieCat linked,

 

Why taper by 10% of my dosage?

 

"Brain remodeling"

This is not medical advice. Discuss any decisions about your medical care with a knowledgeable medical practitioner.
1997-1999 Effexor; 2002-2005 Effexor XR 37.5 mg linear taper, dropping same #beads/week with bad results

Cymbalta 60 mg 2012 - 2015; 2016: 20 mg to 7 mg exact doses and dates in this post; 2017: 6.3 mg to  0.0 mg  Aug. 12; details here


scallywag's Introduction
Online spreadsheet for dose taper calculations and nz11's THE WORKS spreadsheet

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