Bonski68: Feel like I'm losing my mind

[Bonski68]

I was on Effoxor about six years ago and weaned myself off successfully. When I was diagnosed with Breast a Cancer last year I started getting severe hotflashes because of chemo. I read that a low dosage effexor is helpful. Even though I remember that it was difficult to get off of Effexor last time, I decided to give it a try. I took 37.5 twice a day with no success. Now I'm trying to wean myself off of it again. I guess I forgot how difficult it was last time. I successfully got down to one dose a day and then started taking out two pebbles out of the capsule. I was down to 3 pebbles but the brain shiffers have been horrible. I've also been having severe cold sweats over the past week, which I just found out today, could be due to withdrawl also. After reading this site, I decided to up my dosage back to six pebbles but after six hours I'm still feeling horrible. The brain shiffers and cold sweats are the worst but I'm also very sensitive to light and sound.

[bubble]

Hello Bonski and welcome to SA!

 

I'm very sorry you are having such a hard time, both with the drug and chemo. The title you gave to your thread describes very well how I felt when I first came here, and most of us.

 

What would help us to give you concrete suggestions of what might work best in your situation is if you could write the dates of when all these changes with Effexor were happening.

 

When you find time, you can put your history with Effexor (and any other drug or supplement) you may have used in your signature. This link describes how:

 

http://survivingantidepressants.org/index.php?/topic/893-please-put-your-withdrawal-history-in-your-signature/

 

So what would help us would be the date when you again started taking Effexor which will tell us how long you have been taking it. It would also be helpful to put down the dates over which you were reducing on that one capsule. (It's possible that what you are feeling now is a withdrawal from a too fast taper from that first capsule rather than the changes you have introduced more recently, although they are definitely not helping the situation). 

 

ADs have that "delayed strike": you can feel fine initially  and think the reducing was successful only to be hit by symptoms further down the road.

 

Chemo can't be helping the process either (others with more experience will comment on that I'm sure).

 

I believe we can work something out. It's nice to have you here and I hope I didn't ask you too many things. You don't have to write the exact dates but any time frames that you remember will be very helpful. 

 

best,

 

bubble

[Jemima]

Hi Bonski,

 

Yes, Effexor is one of the worst drugs to taper from, but the situation isn't hopeless.  Since you just made a change in dosage, it would be best to hold there. It takes at least four full days for a dosage change to take effect, so I'm not at all surprised you haven't experienced any relief in six hours.

 

Are you still getting chemo?  I'm thinking it might be difficult to taper at the same time.  Thank God I've never had to have it, but a friend of mine did and she was very sick from it. When you're undergoing two types of treatment at the same time, it's nearly impossible to tell what symptoms are coming from which treatment.

 

While you're waiting for the updose to take effect, you might want to read this topic:  Tips for Tapering Effexor

 

Welcome to the forum.  You'll find lots of good information and friendly support here.

[Bonski68]

Thanks so much for your replies. I've added my signature block with my tapering info. I finished chemo back in December but hotflashes never did go away. My oncologist did a hormone test and I am post menopausal. I had to discontinue my Aromatase Inhibitor (AI) (hormone treatment for breast cancer that suppresses any estrogen in my body) on 16 May due to severe side effects. I'm on a 1-4 week cleansing period for it before I start a different kind of AI. I think my body is very confused at this time. At this time I'm unsure which of these drugs are causing the cold sweats but I remember from previously discontinuing Effexor how the brain shiffers feel.

 

I'm also on Percocet and Vicodin for pain, due to the AI, but keeping it very minimal so I don't become dependent on those too (take a dose of Vicodin at day and one dose of Percocet at night). I'm so tired of taking meds but hubby insist I need them. Right now my priority is to get off of the Effexor since it didn't do anything for my hotflashes. I'm depressed (due to cancer treatment and other issues) but don't want to continue this drug anymore...nor any other antidepressant.

[Altostrata]

Welcome, Bonski.

 

Please be patient. It takes about 4 days for your system to fully register re-introduction of Effexor. Take it at the same time each day.

 

You are taking Effexor XR?

[Bonski68]

Thanks. I hope the increase will work. I added my 'XR' in my signature block. I read about the tapering earlier yesterday....not sure if I'll have access to 'regular' Effexor. Hubby (and us...as his family) are stationed at a small base overseas and they don't have everything at our pharmacy. Not sure if my doctor would work on it with me either. So glad to have found this forum though. Thanks!!!