Jademn: reinstated Effexor and side effects

[Jademn]

Hey. So I’ve been on Effexor for around 13 years. I decided this year I was going to try and taper off. All went well at first, although I should have tapered for longer. Had my last pill in June. Since then I’ve had only very little withdrawal symptoms up until about 2 weeks ago. It started with tingling skin all over, pins and needles, a little panic, hot/cold flushes etc. so I decided to reinstate to try and deal with the withdrawals. My doctor advised I go back to my original dose of 37.5 mg. I did that Wednesday and since then my withdrawals have been out of control! I have had insomnia for the past 3 nights (no sleep at all) panic, heart racing, sweating, shakes, tremors, constant ringing in my ears. Horrible. So instead of taking a full dose again I tried to cut it down to half. Ended up in the ED last night. They said to stop the Effexor all together and use Valium until my withdrawals get better. But my doctor today said he thinks I stay on a low dose of Effexor and use Valium when needed. I’m confused on what to do, but can’t keep going like this with no sleep! Anyone else had this happen??

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by ChessieCat
deitalicised

[Jademn]

Reinstatement of Effexor.

 

Hey again. I’ve just got another script for 37.5 mg with the tiny little beads. I’m just trying to get some advice on how many I should start on as I think the 12.5 mini tablet is to high.

 

Edited September 13, 2020 by ChessieCat
added topic title & deitalicised

[Gridley]

Welcome to SA, Jademn.

 

To give members the best information, we ask them to summarize their medication history in a signature -- drugs, doses, dates, and discontinuations & reinstatements, in the last 12-24 months particularly.  Please include your taper rate and the date and dosage of your last dose.

 

Account Settings – Create or Edit a signature.

 

When you took the previous full dose of 37.5mg, you overwhelmed your system, which was used to smaller doses from your taper.  What was your final dose before you stopped taking the drug in June? Once we have that information, we'll be in a better position to advise you on a reinstatement dose.  The reinstatement dose that we generally recommend is much smaller than your last dose. Please do not reinstate without giving us an opportunity to suggest a dose. 

 

Please be careful with the valium.  Physiological dependence can start within 2-4 weeks of regular use and also can result from intermittent use.

 

We don't recommend a lot of supplements on SA, as many members report being sensitive to them due to our over-reactive nervous systems, but two supplements that we do recommend are magnesium and omega 3 (fish oil). Many people find these to be calming to the nervous system. 

 

Magnesium, nature's calcium channel blocker 

 

Omega-3 fatty acids (fish oil) 

 

Add in one at a time and at a low dose in case you do experience problems.

 

This is your Introduction topic, where you can complete your drug signature, answer my questions about your last dose, ask questions and connect with other members.  We're glad you found your way here.