thejeanbean520 Effexor withdrawal

[thejeanbean520]

I’ll try to make a long story short. After about 4 unsuccessful attempts to get off of Effexor (prescribed by my pcp), I switched to a psychiatrist who successfully switched me from 225mg of Effexor to 200mg of Zoloft in about 10 months. I was trying to get pregnant and thought Zoloft would be safer. After about 5 months of just Zoloft, I started getting weird symptoms no one’s been able to explain: lightheadedness, fatigue, nausea, dizziness, irritability, headaches, and worsening depression. 3 months and no answers later, with a worse mental state than I’ve ever had, I went back on 150mg of Effexor. I didn’t know what else to do. My body immediately (like an hour after taking the first 37.5mg) felt so much better! It was crazy! However, I only went up to 150mg and now, 7 months later I’m still experiencing these weird unexplainable symptoms. Less than before, but still every once in awhile. Could it be that my body still misses that 75mg? I’m asking because I am at my wit’s end. I’ve seen so many doctors, had so many tests done, and no one can explain my symptoms to me. I mean, I knew Effexor withdrawal was crazy but is it this crazy???

[Altostrata]

Welcome, @thejeanbean520

 

You had Effexor withdrawal syndrome, relieved by taking Effexor again.

 

21 hours ago, thejeanbean520 said:

7 months later I’m still experiencing these weird unexplainable symptoms. Less than before, but still every once in awhile.

 

What symptoms? Do they occur at any particular times of day?

 

If I were you, I would not push my luck by increasing the Effexor dosage. We have seen people whose nervous systems have been upset by withdrawal may react badly (kindling) to too-high reinstatement. Some benefit from reinstatement is promising. It may take time for your nervous system to settle down. That you've seen some improvement in your symptom pattern in 7 months is promising. After all, you had Effexor withdrawal syndrome for 5 months while you took Zoloft. It may take you months to stabilze. See The Windows and Waves Pattern of Stabilization 

 

Do you still intend to taper off your antidepressant in advance of pregnancy? BTW, one antidepressant is not safer than another in pregnancy.

 

To help us out, follow these instructions Please put your drug and withdrawal history in your signature You may need to use a computer to do this.

 

Yes, antidepressant withdrawal syndrome is this crazy.  Tell your doctors.

[thejeanbean520]

Thank-you for your comment. The symptoms started as feeling irritable, something akin to lightheadedness (I thought my blood sugar was low, but it was not), fatigue, derealization, and inability to concentrate. About a month later, I experienced dizziness, nausea, diarrhea, and worsening depression. Most mornings I experience dizziness and some afternoons I have this irritability and the lightheadedness, which usually lasts a few days to a week. And some days I have all of the symptoms! It’s just weird and I cannot tie any of them to diet or my cycle. They just don’t correlate.

[getofflex]

How have your symptoms changed since you upped your dose of Effexor to 225 mg?  Are they overall better, worse, or the same?  

 

Is your intention to eventually taper off the Effexor? 

[thejeanbean520]

I believe this is day 6 of taking 225mg and I’ve been feeling better and better the last 3 days. Right now, I can’t even think about tapering off because of how difficult it’s been for me. Part of me is like “if it ain’t broke, why fix it?” and the other part is like “what if it does damage down the road?” Or what if I suddenly need to get off of it for some reason and don’t have time to taper? It’s a tough decision. I never would’ve imagined getting off Effexor would be THIS hard!

[thejeanbean520]

I should also say, I was originally trying to get off of it because my husband and I were thinking of having another baby. I have since learned that many Effexor patients stay on it when they get pregnant. I know there are risks but I just don’t think I can get off Effexor in any sort of a timely manner.

[getofflex]

One option is, you could stay on Effexor for a year or two, and just allow your system to settle down and stabilize.  Then, you could come back to the idea of a very slow taper. I would suggest that you not change the dose, and not add any other psych meds or any other neuroactive substances, as these tend to destabilize us further and cause worse WD symptoms.  The previous attempts to get off Effexor, and jumping back and forth from the Effexor and Zoloft may have destabilized you and sensitized your nervous system.  So you can make an informed decision, here is an article from the CDC about the safety issues of taking Effexor during early pregnancy:  

 

https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/birthdefects/features/venlafaxine-during-pregnancy.html